The sky was clear and blue with only a few clouds drifting far and wide. Meng Qi and his companions surveyed the Five-Fingered Mountains, sensing the surrounding conditions. Without further discussion, they advanced cautiously, flying along the undulating peaks while avoiding areas where powerful demons might lurk.
After searching several locations, they finally discovered the fragment of the Celestial Realm described by the Six Gates within a valley on a side peak.
It was about two zhang in size, irregular in shape, and filled with misty, hazy energy. Even with Meng Qi’s “Wisdom Eyes,” he could not see clearly inside, as though it concealed a vast world.
Extending his spiritual senses to cover the area, Meng Qi slightly furrowed his brows. “Demons have passed through here, but not many.”
There were residual demonic auras lingering in the valley, but they were muddled together, making it difficult to determine the exact strength of the demons.
“Either local demons or scouts from some mountain king,” Zhao Heng speculated. “In any case, it seems we’ve arrived ahead of them.”
They had entered the Celestial Fragment before most of the demons!
No matter how the mission unfolded, seizing the core treasures first was essential.
Arriving ahead of the demons would make things relatively smoother!
Jiang Zhiwei said solemnly, “We must act promptly. Let’s enter immediately.”
After inspecting the area, they confirmed there were no traps or ambushes around the fragment.
Fragments of thoughts flickered through Meng Qi’s mind, but none had fully formed. As he pondered, he slightly lagged behind, following Jiang Zhiwei into the hazy and shifting fragment.
If one couldn’t focus fully, it was better not to be the vanguard.
A cool, bone-piercing freshness covered his skin. Meng Qi’s head felt slightly dizzy, as though he had instantly soared from flat ground to ten thousand feet high.
The ocean of primordial energy in the world merged with the hazy aura, almost taking on a tangible form. Drifting within it, both his physical body and spiritual essence felt repeatedly cleansed, bringing a sense of ease.
His vision briefly faded before returning, revealing a collapsed gate to Meng Qi and the others.
It appeared to be forged from white jade condensed from the hazy immortal energy. Just looking at it gave a sense of heaviness and solidity. However, one side of its two pillars had been forcibly severed, causing it to tilt leftward and collapse. Scorch marks covered its surface, with faint orange-yellow flames slowly burning, giving it the appearance of having endured a great battle.
A slanted stele leaned against the ruins of the gate. Crafted from a glazed, jade-like material, it bore golden inscriptions in ancient seal script that Meng Qi immediately recognized:
“Southern Heaven Gate!”
This was truly the ancient Celestial Realm! Although they had already suspected this from the Six Gates’ hints, Meng Qi and the others still held their breath. How many immortals and deities had passed through this gate? How many legendary figures had come to pay homage to the Celestial Emperor?
Dominating an era, ruling over the Three Realms, with countless immortals paying homage and deities bowing, what a heroic and magnificent achievement! Yet, in a single day, it fell, gods and demons perished together, and the imperial enterprise vanished like a dream. What a cruel twist of fate!
Now, after countless eons, the ancient Celestial Realm, once superior to gods and demons, had become nothing but broken walls and ruins, evoking sighs and lamentations from later generations. One could only marvel at the mighty and merciless passage of time.
“Let’s go in,” Jiang Zhiwei said, lifting her gaze beyond the Southern Heaven Gate. There, hazy energy churned, but an eerie silence prevailed, devoid of the ethereal and transcendent vitality one would expect in a celestial realm.
At that moment, a chill ran down their spines. What had happened to the ancient Celestial Realm?
What strange and terrifying things might lie inside?
Could it be like the current Ling Mountain?
Suddenly, an idea struck Meng Qi. He connected his earlier thoughts and transmitted his plan to his companions: “Since we arrived before most demons, we can set up a false trail to scare the ones following us, making them suspicious and fearful, slowing their progress and giving us more time.”
“You mean to ‘scare’ them?” Jiang Zhiwei, familiar with Meng Qi, immediately caught on.
“Exactly. The Celestial Fragment is definitely filled with dangers, and the cause of its fall remains a mystery. Who knows what we might encounter inside? Who wouldn’t feel uneasy and cautious upon arriving here? We just need to amplify that feeling…” Meng Qi explained his general plan to Ruan Yushu and the others.
With no time for further debate, and seeing that Meng Qi’s plan was reasonable, Zhao Heng and the others agreed. They flew toward the Southern Heaven Gate.
As they were about to pass through the gate, Qi Zhengyan suddenly turned his head westward, his gaze deep and inscrutable, revealing no emotion.
“Has Senior Brother Qi also been reminded of the past?” Meng Qi’s heart stirred.
Returning to the Journey to the West world, how could one not think of Zhang Yuanshan and others who perished in the west, or of the terror of Ling Mountain!
Sighing, Meng Qi led the way through the collapsed Southern Heaven Gate.
The moment he crossed the threshold, Meng Qi’s body suddenly felt heavier, and he involuntarily descended, landing on a solid cloud-like surface.
“This…” Meng Qi felt his inner energy circulating normally, still able to draw upon the power of heaven and earth, yet he was unable to fly.
“Reverence to the Celestial Emperor forbids flight!” Similar legends simultaneously surfaced in the minds of all present, though Meng Qi had more thoughts.
The Immortal Realm of the Su Nu might have been adjusted by the Nine Heavens’ Xuan Nu!
As these thoughts raced through his mind, he turned around, placing both hands on the gate’s wreckage and lifting upward with effort.
Gu Xiaosang had obtained the Celestial Realm Tablet, allowing her to “summon wind and rain,” which Meng Qi had envied. Now, with the entire Southern Heaven Gate before him, how could he resist trying to move it?
Meng Qi’s muscles tensed, but the gate budged not even slightly.
Seeing this, Meng Qi exerted himself even more, seemingly using every ounce of strength, yet the gate remained completely unmoved.
After weighing his options and concluding that even using the “Law of Heaven and Earth” would be ineffective, Meng Qi didn’t delay further. He gave Jiang Zhiwei and the others an awkward smile before striding forward into the hazy expanse.
…
A cluster of palaces stood upon an endless expanse of white clouds, resembling a celestial abode. However, they were all in ruins—some completely destroyed, some reduced to dust, some partially collapsed, and others riddled with cracks. Yet, there was no scent of decay, no feeling of erosion by time, as though they had been frozen in the moment of the Celestial Realm’s destruction.
Clattering footsteps heralded the arrival of dozens of demons of various appearances, led by a monster with a snake’s head and a human body.
The minor demons surveyed their surroundings, finding everything desolate and silent, without a single sound, even the wind had vanished. Unconsciously, they felt their hearts pounding, envisioning their own gruesome deaths.
This was the mysterious fallen Celestial Realm. Even the most ignorant among them understood its dangers!
The most timid among them, the Green Snake Demon and the Black Snake Demon, were already trembling with fear. Their lower bodies, not yet fully transformed, trembled slightly as they clung closely to the side of the Python Vanguard, unwilling to stray far.
The Python Vanguard also felt uneasy inside, but thinking of his mission, he steeled his courage and shouted, “You lot, scatter in pairs, search for treasures, and map the terrain. The King will come upon receiving our report. Don’t mess this up!”
A month ago, strange lights had often risen around this area, drawing the attention of many mountain-dwelling demons. After failing to find anything themselves, they dispatched their subordinates to conduct a widespread search.
They had to separate! The Green Snake Demon and the Black Snake Demon were startled but dared not object.
The two demons were paired together and turned into a nearly destroyed garden. As soon as they entered, they instinctively crouched down together, hiding in a concealed spot, unwilling to proceed further.
“We’ll say we found nothing,” the Green Snake Demon whispered.
The Black Snake Demon nervously chuckled, “I’m not crazy enough to make things up and get caught.”
Who knew what monsters might emerge from the palaces of the Celestial Fragment!
The two demons fell silent, waiting for their companions to return.
Suddenly, the sharp-eyed Green Snake Demon whispered, “They’re back.”
Two demons approached from another direction, seemingly having conducted a half-hearted search before hurrying back.
“Let’s wait a bit longer before going out to meet them,” the more cautious Black Snake Demon suggested.
They stole glances and saw a snake demon and an eel demon quickly approaching, their expressions and actions showing no signs of alarm.
“It doesn’t seem dangerous,” the Green Snake Demon muttered.
As soon as the words left his mouth, the world seemed to grow heavy for a moment. The snake demon and the eel demon collapsed directly, their life forces vanishing instantly.
“Dead… they’re dead…” the Green Snake and Black Snake Demon stared in shock, terrified beyond words. If not for their demonic nature, they might have been drenched in cold sweat.
Two companions who had been alive just moments ago had died mysteriously!
Without external wounds or visible enemies, it was as though their souls had been taken by evil spirits!
Amid this nightmare-like sensation, they saw several more groups of companions returning.
Thud! Thud!
One demon after another fell down, expressions relaxed yet lifeless, some even retaining faint smiles!
This sight nearly made the Green Snake and Black Snake Demons faint from terror. What a terrifying place!
“You two!” the voice of the Python Vanguard suddenly rang out above them, filled with anger. Obviously having just returned and unaware of the surrounding situation, he had only caught two lazy subordinates!
Hearing this furious voice, the two minor demons felt not fear but excitement, as though encountering a savior in a desperate situation.
The Python Vanguard was a powerful demon who had condensed a demon core and cultivated primal blood!
They hastily stood up, rushing joyfully toward the Python Vanguard.
Just then, a cold wind seemed to brush against their necks. They saw the Python Vanguard’s eyes and mouth suddenly spewing out streaks of lightning. He collapsed limply, his skin sinking inward, his flesh completely drained!
“Ahh!”
The two minor demons screamed in terror, losing their senses as they fled for their lives.
…
Outside the Five-Fingered Mountains, a mass of dark clouds carried hundreds of demons toward the Celestial Fragment.
Baili Spirit was a minor demon among them, filled with admiration and awe for his own King.
“The King is deep and fearsome, once a mighty figure in the Western Ox Continent, having survived the calamity of Ling Mountain. In today’s world, few demon Kings can rival him!” Instinctively, it turned its head to gaze at its King.
In the center of the minor demons sat a black throne, from which the dark clouds originated. Upon it sat a man clad in a black robe, his skin tinged with green, his nose hooked like a vulture’s, otherwise resembling a human.
His expression was calm, his aura steady, his gaze profound—clearly a formidable demon King!
The dark clouds descended directly before the Celestial Fragment.
The demon King said steadily, “They should have received word by now. We’ll go in first.”
“Great King, shall we not wait for the Seven Cave Demon Kings to gather?” a minor demon leader asked.
“Seven Cave Demon Kings? Do they even deserve the title of King?” the black-robed demon King sneered.
“Yes, Great King!” the minor demon leader hastily apologized.
Then, with a wave of his hand, the minor demons began singing, “The Great King has sent us to patrol the mountains…”
Singing, they carried the black throne into the Celestial Fragment.
As their vision cleared, they saw the collapsed Southern Heaven Gate, and from within, two terrified minor demons fled in a panic, muttering:
“They’re all dead… all dead…”
The black-robed demon King’s expression immediately turned grave.
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