Gateway of Immortality-Chapter 390: The Price

Thunder roared, and electricity dazzled.

Above the dark pool, Yu Hua hovered in the air, besieged by a swarm of Flying-Horned Ichthyosauruses.

Clearly, he did not possess the Drunken Demon Dew refined by Wandering Man, and his arrival had alarmed the ancient beasts.

Beneath Yu Hua, a massive, semi-spherical light barrier of pale blue shimmered erratically, struggling to withstand the relentless assaults of the Flying-Horned Ichthyosauruses.

The creatures, enraged, let out piercing screeches as their single horns continuously discharged bolts of lightning, crashing against the barrier. A layer of accumulated lightning had already formed on its surface, resembling molten thunderbolts, making it appear on the verge of collapse.

Even with Yu Hua’s cultivation, he found himself entangled by the Flying-Horned Ichthyosauruses, unable to break free for the moment.

This was enough to demonstrate the terrifying might of the Flying-Horned Ichthyosauruses' supernatural abilities.

Fortunately, he and Wandering Man had the Drunken Demon Dew; otherwise, if they had disturbed these creatures, the consequences would have been dire.

"Zhao Yan fell at your hands?"

Yu Hua recognized Qin Sang and immediately grasped the situation. His eyes darkened as he quickly pieced everything together, his expression fluctuating between uncertainty and cold fury. "That useless fool! He had control over the Heart-Devouring Insect and still got himself killed by you? Unbelievable. No wonder I haven't been able to find him all these years."

"Wait!"

"So that means... the Nine-Illusion Heavenly Orchid is in your possession!"

A sudden expression of ecstasy surged onto Yu Hua’s face.

He knows about the Nine-Illusion Heavenly Orchid!

Qin Sang’s heart tightened, a flash of murderous intent gleaming in his eyes as he coldly stared at Yu Hua, remaining silent. Then, with a swift motion, he launched a streak of golden light.

The Spirit-Binding Rope shot forward like a serpent, closing in on Yu Hua in an instant, attempting to ensnare him.

Qin Sang was effectively working alongside the Flying-Horned Ichthyosauruses. Even though Yu Hua was in the Fake Core Realm, he might not necessarily be able to escape. This was a rare opportunity, one Qin Sang would not let slip away.

Unexpectedly, Yu Hua did not dodge. Instead, a cold smirk formed at the corner of his lips.

Crack!

The light barrier trembled, causing the accumulated thunderbolts to surge like a tidal wave. A portion of the thunderbolts was shockingly repelled by the barrier, transforming into multiple violent bolts of lightning that shot directly at the Spirit-Binding Rope with uncanny precision. ƒгeeweɓn૦vel.com

Caught off guard, Qin Sang had no time to retract the rope.

A deafening boom erupted as the Spirit-Binding Rope was engulfed in lightning. Its spiritual radiance was instantly shattered by the overwhelming force, its body dimming as it plummeted to the ground, now covered in cracks. It was clearly no longer usable.

Qin Sang's face paled. Fortunately, he had reacted swiftly, withdrawing his spiritual consciousness from the rope in time to avoid suffering backlash.

But losing a top-grade artifact—especially one so effective in binding opponents—filled Qin Sang with agony.

So this was how Yu Hua had managed to launch his attack. Though he remained trapped, he had cleverly leveraged the accumulated thunderbolts to retaliate.

Attempting a sneak attack on Yu Hua was no simple feat.

No wonder Yu Hua remained so confident.

However, Qin Sang had never expected the Spirit-Binding Rope to actually capture Yu Hua.

The moment the rope was destroyed, a phantom-like sword quietly materialized not far from Yu Hua.

Ever since Yu Hua forced him into the open, Qin Sang had split his focus and deployed the ebony sword, preemptively setting the stage, allowing it to silently slip into position.

Given the disparity in strength between them, even with the Formless Sword Merger, Qin Sang dared not make any careless moves for fear of being detected. He had cautiously maneuvered the ebony sword to approach.

The Spirit-Binding Rope was merely a diversion, meant to draw Yu Hua’s attention and shield the ebony sword’s presence. Unfortunately, the cost was high—the Spirit-Binding Rope was utterly destroyed.

But at least, the ebony sword had successfully crept near Yu Hua.

Whoosh!

At the instant Yu Hua shook the light barrier, the ebony sword seized the opportunity to advance. If it moved any closer, it risked exposure, ruining the element of surprise. So Qin Sang decided that now was the time, channeling his full strength into the spiritual sword.

Sword qi erupted, stabbing toward Yu Hua!

By the time Yu Hua detected the ebony sword, it was already too late to evade. Sensing its exceptionally sharp aura, he immediately realized that this was no ordinary spiritual sword.

The mocking smirk vanished from his face. His gaze turned icy as he cast a sudden, sinister glance at Qin Sang before flipping his palm and hurling out two black spheres.

Profound Yin Thunderbolts!

Qin Sang recognized them at a glance.

The power of the Profound Yin Thunderbolts was formidable, but the ebony sword was no longer an ordinary weapon. Although it might sustain some damage upon impact, it wouldn’t be too severe—at most, it would require a longer period of nurturing.

Compared to killing Yu Hua, such a price was insignificant.

With this in mind, Qin Sang steeled his resolve. Not only did the ebony sword not evade, but it also accelerated by another threefold.

However, Yu Hua did not hurl the Profound Yin Thunderbolts directly at the ebony sword. Instead, he aimed them at the light barrier.

Just as Qin Sang was puzzled, a thunderous explosion erupted—the Profound Yin Thunderbolts detonated right in front of the barrier.

The barrier was locked in a stalemate against the accumulated molten thunderbolts. The sudden explosion of the Profound Yin Thunderbolts instantly shattered this delicate balance.

As the barrier collapsed, Yu Hua let out an angry roar. His hand seals shifted abruptly, and the barrier's fragments transformed into a swirling storm, sweeping up a portion of the thunderbolts and surging straight toward the ebony sword.

This was no ordinary Profound Yin Thunderbolt attack. The storm contained the combined forces of the Profound Yin Thunderbolts, the Flying-Horned Ichthyosauruses, and a Fake Core Realm cultivator—its sheer power was terrifying.

If the ebony sword continued its pursuit of Yu Hua, it would be engulfed by the raging energy!

Qin Sang's expression changed drastically. The ebony sword was his life-bound spiritual sword, intricately tied to the killing symbols and arts he cultivated—it absolutely could not be destroyed.

He could no longer afford to chase after Yu Hua. Qin Sang hastily recalled the ebony sword, but to his shock, Yu Hua was now the one unwilling to let go. He forcibly controlled the storm, twisting its direction to continue pursuing the ebony sword.

The ebony sword was fast, but the storm was even faster. Seeing his life-bound spiritual sword about to be swallowed, Qin Sang's eyes turned bloodshot. With a furious roar, he struck out with his palm, sending a black stone hurtling forward.

The Black Dragon Stone rapidly expanded, managing to intercept the storm just before it reached the ebony sword. It was a perilously close call.

In his vision, all that remained was an expanse of blinding white light.

A sharp pain spread across Qin Sang's chest as a powerful impact slammed into him, sending him crashing against the ice wall behind him. He groaned in pain, barely able to endure the excruciating force.

When the light finally dissipated, he saw that the passage before him—including the Black Dragon Stone—had been completely obliterated, leaving behind a massive void.

Splash...

River water surged into the chasm, expanding the dark pool to dozens of times its original size.

Qin Sang clutched his chest, his face pale. Fortunately, the Black Dragon Stone had detonated and absorbed the force of the storm; otherwise, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

Even so, the price he paid was steep. The Spirit-Binding Rope and the Black Dragon Stone—two top-grade artifacts—were both destroyed, and all he had gained in return were two Profound Yin Thunderbolts from Yu Hua. He hadn’t even managed to injure him.

On the contrary, Yu Hua had decisively detonated two precious Profound Yin Thunderbolts, using them to escape from his predicament.

No matter how he calculated it, Qin Sang had suffered a great loss.

So this is the power of a Fake Core Realm cultivator?

A chill ran down Qin Sang’s spine as his gaze sharpened, catching sight of a gray blur flashing through his vision, rushing toward him.

Meanwhile, the Flying-Horned Ichthyosauruses in the dark pool had also been caught in the explosion's aftermath, sent tumbling in disarray.

Without hesitation, Qin Sang swept his hand across his Mustard Seed Pouch, retrieving a large flag and planting it firmly into the ground.

In an instant, endless yellow sand flooded the ice cavern.