Gateway of Immortality-Chapter 796: Star Turban

Body cultivators were exceedingly rare, and one as powerful as the hooked-nosed man was even more so. The body cultivators Qin Sang had seen in the past typically had low cultivation. Most of them had tried to take a different path, but top-tier body cultivation arts were even harder to find, and their cultivation was extremely difficult, often resulting in mediocrity in all aspects and a waste of time.

Qin Sang glanced back from time to time to observe the man. He noticed that from beginning to end, the hooked-nosed man never used any astra, suggesting that he might be a pure body cultivator.

Those wings of his, with each beat, turned into a streak of azure light and burst forth with incredible speed. They paired perfectly with his formidable physical body.

Because of that, not only was Qin Sang unable to shake him off, the distance between them was steadily closing.

The hooked-nosed man was determined to kill Qin Sang and pursued him relentlessly.

Qin Sang knew he couldn’t let this drag on. The man showed no signs of exhaustion and was almost certain to catch up. He had to come up with a way to escape.

With that thought in mind, Qin Sang scanned his surroundings, then suddenly veered off, flying straight toward the area where the winds were at their strongest.

That area in the sky was filled with countless strands of dense gray qi. These nearly tangible hurricanes carried terrifying power.

Because the storms were so concentrated, there was little room to maneuver.

Only in such chaotic terrain could Qin Sang find a chance.

The hooked-nosed man instantly saw through Qin Sang’s intent, but showed no fear. Without hesitation, he changed direction and continued the pursuit.

As one fled and the other chased, the distance between them narrowed even further.

Qin Sang could already feel the man's chilling gaze at his back, as if thorns were pressing against his skin. His opponent’s arrogance and recklessness stirred fury within him. A cold glint flashed in Qin Sang’s eyes. He suddenly stopped mid-air, spun around, and glared furiously.

The next moment, a bolt of lightning shot from his brow.

The lightning arrived first, with the rumbling thunder trailing behind.

The ebony sword emerged, unleashing a formidable aura as it flew straight at the hooked-nosed man.

In Qin Sang’s vision, the flying sword rapidly grew larger. Then, it abruptly split into three—two solid, one faintly illusory—before bizarrely merging back into one, its power even more shocking than before.

A flicker of surprise flashed in the man’s eyes. His glowing wings suddenly folded around him, and a burst of radiant azure light surged from his body. His wings grew even brighter.

He twisted his body, his fists vanishing into the light of his wings. Without dodging or retreating, he swung both wings fiercely to strike the ebony sword.

Boom!

Sword qi collided with the azure light, resulting in a violent explosion.

The ebony sword was knocked backward.

The hooked-nosed man’s wings dimmed slightly. He drew back his fists and flexed his fingers. Though he was forced to stop by the sword strike, he remained uninjured.

That sword had failed to harm him, but it had broken his momentum.

This combined sword light technique was something Qin Sang had learned on the path of swords from the sword cultivators. He had yet to fully master it, and this was his first time using it in battle. The power, however, left him quite satisfied.

The hooked-nosed man studied Qin Sang with intrigue, then suddenly revealed a bloodthirsty smile. "Your evasion technique and swordsmanship are not something you often see among humans, is it? All these years, you're the first I’ve met. Looks like I’ll have the honor of killing a human genius with my own hands today."

His voice was sharp and grating to the ears.

Qin Sang was puzzled by his words.

The man’s body exuded faint demonic qi, a sign he had taken a Malevolent Demonic Pill during his Core Formation. Yet he clearly wasn’t of the witch race. Being human, why would he speak so strangely?

Without responding, Qin Sang controlled his sword to strike again.

The hooked-nosed man had likely just been mocking him. His expression darkened as he raised his fists to meet the sword once more.

Qin Sang fought while retreating.

The man’s strength was overwhelming. Even with only fists and wings, the ebony sword struggled to hold its ground. Qin Sang was being steadily pushed back and soon showed signs of defeat.

With no other choice, Qin Sang secretly summoned the Yan Luo Banners of Ten Directions. With a wave of his palm, the banners spun rapidly. A blast of Devilish Flames of Nine Hells shot out, aiming straight for the man’s face.

Sensing the flames’ aura, the hooked-nosed man’s expression shifted slightly. His wings beat once and shifted him dozens of zhang sideways in an instant. He stared at the flames with a mix of wariness and uncertainty.

The attack missed. Qin Sang, however, felt a flicker of hope.

The man must have misunderstood something. Though this blast of Devilish Flames of Nine Hells carried only a fraction of its true power, it was still quite intimidating. For those unfamiliar with it, such a reaction was only natural. Someone like the hooked-nosed man would of course be wary the first time seeing it.

Once someone actually fought against the flames, they would quickly discern its true strength. But for now, the man dared not confront it head-on with only his fists.

As long as the flames' limitations remained hidden, he could still stall for time.

Qin Sang immediately launched a pincer attack with the ebony sword and the devilish flames.

At first, the hooked-nosed man was clearly cautious. But it didn’t take long before he grew suspicious. Using his glowing wings to probe, he soon confirmed that the flames were not as terrifying as he had thought. His expression shifted toward fury and frustration.

This exchange had bought Qin Sang enough time to slip deeper into the storm.

Although the hooked-nosed man wasn’t afraid of waves or water, he still had to keep his distance from the hurricanes wrought by the forces of heaven and earth. He didn’t dare allow himself to be swept into them.

With the hurricanes as interference, even though his strength clearly outmatched Qin Sang’s, it would no longer be easy for him to land a quick kill.

Within the gaps between the winds, the two continued their deadly pursuit.

After the hooked-nosed man saw through Qin Sang’s tricks, Qin Sang’s situation became increasingly dire. Signs of defeat were already beginning to show.

With unstoppable momentum, the hooked-nosed man struck the ebony sword with a punch, sending it flying. Then, with his organs resonating as one[1] and wings flaring wide, he transformed into a streak of azure light that slammed directly into the Devilish Flames of Nine Hells. With a deafening boom, the devilish flames were completely dispersed.

Qin Sang’s expression shifted. He was about to summon more flames using the Yan Luo Banners of Ten Directions when a powerful sense of danger suddenly welled up within him. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glint of blue light shooting from the azure streak. It had pierced through the devilish flames and was now darting straight toward his body.

"An astra! So he was hiding his strength after all!"

The blue light was incredibly fast, no larger than a clenched fist. It made no thunderous roar or overwhelming display of might, yet Qin Sang’s hair stood on end.

He immediately flung out the Golden Jade Lock. At the same time, with a flick of his wrist, the Two-Headed Hou leapt out from the Primordial Unity Ring.

Originally, he had planned to keep the Two-Headed Hou as a hidden ace, but after seeing the blue light, he released it without hesitation.

What followed was a shocking sight. The Golden Jade Lock was struck by the blue light. It only managed to block it for an instant before letting out a sorrowful wail. The golden brilliance trembled violently, and then the lock began to shatter cun by cun, crumbling into dust.

A dignified middle-grade astra was destroyed so easily right before Qin Sang’s eyes.

Qin Sang finally got a clear look at the blue light's true form. It was a blue spiral shell.

Its base was actually a jade-white shell, speckled with glowing blue dots that looked like distant stars. The intense blue radiance emanated from those very specks.

This star turban spun rapidly, its sharp tip aimed squarely at Qin Sang. Though seemingly natural in form, it radiated terrifying destructive power. Even after destroying the Golden Jade Lock, it continued charging forward with unstoppable momentum.

1. In Chinese medicine, the five organs—heart, lungs, liver, spleen and kidneys—are each assigned a sound and an element. ☜