Gateway of Immortality-Chapter 220: A Legendary Figure
The Jiang Ying they were talking about was a disciple of the Taiyi Core Sect, reportedly taken under the wing of a Core Formation Realm senior from the sect. If she succeeded in reaching the Foundation Building Realm, she could officially become that senior's disciple.
Jiang Ying was also remarkably gifted; at less than forty years old, she had already reached the peak of the thirteenth stage of the Qi Refining Realm. Her purpose in coming to the Tianjing Hidden Realm was to gain experience and find an opportunity for a breakthrough.
Qin Sang was interested in learning more about the Wandering Man and felt a strong curiosity about him.
Someone of such caliber would surely have a notable reputation. The reason he hadn’t heard of him before was probably because he had been so focused on his own cultivation and rarely engaged in idle conversation.
Upon returning to his cave dwelling, Qin Sang had just finished refining a zombie when he sensed the restriction barrier outside his cave being triggered. Scanning with his spiritual consciousness, he saw Jiang Ying standing at the entrance.
He dispelled the lingering chill inside the cave dwelling and opened the barrier.
"Senior, you called for me."
Shaohua Mountain and two other major sects jointly guarded Xuanlu Stronghold, and outwardly, they maintained a harmonious alliance. Jiang Ying addressed Qin Sang as either "senior" or "senior uncle," as was appropriate.
"Did you hear this from those two, Zhao Ji and the other one…"
Qin Sang shook his head with a hint of exasperation and invited Jiang Ying inside. "It’s a minor matter, actually. I had intended to wait until you finished your secluded cultivation and hope I’m not disturbing your practice."
"My recent seclusion was only to refine an artifact…"
…
"You’re asking about Senior Uncle Wandering Man?"
When Qin Sang brought up the Wandering Man, Jiang Ying’s expression immediately brightened with excitement. "He is a true legend in our sect! I didn’t expect you to know of him, Senior."
"Oh?" Qin Sang briefly recounted his chance encounter with the Wandering Man at Changyang Market. "I happened to meet Senior Wandering Man at the market and heard that he only succeeded in reaching the Foundation Building Realm when he was over a hundred?"
Jiang Ying nodded vigorously like a pecking bird. Her eyes sparkled with admiration as she spoke of the Wandering Man, her reverence evident.
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"Indeed. They say that Senior Uncle Wandering Man was brought into our sect by the Core Formation Realm grandmaster Sage Piaoya at the age of seventy-eight. At that time, everyone assumed it was a whim of Sage Piaoya to keep him on as a medicine boy, but unexpectedly, Sage Piaoya allowed him to cultivate alongside other disciples.
"Given Senior Uncle Wandering Man’s age, it seemed unlikely he would achieve much. Many immortal cultivators older than him had already given up their cultivation pursuits and returned home to enjoy their last years.
"Although he was occasionally ridiculed, he paid no mind, even laughingly saying he would be satisfied just to reach the Spiritual Infant Realm.
"Initially, people only viewed him as a joke. But he continued to train diligently like the younger disciples, showing the resolve of a true ascetic cultivator—isolated, undistracted, and never wavering.
"His cultivation progressed steadily, and his talent in the art of alchemy flourished as well. Gradually, people began to respect him.
"Sage Piaoya also held him in high regard, even personally refining elixirs for him to slow the aging of his primordial spirit.
"However, fate had other plans. Just as Senior Uncle Wandering Man was close to breaking through to the tenth stage of the Qi Refining Realm, Sage Piaoya unexpectedly passed away.
"Without Sage Piaoya, no other Core Formation Realm grandmasters were willing to support Senior Uncle Wandering Man.
"According to our sect’s rules, his age disqualified him from receiving a Foundation Building Pill. If he wanted one, he would either have to refine it himself or obtain it through the sect’s trials.
"Senior Uncle Wandering Man didn’t possess the spiritual herbs needed to refine a Foundation Building Pill, so his only option was to participate in the sect’s trials.
"However, these trials took place in the perilous Ancient Immortal Battlefield, which was particularly dangerous for someone like Senior Uncle Wandering Man. Having spent most of his time secluded in the mountains, focused on alchemy, he had little knowledge of combat. Furthermore, his advanced age placed him at a disadvantage compared to younger cultivators.
"Despite these challenges, Senior Uncle Wandering Man resolutely decided to join the trials, and he actually succeeded in obtaining a Foundation Building Pill. He then remained on the battlefield alone, searching for opportunities, and stayed there for a full ten years.
"When he returned to the sect a decade later, he went into seclusion to break through and, at the remarkable age of one hundred and eighteen, successfully reached the Foundation Building Realm, becoming a legend in the sect and earning everyone’s respect!"
Jiang Ying’s expression was one of complete admiration, clearly showing she was one of his devoted admirers. Qin Sang found it amusing to see that even in this world, there were people who idolized their heroes.
Qin Sang nodded to himself; the details Jiang Ying shared matched what he had heard directly from the Wandering Man.
The Taiyi Core Sect truly lived up to its reputation as an immortal sect famed for its alchemy skills, with an ample supply of Foundation Building Pills that disciples could earn through trials. In contrast, at Shaohua Mountain, any disciple who didn’t reach the tenth stage of the Qi Refining Realm by the age of forty could forget about receiving a Foundation Building Pill.
Curious, he asked, "Senior Wandering Man mentioned that his Foundation Building breakthrough left behind a hidden sickness that might impact his future cultivation. Do you know what kind of issue it is?"
Jiang Ying shook her head. "I have heard something about that. Given Senior Uncle Wandering Man’s age, it would normally be impossible for him to reach the Foundation Building Realm. If he used a secret art or consumed a pill to force the breakthrough, it would likely leave a hidden sickness. Perhaps that’s why he rushed back to the Ancient Immortal Battlefield after reaching the Foundation Building Realm, almost as if he were searching for something. He’s rarely seen around. We’re unsure of the exact issue; it’s not something Senior Uncle Wandering Man would openly disclose… When you met him, Senior, how was his condition?"
Seeing Jiang Ying’s expectant look, Qin Sang recounted his meeting with the Wandering Man, "Senior Wandering Man’s cultivation is higher than mine, and his qi and blood are robust. You don’t need to worry about him…"
After asking Jiang Ying a few more questions, Qin Sang saw her off. He then took out two additional corpses and refined them into corpse puppets.
By now, Qin Sang had thoroughly mastered the Heavenly Yin Corpse Art. Including these, his Corpse Puppet Pouch held seven zombies and three malevolent corpses accumulated over the years.
He could just barely manage to control this number of corpse puppets. Releasing the malevolent corpses together would be enough to stall a Foundation Building cultivator long enough for him to prepare the Yan Luo Array of Ten Directions or a talisman astra.
However, what Qin Sang anticipated most was refining a living corpse.
The living corpse’s capabilities had left a lasting impression on Qin Sang in the cave. It would undoubtedly be a formidable asset.
Moreover, the Heavenly Corpse Sect even had a way to elevate a living corpse to the level of a flying yaksha!
In the Heavenly Corpse Sect, Foundation Building cultivators typically refrained from controlling a flying yaksha, fearing a backlash from their corpse puppets. Even if they gathered all the required materials to strengthen the puppet, they wouldn’t attempt it until they reached the late stage of the Foundation Building Realm.
Qin Sang’s soul imprint, infused with the aura of the Jade Buddha, safeguarded him against this issue.
If Qin Sang could find the missing second half of the Heavenly Yin Corpse Art, he would have a puppet with strength rivaling an early Core Formation cultivator while still in the Foundation Building Realm!
However, that was still a distant prospect.
He hadn’t yet had the chance to capture a Foundation Building cultivator alive, and refining the Heavenly Corpse Talisman was also no simple feat. The main ingredient was a rare spirit herb called the Soul-Guiding Grass.
After extensive inquiries, he learned that Soul-Guiding Grass was extremely precious, far more valuable than other five-elemental yin materials. It was exceedingly rare in the current immortal cultivation world, and finding it would require a good deal of luck.
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