novelsky Chapter 856.12: The Escape Route Cut Off
Chapter 856.12: The Escape Route Cut Off
..."Why has he been staring at that bronze door for so long?"
Only after Chen Huaian and the others had completely disappeared into the shadows within the door did Bi Yue Wu mutter to himself, finally voicing the question that had lingered in his mind for a long time.
"You mean there might be something on that bronze door that only he can see?" Tu Fu Xing narrowed his eyes, his expression turning grave.
If that were truly the case, then things just got interesting.
Moreover, this Ascender possessed an extremely potent Sword Intent. He had never before seen an Ascender who had reached such heights in the Sword Path, and the other's strength even surpassed that of the current Hua Jin the True One. He even suspected that the Demon Sealing Pagoda might have been severed by a single sword stroke from Chen Huaian.
"I do have that suspicion, but perhaps I'm overthinking it."
Bi Yue Wu let out a cold laugh. "A mere insignificant mortal, what right does he have to see things that even we cannot? No matter how talented, the difference between him and us Immortals is still like that between clouds and mud."
"True enough," Tu Fu Xing nodded deeply in agreement.
Having experienced countless cycles of reincarnation, how could they not know the level of these mortal Ascenders? Even their greatest enemy in each cycle—the Dragon Soul inheritor—was nothing more than a bug to be casually crushed by the lords of the Celestial God Clan.
Their role as these Immortals was to play their parts well as pieces on the Go board. When those lords told them to go east, they absolutely could not go west.
Bi Yue Wu and Tu Fu Xing did not notice that behind them, Hua Jin the True One, who had been so reverent and respectful before them, now held a sliver of bone-chilling hatred deep within her eyes.
In the past, Hua Jin the True One held only reverence for the Immortals of the Upper Realm.
Even if these Immortals ordered her to die, she would have considered it a worthy death.
When Tu Fu Xing and Bi Yue Wu first descended, she still held that belief.
Until...
Bi Yue Wu and Tu Fu Xing insisted on forcing Wang Shouyi to enter the dangerous Nine Heavens Refining Profound Array.
Everything changed.
The fear of possibly losing her beloved almost consumed Hua Jin the True One, aching like a missing piece of her heart, and this pain transformed into a fiery hatred that coiled in her heart and buried itself deep within her gaze.
She didn't understand.
Wang Shouyi had only just entered the Unity Realm. Even if he went in, he would only hold Chen Huaian and the others back. Bi Yue Wu and Tu Fu Xing absolutely knew this. Why were they so insistent on forcing Wang Shouyi to enter? Was it simply because his life was so insignificant in their eyes?
Yet, the life deemed insignificant by Bi Yue Wu and Tu Fu Xing was more important to her than all the gods and buddhas in the heavens.
At this moment, Hua Jin the True One clenched her teeth, biting her lip hard.
She felt the gap between Immortal and mortal with profound intensity.
Not being an Immortal, she didn't even have the right to speak.
If she were also an Immortal, would Bi Yue Wu and Tu Fu Xing at least give her some face?
"Hua Jin the True One, that Chen Huaian claims to be an elder of your Kunlun Immortal Palace. How much do you know about him? Tell us."
Bi Yue Wu's sudden question caused the Killing Intent in Hua Jin the True One's eyes to recede slightly.
She remained silent for a few seconds before replying indifferently, "Reporting to the Immortals, Elder Chen has been a member of the Kunlun Immortal Palace for many years and is one of my trusted confidants. His talent is extremely high. Although he wasn't seen in the previous few cycles, with the help of the Ascension Pillar, his cultivation speed has been incredibly fast. He is now the most important combatant under my command."
Upon hearing Hua Jin the True One mention the Ascension Pillar, the trace of vigilance in the eyes of Bi Yue Wu and Tu Fu Xing immediately vanished, replaced by deeper scorn and contempt.
Once an Ascender used the Ascension Pillar, they were completely under the control of the lords of the Celestial God Clan.
No matter how talented Chen Huaian was, what could he do?
Even if he were fortunate enough to become an Immortal in the future, he would just be a servant like them.
Time passed minute by minute.
Bi Yue Wu, who had been silently staring at the Array Disk, suddenly spoke up. "Let's go, follow them in. The path ahead has been scouted enough. We shouldn't encounter any danger going in now."
A flash of greed passed through his eyes. "The Nine Heavens Refining Profound Array...
It is said to be a Great Formation arranged by the lords of the Celestial God Clan, using heaven and earth as its foundation, with nine Wells of Heaven as its Formation Cores, refining the heavens and earth to suppress everything!
Even the Great Emperor might not have explored inside.
If there truly is some Immortal fate inside, it would be our good fortune!"
Tu Fu Xing was swayed by Bi Yue Wu's words, gazing at the darkness within the bronze door with restless eagerness.
"Hua Jin the True One, there's no need for you to enter. Guard the outside."
Bi Yue Wu turned his head and gave Hua Jin a cold look before adding, "By the way, the Great Emperor orders you to promptly hand over the four pieces of premium Celestial Jade Marrow.
This cycle, as the representative of Lingxiao Palace in the Lower Realm, you only managed to obtain four pieces of high-grade Celestial Essence. The various immortals of Lingxiao are very disappointed in you!
Later... be prepared to accept punishment!"
"That's because the variable disrupted everything!" Hua Jin the True One argued urgently. "I still managed to get four pieces despite everything. Didn't the demon domain and the Buddhist Kingdom get none at all?"
"That is your problem," Bi Yue Wu evaded the question. "Telling me is useless. As for what the variable is and how to deal with it, the Great Emperor will have his instructions in due time!"
With that, he paid no more attention to Hua Jin the True One, whose face was shifting between dark and pale.
He only took Tu Fu Xing with him as they stepped into the bronze door.
...
At the same time.
Inside the bronze door.
Chen Huaian and the others stood on a vast, empty plaza, wide-eyed and speechless.
They had been teleported here by an inexplicable force.
Initially, inside the bronze door, there was only an expanse of darkness, with no end in sight in any direction. To avoid accidents, Chen Huaian suggested they stick together as they moved, also to protect the weakest among them, Wang Shouyi.
However, an accident still occurred.
After a dizzying sensation of the world spinning, they found themselves on this plaza.
The good news was that no one was separated, and that ink-like darkness was gone.
The bad news was that they had no way back.
"Hiss—! This... what kind of place is this?"
Even the well-traveled Zhang Yibai couldn't help but exclaim in astonishment.
Above their heads was not the usual sky, day or night, but a chaotic, turbid firmament, as if the heavens had not yet fully opened.
There were no sun, moon, or stars, only gray-yellow currents churning like thick soup, resembling the embryonic membrane at the dawn of creation, pressing down heavily from above, exuding a suffocating aura of deathly stillness and primordial antiquity.
And this White Jade plaza beneath their feet was merely the starting point of this realm.
Ahead of the plaza, countless massive floating mountains broke free from the shackles of gravity, winding upward in a spiral shape like a celestial staircase leading to the heavenly court, suspended proudly in the void.
On each floating peak stood a palace.
On the lowest peaks, the palaces were still ancient, dilapidated, bearing the weathering marks of time. But the higher one looked, the more magnificent and splendid the palaces became.
By the middle section, they were already Jade Palaces and Towers, with glazed tiles refracting cold, sharp glimmers under the chaotic dim light. One could even vaguely see the illusory forms of Immortal Cranes circling and auspicious energy cascading down in thousands of strands.
And everyone's gaze followed the spiral of peaks all the way to the highest point—
There, an imposing divine palace, so vast it occupied nearly half their field of vision, loomed indistinctly, tightly enveloped by massive, funnel-shaped black tribulation clouds that filled the sky.
The center of those tribulation clouds was like a single, greedy eye opened by the heavens, staring intently downward.
Countless violet-gold lightning bolts, like frenzied flood dragons, rampantly swam and tore through that "funnel." The thunderous roars, though separated by tens of thousands of zhang, still shook everyone, causing their blood and qi to churn.
"This... this couldn't be the Upper Realm, could it? Lingxiao Palace?!" Wang Shouyi swallowed hard, his face pale.
Under the immense pressure of this vast heaven and earth, he felt as insignificant as an ant.
Based on his understanding, only the dwelling places of Upper Realm Immortals could be like this.
Chen Huaian did not speak. His gaze withdrew from the unreachable clouds above and settled on the only path before them.
It was an iron chain bridge spanning the void, connecting the plaza to the first floating peak.
The bridge had no decking, consisting only of nine thick, black iron chains as wide as water vats, emitting a grating, teeth-gnashing sound as they rubbed against the fierce winds.
Below was a bottomless, chaotic abyss. A single glance made one feel their Divine Soul was about to be sucked in.
And at both ends of the iron chain bridge stood two colossal bronze statues, each a full ten zhang tall.
These two giant statues wore heavy armor and held long, rust-covered, decorative-bladed axes. Their mottled bronze surfaces were carved with obscure, difficult-to-understand runes.
They were not lifeless and dull. Their slightly lowered heads formed an absolute posture of looking down.
Though their hollow eye sockets held no eyeballs, they radiated an almost tangible, icy Killing Intent.
The feeling was like two Door Gods, slumbering for millennia, coldly scrutinizing every mortal being who dared to set foot in this forbidden land.
Now, with no retreat, there was only the path forward.
However...
Chen Huaian rested his hand on the hilt at his waist, his eyes narrowing slightly.
Although the two bronze statues hadn't moved, his keen Sword Heart had already sensed a heavy, mountain-like pressure firmly locking onto each and every one of them.
"Wanting to ascend the mountain... probably won't be that easy either..."
...