Gateway of Immortality-Chapter 797: The Might of the Flame Orb

Fortunately, the star turban had been slightly hindered when it destroyed the Golden Jade Lock, its power weakened somewhat in the process.

Qin Sang rapidly reformed the devilish flames, while the Two-Headed Hou gathered a wind blade. Only then were they able to stop the star turban.

Boom!

Devilish flames and wind blades exploded in all directions.

Both Qin Sang and the Two-Headed Hou were struck hard. Their faces turned pale as they were blasted backward, barely managing to steady themselves. Man and beast alike were deeply shaken.

The star turban had spent its power. Its blue glow faded, revealing the smooth jade-white sheen beneath. The hooked-nosed man retrieved it, frowning slightly, seeming somewhat dissatisfied.

Qin Sang stared at the item in shock. The star turban clearly surpassed the level of a middle-grade astra, yet he could not determine its exact grade.

The shell bore no signs of forging. It was wholly seamless, as if formed by nature itself. Qin Sang had never seen such an astra before.

Its destructive power, however, was beyond question.

What puzzled him was that the hooked-nosed man did not continue pressing the attack with the star turban. Instead, he retracted it and rushed forward once again.

"You dare enslave a spirit beast? You deserve death!"

Upon seeing the Two-Headed Hou, the hooked-nosed man’s killing intent grew even stronger.

Qin Sang fought alongside the Two-Headed Hou, but the enemy’s attacks were as fierce as thunder. Even working together, they felt overwhelmed and were steadily pushed back.

His vision was filled with fist shadows, azure streaks flashing like lightning.

Qin Sang navigated the Yan Luo Banners of Ten Directions, trying to hold back the assault and carve out some breathing room. The Two-Headed Hou fought at his side, alternately conjuring illusions and wind blades.

They fought while retreating, moving through the heart of the storm, occasionally using the hurricane to earn a brief moment of respite.

All the while, Qin Sang watched the man’s every movement, wary that he might launch another surprise attack with the star turban. He had no second Golden Jade Lock to sacrifice, and the loss of that astra still pained him bitterly.

So far, however, the hooked-nosed man had not used the star turban again.

A suspicion began to stir in Qin Sang’s mind. Perhaps this astra required some kind of cost to activate, or needed to charge up before it could be used again. That would explain why it could not be wielded freely.

Still, the man was extremely cunning. Qin Sang dared not relax in the slightest.

What troubled him most was that, despite their prolonged exchanges, he had yet to find a real opportunity. He could only grit his teeth and endure, holding on beneath the storm of blows.

No matter how much effort he poured into resisting, he could not stop his opponent from drawing closer.

By now, he could see the man’s face clearly.

"I have to say that with your level of cultivation, lasting this long against me is truly impressive. Given time, you might have become one of humanity’s top experts. But sadly, you encountered me..."

The hooked-nosed man let out a cold snort.

Though it all seemed drawn out, the truth was their fight had not lasted long. Qin Sang had spent most of it in retreat.

But in a place like this, riddled with danger, even one extra breath of time meant one more chance for something unexpected. The hooked-nosed man was already running out of patience.

His glowing wings sliced through the devilish flames like blades.

The Two-Headed Hou, eyes wide, had wanted to block the attack, but upon sensing the power radiating from the wings, let out a whimper, turned around, and bolted.

At the same time, the ebony sword was struck aside by the man’s twin fists, thrown off course.

The hooked-nosed man suddenly unleashed a violent assault. Qin Sang’s defenses were left wide open. Seeing this, the man closed in quickly, prompting Qin Sang to activate the secret talisman and dart into the narrow gap between two hurricanes.

Suddenly, the hooked-nosed man raised his hand. The star turban reappeared.

Qin Sang’s heart lurched. He shifted sideways at once.

Unexpectedly, the man broke into a strange smile and did not release the star turban. Instead, his wings burst with blinding light, his speed surging. As he closed in, a flash appeared between his brows, and a dense puff of azure smoke shot toward Qin Sang’s face.

Qin Sang’s heart dropped. He darted aside to dodge, but in that moment, he caught a strange scent and felt a wave of dizziness. A sudden drowsiness washed over him.

"Poison!"

Qin Sang screamed inwardly, a flash of clarity striking through his mind.

The azure smoke surged toward him. Qin Sang, seemingly affected by it, failed to retreat in time. His body swayed, stumbled, and was engulfed by the smoke. He appeared to have lost all ability to flee.

The hooked-nosed man laughed wildly, his figure flickering as he appeared beside the azure smoke. Just as he reached out to finish off Qin Sang, his expression changed drastically. He let out a furious roar and retreated in panic, his face twisted with terror.

Being poisoned had been nothing more than a ruse. 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

Qin Sang had not expected the man to have trained in poisonous arts, but upon seeing the azure smoke, he instantly realized an opportunity had come.

The silkworm had secretly shielded him with the Poison-Warding Armor. Qin Sang had waited patiently until the right moment arrived, and finally unleashed the Flame Orb. Although the hooked-nosed man reacted with lightning speed, it was already too late.

Whoosh!

Before the terrified gaze of the hooked-nosed man, the Flame Orb shot forward, easily piercing through his protective spiritual light. Even the body he had always taken pride in turned exceptionally fragile in the face of the Flame Orb.

A small flicker of flame surfaced on the orb, burning through his skin like a knife through dry weeds, and plunged directly into his chest.

Gurrr...

A strange sound escaped the hooked-nosed man's throat, his eyes glazing over.

Apart from a small hole in his chest, there were no other visible injuries on his body, yet all life had already faded from him.

At the point where the hole had formed, a cold glint shimmered. A layer of ice spread rapidly from within, encasing his entire body. His internal organs had long since frozen solid.

Qin Sang was unharmed. After bursting through the azure smoke, he shielded himself with devilish flames and, ignoring the danger, darted forward. He stripped an armguard from the hooked-nosed man.

He could sense that another segment of the bone flute was hidden inside that armguard.

Next was the star turban. This astra had left a lasting impression on him and could make up for the loss of the Golden Jade Lock.

Qin Sang moved swiftly. Finally, with a quick snatch, he pulled away the man’s Mustard Seed Pouch and fled without looking back.

Crack...

A top-tier expert, now completely frozen, was struck by a wave and shattered into ice shards, disappearing from the world. All that remained in his place was a cluster of blue flames.

Freed from its restraint, the cold flames erupted with full power, freezing the surrounding sea in an instant.

But in the next moment, the frozen waters were shattered by the hurricane winds.

The power of the cold flames triggered violent chaos. It was soon surrounded by the storm, wind and fire intertwining, brewing a terrifying force.

Knowing he couldn’t linger, Qin Sang didn’t stop to check the spoils he had collected. He rushed to leave the area.

The azure smoke had not yet dispersed. To Qin Sang’s surprise, the silkworm suddenly leapt out from its basket. With a snap of its mouth, it devoured the entire cloud of azure smoke in one gulp, let out a satisfied burp, crawled back into the basket, and fell into a deep sleep.

This was the first time the silkworm had ever taken the initiative to devour toxic smoke.

Qin Sang had no idea why. Seeing the growing storm surge behind him, he dared not stay a moment longer. He rejoined the Two-Headed Hou and quickly left.

***

Demonic Sea.

On a nameless island, atop a nameless mountain...

Inside a massive cave dwelling in the mountain’s core, the furnishings were elaborate, yet exuded a rugged savagery. Upon a stone table sat a crystal the size of a human head. Within the crystal was a single sealed azure feather.

Suddenly, the feather trembled violently. The crystal creaked, then exploded with a thunderous crack.