Huang stepped in and vanished behind that door!
The ground was abuzz with chaotic murmurs and discussions.
Could there truly be such an ancient path? Many were both shocked and skeptical. Even at the last moment, Huang defied the heavens, discovering a mysterious passage.
Some eyes burned with fervor as they gazed at the celestial river and the unsealed portal above.
The River of Supreme Yin surged, black mist churning like a demonic realm. The River of Supreme Yang roared, its golden solar essence boiling, radiant and sacred, scorching the heavens until they seemed on the verge of melting.
“I’ve heard the Lower Eight Realms are shrouded in mystery. Most of the Ten Calamities once roamed there, harboring secrets of cosmic significance!”
“Indeed, rumors have long persisted that the Eight Realms’ prison conceals something earth-shattering.”
Some stared at the portal with blazing eyes.
“A rare opportunity! Does anyone dare take this path to the lower realms?” someone suddenly whispered.
Many were already restless, recalling legends and eager to seize this chance to descend. They suspected Huang had a purpose for rushing back from the Nine Heavens—why else would a prodigy like him confine himself to such desolation?
To them, Huang’s rise to prominence must have stemmed from something he obtained in the lower realms, where terrifying secrets lay hidden.
Of course, this was mere speculation, driving some to risk the descent.
When elders of major sects entertained such thoughts, matters grew simpler. They dispatched loyal disciples to test the path, believing no harm could come from the attempt.
Soon, young talents and renowned seniors alike took flight, racing toward the convergence of the two rivers, where wisps of chaotic mist still lingered around the faintly visible portal.
“Ah—!”
But when a bloodcurdling scream echoed, every heart clenched in dread.
Then, a bone-chilling horror washed over the crowd, turning faces pale with terror.
Some shrieked at the sight before them.
Moments earlier, dozens had charged forward, fearing to lag behind. Yet only one managed a scream—the rest perished without a sound.
All witnessed their bodies exploding into crimson mist, leaving no trace of bone or spirit. Dozens of experts annihilated in an instant.
Behind them, hundreds trembled, halting mid-step before frantically retreating. The scene was too horrifying to bear.
“Why?!” some cried in bewilderment.
Not long ago, Huang had stepped through calmly, unharmed. Yet for them, the portal meant instant death.
“Fizz!”
A sect master below hurled a magical artifact to probe the portal’s dangers.
Crack!
The artifact shattered into dust upon entry, a powerful treasure obliterated effortlessly.
Silence fell. Fear gripped all, driving them back involuntarily.
Those nearest the portal in the sky turned ashen, fleeing in terror. To them, that door led to hell itself—a soul-devouring abyss.
Others, stubbornly skeptical, tried various means, only to fail.
Now, all fell silent. Just how formidable was Huang? He had walked through unscathed, while any who followed met gruesome ends.
The disparity was staggering.
With a thunderous roar, the two rivers churned. The chaotic mist dissipated, and the portal vanished entirely.
Even the ruins in the void blurred before disappearing completely.
Not only was entry impossible—they couldn’t even manifest the path again.
The realization struck: this road belonged to Huang alone. Only he could withstand its annihilating power.
Days later, the elder from Immortal Palace arrived—a supreme being. He summoned the celestial rivers and the faint outline of the portal but hesitated to enter.
When word spread, all understood: that path was Huang’s alone. Even the Immortal Palace elder feared it.
The trial demanded surpassing one’s limits beyond all reason.
In truth, Shi Hao’s journey wasn’t as effortless as imagined. But with prior experience, he remained composed.
Still, progress was arduous. Step by step, he advanced, until blood trickled from his lips.
Miles later, the path stretched endlessly, its destination unclear.
Stone steps wound through the void—did they truly lead to the lower realms?
Around him, chaos swirled, punctuated by roars resembling ancient beasts. Yet Shi Hao recognized them as collisions of primal laws, their intertwined orders lethal to even him.
He pressed on, observing rules manifesting like molten iron bars—blinding and deadly.
The stone beneath his feet felt real, not conjured. Someone had paved this road.
Deja vu struck—once, with Sanzang and Shenming, he’d glimpsed a cobbled path in a lightning abyss while returning from Immortal Domain.
“Eight Realms… a barren prison?” Wiping blood, Shi Hao pondered under crushing pressure.
Time blurred as he descended. The path sloped downward, as if bridging heaven and earth.
One day? Two? Perhaps three—perception failed in this distorted spacetime.
His body suffered, battered by forces that would obliterate others. Yet he endured, coughing blood but never faltering.
A mysterious field sought to crush him. Each step felt like dragging stars.
Boom!
At last, hope dawned. After untold miles and days, land appeared at the path’s end.
Coughing, Shi Hao emerged.
A desolate familiarity washed over him—the Eight Realms, his homeland.
But wait—something else!
His heart raced. An intoxicating fragrance filled the air, transcendent as ascension itself.
No ordinary herb—even divine medicines couldn’t stir him thus. Only one possibility remained: a longevity elixir.
Shi Hao stood stunned. How could such a treasure exist in the lower realms, where even nurturing divine herbs was once impossible?
“Yet this aroma… unmistakably longevity-grade!”
Excitement surged. A longevity elixir upon arrival—where had he landed?
The path’s end opened to a lifeless desert. Yet here, medicinal fragrance wafted unpredictably—rich, then faint.
He quickened his pace, crossing dunes until—
A sudden sight halted him.
Amid the sands lay an ancient herb garden, with hills beyond, blocking his way.
A stele stood ahead, inscribed in immortal script:
“A forbidden zone of life?” Shi Hao stiffened in disbelief.
A forbidden zone… in the lower realms?
Unthinkable. Such places belonged to the Nine Heavens, not this spiritual wasteland. Who would imprison themselves here?
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