Chapter 440: The Other Side of the Door
"Bang!"
"Bang!"
...
"Bang!"
As they stood in confrontation, one faint popping sound after another erupted from more than a dozen seemingly unrelated individuals scattered across the globe.
These unfortunate souls had, in fact, been temporarily possessed by Gaia and the Disciple of the Crimson World, serving as backup options for their future resurrection. However, due to the hasty preparations, they weren't hidden as deeply as the Creator, who had laid out plans ten years in advance. Thus, Bai Mo's nearly all-encompassing search quickly unearthed them one by one.
"You truly calculate without omission." Even with his hidden stratagems severed, the Disciple of the Crimson World maintained an impressive composure, showing no sign of being at the end of his rope.
"I don't understand schemes, nor do I understand human hearts, but I have one advantage: I can read the script." A forced, unnatural smile strained Bai Mo's stiff face, conveying no genuine amusement.
His wildly expanding power had amplified his Destiny System ability to an unprecedented degree. Bai Mo could investigate almost anything that had transpired on this planet over the past few decades, provided he willed it. Moreover, now that he had completely suppressed the three former Integration Stage cultivators in terms of pure power, Bai Mo could even bypass their defenses and directly extract information related to them.
...
"Time's up." When the dense, sky-spanning countdown reached its final five seconds in unison, Bai Mo issued his ultimatum.
"Great Ascension, what kind of realm is it, truly?" Two glowing masses, emitting mental fluctuations of the same intent, began to disintegrate, enveloped by the white light.
In the end, they chose self-termination rather than gambling on a vague and ethereal chance of escape.
The previous sealing had left an indelible mark on both of them. For centuries, there had been nothing but darkness, no sound, no vibration, no existence with which to communicate.
It was only by relying on the tenacious will forged through long years of arduous cultivation that they survived that tribulation, but they had also sworn never to re-enter that "little black room."
To collapse and perish in the void of self-doubt was undoubtedly an exceedingly prolonged and agonizing form of execution.
The final vestiges of power, carrying the two entities' dying wishes, gradually merged into a purplish-red whirlwind. The whirlwind swiftly transformed into two giant, arm-like appendages...
Without warning, a majestic gate of light suddenly appeared before the purplish-red arms, catching even Bai Mo, who was observing from the side, somewhat by surprise.
As the light gradually dimmed, the outline of the door slowly emerged.
It was a grand gate that appeared to be cast from pure gold!
Its entire body shimmered with golden light, inscribed with countless runes. These densely packed runes formed numerous patterns. But before Bai Mo could even memorize a few of the exceedingly complex runes, the two arms automatically grasped the door knockers, appearing ready to pull it open with immense force.
The great door seemed to be merely an insubstantial projection, yet Bai Mo inexplicably had a powerful premonition that the other side surely led to a new world!
This new world was very likely the Tianxuan Continent.
After deliberating for a tenth of a second, his unwillingness to see unforeseen variables gained the upper hand. No one knew what might emerge from the Tianxuan Continent once the passage was opened.
According to the intelligence revealed by Gaia, the Tianxuan Continent harbored genuinely powerful Integration Stage cultivators who could contend with him, unlike the three entities before him, who were merely "water goods" – those who had failed their tribulations and only bore the name of Integration Stage.
Not to mention the utterly mysterious Great Ascension Stage cultivators, who were so profound that even Integration Stage cultivators had never truly encountered them, standing at the apex of the known cultivation hierarchy.
"I have my own plans too..." Bai Mo suppressed his urge to make contact with the foreign realm, driving the overwhelming power behind him to prevent the door from opening.
Alas, he was still a fraction too slow, or perhaps whatever was behind the door was already impatient. Even though Bai Mo tore the purplish-red arms to shreds at the fastest speed, the golden gate still opened a tiny crack.
A heart-stopping fluctuation instantly surged from the crack, spreading across the entire world!
Ordinary First Tier humans and low-level mutated creatures collapsed to the ground the moment the fluctuation swept over them. Even Third Tier cultivators were almost crushed to the point of being unable to breathe.
For the Fifth Tier existences closely monitoring the battle in the sky, this invisible fluctuation likewise caused their legs to tremble involuntarily.
As for Bai Mo, who stood at the forefront, directly facing the impact, this wave had little effect on him. That was because he had just expended another two years of his existence, making himself stronger, strong enough to completely withstand the impact from the other side of the door.
"The door just opened, and I've already encountered a Great Ascension cultivator from the other side?" Such a thought couldn't help but rise in Bai Mo's mind.
According to Gaia's description and his own deductions, if the opponent were merely an Integration Stage cultivator, a single ripple of aura would absolutely not be enough to force him back.
The only seemingly rational explanation could only be that he happened to encounter a wild Great Ascension cultivator passing by.
"Is it really such a coincidence?"
Bai Mo understood that at their level, true "coincidences" were exceedingly rare; more often, they were the result of deliberate arrangements.
If the entity on the other side was truly a Great Ascension cultivator, infinitely stronger than himself, then there was even less room for coincidence.
Perhaps it was a whim, perhaps it was premeditated; in any case, it couldn't have been merely "passing by."
The aura from beyond the door began to slowly spread through the open crack. Seeing that matters might spiral out of control, Bai Mo made a decision: expend five more years!
Once again, he proactively extended his will into the boundless universe in all directions. Billions of years of solitude and the coldness of the material realm quickly flooded Bai Mo's mind, making his already indifferent heart even more chilling and austere.
All this was exchanged for power capable of utterly destroying the golden gate's projection!
An indescribable amount of white light, illuminating half the planet from eternal night to eternal day, surged towards the seemingly substantial golden phantom at the same instant.
The intricate runes on the door, meant for resistance, quickly began to peel away under the onslaught of the ocean of light, then were completely swallowed.
The gap between the two doors, after an intense tug-of-war, was also slowly closed, inch by inch. The all-encompassing tide caused the golden gate, which had nearly materialized, to revert to a vague and transparent state.
"!!!"
The colossal existence behind the door clearly had not anticipated that this side could suddenly erupt with power capable of resisting its invasion.
Without even having time to utter a word, it unleashed one final strike towards the other side of the door, then reluctantly let go.
PS: I originally wanted to write over the weekend, but ended up working overtime for two days...
Also, recommending a book: "Ultimate Evolution System of the Apocalypse," by Ultimate Old Cat (this name inexplicably reminds me of Doggy, who switched to writing about cats).
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