Bai Ye paid no heed to everyone's shock.
With a flash, he transformed into a streak of flowing light and flew toward the remaining Tribulation Crossing Realm members of the Devil Race on the battlefield.
The Dragon Slaying Sacred Sword in his hand swung repeatedly, each streak of sword light precisely killing one member of the Devil Race!
Without a single unnecessary movement, after only a few breaths, just one mid-stage Tribulation Crossing Realm Devil Master remained.
Bai Ye raised his hand and waved. Chaotic-colored Sword Qi condensed into a transparent cage, trapping the Demon General inside.
The Demon General tried to struggle, but under the suppression of the terrifying Sword Qi, he could not move at all.
Behind him, Xuan Ji Zi and the others finally came to their senses.
They gritted their teeth, flew to a spot not far in front of Bai Ye, and bowed respectfully.
Bai Ye swept them with a glance, then nodded lightly.
"Senior, are you planning to search his soul?"
Xuan Ji Zi asked cautiously, "We tried before. There seems to be a self-destruct restriction in the Devil Race's souls. The moment we forcefully searched their souls, they immediately died."
Bai Ye did not respond. He had tried searching souls a hundred years ago, but it had ended in failure.
However, over the past century, he had obtained a Saint-grade Top-tier soul-searching secret technique through system check-ins—Soul Devouring True Explanation. This time, he wanted to see whether he could break through the Devil Race's self-destruct restriction.
He raised his hand and pressed it against the Sword Qi cage. His Primordial Spirit followed the Sword Qi into the Demon General's Sea of Consciousness. At the same time, he circulated Soul Devouring True Explanation, attempting to bypass the restriction and read the Devil Race member's memories.
Yet the instant his Primordial Spirit touched the Devil Race member's soul, a flash of scarlet suddenly appeared in the Demon General's eyes, and his soul exploded with a boom!
Black Demonic Energy spilled from the cage. The Demon General's corpse collapsed limply to the ground, completely devoid of life.
Bai Ye withdrew his hand and frowned slightly, feeling somewhat helpless.
It seemed that the Devil Race's self-destruct restriction was even more stubborn than he had imagined. Even a Saint-grade Top-tier soul-searching secret technique could not break it.
But he did not take it too seriously. In any case, the Abyssal Fissures had now been temporarily suppressed, and the threat of the Devil Race had temporarily been resolved. As for the deeper secrets, there was no harm in investigating them slowly later.
"Thank you, Senior, for saving us! If not for you, my Wild Domain would have suffered a great disaster today!"
Xuan Ji Zi led three other Tribulation Crossing elders forward at a quick pace and bowed to Bai Ye. His tone was filled with utmost respect. "Our Wasteland Heaven Divine Sect will never forget Senior's great kindness! May I ask your esteemed name? Would you be willing to return to the Wasteland Heaven Divine Sect with us, so we may at least show you some hospitality?"
The other elders echoed him one after another, their eyes filled with awe.
A Sword Dao True God who could kill a True God-level Demon God with a single sword strike was a top powerhouse even in the Upper Realm. To befriend such a figure was a heaven-defying opportunity for the Wasteland Heaven Divine Sect.
Bai Ye pondered for a moment, then nodded. "Very well. I happen to have something to ask."
He wanted to learn the secrets surrounding ascension to the Upper Realm. As the foremost power in the Wild Domain, the Wasteland Heaven Divine Sect surely knew more of the inside story.
Surrounded by the others, Bai Ye boarded the Wasteland Heaven Divine Sect's Heavenly Rank Flying Boat and flew toward the sect's Forbidden Zone.
The Wasteland Heaven Divine Sect was located in the very heart of Dao State, with nine Saint-grade Spirit Veins encircling the sect!
Within the mountain gate, the spiritual energy was so dense that it seemed almost ready to condense into liquid.
Two hundred-zhang-tall stone divine statues stood at the mountain gate, radiating a faint sacred aura and displaying the sect's hundred-thousand-year heritage.
After entering the sect, Bai Ye followed Xuan Ji Zi to a great hall where an ancient True God was worshiped.
His thoughts stirred, and he softly said to the divine statue in the center of the hall, "System, check in."
"Ding! The host has been detected checking in at the sacred ground of the Wasteland Heaven Divine Sect. A super reward has been triggered!"
"Congratulations, host. You have obtained a ninth-grade True God body-tempering pill—the Wasteland Heaven Sacred Body Pill!"
A pill that was golden all over appeared out of thin air inside Bai Ye's storage ring.
A faint golden radiance coiled around the pill's surface, and it emitted pure flesh-and-blood power.
Just sensing it made his divine body feel faintly hot.
Bai Ye was delighted. The Wasteland Heaven Sacred Body Pill could strengthen a True God Realm divine body, making it just what he needed to make up for his weakness in body tempering.
The guest area of the great hall was arranged with extreme luxury. Jade paved the floor, crystal served as lamps, and thousand-year spirit tea was set upon the table.
Xuan Ji Zi personally poured Bai Ye a cup of tea and respectfully said, "Senior, this is our sect's specialty, 'Heavenly Condensing Divine Tea.' It can nourish the soul. Please, Senior, give it a taste."
Bai Ye lifted the teacup and took a gentle sip. The tea's fragrance was rich and mellow, and it truly made his soul feel clear and refreshed.
He set down the teacup and got straight to the point. "I came with you this time because I wanted to ask about ascending to the Upper Realm. Why is it that after breaking through to the True God Realm, I have never sensed the aura of the Heavenly Gate?"
Upon hearing this, realization appeared on Xuan Ji Zi's face.
Then he sighed. "Senior, you may not know this, but it is not that you cannot sense the Heavenly Gate. Rather, the Heavenly Path of the Heavenly Profound Continent has long since become unable to open it."
He explained that tens of thousands of years ago, the Abyssal Invasion had grown increasingly frequent. To resist the invasion of the Devil Realm, the Heavenly Path of the Heavenly Profound Continent had consumed a tremendous amount of its origin and grown ever weaker.
From twenty-three thousand years ago onward, it had been unable to condense the Heavenly Gate and guide True God Realm cultivators in their ascension.
"However, our Wasteland Heaven Divine Sect has a branch of inheritance in the Upper Realm called the 'Nine Heavens Divine Sect.' To allow disciples from the lower realm to ascend smoothly, our ancestors in the Upper Realm specially built an 'Artificial Heavenly Gate.' It is hidden within our sect's Forbidden Zone. The only problem is that this Artificial Heavenly Gate requires True God-grade Divine Power to activate."
A flash of delight crossed Bai Ye's eyes.
The Artificial Heavenly Gate might be able to resolve the trouble preventing him from ascending!
Xuan Ji Zi brought Bai Ye to the sect's Forbidden Zone. Deep within it, a fifty-zhang-tall White Jade Heavenly Gate stood silently.
The Heavenly Gate was carved entirely from ancient white jade. Its surface was covered with complicated spatial runes, but the runes had long since dimmed. The space around the Heavenly Gate also appeared extremely sluggish, without the slightest ripple.
"This is our sect's Heavenly Gate," Xuan Ji Zi explained. "Unfortunately, our sect no longer has any True God Realm cultivators, so we cannot activate it. We can only let it remain dormant here."
Bai Ye walked before the Heavenly Gate and thought inwardly, System, check in.
"Ding! The host has been detected checking in at the Artificial Heavenly Gate. A super reward has been triggered!"
"Congratulations, host. You have obtained a ninth-grade True God sealing formation—the 'Thirty-Six Demon Sealing Formations'!"
Thirty-six pitch-black Formation Flags appeared out of thin air inside Bai Ye's storage ring.
Each Formation Flag had been refined from Divine Crystals mixed with Demon Bone. Runes that suppressed Demonic Energy were carved across their surfaces, and they radiated True God-grade might.
Even a single Formation Flag was already a True God-grade treasure. With all thirty-six combined, they could be called a True God-grade Treasure of the highest order!
"I can use this treasure later to try sealing the Abyssal Fissures."
Bai Ye's gaze fell back upon the Artificial Heavenly Gate.
He extended a thread of Divine Power and slowly injected it into the Heavenly Gate's runes.
The originally dim runes instantly lit up, radiating dazzling golden light. The space around the Heavenly Gate began to ripple violently, and Spatial Rifts appeared on both sides. A trace of aura from the Upper Realm faintly drifted out from behind the Heavenly Gate.
"It really can be activated!"
Xuan Ji Zi's face was filled with shock, and his eyes were brimming with excitement.
This meant that the Wasteland Heaven Divine Sect would finally have a chance to reestablish contact with the Upper Realm!
Sensing the spatial power surging within the Heavenly Gate, Bai Ye understood.
The Artificial Heavenly Gate could indeed lead to the Upper Realm. With his current strength, he could ascend through the Heavenly Gate at any time.
But he did not immediately decide to leave.
Instead, he fell into contemplation.
The situation in the Upper Realm is unknown. Whether the Nine Heavens Divine Sect is trustworthy remains unknown as well.
And I can continue checking in down here. By remaining in the lower realm and continuing to cultivate, I can both stabilize my realm and accumulate more resources. There is no need to risk everything in a hurry...
"I'm in no rush to ascend."
Bai Ye's thoughts raced. He withdrew his Divine Power, and the Heavenly Gate's radiance gradually dimmed, returning to silence.
He looked toward Xuan Ji Zi. "The Abyssal Fissures have not been completely sealed yet. I'll deal with that first."
Upon hearing this, Xuan Ji Zi did not dare say anything more.
The next day, Bai Ye brought the Thirty-Six Demon Sealing Formations and returned to the Demon Extermination Holy City.
He arranged the thirty-six Formation Flags around the hundreds of Abyssal Fissures.
The Formation Flags activated. Black light screens shot into the sky, completely enveloping all the fissures.
The light screens contained powerful suppressive force. They instantly suppressed the Demonic Energy within the fissures. The originally surging Demonic Energy gradually calmed, and the fissures began to slowly close.
"It worked! The fissures have been sealed!"
The cultivators of the Wasteland Heaven Divine Sect cheered wildly, their eyes filled with joy and gratitude toward Bai Ye.
Bai Ye watched the gradually closing fissures and nodded faintly inwardly.
Just then—
A strange phenomenon suddenly arose!
The Nine Heavens Mysterious Sound suddenly rang out between heaven and earth.
Golden light blossomed across the sky, illuminating the entire Wild Domain!
Before you continue