Immortal of the Ages

Within the spiritual plane of the Gate of Death, Yun Xiao wielded his two spirits, the Buddha's Treasure Spirit and Mortal Dust Devil Spirit, through the dense mist towards the Gate of Life.

The Gate of Life was a pale vortex that blazed like the sun, casting a ray of hope across the dark and gloomy expanse.

The Great Dao Celestial Realm's passage from death to life was previously under the control of the Celestial Court's imperial family. But with the defeat of the White Emperor, Yun Xiao and his Blood Base were free to cultivate their astral bodies, allowing them to break through this critical juncture in no time.

Yun Xiao was now strong enough to easily crush the White Emperor with the Immortal Asylum just by himself. Yet, it was still not enough.

He and Lu Fan were locked in a final contest of advancement and recovery, each striving to outpace the other in these last critical moments. Progress and healing were the currency of survival, and in this race against time, Yun Xiao feared no one. His evolution, moment by moment, outstripped the healing of others as if in defiance of the very concept of recovery.

Despite breaking through four stages and reaching the pinnacle of the Night God Realm, his ambition remained unquenched. Lu Fan had vanished again, hiding where none could find him. In his absence, Yun Xiao surged forward with relentless vigor.

Standing before the Gate of Life, Yun Xiao's Buddha's Treasure Spirit and Mortal Dust Devil Spirit were poised like warriors before battle. They had charged the gate several times before, each attempt ending in failure.

But now, Yun Xiao had finally finished integrating the Buddha's Treasures from the Constellation Army and Imperial Divine Son. He'd also absorbed some more Origin Orbs, bolstering his spirit even more.

The Mortal Dust Devil Spirit, partly born of the Creator Immortal, could also absorb Origin Orbs. Even without sharing the path of Yun Xiao's true self, it still advanced swiftly.

The Buddha's Treasure Spirit inhaled deeply—a gesture engrained in habit rather than a physical necessity—and braced itself.

"Prepare!"

Leading the charge, the Buddha's Treasure Spirit transformed into a platinum blade, a soul sword that struck towards the Gate of Life. Trailing closely was the Mortal Dust Devil Spirit, now a divine crimson dragon.

The two were not just attacking in tandem to increase their odds but to strengthen their will and magnify their presence—a sword and dragon, one following the other, an unyielding assault wrapped in platinum light and blood mist, their cries harmonizing in a chorus of metal and myth.

With a resonant hum, Yun Xiao struck the Gate of Life as if he had collided with a marsh of holy light. Infinite oppressive forces bore down upon his spirit, slowing his advance as if 1,000,000 hands sought to entangle him, preventing his spirit from breaking its bonds.

The blood dragon faced a similar ordeal.

"The Third Dao Tribulation, the spirit’s path to immortality, from death to life, rebirth through the Taiji... This step is but a commonplace one along the celestial ladder, isn't it?

"If it's so ordinary, how could it possibly stop me..."

Yun Xiao’s will soared to the heavens, his true self and his body double each uniquely different in demeanor; his gaze and presence as the Creator Immortal bore an inherent quality that looked down upon all.

Fueled by a mortal breath within his chest, his fighting spirit was as vast as the ocean, burning fiercely like the essence of immortality itself!

The Buddha's Treasure Spirit, transformed into a sword, emitted a piercing screech as it gathered the essence of myriad beings, charging forth in tumultuous fury.

Finally, the sword shattered its shackles!

With a resounding hum, the Buddha's Treasure Spirit entered a world aglow with light.

Yun Xiao eased, gradually coming to a halt.

"So this is the world within the Gate of Life..."

He calmed down, gazing into the white mist that surrounded him.

"The Death Gate wounds, its mist erodes and forges the spirit, while the Gate of Life nourishes, its white mist fostering the spirit..."

The difference was stark!

Upon entering the Gate of Life, Yun Xiao felt a profound comfort, as if his spirit bathed in warm milk, savoring its sweetness. Remaining here would only further strengthen his spirit through this nurturing environment.

It seemed the Gate of Life was far superior to the Gate of Death!

But that was not truly the case. Forging and nurturing were both indispensable; hardship followed by recovery crafted true transformation.

As Yun Xiao's Buddha's Treasure Spirit settled, the blood dragon burst through the Gate of Life behind him. Upon entry, it was immediately enveloped by the thick, nurturing mist of life.

"It's much more comfortable here inside the Gate of Life!" the Mortal Dust Devil Spirit declared, its voice echoing that of the War Princess.

This was no surprise. After all, the Mortal Dust Devil Spirit was formed from both her and Yun Xiao.

"Hmm..."

Without much ado, Yun Xiao drifted through the mist of the Gate of Life, slowly making his way to its end.

Meanwhile, he controlled the Mortal Dust Devil Spirit as it searched the surroundings.

"Is there no one here?" the War Princess asked.

"If there is, it could only be Lu Fan," Yun Xiao replied.

"From death to life, wandering through the Taiji, where is the Taiji?" She followed curiously behind, the Mortal Dust Devil Spirit's eyes scanning everywhere like a child in wonder.

"I'm looking for it."

Soon enough, Yun Xiao found it.

"Over here."

He ventured deeper into the white mist, towards a Taiji vortex that resembled the entrance to Naraka. The vortex, made up of two cloud-formed fish chasing each other's tails in an endless dance, spun ceaselessly, embodying the cycle of life!

"This is also a gate," Yun Xiao declared.

"If we transcend this gate, do we reach the Fourth Dao Tribulation? With circles growing behind our heads?" the War Princess inquired.

"I guess so..." Yun Xiao nodded.

"Should we try to rush this gate?" she asked again.

"Why so many questions today?" Yun Xiao looked back at her.

Gradually, he relinquished complete control of the Mortal Dust Devil Spirit to her.

"No reason, just a pure, burning passion and desire for cultivation," the War Princess explained.

"Heh." Yun Xiao could hardly be bothered with her; he was dragging her along, and she had flopped down again.

He attempted to approach the Taiji Double Fish Gate. When he came within about 30 meters, the gate, like a massive maw, unleashed a formidable force that repelled Yun Xiao's Buddha's Treasure Spirit.

After several tries, the results were the same.

Forget breaking through the gate or exploring the world beyond; getting within 30 meters was a challenge in itself.

"You try," Yun Xiao suggested to the War Princess.

"Let's give it a shot!"

With a huff, she charged toward the double fish gate.

THUMP! About 60 meters away, she hit it like a wall of iron, crashing back into the embrace of Yun Xiao's Buddha's Treasure Spirit in a disheveled heap.

"What's that look for? I just didn’t perform well. Watch me try again!" the Mortal Dust Devil Spirit protested.

"Let it be." Yun Xiao tossed her aside.

She wanted to redeem herself, but Yun Xiao didn't even need his Buddha's Treasure Spirit to restrain her; he could control the Mortal Dust Devil Spirit anytime on his own.

At the beginning of their journey through the Dawn God Realm, Yun Xiao advised patience, a matter of days, not months or years.

"Did you hear that? There's a sound coming from beyond this gate," the War Princess suddenly remarked.

Even from 60 meters away, the noise was unmistakable.

Yun Xiao fell silent, listening intently.

"Indeed! It sounds like many are passing and conversing at the entrance of the Taiji gate..."

His curiosity piqued. Within the spiritual planes of the Gates of Life and Death were only the beings of the Great Dao Celestial Realm and Naraka. Yet, the Taiji gate appeared to be crowded with people.

Who were these individuals, and from which world did they hail?

Yun Xiao pondered as he listened to the ephemeral voices.

"Brother Solitude, wait for me!"

"Kind Immortal, could you direct me to the Wavewind District?"

"Father! There's a spirit source over there! Let's rest a bit."

Gradually, Yun Xiao realized these weren't direct conversations from behind the gate but rather a jumble of sounds from various locales, adding to the confusion.

"The most beautiful in the Samsara Galaxy?"

"Let's all go to the Grand Assembly of Myriad Sects..."

"If you manage to get into the Grand Assembly of Myriad Sects, I'll eat my own dung standing on my head!"

Standing there, the last phrase Yun Xiao discerned was the Grand Assembly of Myriad Sects.

Yet, it was challenging to ascertain exactly what the Grand Assembly of Myriad Sects was, as the snippets of conversation floating through were incomplete and disjointed.

"The more I listen, the more I want to burst through this gate to see what world lies within the Taiji, and what kind of people inhabit it," the Mortal Dust Devil Spirit pouted.

"Soon. It won't be long," Yun Xiao said, his gaze serene.

"Samsara Galaxy, Grand Assembly of Myriad Sects?"

That must be the world of the Divine Imperial Son and Heavenly Monarch Mu. Could passing through this gate take them to the imperial family's Ancestral Land? It seemed not, for this was a gate for spirits, not for corporeal bodies.

The conversations beyond, too, had to be among spirits.

"But no matter what, this gate has given me a chance to reach beyond this world..."

Like Lu Fan, Yun Xiao now also felt like a caged beast.

The sense of imprisonment that Lu Fan experienced when he touched the limits of the Great Dao Celestial Realm, Yun Xiao felt it too.

It was an uncomfortable feeling.

So, he harbored a fierce desire to break through this world.

"Are the two crickets in a bowl only able to see the outside world if one survives?"

Yun Xiao gazed at the Taiji Double Fish Gate, from which idle chatter drifted continuously, his eyes alight with a fierce glow.

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Back in the Six Paths of Reincarnation, the Beast Path…

Beside the Soul Refining Cauldron, where black smoke swirled, loud explosions rocked the air.

The violent sounds of flesh colliding drew the sidelong glances from numerous newcomers and the Desolation Corps. They stared in that direction, transfixed. Their eyes were bloodshot, and their breathing became heavier.

A demon's bestial nature never fully subsided.

Among these natures, like that of dogs, the sight of mating was particularly aggravating and agitating.

In the Beast Path, this primal behavior was conspicuously displayed, whether by newcomers or the members of the Desolation Corps. The sounds of flesh striking and heavy breathing only intensified their agitation.

Some newcomers, caught off guard, were devoured whole by the Desolation Corps.

All the members of the Desolation Corps seemed to lose their minds, continuously looking in that direction, their eyes smoldering with frustration.

If not for one of the participants in this heated encounter being beyond their reach, these ferocious demonic soldiers would have already charged in.

"Colonel, to think you fancy such a feeble, powerless fox, like a block of tofu, a tofu fox!"

The Desolation Corps soldiers couldn't comprehend or accept this.

"It sounds like give and take; though the fox is small, it's quite capable. The Colonel seems to be really enjoying herself..." one disheveled, red-haired old man commented.

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