Shrouded Sky

Chapter 126 - The Gate of All Wonders

"Is this really immortal blood?" Ye Fan and Ji Ziyue couldn't help but think.

The blood, scarlet and gleaming, shone with radiant light. It had been imprinted upon the bronze wall ahead, forming a giant character, "Immortal" (仙), about nine meters tall, blazing brilliantly, as if formed from condensed crimson clouds.

"Is the secret to becoming immortal hidden here?" Ji Ziyue's eyes sparkled. Her lips curved in a subtle smile as she tilted her head to examine it.

The brilliant blood symbol stirred something in Ye Fan. He focused his mind and examined it closely, hoping to find some hidden truth.

Within the hall, chaos surged, and yin and yang energies flowed. The glowing "Immortal" character carried an indescribable aura.

Unconsciously, the two of them became dazed, as if they were touching upon a mysterious realm.

The space ahead turned hazy, dreamlike and unreal. The world withered, then flourished again, evolving, cycling through life and death.

The Grand Dao was ethereal, pure, and ever-changing, never extinguished.

All sorts of inexplicable phenomena appeared, entrancing and bewildering. They slipped into a daze, hands reaching forward, as if trying to grasp an unseen trajectory.

"That which is named, is the mother of all things. Heaven and Earth have form, yin and yang are hard and soft, in harmony they nourish all, giving rise to life."

"That which is unnamed, is the origin of Heaven and Earth. Formless and shapeless, emerging from nothingness, ceaseless as drifting silk, unseen, undying, the root of the Dao."

In their trance, a voice seemed to echo through the hall, tempting them forward, urging them to seek the root of creation, to open the gate of all wonders.

It was an immense temptation, as though the hope of immortality was within reach. The Grand Dao's resonant truth rang out like a great bell, awakening profound realizations within.

Though Ji Ziyue's godpowers were sealed, her body had regained freedom. Her expression was peaceful, intoxicated. She walked forward, step by step.

Ye Fan was the same. It seemed a divine lantern hovered in the sky, radiating infinite splendor, guiding his path. Mystical teachings and boundless dharma appeared before him. A radiant path of god light unfolded under his feet.

Irresistibly drawn, they walked forward in reverence, as if summoned, as if guided by fate.

In their eyes, sagely springs bubbled from the earth, golden lotuses rained from the sky, phoenixes danced eternally, auspicious lights cascaded, divine rainbows shimmered in myriad hues. All was glorious.

Suddenly, Ye Fan’s golden sea of bitterness surged with waves, lightning crackled, and his body blazed like cast gold. In that instant, all auspicious visions blurred. The world turned obscure. He felt as if he stood on the edge of an abyss, about to fall into hell. A cold sweat drenched him.

Everything around him was obscured in endless mist. A dreadful murderous aura loomed, vast and overwhelming, completely engulfing him.

He shivered, suddenly sensing death was just one step away. The so-called resonance of the Grand Dao’s was a mirage, illusory and fleeting, no longer real.

At the same time, Ji Ziyue's body shone with glowing light. Her skin, white as jade, sparkled with faint glimmers. She too was jolted as if struck by lightning, halting in confusion.

Thud!

A faint tremor came from the green copper piece in Ye Fan’s sea of bitterness. His mind cleared in an instant, fully awakened. The fog faded, and he found himself just steps from the bronze wall, within reach of the blood-etched "Immortal" character.

Ji Ziyue’s outstretched hand was even closer, just inches away from touching the bloody symbol.

Ye Fan grabbed the violet-robed girl and pulled her back. Then they retreated rapidly. Once far enough away, their vision cleared. No more haze or trance.

Looking again, the nine-meter-tall “Immortal” character now appeared terrifying, like a blood-drenched symbol of hell, radiating lethal danger.

All the mystical phenomena and echoes of the Dao had vanished. No more sacred resonance, only dread and death.

“What… was that?”

Chilled to the bone, drenched in cold sweat, they realized that a few more steps forward would likely have ended their lives.

"I clearly heard the heavenly voice of the Grand Dao. Why is it suddenly gone? There's no more sign of immortal energy…" Ji Ziyue was bewildered.

Ye Fan was deeply unsettled. He had sought boundless truth, only to be led to the edge of death. It made his spine tingle with cold.

At the final moment, if not for the surge of his golden sea and the tremor of the green copper, he’d have perished. What surprised him even more was Ji Ziyue’s unique constitution. Though he pulled her back, she had hesitated on her own as well, proof of her extraordinary nature.

Seeing the skeletal remains in the hall, Ye Fan felt a chill. Those who sought the secret of immortality had turned to bones, this was the bloody truth.

All the illusions had faded. The fog lifted. Only killing intent remained. Cold sweat drenched them.

“What does this mean? Could it be that the path of cultivation ends in an abyss, in hell, and immortality is a lie?”

“In the ancient history of the Eastern Wilderness, countless unmatched beings chased the traces of immortals… was it all a dead end? At the journey’s end lies a bottomless chasm…?”

Such a conclusion chilled the heart, shattering the hopes of all cultivators, cutting off the foundation of the path.

“Does the path of cultivation truly lead to immortality?” Ji Ziyue questioned, wondering whether those legendary figures in ancient texts who supposedly became immortal had truly taken that final step.

“Could it be that there are no immortals in this world?”

“Is this a road that ends abruptly?”

At that moment, she recalled the words of an unknown cultivator: “I ask the heavens, do immortals truly exist?”

Ji Ziyue resonated with that question, feeling its weight.

Ye Fan too pondered. He had seen the nine dragons pulling the coffin, yet even the powerful being inside was dead. The dragons too were lifeless. He had entered the Grand Thunderclap Temple, once a sacred place, now abandoned. Were Buddhas merely a state of being, not truly immortal?

Doubt filled his heart. Did immortals truly exist in this world?

“No matter what, someone could traverse starfields. That alone is enough, to open the road to the far reaches of the cosmos…”

What is an immortal? No one truly knows. There’s never been proof, only endless myth.

“There are a few accounts of becoming immortal in the ancient texts of the Eastern Wilderness, but they’re vague and unclear…” Ji Ziyue was confused.

“What’s the point of thinking about it now? Wait until you reach that level, then worry.” Ye Fan knocked her on the head to snap her out of it.

“You hit me again…” Ji Ziyue rubbed her smooth forehead, eyes watering. “Y-you’re challenging the dignity of a future immortal!”

“You said yourself, immortals probably don’t exist.”

“If I become immortal, then they do!” Ji Ziyue flashed her shiny little tiger teeth with a grinding sound. “If you dare knock me again, I won’t forgive you in the future!”

Ye Fan pinched her delicate nose and laughed, “So full of yourself…”

“It’s called confidence!” Ji Ziyue leaned away, teeth gritted. “You’d better not provoke the future immortal!”

Killing intent still lingered. Even from a distance, they felt the dread radiating from the bloodied word.

“Mysterious beyond mystery… Essence determines destiny. Those born of strong essence produce sages…”

An ethereal wave surged once more. It came from the bloodied ‘Immortal’ character, luring them onward with the promise of ultimate truth.

It wasn’t a voice, nor divine sense. It was a formless aura, making one believe they were hearing profound truths.

Ye Fan and Ji Ziyue exchanged glances. The fear in their eyes deepened. Though it carried great wisdom, they didn’t dare advance.

Ahead lay a bottomless abyss. The scenery was beautiful, but a single misstep would mean eternal ruin.

“Abandon emotion and desire. Hold to balance. In mystery lies the ultimate mystery. Within the Dao lies immortality. The Gate of All Wonders… shall open…”

A more obscure and profound wave came. The blood-drenched “Immortal” character began to tremble, then split in two, revealing a mysterious doorway with four ancient characters glowing: The Gate of All Wonders.

“It’s not a dead end. There’s hope for immortality. The broken bridge has been mended. There must be secrets behind it!” Ji Ziyue bit her red lip, white teeth flashing. Her eyes curved, dimples showing, lively and joyful.

Yet she didn’t move forward. Instead, she looked to Ye Fan and said, “Here’s your chance to become immortal, go ahead.”

Ahead, was it abyss or opportunity?

Ye Fan’s body felt cold. He didn’t step forward. Instead, he stepped back. “Miss future immortal, I’ll let you go first.”

Ji Ziyue also retreated. Both were cautious. They suspected the path ahead led only to destruction.

Yet without moving forward, how could they escape? There was no retreat.

Suddenly, Ye Fan’s heart jolted. He sensed a faint fishy smell, like lake water.

Next to the split “Immortal” character, beside the Gate of All Wonders, chaos surged and yin-yang energies swirled, but were imbalanced, collapsing inward.

“There…” Ji Ziyue followed Ye Fan’s gaze and quickly spotted the anomaly. “It looks like a tunnel!”

Ye Fan stepped toward it. Ji Ziyue followed. The mystical Dao echoes returned, momentarily clouding their minds.

The green copper block in Ye Fan’s wheel sea pulsed again, clearing their thoughts and allowing them to proceed.

Next to the “Immortal” character, beneath the chaotic mist, they found a break in the copper wall, a man-made tunnel, rough and uneven, leading somewhere unknown.

“Heavens… Who had such power to break open the bronze hall?” Ji Ziyue gasped.

The legendary Bronze Immortal Hall was said to be indestructible, a cage none escaped. Many ancient explorers died within, leaving only myths.

But this myth had just been shattered.

The fishy lake scent grew stronger. After half an hour, they followed the tunnel and emerged, onto the top of the hall.

“He actually escaped the Bronze Immortal Hall? What kind of terrifying being did this?!” Ji Ziyue was stunned.

Ye Fan was shocked as well. They survived thanks to the green copper. But someone had escaped by force, crushing myth with strength.

“That person didn’t enter the Gate of All Wonders. They retreated like us…” Ji Ziyue’s eyes gleamed. “This will shake the Eastern Wilderness!”

The rough tunnel suggested immense time had passed.

Someone had escaped here thousands or even tens of thousands of years ago, without ever revealing it. Why keep it secret?

If they were still alive, what realm had they reached? The thought chilled Ye Fan and Ji Ziyue alike.

Ye Fan raised a protective light screen around Ji Ziyue. Standing on the massive hall's roof, surrounded by flowing lake water, they sensed a strange ripple, but this time, it didn’t pull them back. The green copper emitted silent power, shielding them.

They had escaped. It felt unreal.

Earlier, before the Gate of All Wonders, mysterious truths had tempted them. Though deadly, those strange ripples did contain profound insight. They quietly recalled and memorized it, it was their only reward.

Ye Fan felt that the insight rivaled the Dao Scripture. Ji Ziyue compared it to her clan’s ancient texts, equally valuable.

What lay behind the Gate of All Wonders, they did not know, nor did they want to find out. Survival was blessing enough.

Ye Fan noted the overhead lake mist had thinned. The damaged hall had even weakened the fog above.

"Maybe we can escape..."

He lifted Ji Ziyue and surged upward. As before, they encountered pressure. A massive shadow, like a living behemoth, moved above.

But this time, he didn’t retreat. Golden light burst from him, spreading through the water as he climbed.

The higher they rose, the greater the pressure. Ye Fan felt he might shatter. He summoned his cauldron to blaze a trail.

Even in this weakest area, he struggled to endure. At that moment, Ji Ziyue cried out, “It’s Black-Gold Dualforce!”

Above, the massive, cloud-like shadow shone with black and yellow light, Black-Gold. A single wisp could crush mountains. Its weight was suffocating.

Ye Fan hadn’t even touched it, yet already could barely breathe.

In ancient belief, Black-Gold was the essence of heaven and earth. Not chaos, but the purest celestial and terrestrial energy.

“My god… true Black-Gold Dualforce, and so much of it!” Ji Ziyue’s eyes sparkled. “It’s the best sacred material for refining god weapons!”

Wrapped in Ye Fan’s shield, she felt no pressure, but Ye Fan was drenched in sweat, nearly collapsing. “Stop shouting!”

“I mean it! It’s the rarest celestial essence, ideal for forging artifacts. Many great cultivators spend lifetimes seeking just a wisp, here, there’s so much!” Ji Ziyue beamed, shaking Ye Fan’s shoulder. “Quick, collect it! With this, you could forge a supreme Dao Artifact!”

“You're not the one under pressure…” Ye Fan was about to fall.

“Nameless is the beginning of Heaven and Earth, it is the Dao. Named is the mother of all things, it is the world. Black-Gold is the world’s essence, the mother of all, and sacred for forging form!”

Ji Ziyue blushed with excitement, her voice trembling sweetly.

Ye Fan was tempted. If he could use Black-Gold to temper his cauldron… his heart raced.

But he lacked the power to seize it. Even getting close meant certain death.

“Let my seal go, I can collect it!” Ji Ziyue pleaded.

Ye Fan refused. Releasing her would be asking for trouble. Her strength was unfathomable, he didn’t want to be betrayed.

“Relax, I won’t hurt you.” Ji Ziyue clung to his arm, her shiny teeth flashing. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Don’t waste it!”

Black-Gold Dualforce, essence of the cosmos, was nearly extinct, the ultimate treasure for divine forging.

Ye Fan knew this much, but Ji Ziyue clearly understood more. Her excitement infected him. He began to seriously consider how to capture the Black-Gold essence.

But legend said even a wisp could crush a mountain. He had no way to get near, it would pulverize him instantly.

Boom…