Chapter 230

Zhongzhou, an ancient altar.

This altar is pyramid‑shaped, soaring into the clouds, its entire body built of unknown blue‑black giant stones.

Time has left mottled marks on the stones, each groove containing the primordial Dao rhythm from when heaven and earth first opened.

This is the navel of Sanqian Zhou, linking to the depths of the world's origin.

Gu Xuan Ce directed over a hundred Gu Family formation masters, busily working around the altar.

A golden bronze pillar a hundred zhang long, engraved with countless intricate runes, hovered above the altar.

This is the Boundary‑Binding Immortal Pillar, a treasure forged by the Gu Family's Armory Hall at great cost of rare immortal gold to suppress the realm.

Gu Cangsheng has already left Sanqian Zhou and headed for the outskirts of the Boundary Wall.

In space, this old‑farmer‑dressed Jue Dian Immortal King sat cross‑legged in the void.

He spread his arms, his Chaotic Indestructible Golden Body operating at its limit, a gray‑purple halo like a great net enveloping all of Sanqian Zhou tightly.

The probing gaze of the immortal realm was completely intercepted by that net.

"Yuan'er, it's up to you now. Grandpa's got your back outside—go for it." Gu Cangsheng's voice transmission rang in Gu Yuan's ears.

Gu Yuan stood at the altar's summit, the wild wind buffeting his white robes.

He inwardly viewed his dantian; the World Tree sapling was emitting a soft seven‑colored light.

"Uncle Xuan Ce, act." Gu Yuan gave the order.

Gu Xuan Ce formed seals with both hands, murmuring incantations.

"Fall!"

Over a hundred formation masters exerted their strength together, pouring their internal mana into the Boundary‑Binding Immortal Pillar.

The hundred‑zhang golden pillar let out a heaven‑shaking dragon's roar, carrying the force of ten thousand jun, and slammed straight into the altar's center.

The golden pillar sank one‑third into the ground.

All of Sanqian Zhou shuddered violently.

This tremor was not a physical earthquake but a resonance of the laws.

The sky changed color.

Yunzhou, Haizhou, Jianzhou, Longzhou… the spiritual qi of all the major provinces ran rampant. Rivers flowed backward, volcanoes erupted, birds and beasts lay prone on the ground, uttering terrified cries.

The world's origin sensed the intrusion of foreign matter and began to resist.

Beneath the altar, an immeasurably huge repulsive force surged forth, trying to launch the Boundary‑Binding Immortal Pillar upward.

The golden pillar shook violently, its surface runes flickering erratically.

Gu Xuan Ce bit his tongue, spurted a mouthful of essence blood, and pressed down hard on the formation plate with both hands.

"Young master! The origin's backlash is too strong; the pillar can't hold much longer!" Gu Xuan Ce roared, veins bulging on his forehead.

Those formation masters setting up the array, the weaker among them, already had blood streaming from their noses and mouths and collapsed to the ground.

Gu Yuan's expression remained unchanged.

He extended his right hand and pressed it against the surface of the Boundary‑Binding Immortal Pillar.

"Borrow strength."

Gu Yuan silently chanted in his heart.

Gu Yuan's Borrowed Power ability can transcend space; what he wishes to borrow is the strength of that Jue Dian Immortal King grandfather outside the Boundary Wall.

A vast, ancient, boundless aura followed the invisible karmic line, crossed the Boundary Wall, and descended upon Gu Yuan.

Gu Yuan's cultivation shot up straight from the 10th realm in a single breath.

11th realm, 12th realm… up to the 18th supreme realm, 19th heavenly emperor realm…

Until he broke through that membrane, reaching true immortal, touching the threshold of an immortal king.

A faint gray‑purple sheen appeared on Gu Yuan's flesh, the projection of his Chaotic Indestructible Golden Body.

He did not use this power to forcibly suppress the world's origin; violent suppression would only cause the origin to collapse. Instead, he poured all the borrowed immortal‑king power into the World Tree sapling in his dantian.

The World Tree sapling, irrigated with a huge amount of immortal‑king power, surged wildly.

Three feet, ten feet, a hundred zhang, ten thousand zhang!

An illusory seven‑colored divine tree that reached heaven and earth materialized behind Gu Yuan.

Its canopy shrouded Zhongzhou's sky, its roots pierced the altar and dug deep into Sanqian Zhou's earth veins.

The World Tree is the foundation of all realms, the spiritual root of heaven and earth; innately it possesses the divine power to orderly the laws and soothe the origin.

"Suppress."

Gu Yuan spoke the true words.

The World Tree's roots entwined with the rioting law‑chains of Sanqian Zhou.

The violent spiritual qi, upon contacting the roots, instantly became utterly docile. The backward‑flowing rivers returned to calm, and the erupting volcanoes gradually died out.

The repulsive force that tried to launch the pillar was gently neutralized and absorbed by the World Tree.

The Boundary‑Binding Immortal Pillar emitted a happy hum as it sank into the altar inch by inch.

Gu Xuan Ce's pressure greatly eased, and he let out a long breath.

He gazed at Gu Yuan's back, his eyes filled with fervent awe.

The young master's method is practically god‑like. If even the world's will can be tamed, what could the Gu Family possibly fail to do?

Gu Yuan closed his eyes, focusing entirely on controlling the World Tree.

Borrowing the immortal‑king's power placed an enormous burden on his flesh and soul.

Even with his immortal‑long‑life body and half‑step immortal‑king soul as a foundation, his meridians faintly ached.

But he had to persevere.

The Boundary‑Binding Immortal Pillar lacked only the final three cun before it could fully anchor the origin.

"Get in!"

Gu Yuan let out a low shout, increasing his power output.

The seven-colored light emanating from the World Tree bathed all of Zhongzhou in light as bright as day.

The world will of Sanqian Zhou, soothed by the World Tree, abandoned resistance.

It gave rise to an illusion, believing this divine tree to be the supreme spiritual root it had nurtured.

It willingly accepted the Realm-Binding Immortal Stake.

A resonant chime rang out, a long bell toll echoing in the hearts of all beings in Sanqian Zhou.

The Realm-Binding Immortal Stake sank entirely into the altar, merging with the world's origin.