Gateway of Immortality-Chapter 260: Ambush

As Qin Sang retreated, his gaze swept swiftly around the surrounding space, but he noticed nothing unusual. This was to be expected—if Di Que intended to ambush Daoist Master Xuanyu, he would not reveal any trace of himself. When he struck, it would be with the force of a thunderbolt.

The barrier on the bluestone slab was activated by the blade qi, radiating dazzling light and forming a wall of brilliance.

The Heavenly Blade Talisman pressed into the light wall but seemed to encounter tremendous resistance. Not only did it fail to break through, but its speed also began to slow.

This demonstrated just how formidable the barrier protecting the stone hall was.

Daoist Master Xuanyu’s expression grew grave as he poured all his strength into driving the Heavenly Blade Talisman, not daring to relax. If the stone hall’s barrier gained the upper hand and counterattacked, it would not only render breaking the seal impossible but also risk a retaliatory strike from the barrier.

Though Daoist Master Xuanyu was confident in his ability to evade such an attack, caution was paramount.

This chapt𝒆r is updated by frёewebηovel.cѳm.

From the corner of his eye, Qin Sang caught sight of Daoist Master Xuanyu’s actions, and his unease deepened. He retrieved his banner, concealing it in his palm while quietly preparing for contingencies. His gaze then shifted downward to the restless, churning lava below.

Two Core Formation Realm cultivators and a mysterious ancient hall fortified by layers of barriers—each was enough to make Qin Sang’s heart race with dread.

Compared to them, he was no better than an ant.

If a fierce battle erupted and one side quickly overpowered the other, it might be contained. However, if the fight dragged into a stalemate, the consequences could become unpredictable.

If he were caught in the aftershocks of a clash between Core Formation Realm cultivators, he would either die or suffer grievous injuries. Worse yet, he would be exposed to their scrutiny, rendering all his prior efforts futile.

The space within the volcano felt stiflingly small, and the absence of Firebirds in the lava was of little comfort. If he moved out of the Firebird swarm now, with nowhere to hide, he would surely be detected.

Just as this thought crossed his mind, Qin Sang’s eyes narrowed abruptly.

Behind Daoist Master Xuanyu, the shadow of the Heavenly Sound Conch suddenly materialized!

The Heavenly Sound Conch appeared in a flash, almost as if teleporting, and reappeared above Daoist Master Xuanyu’s head. From its shell’s opening, the power of the Thousand-Transformation Divine Sound surged forth.

This power condensed into a crescent-shaped machete that seemed delicate and weightless, as though it held no killing intent.

Yet even from such a distance, just a glance at the crescent machete caused Qin Sang’s hair to stand on end, filling him with dread.

In an instant, the crescent machete descended!

Daoist Master Xuanyu had already sensed the danger, but the Heavenly Sound Conch’s appearance had been too sudden and bizarre, striking at the exact moment he was locked in a struggle with the ancient hall’s barrier.

An intense sense of alarm erupted in his heart. Though he had not seen the machete with his own eyes, he could feel its aura clearly—an aura that heralded death!

His scalp tingled, and his heart pounded. If he failed to block this strike, it could very well be fatal.

With a furious roar, Daoist Master Xuanyu acted instinctively, yanking the Heavenly Blade Talisman out of the light wall where it had been contending with the barrier.

Swish!

Boom!

The Heavenly Blade Talisman shot back like a meteor, meeting the machete in the nick of time and blocking it.

The collision of two weapons imbued with the power of Core Formation Realm cultivators created a visible shockwave that rippled through the air, causing the space to tremble incessantly and the lava to surge in massive waves.

Splash!

A massive wave crashed against the stone platform, and the scalding lava splattered all over Daoist Master Xuanyu. Yet he couldn’t spare any attention for this. Though the Heavenly Blade Talisman had intercepted the machete’s first strike, the danger was far from over.

Hum...

The Heavenly Blade Talisman trembled incessantly, its light growing dimmer by the moment, the blade’s hum sounding like mournful wails.

The Heavenly Sound Conch had been prepared in advance, while the Heavenly Blade Talisman was deployed hastily to block it. The disparity in strength was obvious.

What horrified Daoist Master Xuanyu even more was that the stone hall’s barrier, enraged by the Heavenly Blade Talisman, launched a counterattack the moment the talisman was abruptly withdrawn.

The radiant light wall expanded rapidly, its blinding brilliance resembling a blazing sun. A fearsome gale swept forth, crashing toward Daoist Master Xuanyu, whose face instantly turned ashen.

The stone hall’s barrier ahead and the machete behind—he was caught in a deadly pincer attack, a true life-or-death crisis!

"Ah!"

Daoist Master Xuanyu let out a furious roar. His hair had come undone, making him appear wild and frenzied. Suddenly, he performed a shocking act—striking his own dantian with his palm!

In the next moment, spiritual power erupted from within him, surging entirely into the Heavenly Blade Talisman. The blade light flared with renewed brilliance, directly cleaving the machete in two before striking the Heavenly Sound Conch itself.

Clang! With a crisp sound, the Heavenly Sound Conch was sent flying dozens of meters away. It barely stabilized itself, but a clear crack had appeared on its shell!

Even after being split, the machete did not dissipate. Instead, it shimmered in mid-air, reverting to the essence of the Thousand-Transformation Divine Sound before coalescing once again. Ignoring the damage sustained by the Heavenly Sound Conch, the force pressed on, continuing its assault on Daoist Master Xuanyu.

Meanwhile, the gale conjured by the stone hall’s barrier swept in from the other direction.

A faint green light lit up from Daoist Master Xuanyu’s dantian, and a jade-green disk slowly emerged.

Qin Sang instantly recognized it as one of Daoist Master Xuanyu’s astras. However, to Qin Sang’s shock, the jade disk shattered into pieces the moment it emerged!

Self-detonating astra!

Qin Sang understood this was an act of desperation, but he couldn’t help but admire Daoist Master Xuanyu’s decisiveness.

The self-detonation produced a surge of green light—part of it intercepted the ferocious gale, while the remainder blocked the Thousand-Transformation Divine Sound.

At last, Daoist Master Xuanyu managed to escape the perilous situation. His figure flickered, and he reappeared outside the stone platform.

He looked utterly disheveled, his hair in wild disarray, as he fixed a venomous glare on the trembling Heavenly Sound Conch.

The Heavenly Blade Talisman also flew back to Daoist Master Xuanyu, riddled with cracks. Earlier, he had been forced to overdraw the talisman’s power to cut through the machete, buying enough time for the astra’s self-detonation. Without refinement, the talisman was now practically useless.

From the Heavenly Sound Conch’s appearance to now, mere moments had passed, yet Daoist Master Xuanyu had already lost two of his most treasured items.

Qin Sang once again marveled at Di Que’s cunning and ruthlessness.

Amidst the chaotic swarm of Firebirds, one bird moved in an unusual manner. It broke away from the group, flying unimpeded through the barrier and into the open space. Then, it transformed into a mass of flames.

A figure emerged, stepping out from within the fire as the flames gradually extinguished.

It was none other than Di Que.

"It’s you!"

Daoist Master Xuanyu’s eyes burned with rage as he shouted, his voice trembling.

"Old Geezer, how did you like the taste of the Heavenly Sound Conch?"

Di Que sneered, glancing at the crack on the Heavenly Sound Conch with a flicker of pain in his eyes. "I didn’t expect you to damage my astra even under such circumstances. Your sect’s four great secret talismans certainly live up to their name. But now that your talisman is on the verge of breaking and your life-bound astra has self-detonated, how much strength do you have left?"

"You dare harm me!"

Daoist Master Xuanyu’s voice turned shrill and ghostly. "The Shangyuan Tranquility Palace will hunt you down!"

"The Shangyuan Tranquility Palace is thousands of li away. Flaunting your sect’s name might scare children, but that’s about it. Even if that old fossil from your sect has divine foresight, it’s too late for them to save you now," Di Que retorted mockingly, showing no fear.