Gateway of Immortality-Chapter 789: Breakthrough

Qin Sang had never truly had a master.

The one who had guided him the most was Wandering Man, who had been both mentor and friend. But ever since he was teleported to Canglang Sea, the two had been separated and had not seen each other for decades.

Especially in the Sword Dao, Qin Sang had always groped his way forward alone. When had he ever encountered such a diligent and responsible teacher?

Each time, this teacher struck precisely at his weakest points.

Thanks to his cultivation art, Qin Sang had managed to comprehend Sword Qi Thunderclap on his own. But with no one to guide him, the process had been long and arduous, and his progress with Sword Light Division had remained slow.

Even so, that long journey had not been without its benefits. Without that experience, he would not be advancing this rapidly now.

Now that he had encountered a true mentor, all his accumulated efforts were finally bearing fruit.

Qin Sang charged once more into the corridor, though he had yet to fully recover.

Blades knew no mercy. Those sword-wielding figures would not kill him, but injuries were inevitable. Especially in the final few battles, which had left multiple sword wounds across his body.

He swallowed a medicinal pill to suppress his injuries and stepped inside without looking back.

This was a rare opportunity. Time was limited, and he needed to grasp as much insight as possible before Seven-Kill Hall closed.

As he re-entered the corridor, the familiar azure light descended and the swordsmen reappeared.

This time, Qin Sang had experience. He no longer rushed to defeat them. Instead, he cast aside all distractions, forgot everything else, and sought insights through battle.

He was defeated time and again, and time and again, he returned to the corridor.

Wounds accumulated across his body, yet Qin Sang paid them no mind. He wiped away the blood, took another pill, and charged into the corridor again, ravenous for growth and absorbing every moment.

His Sword Dao was advancing at a blistering pace.

By now, when he struck with his sword, he no longer adhered strictly to any single technique. He could act on instinct alone, drawing on the most suitable moves in the moment. He had finally stepped through the threshold of true swordsmanship.

If he were to devote himself to study, he might even create his own sword technique someday.

In the past, Sword Qi Thunderclap had only served him as a surprise attack, lacking in versatility. But now he had reached a new level. His flying sword struck with unpredictable brilliance, overwhelming opponents who could barely keep up.

Yet none of this was what pleased Qin Sang the most.

What thrilled him most was that he could clearly feel himself drawing ever closer to fully grasping Sword Light Division. 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

***

"Hahaha..."

Laughter suddenly echoed through the corridor, bright and unrestrained.

Qin Sang stood tall at the corridor’s entrance, the ebony sword floating before him.

With a single thought, the ebony sword trembled softly, and a streak of sword light split away. Then, another illusory sword shadow slowly emerged!

That faintly flickering sword shadow was the embryonic form of Sword Light Division.

"So long as I don’t compare myself to freaks like Senior Qingzhu, my talent isn’t all that bad. Even among Core Formation sword cultivators, how many of them have truly comprehended Sword Light Division?"

The corners of Qin Sang’s lips curved as a smile bloomed on his face.

Even he had not expected it. After countless battles, a flash of insight had struck his mind, allowing him to comprehend Sword Light Division on the spot.

Of course, he knew very well that such rapid progress owed much to the swordsmen and the Primordial Spirit Sword Nourishment.

Though what he had now was only an embryonic form, all beginnings were difficult. Qin Sang believed it would not take long before he could truly divide his sword light. With only the sword in hand, he might even be able to challenge opponents above his level.

Legend spoke of peak sword cultivators who could face ten thousand foes alone.

With one sword drawn, ten thousand would follow!

Qin Sang had no such lofty ambitions. As long as his strength could grow, he was satisfied.

He recalled the ebony sword, his eyes full of confidence as he gazed into the depths of the corridor.

The Qin Sang of now could easily defeat the Qin Sang who had first entered.

He was certain he could go even farther within the corridor.

This time, he did not rush. He sat cross-legged and began circulating his cultivation art, focusing fully on healing and restoring himself to peak condition. Only then did his eyes narrow with resolve as he stepped into the corridor once more.

Enemies who had seemed daunting before were now no longer a challenge.

Qin Sang moved forward steadily, defeating the swordsmen with ease until he reached the spot he had previously failed. Glancing at the place where he had once fallen, he stepped forward with confidence.

But trouble soon found him again.

The swordsmen were also evolving, their strength growing ever more formidable.

Every battle became a brutal struggle.

Qin Sang’s gaze was unwavering as he stared toward the end of the corridor, advancing one step at a time, pouring every ounce of strength into facing the swordsmen head-on.

At last, he caught sight of what lay at the end of the corridor.

There was no stone gate, nor any altar, only a flight of stone steps leading upward. The light was dim, revealing only four steps of stairs, each polished to a mirror-like smoothness.

Qin Sang gave up resisting and was transported back to the entrance of the corridor. He stood there, staring into the darkness, lost in thought.

He was deeply curious about what the staircase led to. No matter what lay beyond, he had to take that path. Even if there was no teleportation array, it was certainly related to the Primordial Spirit Sword Nourishment.

His gaze shifted to where Senior Qingzhu had placed the jade slip.

"If those stairs really lead to an ancient teleportation array, could Senior Qingzhu have already returned to the Small Cold Domain?" Qin Sang murmured, uncertain.

He knew too little about Qingzhu’s life to judge anything for sure. If he could trace Qingzhu’s history through Linggui Island, it might provide some answers.

At present, there was clearly no way he could force his way through.

Qin Sang had already exhausted his full strength just to make it halfway. Based on his calculations, the final guardian swordsman cultivation was likely on par with a peak late-stage Core Formation cultivator, and the swordsmanship it wielded was of the highest caliber. It was an overwhelmingly powerful opponent.

He would need to face two such elite enemies at once.

This gave Qin Sang pause. Knowing the strength of those swordsmen, he realized that even if he succeeded in advancing to the peak of the Core Formation Realm by the next attempt, his chances of victory would still be slim.

On top of that, he still had no solution to the problem with the ebony sword. His cultivation could stall at any moment.

"Wait..."

Just then, a thought struck Qin Sang. He quickly retrieved a jade slip, the very one left behind by Qingzhu.

His eyes fell upon the devilish secret technique, Seeded Devil Embryo, and a thoughtful look emerged on his face.

Did Senior Qingzhu leave behind this particular secret technique for a deeper reason?

The devil seed for the external incarnation is forged using a sword soul, and the corridor’s barrier does not suppress the ebony sword. Is it because the presence of the sword soul allows an external incarnation to enter?

If I bring in an external incarnation at the peak of the Core Formation Realm, my odds will drastically improve.

With this thought in mind, Qin Sang immediately made his decision.

No matter the risk, it was worth a try. Refining an external incarnation would do him no harm. Even if his speculation was wrong, he would still gain a powerful combat asset.

He lingered in the corridor for a while longer. At last, he bowed deeply in its direction, a gesture of thanks for the swordsmen's guidance.

"Just one path of swords has already brought me such a great opportunity. I even grasped Sword Light Division... Ancient cultivators, Seven-Kill Hall..."

Qin Sang stepped out and looked up at the stone wall, filled with yearning.

Glancing around, he found himself unsure of where to go next.

The gains from this trip were immense. Although he had not found the teleportation array, the clues left behind by Qingzhu and the discovery of this corridor, which likely led to the array, were more than enough to ignite hope.

He took out his jade token to check the time and realized that he had spent too long comprehending the Sword Dao in the corridor. The time to leave was fast approaching.

With such limited time left, making any new discoveries in the Sky Tower was nearly impossible.