The Immortal Gate revives, and the beings within emerge!
However, the young men and women atop the fortress of the Immortal Path were far too arrogant, their expressions cold and detached, exuding an air of superiority as if looking down upon all mortal beings with disdain.
When they caught sight of Shi Hao, San Zang, and the others, they initially showed surprise, but it quickly turned into an overwhelming sense of self-importance, as if the beings of the lower realms were beneath their notice.
Though they later attempted to appear composed, even forcing smiles, their earlier contempt was impossible to conceal—they truly looked down upon those from the outside world.
“Heh, interesting,” San Zang chuckled inwardly, though his amusement was laced with coldness, hidden beneath the surface. Only Shi Hao could sense the ripple of emotion.
Shen Ming was the same, wearing a smile that was anything but genuine.
They were Golden Burial Kings, yet here they were being belittled, and with such blatant scorn. It made both of them inwardly sneer.
Neither Shen Ming nor San Zang were ordinary figures. Golden Burial Kings were exceedingly rare, connected to the Burial Kings themselves. Moreover, their journey with Shi Hao into the Burial Abyss, witnessing the Origin Ancient Artifact, had elevated them even further.
Now, these young men and women were looking down on them as if they were mere beggars, their arrogance boundless. Naturally, the two Golden Burial Kings felt a chill in their hearts.
Shi Hao remained silent, quietly observing the group.
On the city walls stood soldiers clad in armor, their ranks indiscernible, but they were undoubtedly elites. The spears, long blades, and celestial halberds they wielded radiated a terrifying killing intent.
Even with the fortress’s barriers and the protective glyphs forming a luminous shield, the aura of slaughter seemed to pierce through.
Among the young men and women, one stood out—a man in golden robes, wearing a golden crown, his bearing heroic and vigorous. He appeared to be in his twenties, his gaze sharp as lightning as it swept over Shi Hao and the others.
Behind his head, a golden sun blazed, its flames surging as if capable of igniting the heavens. His divine presence was overwhelming.
Shi Hao suspected this might be a Golden Crow, one that surpassed even the purest descendants of the Nine Heavens, his bloodline many times more potent!
Indeed, upon closer inspection, the golden sun behind his head faintly revealed the silhouette of a Golden Crow!
A terrifyingly powerful young man, exuding immortal energy—though not yet a true immortal, his lineage was undoubtedly tied to the immortals.
He carried himself like a crown prince, exuding both majesty and arrogance. When his eyes opened and closed, golden lightning flashed, and flames surged.
Beside him stood a woman of ethereal beauty, her silver hair like snow, smooth and lustrous. Her figure was curvaceous, her face oval and flawless as jade, with crimson lips and a delicate nose. Her eyes, silver pupils, shimmered with life.
Behind her, a sacred pattern shimmered—like a halo, or perhaps a sacrificial totem—within which a white peacock flickered in and out of view.
Shi Hao guessed she was likely a young noblewoman of the Sacred Peacock Clan, her status extraordinary!
Aside from this pair, there were two other men and a woman of equal standing, though their figures were slightly obscured by drifting immortal mist.
“Young elites from the Immortal Domain? Truly terrifying, their cultivation is frightening,” Shen Ming remarked.
Shi Hao sensed she wasn’t praising them, but the achievements of these young men and women were indeed terrifying—undeniable facts.
“Thunder Spirits! So many of them!”
A voice filled with astonishment echoed from the massive gate tower. The young men and women’s expressions shifted as they noticed the Thunder Spirits and their numbers, their calm demeanor breaking.
Thunder Spirits were incredibly rare, and to see so many gathered in one place was almost unheard of—at least in the outside world. Thus, the young men and women atop the gate were visibly moved.
“Chirp, chirp…”
The Thunder Spirits emitted strange sounds, demanding the gates be opened. Their bodies tensed, lightning crackling across their forms, their brilliance blinding.
“Interesting. So many Thunder Spirits appearing at once. Were you the ones who activated the gate?” the golden-robed man asked, the sun behind his head glowing.
His voice boomed, resonating through the air, though the language was ancient and incomprehensible. The meaning was conveyed through divine sense.
The gates of the Immortal Domain could not be activated—this had been the case for nearly an entire epoch. No one could budge them.
Yet today, the gates glowed, nearly transparent—an absolute exception. Otherwise, no beings would ever have appeared here.
This was precisely what unsettled San Zang and Shen Ming. Today was far too unusual.
**Open the gates!**
This was the Thunder Spirits’ demand. Their language was even more peculiar, their divine sense fluctuations intense, making their request unmistakably clear.
“You think you can just demand the gates open? What do you take this place for? And you mortals—do you also seek entry into the Immortal Domain?” the golden-robed man, resembling a crown prince, asked coldly.
“I have long yearned for the Immortal Domain and wish to enter,” San Zang replied, though whether his words were sincere or not was unclear.
“Hahaha…” On the gate tower, another young man laughed heartily, clad in violet-gold battle armor, wreathed in immortal mist. His posture was tall and proud, his long hair flowing.
Though his figure was somewhat obscured, the oppressive aura he exuded was unmistakable. For someone so young, his vitality was unnaturally potent!
“The Immortal Domain is closed, the two realms severed. This is no place for the likes of you. Dragons have their lairs, ants have their holes. Stay in the lower realm where you belong, and abandon these delusions of grandeur!” the violet-robed young man declared.
He stood above, looking down upon them, his tone icy. His analogy—comparing them to ants—was blatant, implying that San Zang, Shi Hao, and the others should know their place.
“Are immortals truly so mighty? Is the Immortal Domain the supreme paradise?” San Zang chuckled, his laughter cold and cruel, his gaze icy.
“What are you implying?” the violet-robed young man demanded coldly.
Even the Golden Crow and the White Peacock Fairy turned their attention to San Zang.
Shi Hao stopped him before he could say anything more pointed. After all, he had come seeking aid from the Immortal Domain. Finding this place had already exceeded his expectations.
Shi Hao clasped his fists sincerely, introducing himself as a warrior from the Borderlands.
He spoke truthfully—the Foreign Realm was once again assaulting the passes, and bloodshed would soon drown the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths. The land would be engulfed in flames, and countless lives would be lost. He pleaded for the Immortal Domain to intervene and halt the Foreign Realm’s advance.
“Heh, the passes haven’t fallen yet. Return. We’ve noted your words,” the golden-robed man replied.
His smile was perfunctory, his indifference palpable.
Shi Hao’s heart sank. From the moment they met, the young men and women atop the gate had been haughty, treating them like dragons looking down upon ants.
Though they wore smiles and attempted to mask their expressions, their innate disdain was unmistakable—they held no regard for the beings of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths.
This was nothing like what Shi Hao had imagined!
Were these the reinforcements the clans of Imperial Pass had been praying for? They cared nothing for the outside world!
Worse, Shi Hao recalled the final battle of the Immortal Ancient Era. When Imperial Pass was breached and the clans nearly annihilated, the gates of the Immortal Domain had remained shut.
Only later did aid arrive—but by then, the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths had already fallen, their people all but extinct. They had come too late!
“Leave. We have our own considerations. We will act when the time is right. We are aware of everything,” the golden-robed man waved dismissively, his expression one of utter disdain.
At this moment, Shi Hao’s expression turned icy, his gaze profound. He said nothing more. The hope he had carried had led only to this—was this the salvation Imperial Pass awaited?
Were it not for his restraint, Shi Hao would have stormed the gate tower!
The golden-robed young man then turned to the Thunder Spirits. “As for you—though you are extraordinary, Thunder Spirits, you were lost in that broken, polluted world. You cannot return.”
“And you dare bring a corpse here, seeking burial in the Immortal Domain? How laughable. Return to where you came from!” He waved his hand as if shooing away flies.
The Thunder Spirits were enraged. Their tempers were fierce, their reactions direct. Their bodies arched like divine arrows, poised to strike the walls.
“I warn you—attack the gates of the Immortal Domain, and you will be annihilated!” the violet-robed man declared coldly.
The Thunder Spirits’ scales bristled, dragon patterns manifesting as thunder crackled around them, deafening in its intensity.
“Do you seek destruction?” the golden-robed man stepped forward, his voice frigid.
The Thunder Spirits, however, were not reckless. They retreated to the straw mat, lifting the figure upon it and guarding it at their center.
“They activated the gate—they must possess a token. We should examine it closely. Perhaps they truly can enter,” the silver-haired beauty spoke, her voice like chimes. Behind her, a radiant aura coalesced, the white peacock flickering within.
“Ou mo la…” The Thunder Spirits chanted in unison, their voices solemn and sorrowful, as if in prayer.
Then, the figure on the straw mat emitted a glow from its chest. Its treasure reappeared, though still indistinct, flying from its bloodstained, tattered armor toward the stone gate.
“Wait—what is that?!” the silver-haired woman exclaimed.
**Boom!**
The treasure struck the gate, erupting in dazzling glyphs.
“Open the gates!” A hoarse, aged voice boomed from within the city.
Both the stone gate and the walls turned crystalline, revealing the scene beyond.
It was no mere city—inside lay boundless mountains and rivers, veiled in immortal mist, stretching endlessly into the horizon!
This was indeed a vast world—the Immortal Domain—far surpassing the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths in scale!
The young men and women on the fortress were stunned. The stone gate, which should have been unopenable, was now parting.
The Thunder Spirits, bearing the figure on the straw mat, let out mournful cries as they entered the Immortal Domain.
San Zang’s pupils contracted violently. The gates of the Immortal Domain were never meant to open—how could they make an exception for a corpse? Unthinkable!
Clearly, this figure held an unimaginable significance!
“Shall we enter?” Shen Ming asked Shi Hao and San Zang.
As for Kun Miao, he had already slipped in alongside the Thunder Spirits, unhindered.
Shi Hao stepped forward, and the two Golden Burial Kings followed.
“Halt!” the golden-robed man barked, blocking their path.
The other young men and women materialized, barring the way.
“They may enter. You may not!” the golden-robed man declared coldly.
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