Chapter 496: Kongxuzi, who possesses the ethereal realm

The crisp sound of a wine glass shattering gently echoed through the inn, drawing the attention of a few cultivators at a nearby table.

Lin Che raised his hand to wipe away the ceramic shards clinging to his fingertips, his expression returning to calm, though the doubt in the depths of his eyes grew thicker.

He could clearly feel that from the moment he stepped onto the Immortal Gang Continent, the spiritual energy within him subtly resonated with this world in a strange way.

Especially the reincarnation mirror, though stored in his storage ring, was still slowly emitting faint fluctuations, as if responding to some unknown existence.

“Fellow Daoist, have you encountered some trouble?”

A cultivator in a blue robe from the next table walked over, holding a wine glass. This person had a lean face, a jade pendant engraved with the words “Yun Xu” hanging from his waist, and his spiritual energy was gentle and restrained. He was actually a powerful Sky Profound late-stage cultivator.

At this time, Lin Che had already concealed his cultivation, so the other party naturally did not know that Lin Che had already reached the Void Tribulation Realm.

Lin Che looked up at the other party, not letting down his guard, and said indifferently, “I’m just new here, and I have a few confusions.”

The blue-robed cultivator smiled, sat down opposite him without being asked, and pushed a cup of hot tea toward Lin Che: “I am Yun Xuzi, and I often travel through the Seventy-Two Continents.”

“Judging by your aura, Fellow Daoist, you don’t seem like a native cultivator of the Immortal Gang Continent. You must have just arrived from another star domain?”

“How can you tell?”

Lin Che picked up the hot tea, feeling the warmth of the cup against his fingertips, and asked calmly.

“Cultivators of the Immortal Gang Continent have a trace of Immortal Gang Qi mixed in their spiritual energy. This is a unique aura of this world, and it is difficult for foreign cultivators to integrate it in a short time.”

Yun Xuzi pointed to his nose and said calmly, “Fellow Daoist’s spiritual energy is pure, but there is not a trace of Immortal Gang Qi. Coupled with your earlier inquiries about the Immortal Ancestor and the Nine Immortal Gates, it’s not hard to guess.”

Lin Che’s heart stirred. This person seemed casual but was extremely observant. Perhaps he could glean more useful information from him.

No longer hiding it, he nodded slightly and said, “I am Lin Che, indeed new to the Immortal Gang Continent. I heard that the Nine Immortal Gates are extremely perilous. Could Fellow Daoist Yun Xu elaborate?”

Upon hearing this, Yun Xuzi’s smile faded a bit, and he lowered his voice, “Fellow Daoist, are you perhaps thinking of challenging the Nine Immortal Gates to meet the Immortal Ancestor?”

Seeing Lin Che’s silent affirmation, he couldn’t help but shake his head and sigh, “Forgive my bluntness, Fellow Daoist, although you have reached Sky Profound early-stage, the dangers of the Nine Immortal Gates far exceed your imagination.”

“They are not just tests of cultivation, but also concern one’s spirit, Dao heart, and destiny.”

“I’d like to hear more.”

Lin Che leaned forward slightly, his expression still calm and devoid of any emotion, wanting to see what this Yun Xuzi had to say.

“The Nine Immortal Gates are located on the outskirts of the Immortal Clan’s ancestral land, personally set up by the Immortal Ancestor. Each gate corresponds to a trial.”

Yun Xuzi took a sip of wine and slowly said, “The first gate is called the Dao Inquiry Gate, which tests a cultivator’s understanding of their own Dao path. If one’s Dao heart is not firm, it’s easy to fall into self-doubt, ultimately leading to the collapse of one’s Dao foundation.”

“The second gate is the Emotion Severing Gate, where one must sever one’s obsessions; family ties, friendships, and love are all included. That year, an Immortal Clan genius, unable to let go of his beloved, ended his cultivation path at this gate.”

“The third gate is the Illusion Spirit Array you just heard about. The illusions within the array are endless and can evoke the deepest fears in one’s heart. A slight misstep can lead to the destruction of one’s spirit.”

At this point, Yun Xuzi paused, a trace of lingering fear flashing in his eyes: “Even more terrifying are the latter six gates. Although I have never witnessed them personally, I heard that the fourth gate, the Thunder Array, is filled with Nine Heavens Divine Thunder.”

“As for the last three gates, even fewer people know the details. It is said that since the birth of the Immortal Gang Continent, fewer than ten cultivators have managed to pass through the Nine Immortal Gates.”

Lin Che remained silent. Yun Xuzi’s words confirmed the waiter’s statement; the dangers of the Nine Immortal Gates far exceeded his expectations.

However, Senior Xuan Feng’s entrustment could not be disregarded, and the secret of the reincarnation mirror also needed to be unveiled. He had no way out.

“Fellow Daoist, do you know why you wish to see the Immortal Ancestor?” Yun Xuzi suddenly asked, a hint of inquiry in his eyes.

Lin Che pondered for a moment and vaguely said, “I was entrusted by a senior to deliver a message to the Immortal Ancestor.”

Yun Xuzi nodded understandingly, not pressing for details, only reminding him, “If Fellow Daoist insists on challenging them, you must first make thorough preparations in Yunzhou City, and you also need to integrate the Immortal Gang Qi.”

“Integrate the Immortal Gang Qi?”

Lin Che raised an eyebrow. He had not heard of this before, and it was the first time he had heard that such a thing was needed.

“Precisely.”

Yun Xuzi explained, “The spiritual energy of the Immortal Gang Continent contains Immortal Gang Qi. Although it can nourish cultivators, it is also extremely overbearing.”

“If foreign cultivators do not integrate it, not only will their cultivation be difficult to advance, but their spiritual energy will also be greatly weakened when engaging in combat with native cultivators or entering special places like the Immortal Gates.”

“The method of integration is not complicated; one only needs to stay on the Immortal Gang Continent for a period, circulate cultivation techniques to absorb the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, and slowly refine the Immortal Gang Qi within it. However, the speed of the process varies from person to person.”

Listening to Yun Xuzi’s words, Lin Che also remained silent. No wonder he always felt his spiritual energy circulation was a bit sluggish after entering Yunzhou City. So that was the reason.

“Thank you for the reminder, Fellow Daoist. Do you know of any good places in Yunzhou City that sell healing elixirs or protective magic treasures?”

“The Treasure Gathering Pavilion in the east of the city is the largest business in Yunzhou City; it has everything, but the prices are steep.”

Yun Xuzi pointed to the street outside the inn and said with a smile, “However, if Fellow Daoist wants to find treasures with a good price-performance ratio, you can go to the black market in the west of the city. Cultivators often sell strange items obtained from their adventures there, but it’s a mixed bag, so you need to be extra careful.”

The two chatted for a while longer. Yun Xuzi introduced Lin Che to various common knowledge of the Immortal Gang Continent, including the distribution of the Immortal Clan’s Seventy-Two Continents, the power divisions of the Ancient Clan’s Thirty-Six Prefectures, and the recent frictions between the two clans.

After bidding farewell to Yun Xuzi, Lin Che returned to his room. At the same time, he sat cross-legged on a futon and began to absorb the spiritual energy of heaven and earth by circulating his cultivation technique.

In addition to the pure spiritual energy, the air also contained a trace of golden airflow, which was the Immortal Gang Qi Yun Xuzi had mentioned.

This airflow was extremely overbearing. As soon as it entered his body, it surged everywhere. Lin Che circulated his internal spiritual energy to carefully envelop it, slowly refining it.

Time quietly passed, and three days went by in a flash.

During these three days, Lin Che spent his time refining the Immortal Gang Qi and going to the Treasure Gathering Pavilion to purchase necessary items. The rest of the time, he was in the black market looking for magic treasures to enhance his strength.

While browsing the black market, Lin Che was suddenly drawn to a bronze compass at a stall.

The compass was ancient and unadorned, covered with dense runes, emitting faint fluctuations. The stall owner was a one-eyed cultivator, leaning lazily against the wall.

“Fellow Daoist, interested in this compass?”