The Gates Stand Open!

From the depths of the Illusionary Rotian, within the entrance to the Realm of the Grotto-Heavens, a gargantuan cauldron wreathed in sable mists shuddered with a deafening roar. The oppressive darkness that clung to its surface crumbled, dissipating into the ethereal void.

A vast chasm ripped through the heart of the cauldron, and from the rent, golden light streamed forth in radiant torrents. A cacophony of booming echoes resonated, growing in intensity as the fissure widened, until at last, with a final, earth-shattering cataclysm, the cauldron split asunder.

From within the shattered vessel, a golden gate, reaching towards the heavens themselves, materialized. It swung open, revealing a realm shrouded in swirling mists. Glimpses of unknown continents flickered within, now sharp and clear, now veiled in impenetrable obscurity.

As the gate emerged, the core of the Grotto-Heavens, the ruined landscape surrounding the cauldron, dissolved, transforming into a star-strewn expanse that merged with the celestial tapestry of the Grotto-Heavens’ skies.

Throughout the Realm of the Grotto-Heavens, every cultivator who beheld this spectacle felt a tremor that shook the very foundations of their existence. The entrance to the Rotian core, once a gateway to the cauldron, vanished in a flash of incandescent light, leaving the colossal vessel exposed.

From the golden gate within the cauldron, endless waves of golden light emanated, bathing the Grotto-Heavens in their divine radiance.

Beyond the golden gate, spectral figures materialized: those who had ventured within and survived. Torsen stood among them, alongside Daoist Blue Dream, the Third Consort Tang Shan, and the warriors of the Five Elements Star.

And there too, was Wang Lin.

Silence reigned, broken only by the resounding echoes of the gate’s opening and the radiant glow. Every eye was fixed upon the golden portal, upon the shifting, enigmatic world within.

Wang Lin gazed at the gate, his eyes reflecting the weight of over two millennia.

The gate had finally opened!

This day, Wang Lin had long awaited, ever since he learned that the world he knew was but a Grotto-Heaven. He had dreamt of this moment, when he could shatter the boundaries and step into the true realm: the Immortal-Astral Continent!

Now, gazing upon the golden gate, Wang Lin felt a surge of bewilderment, as the tapestry of his memories unfolded before him. He, a humble village boy, had traversed a path paved with hardship and unyielding determination, to stand here, having opened the gates of the Grotto-Heavens.

Few could comprehend the sacrifices, the unwavering resolve, the intertwined threads of love, and the burdens of fate that had shaped his journey.

“Wan’er, the gates of the Grotto-Heavens are open,” Wang Lin whispered, his heart heavy with sorrow. “The place where I will revive you… This is my promise, to you.” His thoughts drifted to Li Muwan.

“Xie Qing, I vow to bring you back to life, no matter what!” Wang Lin vowed, his eyes fixed on the golden gate. In its depths, he seemed to glimpse the reflection of his own life.

The Third Consort Tang Shan, her lip trembling, stared at the golden gate, tears streaming down her face. She yearned for her homeland, her sect, her family, and her mentors. She had endured too long in the Grotto-Heavens, her heart hardened, yet the embers of longing burned fiercely.

Today, her wait was over.

The Elder Ma of the Five Elements Star, and Yun Yifeng beside him, gazed at the golden gate, their expressions filled with poignant reflection. They had wandered through the Grotto-Heavens for countless ages, yet ultimately found nothing to quench their desires. Elder Ma turned to Yun Yifeng, his eyes filled with compassion.

He remembered Yun Yifeng as a youth of nineteen summers, but now, beneath his unchanging guise, the heart of Yun Yifeng had aged like the oldest of trees.

“Let us go home…” Elder Ma whispered with a sigh.

“Home…” Yun Yifeng repeated, his gaze transfixed by the golden gate. Even he, normally calm and deliberate, felt a maelstrom of conflicting emotions. He could not discern where he truly belonged: was it the Immortal-Astral Continent, or the Five Elements Star within the Grotto-Heavens?

Behind Elder Ma, the other two warriors from the Five Elements Star stared at the golden gate, their hearts brimming with complex emotions.

Xuan Wu and Zhu Que, the silent guardians, beheld the golden gate, their hearts bitter as memories of the Seven Dao Sect flooded back, the faces of their Four Generals and the Sect Leader, the Immortal Lord of the Seven Colors.

They were to return to the Immortal-Astral Continent, yet the Seven Dao Sect was likely dust in the wind.

Unlike those who did not belong to the Grotto-Heavens, Daoist Blue Dream gazed upon the golden gate with hesitation. Though he knew much, and understood that this world was but a Grotto-Heaven, he was unsure of what to do.

Should he depart or remain? Torsen and Tu Si, too, stood in silence, their thoughts hidden behind inscrutable masks.

Far away, beyond the cauldron and the golden gate, streaks of light tore through the star-filled sky. Cultivators of the Grotto-Heavens, drawn by an irresistible force, approached, and were struck speechless by the sight of the grand portal.

After an age, Wang Lin turned his gaze away from the golden gate. He sensed that the moment he had emerged into the star-filled void, the eight True Bodies of his Essence had vanished. His Water Essence, now at a Minor Completion, was the same as it was before he had entered the Eastern Immersed Pond. The seven others were hidden within him.

Though he knew it would happen, he still felt a twinge of disappointment, which he quickly suppressed, replacing it with anticipation for the Eastern Immersed Pond in the Immortal-Astral Continent.

“We have our grievances, our old hatreds, that might have led us to a battle to the death. But the gates of the Grotto-Heavens are open. Let us cast aside our enmity!”

Wang Lin cupped his hands, bowing to all who had gathered. “If any of you wish to leave the Grotto-Heavens, Wang Lin will bid you farewell!”

His words were sincere, without a trace of falseness. Wang Lin was weary.

Two millennia had passed, and with the opening of the gates, memories surged through him, leaving him with a profound sense of exhaustion.

He was not alone. Everyone was wearied, Daoist Blue Dream was wounded, and Torsen was weary.
The air hung thick with exhaustion, clinging to Tang Shan, the celestial warriors Xuan Wu and Zhu Que, and even the masters of the Five Elements. The battle for the heart of the celestial cave had been a tempest of unprecedented ferocity.

The venerable Ma, patriarch of the Five Elements, was the first to break the silence. He stepped forward, offering a respectful bow to Wang Lin, his eyes gleaming with a newfound clarity. A subtle complexity veiled his gaze as he studied Wang Lin for a long moment before finally speaking.

“Wang Daoyou, I must take my leave. Should you ever find yourself within the Immortal Clan Lands, seek out the Five Elements Sect. A welcome awaits you.”

“I am grateful for your aid, esteemed senior,” Wang Lin replied, his voice calm and measured. “Should fortune lead me astray, I shall certainly visit the Five Elements Sect.”

Behind Ma, Yun Yifeng, his heart heavy with regret, cast a lingering look at the surrounding realm before turning to Wang Lin with a clasped-fist salute.

“Wang Xiong, farewell. Our battle remains unfinished. We shall settle it upon the Immortal Astral Continent!”

“Farewell, Yun Daoyou,” Wang Lin responded, acknowledging the man’s keen mind, something he had observed throughout their time in the cave realm. His gaze then shifted to the two other middle-aged cultivators of the Five Elements, offering a nod of acknowledgment. As if struck by a sudden thought, he raised his right hand and waved it towards the distant starfield.

The fabric of space shimmered and twisted, revealing the figure of the White Tiger General alongside another of the Five Elements cultivators. Their arrival did not surprise the elder Ma, who seemed to have anticipated it.

The Xuan Wu and Zhu Que generals, however, were taken aback.

“I bid farewell to my fellow Daoyou of the Five Elements!” Wang Lin proclaimed, and the White Tiger General released his captive. The Five Elements cultivator, silent, rejoined his brethren.

As one, they transformed into streaks of vibrant light, streaking towards the Golden Gate. In the blink of an eye, they vanished within the gate’s radiant embrace, fading into the ethereal mists beyond.

With the Five Elements gone, the Xuan Wu and Zhu Que generals took a few hesitant steps forward, bowing low to Wang Lin.

“Wang Daoyou, regarding our past transgressions… alas,” Xuan Wu lamented. “We are grateful for your forgiveness. We take our leave, and should you ever require aid upon the Immortal Astral Continent, you have only to ask.” He presented Wang Lin with a jade scroll that floated gently into his hand.

Wang Lin accepted the scroll, nodding his head before turning his gaze upon the White Tiger General standing some distance away.

“You may go as well.”

The White Tiger General’s eyes widened with surprise and gratitude. He bowed deeply to Wang Lin before joining Xuan Wu and Zhu Que. Zhu Que, her expression a tapestry of emotions, bestowed a lingering, somber look upon Wang Lin.

“Thank you,” she murmured.

Wang Lin offered no reply. Together, the three warriors transformed into shimmering arcs of light, flying towards the Golden Gate and vanishing within, returning to the Immortal Astral Continent.

The Third Consort, Tang Shan, biting her lip, walked slowly towards the luminous gateway. She halted some yards from the gate, turning back to face Wang Lin.

“Thank you… for everything.”

“You aided me, as I aided you,” Wang Lin said, his voice soft. “There is no need for gratitude.”

Tang Shan opened her mouth as if to speak, but in the end, she remained silent. She stepped through the gate, her form dissolving into golden light. In the fleeting moment before she disappeared entirely, she turned back one last time.

“Will we ever meet again…?”

Wang Lin remained silent. Her eyes clouded with a deep sorrow, swallowed by the golden radiance, and none but she would ever know the full extent of her sadness as she finally vanished through the Golden Gate.

With all those not belonging to the cave realm now departed, Wang Lin’s gaze swept across Lan Meng Dao Zun and the others before settling upon the empty space, some hundred paces behind him. He bowed towards that void, offering a formal salute.

The space remained utterly devoid of form, seemingly ordinary, without even a hint of shimmering distortion. Yet, as Wang Lin bowed, his voice echoed through the chamber.

“Senior Xuan Luo, you have followed me from the Five Elements Sect, to the Immortal World, to this heart of the cave realm. You have witnessed me open the gates of this sacred place. Have you seen enough? Will you reveal yourself?”

The void, upon hearing Wang Lin’s words, suddenly began to twist and contort. A shadowy figure began to coalesce from the nothingness. The unexpected words and startling transformation sent a ripple of shock through those present, their gazes all drawn to the unfolding event.

“How did you come to know my true name?” a gentle voice whispered from the nebulous figure.