Gateway of Immortality

The elder brushed past Qin Sang.

Qin Sang turned his head, watching the elder until he almost disappeared into the crowd. Then, in a sudden flash, he quickened his pace and caught up to the elder.

"Please wait, Senior!"

The elder stopped, casting a puzzled gaze at Qin Sang, who had blocked his path. A guarded look flickered in his eyes. "What business does a cultivator like you have with an old man like me?"

Qin Sang cupped his hands respectfully. "Forgive my rudeness, Senior. May I ask… is your Dharma name Wandering Man?"

Hearing a stranger call him by this name, the elder stroked his long beard, narrowed his eyes, and scrutinized Qin Sang with a frown. After a moment of contemplation, he asked, "Do you truly know me, Daoist? However... I don’t recall ever meeting you."

"Indeed, you do not know me," Qin Sang said as he nodded solemnly. "Are you truly Daoist Wandering Man? Do you still remember Jixin?"

The elder’s expression froze at the mention of this name. His gaze lifted to the heavens, eyes growing distant, as if peering through decades of time. After a long pause, he looked back at Qin Sang, asking, "The Jixin you speak of… could he be the disciple I once took in during my mundane life? How is it that you know Jixin?"

…

"I am originally from Ning Kingdom," Qin Sang began. "At fifteen, I was traveling on business with my elders when bandits captured us. I narrowly escaped with my life, only to find myself stranded in Great Sui, where Daoist Jixin kindly took me in. Later, through a twist of fate, I set foot on the path of immortal cultivation... In fact, Senior, my smooth journey into this path is not without some credit to a herbal bath formula you left behind..."

In a quiet tavern, the two of them ordered wine and dishes, sitting across from one another.

Qin Sang spoke softly to Wandering Man, recounting the story of his connection with Daoist Jixin.

As he spoke of the past, a nostalgic expression appeared on Qin Sang’s face, a hint of melancholy in his gaze.

For so long, he had been struggling along the path of immortal cultivation, wholly absorbed in his training, rarely taking time to reminisce.

Now, as he looked back, he realized that it had been over forty years since he first arrived at Qingyang Temple at fifteen—more than half a lifetime ago.

"The herbal bath formula?" Wandering Man pondered for a moment before smiling. "Brother Qin, do you mean the Marrow-Nourishing Decoction? Yes, it is indeed beneficial for beginner cultivators. I stumbled upon it while traveling the world; it was created by a martial arts master from Great Sui. Although it uses only mundane herbs, it is remarkably effective for cultivators."

Qin Sang nodded, stood, and gave a deep bow. "I have yet to properly thank you, Senior. I once thought you were an ordinary man; I never expected you to be a cultivator yourself. Was Daoist Jixin also…?"

After bowing, Qin Sang sat back down, looking expectantly at Wandering Man.

He never could have guessed that Daoist Jixin’s master, Wandering Man, was actually an immortal cultivator!

He remembered that during his time at Qingyang Temple, one New Year’s, Daoist Jixin had brought out a portrait of Wandering Man for worship. Qin Sang, following suit, had paid his respects and seen the man in the painting.

Thus, when he suddenly encountered Wandering Man in person, a sense of familiarity arose within him. Reflecting on everyone he’d met since coming to this world, he couldn’t place it at first, but then remembered the portrait and realized the truth.

According to Daoist Jixin, Wandering Man had already passed seventy when the portrait was made.

Now, seated across from him, Wandering Man looked slightly older than in the portrait, yet more spirited.

If Wandering Man was a cultivator, then could it be that Daoist Jixin and Ming Yue were also immortal cultivators? Were all the little tricks he’d tried at Qingyang Temple, back then, simply transparent to them?

Perhaps Daoist Jixin had given him the herbal formula out of compassion for his difficult journey in cultivation.

Qin Sang let out a bitter laugh. He had left Qingyang Temple in search of immortality, yet in doing so, he had unknowingly overlooked the truth right before him. The real immortal had been right there, and he had been too blind to see it.

At the same time, Qin Sang felt a pang of confusion. From the moment he had settled at Qingyang Temple, he had never seen Daoist Jixin or Ming Yue use any abilities beyond the ordinary. Daoist Jixin even went so far as to endure hunger and eat coarse grains and wild vegetables to help the disaster victims.

The silver Qin Sang had looted from the mountain bandits, after purchasing Tiger Subduing Long Fist, was largely used to support the temple.

Could it be that they restrained their cultivation to train their hearts of Dao within the mortal world?

Lost in a whirlwind of speculation, Qin Sang saw Wandering Man shake his head. "Jixin was not an immortal cultivator—at least, not before I left. I only encountered the path to immortality after parting ways with Jixin, and I never returned afterward. The fact that Jixin took you in and I’ve met you again today… fate is indeed full of mysteries."

Qin Sang froze, thinking he must have misheard. He exclaimed in astonishment, "I remember Daoist Jixin saying, Senior, that you were already seventy when you parted ways with him…"

Wandering Man had discovered immortality after leaving Daoist Jixin—when he was already over seventy!

Qin Sang saw clearly that Wandering Man’s cultivation was indeed at the early stage of the Foundation Building Realm, and his aura was even slightly stronger than Qin Sang's!

Wandering Man gave a slight smile. "At fifteen, I was unrivaled in medicine and was summoned to the palace as an imperial physician. At forty-seven, I made a grave mistake, nearly lost my life, and, disillusioned, left to pursue the Dao, naming myself Wandering Man. By seventy-two, I sensed my life waning. The memory of my past made me realize the great terror that lay between life and death. I did not wish to become a desiccated corpse in a tomb and set out on a wild quest for immortality. Jixin had grown into a fine man by then, inheriting all of my skills, so I took up my medicine chest once more and set off alone, walking westward with a staff in hand. Six years later, while gathering herbs on a desolate mountain, I encountered my mentor, who guided me into the Dao. At seventy-eight, I began my cultivation journey. My aging body struggled greatly, and after forty years of dedicated practice, I managed to enter the Foundation Building Realm at the age of one hundred and eighteen—though it came at a price. Not like you, Brother Qin, who already have such achievements at a young age. You have a boundless future!"

As Wandering Man spoke, Qin Sang listened in awe, as if hearing a tale from a mystical legend. The more he listened, the more astonished he felt.

It was common knowledge in the world of cultivation that once a Qi Refining cultivator reached fifty, their vital energy and primordial spirit would begin to decline, making the Foundation Building Realm increasingly improbable. Only rare spiritual medicines could offset this, and each was exceedingly precious and limited in effectiveness.

Meng Ruhui, for example, had reached the twelfth stage of Qi Refining by fifty-eight but found Foundation Building hopeless and eventually became an administrator at Yuanzhao Sect.

At that age, Wandering Man had still been an ordinary man!

Starting his cultivation at seventy-eight, persisting for forty grueling years, he reached the Foundation Building Realm at one hundred and eighteen. It was nothing short of miraculous. Qin Sang had never heard of anything like it.

"I… admire you, Senior!"

Innumerable words condensed into one sense.

If, at nearly eighty, he remained a mere mortal, old and frail, yet only then discovered his path to immortality, would he still have the indomitable spirit to pursue it relentlessly, or die trying?

Qin Sang felt doubtful.

Though he considered himself dedicated to the Dao, beside this elder, he felt insignificant!

Raising his cup with both hands, Qin Sang offered a toast to Wandering Man.

Even if they were strangers, he was a Daoist worthy of deep respect.