Gateway of Immortality-Chapter 436: Retreat

Mu Yifeng was even more shocked than the people on the boat.

He clearly remembered that when they last parted ways, Qin Sang had only been at the early stage of the Foundation Building Realm. It was already astonishing that his cultivation had now reached a level comparable to his own, but what was truly terrifying was his overwhelming strength.

With a single strike, he had slain a cultivator of the same realm!

After a brief moment of distraction, Mu Yifeng suddenly realized that this was not the time to dwell on such thoughts. He hurriedly transmitted a message to Qin Sang, quickly informing him of the enemies aboard the ship. Without hesitation, he turned around and, without stopping, pushed his evasion light to its limit, fleeing at full speed.

He no longer had the strength to fight. Staying here would only become a burden to Qin Sang, forcing him to hold back.

Meanwhile, Qin Sang remained submerged, concealed beneath the water’s surface, without revealing himself. Seeing Mu Yifeng's swift decision, he silently praised him and then cast his gaze toward the distant waters.

From Mu Yifeng, he had learned that there were seven people aboard the boat.

Among them, two were at the late stage of the Foundation Building Realm and required particular caution. One of them was the owner of the ship—the man standing at the bow.

The other one was injured. Earlier, Qin Sang had noticed someone seated in meditation at the stern, and he suspected that person to be the one.

Before Qin Sang encountered them, Mu Yifeng had already fought a fierce battle with the cultivators of the Tianxing Alliance.

Of course, during the battle, Mu Yifeng had not been alone—otherwise, he could not have lasted this long. But now, he was the only survivor.

He had originally fought alongside a senior brother from Shaohua Mountain named Kuang Yi, whose name Qin Sang had heard before.

Kuang Yi's cultivation was slightly stronger than Mu Yifeng's. Unfortunately, during the battle, he had been tightly entangled by the enemy. Seeing that escape was impossible, he fought desperately, slaying several opponents and heavily injuring one of the late-stage Foundation Building experts. Only then did Mu Yifeng find an opportunity to break free.

Aside from the two late-stage Foundation Building cultivators, the remaining five had varying levels of cultivation, but they coordinated well, advancing and retreating in a disciplined manner. If entangled by them, it would not be easy to shake them off.

Fortunately, the Tianxing Alliance cultivators had paid a heavy price. Only these few remained, and nearly all of them were wounded, their strength significantly diminished.

Qin Sang kept his gaze fixed on the distant ship, secretly activating his evading method and retreating slowly. Before leaving, he used his spiritual power to sweep up the Mustard Seed Pouch from the corpse, retrieving the spoils of battle.

The ship came to a stop.

The sky and water blended into one.

A lone ship drifted quietly on the gem-like, crystal-clear lake, creating a scene of serene beauty.

On the ship, even the two who had been meditating now stood up. Their expressions were grim as they stared intently ahead, their eyes filled with deep shock.

On the vast water surface, stretching to the horizon, the place where the two halves of a corpse had fallen could still be faintly seen. A patch of lake water was stained crimson.

The blood spread outward, soon diluting to the point where it was no longer visible to the naked eye.

The world was silent.

"Senior Brother Luo, that sword strike... it was as fast as lightning, accompanied by divine thunder... Could it be...?"

A young man in a long robe, recalling the shocking scene from moments ago, swallowed hard. His voice was dry as he subconsciously turned to look at the man in cyan robes standing at the bow.

That man was his senior brother, surnamed Luo.

Since stopping the boat, Luo had remained fixated on the waters ahead. The black-roofed ship was his artifact, under his control. Ever since bringing it to a halt, he had stood motionless, not speaking, not moving.

The people behind him could not see his expression and had no idea what was going through his mind.

Hearing the youth’s words, the others stirred slightly, their gazes shifting toward Luo.

One of them, quick-witted, seemed to realize something. He gasped and exclaimed in shock, "Sword Qi Thunderclap! Daoist Sun, are you saying that was Sword Qi Thunderclap?!"

At his words, everyone’s expressions changed drastically.

Sword Qi Thunderclap—an esteemed realm of the Sword Dao, one that sword cultivators spent their lives pursuing!

Sun and Luo’s sect specialized in the Sword Dao, yet in the past hundred years, only one Core Formation cultivator within their sect had managed to comprehend Sword Qi Thunderclap, earning a great reputation within the Tianxing Alliance.

"How could it possibly be Sword Qi Thunderclap? Could it be that a Golden Core cultivator from the Small Cold Domain has arrived?"

Someone cried out in horror, their face drained of color.

The ship instantly erupted into chaos.

If a Golden Core cultivator had arrived, they were as good as dead. Even if they tried to flee now, it would be futile! freeweɓnovel-cøm

"Could it be someone using a lightning-based art in conjunction with swordsmanship to imitate the appearance of Sword Qi Thunderclap?"

"Daoist Sun, are you absolutely certain of what you saw?"

...

A white-robed man, who had been protected in the center all along, stepped forward. Staring at Luo’s back, he asked in a solemn tone, "Daoist Luo, I was meditating just now and didn’t see clearly... What exactly did you witness? Was that truly Sword Qi Thunderclap?"

Luo let out a long breath before finally turning around. His expression was somewhat peculiar—there was relief, yet also a trace of envy.

"It was indeed Sword Qi Thunderclap! I have personally seen my senior uncle demonstrate it before, but..."

He shook his head slightly. "But the wielder was not a Core Formation Realm cultivator. His swordsmanship is undoubtedly formidable—he slew Daoist Wu with a single strike—but he is not a Golden Core cultivator! If he were, the power of his strike would have been far more terrifying, just like my senior uncle’s. In that case, there would have been no need for him to ambush us, hiding in the shadows... This person is definitely a Foundation Building cultivator!"

Not a Golden Core cultivator!

The group visibly relaxed, but soon, their expressions turned to shock.

"Comprehending Sword Qi Thunderclap at the Foundation Building Realm... Even in legends, only a handful have ever achieved such a feat..."

Luo nodded, his tone tinged with envy. "In my sect, only one truly exceptional senior has ever reached this level. Unfortunately, his spiritual root was too impure, and in the end, he was unable to advance beyond the Fake Core Realm."

"Even if he isn’t a Golden Core cultivator, do not let your guard down!"

Luo warned sternly, "You’ve all seen the power of that strike—Daoist Wu had no chance to resist! I don’t need to explain how terrifying Sword Qi Thunderclap is; countless sword cultivators are obsessed with it for a reason. Summon your artifacts and stay close together. Do not, under any circumstances, get separated and give him an opportunity to strike!"

Understanding the gravity of the situation, everyone immediately formed a tight circle, heeding the command. They activated their artifacts and remained on high alert, their gazes fixed warily on the deceptively calm waters around them.

The white-robed man, not daring to be reckless, also summoned a flying sword, which hovered before him. However, he secretly transmitted a message to Luo, saying, "Daoist Luo, this opponent’s strength is unfathomable, and he is well-versed in deceitful tactics. The enemy lurks in the shadows while we are exposed—this will be a difficult battle."

Luo’s eyes flickered. "What are you suggesting?"

"The seniors only instructed us to pursue and prevent them from seeking reinforcements. They never said we had to annihilate them completely. Now, our squad has suffered severe casualties, and even Daoist Wu has fallen—this has never happened before. Surely, we can’t afford to lose everyone here? What do you think, Daoist Luo?"

Hearing his tone, Luo immediately understood that he was contemplating retreat.

A foe who had mastered Sword Qi Thunderclap and was capable of slaying a late-stage Foundation Building expert now hid in the darkness, eyeing them like a predator. The thought of it unsettled him as well.

"You’re right. We have already slain several of their people and delayed them for quite some time. Even if we withdraw now, we can still answer to the seniors..."

Luo gave a slight nod. With a light tap of his foot, he turned the ship around, cutting through the waves as they swiftly departed.

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