Chapter 1156: Returning to the Kunlun Realm
Zhang Ruochen’s heart was filled with questions. Why were there eighteen Ghost Gate Passes in the starry sky? What exactly was the Hell Realm? Who had built the Ghost Gate Passes?
Zhang Ruochen looked toward the rear of the Ghost Gate Pass, only to see a Yellow Spring Star River spanning across the universe, stretching endlessly into the distance.
“Can I challenge the Ghost Gate Pass now?” Zhang Ruochen asked.
“No. Your cultivation is too weak; you are not yet qualified to challenge the Ghost Gate Pass. Even the first layer of the Ghost Gate Pass would reduce you to ashes,” the other party said.
Zhang Ruochen said, “How high must one’s cultivation be to challenge the Ghost Gate Pass?”
“At the very least, the Saint King realm.”
Hearing the words “Saint King,” Zhang Ruochen’s heart stirred.
After all, only cultivators from the Kunlun Realm divided the Saint realm into Half-Saint, Saint, Saint King, and Great Saint. Could it be that the mysterious expert residing in the palace was a senior from the Kunlun Realm?
Zhang Ruochen asked, “Senior, are you a former sage of the Kunlun Realm?”
“You could say that.”
“May I ask for Senior’s name?” Zhang Ruochen bowed respectfully.
Someone who could stand guard here at the Ghost Gate Pass was certainly no ordinary person; they must have been a great figure of the Kunlun Realm in the past.
“It is all in the past. There is nothing worth mentioning.”
Since the other party did not wish to reveal it, Zhang Ruochen did not press further. Instead, he asked, “Why does Senior stand guard here at the Ghost Gate Pass? Who built it? What was the purpose of building it? And what exactly is the Hell Realm?”
“With your level of cultivation, you are not yet qualified to know these things,” the other party said.
Zhang Ruochen felt somewhat frustrated. After all, with his current strength, he could contend with Saints and was undoubtedly a top-tier figure in the Kunlun Realm.
Yet, upon arriving here, the other party clearly looked down on him and was unwilling to share more information.
Unwilling to return empty-handed, Zhang Ruochen activated the sword dao realm of “Man and Sword as One,” turning his body into a sword and transforming into a streak of sword light, attempting to forcefully break into the Ghost Gate Pass to investigate.
Could he not even breach the first layer of the Ghost Gate Pass?
Zhang Ruochen refused to believe it.
Just as Zhang Ruochen was about to approach the light gate, a massive hand thousands of miles long extended from the palace, striking downward and slamming into Zhang Ruochen.
“Boom!”
Zhang Ruochen felt his vision go dark, and then the world spun around him. He had no idea what had happened. When he saw light again, he realized he was plummeting downward at great speed.
He tried to control his center of gravity and halt his descent, but he could not manage it.
“Boom!”
Zhang Ruochen crashed into the ground, creating a large crater. Lying at the bottom, his body felt as if it had fallen apart.
Gradually, Zhang Ruochen regained his senses. Squinting as he looked upward, he muttered, “Where… where did I get smacked to?”
“Chen Ge!”
“Zhang Ruochen.”
The voices of Huang Yanchen and Xiao Hei rang out in succession.
Zhang Ruochen struggled to prop himself up, stretching his limbs. Realizing he was not seriously injured, he looked at Xiao Hei and Huang Yanchen with some confusion. “Did I return to Baichang Star?”
Huang Yanchen and Xiao Hei were both momentarily stunned.
Then, Xiao Hei said, “We just saw a meteor streak across the sky and crash into the ground. We came over to check, but we never expected it to be you. Did the teleportation fail?”
Zhang Ruochen shook his head, a look of shock and uncertainty in his eyes as he muttered to himself, “A single slap sent me back to Baichang Star… just what kind of terrifying figure was that?”
Everything that had just happened felt like a dream, utterly unreal. Even now, Zhang Ruochen found it hard to believe.
Huang Yanchen asked, “Chen Ge, what exactly did you experience? Did you reach that square-shaped sun?”
Countless questions swirled in Zhang Ruochen’s mind. He slowly stood up, thought carefully, and finally told them what he had seen and heard.
“What… Ghost Gate Pass…”
Huang Yanchen and Xiao Hei were just as shocked as Zhang Ruochen had been earlier.
Then, Xiao Hei rushed toward the Space Teleportation Array, wanting to go see the Ghost Gate Pass for himself, but Zhang Ruochen stopped him.
Zhang Ruochen said solemnly, “I think it’s best not to go. If we anger that gatekeeper, the consequences would be unimaginable.”
Xiao Hei calmed down and asked, “You’re saying that with one slap, he sent you back to Baichang Star, and you weren’t even seriously injured? How is that possible? Even a Great Saint wouldn’t be that powerful.”
Zhang Ruochen nodded. “I suspect there is a wormhole connecting the Ghost Gate Pass and Baichang Star. That gatekeeper simply knocked me into the wormhole; he didn’t directly slap me back to Baichang Star.”
Xiao Hei and Huang Yanchen both found Zhang Ruochen’s reasoning plausible. If there really was a great power who could slap someone a hundred million miles away with one hand, that person’s cultivation would have to be terrifying beyond measure.
Zhang Ruochen looked at Xiao Hei. “Xiao Hei, you’ve seen a lot and have rich experience. Have you ever heard any legends about the Ghost Gate Pass?”
Xiao Hei thought deeply, then shook his head. “No.”
Zhang Ruochen was somewhat disappointed. “Xumi Saint Monk was able to set up several teleportation arrays leading all the way to the Ghost Gate Pass, which means he must have known about its existence. You were from the same era as him—how could you not have heard anything?”
Xiao Hei was also pondering the matter of the Ghost Gate Pass, filled with as many questions as Zhang Ruochen, desperately wanting to know the answers.
If not for the fear of angering the gatekeeper, he would have gone to the Ghost Gate Pass himself.
Huang Yanchen said, “Was the Ghost Gate Pass naturally formed, standing in the universe, or was it a pass built by the saints of the Kunlun Realm?”
“It would be strange if the saints could build a Ghost Gate Pass. This emperor suspects it might be a divine relic—only the power of a god could be so unfathomable.”
Xiao Hei added, “If it were a naturally formed gate standing in the starry sky since ancient times, this emperor would definitely have heard legends about it.”
“Could it be related to Xumi Saint Monk?” Zhang Ruochen said.
Earlier, when Zhang Ruochen charged toward the Ghost Gate Pass and was about to get close, he had noticed that the spatial structure around the light gate was strange. Centered on the light gate, the entire starry sky seemed locked by an invisible force.
That was why Zhang Ruochen suspected that Xumi Saint Monk might have been involved in building the Ghost Gate Pass.
“That old bald donkey Xumi was quite capable. It’s not impossible that he had something to do with it,” Xiao Hei said.
They continued discussing the matter but could not reach a conclusion. In the end, they could only set aside their questions and prepare to return to the Kunlun Realm.
Perhaps they could find some clues in the Kunlun Realm.
“Since we can teleport to Baichang Star using spatial coordinates, reversing the formation should allow us to return to the Jinyao Ruins Realm.”
Zhang Ruochen had seen an introduction about reversing formations in the *Space-Time Secret Scripture* and began studying it seriously.
Half a day later, Zhang Ruochen had fully mastered the technique of “reversing the formation.” He then led Xiao Hei and Huang Yanchen into the teleportation array, embarking on the journey back to the Kunlun Realm.
Before activating the formation, Zhang Ruochen took one last look at the Ghost Gate Pass and the Yellow Spring Star River beyond the sky. He felt that there was a forgotten history there, and perhaps one day, that history would resurface.
“Whoosh—”
The formation activated, and Zhang Ruochen left Baichang Star.
When they passed through the Jinyao Ruins Realm, they did not stop and returned to the small planet near the Azure Dragon Ruins Realm.
Finally, they were beneath a familiar starry sky, feeling like wanderers returning home. Zhang Ruochen and Huang Yanchen both let out a long sigh of relief.
Zhang Ruochen said, “Now, we have two choices.”
“First, we can head to a nearby wormhole, perform a spatial jump to return to the Chaotic Myriad Worlds Mountain, and then go back to the Kunlun Realm.”
“Second, we can continue reversing the Space Teleportation Array. It might also take us back to the Kunlun Realm.”
“Both choices carry considerable risk. If we choose the first option, we might be intercepted and killed by various factions.”
“If we choose the second option, there is a high chance that the other end of the Space Teleportation Array is not the Kunlun Realm, or that the array there has been destroyed.”
“The first option is relatively safer. I can use the Formless Formless Thirty-Six Transformations to change into Gu Linfeng’s appearance and might be able to slip through.”
Huang Yanchen said, “Let’s go with the second option. Although the risk is greater, if we can find the starting point of Xumi Saint Monk, we might uncover some clues about the Ghost Gate Pass. A light gate couldn’t have appeared in the depths of the starry sky for no reason—there must be a reason. I really want to know what the answer is.”
Xiao Hei said, “This emperor also supports the second option.”
Zhang Ruochen felt the same way, so he no longer hesitated and activated the Space Teleportation Array again.
No one knew how much time passed. When the light of the Space Teleportation Array faded, they arrived in a cold, pitch-black, and silent world.
There was not a single speck of light around them. Even stretching out their hands, they could not see their own fingers.
Moreover, their cultivation was suppressed. The sacred qi within their bodies felt as if it had frozen, flowing only sluggishly.
“The rules of heaven and earth here are completely different from those of the Kunlun Realm. Damn it—we might have ended up in a strange world.” Xiao Hei was regretful and spoke with annoyance.
Zhang Ruochen took out a light-attribute spirit crystal, held it in his hand, and observed his surroundings. His eyes showed disbelief. “How is this possible… this is incredible…”
Huang Yanchen asked, “Chen Ge, what did you find?”
“This is the Kunlun Realm,” Zhang Ruochen said.
“The Kunlun Realm? The rules of heaven and earth here are bizarre and completely different from the Kunlun Realm. How could it be the Kunlun Realm?” Xiao Hei said.
Zhang Ruochen said, “This is the first gradient of the Endless Abyss. I’ve been here before. You never dared to come down, so of course you wouldn’t know.”
“The first gradient of the Endless Abyss?” Xiao Hei let out a strange cry.
“Why would the starting point of the Space Teleportation Array be here?” Zhang Ruochen was utterly baffled.
Zhang Ruochen had once come to the first gradient of the Endless Abyss to rescue Shengshu Cainü and investigate the secret of the blood beasts. He was already very familiar with this place and could not possibly be mistaken.
“Roar!”
A deafening roar rang out, and layers of sound waves swept over like water waves.
Zhang Ruochen, Huang Yanchen, and Xiao Hei were all sent flying.
“Boom!”
A blood beast with wings, as massive as a mountain, descended from midair and landed on the ground. Its sharp claws cracked the earth, sending boulders weighing a thousand jin flying in all directions.
That blood beast was terrifying, somewhat resembling a dragon but with three heads, sending chills down one’s spine.
“Who are you people, and why have you come to the Endless Abyss?”
Standing on the back of the blood beast was a man in black robes, wearing a hood that completely concealed his face and age.
Hearing his voice, Zhang Ruochen felt a sense of familiarity. Then, he recalled it, and a flash of shock crossed his eyes.
It was the Blood God Sect Leader.
The light emitted by the Space Teleportation Array must have drawn him here. But why would the Blood God Sect Leader be in the Endless Abyss, and how could he control a blood beast?
…
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