Meanwhile.
The Forbidden Zone of the Wasteland Heaven Divine Sect.
The White Jade Heavenly Gate, which had lain silent for tens of thousands of years, suddenly shattered its eternal stillness.
At first, a deep hum came from the depths of the Heavenly Gate, like the breathing of an ancient giant beast awakening.
Immediately afterward, the entire Heavenly Gate began to tremble slightly. The originally dim space Divine Patterns suddenly flickered with faint golden light!
As the Divine Patterns flowed, an aura a hundred times purer than the Wasteland Heaven Divine Sect's Saint-grade Spirit Vein surged through the cracks in the Heavenly Gate like a rising tide, instantly filling the entire Forbidden Zone.
Wherever the aura passed, the ancient pines and cypresses in the Forbidden Zone frantically sprouted new branches and buds. Withered spirit herbs regained their vitality, and even tender green seedlings emerged from the cracks between the rocks on the ground!
This strange phenomenon instantly alarmed the entire Wasteland Heaven Divine Sect.
"It's the Heavenly Gate in the Forbidden Zone! Something major has happened!"
Xuan Ji Zi was inspecting the sect's spirit veins with several Tribulation Crossing elders. When he sensed the intense spatial fluctuations and pure aura coming from the Forbidden Zone, his expression changed drastically.
He immediately summoned his escape light and sped toward the Forbidden Zone.
The other elders did not dare delay either. They followed close behind, their hearts filled with shock and confusion.
Ever since the Heavenly Gate had been completed by an ancestor from the Upper Realm, it had never undergone such violent upheaval, aside from occasionally leaking a little Upper Realm aura.
When they arrived at the Forbidden Zone, the Heavenly Gate's disturbance had grown even more violent.
The Divine Patterns on the White Jade doors had completely lit up.
Golden streams of light flowed across the doors like brooks. The gap between the Heavenly Gate's doors continued to widen, and the aura pouring out grew increasingly dense, even beginning to condense into faint spiritual mist that coiled around the Heavenly Gate.
"What's going on? Could Senior Bai Ye have arrived?"
An elder at the Tribulation Crossing Realm gazed at the Heavenly Gate, his voice carrying a hint of anticipation.
Senior Bai Ye was currently the only True God Expert in the Wild Domain. If anyone could rouse the Heavenly Gate, it had to be him.
"Something's wrong!"
Xuan Ji Zi shook his head and stared gravely at the gap between the Heavenly Gate's doors. "The fluctuations of this aura and divine essence are coming from the other side of the Heavenly Gate! It seems more like... someone is coming down from the Upper Realm!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the Heavenly Gate suddenly let out an ear-splitting boom!
Boom--!
The two White Jade doors slowly opened inward. A dazzling golden pillar of light erupted from the Heavenly Gate and shot into the skies, enveloping the entire Wasteland Heaven Divine Sect!
Within the pillar of light, surging divine essence burst forth like a tsunami, carrying the sacred might unique to the Upper Realm!
The Tribulation Crossing Realm cultivators, including Xuan Ji Zi, could not help trembling all over. They instinctively retreated several steps, and even the Spiritual Energy within their bodies grew sluggish.
Immediately afterward, two figures slowly emerged from the golden pillar of light.
The man on the left was tall, standing over three meters in height, and wore Golden Battle Armor!
The armor was carved with intricate lightning Divine Patterns. Faint lightning aura coiled around his body, and every breath he took carried the thunderous roar of heaven and earth resonating together!
His features were resolute, and his eyes were as sharp as an eagle's. When his gaze swept across the crowd, a vast pressure nearly left Xuan Ji Zi and the others unable to breathe.
The man on the right was of average build and wore a Moon White Daoist Robe embroidered with countless stars. His air was gentle yet majestic.
Soft starlight coiled around him. His eyes were calm as a deep pool. He appeared ordinary, yet he radiated terrifying divine might no weaker than that of the man on the left.
"This... this is a Divine Realm Expert! Absolutely a Divine Realm Expert!"
Xuan Ji Zi's pupils contracted sharply, and storm waves rose in his heart.
He could clearly sense that the cultivation of these two men far exceeded the limits of his understanding. Even Senior Bai Ye's True God might was considerably weaker than theirs!
They were undoubtedly top experts who had descended from the Upper Realm!
After tens of thousands of years, the upper sect of the Wasteland Heaven Divine Sect had finally sent a Divine Realm Expert down to the lower realm once more!
At this moment.
The tall man looked down at Xuan Ji Zi and the others, his voice ringing out like a great bell, carrying the dignity of a superior. "You are disciples of the Wasteland Heaven Divine Sect in the Wild Domain?"
"That is correct!"
Xuan Ji Zi hurriedly bowed, his manner respectful to the extreme. He did not even dare raise his head. "This junior is Xuan Ji Zi. Greetings, two seniors from the Upper Realm! May I ask your honored names?"
"I am the Heavenly God Elder of the upper sect of the Wasteland Heaven Divine Sect, Profound Desolate Heavenly God."
The tall man spoke indifferently, then pointed at the white-robed man beside him. "This is my friend, an elder of Star Sect, Cloud Wave Heavenly God."
"Greetings, Senior Profound Desolate Heavenly God! Greetings, Senior Cloud Wave Heavenly God!"
Xuan Ji Zi and the others bowed in unison, their hearts even more shaken.
The Heavenly God Realm!
They were actually experts of the legendary Heavenly God Realm!
This was an existence a whole major realm above the True God Realm!
Profound Desolate Heavenly God turned to Cloud Wave Heavenly God and asked with a smile, "Fellow Daoist Cloud Wave, do you need me to order these lower-realm branch sect members to assist you in searching for your junior apprentice brother?"
Cloud Wave Heavenly God shook his head, a trace of certainty flashing through his eyes. "There is no need. I have my own way."
The next moment.
He raised his hand and formed a spell. A ray of starlight flew from his fingertips and condensed in midair into a spirit bird the size of a palm.
The spirit bird was formed entirely from starlight. As its wings flapped, specks of Silver Radiance scattered through the air. Faint soul fluctuations emanated from it, clearly marking it as a secret-art spirit object used for tracking.
The spirit bird rose into the sky and circled once in midair before speeding toward the junction between the Wild Domain and the Profound Domain.
"Will you come with me, fellow Daoist?"
Cloud Wave Heavenly God looked at Profound Desolate Heavenly God, his tone calm.
Profound Desolate Heavenly God laughed heartily, a trace of curiosity flashing through his eyes. "Then let us go together!"
"Staying in this lower realm is boring enough. I might as well accompany you and see what kind of person your junior apprentice brother, whom you have never met, truly is."
Cloud Wave Heavenly God nodded without another word. His figure blurred, transforming into a streak of starlight as he pursued the direction in which the spirit bird had vanished.
Profound Desolate Heavenly God followed close behind. The two figures vanished into the horizon in an instant, leaving Xuan Ji Zi and the others rooted to the spot, unable to recover for a long while.
Not long afterward, deep within the Heavenly Gang Corridor.
Dark-black astral winds battered the rocks of the Meteorite Continent like raging waves, unleashing an ear-splitting howl.
Spatial rifts constantly flashed into existence around them, radiating a deadly aura of danger.
Two figures tore through the astral winds and landed steadily on the Meteorite Continent. They were none other than Profound Desolate Heavenly God and Cloud Wave Heavenly God.
The Starlight Spirit Bird circled several times before the pitch-black portal at the center of the continent. It let out a clear cry, then transformed into specks of starlight and completely dissipated.
The two men walked up to the portal.
When they saw the portal's appearance and the ancient Divine Patterns flowing across it, dazzling light erupted simultaneously from their eyes!
The calm expressions on their faces were instantly replaced by delight.
"This is... the Dust Star Gate!"
Cloud Wave Heavenly God could no longer maintain his gentle composure. He cried out in shock, his face filled with disbelief. "The Dust Star Gate said in legend to connect to the Secret Realm containing the Divine King Inheritance has actually appeared in the lower realm!"
"I never would have imagined it! I truly never would have imagined it!"
Profound Desolate Heavenly God also struggled to conceal his shock. He sighed repeatedly. "Your junior apprentice brother actually found such a great opportunity and entered Dust Star Valley! Tsk, tsk, that luck of his is truly enviable!"
Upon hearing this, the delight on Cloud Wave Heavenly God's face gradually faded, and he fell silent.
He lowered his head and looked at the pitch-black portal. Complex emotions flashed through his eyes—hesitation and struggle—but in the end, they were replaced by dense greed and resolve.
After a long while, he raised his head. Cold killing intent had already ignited in his eyes, and he said in a low voice to Profound Desolate Heavenly God, "Fellow Daoist, do you think... this might also be our opportunity?"
Profound Desolate Heavenly God froze, then immediately understood. His eyes flickered uncertainly. "You mean... you want to attack him? But he is your junior apprentice brother. Were you not ordered to bring him back to the Upper Realm? If you kill him, how will you answer to your sect?"
"Answer to them?" Cloud Wave Heavenly God sneered, the greed in his eyes growing stronger. "The opportunity in Dust Star Valley is said to have been left behind by the Ancient Divine King. It is enough to let us break through our current realms, and perhaps even reach the Divine Venerable Realm!"
"We might even touch the threshold of the Divine King Realm! Faced with such an unparalleled opportunity, what does the sect's order count for?!"
He leaned closer to Profound Desolate Heavenly God and lowered his voice further. "Besides, after this, only Heaven and earth will know of it—you and I will know as well."
"As long as we establish a Heavenly Dao Oath never to reveal this matter, and join forces to seize this Divine King Inheritance, then after we return to the Upper Realm, who could know what truly happened?"
Profound Desolate Heavenly God remained silent for a moment as he stared at the pitch-black Dust Star Gate.
When he thought of the legendary Divine King Inheritance, the hesitation in his heart was quickly devoured by greed.
He nodded heavily. "Good! We shall do as you say! We will establish a Heavenly Dao Oath and join forces to seize the Inheritance!"
The two men exchanged a glance, then simultaneously raised their hands and formed seals. They silently recited the Heavenly Dao Oath, using their own souls as a guide to establish a blood oath never to reveal this matter and to seize the Inheritance together!
Once the oath was completed, ruthless light flashed simultaneously through their eyes.
They said no more. Taking up positions on either side of the Dust Star Gate, they completely concealed their auras.
Like two ferocious beasts lying in wait, they quietly waited for Bai Ye to emerge from the Secret Realm!
The astral winds continued to howl across the Meteorite Continent, while the pitch-black portal stood silently.
A deadly killing trap aimed at Bai Ye had already been laid in the shadows!
Before you continue