Gateway of Immortality-Chapter 320: Yinshan Stronghold

Yinshan Stronghold.

One of the seven strongholds, it was situated between Chungang City and Tianyou Stronghold.

The scenery of this city was a stark contrast to Xuanlu Stronghold.

This massive city stood at the heart of an endless expanse of swampland. Despite being located in the bitterly cold reaches of the extreme north, the swamp did not freeze. Instead, bubbles of mud continuously rose and burst, releasing warm steam into the air.

Beneath the swamp, there seemed to be a hot spring that flowed year-round.

The constant emission of heat blanketed the entire swamp in a dense fog, creating an eerie and shadowy atmosphere. Only by ascending to high altitudes could one catch a glimpse of sunlight.

Amid this harsh environment, many plants still managed to thrive in the swamp. However, most were bizarre in shape, and under the fog, the gnarled ancient trees appeared as if they were malevolent spirits with clawed limbs reaching out.

The walls of Yinshan Stronghold were built entirely from such peculiar ancient trees. These towering trees were dark green and black, their smallest trunks as thick as several dozen people encircling them hand in hand—a truly astonishing sight.

These ancient trees, packed tightly together, seemed long dead. Their forms had become as solid as iron and stone.

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The defenses of Yinshan Stronghold were not overly stringent. Qin Sang climbed onto the city wall, paid the required spirit stones to the guards, and received a waist token, which granted him unrestricted entry and exit until its runes expired.

Overlooking the entirety of Yinshan Stronghold, Qin Sang couldn't help but feel a trace of amazement.

This was a city built atop treetops.

It was said that many cultivators in Yinshan Stronghold established their cave dwellings within the hollows of the trees. Evidently, this was no exaggeration.

Yinshan Stronghold was teeming with people, exuding a bustling and vibrant energy that far surpassed that of Xuanlu Stronghold. The more relaxed environment here had fostered a unique kind of prosperity.

The attire of the cultivators varied wildly, creating a chaotic scene akin to a dance of demons.

Within the stronghold, a Spiritual Infant Realm city lord maintained order. Regardless of their allegiance—whether to righteous or demonic paths—no one dared to act recklessly. Even when disputes arose, they had no choice but to settle them outside the city walls. As a result, the city itself maintained an oddly harmonious atmosphere.

Qin Sang landed on a network of densely intertwined branches that formed the ground. Looking down, he could clearly see the bubbling black mud in the swamp below, which was nauseating to behold. Surprisingly, however, there was no foul odor.

Moreover, the heat from underground could not penetrate the stronghold. Under the bright sunlight, the city was bathed in light.

He stomped lightly, and the tree network glowed faintly with the light of a barrier, proving its stability.

Glancing around, Qin Sang quickly blended into the crowd. After navigating a few streets, he stopped in front of a three-story wooden building.

The wooden building was perched on the branches of a large tree, supported by only two relatively thin boughs. However, Qin Sang could tell that the branches weren’t bearing the building’s weight. Instead, the structure was supported by a floating barrier.

Seemingly designed to match the tree's shape, the wooden building appeared crooked and uneven, yet it clung closely to the tree’s trunk, creating an oddly harmonious aesthetic.

Such wooden buildings were common in Yinshan Stronghold. At only three stories high, this one was relatively understated compared to the others.

Its name was equally unassuming: Spirit Pill Pavilion.

Little did most people know, this Spirit Pill Pavilion was actually a branch of the renowned Taiyi Core Pavilion.

Although Shaohua Mountain also owned businesses in Yinshan Stronghold, its presence wasn’t as deep-rooted as Taiyi Core Pavilion. To gather information about the upcoming auction, Qin Sang knew he had to approach Taiyi Core Pavilion. With the token from Manager Liu in hand, he headed straight to the pavilion.

"Daoist Qin, please, come in!"

Upon presenting the token and confirming his identity, Qin Sang was warmly invited into a private room by the pavilion’s manager.

"This humble shop must be a disappointment to Daoist Qin," apologized the manager surnamed Pu. His cultivation level was similar to that of Manager Liu, though his presence here was not due to the limits of his lifespan. Rather, he had willingly taken charge of the business at Yinshan Stronghold.

From Manager Pu’s explanation, Qin Sang learned that most of the businesses in Yinshan Stronghold were under the control of the city lord.

The city lord of Yinshan Stronghold had many cultivators under their command, maintaining an orderly structure that resembled a powerful, independent faction. However, they had not formally established a sect or openly declared their influence.

The Taiyi Core Pavilion dared not compete with the City Lord in Yinshan Stronghold. Thus, they only maintained a single storefront in the city, catering exclusively to cultivators at the Foundation Building Realm and above. With the reputation of the Taiyi Core Sect, there was no need for extravagant displays to draw attention.

Due to its unique business operations, Taiyi Core Pavilion maintained close relations with the high-ranking officials of Yinshan Stronghold. Leveraging this goodwill, they were able to gather some information.

Unfortunately, regarding the upcoming auction, details remained scarce. Nearly a year had passed, and no new information had surfaced.

"Ten days from now, the auction will begin," Manager Pu said kindly, "I will arrange a private room for you to cultivate in peace, where no one will disturb you."

Qin Sang shook his head in refusal. With only ten days left, he saw no urgency in cultivating. "To be frank, Manager Pu, I only learned about the Yinshan Stronghold's auction from Manager Liu and know little about it. May I trouble you to explain the rules and anything that I should be aware of?"

"No problem at all," Manager Pu replied.

He ordered someone to serve tea and sipped on the tea as he began his detailed explanation.

"The Yinshan Stronghold's auction isn’t held within the city. Instead, it takes place about a hundred li north of here, on a stone island. Outside the island is an array, but it only serves to repel Cloud Beasts and poses no danger to cultivators. As long as you’re at the tenth stage of the Qi Refining Realm, you can easily reach the stone island."

"Within the stone island and its array, fighting is strictly prohibited. All transactions must be entirely voluntary on both sides."

"It’s said that a cultivator at the Core Formation Realm once tried to rob others by force, relying on their superior strength. The next day, their corpse was hung on a stone pillar at the center of the island. Even the sect backing this cultivator didn’t dare utter a single word of protest."

"Besides hosting the auction, the stone island also serves as a trading hub for cultivators, functioning like a small-scale marketplace. It only opens for one month each time."

"This trading event isn’t simple. Many individuals wanted by major factions often make appearances there. However, regardless of their affiliations—righteous or demonic—they all respect the city lord of Yinshan Stronghold. At the very least, no one openly interferes with the operation of the market.

"Thanks to the allure of the auction, the stone island always attracts many cultivators."

"If Daoist Qin is interested, you might as well explore the island. You might find some rare treasures," Manager Pu said with a meaningful look.

Hearing this, Qin Sang fell into contemplation. The auction being held outside the city rather than within was likely a result of compromises and power struggles between the city lord and various factions.

From Manager Pu’s tone, it seemed the trading event was likely to feature many illicit items—goods too sensitive to appear at the auction and only available through private dealings.

It was indeed worth investigating.

After killing Yu Dayue and his companions, Qin Sang had obtained considerable spoils. Coupled with what he had gained from Di Que, he now possessed over 10,000 low-grade spirit stones, making him exceptionally wealthy among cultivators at the Foundation Building Realm.

A high-quality top-grade artifact, for example, would typically cost no more than 3,000 spirit stones through regular channels.

Unless it was an invaluable item like a talisman astra, thousand-year-old spiritual herbs, or Soul-Guiding Grass, most treasures could be purchased without issue.