Chapter 311: Silver Stone Gate Reopens (II)

He selected three most practical formation disks: a high-grade 'Minor Five Elements Concealment Formation Disk', capable of laying a range-concealment formation; a 'Nine Palaces Early Warning Formation Disk', able to detect spiritual power fluctuations and vital auras within a ten-li radius; and an 'Eight Gates Lock Gold Binding Formation Disk', which has both enemy-trapping and defensive capabilities.

In addition, he replenished some high-quality blank jade slips, specially made medicine bottles, and several small magical devices convenient for survival in extreme environments.

Such a large-scale exchange consumed an astronomical number of contribution points. But Wang Ping had cleared the eleventh layer of the Heaven-Reaching Tower, earning the Dao Academy an unprecedented honor, so his reward contribution points were already vast; plus he hardly used them normally, now they came in handy. The elder guarding the treasure vault, seeing Wang Ping spend lavishly without changing expression, also secretly gasped.

After the exchange was complete, Wang Ping returned to his cave abode and began the final preparations.

His natal magic treasure, the Heaven-Overturning Seal, grew ever heavier and ancient through nurturing, its earthen-yellow spiritual light contained within, resonating with his mind. He stored it in his dantian, continuing to nurture and refine it with his Nascent Soul.

The three treasures bestowed by his master: the 'Purple Azure Divine Protection Token' worn close to his chest; the 'Heavenly Cicada Spirit Silk Armor' worn directly underneath, indeed as light as nothing, hardly feeling its presence.

The 'Heaven-Earth One Qi Bag' was tied at his waist, transferring most important supplies—especially medicinal pills, precious materials, jade slips, etc. —into it. The original storage bag now held only ordinary items and spirit stones to deflect attention.

The various newly exchanged medicine, talisman, and formation disks were sorted by category and placed in the most convenient spots. Which were for daily reserve, which for emergency use, and which were last-resort trump cards were all clearly organized in his mind.

Finally, he sat cross-legged, cleared his mind, and cultivated the Five Elements Divine Light technique to adjust his condition to optimal. At the same time, his consciousness communicated with the silver stone gate in his sea of awareness—Transcendent Senior—to finalize the details and precautions for the transit.

Three days passed quietly amidst the tense and orderly preparations.

On the fourth day, as dawn just broke, the eastern horizon showed only a faint fish-belly white.

Wang Ping, now clad in an unadorned simple green robe, silently left the peak of the Cloud Sea, startling no one, and even skipped bidding farewell to friends like Luo Qingyang and Qin Xue. He knew this journey was out of the ordinary, and the fewer who knew, the better.

He rode an inconspicuous five-colored escape light, first flying straight north for tens of thousands of li, completely leaving the core territory of the Ninth Dao Academy and entering a desolate mountain range known as the 'Vast Ancient Meridian'.

Here the terrain is rugged, ancient trees tower to the skies, but spiritual energy is relatively scarce, with few human traces—making it an ideal spot for cross-boundary transit.

Having found a hidden valley enclosed on three sides by sheer cliffs, Wang Ping again confirmed there were no signs of others nearby and no fluctuations from any monitoring formations, then sat cross-legged on a flat boulder in the valley's center.

The mountain wind blew through the valley mouth, emitting a wailing sound, adding to the desolation.

Wang Ping drew a deep breath of cool, fresh air, slowly closed his eyes, and immersed his consciousness completely into his sea of awareness.

In the sea of awareness world, the will-star constellations shone eternally; the silver stone gate stood still, flowing with a warm, moist radiance.

"Transcendent Senior," Wang Ping transmitted a clear and resolute thought: "I am fully prepared; I can set out."

The silver stone gate's light rippled slightly, and Transcendent Senior's voice, tinged with a smile, sounded:

"Are you sure you want to go to the coordinates of the Azure Void Heavenly Realm? This old one will add one last nagging note: the transit process is nothing like strolling through the inner spirit realm—it's truly a bit thrilling.

Moreover, once you get there, my energy will be exhausted, and I won't be able to send you back immediately. Once you draw the bow, there's no turning back—have you decided?"

"Certainly." Wang Ping's answer had no hesitation, each word ringing: "The path of cultivation is inherently about cutting through thorns and brambles. If one fears danger, what is there to speak of the Great Dao? Drawing the bow with no arrow to return suits me just fine!"

"Haha, good! That's exactly the spirit I want!" Transcendent Senior seemed quite pleased, "Then let's… get going! Kid, steady your mind, embrace the primordial and guard the One; the coming journey may be a bit… bumpy! Get ready—"

His words had not yet faded—

Buzz——!!!!

The silver stone gate in his sea of awareness suddenly burst forth with an unprecedented blazing silver light! Its radiance was so intense it nearly turned his entire sea of awareness into a silver ocean!

On the gate itself, those originally ancient and tranquil patterns now seemed infused with life, like countless silver dragons wildly flowing, combining, and transforming, emitting a terrifying fluctuation vast, desolate, as if piercing through endless spacetime!

At the same time, the void several zhang ahead of Wang Ping began to violently twist and ripple without any sign—like a calm water surface struck by a huge stone, with spatial wrinkles layer upon layer rising!

A point of brilliance to the extreme silver radiance sprang forth from the twisting center out of nowhere! Immediately, this point of silver light, as if alive, spun rapidly and expanded!

In the blink of an eye, it became a vortex about a zhang in diameter, its edge like water waves constantly undergoing violent twisting undulations, while its interior was a deep darkness seemingly able to swallow all light!

An indescribably terrifying suction surged forth from that silver vortex!

The boulder beneath Wang Ping instantly cracked all over, the surrounding rocks, stones, and plants trembling, as if they would be uprooted at any moment and sucked into that bottomless abyss!

"Go!"

Transcendent Senior let out an excited shout!

Wang Ping offered no further resistance, knowing this was the inevitable process of the gate opening. He rose to his feet, his body flashing with five-colored light that vanished in an instant, turning himself into an inconspicuous stream of light, and without hesitation, proactively plunged into that silver vortex!

Just as his figure disappeared into the vortex—

That violently undulating silver vortex, as if gripped by an invisible giant hand, suddenly contracted inward!

In less than a tenth of a breath's time, it shrank from a diameter of about a zhang to a point of light, then with a soft 'pfft' sound vanished completely from its original spot, as if it had never existed.

In the valley, only the boulder covered in cracks remained, along with the air still not fully restored, bearing faint spatial ripples.

The wild wind continued to blow through the valley, wailing.

Everything returned to silence.

It seemed as if the shocking scene just now had merely been an illusion.

At the very moment Wang Ping's figure entered the silver vortex.

He felt as if he had been thrown into the center of a torrent made of countless frenzied spinning blades! It also felt like falling into a boiling cauldron filled with spacetime fragments!

An indescribably terrifying tearing force acted upon his body, his spiritual power, and even his soul from all directions and every dimension simultaneously!

It was not mere physical force, but a web of death woven from chaotic spacetime power, shattered world laws, and the annihilative energy inherent in the void itself, destined to utterly grind away and erase every trace of his existence!

Before his eyes was no longer a normal visual scene, but bizarre, dazzling colors and incomprehensible geometric shapes flashing by at extreme speed, twisted to the limit, wildly rotating, stretching, shattering, and reassembling!

His ears were filled with piercing sounds beyond hearing limits, like soul-stabbing spatial tearing howls, plus the low, rumbling roar produced by countless law fragments rubbing, colliding, and annihilating each other—like the dying wail of an ancient giant beast!

Spacetime turbulence! An absolute forbidden zone between world barriers! A death zone where even God Transformation cultivators risk falling!

"Damn! This commotion… is even livelier than I estimated!" Transcendent Senior's voice echoed in Wang Ping's mind, even carrying a hint of… excitement? "Kid! Don't just stand there! Give it your all in defense—this is no sightseeing tunnel to mess around in!"

Wang Ping had already heightened his vigilance to the extreme! The instant he felt that destructive tearing force, he instinctively drove his Chaotic Five Elements Nascent Soul to an unprecedented limit!

"Five Elements cycling, Chaos returning to One—protect!"

In his dantian, the seated Chaotic Five Elements Nascent Soul suddenly opened its eyes! Within its pupils, the five-colored light cycled, ultimately turning into pure chaos! The point of murky chaotic star jade on its chest began to spin wildly at an unprecedented speed!

Vast and pure five-element spiritual power, mixed with a trace of more primordial, more overbearing chaotic qi, surged forth like a volcanic eruption from every pore of Wang Ping's body! In an instant, it condensed outside him into a thick, immensely solid light shield three chi thick!

This shield displayed a peculiar hue: its outer layer was an endless flow of the five colors—red, yellow, green, white, blue—mutually generating and overcoming, like five divine dragons head-to-tail in a cycle, forming the outermost energy buffer and diversion layer.

The inner layer was a more condensed, near-substantial layer of chaotic gray radiance; though it looked dim, it contained the supreme Dao rhyme of 'inclusivity', 'resolution', and 'return to the origin'—precisely the Chaotic Body-Protecting Divine Light activated by Wang Ping using the core power of his Chaotic Nascent Soul!

Sizzle-sizzle-sizzle! Sizzle-la-la!

Countless invisible yet real spacetime blades and law fragments, like a violent rain, madly sliced and struck the outer layer of the flowing five-colored shield!

Piercing friction and shattering sounds exploded in dense bursts! The five-colored light flared and flickered violently, like a candle in the wind, each flash representing massive consumption and replenishment of spiritual power!

What's even more terrifying is that some fragments containing special law power can actually penetrate the obstruction of the five-colored radiance and directly strike the inner layer's chaotic gray radiance!

With each impact, Wang Ping felt his nascent soul as if being hammered hard by a giant mallet, transmitting a deep bone‑marrow‑piercing pain and shock! The consumption required to maintain the chaotic divine shield was astonishingly huge!

"Hold on, kid! Your chaotic divine shield is interesting! It does a decent job dispelling chaotic energy!"

"However, the consumption is also great! Hold on, this most violent turbulent zone won't last long!" The Transcendent Elder's voice sounded exceptionally clear amidst the raging turbulent noise, as if right beside the ear.

Wang Ping clenched his teeth, veins bulging on his forehead, and the spiritual power inside his body surged wildly like a river bursting its banks.

He felt like a tiny boat sailing through horrendous waves, liable to be smashed to pieces by the next wave at any moment. But how steadfast his will was—having survived life and death in the Heaven-Reaching Tower, how could he retreat now?

He cast aside all distracting thoughts, his mind and spirit fully immersed in his nascent soul, exerting all effort to keep the protective shield stable while frantically circulating his cultivation method, trying to draw even the tiniest usable energy from this violent turbulence, even if it were a drop in the bucket.

No one knew how long he had been "drifting" in this destructive turbulence—here, the sense of time was utterly scrambled; perhaps only an instant had passed, or perhaps a hundred years had gone by.

Just as Wang Ping felt the light of the nascent soul in his dantian begin to dim, his spiritual reserves nearing exhaustion, even the rotation of the chaotic star‑sphere grew sluggish, the chaotic divine shield around his body fluctuated violently, its thickness sharply reduced, and even the surface of his skin started to crack with fine blood lines——

The surrounding tearing force and destructive energy, which had reached the utmost violence, suddenly loosened without any warning!

It was as if, from the center of a ten‑thousand‑foot waterfall's torrent, he suddenly fell into a relatively calm deep pool, yet still with surging undercurrents.

The scene before his eyes also underwent a drastic change. No longer was it the all‑destroying, color‑twisted‑to‑madness turbulence; instead it became a……strange and wondrous zone, yet bearing a certain peculiar 'order'.

Here, it seemed to be a strange space formed of countless broken 'mirrors' and 'glazed tiles'. Everywhere floated fragments of various sizes and brilliant colors. These 'fragments' were not material objects, but condensations of various materialized laws!

Some fragments were fiery red, as if unextinguishable flames leapt and burned within, emitting scorching heat and violence that could consume all things—these were shards of the broken fire‑element law.

Some fragments were pure white as snow, with edges razor‑sharp beyond compare; merely glancing at them gave the illusion of one's eyes being cut, exuding the ultimate sharpness that could sever anything—these were shards of the broken metal‑element law.

Some fragments were dull yellow and heavy, appearing clumsy yet imparting a sense of bearing all things, immovable and solemn—these were shards of the broken earth‑element law.

Some fragments were lush green, dripping with vitality, yet within their most vigorous growth hid a hint of the stillness of all things withering—these were shards of the broken wood‑element law.

Some fragments were deep azure blue, icy cold to the bone, seeming able to freeze the soul, yet containing the utmost gentleness and tenacity, the notion of dripping water penetrating stone—these were shards of the broken water‑element law.

Besides these, there were many fragments that Wang Ping could not comprehend at all, and could not even look directly at.

They emitted vibrations of a higher level, more profound and unfathomable—some brilliant as stars, some dark as abysses, some ethereal and elusive, some heavy as mountains……These were very likely law fragments of the immortal‑dao level, more complete or of a higher rank!

Here lies the 'law‑storm buffer zone' between the two worlds. Although the destructive spacetime turbulence is gone, these law fragments drifting everywhere and colliding with each other are still extremely dangerous!

Any fragment somewhat larger, if it struck head‑on, contained enough law power to severely injure a nascent‑soul cultivator, even damaging their Dao foundation!

"Yo, we've reached the buffer zone." The Transcendent Elder's voice rang out, carrying a hint of relief as if a burden had been lifted, yet still vigilant: "This place counts as the outer‑realm law‑diffusion zone of the Azure Void Heaven Domain.

"Be careful, don't let these fragments hit you—although they won't kill you, they'll be enough to make you drink a pot. However… hehe, danger often goes hand in hand with opportunity."

Wang Ping dared not be the slightest bit careless; enduring the intense pain throughout his body and the weakness from depleted spiritual power, he strained to control his now‑much‑thinner protective shield, like navigating a reef‑strewn torrent, carefully avoiding the drifting, colliding, dangerous large law fragments.

Suddenly, his gaze sharpened!

Near a few fragments emitting a pure milky‑white halo and brimming with wood‑element vitality, he keenly detected several wisps of extremely thin yet quintessentially high‑quality, incredibly agile golden‑colored gas!

That gas seemed to possess life and spirituality, drifting and weaving lightly through the chaotic law storm, as if transcending this chaos.

They themselves did not emit strong energy fluctuations, yet their very presence gave a sense of 'high‑rank', 'pure', and 'origin'.

Merely a slight touch of his divine sense, and Wang Ping felt his whole body relax; even his weary nascent soul throbbed with a yearning pulse!

"This is…" Wang Ping's heart jolted.

"Spiritual essence of the immortals!" The Transcendent Elder's voice affirmed with a hint of excitement: "Although it's just sporadic 'scraps' leaking from the Azure Void Heaven Domain along with the law fragments, it's the real deal! Kid, hurry! Try to draw in a bit!

"This will be of great benefit for you to adapt to that environment, and even to temper your nascent soul! Your chaotic nascent soul should be able to handle it!"

Opportunity lay right before him! Wang Ping had no hesitation. Enduring his bodily discomfort, he strained to control his protective shield, cautiously approaching those few wisps of golden‑colored gas.

At the same time, he silently employed the extremely rudimentary qi‑drawing method recorded in the fragmented 《Chaotic Immortal Classic》, and proactively released a wisp of his own chaotic nascent soul's unique, all‑encompassing chaotic aura, attempting to communicate with and draw in that immortal spiritual essence.

That wisp of golden‑colored immortal spiritual essence seemed to truly sense the chaotic aura emanating from Wang Ping's body.

Its movement paused slightly, as if curiously 'scanning' Wang Ping, and then it actually ceased to reject him, like a swallow returning to its nest, drifting gently and voluntarily toward his protective shield, then permeating it without hindrance and merging into his body.

Boom!

At the instant that this wisp of immortal spiritual essence, so weak it could almost be ignored, entered his body——

Wang Ping's whole body shuddered violently! It was as if a feeble current instantly surged through his limbs and bones, and also like a drop of scalding molten gold falling into icy water!

An indescribable feeling, mixing ultimate comfort with a fierce 'conflict', surged upon him all at once!

The 'quality' of this immortal spiritual essence was too high! So high that his own five‑element spiritual power, refined through heavenly tribulation and purified by transmuted chaotic nascent soul, appeared somewhat 'mixed' and 'inadequate' before it!

Wherever the immortal spiritual essence passed, the meridians, flesh, bones, and even each cell felt a searing pain like being scorched by high heat or washed by strong acid—this was the process of low‑level energy being forcibly 'purified' and 'elevated' by high‑level energy!

But closely following that pain came a sensation akin to being reborn—light, tough, and permeable!

It was as if the minute impurities accumulated in the body and the imperfect parts of the spiritual power had all been cleansed by this wisp of immortal spiritual essence!

What delighted him even more was that a certain 'vitality' and 'spiritual rhythm' contained in this wisp of immortal spiritual essence actually produced an immediate nourishing effect on his damaged flesh and weary spirit‑soul!

And the most crucial change occurred in the dantian!

That wisp of immortal spiritual essence eventually gathered in the dantian, where the chaotic five‑element nascent soul immediately sensed it.

The chaotic star‑sphere at the nascent soul's chest, which had grown sluggish from excessive consumption, seemed to smell an exquisite delicacy, suddenly accelerated its rotation, generating a strong suction that actively drew in that wisp of immortal spiritual essence!

At the moment the murky chaotic star‑sphere came into contact with the golden‑colored immortal spiritual essence, a wondrous change occurred.

The immortal spiritual essence was not simply absorbed; instead, under the grinding rotation of the chaotic star‑sphere, it was rapidly decomposed and refined, its pure essence separated out, merged with the power of the chaotic star‑sphere itself, and ultimately transformed into a wisp……

…a brand‑new power that was more condensed and profound than Wang Ping's original five‑element spiritual power, bearing a hint of faint chaotic implication and a weak golden speck of light!

This wisp of power was so weak as to be hardly detectable, yet its essence made Wang Ping's nascent soul tremble—it was the faint prototype of the true 'Chaotic Immortal Essence' described in the fragment he had once read!

Although the conversion efficiency was pitifully low and the amount of immortal spiritual essence absorbed was negligible, this qualitative change lifted Wang Ping's spirits, dispelling most of his fatigue!

"Indeed it works!" Wang Ping exclaimed inwardly, excited.

"Hehe, what did I say earlier?" The Transcendent Elder's tone was smug: "The Way of Chaos encompasses all things, smelts all creation.

"No matter how high‑grade the immortal spiritual essence, it cannot escape the categories of 'energy' and 'law'. Keep going! There should still be sporadic immortal spiritual essence in this buffer zone—take a few more breaths!

"Such a thing, in your spiritual realm, is a treasure you couldn't find even with a lantern! Not only can it heal injuries and restore vitality, but for your future condensation of true chaotic immortal essence, it holds a foundational significance!"

Having tasted the sweet result, Wang Ping no longer hesitated; on one side he became even more careful to avoid collisions with dangerous law fragments, on the other he extended his divine sense to the limit, like the keenest hunter, searching the chaotic law storm for those thin golden‑colored gases. Upon finding them, he immediately approached cautiously and drew them in.

Although each time he could only absorb a thread, and the process demanded full concentration and considerable consumption, little by little it accumulated. As wisp after wisp of feeble immortal spiritual essence was absorbed and refined……

Wang Ping not only swiftly replenished his expended spiritual power; the wounds on his body began to heal at a speed visible to the naked eye, even his dim Nascent Soul regained luster, appearing even more solidified than before the transit.

Wang Ping, in this dazzling yet perilous buffer zone of the law storm, drifted with difficulty and determination, dodging dangers while seizing opportunities.

After an unknown span of time, deep within the boundless, seven‑colored chaotic light ahead, a distinct halo suddenly appeared.

That halo shone with a steady, soft azure‑white, starkly different from the surrounding violent, multicolored law‑fragment light; initially tiny, just a fuzzy point of light, it rapidly enlarged and grew clearer as Wang Ping drifted in the buffer zone.

"The exit is here!" the Transcendent Elder's voice sounded timely, tinged with fatigue but mostly solemn: "Kid, get ready! We are about to reach the outer space barrier of the Azure Void Heavenly Domain! My stored energy is about to run out, the transit passage will close! Landing may cause impact—protect your vitals!"

The words had barely faded—

Wang Ping suddenly felt the ground vanish beneath him! The force that had been faintly supporting and guiding his drift in the buffer zone, like a severed rope, disappeared instantly!

His whole body lost all support, hurled forward by tremendous inertia like a cannonball, slamming into the rapidly expanding azure‑white halo ahead.

The light and shadow before his eyes shifted violently, stretched, twisted! Finally, they turned into a pure, dazzling azure‑white!

Immediately came a violent impact, as if striking a mountain, and an uncontrollable sensation of weightlessness and the world spinning!

Bang!!! Boom—!!!

In the deafening roar, Wang Ping felt himself slam solidly at extreme speed into something unimaginably hard; his bones groaned under the strain, as if about to fall apart any moment. The last maintained protective light shield shattered like an eggshell under this terrifying impact, turning into scattered light points that dissipated.

Pfft—!

The violent jolt displaced Wang Ping's viscera; his throat felt sweet, and a large mouthful of blood mixed with organ fragments spewed out. His vision went dark, intense dizziness and pain nearly overwhelmed him.

Survival instinct and tenacious will let him retain a last trace of clarity. He fiercely bit his tongue tip, the pain bringing instant clarity; he summoned the last bit of spiritual power, five‑colored light struggled to flow over his ruined body, while he made a miserable roll, shedding some impact, half‑kneeling to stabilize his stance.

Without pausing to wipe blood from his mouth corner or check his injuries, Wang Ping immediately lifted his head; five‑colored divine light flowed in the depths of his eyes, vigilantly and swiftly scanning his surroundings; his divine sense spread like mercury poured over the ground.

First to come into view was the sky.

It was a sky he had never seen, extraordinarily strange—not the usual azure or deep starry sky of the spirit realm, but a kind of almost transparent azure‑white, as if veiled in extremely thin mist; this azure‑white was not dim, but emitted a constant, gentle light sufficient to illuminate the whole world. No sun, moon, or stars outline; the firmament itself was the light source, lofty, vast, carrying an eternal solitude and mystery.

Then came the ground.

A vast, desolate, deathly silent dark earth. The ground was gray‑brown, covered with intersecting huge fissures, terrifyingly massive. Some fissures were tens of zhang wide, bottomless, like ugly scars on the earth that could never heal, exuding a chilling aura. In the distance, one could see continuous undulating but mostly broken mountain ranges. Those peaks only half remained, their fractured faces smooth as mirrors, as if cleaved by a heaven‑splitting giant sword. Further away, under the hazy sky light, faintly visible were the outlines of collapsed giant buildings, like beast skeletons, silently lying in the dust.

In the air permeated an extremely complex aura.

The strongest, most obvious was a spiritual qi so pure it was inconceivable, so lively it seemed alive. This spiritual qi surpassed that of the highest‑grade blessed lands in the spirit realm by at least one level in quality. Just inhaling a mouthful, Wang Ping felt his ruined body transmit a strong sense of fullness and stabbing pain, as if his weak body could not endure such high‑quality energy infusion—this was exactly the "Immortal Spiritual Qi" the Transcendent Elder spoke of! Rich, pure, everywhere!

But within this tempting immortal spiritual qi were mixed other unsettling things: a faint trace of decay aura left after myriad things rot; a settled presence in the air that would not dissipate, carrying a bloody, desperate killing aura; and countless extremely fine yet real, making space slightly twist and soul feel inexplicable throbbing—chaotic law fluctuations.

The whole world was terrifyingly silent.

No wind howling, no insect chirps or bird calls, no murmuring streams, not even the rustle of leaves being rubbed. Only in the distance, occasionally came a faint "crack" like shattering glass, from unknown source—these were tiny fissures produced by unstable spatial structure.

And beneath his feet, from deep within the heavy, solemn earth came a faint, muffled yet regular "thud… thud…" rhythm, like the slow heartbeat of an ancient slumbering beast.

Barren, lifeless, shattered, ancient, perilous… yet it harbored a frenzy-inducing energy and possibly concealed ruins holding endless secrets.

This place… was a fragment of the immortal realm—the Azure Void Heavenly Realm!

Wang Ping slowly and with difficulty straightened his body; every movement sent tearing pain through him. He wiped the blood from the corners of his mouth and chin, feeling the omnipresent dense immortal spiritual energy in the air that brought both agony and vitality, and feeling the starkly different laws and aura of this strange world.

Although his body suffered severe injuries, his spiritual power was nearly exhausted, and his soul was weary to the point of breaking from long travel and the final impact, yet his eyes, after the initial wariness and scrutiny, gradually ignited two blazing flames named "yearning" and "resolve".

Having survived nine deaths and one life, crossing countless perils, he finally… arrived!

And almost at the same moment he steadied his stance and began to survey his surroundings, from the depths of his sea of consciousness came the Transcendent Elder's final faint, weary thought, yet one that carried the feeling of a burden lifted:

"Kid… old man… my energy is completely depleted… I must fall into deep hibernation to recharge… from now on… it's all up to you…"

"Remember… danger lurks everywhere here… but opportunities abound… keep your wits about you… survive… find a way to advance…"

"The time of return… uncertain… you… please take care…"

The thoughts came in fragments, then vanished completely.

Wang Ping could clearly feel that the silver stone gate in his sea of consciousness had now lost all its radiance, withdrawn and silent, as plain as an ordinary stone, emitting no trace of spiritual fluctuation. The mysterious connection between it and Wang Ping had also weakened to the point of being almost imperceptible.

The Transcendent Elder had temporarily "left".

From now on, until the stone gate is fully recharged, awakens again, and opens the return passage, Wang Ping will truly and completely be alone, stranded in this unfamiliar, perilous, mysterious yet infinitely promising fragment of the immortal realm.

The road ahead is vast; life and death are his own responsibility.

Wang Ping drew a deep breath; the dense, overbearing immortal spiritual energy surged into his lungs, bringing a sharp pain yet also a surge of vitality and strength. He no longer hesitated, enduring the pain, he found a relatively wind‑sheltered spot with a broad view beneath a cliff and sat cross‑legged.

Five hearts facing heaven, the cultivation method circulates.

He began attempting to absorb and refine this world's immortal spiritual energy, to heal his wounds, restore his spiritual power, and gradually adapt himself to this environment, which was vastly different from the spiritual realm and of a higher order.

Above him lay the ancient Azure Void's immortal domain's remnant sky.

Beneath his feet lay the shattered, silent ancient immortal soil.

Behind him stretched the endless void where the path back had been cut off.

Ahead lay the unknown perilous path shrouded in mist, and also the sole route to a higher Great Dao and to uncover more secrets…