Enshrouded by Wang Lin’s divine sense, the entirety of this peculiar place revealed itself. It was not vast, but narrow and elongated, like a slender passage.

The walls of this corridor appeared fragile, riddled with fissures and cracks, as though the entire structure teetered on the brink of collapse.

At either end of this pathway lay mystery. One side opened to Wang Lin’s present location, while the other stretched into an immeasurable abyss. Even the furthest tendrils of Wang Lin’s spiritual perception could not penetrate its depths. He could only discern, in that distant obscurity, a colossal stone gate.

Upon this gate was affixed a single slip of paper – a talisman seal.

After a moment of contemplation, Wang Lin took a step forward and vanished from sight. In an instant, he reappeared at the threshold of the corridor, a hundred paces from the imposing stone portal.

This hundred-pace distance acted as a barrier, repelling all attempts at divination and emanating an oppressive force that discouraged any approach. Wang Lin halted just beyond this threshold, his gaze fixed upon the gate, a look of profound gravity etched upon his face.

The stone gate possessed an ancient aura, covered in intricate symbols unfamiliar to Wang Lin. Yet, he sensed within them a history of untold ages.

Furthermore, he observed that the gate did not stand perfectly in its place. It seemed to have been forcibly integrated, as if intended to reinforce the passage, ensuring its eternal preservation.

After a period of quiet contemplation, Wang Lin stepped into the forbidden hundred paces. The moment he crossed the line, his countenance shifted. An immense pressure roared forth, making each footfall a struggle.

Wang Lin’s eyes flickered with uncertainty. This place was steeped in enigma, offering no clues. Yet, after a moment’s hesitation, his right foot struck the ground with resolute force, causing the passage to resonate with a thunderous boom.

With a second surge of power, Wang Lin advanced another dozen steps, each spanning several feet. In a flash, he had traversed half the distance, finding himself at the midpoint of the hundred-pace zone.

Here, his body groaned under the strain, threatening to shatter. This was not his Ancient God physique. Unable to endure the increasing pressure, he raised his right hand, formed a mystic seal, and sat in meditation, eyes tightly shut. He then touched his fingertip to his brow.

In a surge, Wang Lin’s forehead split open, revealing a swirling vortex. Amidst a flash of crimson light, his nascent soul emerged, sheathed in the very essence of his bloodsword.

Merging soul with blade, and shielded by its crimson aura, Wang Lin’s spirit surged toward the final fifty paces before the stone gate. To the bloodsword and its master, this distance was but a fleeting moment.

The repulsive force intensified, hammering against the bloodsword, seeking to pulverize Wang Lin’s soul. As they approached within ten paces of the gate, the opposition reached a cataclysmic level.

The bloodsword quivered, and Wang Lin’s spirit struggled to maintain its grip, threatening to be flung back into the abyss. With a desperate surge of will, he commanded the bloodsword to slam into the passage wall. The blade sank deep into the stone, anchoring itself to the spot.

Despite this desperate act, the sword continued to fracture backward under the relentless pressure.

Ten paces was now within reach. Wang Lin’s soul, merged with the bloodsword, fixed its gaze upon the gate and the talisman seal that adorned it.

From this proximity, he could confirm that the gate had been placed here, its sole purpose to fortify the passage.

The talisman, he realized, was the source of the oppressive force. Its purpose was to seal the gate, preventing passage from either side.

“What lies beyond the gate…?” Wang Lin’s mind raced. The bloodsword buckled further, driven back by the relentless force. The ten paces between them widened to nearly twenty. With a final shudder, the bloodsword was ripped from the wall, hurtling backward with Wang Lin’s soul in tow. They returned to the relative safety of the fifty-pace mark, whereupon his spirit re-entered his body. Wang Lin’s eyes snapped open.

“If my true form were here, merged with this shell, the Ancient God physique could endure the fifty paces, and with the Undying Art, I could reach the gate. But to return and merge would waste precious time…” A glint of cold determination flashed in Wang Lin’s eyes. He, who had never yielded to any power, uttered a cold snort. His hands flew into a complex incantation, and lightning erupted from his left eye, accompanied by a deafening roar. The essence of thunder manifested.

Simultaneously, raging flames burst forth from his right eye, bathing the world in a fiery glow.

Still in his meditative pose, he raised his hands, left for life, right for death, palm open for cause, fist clenched for effect. His eyes opened and closed, revealing the true and false origins.

Finally, a fearsome wave of killing intent erupted within him, the sixth origin of slaughter rising in a howling storm.

The six great origins converged, merging directly into Wang Lin’s brow. The vortex reappeared, and his soul burst forth, carrying the six origins with it, reforming within the bloodsword. Lightning crackled, flames roared, the three essences of emptiness swirled, and the origin of slaughter cleaved a path forward. In that instant, the bloodsword resonated with a piercing shriek, and surged toward the gate fifty paces away!

The oppressive force intensified with each passing moment, but it could not stem the tide of Wang Lin’s unrestrained power. His soul, like a honed blade, was now unstoppable.

In the blink of an eye, he was once again within the ten-pace threshold. This time, there was no hesitation, no faltering. Gathering all his strength, he forcefully plunged forward, the bloodsword piercing the talisman upon the stone gate!

With a resounding thrum, the sword plunged deep into the gate, reaching three feet.

The sword quivered violently as the oppressive force erupted, colliding with Wang Lin’s six origins, attempting to crush his soul.

But in the instant that the bloodsword pierced the talisman and sunk into the stone, Wang Lin’s soul detected a familiar aura, one he had encountered before – an aura that did not belong to this blessed domain.
A familiar aura, one he knew from the dream-paths, a celestial breath that stirred the very core of his being. It was the essence of the Immortal-Astral Continent, a land his spirit had once glimpsed in fleeting visions!

The Immortal-Astral Continent, a realm of timeless grandeur, existed since the dawn of creation. Its size dwarfed countless worlds within and beyond the borders of the known realms. Even the mightiest cultivators, beings of the Third Step, would require ages to traverse its vast expanse.

This was the edge of the heavens, the terminus of the earth, the most awe-inspiring domain in the boundless cosmos!

In the eastern reaches of the Immortal-Astral Continent, amongst a boundless range of majestic peaks, mist-wreathed and blessed with ethereal energies, nestled a paradise of vibrant flora and fauna. Songbirds filled the air with melody, while celestial beasts and graceful cranes danced among the clouds.

These mountains, vast as a tenth of the Kun Xu Starfield, stretched as far as the eye could see. Yet, compared to the entirety of the Immortal-Astral Continent, they were but a single grain of sand upon an endless shore.

Within this mountain range, one peak pierced the heavens like an inverted sword, its immense length seeming infinite at close range, yet appearing as a mere hillock from afar.

Upon this mountain stood a sprawling complex of palaces, the branch sect of a larger power within the Immortal-Astral Continent. This sect was known as the Unified Sect.

Like the Seven Dao Sect, the Unified Sect was not considered a major power in this land of ancient wonders!

Within the branch sect’s mountain gate, in a grand plaza, a colossal bell floated serenely in the air. A thousand feet in height, it was an emblem of solemn grandeur.

But then, the bell shuddered, and with a resonant *BOOM*, it reverberated a sound that shook the entire branch sect to its foundations. In response, several streaks of light shot forth from the distant palaces.

As they arrived, a wave of blood-red light exploded from the colossal bell. Blindingly intense, this crimson radiance surged across the Immortal-Astral Continent.

It had been away from this land for an eternity, yet on this day, it returned!

Beneath the blood-light, the tip of a crimson blade emerged from the bell. It pierced through a mere three inches, yet the overwhelming aura of blood emanated from this tiny breach!

“The Sword of Yemo!” One of the arriving figures, moving with incredible speed, reached the bell in an instant. It was a middle-aged man clad in an arcane robe, his eyes gleaming with sharp intelligence. His cultivation base, at the peak of the Sky Profound realm, pulsed outwards.

Within his Sky Profound power, a hint of Tribulation energy lingered, evidence of countless Heavenly Tribulations weathered.

Behind him, the other streaks of light arrived, coalescing into eight figures. Standing beneath the bell, their eyes widened with astonishment as they stared at the three-inch sword tip!

As they watched, the blade slowly retreated. With a flash of crimson, it vanished back into the bell, leaving behind only a mark, forever etched into its surface!

Silence descended. All eyes remained fixed on the bell, a palpable tension hanging in the air.

“Senior Brother Sect Leader, should we open the Eastern Dawn Bell…?” One of the figures spoke hesitantly.

“Not yet. When Junior Brother Ma led his expedition, he warned us never to open this bell. He said it would return on its own accord!” The sect leader replied. “The Blood Sword of Yemo… the rumors must be true, that the Seven Dao Sect lured Yemo into their secret domain!”

“That Seven-Colored Paragon abandoned his lover and sealed the Seven Dao Sect’s borders, it must mean they have found something extremely precious… Junior Brother Ma spent ages researching this, using our Unified Sect’s greatest treasure to open a passage to that domain. With his abilities and cultivation, we need not fret!” Within the arcane stone gate, the blood sword recoiled, dragging Wang Lin’s spirit back amidst the repelling forces. As he emerged from the portal, grasping the blood sword tightly, Wang Lin’s expression was a mask of grim determination.

His cultivation base surged, alert to any threat.

A dryness filled his mouth, and after what felt like an age, seeing no further changes in the stone gate, Wang Lin took a deep breath.

“The Immortal-Astral Continent! Beyond that stone gate lies the Immortal-Astral Continent!” Wang Lin stared at the surrounding passage, a glimmer of understanding in his eyes.

“I understand…”