Gateway of Immortality

Chapter 1153: Forming the Spiritual Infant, Part One

Qi Refining. Foundation Building. Golden Core. Qin Sang sorted through his past and revisited his former life. freёweɓnovel.com

Compared to his previous breakthroughs, forming the Spiritual Infant this time seemed less arduous. It even carried a sense of inevitability, as if everything had naturally fallen into place.

Yet when he recalled each segment of his journey, every effort he had made for this very step, every ordeal he had endured, which part had ever been simple?

The Nine-Illusion Heavenly Orchid.

Back when he was at the Qi Refining Realm, Qin Sang had been controlled by Yi Tianye of Kuiyin Sect, a Golden Core cultivator, through insect gu techniques. Risking his life, he had infiltrated Yuanzhao Sect amid chaos and stolen it.

At the time, the spiritual herb had still needed over five hundred years to mature. Qin Sang had believed he would never have the chance to use it in this lifetime.

Unexpectedly, Yi Tianye had not died. He had lurked within a refined corpse for decades right under Qin Sang’s nose, waiting until Qin Sang unleashed Xutian Thunder before seizing the opportunity to strike.

At that time, Qin Sang had only been at the Foundation Building Realm. Fortunately, he had condensed a corpse core within his body, and slayed Yi Tianye in return, thereby obtaining the supreme treasure Jade Liquid of Three Radiances.

Afterward, he had drifted in Canglang Sea for over a century, entered Seven-Kill Hall three times, and finally found the teleportation array to return to Small Cold Domain. There, he had used the Jade Liquid of Three Radiances to irrigate and hasten the maturation of the spiritual herb, asking Wandering Man to refine the Du’e Pill for him.

Soul-Cleansing Liquid.

When Seven-Kill Hall emerged prematurely, the amount of spiritual liquid available was far less than before. Moreover, Venerable Ye, a Spiritual Infant cultivator from the Dongji Alliance, had been lurking nearby.

Qin Sang had only been at the Golden Core Realm. Cooperating with Ming Wei and trading with Su Nu, he had faced constant peril. Using every method at his disposal, he had snatched the Soul-Cleansing Liquid under the watchful eyes of all.

He encountered various changes at Yitian Peak, escaped into a poisonous lake, and even almost died.

The Sky-Eyed Butterfly.

The life-bound insect gu was a secret technique of the witch race. As a human, he lacked the witch race’s innate talent and had even needed to abandon a life-bound astra.

Without the Jade Buddha suppressing the risk of the insect gu devouring its master, and without the exceedingly rare Crimson Fire Gilded Gold in his possession, Qin Sang estimated he would never have dared walk this path, much less choose the rare supernatural insect Sky-Eyed Butterfly as his life-bound insect gu.

The process of obtaining Crimson Fire Gilded Gold had been fraught with danger at every step. While only at the Foundation Building Realm, he had been used as a scouting pawn by Di Que and later had nearly been possessed by Daoist Master Xuanyu.

The Sky-Eyed Butterfly had first undergone mutation and obtained the lightning-controlling ability. Only then had it reached today’s state, devouring the Azure Luan’s blood and essence to break through to the fourth metamorphosis.

Body refinement.

The Heavenly Demon Body Refinement, a demon race art!

The art had been sealed within a bone flute, split into three parts, scattered across three cultivation worlds, and ultimately gathered piece by piece by Qin Sang.

Again, it had been the Jade Buddha that made it possible for him to cultivate this art.

He had visualized the Azure Luan and forcefully refined his body. To seek breakthrough, he had exhausted every method. In Canglang Sea, he had infiltrated Landou Sect. After returning here, with only Golden Core Realm cultivation, he had sneaked into a demon king’s treasure vault and stolen treasure right before the eyes of a Transformation Realm demon king.

Of course, even more important had been the Primordial Spirit Sword Nourishment.

The hardships of that cultivation process needed no elaboration. After enduring all of this, he had finally reached today’s height!

Qin Sang recalled those experiences, reliving the emotions of the time and immersing himself within them.

Every ordeal. Every brush with death. Every joy of harvest. freёwebnovel.com

***

At times, his brow furrowed. At times, he was clear and composed. At times, a flicker of joy surfaced. Gradually, the fluctuations in his expression diminished. His heart became still as water. In the end, boundless confidence arose.

After countless hardships, who but I can form the Spiritual Infant? Qin Sang thought.

Pop! The jade bottle opened on its own.

The Du’e Pill leaped out. Spiritual mist coiled around it, filling the space before Qin Sang.

With his eyes tightly shut, he opened his mouth and swallowed the pill. Instantly, a cool sensation burst forth from within his body. His true essence seemed to boil.

Qin Sang’s expression darkened. He focused with all his strength on refining the medicinal energy and comprehending the Great Dao.

***

Outside the island, Li Yufu and the others had already waited for half a month. The island remained eerily calm.

They understood that haste would not help. They diligently served as Qin Sang’s protectors, patrolling the surrounding area at intervals to prevent any accidents.

Several more days passed. After completing another patrol, they returned to Bai’s side, worry faintly visible in their eyes. Qin Sang had shown no sign of movement and had not appeared. Perhaps the timing was not yet right.

"Senior..." Li Yufu had just opened his mouth to ask something when Bai suddenly lifted its head and stared toward the island.

Only in the next instant did Li Yufu and the three demons sense the change. A violent wind appeared, and towering waves surged! The once tranquil lake erupted into chaos.

The spiritual qi of heaven and earth became restless, fluctuating violently. Then it began to surge madly toward the small island where Qin Sang sat, just as it had when Wandering Man underwent his tribulation.

"He has begun condensing his Spiritual Infant!" Bai’s face lit with joy as he swiftly issued arrangements.

Li Yufu and the three demons scattered to their positions.

Rumble... Spiritual qi converged, growing so dense that it formed a visible Spirit Tide. It circled at the center of the storm, producing muffled thunderous sounds.

As the spiritual qi transformed, dark clouds gathered overhead. Though it had been broad daylight, the sky rapidly dimmed. Within the clouds, real lightning began to flicker.

Time passed, and the phenomenon grew increasingly astonishing.

All the spiritual qi in the region was swept up and drawn toward the storm’s center, accumulating more and more. The radiance it emitted became blinding. Above the small island, it seemed as though an ocean of light had formed.

Bai stared at the sea of light, tension flickering in his eyes.

He knew the next step would be crucial. Qin Sang must already have swallowed the Du’e Pill.

If successful, the Spiritual Infant would condense. If he failed, who knew when the next opportunity would come?

Whoosh! The sea of light churned violently, its momentum immense, its range expanding ever wider. Yet it did not descend.

Seeing this, Bai’s gaze grew increasingly grave.

Suddenly, the sea of light changed. All the luminescence frantically converged toward the center. The spiritual qi compressed to its utmost limit. With a resonant hum, it shot straight down to the island!

In an instant, the sea of light dissipated. Glorious radiance shimmered. Seven-colored clouds appeared, dazzling and magnificent. This was the sign of successful condensation of the Spiritual Infant.

Everyone let out a long breath, joy for Qin Sang mixed with envy and longing. They hoped that one day they too might stand at such a threshold.

Yet condensing the Spiritual Infant was only the beginning. The phenomena did not fade. Instead, they intensified.

On the mountain peak of the island, Qin Sang sat cross-legged with eyes closed, his body trembling slightly. Invisible yin fire emerged within the void.

At the very moment Qin Sang successfully condensed the Spiritual Infant, the heavenly tribulation descended. Yin fire ignited from within his body, spreading through his organs and limbs. It felt as though he were surrounded entirely by flames, his whole being about to be burned to ash.

The difficulty of this tribulation was not high. For Qin Sang, who excelled in body refinement, there was nothing to fear. Though his body trembled and he endured the searing pain by sheer physical strength, he uttered not a sound.

When he had endured the impact of the Azure Luan’s blood and essence, the tearing pain had been just as painful. He was already accustomed to such suffering.

He even took advantage of the opportunity to temper his body further, gaining considerable benefits. He advanced another step in the Heavenly Demon Body Refinement.

When the yin fire tribulation finally ended, Qin Sang swallowed a healing pill. His condition quickly recovered, almost leaving him reluctant for it to end.

The yin fire dissipated. Then the kalpic wind appeared!

The surroundings darkened abruptly. Gray kalpic wind gathered more and more densely around him.

Wandering Man’s past ordeal seemed to replay itself upon him. Qin Sang’s heart sank.