Gateway of Immortality-Chapter 336: Shi Hong

"Not only had he taken control of Senior Sister Shi Hong, but he also tried to capture us."

"Of course, we wouldn’t let him succeed. After a fierce battle, Tan Jie and I were severely injured but managed to escape. Sadly, Senior Sister Shi Hong remained in his clutches."

"We fled south, eventually returning to our hometown near Youshan Market."

"Since we didn’t know how to contact you, we left a letter with the gatekeeper at Youshan Market, using a coded message to warn you about the Yan Luo Banner."

"That gatekeeper had an excellent memory. If you ever return to Youshan Market, you should be able to retrieve the letter."

Tan Hao looked at Qin Sang with a questioning expression.

"A letter?"

Qin Sang froze for a moment before slowly shaking his head.

At the time, he had stolen the Nine-Illusion Heavenly Orchid and fled in panic. Passing through Youshan Market, he hadn’t dared to enter, inadvertently missing the chance to reunite with the Tan Brothers.

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Later, he joined Shaohua Mountain, dedicating himself entirely to cultivation, not daring to slack off. He hadn’t returned to Youshan Market—or even the Great Sui—for a single visit.

"I was worried that remaining members of the Kuiyin Sect might be active in Youshan Market, so I never dared to go back... Since you two escaped, Tan Jie must have abandoned the Yan Luo Banner and started over, right?"

Tan Hao lowered his eyes, a trace of sorrow flashing within them, and said in a particularly heavy tone, "He didn’t have the chance to abandon it... When we escaped the Kuiyin Sect, we first encountered Liang Yan and then were pursued. Tan Jie, being stronger, had to bear the brunt of it, leaving him with severe injuries. Unable to suppress the evil spirit of the Yan Luo Banner, it backfired against him. Fortunately, he had anticipated its hidden risks and had taken precautions, so the evil spirit didn’t succeed. However, both his soul and body were gravely wounded. No one in Youshan Market could treat him. In search of healing elixirs, I had no choice but to come to the Ancient Immortal Battlefield..."

"The Serenity Pill you bought at the secret market was for Tan Jie, wasn’t it?" Qin Sang suddenly realized. No wonder Tan Hao didn’t seem injured himself.

"Is Tan Jie recovering in a cave dwelling? If so, I’ll go with you to see him. If there’s a way to treat his injuries, I’ll do everything I can to help."

"Thank you, Brother Qin." Tan Hao cupped his hands in gratitude, though his face showed little relief.

Qin Sang deliberated silently. If Tan Hao hadn’t been able to cure Tan Jie all these years, the injuries must have been extremely difficult to handle.

However, Tan Hao was only at the Qi Refining Realm and a rogue cultivator with limited resources. Acquiring even a Serenity Pill had pushed him to his limits.

Though Qin Sang didn’t have many spirit stones left, he had reached the Foundation Building Realm and had the backing of Shaohua Mountain. He also had a good relationship with Wandering Man of the Taiyi Core Sect. Compared to Tan Hao, he had many more options.

If there was a way to heal Tan Jie, Qin Sang wouldn’t hesitate to lend his assistance.

"By the way, Senior Sister Shi Hong was taken away by Liang Yan? Have you seen her again since then?"

Qin Sang thought of Shi Hong. Among those who had entered the Kuiyin Sect together, only the four of them had survived. Now, having reunited with the Tan Brothers, there was still no news of Shi Hong.

Tan Hao hesitated for a moment before replying in a low voice, "Ever since we parted ways with the Kuiyin Sect, there has been no news of Senior Sister Shi Hong. It wasn't until a few years ago that we unexpectedly encountered her at the Ancient Immortal Battlefield."

Hearing this, Qin Sang was delighted and asked, "Did Senior Sister Shi Hong manage to escape from Liang Yan? How is she now?"

To his surprise, Tan Hao let out a long sigh and said, "Senior Sister Shi Hong is still under Liang Yan's control. Fortunately, thanks to Tan Jie's warning, she realized that something was wrong with the Yan Luo Banner. She has deliberately kept her cultivation at the bottleneck of the ninth stage of the Qi Refining Realm, pretending to be stuck and not daring to break through."

"Liang Yan is still alive?"

Qin Sang's heart sank. The annihilation of the Kuiyin Sect had resulted in nearly all its disciples being hunted down by the Yuanzhao Sect. He hadn't expected Liang Yan to have such a great fortune and still be alive.

Tan Hao nodded, his tone filled with resentment.

"Not only did he survive, but he actually benefited from the disaster."

"According to Senior Sister Shi Hong, Liang Yan had always considered himself Yue Wu's direct disciple within the Kuiyin Sect. When the catastrophe struck, he managed to seize Yue Wu's inheritance."

"While fleeing, he encountered a heavily injured Foundation Building cultivator from the Kuiyin Sect. With his skill in deception, he gained the cultivator's trust and then launched a surprise attack, killing him."

"After acquiring the possessions of two Foundation Building cultivators and given his own decent talent, he managed to break through to the Foundation Building Realm not long after.

"Several years ago, Senior Sister Shi Hong mentioned that Liang Yan was already on the verge of advancing to the middle stage of the Foundation Building Realm. I'm not sure if he has succeeded by now."

"Foundation Building Realm..." Qin Sang sighed inwardly, feeling a mix of emotions for both Liang Yan and his old sect members.

Although Liang Yan's talent was decent, had he followed the conventional path of cultivation within the Kuiyin Sect, he could never have advanced so quickly. It was clear that everyone had their own fate.

For the Kuiyin Sect, that great battle had been a calamity leading to its destruction, but for Liang Yan, it had been a tremendous opportunity. He lost the sect's protection but gained the inheritance of two Foundation Building cultivators, granting him more cultivation resources than ever before.

Qin Sang himself had also benefited from the disaster.

Had the battle not occurred, he might have remained in the Kuiyin Sect, reaching the tenth stage of the Qi Refining Realm. However, he would have eventually perished under the devouring force of King Yan, and his abnormal cultivation would have been exposed.

Not only would he have lost his life, but the Jade Buddha would have ended up in someone else's hands, benefiting others instead. He would not have survived until now.

However, for Shi Hong, the experience had been incredibly cruel, completely cutting off her path to immortality.

She possessed dual spiritual roots of metal and wood, an innate talent second only to the Heavenly Spiritual Root, making her a true prodigy.

Throughout the entire immortal cultivation world, she could have rightfully been called a genius.

Even if she had not joined an immortal sect, Shi Hong had a fair chance of breaking through to the Foundation Building Realm on her own. However, after mistakenly entering a demonic sect, she had nearly become the soul of a demonic artifact. Though she escaped that catastrophe, she was now trapped at the ninth stage of the Qi Refining Realm, too afraid to advance.

It was truly lamentable.