The hundreds of experts from Fanzhou reacted immediately, regrouping with their respective factions in the shortest time possible.
Then, following their instincts, they retreated in various directions.
Naturally,
there were also those confident enough to act alone.
The group from the East Desolation,
the group from the North Sea,
the followers of Confucianism,
the Buddhists,
the Daoists,
each formed their own camps...
At this moment, they had only one goal: to break through and leave this godforsaken place.
Only Lu Yuan, Tu Sisi, the Twelve Demon Gods, and the three demon dragons remained where they were, looking up at the golden Sky Gate.
They were waiting for Xu Xian.
It wasn't just because they were worried about him; rather, they felt that only by following Xu Xian could they survive.
At the very least, he had to know some inside information beforehand. Otherwise, he wouldn't have gone to such great lengths to stage this grand spectacle of ascending to the Heavens.
In a short while,
the Dark Spirit Tide continued to close in from all directions, its roar growing louder. In the firmament, a figure stepped through the golden Sky Gate.
Xu Xian had arrived.
Unlike the others, he did not crash directly into the ground. Instead, he relied on his powerful physical intent to hover before the Sky Gate.
He looked down at the earth, releasing his Pupil of Insight.
From his perspective, he saw everything more clearly. The Dark Spirit Tide was continuous, blotting out the sky and covering the sun, seemingly endless.
It was even more terrifying than he had anticipated.
He didn't have time for second thoughts and called for the book spirit.
"Little Book."
"On it!"
The tiny book spirit understood immediately. A startling light flickered in its eyes as it sucked all the energy of the sword of Thunder Punishment into its belly, swallowing the nine layers of immortal lightning along with it.
A phantom of the Book Sword Immortal manifested abruptly.
However,
it was much smaller than what had been seen in the mortal realm. Even with the fifth Two-Character Sword and the empowerment of the Immortal Tribulation, the phantom was only about a hundred feet tall.
Xu Xian wasn't surprised.
Little Book wasn't surprised either.
The strength of laws,
the changes in the Heavenly Dao,
it was simply the way of things.
Without a moment's delay, it pulled a sword from the small book box. Imbued with thunder, it slashed toward the Sky Gate behind it.
"Roar—"
A dragon's howl echoed as thousands of thunderbolts whistled forth alongside the sword qi.
They struck the Sky Gate with full force.
A thunderous boom resounded.
The shockwave shook the universe!
The massive explosion unleashed a light that illuminated a thousand miles of the wasteland.
The roar was deafening, and the light was blinding.
Whether it was the Dark Spirit Tide or the people attempting to break through, everyone was involuntarily drawn to look up.
They saw the thunderous sword intent ravaging the high heavens. The majestic Sky Gate was actually being shattered by this single strike.
As the Sky Gate shattered in the Heavens, a ring of energy surged in all directions. The wind wailed, and the energy grew volatile.
Fragments of the collapsing Sky Gate, wreathed in thunder and burning with raging flames, crashed down from the firmament onto the wasteland...
It was as if a rain of falling stars and fire had begun.
The Sky Gate of the Heavens collapsed,
the Sky Gate of Fanzhou shattered,
and a hole was torn in the boundary wall. Mortal energy began to pour back into the Heavens...
The mortal realm was not the only place experiencing anomalies.
In the sky above Jianzhou, frequent disturbances were also occurring.
The youth rode his sword, weaving through the curtain of fire.
All who saw him were struck with awe.
...
In a castle tens of thousands of miles away, the King upon his throne watched this scene, a flicker of malevolence crossing his eyes.
The Sky Gate had been cut down.
A world hidden away,
and now its door was gone.
He was displeased by this.
However,
for a living soul who had just arrived in the Upper Realm to be able to shatter the Sky Gate was a rare feat. He was a good seedling.
He would surely be exceptionally delicious to consume.
"How interesting."
He raised his hand and pointed at the blood-red light curtain before him, specifically at Xu Xian within the wall of fire. "This one... I want him alive."
Below the throne, two subordinates bowed their heads in response.
"Understood!"
Then,
they transformed into two clouds of black mist and surged out of the castle, heading straight for the center of the explosion.
...
On the other side, the Twilight Emperor had escaped that prison in Fanzhou. The seals that had bound him were steadily weakening.
His cultivation was climbing at a speed unimaginable to ordinary people.
In one breath, he reached the great ascension stage.
In two breaths, he reached the tribulation transcendence stage.
The first stage of immortality, the second, the third... finally, he stopped at the peak of the third stage of immortality. With just a slight exertion of force, he snapped all the iron chains and stone pillars that had suppressed him for a million years.
Freed from his restraints,
he leaped out of the deep pit. As soon as he emerged, he saw the collapsing Sky Gate falling toward the world.
Naturally, he also saw Xu Xian moving through the curtain of fire.
He narrowed his eyes slightly, the corners of his mouth curling up instinctively. With great interest, he said, "Good lad. Using the Immortal Tribulation to shatter the Sky Gate... how very clever..."
Before long, three figures stood behind him.
They were his three former subordinates who had also returned from Fanzhou. Unlike when they were in Fanzhou, their cultivations had recovered significantly, and they had also entered the third stage of immortality.
They were slightly inferior to the Sovereign, but they were now able to manifest human forms.
At this moment,
rather than the shattered Sky Gate or the youth Xu Xian, their attention was focused more on this strange world, its unfamiliar laws, and the continuous surge of the Dark Spirit Tide.
"My Lord, what are those things?"
The Twilight Emperor's gaze did not shift from Xu Xian as he replied casually, "Just a pack of rats that can't stand the light."
They were not from Fanzhou; they were born in the Heavens and had once been famous during the Era of Primal Chaos. They had naturally heard of the Spirit-Devouring Tribe from the Boundary Sea.
Once their master spoke, they understood.
They had heard that these creatures were extremely troublesome. Ordinary members of the Spirit-Devouring Tribe liked to feed on living souls, while the stronger ones could consume entire stars.
One of them asked, "What shall we do?"
The Twilight Emperor said indifferently, "What else is there to do? Anyone who blocks me dies. I've been suppressed for a million years. This is a good chance to stretch my limbs."
Excitement flickered in the eyes of the three subordinates simultaneously.
There was no fear, only a thirst for battle.
A million years—for an entire million years, how could they not have been stifled?
They had long wanted to have a hearty, unrestrained battle.
"Do we kill Xu Xian first?"
The Twilight Emperor did not speak. He shifted his gaze from the firmament to the north.
There, in the gloom, a bright red bridal gown fluttered gently in the wind.
She had been there the whole time,
staring right at him.
Although she didn't move,
she looked just like the dark creatures within the spirit tide.
However, the Twilight Emperor's intuition told him that she was not simple. She was very dangerous.
Wary for a fleeting moment, he narrowed his eyes and pressed his brow, asking in return, "I said I would kill anyone who blocks me. Has he blocked me?"
"Uh..."
"It seems not..."
Ignoring the strange looks from the three, the Twilight Emperor walked boldly against the Dark Spirit Tide.
But he didn't forget to justify himself. "Regardless of anything else, that kid did help us escape. It wouldn't be right to kill him now. I don't do things like getting rid of someone once they've served their purpose. I, the Sovereign, a dignified Immortal Emperor who has roamed the Cangming, live by one thing: integrity."
One flattered, "Indeed."
One agreed sincerely, "Master is truly an exemplar for our kind."
One, being a bit of a nuisance, reminded him, "That's more than one thing."
The Sovereign glared at him.
He quickly shut his mouth.
The Sovereign looked at the spirit tide filling the world and sneered, "As for whether he can survive, that depends on the kid's own luck. If he dies just like this, he doesn't deserve to be my rival."
The three remained silent, but they cast glances toward the youth, their expressions filled with complex emotions.
To be called a rival by the Sovereign...
That was a high evaluation indeed.
The Sovereign truly appreciated this kid.
"Don't just stand there. Clear the way!"
"By your command!"
Rate on N.U.
