Gateway of Immortality-Chapter 352: Immortal Master Han

Youshan Market, nestled within the depths of You Mountain, was surrounded by misty forests and secluded valleys.

It was just as he remembered.

It seemed that over the years, no major upheavals had occurred in Youshan Market.

Qin Sang descended from the clouds, wearing a wide-brimmed hood, and stood before the market’s entrance. Memories of his past journey in pursuit of immortality surfaced in his mind, filling him with a sense of nostalgia and change. He then let out a carefree smile.

The mist ahead stirred, and a young man at the third stage of Qi Refining Realm emerged. Upon seeing Qin Sang, his expression changed slightly in surprise, and he hurriedly bowed. "Junior Zhang Feng greets Senior!"

"You’re the gatekeeper of Youshan Market?"

Qin Sang examined the young man and asked.

It was no longer the same gatekeeper as before. Thinking back, that person had been an ordinary mortal, already advanced in age at the time. Many years had passed—he must have long since returned to dust.

Zhang Feng nodded repeatedly. "Senior, you have keen eyes! I was assigned here by my family head to welcome fellow Daoists and guests entering the market. Youshan Market is the largest market in the You Mountain Range. If you seek to purchase spirit pills, artifacts, or other goods, I can assist you. If you have other matters to attend to, I can report them to my elders to facilitate your needs."

Qin Sang nodded and replied, "I’m just passing through and retrieving something."

The You Mountain Range lay on the border between righteous and demonic sects, slightly southeast of Yinshan Stronghold. The area was a chaotic mix of individuals from various backgrounds. When Qin Sang had last visited, all kinds of cultivators could be seen roaming about.

For Youshan Market to have stood firm in such an environment for so many years spoke volumes about the power and influence of its owner.

In general, the Small Cold Domain was divided between righteous and demonic factions along a boundary that ran southward from Yinshan Stronghold. The Yuanzhao Sect and the Kuiyin Sect had their mountain gates on either side of this line, locked in a long-standing standoff.

Fearing he might run into someone familiar, Qin Sang had taken a long detour to avoid the ruins of Yuanzhao Sect before arriving at Youshan Market. His purpose was to retrieve the letter Tan Hao had left behind and erase any traces of it.

Even in the face of imminent danger, Tan Hao had not forgotten to leave behind a warning, which was one of the reasons Qin Sang was willing to help him.

He took out Tan Hao’s token and handed it to Zhang Feng.

Unlike the previous gatekeeper, Zhang Feng did not possess the ability to recognize such items at a glance. He simply said, "Senior, please wait a moment..."

He then quickly went inside.

Not long after, Zhang Feng hurried back, carrying a yellowed letter in his hands. "Senior, there was indeed an unclaimed letter. Please check if this is the one. This letter was left behind by a Daoist forty years ago. He left no identifying information, nor has he ever returned since."

Qin Sang took the letter and unfolded it. The contents were simple—just the secret message left by the Tan Brothers, warning him not to continue cultivating with the Yan Luo Banner.

With a wave of his hand, Qin Sang reduced the letter to dust and nodded at Zhang Feng. "Thank you, Daoist. This is the one."

He had initially planned to leave immediately, but on a whim, he decided to enter the market for a look around. Although his stay in Youshan Market had been brief in the past, it held great significance to him—after all, this was where his journey into immortal cultivation had begun.

From here, he had entered Kuiyin Sect, experienced the conflicts with Yuanzhao Sect, ventured to Shaohua Mountain, survived the Ancient Immortal Battlefield, and made his way to the present.

Zhang Feng, noticing that Qin Sang did not wish to be disturbed, wisely stepped aside.

With these thoughts in mind, Qin Sang walked into the market.

The streets crisscrossed, lined with shops and vendors, shaded by willow trees. The streets bustled with people, the majority of them mortals.

Some areas still matched his memories, but much had changed.

The mortals here were accustomed to seeing individuals wearing hoods and masks, so no one paid him any special attention. Qin Sang silently walked through the streets and unknowingly arrived at an inner section of Youshan Market, where a cobblestone street lay.

In the plaza, surrounded by winding waterways, several cultivators were trading at their stalls, but the crowd was far smaller than before.

Most of the cultivators in the plaza were at Qi Refining Realm. Since he was already reminiscing about the past, Qin Sang took a stroll around. However, nothing caught his eye, nor did he see the fat merchant who had once sold him the Netherworld Scripture.

Oh right, the Divine Artifact Pavilion!

Qin Sang quickened his pace, heading toward the wooden building he remembered.

The building still stood, but its signboard had changed to read "Autumn Water House". It now sold common spiritual materials, and business was sluggish—the shopkeeper lounged in a reclining chair, dozing off lazily.

The neighboring shop, where he had once conversed with an old shopkeeper, also had a different owner.

Qin Sang glanced at it and was about to leave.

Just then, he suddenly sensed two powerful auras approaching. Looking toward the entrance of the cobblestone street, he saw five figures walking toward him.

To his surprise, all five were cultivators, and two of them were at the Foundation Building Realm! freewebnøvel.com

Though they did not exude arrogance, it was rare to see two Foundation Building cultivators traveling together. Their presence naturally drew attention, causing pedestrians to step aside and make way.

Qin Sang frowned slightly. He had no interest in provoking unnecessary trouble and was about to step aside when his footsteps halted. His eyes locked onto the man leading the group, and a look of surprise gradually appeared on his face.

This man was tall and imposing, with a steady and powerful stride, exuding an extraordinary presence. His cultivation had reached the middle stage of the Foundation Building Realm.

Judging by appearances alone, it was difficult to determine a Foundation Building cultivator’s actual age.

The man had sharp brows, star-like eyes, and well-defined features, appearing to be under thirty years old. However, given his cultivation level and remarkably composed aura, he was undoubtedly far older than he looked.

He was, without a doubt, the most distinguished figure among the five.

The other three individuals, including the elderly man with a concealed aura, seemed more like this man's guards. Their gazes subtly swept across their surroundings, their auras as sharp as unsheathed swords, ready to react to any sudden attacks while remaining highly vigilant.

At the man’s waist, a round jade pendant was fastened. Made of warm jade, the pendant bore the inscription "Cunyang.".

In the world of immortal cultivation, only the disciples of one sect were qualified to wear such a jade pendant.

One of the eight major sects—Cunyang Sect!

However, there was something different about this man's jade pendant compared to that of ordinary Cunyang Sect disciples. Beneath the "Cunyang" inscription, there was a small additional character—"Han."

Qin Sang recognized the jade pendant.

And he recognized the man as well.

This was none other than Immortal Master Han, whom he had once saved beneath Guling Mountain. Back then, this man had given him a token and directed him to Youshan Market.

Although many years had passed, Immortal Master Han had not changed much. Qin Sang identified him at a glance.

What is he doing here?

A hint of surprise flashed through Qin Sang's mind.

After obtaining the geomantic map of Small Cold Domain, Qin Sang had already suspected that Immortal Master Han was likely a member of the Han Family. And now, it seemed that his guess had been correct.

The Han Family was an immortal cultivation clan that was affiliated with the Cunyang Sect. However, the Han Family’s territory lay far south of Youshan Market, a considerable distance away. Moreover, this place was not within the Cunyang Sect’s sphere of influence.

Qin Sang bore no grudge against Immortal Master Han.

Back then, the token given to him had indeed led him astray, but Immortal Master Han had clearly stated everything upfront. The choice had been entirely Qin Sang’s own decision.

However, there was one question that Qin Sang had never been able to figure out.

Previously, he had no time to be distracted by such minor matters. Since what had happened could not be undone, pondering it further was a waste of precious cultivation time.

But now that they had met again—perhaps he could finally get some answers.