Gateway of Immortality-Chapter 784: The Valley of Doubts

Qin Sang leapt between the fragments of mountain peaks.

His destination was the valley. As he passed by hidden areas, he occasionally unleashed sword qi to probe the surroundings, but it was like tossing stones into the sea, yielding no response.

The seventh level seemed endless, filled with fragments of mountain peaks in every direction.

Qin Sang flew at full speed, crossing countless fragments, until he finally arrived near the valley.

Just then, his body suddenly paused. His evasion light shifted, and he landed in a patch of forest nearby, concealing his presence as he frowned and looked toward the valley.

A moment ago, he had seen figures flashing past the valley entrance. And it appeared there was more than one.

No wonder he had not encountered anyone along the way.

Have all the cultivators who have entered the Sky Tower now gathered in the valley?

Qin Sang’s thoughts stirred. He suspected that the battle between the Devil Lord and the grand witch priest had originated in the valley. After their departure, others must have rushed here, hoping to scavenge something.

The grand witch priest had found a treasure in the valley. That was something that had never happened before.

If the valley held a teleportation array leading to higher levels of the Sky Tower, it would be related to relics left by ancient cultivators. The Devil Lord’s relentless pursuit likely had reasons beyond racial conflict.

Perhaps the witch race had obtained an ancient record, revealing hidden truths about Seven-Kill Hall.

After observing for a while and confirming that there were no Spiritual Infant grandmasters present, Qin Sang could no longer hold back. He transformed into a streak of evasion light and flew straight toward the valley.

The valley was vast.

Among all the fragments Qin Sang had seen, this was the largest.

It was a mountain fragment containing an intact valley.

Descending at the valley entrance, he was greeted by the sight of lush forests flanking both sides, brimming with green vitality.

The central riverbed had long dried up, yet the forests remained dense. There was no wind here, and the leaves did not move at all. The entire forest, despite its greenery, felt strangely eerie and lifeless, filled with a stifling stillness that clashed with its appearance.

This sensation was just like what he had experienced on the lower levels.

Several cultivators were busy within the valley, searching intently for something.

They noticed Qin Sang's arrival, but after a single glance, they returned to their task.

Judging by their expressions, they had not found anything useful.

Fallen ancient trees and widespread signs of destruction indicated that a fierce battle had taken place here. Qin Sang's guess had been correct. The Spiritual Infant cultivators from both races had fought in this place.

However, trying to uncover any clues from the aftermath was like searching for a needle in a haystack.

Standing at the entrance, Qin Sang swept his gaze across the valley before fixing his eyes on its depths.

There, a mass of black light loomed, resembling a black hole.

Upon closer inspection, it became clear that the black light was made up of countless thin black threads, interwoven and crisscrossing in a chaotic web, completely obscuring the heart of the valley.

The stone walls on either side were layered with barriers. The surfaces were mottled and worn, like weathered stone. The black threads extended outward from the mountain walls themselves.

These black threads were as fine as qin[1] strings and were not solid in form. They floated in place, unmoving. There were so many that at a glance, they looked like a single mass of darkness.

Despite their delicate appearance, the threads were extremely dangerous. Not a single cultivator dared to approach them.

It was said that several Spiritual Infant grandmasters had perished here, leaving no remains behind.

For many years, no one had succeeded in breaking through.

The cliffs near the threads were covered in chaotic sword and saber marks, riddled with holes and scars. Most of them were old, indicating that even the grand witch priest and the Devil Lord had been cautious during their battle, wary of disturbing the threads.

"What kind of treasure did the grand witch priest obtain? And how could she verify it with so many eyes watching?"

Qin Sang frowned deeply, shook his head helplessly, and darted into the valley.

He weaved through the valley floor, spiritual consciousness fully extended as he searched without reservation, just as the others were doing.

Strangely, aside from battle scars, there was nothing else to be found.

A treasure would not be left lying out in the open. If it had been, someone would have taken it long ago.

Since the grand witch priest had acquired it, she must have opened a hidden realm.

Qin Sang overheard some cultivators talking.

"Do you think maybe there was never any hidden realm or ancient hall at all? What if the grand witch priest went into the valley's depths and retrieved the treasure from inside?"

One cultivator, finding nothing, straightened and stared at the valley’s depths, voicing his doubts.

The others also turned their attention in that direction.

The black threads floated motionlessly, seemingly capable of devouring even light. Just looking at them made one's heart grow cold.

"Isn't it said that a teleportation array leading to higher levels was hidden here? Can it be that everyone was mistaken all along, and there’s no teleportation array at all, but only a treasure trove? But Seven-Kill Hall has opened many times, and never has anyone managed to enter. Our human race has produced countless outstanding cultivators, some no less powerful than the grand witch priest, yet all were helpless. Is the grand witch priest truly strong enough to withstand the power of those black threads?" someone voiced the question with uncertainty.

Another added, "Isn’t the current rumor that the witch race provoked conflict and started this war precisely because of Seven-Kill Hall? They must have discovered something, or they wouldn’t have gambled everything. Besides, the witch race possesses many strange witchcrafts that have been passed down through generations. Some of their methods are beyond our understanding. It wouldn’t be surprising if they have a way to deal with the black threads. Still, if this place truly holds a human ancient cultivator’s treasure and the witch race got to it first, I wonder if our seniors would be willing to accept that."

"A storm is brewing again over Canglang Sea!" That speaker let out a soft sigh.

While they spoke, a few cultivators flew over and scattered themselves before the black threads. Fear flickered in their eyes, and none dared to take a single step beyond the boundary.

No one could see any hidden secrets behind those threads.

Some, unwilling to give up, continued their search. Others quietly withdrew.

Qin Sang listened while sharply scanning his surroundings.

He summoned the ebony sword, pretending to clear debris from the ground while secretly channeling sword qi through it, testing every direction.

At Ziwei Palace’s cliff, the exterior had looked no different from anywhere else, but within, a sword path and teleportation array had been concealed. They could only be activated by the unique sword qi from the Primordial Spirit Sword Nourishment.

This was the only hope he could cling to. 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

In the end, like the others, Qin Sang found nothing.

He made his way deeper into the valley, where the sense of difficulty grew stronger.

"Am I really going to have to test every single mountain fragment? That’s impossible in such a short time."

Qin Sang’s face was filled with frustration as he looked at the crisscrossing threads ahead.

With his current cultivation, stepping into them would be certain death.

These threads likely had no connection to sword qi. Neither the ebony sword nor the killing symbols responded in any way.

Unwilling to leave just yet, Qin Sang shifted his gaze and began closely inspecting the mountain walls on both sides.

The cliffs were covered in scars. Some of the sword marks might have been left by ancient cultivators countless years ago. After all that time, they were now revealed before modern eyes.

Suddenly, Qin Sang’s eyes narrowed, locking onto a particular sword mark.

It was right at the edge of the black thread boundary, hidden in a very obscure spot. It was extremely thin, so subtle it was almost impossible to notice.

1. Guqin is a plucked seven-string Chinese musical instrument.Traditionally, the instrument was simply referred to as the "qin" but by the twentieth century the term had come to be applied to many other musical instruments as well. ☜