Gateway of Immortality-Chapter 322: The Burly Man

Qin Sang put on a mask.

The mask looked as if it was carved from a piece of aged tree bark, with extremely rough craftsmanship that was an eyesore. However, it was a middle-grade artifact with the sole ability to block both gazes and spiritual consciousness. If anyone attempted to spy on him, Qin Sang would immediately sense it.

Looking around at the people in front of the tall building, most were dressed similarly to Qin Sang. Some wore cloaks or masks, while others simply covered themselves with heavy robes, concealing their entire bodies tightly.

Even those who exposed their faces and walked around openly could not be fully trusted. In the world of immortal cultivation, artifacts or spells that could alter one’s appearance and disguise one’s features were not uncommon.

After all, Yinshan Stronghold only guaranteed absolute safety on the stone island.

Once the mask was on, Qin Sang seized an opportune moment, lowered his head slightly, and walked toward the entrance.

At the entrance stood several cultivators at the Qi Refining Realm. Despite their seemingly low cultivation level, none of the auction attendees dared to show any disrespect. They wore robes embroidered with a miniature version of Yinshan Stronghold, signifying their status as disciples under the city lord.

They were carefully inspecting the attendees’ tokens, and those without a token were not permitted entry.

Qin Sang's token was given to him by Manager Pu. He had not inquired about how to obtain the qualification, but it seemed that as long as one was a Foundation Building cultivator, it should not be too difficult.

After handing over his token to the guards and gaining entry approval, Qin Sang was about to step inside when, out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of a figure. His footsteps paused slightly, and an expression of surprise flashed beneath his mask.

"Young friend, could you take a look and tell me if this token is genuine?"

A burly cultivator, towering a full head above Qin Sang, was holding a token and asking the gatekeeping disciple with an urgent tone.

The token looked like a mere toy in his massive hand.

He wore a hooded artifact that shrouded his head with a faint swirl of black mist. Combined with his towering physique, he even managed to obscure the glow of the luminous pearls embedded in the building above. Qin Sang happened to be standing in his shadow.

Judging by the voice, he was indeed a male cultivator.

With such a robust build, it's unlikely that a woman could look like this, right?

Qin Sang took back his own token, subtly observing the burly man with his peripheral vision.

The man did not attempt to conceal his aura, making it clear that he was in the early stage of Foundation Building Realm. Of course, it was possible he was deliberately disguising his true strength.

Such an imposing, bear-like figure was quite rare among immortal cultivators. Fortunately, his robe seemed capable of adjusting to his size, or else it would have been torn apart.

For some reason, upon seeing this man, Qin Sang felt a vague sense of familiarity, which puzzled him.

He had encountered many Foundation Building cultivators before, but after recalling for a moment, he could not remember meeting someone like this. He wondered where this strange sense of familiarity came from.

"Senior, your token is genuine. Please proceed."

After inspecting the token, the gatekeeping disciple respectfully allowed the burly man to enter.

The burly man seemed to let out a sigh of relief, repeatedly thanking the disciple before hurrying inside.

Qin Sang walked in at a steady pace. Since he could not recall where he had seen the man before, he decided not to dwell on it.

It was possible that the man's physique was an illusion, or he might simply be a stranger who happened to resemble someone Qin Sang had met in the past.

Regardless of the reason, it was best not to act rashly in such a place; otherwise, it could easily be misinterpreted as having ill intentions.

Upon entering the hall, Qin Sang found no walls or corridors ahead—only a curtain-like darkness. He cautiously probed it with his spiritual consciousness and discovered that it was a void; anyone stepping into it seemed to vanish completely.

Without hesitation, Qin Sang proceeded forward. After taking only a few steps in the darkness, his vision suddenly cleared, and he found himself in front of a seat in the hall.

The hall was square-shaped, but like the entrance, it was surrounded by darkness without walls.

Directly in front of the seats stood a high platform. No one was on the platform yet, only ten young women dressed in Yinshan Stronghold's attire, standing respectfully on either side.

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As soon as Qin Sang appeared, a soft voice reached his ears. "Senior, please take a seat. The auction is about to begin. Allow me to introduce the rules of the event..."

Qin Sang was already familiar with the auction rules but did not interrupt the maiden. He listened to her clear, melodious voice while scanning the surroundings.

By this time, many people had already taken their seats in the hall, yet the atmosphere remained exceptionally quiet. Everyone patiently awaited the start of the auction.

Qin Sang quickly spotted the burly man in the corner.

The man was huddled in his seat, motionless, with his hands clasped into fists, veins bulging on the back of his hands. For some unknown reason, he appeared somewhat restless and uneasy.

That vague sense of familiarity had come suddenly and was still elusive. Qin Sang couldn't determine its source and assumed it must have been an illusion earlier.

Frowning slightly, Qin Sang let his gaze sweep past the man.

Just then, a streak of black light flashed before Qin Sang's eyes, and a cultivator landed right beside him.

The newcomer was startled upon seeing Qin Sang nearby and immediately assumed a defensive posture. However, after scanning the layout of the hall, he transmitted a message apologetically, "I was careless. Please forgive me, Daoist."

Qin Sang nodded and paid him no further attention, sitting down and pretending to rest.

As time passed, more and more people entered the hall.

As midnight approached, about seventy to eighty percent of the seats in the hall were occupied. The flow of people entering gradually slowed. After waiting for a while, a ripple suddenly emerged from the darkness behind the high platform.

All the cultivators in the hall immediately perked up and sat up straight. Moments later, a group of Yinshan Stronghold's guards, dressed in uniform attire, filed out in an orderly manner, splitting to both sides and taking positions at the four corners of the hall to maintain order.

Finally, a middle-aged cultivator with sword-like eyebrows and bright, starry eyes appeared, clad in a luxurious brocade robe.

He walked steadily up to the high platform, paused briefly, cupped his fists, and said in a powerful voice, "I am Gao Yi, the commander of Yinshan Stronghold's guards. I will be presiding over this auction. If there is any oversight, I ask for your understanding, fellow Daoists!"

As soon as Gao Yi finished speaking, the hall erupted with flattery and praise.

Qin Sang secretly observed Gao Yi. He had learned about him from Manager Pu and knew that Gao Yi was ranked as the top commander of Yinshan Stronghold. His cultivation was on par with Senior Brother Qi Yuanshou, a formidable expert at the Fake Core Realm.

Gao Yi was widely known for his ruthless nature, with an untold number of cultivators having perished at his hands.

Rumors circulated that he was the strongest person below the Core Formation Realm powerhouses in the Small Cold Domain.

For this auction, which only involved Foundation Building and Qi Refining cultivators, there was no need for a Golden Core cultivator to oversee it. Gao Yi alone was more than enough to keep everything under control—no one would dare cause trouble.

"The rules of the auction are already well known to all, so I won’t elaborate further..." Gao Yi said.

Suddenly, his expression darkened, and his tone became filled with murderous intent. "However, let me remind you—no matter what schemes you have in mind, it’s best to put them away! Otherwise, regardless of your background or status, Yinshan Stronghold will not hesitate to execute you!"

Under Gao Yi’s overwhelming aura, the hall fell into a sudden and chilling silence, filled with an oppressive atmosphere of impending violence.