Gateway of Immortality-Chapter 966: Fall

After darting a hundred zhang, he landed among a patch of poisonous algae and fixed his gaze on a plant not far ahead. This one differed from the rest. Its roots were red, and the seed bud at the top was larger than those of ordinary poisonous algae, resembling more of a fruit.

Qin Sang had not expected that what stirred the silkworm’s desire would be poisonous algae. But as he tried to approach the red algae, the silkworm suddenly let out a warning and spat strands of multicolored silk in succession.

Only then did Qin Sang realize the terrifying nature of the red algae. Its toxin was far beyond the ordinary ones. He wrapped his palm in the multicolored silk before daring to reach out and gently pluck the fruit.

A sizzling sound rang out as the silk was corroded by the poisonous mist. The silkworm quickly spewed out more until the fruit was finally taken. Sealed within the multicolored silk, the fruit appeared quite ordinary.

Fortunately, the silkworm’s cultivation had advanced since last time, and it was not so taxing. Stowing away the fruit, Qin Sang glanced around. Even the silkworm nearly failed to withstand the poison of the red algae. If I lured the demons here, I could take the chance to...

He cast a discreet glance at the others, but immediately dismissed the thought. There were too few red algae here, too scattered to bait them effectively, and besides, the Nine Phoenix King was present.

By now, the Nine Phoenix King had already ventured deep into the area. She seemed to have opened another barrier. From within came a chorus of wolf howls, and soon fierce wolf shadows surged forth to attack her.

The demons tensed, but quickly saw it was a one-sided slaughter. The Nine Phoenix King carved through them with ease, and the air soon reeked of blood. While watching, Qin Sang made his way toward another red algae.

After traveling some distance, Fairy Caiyi and the others began to feel the toxins growing harsher. They moved with extreme caution, making Qin Sang’s actions conspicuous.

He plucked another fruit, pushed past the algae, and hurried a few steps forward. Just as he reached a third red algae, his body stiffened.

There was a corpse on the ground. The figure’s back struck Qin Sang with a sense of familiarity. His expression changed. An ominous feeling rose in his chest.

"Elder Zhou!" He turned the corpse over. The old, familiar face silenced him.

He had not expected this space to be the very one Elder Zhou had promised to explore with him. How Elder Zhou had discovered it remained unknown. He had succeeded in entering, only to perish here. Clearly, he had not understood the danger of the red algae.

With his weak resistance to poison, he had already struggled to survive in this space. When he encountered the red algae, he died almost instantly. The expression on Elder Zhou’s face still bore the joy of finding treasure. His eyes remained wide open, unwilling to close, a silent cry of his unwillingness.

"So the one slain by the Nine Phoenix King earlier must have been Elder Zhou’s companion..." Qin Sang sighed inwardly, filled with lament.

His relationship with Elder Zhou had been one of distant friendship, unlike the bond he had shared with Wandering Man, where they had endured life and death together. Yet the two had helped each other.

After Qin Sang joined the merchant guild, Elder Zhou had never forced him into anything. Instead, Elder Zhou had often offered aid, while Qin Sang was frequently missing or in seclusion. During their time on Five-Elemental Islands, it was mostly the Wang Sisters who had done the work.

He knew little of Elder Zhou’s past. It was said that Elder Zhou had once been a genius, but trapped at a bottleneck for years, unable to see hope of a breakthrough. In despair, he abandoned the immortal path and went into the Demonic Sea, devoting himself to the merchant guild.

But fate turned cruel. Just as the guild began to flourish, chaos erupted in the Demonic Sea, destroying everything he had built.

The disaster woke him. He realized that all else was but an illusion. Only his own strength was real. Yet it was already too late. With little lifespan left, he could only gamble everything on Seven-Kill Hall.

In the end... he failed. Hope appeared hand in hand with deadly peril. Dawn was approaching, yet Elder Zhou had fallen here. How bitterly unwilling he must have been!

Looking back on his final years, Qin Sang felt sorrow. But undeniably, this was the true fate of countless cultivators.

"Daoist Ming Yue, you truly live up to the Jade Pigeon lineage, moving so freely in such a place. What are you searching for here? Are these algae so different from those outside?" Yuan Zhu’s voice sounded from behind.

"Come see for yourself, Daoist Yuan," Qin Sang replied calmly, concealing his feelings.

He brushed his hand across Elder Zhou’s eyes, closing them at last. He wished to give Elder Zhou a proper burial, perhaps even return his body to his kin. But such an act would invite suspicion. Instead, he took Elder Zhou’s Mustard Seed Pouch and a jade pendant from his chest, intending to send them back to the merchant guild when the chance arose.

The pouch was almost empty. Clearly, Elder Zhou had resolved to die, leaving everything to his descendants before stepping into Seven-Kill Hall alone. The jade pendant was just a common mortal jade, yet for Elder Zhou, it must have held deep meaning.

Yuan Zhu walked up and muttered in surprise, "Another corpse here?" 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

Qin Sang nodded, summoning a flame into his palm. In an instant, the body burned to ash, sparing Elder Zhou’s corpse from indignity.

"Hmm? What’s wrong with this algae..." Yuan Zhu noticed the unusual red algae and recoiled, not daring to approach.

Qin Sang concealed the silkworm’s aura as strands of multicolored silk slipped from his sleeve and wrapped up the fruit.

"Impressive!" Yuan Zhu clicked his tongue in wonder. "I wonder what the fruit does. Do you know the origin of these red algae?"

Qin Sang shook his head lightly. "I don’t. This is my first time seeing them. I’m only collecting a few. Perhaps they’ll be useful."

Yuan Zhu trailed after him as he gathered the fruits, chattering endlessly. Qin Sang found it unbearable but did not dare to speak much, only replying perfunctorily.

"I wonder what treasure the Nine Phoenix King will find deeper inside," Yuan Zhu said slyly, stealing a glance toward the depths.

Then he leaned closer and whispered, "Daoist, what do you make of the Nine Phoenix King suddenly appearing in Seven-Kill Hall this time?"

Qin Sang’s eyes flickered. He looked deeply at Yuan Zhu. "What do you mean by that, Daoist Yuan? With our meager cultivation, how would we dare harbor these thoughts? We only need to follow orders."

"Is that so?" Yuan Zhu chuckled and did not press further.

In the end, Qin Sang gathered over a dozen fruits, though Yuan Zhu pestered Qin Sang into giving him one. Fairy Caiyi and Gu Heng collected the rest.

Once the red algae at the perimeter were cleared, Qin Sang gazed at the depths, hesitation in his eyes. He eventually gave up. He did not want to draw too much attention and risk catching the Nine Phoenix King’s eye.

He felt deeply uneasy, unsure how much longer he could keep his disguise. The only reason he had not been exposed was that the Nine Phoenix King had never imagined a human might slip in. If she so much as tested him, his cover would be blown instantly.

Suddenly, the barrier deep in the area rippled. The Nine Phoenix King returned, reeking of blood.