Chapter 204: Seeking the Gate

Wang Ping smirked, then asked: "Sir, you mean the other fragment is not in the Spirit Realm?"

The Silver Stone Gate said: 【No, the alternate space is still in the Spirit Realm, but its position has been folded! It's like a big dough ball, you pinch a bulge outward, they're still stuck together; what we need to find is the place where they connect, i. e., the door!】

Wang Ping nodded, he heard and understood, but felt a bit strange; logically, this shouldn't stump it, after all, even the Silver Stone Gate and the Sword Spirit Realm can come here.

After voicing his doubts, the Silver Stone Gate explained: "It's different; the space inside Fallen Immortal Valley is a hundred times sturdier than that of the Spirit Realm. All this is due to the immortal corpse deep in the valley. If I use force, I might activate the damaged immortal dao patterns here, possibly causing some mishap. More importantly, there's a big entity on this mountain; if it's awakened, you could be caught by it!"

Wang Ping asked: "So what should we do now, search bit by bit?"

The Silver Stone Gate said: 【We can't search like that; I suspect the entrance isn't in the surface layer of space but in the inner layer. We need to enter the base layer to search.】

After saying that, it seemed to know what Wang Ping wanted to ask, and continued:

【The so-called surface and inner layers of space are like ordinary paper: a sheet consists of many extremely thin layers glued together. We live on the paper's surface; when you punch a hole in the paper, the back side is the second layer of space, but if you gently rub water on the paper, you'll lift a thin sheet, revealing one of the many thin layers before you—this corresponds to the inner layer of space. Many cultivators can break space, but few can enter the inner layer of a space layer; those who can do this have profound spatial attainment, and I must treat them with caution!】

After listening for a while, Wang Ping somewhat understood, then asked again: "Then, Exalted One, do you have a solution?"

【Nonsense, such a trivial matter couldn't possibly stump me. Give me fifty top-grade spirit stones, and I'll take action!】

Wang Ping froze, then realized what the Silver Stone Gate had just said, and exclaimed in shock: "What? Fifty top-grade spirit stones!"

【Kid! What are you shouting about? It's just fifty top-grade spirit stones. At my peak, I didn't even bother with immortal crystals. Now you're being stingy over a few spirit stones from you—do you still want to come to the Spirit Realm?】

Wang Ping stared, glumly asking: "Are you threatening me?"

The Silver Stone Gate: 【Cough cough! It's not really a threat, don't worry. Once I've merged the fragments, I'll just toss you randomly into some training ground and guarantee you'll profit handsomely!】

Actually, Wang Ping wasn't unwilling; it was just that the Silver Stone Gate suddenly demanded so many spirit stones, making him momentarily reluctant.

He painfully produced fifty spirit stones, leaving him with only forty left on his person.

A silver light flashed across Wang Ping's brow; the fifty spirit stones vanished in a swish, and the silver stone gate's manifestation in his sea of consciousness began to glow silver, soon silver patterns appeared.

After a few breaths, the Silver Stone Gate's urgent voice sounded: 【Fifty spirit stones aren't enough; give me another thirty—this place actually has a minor Void Nullification Formation, hurry!】

Wang Ping without hesitation produced another thirty-five, this time leaving him with only five; aside from using them for cultivation, they were reserved to nourish the war puppet until it was ready, then to serve as the puppet's spiritual power source.

The old man once said the puppet only needs forty-nine days of Spirit Realm time—over four years in the lower realm—to finish bonding with its master, but the time has long passed and the puppet is still in the bonding process, which is truly strange.

However, Wang Ping wasn't anxious either; he felt that he and the puppet had begun to establish a mental connection, and he sensed that soon he would be able to use the puppet!

As Wang Ping pondered, the Silver Stone Gate's voice came: 【Kid! Alright, control the silver magic cube to go to the spot I designated; this time it was truly dangerous, we almost woke the entity in the mountain. Fortunately you gave me an extra five top-grade spirit stones, otherwise I might have had to tap into my own stored energy.】

Wang Ping gave a faint smile; he was only a bit reluctant at first, but since he'd already used them, he wouldn't dwell on it, believing that henceforth he would obtain more and more top-grade spirit stones!

Along the way, nameless tall mountains were covered with strange flowers and exotic herbs; various spiritual medicines aged over ten thousand years could be seen everywhere. Wang Ping even saw a stalk of Clear Heart Grass that looked at least five thousand years old, prompting him to exclaim involuntarily:

"Can Clear Heart Grass grow to five thousand years?"

The Silver Stone Gate then said: 【That's an advanced variant of Clear Heart Grass; in this environment it has mutated, ordinary Clear Heart Grass couldn't reach such age, but for now it's not suitable for you to use.】

Wang Ping found it strange and asked: "Why?"

The Silver Stone Gate: 【Hehe, its medicinal effect is now too strong; if you take it, you might become desireless and indifferent to everything, possibly even becoming a monk.】

Wang Ping shivered; that really is a bit frightening.

The door's location is in a mountain cave; here there are over ten caves, each entrance emitting multicolored glimmers.

The one Wang Ping entered was among them; only after entering did he realize the light at the entrance came from the stones on the cave walls!

Each stone emitted bright light—red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, purple—all kinds of light intertwining to form various-colored illumination.

Even more strangely, a sound like thunder came from inside the cave, making Wang Ping very curious.

After passing through the entrance and advancing another ten li inward, Wang Ping controlled the silver magic cube to arrive at a huge stone chamber.

In the center of the stone chamber lay a beast about the size of an adult elephant, curled up in the middle; a huge mucus bubble expanded and contracted with its breath but never burst. The thunderous sound was exactly what it produced.

The beast's entire body was covered in red jade-like fur, and atop its head sat a white jade-like horn that occasionally flashed with an arc of electricity.

The stone chamber was spotless, with no trace of mess; Wang Ping found it odd: "This doesn't look like a beast's nest! It's so clean, Exalted One, what kind of beast is this?"

The Silver Stone Gate: 【Single-horn Heaven Thunder Beast! It's currently just a juvenile; it's not a mere beast but a True Spirit juvenile, and when grown it can contend with True Immortals.】

Wang Ping then heard another term: 'True Spirit juvenile, when grown it can contend with True Immortals?' What kind of heaven-defying species is this?

【Whether it's a divine beast, demon beast, ferocious beast, or any other strange beast, if as an adult it can contend with True Immortals, it can be called a True Spirit, and they may also be referred to as the True Spirit clan!】 The Silver Stone Gate explained to Wang Ping.

Wang Ping's heart surged with shock; the world actually still harbors such heaven-defying creatures.

【Alright! Don't waste time, let's go in now!】

Wang Ping asked: "Won't it disturb it?"

【No, it's currently in deep sleep; it won't wake easily!】