Gateway of Immortality

Chapter 201: Cloud Artifact

Swallowing a few spiritual pills, Qin Sang felt no change in his Qihai, just as he had expected.

He shook his head, dismissing any lingering hope, and refocused. Reaching into his Mustard Seed Pouch, he took out the brocade handkerchief.

The handkerchief was palm-sized, with four coarse, square corners. Woven from what appeared to be tree bark, it lacked any fine patterns, looking like an unremarkable artifact.

Strangely, it emitted a faint layer of grayish-white aura, giving it a somewhat eerie presence.

This object, which seemed like an artifact but not quite, was a type unique to the Ancient Immortal Battlefield, known as a Cloud Artifact.

As the name suggests, Cloud Artifacts were crafted from the evil spirits bound to Cloud Beasts.

According to widespread belief, the Ancient Immortal Battlefield held the corpses of countless ancient immortals whose bodies remained incorrupt over the ages. The lingering willpower of these powerful beings eventually transformed into a type of malevolent qi, coalescing into the Cloud Beasts—peculiar entities created within the battlefield.

During the formation of these beings, the malevolent qi coalesced into Cloud Beast essences, which would then attach themselves to various objects.

These might range from ordinary rocks or blades of grass to spirit herbs, spiritual wood, or minerals. In some cases, even animals or demonic beasts native to the battlefield would have entire populations tainted by these Cloud Beast's essences. Over countless generations, these beings mutated, evolving into strange Cloud Beasts.

Objects imbued with these essences and transformed into Cloud Beasts could then be recovered as evil spirit-bound items if killed by an immortal cultivator.

However, because the malevolent qi was highly volatile and unstable, the Cloud Beast's essence would often disperse upon its defeat, destroying the attached item along with it. Thus, not every Cloud Beast hunt yielded an evil spirit-bound item.

Over centuries, cultivators had discovered ways to make use of these items, one being their refinement into Cloud Artifacts. Cultivators entering the Ancient Immortal Battlefield could activate a Cloud Artifact to release the essence's aura, fooling nearby Cloud Beasts into mistaking them for one of their own.

This was particularly valuable during sudden celestial phenomena. If a cultivator found themselves without a refuge, they would have to fight to the utmost to resist the celestial storms.

Without the masking effect of a Cloud Artifact, their spiritual power fluctuations would shine like a beacon, constantly attracting nearby Cloud Beasts. Even if they survived the celestial phenomenon, they’d likely be overwhelmed by the ensuing horde of Cloud Beasts.

However, Cloud Artifacts were not infallible.

First, their effect was limited by distance; if one approached a Cloud Beast too closely, it would still detect them.

Second, if confronted by an exceptionally powerful Cloud Beast, the artifact might fail to deceive it. In that case, the only fault would be one’s poor luck.

Finally, the instability of Cloud Beast's essences meant that Cloud Artifacts were fragile and short-lived. This instability made them similar to malevolent artifacts like the Chi Dragon Sword and Falling Cloud Wings.

Qin Sang suspected that Old Demon Yi[1] had drawn upon the techniques used to refine Cloud Artifacts and combined them with the powerful skills of a Golden Core cultivator to forge a malevolent artifact. ?À?????

This brocade handkerchief was just an ordinary Cloud Artifact.

Since Qin Sang intended to explore the Ancient Immortal Battlefield in person, he naturally needed a Cloud Artifact for protection. However, as he planned to return within a month and wouldn’t be venturing too deep, this basic one would suffice.

…

A month later, a beam of evasion light, only a few zhang above the ground, shot out from the Ancient Immortal Battlefield, the piercing sound of a sword slicing through the air catching the attention of everyone below. People were astonished that anyone would dare fly within the battlefield.

The evasion light descended before Xuanlu Stronghold, revealing Qin Sang’s figure.

Flying in the Ancient Immortal Battlefield was highly inadvisable due to the fierce wind currents aloft that could corrode bone and soul alike. The sky was treacherous, and becoming a conspicuous target in the air was risky, as it could easily draw the attention of Cloud Beasts and lead to dangerous entrapments.

Qin Sang had only taken the risk because he was nearly out of time and was close enough to Xuanlu Stronghold to chance it.

Dust-covered and weather-worn, he ignored the curious glances around him, striding quickly into Xuanlu Stronghold. Tomorrow marked the end of his one-month limit.

Throughout this past month, Qin Sang had delved as deeply as he could into the Ancient Immortal Battlefield, nearly running out of time. What he experienced over this month solidified one conviction in him—he could not remain a rogue cultivator.

His situation was unique.

Unlike others, who could retreat to Xuanlu Stronghold once satisfied with their spoils, Qin Sang needed a cave dwelling where he could cultivate.

Through his observations, Qin Sang had noted that the Cloud Beasts in the Ancient Immortal Battlefield seemed to follow a rough distribution rule: the further one ventured into the battlefield, the more frequently powerful Cloud Beasts appeared.

Mastering the killing symbol required suitably strong opponents, as weaker ones failed to provide adequate training and yielded minimal results. To get enough battle experience without losing cultivation time, it was ideal to stay in the outer region. At the very least, his cave dwelling would need to be on the boundary between the border and the outer region.

The safest option was to settle in a town or marketplace established within the ruins of a hidden realm, as such locations often had cave dwellings available for rent. But the prices were shockingly high, leaving Qin Sang deterred.

Creating a cave dwelling in the wilderness was even less feasible. Cloud Beasts were also drawn to spiritual qi, and any place with rich spiritual qi was already swarming with these creatures.

Even if he managed to wrest a spot away from the beasts and seal the spiritual qi with an array, celestial phenomena could still expose him. Without strong defensive barriers, he’d stand no chance of holding his ground.

After a brief rest in his cave dwelling, Qin Sang made his way to find Yu Yangzi.

Yu Yangzi emerged quickly, smiling as he asked, "It’s been a while since Junior Brother Qin last visited. I thought you’d opted for the freedom to roam the Ancient Immortal Battlefield on your own. So, what are your plans? Will you join the Xuanlu Guards or the Shadow Guards?"

Returning the cave dwelling's jade talisman to Yu Yangzi, Qin Sang asked in return, "Senior Brother Yu Yangzi, I heard that our sect has outposts within the Ancient Immortal Battlefield’s hidden realms that require disciples to guard them. Are there any vacancies?"

Yu Yangzi paused, looking slightly surprised before hesitantly asking, "Are you merely curious, or do you truly intend to take on such a post?"

Qin Sang answered in a steady voice, "If the opportunity is there, I’d like to give it a try."

"Well…" Yu Yangzi glanced around before saying, "Let’s talk inside, Junior Brother Qin."

The two walked into the hall, and Yu Yangzi, his tone cautious, sent a message via spiritual transmission as they walked. "Junior Brother Qin, you may not fully understand the complexities of the Ancient Immortal Battlefield. The battlefield is perilous, and the hidden realms that have been secured and are controlled by the sect are very few. Each of these realms is a closely guarded secret, and the disciples assigned to guard them must meet strict requirements. Additionally, those stationed in these hidden realms receive a share of the resources within, so it’s now customary that these positions are assigned by the senior uncles and aunts. If you truly wish to take on such a role, you would need a decree from your master or the support of a Golden Core cultivator who knows you well…"

Hearing this, Qin Sang couldn’t help but smile wryly. What master did he have?

Yu Yangzi, stationed in Xuanlu Stronghold for so long, clearly had no idea of Qin Sang’s circumstances.

"Senior Brother," Qin Sang said earnestly, "I’m not after any share of the hidden realm’s resources. All I need is a place to stay—a cave dwelling with abundant spiritual power suitable for cultivation. Is there any way to make an exception?"

1. Just a reminder here that Old Demon Yi refers to Sect Leader Yi of Kuiyin Sect. ?