Chapter 330

Those who killed my Shi Gu tribe members and carry our clan's death warrant shall have their souls enter the netherworld ghost fire, to be forged for ten thousand ages.

The half-step to God Transformation netherworld powerhouse spoke with a dry, hoarse voice, like stones grinding, and slowly raised a hand wrapped in black flames, pointing at Wang Ping: "You, come out and die."

The two newly arrived factions had clear targets, killing intent soaring, and instantly became the most dreaded force on the battlefield.

The original four besieging Wang Ping—the Blood River Elder, the Golden Horn Demon King, and other old monsters—also unconsciously eased their attacks, observing the newcomers with surprise and uncertainty, rapidly calculating in their hearts.

The light of the chaotic gate grew ever dimmer, time nearly exhausted; any change could affect the final chance to enter.

Wang Ping and his three companions felt pressure surge, facing multiple strong enemies surrounding them; even with seamless coordination and all trump cards played, they felt a wave of helplessness.

Especially that half-step to God Transformation netherworld powerhouse—his pressure was like a substantial mountain, causing Wang Ping's Five Elements Chaotic Domain to operate sluggishly by a few degrees.

At this tense, brink-of-explosion chaotic moment, an anomaly occurred, once again exceeding everyone's expectations!

"Om——!"

A deep, distant bell toll, as if coming from the far end of ancient time and space, rang out without warning across the entire Chen Xing Plain! This bell sound did not act on the eardrums, but directly shook the divine souls and spiritual power cores deep within each cultivator!

Immediately afterward, above everyone's heads, the center of the grayish cloud vortex rotating slowly due to the opening of the chaotic gate surged violently like water ripples!

Five figures, bathed in a pure, ancient radiance utterly different from the aura of any cultivator present—whether from the Spirit Realm or elsewhere—slowly stepped forth from the void!

These five all wore standardized, archaic armor. The armor was neither metal nor jade, dark bluish in color, its surface engraved with complex, profound cloud patterns and star constellations, inner light contained, as if holding some dormant great power.

Their auras were deep, condensed, and heavy; though not as overwhelming as the half-step to God Transformation netherworld powerhouse, each had reached the late Nascent Soul stage or even perfection!

More importantly, their auras were utterly one with the environment of the Qing Ming Heavenly Realm, as if they were naturally part of this heaven and earth; the spiritual fluctuations they stirred in movement carried an indescribable "ancient意" and "orthodoxy."

The leader was a man with a stern visage, roughly middle-aged, his eyes opening and closing with a clear divine light; his aura was indeed Nascent Soul perfection.

He held a strange weapon that was neither halberd nor spear, its tip inlaid with a constantly flashing blue crystal stone. His gaze swept over the chaotic battlefield below, especially when seeing the soon-to-dissipate chaotic gate, his brows furrowed deeply, his eyes revealing a deep worry and... anger?

"Cease fighting!"

The middle-aged man spoke, his voice not loud, yet carrying a strange penetrative force and undeniable majesty, clearly transmitted into everyone's ears, actually suppressing the killing intent on the battlefield for a moment.

"You outside cultivators, trespassing into the Qing Ming Heavenly Realm, disturbing the peace of the remains, and even seeking to open the 'Suppress Void Immortal Palace'—do you know this act is seeking death, and will bring about a cataclysmic disaster?"

The middle-aged man's eyes flashed like lightning, staring fixedly at everyone present, especially lingering on Wang Ping, Cang Xuan, and others, and on the Immortal Key before them.

"Who are you? Speaking such nonsense here!" The Blood River Elder, with the most explosive temper, seeing the Immortal Palace gate about to close and then being obstructed by this inexplicably appearing person, shouted angrily.

The middle-aged man's gaze swept coldly over the Blood River Elder; his eyes held a look of looking down and detachment, as if observing an ignorant, noisy child:

"I am 'Yun Hao,' a survivor of the 'Qing Ming Heavenly Realm,' after the ancient 'Suppress Void Immortal Court' shattered, I survived as a descendant of its guardians in this fragment world."

"Survivors of the Qing Ming Heavenly Realm? Guardian descendants?" Everyone hearing this was stunned.

The Qing Ming Heavenly Realm, as a fragment of an ancient battlefield, had violent spiritual energy and a harsh environment; besides outside cultivators coming to seek treasure and adventure, no one had ever heard of native sentient beings, let alone calling them "survivors"!

"Impossible! The Qing Ming Heavenly Realm is a dead, lifeless place—how could sentient beings survive long?" Gui Gu Elder said in a gloomy voice, clearly disbelieving.

Yun Hao coldly snorted, not directly refuting, but raised his hand to point at the distant enormous circular pits and stellar remnants on the Chen Xing Plain:

"What you see as broken is merely an insignificant corner of the former Immortal Court. The true 'Qing Ming Heavenly Realm' is far broader than you imagine, and also far more... dangerous than what you see.

We survivors have dwelled for generations in the 'World-Seeking Pure Land' opened in the depths of the fragments, guarding the most important remnants in this ruin, including, of course, the 'Suppress Void Immortal Palace' before your eyes!"

He paused, his tone becoming immensely heavy: "The Immortal Palace is not the opportunity treasury you imagine!

It is a hub the ancient Immortal Court exhausted all its strength to build, to suppress and seal a channel connected to the 'Gui Xu Abyss'! The core within the palace seals part of the origin of a 'Great Terror' that leaked from the Gui Xu Abyss!

Once the Immortal Palace's seal is improperly opened or destroyed, not only will the entire Qing Ming Heavenly Realm fragment prematurely accelerate its collapse and the seal loosen, but it may also allow the 'Great Terror's' aura to leak; by then, not to mention you intruders, even many worlds near the fragment may be affected, causing all living beings to suffer!"

Yun Hao's voice carried a sense of pain and urgency, not seeming feigned. The four survivor warriors behind him also had solemn expressions, faintly forming a battle array, their auras connected, their affinity with this heaven and earth higher—clearly long-term inhabitants cultivating here, having mastered part of this place's fragmentary law power.

However, these earth-shattering words fell on the ears of cultivators dazed by greed and the imminent opportunity, and were like wind passing by the ear.

"Hahaha! Absurd!" the Golden Horn Demon King laughed wildly, "What survivors, what Great Terror! Just an excuse to monopolize the opportunity seeing the Immortal Palace about to open! Such tricks—do you think you can fool a three-year-old?"

"Gui Xu Abyss? Great Terror? This old man has cultivated for a thousand years, what dangerous place have I not entered? Alarmist talk!" the Blood River Elder said, face full of disdain.

Jue Qing Palace's Leng Ning Shuang frowned slightly, as if pondering, but her gaze remained icy, clearly not fully believing either. The half-step to God Transformation netherworld powerhouse, Ming Gu, remained silent, the two faint lights under his hood flickering slightly, unknown what he thought.

Wang Ping, Cang Xuan, and the other two were also shaken in their hearts. Having come all this way, experienced dangers, they had a deep understanding of the Qing Ming Heavenly Realm's strangeness and danger.

Yun Hao's words, though sounding fantastical, combined with the endless killing intent of the Immortal Fall Battlefield, the strange vitality of the Transformation Spirit Mountain, the pure destruction of the Forbidden Abyss Ruins, and this chaotic Immortal Palace itself emitting an ancient suppressing aura... seemed not entirely impossible.

"Senior Yun Hao," Wang Ping pressed down his injuries, stepped forward, clasped his hands, and said, "We juniors came seeking the Immortal Palace's opportunity, having gathered the Immortal Keys after life-and-death trials. Senior's words are of great importance; could you provide more solid evidence? If opening the Immortal Palace truly brings overturning danger, we naturally would not dare to defy heaven's great taboo."

Yun Hao looked at Wang Ping, a flash of strange color in his eyes, as if sensing Wang Ping's chaotic aura, unlike that of ordinary people. He spoke in a deep voice:

"Evidence? The 'Suppress Void Demon-Sealing Grand Array' patterns lingering around the Immortal Palace's exterior, and the 'Gui Xu Killing Qi' emanating from within the palace—same origin as the Qing Ming Heavenly Realm's destructive aura but more pure and ancient—are clear proof!

The ancestral teachings and ancient texts passed down by us survivors generation to generation, moreover, are word for word, stained with blood and tears! If you insist on opening it, you are seeking your own death, and are sinners of this heaven and earth!"

As his words fell, the four survivor warriors behind him stepped forward simultaneously, weapons raised; the runes on their dark blue armor lit up one by one, resonating with the surrounding space, a mighty, irresistible united aura rose, actually suppressing the scattered auras of the various cultivators opposite!

"Immediately hand over all Immortal Keys and retreat from the Immortal Palace's range! Otherwise, do not blame us for carrying out our guardian duty—we will drive you all out... or slay you!"

Yun Hao's voice turned cold and decisive, the blue crystal light on his strange weapon flaring brightly, driving the surrounding air to stagnate.

Conflict, imminent!

"Slay? Such big talk!" the Golden Horn Demon King laughed furiously, "A few hidden-headed, hidden-tailed survivors dare to speak of slaying us? The sons of my demon clan, follow me first to slaughter these troublesome ones!"

He was naturally fiery, and again stimulated by the Immortal Palace's opportunity; at this moment he struck first, his great axe carrying the might to split mountains and rocks, rolling up violent demon winds, directly chopping at Yun Hao! His two demon clan Nascent Soul subordinates followed closely, revealing partial true forms, roaring as they lunged.

"Foolish and stubborn!" Yun Hao's eyes flashed with cold light; he did not retreat but advanced, his strange weapon drawing a profound trajectory, actually striking first despite coming later, pointing at an inconspicuous node on the side of the Golden Horn Demon King's axe blade!

This strike seemed light, yet exquisite to the utmost—it struck precisely at the gap where the Golden Horn Demon King's old force was exhausted and new force not yet born!

"Ding!"

A clear gold-iron collision! The Golden Horn Demon King's heavy, powerful axe was actually deflected slightly by this light strike, most of its mighty force wasted, chopping into the ground and blasting a huge pit.

Meanwhile, the blue crystal light on Yun Hao's weapon flashed, a highly condensed blue radiance shot out, straight stabbing at the Golden Horn Demon King's face!

The Golden Horn Demon King was greatly alarmed; in haste he tilted his head to dodge, the blue radiance grazing his horn, actually leaving a deep scorch mark on that extremely hard, comparable to sixth-grade spirit material, single horn! Pain transmitted, the Golden Horn Demon King was both startled and furious.

At the same time, the four survivor warriors behind Yun Hao also moved.

The four acted as one, their steps profound, instantly forming a small battle array.

One held a shield; the shield's runes lit up, forming a huge blue light shield, easily blocking the Blood River Elder's opportunistic blood waves and the attacks of two demon clan Nascent Soul cultivators; one held a long spear; the spear thrust like a dragon, dotting cold stars enveloping the Phantom Butterfly Fairy, forcing her to retreat repeatedly, poisonous miasma unable to approach.

One drew a long bow; at the sound of the bowstring, three arrows completely condensed from pure wind spiritual power, in a triangular formation, shot toward the several strongest ancient corpses summoned by the Gui Gu Elder; the arrows exploded on contact, wind blades raging, tearing the corpse qi and runes from the ancient corpses' surfaces.

The last person then formed hand seals and chanted ancient incantations; instantly, strands of emerald vines rose from the ground (not real plants, but pure wood-element spiritual power made manifest), wrapping around the shadowy tendrils extending from the netherbone and the approaching netherworld deathly aura, actually managing to briefly resist them!

Upon contact, the five survivors displayed astonishing combat prowess! Not only were their individual strengths formidable, but they also excelled in coordinated battle formations and had mastered the use of the Qingming Heavenly Realm's environment and energy to the utmost, often achieving maximum results with minimal expenditure.

Especially Yunhao, whose combat experience and techniques were incredibly seasoned, his control of power was exquisite to the point of perfection; he could actually hold his own against the frenzied Golden-Horned Demon King for a short time without falling behind!

Xuehe Shangren, Gui Gu Shangren, Huan Die Xianzi, Minggu and the others, seeing this, were shocked in their hearts. These survivors were not bluffing; their strength far exceeded expectations! Moreover, they clearly understood this environment very well, and when fighting, they moved like fish in water.

Jueqing Palace's Leng Ning Shuang and the half-step God Transformation netherworld powerhouse Minggu (who was fighting the survivors was another netherworld cultivator; this Minggu was a half-step God Transformation cultivator) watched coldly from the sidelines, not immediately joining the battle, seemingly assessing the situation.

Wang Ping and the others felt slightly less pressure, but their hearts grew heavier. The appearance of the survivors and their words cast a heavy shadow over the soon-to-be-opened Immortal Palace.

Should we believe the survivors' words and abandon the opportunity right before our eyes? Or should we deem their claims lies meant to monopolize the opportunity and continue to force the opening?

Cangxuan transmitted via sound: "These survivors are immensely strong and do not seem to be feigning. Their spoken 'great terror' is better believed than doubted. But the Immortal Palace is right before our eyes; to give up now would be truly hard to accept."

Yuliuli also said: "Regarding the seal Yunhao spoke of, I, using the Fallen Immortal Clan's secret art, sensed that deep within the Immortal Palace there indeed exists an extremely subtle yet heart-pounding abnormal fluctuation, seemingly connected to some kind of 'disease source' of the entire Qingming Heavenly Realm."

The spiritual fluctuations of the Nether Shadow transmitted: "Though these five are strong, they are not invincible. However, if what they say is true, forcibly opening may bring unforeseen consequences."

Wang Ping's eyes flickered as he rapidly weighed the options in his mind. He recalled the silver stone gate in his Sea of Consciousness (the Transcendent Elder) had once mentioned that the Qingming Heavenly Realm was a "key," also containing great danger. Perhaps, the survivors' words were not baseless.

At this moment, the battlefield situation changed again. The Golden-Horned Demon King and Yunhao clashed head-on for several exchanges; although Yunhao slightly gained the upper hand, he could not quickly defeat his opponent, instead being provoked into angry roars by Yunhao's exquisite combat techniques.

The other survivor warriors also fought evenly against Xuehe Shangren and the others. Meanwhile, the light of the Chaos Gate had dimmed to only a thin layer, its edges beginning to turn transparent and blurred; looking at it, it would likely completely dissipate in just a few dozen breaths!

"The gate is closing!" someone cried out in alarm.

At this, everyone became anxious! Whether they wanted to seize treasure, take revenge, or prevent the opening, none wished to see the gate close!

"Stop!"

Suddenly, the half-step God Transformation netherworld powerhouse Minggu spoke with a hoarse voice. He took a step forward, releasing the terrifying pressure of a half-step God Transformation cultivator without reservation, instantly enveloping the entire场, causing even the fierce battle to stagnate for a moment!

Yunhao and the Golden-Horned Demon King also took the opportunity to separate, each becoming vigilant.

Minggu's gaze slowly swept over Yunhao, Wang Ping, and others, as well as the soon-to-vanish gate, his voice dry: "Time is short. Survivors, you constantly claim the Immortal Palace suppresses the great terror, and opening will bring great calamity. Yet the Immortal Palace's gate has already appeared, the keys have gathered, and the situation is irreversible.

Your obstruction is merely fear of the seal being broken. If so, could there be a compromise?"

Yunhao frowned tightly: "A compromise? Unless I, leading the survivors, oversee the opening and strictly restrict the entrants' behavior, ensuring the core seal remains untouched!"

"Led by you? Ridiculous!" Xuehe Shangren immediately objected.

"Not touch the core seal? Then what treasures are we going in for?" Gui Gu Shangren also said in a gloomy tone.

Minggu, however, seemed to have anticipated this, and said slowly: "The opening of the Immortal Palace is already a foregone conclusion. Forcible obstruction will only result in mutual loss, and may even accidentally damage the palace's external structure in the melee, leading to unpredictable consequences. Rather…… we should establish rules."

He looked toward Yunhao: "The survivors may send a representative to enter, supervising that no one touches the core seal area. Outside cultivators, relying on their own abilities and opportunities, may explore the non-core areas.

As for who enters first…… it could be the key-holder who goes first, after all, the merit of opening the door cannot be ignored. But they must make a Heavenly Demon Great Oath: upon entering the Immortal Palace, they shall not actively destroy or attempt to touch the core seal; violators will suffer Heavenly Demon backlash, body and spirit annihilated!"

He then looked toward Xuehe Shangren, Golden-Horned Demon King, etc.: "And you, if you agree to this pact and swear that within the Immortal Palace you will not actively attack the key-holders and their allies to seize the key (after entering, each seeks their own opportunity, the key itself becomes useless), you may also enter afterward. Otherwise, you will either fight the survivors to the death here, or watch helplessly as the gate closes."

Minggu's proposal was indeed shrewd: it partially acknowledged the survivors' concerns while guaranteeing the opening and entry of the Immortal Palace would proceed.

Placing Wang Ping and the three others who held the keys in relative safety. With the oath protecting the key from being seized, and the position to enter first, it eased their greatest pressure.

At the same time, it also gave hope of entry to Xuehe Shangren and the other old monsters, preventing them from jumping the wall in desperation and joining forces to first deal with the most "troublesome" survivors.

Upon hearing this, all parties rapidly calculated in their hearts.

Wang Ping and the three exchanged glances. Minggu's proposal was most advantageous to them. It allowed entry into the Immortal Palace while temporarily avoiding becoming the target of everyone's anger, and with the survivors supervising the core seal, it could somewhat reduce risk.

Although the binding force of the Heavenly Demon Oath might be discounted for some demonic cultivators, given the crowd and mixed eyes present, and with the survivors and the netherworld clan as powerful enemies nearby, it was still somewhat of a constraint.

Yunhao's expression shifted, obviously struggling. He knew that once the Immortal Palace opened, variables would be immense. But as Minggu said, forcible obstruction, with so many powerhouses surrounding, would be nearly impossible, and a melee would be even more dangerous. If there could be an oath-bound constraint, and his own people entered to supervise, perhaps the harm could be minimized……

Leng Ning Shuang of Jueqing Palace said coldly: "My Jueqing Palace seeks only the key for revenge. If we follow this pact, after entering the Immortal Palace, we must not cause disputes over the key again; would our revenge then count as 'actively seizing the key'?"

Minggu replied indifferently: "The key has already been used to open the door; after entering, it has no practical value. Revenge or not is your private grudge with the key-holder, unrelated to the pact. But if revenge triggers a large-scale melee affecting the core, it violates the common interest of all who have sworn the oath."

This meaning is clear: private revenge is allowed, but do not make a big scene, do not interfere with important matters.

Xuehe Shangren, Golden-Horned Demon King, and the other old monsters, though unwilling to let Wang Ping and the three enter first, seeing the gate about to close, if they disagreed, they would likely gain nothing. Moreover, entering first does not necessarily mean obtaining the best treasures, as the Immortal Palace's interior is surely full of dangers…… weighing pros and cons, they seemed to have no choice but to agree.

"Good! I agree!" the Golden-Horned Demon King was the first to roar, "Swear the oath then swear it! Hurry up! The gate is about to vanish!"

"I agree too!" Xuehe Shangren gritted his teeth.

Gui Gu Shangren, Huan Die Xianzi, and others also expressed their stance. Jueqing Palace's Leng Ning Shuang remained silent for a moment, then nodded. The two female cultivators behind her also had no objections.

Seeing the situation was lost, Yunhao let out a heavy sigh, his gaze complex as he glanced at the gate about to dissipate, then swept harshly over everyone present:

"Since you insist on this…… then follow this pact! But I warn you all, the Heavenly Demon Oath is no trivial matter, and the core of the Immortal Palace concerns the very existence of this realm!

If anyone dares to violate it, I, the Qingming Survivors, even if I must pursue to the ends of the earth, will surely slay them, and will spare no expense to make amends!"

He turned to the survivor warrior holding a bow behind him: "Qingyu, you follow me in. The remaining three, stay outside, on standby to respond at any time, monitoring the gate's anomalies!"

"Yes, Leader!" the three survivor warriors replied in unison.

Then, under the increasingly faint light of the Chaos Gate, a peculiar and solemn oath-taking ceremony was hastily conducted.

Led by Minggu and Yunhao, Wang Ping, Cangxuan, Yuliuli, Nether Shadow, Xuehe Shangren, Golden-Horned Demon King, Gui Gu Shangren, Huan Die Xianzi, Jueqing Palace's Leng Ning Shuang and the two female cultivators, as well as the bow-wielding survivor Qingyu, fifteen cultivators about to enter the Immortal Palace each squeezed out a drop of essence blood, mixed with a thread of their natal divine soul aura, and traced an ancient Heavenly Demon Oath rune in the air.

All voices rang out in unison reciting the oath: "I swear by my Dao-heart and divine soul, upon entering this 'Seal-Void Immortal Palace,' I shall not actively destroy, touch, or probe the core seal area. If I violate this oath, Heavenly Demon shall devour my soul, my Dao foundation shall crumble, and I shall never attain transcendence in eternity!"

The oath rune absorbed the essence blood and soul-thought, its light blazing brightly, then instantly split into fifteen tiny blood-red seals, each sinking into the glabella of the respective person, vanishing from sight. An invisible binding force instantly enveloped the divine souls of all present.

This Heavenly Demon Great Oath is no trivial matter; unless one's cultivation far surpasses the level at the time of swearing (at least reaching the true Immortal realm), once violated, one will surely suffer backlash—lightly, cultivation ruined; heavily, body and spirit destroyed.

After the oath was sworn, the tense atmosphere eased slightly, but mutual vigilance did not diminish in the slightest.

"Quick! Activate the Immortal Key!" Yunhao urged loudly, the gate's light now like a candle in the wind.

Wang Ping no longer hesitated; he exchanged a glance with Cangxuan and Nether Shadow, and the three simultaneously threw their Immortal Keys toward the vanishing Chaos Gate!

Six keys met before the gate, instantly bursting forth with the final, and strongest, light! Following an unseen pull, they suddenly merged, forming a seven-colored light shuttle of incredible condensation, containing the complete Five Elements Yin-Yang and a trace of Chaos origin!

"Squeak——!"

The light shuttle lightly pierced the center of the dim Chaos Gate.

As if spring ice thawed, as if a slumbering ancient god opened its eyes. The already nearly transparent Chaos Gate shuddered violently! Countless more complex and ancient runes emerged from within, flowing and turning! The gate, visible to the naked eye, rapidly became solid and substantial, emitting a Chaos aura even more vast and majestic than before! The Chaos void within was no longer boundlessly deep, but revealed a glowing, mysterious passage paved by Chaos currents, leading to unknown depths!

The gate of the Seal-Void Immortal Palace (Chaos Immortal Palace), after enduring twists and turns, finally…… was completely opened!

"The gate is stabilized! It can last about an hour!" Yunhao sensed the gate's fluctuations, quickly judging, "Only three can pass at a time, with intervals of at least three breaths, to avoid destabilizing the passage!"

"Wang Ping, fellow Daoist, you go first!" Ming Gu looked at Wang Ping and the others, his tone flat yet undeniable.

Wang Ping took a deep breath, suppressed all distracting thoughts, and nodded to Cang Xuan, Yu Liuli, and You Ying.

"Let's go!"

Among the four, Wang Ping, Cang Xuan, and You Ying were the first to transform into three streaks of light, without hesitation plunging into the chaotic gate emanating an ancient primordial aura, their figures instantly swallowed by the chaotic currents.

After three breaths, Yu Liuli and the refugees Yun Hao and Qing Yu followed closely behind, entering the immortal palace.

Thereafter came Leng Ning Shuang of the Ruthless Palace, the Blood River Elder, the Golden Horn Demon King, the Ghost Skull Elder, the Phantom Butterfly Immortal, and the half-step Divine Transformation cultivator Ming Gu and his companions, entering the gate in batches according to some unspoken order.

On the Sinking Star Plains, only three remaining refugee warriors stood guard, along with a few cultivators who had abandoned entry due to feeling insufficiently skilled, being seriously injured, or harboring other plans, gazing at the towering chaotic gate with varied expressions.