Gateway of Immortality-Chapter 775: Bright Red

The mountain path was rugged, with jagged stones scattered everywhere.

The terrain was treacherous, and out of caution, Qin Sang chose not to fly.

Although the geomantic map had marked routes, nothing here was fixed.

For example, the nests of ferocious beasts shifted each time this place opened. These beasts also fought among themselves, so it was not uncommon for one to stumble into a nest by accident.

The number of cultivators who died to ferocious beasts was no less than those who perished within the restricted zones of hidden realms.

The Two-Headed Hou walked alongside Qin Sang, remaining vigilant. Its ability to sense beasts was sharper than Qin Sang's.

Soon, Qin Sang reached the mountaintop. He flickered into a cluster of boulders and hid, observing the road ahead.

The path he had chosen was remote. On the way up, he saw no signs of anyone having passed, and the forest ahead appeared very quiet, without a trace of human presence.

The mountains behind rose higher and higher. He could only take it one step at a time.

Qin Sang and the Two-Headed Hou descended quickly, crossed a valley, and began climbing again. In this way, they traversed three mountains in a row without encountering any danger, and their pace became a little more relaxed.

"There it is at last..." Standing atop the mountain, Qin Sang stared into the sea of clouds behind the mountain range and whispered to himself, eyes fixed on the horizon.

Deep within the clouds, a towering shadow of a structure could be vaguely seen.

Golden light shimmered in the sea of clouds, as if a sun was hidden within.

Clouds shifted and billowed unpredictably. Coupled with the distance, Qin Sang could only see the middle portion of the Sky Tower. The spire was buried deep in the clouds.

From afar, under the golden light, the area around the Sky Tower seemed to be surrounded by auspicious birds and beasts, exuding an extraordinary celestial aura. Qin Sang was transfixed, deeply awed by the majesty of the tower.

He looked up into the depths of the white clouds.

Was that where I had fallen from?

Puzzled, he stared for a long while. Aside from the boundless clouds, he could see nothing. No wonder the cultivators at the base of the tower mistook him for an ancient corpse.

"Let’s go!" Qin Sang withdrew his gaze, patted the Two-Headed Hou on the head, and continued on his way.

***

A great river cut through a valley between two mountains. The current surged violently, smashing against the cliffs and sending up sprays of white foam.

On both sides of the cliffs, waterfalls poured down, their deafening roar echoing through the mountains, drowning out all other sounds.

Qin Sang and the Two-Headed Hou were hidden within a bush, heads tilted upward as they stared silently at a damp stone wall ahead.

The mist from the crashing waterfalls lingered in the valley, forming a light mist that helped conceal their presence.

They were staring at a crack in the cliffside, from which white-feathered, red-tailed celestial cranes occasionally flew out. After circling briefly, they would return to the crack.

From where Qin Sang crouched, he could just make out some of the scene inside the crevice.

It was a nest. The celestial cranes had made it their roost. Inside, there were over a dozen of them. 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

Each one had the same striking appearance.

An adult crane, including its long tail feathers, measured about a zhang in length.

Qin Sang recognized the species. These were Red-Tailed Cranes, a ferocious beast unique to Seven-Kill Hall. They were known for their irritable temperament and sword-like talons. Though slender in build and not as imposing as the other savage beasts, their physical bodies were extremely formidable.

Faced with a flock of adult Red-Tailed Cranes, even a late-stage Core Formation cultivator would have no choice but to flee.

Red-Tailed Cranes preferred shaded forests and usually nested atop lush ancient trees, often occupying entire regions of forest.

Because their nests were so well hidden, many cultivators accidentally wandered into their territory.

Strangely, this flock had made their home in the stone crevice they typically disliked. Qin Sang had nearly been discovered by them at first, and had only barely managed to hide.

Ordinary cultivators would have fled at the sight of so many Red-Tailed Cranes.

But Qin Sang, confident in his skill, dared to approach and discovered the reason they had made this place their home.

A gnarled old vine had rooted itself deep within the crevice, clinging tightly to the rock.

The vine hung downward, bearing several bright red fruits.

Qin Sang could not identify what kind of spiritual fruit they were.

But if it had drawn the entire crane flock to migrate, it certainly could not be ordinary. Tempted, Qin Sang and the Two-Headed Hou crept closer, observing to see if they could snatch the fruit.

If it had been a hidden realm protected by ancient barriers, Qin Sang would have left immediately, no matter how valuable the treasure. He had to prioritize the Sky Tower.

But stealing spiritual fruit was a matter of snatching and running. It wouldn’t take much time.

Moreover, he happened to know a bit about Red-Tailed Cranes and was confident he could shake them off. The fruit was so vividly red and alluring that to leave without it would make the whole trip feel wasted.

In Seven-Kill Hall, many spiritual herbs and fruits could be found growing in various locations. But they were either heavily guarded by barriers or protected by ferocious beasts. Whether one could take them depended entirely on strength.

Opportunities like this were rare. Once missed, they would not come again.

No matter what effects the spiritual fruit might have, or whether it was ripe or not, it was always better to have it in hand.

Qin Sang quietly retreated, studying the terrain around the area. He returned to his original spot and gave the Two-Headed Hou a few instructions. Then, he repeated the familiar trick of sending it out as bait.

Qin Sang had grown very skilled at this by now, relying on his evasion techniques to act recklessly.

The Two-Headed Hou was clearly reluctant. This flock of Red-Tailed Cranes was far stronger than the beasts near the cliff base. If it got caught, it might not make it out alive.

"Jump into the river when you're fleeing. They won’t be able to find you. We’ll meet downstream. Once I find out what kind of spiritual fruit it is, I’ll give you one," Qin Sang whispered, making a promise.

The Two-Headed Hou pushed its furry head up to Qin Sang, staring straight at him with its two vertical pupils.

It clearly doubted whether this man was just stringing it along.

Ever since it had been captured, it had been treated as a laborer, forced to do all the dirty and exhausting work, yet never getting any of the rewards. Its status wasn’t even as good as that fat bug that just ate and slept all day.

If Qin Sang hadn’t sworn to return its freedom, it would have long stopped cooperating.

Qin Sang glared at it. "Aren’t you afraid the fruit’s poisonous? One bite and you’re dead? All the beasts here are strange. If you want to end up like them, go ahead and eat."

The Two-Headed Hou recalled the chaotic battle in the Purple Mist End and shrank its head back. Then it sprang out from the bushes.

With agile movements, it leapt onto the cliff. Its hooked claws dug deep into the rock as it launched itself upward.

At the same time, the Red-Tailed Cranes in the crevice spotted its presence and let out piercing shrieks.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Several adult Red-Tailed Cranes shot out of the stone crack, diving down like lightning.

A violent gust swept toward the cliff face.

The Red-Tailed Cranes exuded an overwhelming aura, their sharp talons gleaming with cold light. The Two-Headed Hou didn’t dare take them lightly. Its body flickered, splitting into multiple clones that pounced in different directions along the cliff, though all headed toward the same target.

The cranes couldn’t immediately tell which one was real, and they split up to chase the clones.

None of them noticed the figure in the distance silently scaling the cliff at incredible speed while they were distracted by the Two-Headed Hou.

Poof! Poof!

The clones were destroyed one after another. The Two-Headed Hou was nearly caught by a Red-Tailed Crane. Seeing that it could no longer hold them off, it flipped its body and leapt straight down from the cliff. It hit the ground and bolted.

The enraged Red-Tailed Cranes gave chase relentlessly.

While that was happening, the figure had already reached the top of the cliff.