Chapter 285: Arriving at Emperor Pass, Preparing for the Great Reckoning
Shi Jian and Shi Hao were not very interested in the Heavenly God Academy, but they definitely had to go to Emperor Pass. Therefore, they boarded the Purple-Gold Warship.
The warship pierced through the Void Realm and arrived at Central Province, where they were led to three middle-aged men. The men sat like supreme dominators, solemn and dignified, with Chaos Qi swirling around them. Their cultivation was extraordinary.
"You two are related to that Willow God? Your strength is actually so terrifying!" one of them said, their attitude unusual. It was unclear if they valued Liu Shen more or the brothers' strength.
"Since you are the inheritors of that Willow God, we will not make decisions for you. The great tribulation is about to begin. If you wish to participate in the war, then go to that ancient city beyond the Three Thousand Dao Provinces, in the deepest part of the boundless Forbidden Land."
The man's face showed some emotion, a hint of pessimism. It was clear the situation at Emperor Pass was not good. Without the intervention of the Immortal Realm, the people of the Nine Heavens and Ten Lands were fighting against the Immortals of the Foreign Realm. It was like seeking death.
Shi Jian and Shi Hao confirmed their journey and were given a few days to handle their affairs. Shi Jian left a clone of Liu Shen in Sin Province. Shi Hao ran around for a few days, his purpose unclear.
A few days later, they arrived at the uninhabited area as agreed, ready to step onto the ancient road leading to the city. Many geniuses, like Yue Chan of the Heaven Mending Sect and the Demonic Woman of the Heaven Severing Sect, had gathered, though the numbers were smaller since Shi Jian had killed many in Immortal Ancient.
The three Great Supremes used their magic to send everyone onto the road, dispersing them.
Shi Jian entered the ancient land, a quiet, desolate desert. He opened his Dominator's Eye, cautiously observing his surroundings. The uninhabited area was perilous; a single drop of water could kill a Sect Master. He didn't dare to be careless.
However, he wasn't worried. He was also about to become a Sect Master himself. Shi Jian had already stepped halfway into the Void Realm. He was currently in a state of first contact with the Dao, a precious opportunity where he could touch the Great Dao and comprehend the profound principles of Heaven and Earth.
Normally, this state would last for only a moment. But Shi Jian had always taken an unconventional path. Perhaps because he had cultivated the laws of many worlds, his "moment" had already lasted for a very long time. This was why he had stopped doing dungeons; it would break his current state.
This state was almost as good as the Heavenly Dao's [Hundredfold Comprehension Ability] state, but it was completely free. He would maintain it for as long as possible. He felt, however, that it wouldn't last much longer. His resonance with Heaven and Earth was dragging on, but once it ended, he would truly be in the Void Realm.
The journey was smooth. After some time, he arrived at a majestic city on a flat plain, but this was not Emperor Pass yet, just a small city in the Borderland Battlefield.
He continued forward, heading towards the final Forbidden Land City. This journey, even with his cultivation, took him more than half a month. He encountered danger several times—the heroic spirits of the fallen, war horns that seemed to collapse the heavens—but nothing that posed a life threat.
One day, Shi Jian finally had a premonition. At the end of the earth, something seemed to be calling him. A grand aura rushed towards him, filled with countless killing Qi.
He saw the city.
A vast expanse of gray buildings seemed to connect Heaven and Earth, occupying all space. It was so incredibly large that even his Dominator's Eye could not see its full extent. Countless stars revolved around it, a city that had stood for countless epochs without falling.
The aura on Shi Jian's body resonated with this city. At that moment, his contact with the Dao ended. He finally broke through to the Void Realm. There were no flashy phenomena, only Dao.
"Emperor Pass?" he smiled, feeling the power surging within him.
The closer one got, the more insignificant one felt, like an ant looking up at the sky. Weaker individuals would likely be crushed just by approaching. Shi Jian knew that this was the true stage of the Perfect World. The Lower Realm and the Three Thousand Dao Provinces were just playful skirmishes.
As he ascended the city gate, a middle-aged Supreme he had met before appeared. "You've arrived?"
The man sized him up, surprised at his speed and, more importantly, the terrifying aura on his body. It vaguely made him feel threatened. "You broke through so quickly? Void Realm?"
His emotions fluctuated. "The great war is about to begin. If one day, Emperor Pass falls, I hope you will heroically participate in the battle, or retreat, and not turn around to kill your own kind!"
The middle-aged Supreme had seen Shi Jian's battle after Immortal Ancient. In the Heavenly God Realm, he could already fight those who had severed themselves. Now, in the Void Realm, what would his combat power be? Escaping One? Or could he fight a Supreme?
The Supreme dared not imagine. He no longer treated Shi Jian as a junior but as an equal. The emergence of such a person was an opportunity for the Nine Heavens and Ten Lands, but if he defected, it would be a disaster. That's why he spoke those words.
Shi Jian did not answer. The Supreme sighed. "The end of days is coming. I just hope you hold onto your original intention and don't become a sinner."
This time, Shi Jian nodded.
"Come with me," the Supreme said. "With your strength, the assessments for the Heavenly God Academy are meaningless to you." He led Shi Jian directly into the Emperor City.
The city was vast, with majestic buildings and even stars tens of thousands of miles in diameter on the ground. But it was desolate. Only a few people were meditating, covered in thick dust, as if they hadn't moved for tens of thousands of years.
"You should cultivate first and wait for other selected people to arrive before proceeding to the Heavenly God Academy," the Supreme said.
Shi Jian nodded, then asked, "Where are the people of the Shi Clan?"
The Supreme frowned. He had investigated Shi Jian and knew his identity. "The Shi Clan… They are not doing well. It's best if you don't have too much contact with them right now."
The Supreme knew many things. At Emperor Pass, targeting the Shi Clan had become a kind of political correctness. The custom originated from Emperor Pass itself. He valued Shi Jian's talent but did not wish to see him get involved. The waters here were very deep.
Shi Jian's expression was calm. "Just tell me where they are. You told me to hold onto my original intention. Then have you people of Emperor Pass held onto yours?"
"The Seven Kings of the Borderland are still fighting, yet their descendants are reduced to sinners. Who exactly are the sinners?"
Shi Jian had come to Emperor Pass ready to begin the reckoning. He knew the Original Emperor City, which had withstood ninety percent of the pressure, had been abandoned. Their descendants were treated this way, yet they were still fighting.
What kind of logic was this? Now that he was here, things would go by his Dao. Unless the Crippled Immortal appears, he was the King of Emperor Pass. He wasn't sure if the Void Realm could contend with a Supreme, but what if he invited a God to possess him?
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