Gateway of Immortality-Chapter 298: The Guardian Spirit Beast

Wandering Man had sent not only the method to break through the barriers but also information on Luo Xingnan and his group, as well as the state of the mountain.

To expedite breaking the barriers, they had paid the price of two lives.

One life was Wu Chen's, while the other was a man surnamed Yin.

Desperate to survive, the man surnamed Yin had betrayed Sheng Yuanzi without hesitation, acting with ruthless decisiveness. This treachery, however, made the others even more wary of him. Thus, when Luo Xingnan forced him to scout the path ahead, no one spoke up for him.

Wandering Man could do nothing about it.

Their side’s strength had dwindled further, while Luo Xingnan’s group remained unscathed.

Thanks to Wandering Man's intelligence, Qin Sang and Ge Yuan had an easier time compared to Luo Xingnan and his companions.

However, Wandering Man had relayed the information before entering the mountain. Otherwise, by the time Qin Sang and Ge Yuan arrived, they might not have had a share of anything. Thus, they had to rely on their own skills to get through the last two layers of barriers.

Although the journey was fraught with danger, they managed to pass through without incident. When they reached the foot of the mountain, they were greeted by a landscape shrouded in misty clouds.

It was identical to the scene they had observed from outside.

Surrounded by dense fog, they could no longer view the entire area as they had from a distance. Their vision revealed no signs of glowing spiritual herbs; they could only rely on memory to recall where the herbs might be located.

Still, Qin Sang and Ge Yuan did not act rashly.

To Qin Sang’s surprise, the mountain seemed nothing like what he had imagined. He had expected layer upon layer of barriers and constant danger.

Yet everything within sight appeared harmless.

Qin Sang activated his spiritual consciousness and sent it into the dense fog. He probed as far as his spiritual consciousness could reach but found no traces of barriers.

At the same time, Luo Xingnan and his group were nowhere to be seen.

"Uhh..."

Ge Yuan also noticed the situation. He was astonished and muttered in disbelief, "Is... this really is the herb garden of the cave dwelling’s master? Is that why only the foot of the mountain was sealed by barriers, and no other mechanisms were left behind? Does that mean we can freely harvest the herbs here?"

Both Qin Sang and Ge Yuan’s expressions darkened.

This was completely different from what they had anticipated. They had expected the mountain to have additional layers of barriers, making it difficult to gather herbs.

Only under such circumstances would they have had a chance to claim a share.

But now, discovering that there were no arrays or barriers here, and that the herbs could be plucked at will, meant that even the tallest peaks would pose no challenge for immortal cultivators.

There were only twenty-one spiritual herbs.

They might have already been plundered by Luo Xingnan and his group!

Ge Yuan’s face was filled with unhappiness.

After enduring countless hardships and machinations to reach this point, the herbs were just within reach. Yet they might return empty-handed. No one would accept such an outcome.

Whoosh!

Ge Yuan’s figure flashed as he charged up the mountain.

Qin Sang was no slower. Ignoring Ge Yuan, he headed straight for the location where he had sensed the dark yellow qi.

The Dark Patterned Yellow Essence held immense significance for him. If the herb wasn’t the Dark Patterned Yellow Essence, he could let it go. But if it was, he wouldn’t give it up no matter what.

Wandering Man had also mentioned that few people truly understood the effects of the Dark Patterned Heyun Pill. Most might assume its only purpose was to restore one’s foundation.

Among immortal cultivators, those with damaged foundations were rare.

Whoever obtained the herb might not fully appreciate its value, leaving room for negotiation.

Qin Sang and Ge Yuan had barely begun to move when, just three zhang ahead, a sudden, deafening roar erupted from above.

Boom!

The sound was earth-shattering, and the entire mountain trembled violently.

Crash!

It was the sound of rocks shattering.

Immediately after, an ear-piercing shriek resounded across the sky.

The cry was sharp and carried immense anger and hostility. It was like a demonic sound capable of piercing through one’s eardrums. Even from the mountaintop, the sound was so oppressive it made their ears ache.

The shriek was accompanied by several furious shouts from the same direction, one of which was unmistakably Luo Xingnan’s!

Immediately, chaos erupted atop the mountain.

The ripples of spiritual power clashing against each other traveled far, causing the clouds and mist within the mountain to tremble violently.

Similar shrieks, though far less powerful and resonant than the initial one, followed one after another. Their combined intensity was astonishing, making the angry shouts of Luo Xingnan and his group seem faint and feeble in comparison.

Their opponents were clearly some kind of demonic beasts. Judging by the commotion, there were many of them, and they seemed exceptionally powerful. From the increasingly urgent tones of Luo Xingnan and his companions, it didn’t sound like they had the upper hand.

However, without seeing it firsthand, it was impossible to determine the exact situation.

Qin Sang and Ge Yuan came to an abrupt halt, exchanging a glance that revealed both uncertainty and delight.

Simultaneously, they recalled the Hook Snakes guarding the entrance earlier.

No wonder there were no barriers on the mountain—it turned out there were guardian spirit beasts here as well.

This was good news for them. If Luo Xingnan and his group were stuck with the spirit beasts, it meant the spiritual herbs had not yet been harvested.

"Daoist Master, can you tell what kind of demonic beasts these are?" Ge Yuan asked through a voice transmission.

Qin Sang tilted his head to listen. There were countless types of demonic beasts, and identifying them by sound alone was extremely difficult. He shook his head and replied, "I can’t tell, but these beasts must be ferocious. I can hear Wandering Man’s voice—he’s caught up with them too!"

Wandering Man was known for his composure, yet now he was shouting continuously. He was likely trying to send them a signal.

"Let’s gather the herbs!" Ge Yuan decided immediately.

With Luo Xingnan’s group and the demonic beasts locked in combat, this was the perfect opportunity for them. There would be no better time to act.

Ge Yuan moved toward a spiritual herb he remembered, but Qin Sang stopped him.

"I’ve discussed this with Wandering Man. The brightness of the light likely correlates with the herb’s quality. Most of the dim and faintly glowing herbs are at the foot of the mountain, but the rarest ones are near the summit. The situation could change at any moment—we shouldn’t waste time below."

As he spoke, Qin Sang headed for the mountaintop.

Ge Yuan paused and listened to the sounds from the summit. Perhaps it was just his imagination, but the demonic beasts’ cries seemed slightly weaker.

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Regardless, Qin Sang’s reasoning made sense. Ge Yuan immediately followed him.

The two restrained their auras as much as possible and flew upward at top speed.

"Did Wandering Man ever mention which herb he needed?" Qin Sang asked urgently.

Wandering Man was also stuck with the guardian spirit beasts.

Aside from the Dark Patterned Yellow Essence, Qin Sang wasn’t desperate for any specific herb. He intended to help Wandering Man retrieve what he needed first.

After all, Wandering Man had played a critical role in getting them this far—it wouldn’t be right to abandon him now.

"I don’t know," Ge Yuan replied, shaking his head. Suddenly, his gaze locked on a spot to their left. With a hint of excitement, he exclaimed, "I remember sensing a herb in that direction. Its light was among the brightest of them all!"

Without waiting, Ge Yuan surged ahead of Qin Sang, heading toward the left.

It seemed Qin Sang would have to search later to see if there were any herbs capable of repairing the soul.

Fortunately, I'm well-acquainted with many spiritual herbs. Qin Sang thought to himself as he watched Ge Yuan’s figure disappear into the mist. Without hesitation, he followed closely behind.