Gateway of Immortality

The moment the heavenly gate revealed itself...

Over a dozen figures flew forth from the warship and the four-colored cloud clusters, taking position at the front.

Half of them hailed from the Small Cold Domain, the other half from the Tianxing Alliance. Leading them were the Daoist Zhenyi and the red-haired grandmaster. Standing between them, however, was a strange-looking man dressed in feathered robes.

This man had a tall, slender figure, narrow eyes, and a hooked nose. A faint trace of femininity lingered in his gaze. He wore a lavish robe of brilliant hues, seemingly woven from countless exquisite plumes.

Atop his head sat an ornate crown, resplendent with jewels. But upon closer inspection, one would be startled.

The crown's frame had been crafted from the white bones of some unknown demonic beast. Though the brilliant glow concealed most of the sharp, pale bone ends, they remained faintly visible.

His attire was far from what one might expect of a cultivator. It resembled more the regalia of a mortal commandery king.

"The heavenly gate has appeared. There's no time to delay. We ask that the Feathered Demon King employ your clan's supreme treasure to swiftly locate the weakest point of the celestial array." The red-haired grandmaster and Daoist Zhenyi both cupped their hands respectfully toward the feather-robed man.

He was none other than the demon king of Heavenly Demon Hill!

The feather-robed man gave a subtle nod and removed his crown. "I shall begin at once. Fellow Daoists, please step back."

The red-haired grandmaster, Daoist Zhenyi, and the others all retreated a short distance.

The feather-robed man moved to the forefront alone and gestured behind him.

Two other similarly unusual figures flew forward—one male, one female—both also demon kings of Heavenly Demon Hill. They positioned themselves between the human cultivators and the feather-robed man, their gazes sharp and guarded.

Moments later, the feather-robed man surged ahead, drawing even closer to the storm's eye. Only when the chaotic forces became almost unbearable did he finally halt and look skyward.

After staring for some time, he suddenly tossed the crown into the air. Chanting under his breath, a flicker of pain flashed across his face before he opened his mouth and spat out a stream of blood and qi.

The blood and qi landed squarely on the crown and were instantly absorbed.

Once the crown devoured it, it erupted with dazzling light.

In an instant, countless beams of multi-colored brilliance shot outward, forming a rainbow-like radiance that completely obscured the crown and even the feather-robed man himself.

Then, from the heart of the radiant light came a piercing cry, shrill enough to overpower even the thunderous roar of the wind and cloud vortex.

As the cry grew louder and clearer, a massive illusory figure gradually emerged from the depths of the light.

The figure stood on one leg like a golden cockerel; it was like a divine bird. Its exact species could not be discerned through the many layers of light, but the immense aura it exuded could not be concealed. Every Spiritual Infant cultivator present grew solemn. Even the red-haired grandmaster and Daoist Zhenyi showed grave expressions.

Screech!

The divine bird let out a piercing screech and, without hesitation, spread its wings and charged directly into the eye of the storm.

But the storm's eye was no easy place to penetrate.

The chaotic forces within it were like countless blades, slicing relentlessly at the divine bird. Even one with its strength could barely endure. As it flew, it shed endless motes of light—feathers shredded like confetti—leaving behind a trail like a comet's tail.

Yet the divine bird showed no fear. It surged forward with unyielding resolve, its eyes burning with clarity and purpose.

Soon, the storm's eye began to react to the divine bird's presence.

As the bird forced its way in, the dispersing clouds were disturbed, spreading outward under its influence.

Still, this did nothing to stop the divine bird's inevitable demise. Its body shrank rapidly, on the verge of being utterly shredded by the vortex.

Suddenly, it let out a final, resounding cry.

Its entire body ignited in blazing flames.

As it burned itself, its eyes emitted two beams of solid light that pierced deep into the core of the storm's eye.

Boom!

The vortex quaked violently. A phenomenon abruptly emerged.

Beneath the heavenly gate, the faint outline of a spiritual array appeared in the air. It appeared only for a moment, vanishing almost as soon as it had appeared.

The divine bird's sacrifice had forced the celestial array to reveal itself!

As the bird vanished completely, the strange radiance abruptly scattered, revealing the feather-robed man and the crown once more.

He reached out to seize the crown, then flickered backward in retreat. The two other demon kings quickly flew up to flank him, shielding him on either side as they returned.

The man's face was unnaturally pale, and the once dazzling crown now shone with noticeably less brilliance.

It was clear that summoning the divine bird had come at a steep cost.

"Each time this treasure is used, it must first devour a large portion of the blood and essence of our own bloodline. Even with my cultivation, I nearly lost control of it just now. In the end, I had to harm the treasure's origin in order to rein it in. After returning, it will need a long period of nurturing before it can recover."

The feather-robed man swallowed a green-colored pill, and his complexion improved slightly. With a faint sigh, he turned and pointed toward a section of the storm's eye. "I did not fail in the task. Just now, you all saw it with your own eyes. That is the weakest point of the celestial array. For the duration of one incense stick, it will not shift."

The red-haired grandmaster and Daoist Zhenyi exchanged a glance, then cupped their hands in unison. "Many thanks to the Feathered Demon King. Your noble clan's supreme treasure is truly extraordinary. Without its assistance, relying solely on the Small Polaris Array would never have been enough to break through the celestial array. That single treasure of yours has saved us an untold amount of precious array materials!"

The Feathered Demon King waved his hand lightly and said coolly, "Back when our ancestor led our clan to establish a foothold in the Small Cold Domain, one of the conditions we agreed upon with your human race was to give our full support in breaking the celestial array of Ziwei Palace. As descendants of the sacred clan, we shall of course honor that agreement and assist with all our strength. Besides, if we enter Ziwei Palace, we too shall benefit. I have just taken a healing pill and must rest to refine its medicinal power. Please proceed as you see fit."

With that, the demon king flew back alone into the multi-colored demonic mist, while the other two demon kings remained behind.

The red-haired grandmaster and Daoist Zhenyi stepped forward, and from behind them, two more figures emerged—Leng Yuntian of Yuanshen Sect, and a young Daoist dressed in a dark-yellow robe.

The four exchanged brief words before swiftly separating and each occupying one direction, sitting cross-legged in mid-air.

The others also flew up, forming a ring around the four and likewise sitting cross-legged with eyes closed.

All of the Spiritual Infant cultivators merged their auras into one.

Then, the red-haired grandmaster and Daoist Zhenyi each produced a pouch and hurled them skyward with a sharp flick.

"Go!"

A series of crisp clinking sounds rang out as tens of thousands of crystal beads flew from the pouches, shimmering with dazzling brilliance. They surged like a flowing stream, converging in the air.

These beads were the Elemental Star Stones gathered by the two domains.

The red-haired grandmaster and Daoist Zhenyi swiftly formed hand seals.

At first, the Elemental Star Stones appeared scattered and disorganized. But under the pair's guidance, they gradually flew into the space between the four cultivators and coalesced into a spherical array, hovering motionlessly in the air.

The red-haired grandmaster called out in a low voice, "Fellow Daoists, you may begin!"

Leng Yuntian and the yellow-robed Daoist instantly tensed and entered deep meditation, focusing all their strength to assist with the array.

In an instant, seal after seal began forming at the fingertips of the four. They shot continuously toward the ball of Elemental Star Stones, each seal drawing out a few stones—some more, some less.