Gateway of Immortality-Chapter 807: The Windy Archipelago
Just as this thought took shape in Qin Sang’s mind, that strange power automatically surged toward his back.
In the next instant, azure light rippled across his spine, and with a sharp swish, a pair of wings unfolded.
The wings were proportionate to his body, yet their shape was exactly the same as the Azure Luan’s.
Qin Sang felt the foreign presence on his back, his expression filled with surprise. The sensation of the wings was strange to him, but he quickly learned how to control them.
"Fly..."
With a gentle flap, without using any Dao Techniques, Qin Sang slowly lifted off the ground. He began slightly off balance, but soon adjusted and maneuvered with ease.
Whoosh!
A sudden gust swept across the courtyard.
In a flash, Qin Sang’s figure vanished, reappearing in another corner as a streak of azure light. His speed was impressive.
"This supernatural ability has manifested the Luan’s wings... Does that make me a man or a demonic beast?"
He glanced at the shadow beneath him, silently questioning himself, a trace of worry flickering in his eyes.
Landing, Qin Sang withdrew the supernatural ability, and the wings vanished.
He secretly let out a breath of relief. He had no desire to shed his human identity, and as long as he could retract them, there was no problem.
This was the core island of the human race, where countless high-level cultivators resided. Walking around with a pair of wings on his back would draw far too much attention. If someone mistook him for a demonic beast, there would be no way to explain himself.
"These wings have excellent speed. From now on, I’ll focus on refining them. When the Heavenly Demon Body Refinement reaches the third stage, my escape speed will take another great leap forward."
***
In Tianxing City’s market, inside a shop, the owner was chatting and laughing with a man in an azure robe.
Both looked toward the door at the same time as a young man rushed in. When he entered, the two rose to greet him.
The shopkeeper, clearly familiar with him, smiled and said, "Daoist Qin, it’s been some time since you last came by. If I hadn’t gotten a piece of good news today and wanted to see you, it would have been difficult to meet."
He then introduced him to the azure-robed man. "This is the Daoist Qin I told you about. Though a rogue cultivator, he reached the middle stage of the Core Formation Realm at a young age. He has hunted demonic beasts in the Demonic Sea for years, and now spends his days cultivating diligently on Baogu Mountain. Everyone who knows him admires him."
The newcomer was Qin Sang. 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂
The cultivation resources Qin Sang needed were usually purchased from a few familiar shops, and he had grown well-acquainted with their owners. At times, he even commissioned them to gather information for him.
This time, he had come because the shopkeeper sent word that a fellow cultivator had arrived who knew of Linggui Island. It sounded unusual, so he hurried over.
Canglang Sea was vast, and there were plenty of places named Linggui Island, but none had any obvious connection to Senior Qingzhu.
"This is Daoist Wang?"
Qin Sang greeted them politely, turning to ask the shopkeeper while giving the man a discreet glance.
He appeared to be in his forties or fifties, with an impressive bearing, and was already a Core Formation cultivator.
The shopkeeper nodded and led them into a private room. "Daoist Wang is from the Windy Archipelago. He says that near the archipelago lies an island called Linggui Island, where many strange things have happened. I thought of you immediately. Perhaps your old friend went there."
"The Windy Archipelago..."
Qin Sang recalled that it was in the southwestern waters of Canglang Sea, far from Tianxing Island. It was vast, with countless islands of varying sizes.
Far from the reach of authority, its power structure was naturally tangled. Storms and sea beasts often ravaged the southwestern seas, making it perilous and difficult to control. Chaos was frequent, and so the place was largely left to its own devices.
Such places were not uncommon in Canglang Sea.
Only after the Demonic Sea route was opened did things improve somewhat, though complete stability was impossible.
After returning from his travels, Qin Sang had studied the geomantic maps of Canglang Sea and remembered the important names clearly.
"From the geomantic maps, it seems the Windy Archipelago has no major island called Linggui Island."
Daoist Wang smiled faintly. "You wouldn’t find it from the maps. Linggui Island is not a large island, and its location is extremely remote. In fact, most cultivators in the Windy Archipelago have no idea it even exists."
"Oh?"
Qin Sang’s interest was piqued, and he quickly invited Wang to sit, pouring him tea personally.
"Linggui Island used to be a barren island, small in size. Its shape resembled a spiritual turtle[1], and someone casually gave it the name, which stuck. No one expected that the island concealed a top-grade spirit vein. Over two hundred years ago, a mysterious person discovered it and established a cave dwelling there..."
Daoist Wang took a sip of tea and continued in a low voice.
"At first, no one paid attention to such a desolate place. Those who passed by never realized someone had built a cave dwelling there.
"A few years later, people were surprised to find the island in full bloom, covered in peach blossoms, transformed into a veritable peach blossom island. It was clearly the work of a person.
"Curious onlookers went ashore, including those with ill intentions, but every one of them mysteriously died there. Their bodies vanished without a trace.
"The nearby cultivators were horrified and realized the island was protected by a formidable array. The island master’s strength was unfathomable, and gradually no one dared provoke him.
"The island master was also extremely secretive, never once appearing in public after taking over Linggui Island. No one knew his true face. The surrounding forces, initially wary, came to see them as a reclusive cultivator and left him alone.
"Decades later, the island’s array suddenly opened. The island master announced that he would preach on Linggui Island for one night, and that all rogue cultivators were welcome to attend. The news caused a great stir, and people flocked to learn the identity of the island master.
"Many factions thought the island master was establishing a sect and prepared for trouble. But the master simply preached until the appointed time, then drove everyone away and resealed the island, without a single unnecessary word.
"Hidden among the peach blossoms, the island master’s teachings were clear and profound, explaining mysterious principles in a way that even the inexperienced could understand. Listeners were entranced, each gaining something from the experience.
"Every few years, the island master would preach again, drawing many cultivators each time, even from distant lands. Yet he remained as before, unconcerned with fame or power, never showing his face.
"Those who tried to become their disciples were all refused.
"Still, cultivators who had heard the teachings addressed the island master with full respect, as if he were their teacher.
"My home is not far from Linggui Island, so I had heard of it. Before I left to travel, the Linggui Island Master had held one such preaching."
As Wang spoke in detail, Qin Sang listened closely.
The more he heard, the more convinced he became that this Linggui Island might be the place he was searching for, and that the island master was none other than Senior Qingzhu.
Peach blossoms... Peach trees...
At the Sword Pass, the peach blossoms had grown more splendid after Senior Qingzhu split the mountain and departed, and the Red Jade Peaches were incomparably sweet. That image had long been linked to him in Qin Sang’s mind.
The moment he heard of an island covered in peach blossoms, his heart had skipped a beat.
What he could not guess was why Senior Qingzhu would choose to preach publicly, guiding rogue cultivators.
1. The word "Linggui" also translates to "spiritual turtle." ☜
