Chapter 253: with translation of chapter title

"Well..."

Thus 【1】: "Well..."

The Holy Maiden of Yaochi breathed a sigh of relief; just a moment ago, she had still thought something had happened, and hurriedly came to check.

The Immortal Gate shone brilliantly, with Immortal Steps appearing one after another, slowly spreading out to Yang Zhu's feet.

These steps seemed not of the mortal world; each one bore immortal radiance on its surface, outshining even countless stars gathered together.

Yang Zhu rose and stepped up the Immortal Steps one by one; his Holy Body Dao Embryo's qi and blood boiled, and the Four Auspicious Beings—True Dragon and Immortal Phoenix, each with ninety-nine manifestations—coiled around him, divine and auspicious.

His Immortal Platform emitted divine radiance, enveloping him layer by layer; even tens of thousands of li away, it remained clearly visible.

At this moment, myriad Dao rumbled, presenting various phantasms that flickered indistinctly, hazy, shrouded in Primordial Chaos Qi, as if countless universes were evolving.

Beyond the Immortal Gate lay a dazzling crystalline world, like a tract of Immortal Land, exceedingly peaceful and divine.

A single step forward would grant entry to the Immortal Realm that even ancient emperors dreamed of! The single character 'Immortal' has driven countless peerless powerhouses and heavenly talents to throw themselves into the fire, even if the chance is slim, and even whether the Immortal Realm truly exists remains unknown.

Because from ancient times to the present, no one has ever been heard to enter that realm; everything remains unknown.

Yet the stronger one's cultivation, the more they fear the passage of time, and the yearning for longevity becomes impossible to suppress.

Even an invincible emperor of heaven and earth is no exception!

Immortal Realm...

Yang Zhu walked to the Immortal Gate, but then halted, refusing to take another step, instead planting his feet there.

His eyes were deeper than the Milky Way, wishing to see through the Immortal Light to discover what lay beyond.

But inside was too murky, obscured by a strange fluctuation that even ancient emperors could not pierce, let alone him now.

"How could the Immortal Realm appear so easily? Moreover, even if it did, I cannot leave."

Yang Zhu smiled calmly, for he would not believe that gathering the Nine Secrets alone could grant access to the Immortal Realm; otherwise, the Undying Heavenly Emperor would have long since returned.

Even if it were true, his cultivation is only at the Second Immortal stage; if he truly entered, what use would it be, given the vast gap between that and the path he must walk?

In the end, he did not step forward, but sat where he was, summoning the Hun Dun Chi and the Heavenly Blade, letting them hover before the massive gate.

The Hun Dun Chi turned, circulating myriad threads of chaotic essence; holy light surged, auspicious colors dripped down, its mouth inhaling and exhaling, absorbing all the Immortal Qi leaking from the Immortal Gate to temper himself.

Likewise, the Heavenly Blade was shrouded in streaks of Immortal Light, continually awakening in its sacrificial refinement, becoming ever more fearsome and crystalline.

Boom—

Within the Immortal Gate, a tremendous roar sounded; myriad-zhang Immortal Radiance rose to the nine heavens and plunged to the nine netherworlds, illuminating past and present, with a river of ages surging.

Finally, this place was covered by various phantasms; the Immortal Gate, bearing Yang Zhu, slowly sank into the unknown world and vanished here.

Thereafter, all phantasms faded, and the all-encompassing laws of the Great Dao gradually dimmed.

"Woof! Where is the Imperial Son? Nothing unexpected will happen, will it?"

The Big Black Dog grew anxious; Yang Zhu, along with Yang Zhu, disappeared—who knows what might happen? "I believe in him."

The Holy Maiden of Yaochi whispered softly, firmly believing that Yang Zhu would surely return unharmed, and when he does, he will be even more outstanding than before.

Yang Zhu sat before the Immortal Gate, allowing himself to be led through the unknown space.

"Even if it does not lead to the Immortal Realm, the Dao seals inscribed above are in some way connected to that place."

While refining his weapons, Yang Zhu also pondered the Dao patterns on the Immortal Gate, grasping their subtleties.

He delightedly discovered that the Dao rhythm there was in no way inferior to an Emperor's Scripture, even surpassing it; his mind and spirit sank into it, all stray thoughts cast behind, even the flow of time forgotten.

Thus seated, three years passed; during this time, Yang Zhu gained many insights, and his cultivation rose step by step along the steps.

Upon reaching the topmost step, he still showed no intention of stopping.

After Second Immortal comes Third Immortal Severing the Dao; one must cut away everything, including oneself, before being able to take that step.

Yet some cultivators spend their whole lives only to halt here, unable to sever past ties, friendships, love...

All manner of karma binds them like invisible threads, layer upon layer; only by severing everything can they then stand firm!

(No need to elaborate further; those who have read the original understand.) This is a watershed; after breaking through, cultivation proceeds unhindered, but if not, the path to proving the Dao is cut off here.

But for Yang Zhu, there was no obstacle whatsoever; he hesitated not, and stepped across.

He was born a sage, and thereafter underwent nine successive severings; rather than saying he was improving, it is more like he was reliving the experience.

The next moment, heaven and earth rumbled, and the supremely splendid palace halls reappeared once more, still facing off against several emperors.

This time, unlike before, those contemporaries were not taking turns; all five emperors acted together.

This was a shocking scene that shattered heaven and earth, overturning countless minor worlds, even blowing up extraterritorial mind-dust.

However, Yang Zhu felt no fear at all; on the contrary, he grew ever more confident than before, as various ancient scriptures, secret arts, and the Nine Secrets emerged together...

Yet the divine radiance that illuminates ancient and modern times swept wildly here; the immortal light, brilliant as stellar radiance, intertwined and clashed, its momentum erasing even the traces of the Dao.

Finally, Yang Zhu, with a fierce assault, tore apart the five contemporary emperors one by one, turning them into a sheet of light that covered his surface.

Everything seemed as natural as water finding its channel, with no hindrance or mishap; Yang Zhu passed that barrier, and after cutting away everything, he underwent a sharp transformation once more.

The Hun Dun Chi and the Heavenly Blade now possessed a unique Dao rhythm, immortal mist swirling around them, even time could be stilled.

Now, the two are peerless holy weapons, not lacking in the slightest.

(Some people still shouldn't hype holy weapons; to others, sages are unattainable heights, but that is merely the protagonist's starting point.

Moreover, with so many divine materials, and the Wuji Bell aiding in the sacrificial refinement, and having been tempered in the Fire Realm, the Fusang Divine Tree, the Immortal Gate, etc., how could they not be holy weapons?)

Hum—

The pool's body trembled slightly, as if it had gained a semblance of human consciousness, actually communicating with Yang Zhu.

"Immortal Realm? I will go there myself in the future."

Yang Zhu flicked his finger, forming a spatial tunnel; he merely glanced back, then resolutely vanished from this place.

Yang Zhu continually traversed the void, heading straight toward the coordinates of Mars Gu Xing.

By the time he arrived here, the Big Black Dog and the others had already vanished without trace, the Great Thunder Sound Temple had been torn open, nearly smashed to pieces.

The ferocious beings sealed in the Eighteen Levels of Hell, judging by appearance, had all been released, their whereabouts unknown.

Could it be that Xiaohei and the others did it?

Yang Zhu, slightly doubtful, the scene before him was obviously thrown open from outside to inside; that could only be this possibility.

(End of chapter)