Gateway of Immortality
Chapter 414: In the Blink of an Instant

Chapter 414: In the Blink of an Instant

After settling Ning Youwei and his mother, Qin Sang set off alone for Endless Valley. The items in his Qingyang Market shop were not of high value, so he had no worries that Ning Youwei’s family might abscond with the funds.

Although his ebony sword had already transformed into a sword embryo and was unusable, Qin Sang still possessed plenty of protective artifacts.

Having acquired a new map, he spent most of his time on the second zone of Endless Valley—an area scarcely frequented—seeking out troublesome demonic beasts.

Being cautious by nature, he gradually adapted to the life of trial within Endless Valley, which was not much different from that of the Ancient Immortal Battlefield.

After a period of rigorous training or once he had gathered enough spiritual materials, he would return to Qingyang Market to devote himself to cultivation and to study the art of artifact refinement, further comprehending the teachings of the jade slip.

Ultimately, he applied these insights to the ebony sword with remarkable effect, greatly reducing the time it took for the ebony sword to consume its target and even strengthening the bond between them.

Although this new method somewhat affected his cultivation, the rewards were far greater.

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In the blink of an eye, the Sword Pavilion had been in operation for thirteen years and had, surprisingly, earned a modest reputation in Qingyang Market.

At first, the little shop was very unremarkable—its shelves were filled with low‐grade artifacts and the staff was rather laconic, serving mostly immortal cultivators below the sixth stage of the Qi Refining Realm.

Because of its fair prices, a few regular customers had taken notice.

As Qin Sang’s mastery of artifact refinement deepened, the quality of the artifacts on the shelves gradually improved while the variety dwindled until the vast majority were various kinds of spiritual swords.

The spiritual swords filled the shop like a forest, truly befitting the name "Sword Pavilion."

In time, the uniquely distinctive Sword Pavilion in the market gradually gained renown, attracting numerous cultivators.

Many immortal cultivators who visited Qingyang Market would make a detour to Sword Pavilion to browse for new swords, even though the items had not yet reached the point of being hot commodities, they still sold without difficulty.

Indeed, when Qin Sang attempted to incorporate Cold Gold into the refinement of spiritual swords to enhance their quality, demand soon began to outstrip supply.

By that time, it had been the thirteenth year of his stay in Qingyang Market. For thirteen continuous years, he had never ceased learning artifact refinement—regularly producing large batches of low-grade artifacts for practice and even achieving a fair success rate in refining high-grade ones. The shop gradually turned profitable, though it earned him only a modest number of spirit stones.

Fortunately, having acquired Yu Hua’s Mustard Seed Pouch, Qin Sang’s financial reserves were more than ample to sustain him for so long.

However, when he began attempting to refine top-grade artifacts, he encountered a bottleneck.

A series of consecutive failures imposed such steep costs that Qin Sang could scarcely bear them.

The Stone Fire generated by his spiritual array was no longer sufficient to support the refinement of top-grade artifacts; he had to pay exorbitant fees to rent an underground fire vein within the market.

Not every fire vein was suitable for artifact or pill refinement—it was necessary to select one where the flame was stable and then reinforce it with various spiritual array barriers.

Relying solely on his own strength, it was extremely difficult to locate a proper spot, and the expense in spirit stones was high.

What hurt him even more was that every failure wasted a vast amount of precious spiritual materials.

After reflecting on these painful setbacks, Qin Sang realized that he could not continue so recklessly; he did not have infinite resources to squander. After much contemplation, he decided to adopt an indirect strategy: first refine high-grade artifacts and then supplement them with various precious spiritual materials to enhance the quality of his spiritual swords. This approach would be somewhat less challenging. Once he could produce a spiritual sword comparable to top-grade artifacts—and after he had accumulated sufficient experience—he would attempt a direct refinement once more.

All these insights were gleaned from the ancestral techniques of the Wu Family.

For generations, the Wu Family had meticulously studied the art of artifact refinement. Limited by innate talent and with few ever breaking through to the Foundation Building Realm, they had resorted to this method to elevate their refinement skills.

Qin Sang turned his attention to that piece of Cold Gold.

Refined from the motherlode, Cold Gold was one of the best spiritual materials in his possession, and it would be a waste to use it on low-quality artifacts.

For the sake of his ebony sword, he spared no thought for such frugality.

Even so, it took several failures before he gradually mastered the properties of Cold Gold.

Incorporating Cold Gold into an artifact not only imparted an extreme cold characteristic but also significantly increased its durability. With the same type of artifact, the addition of Cold Gold immediately set it apart from others.

When someone managed to procure an artifact laced with Cold Gold from Sword Pavilion, word spread quickly. The reputation of Sword Pavilion soared as customers began to flock in. More and more people took notice of Sword Pavilion, including various influential groups and business associations.

A little inquiry into the changes in the artifacts sold over the years made it evident that the owner of Sword Pavilion was very likely an artifact refinement master. To have achieved such prowess in just over a decade, one must either possess exceptional talent or hail from a prestigious lineage.

Some business associations even tried to recruit the elusive owner of Sword Pavilion, but few had ever seen his true face. They could only leave messages with the staff, and none of their overtures ever succeeded.

Even those who did encounter Qin Sang were politely rebuffed.

Qin Sang realized that he had pushed things too far. He had been concealing his true origins under the guise of an artifact refinement master, not wishing to attract the attention of powerful factions that might introduce unforeseen complications.

Just then, Ning Youwei proposed that they purchase artifacts from elsewhere—buying low and selling high, or even engaging in other businesses—to keep the shop running smoothly.

By that time, Ning Youwei had become a forty-year-old middle-aged man with a neatly trimmed goatee.

His cultivation had remained stuck at the fourth stage of the Qi Refining Realm, and he had long since abandoned any ambition for immortal cultivation. Instead, he had chosen to marry, have children, and care for his ailing mother, leading a quiet life no different from that of ordinary mortals in the market.

Qin Sang had only refined a batch of artifacts upon returning from his trials, and since the shop’s business was so brisk it would soon be completely swept away—leaving it shuttered for the remainder of the time—Ning Youwei’s suggestion made perfect sense.

For over a decade, Ning Youwei had served Qin Sang diligently, handling every task with a mature, faultless precision.

Qin Sang cared little about the shop itself and had planned to hand it over to Ning Youwei as a token of gratitude for his years of loyal service before departing on his own path.

In the subsequent years, Qin Sang rarely refined low-grade spiritual swords and instead devoted himself entirely to meditating on the jade slip’s teachings.

The high-quality spiritual swords he produced were no longer sold at Sword Pavilion; rather, they were entrusted to a few well-connected and enthusiastic business associations, while he himself remained hidden behind the scenes.

With power firmly in his hands, Ning Youwei began to make decisions independently, making several adjustments until the business stabilized.

The only sorrow came from the loyal customers who, having frequented the shop in its early days, grew discontent when they could no longer see any spiritual swords on display. Disappointed, they speculated that the artifact refinement master behind the shop had perhaps left the market to roam the world.

The former splendor of Sword Pavilion had faded like a fleeting blossom—it had shone brilliantly for only a few short years before blending into obscurity, much to the regret of many.

As Qin Sang’s mastery deepened, he eventually managed to refine a top-grade artifact!

Although his success rate remained low, the rewards were enormous, and at last, he could comprehend the teachings of the Golden Core cultivator from Xuling Sect inscribed in the jade slip.

In the twenty-first year after arriving at Qingyang Market, his ebony sword successfully devoured the Infinite Blood Mulberry Wood!

Shortly thereafter, Qin Sang refined the Blood Dripping Ghost Mushroom and that bottle of Qi-Gathering Pill; the third killing symbol took shape, his cultivation advanced smoothly, and he successfully entered the late stage of the Foundation Building Realm!

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