Golden Immortal Gate

The Silver Immortal Sect is located in the Boundary Sea, separating immortals from mortals; those who do not become immortals cannot cross it.

Silver light hung down from above, illuminating the mountain ancestor in front of the gate.

The Mountain Ancestor was enveloped by the illusory image of Mount Buzhou, and a mountain-shaped Law Seals condensed on his forehead, shooting out in the opposite direction and landing on the lintel of the Silver Immortal Sect.

"Not enough!"

"Mountain Ancestor coldly shouted."

His own aura merged perfectly with that of Mount Buzhou, and at this moment, the Mountain Ancestor seemed to represent the legendary Mount Buzhou.

The mountain-shaped mark shone brightly, transforming into a symbol that was imprinted on the Silver Immortal Gate.

The next second, its symbol acted like a key, and the entire Silver Immortal Sect completely absorbed it.

Rumble!

The Silver Immortal Gate trembled violently, its doors creaking and groaning.

A faint golden hue gradually appeared in the silver light that cascaded down from it.

Ning Qi and the other two watched as the immortal light from the immortal gate changed, and they all held their breath.

A hint of a smile finally appeared on Shanzu's indifferent face.

"Just like that, transform me into the Golden Immortal Sect!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the immortal light emitted from the Silver Immortal Gate was completely replaced by a pale gold color, and the entire gate expanded again, reaching a height of ten zhang!

And that pale gold color began to spread, coating the silver immortal gate.

Slurp!

The Silver Immortal Gate seemed to be enveloped by a pale golden light emanating from within its doors, and the entire structure was undergoing a terrifying transformation.

Ning Qi had a misconception.

I always felt that this immortal sect was like a Law Artifact, and that immortal light was the Dao fire, tempering the immortal sect.

Gradually, the Silver Immortal Gate's exterior, like the previous Bronze Immortal Gate, saw the silver melt and peel away, impurities being refined away, ultimately leaving behind only crimson gold.

The entire immortal sect was permeated with an incomparably sacred golden color, which shone upon the ancestral body of the mountain patriarch in front of the sect.

The Mountain Ancestor gazed at the vast Golden Immortal Gate and murmured:

"Only in accordance with the status of a descendant of the Mount Buzhou Inheritance, with the immortal gates opening and welcoming us with golden radiance, can signify that the one destined for immortality possesses the qualifications to become an immortal Golden Immortal immortal."

The Mountain Ancestor seemed finally satisfied with the immortal sect before him.

Upon hearing these words, Ning Qi and his companions instantly understood the different levels of the Immortal Path Gate.

The shift from bronze to gold seems to correspond to the future aptitude of cultivators who aspire to immortality.

The further along the chain, the greater its potential.

Clearly, as he said, the Mountain Ancestor possesses the qualities to become an immortal Golden Immortal immortal.

However, Ning Qi and the other two still didn't quite understand what the Immortal Golden Immortal represented.

Their Inheritance did not reach the realm after becoming an immortal; only the Mountain Ancestor, relying on the Inheritance Mount Buzhou, seemed to have a deep understanding of the situation after becoming an immortal.

Ning Qi and the other two couldn't help but swallow hard, because the Mountain Ancestor's Dharma Image began to walk towards the Golden Immortal Gate.

The image of the Mountain Ancestor strode across the Boundary Sea, stepping towards the golden gate.

Whoosh!

Its enormous feet, like oars, stir the waves of the Boundary Sea.

Behind him, the energy waves of the Boundary Sea receded like the tide, gradually moving backward and detaching from his body.

The golden light cascading from within the Golden Immortal Gate completely enveloped the Mountain Ancestor's enormous Dharma form.

The Holy Ancestor suddenly spoke:

"One of the signs of becoming an immortal is escaping from the sea of suffering."

"Um?"

Ning Qi was slightly taken aback; this was the first time he had heard such a statement.

As for Hai Zu, his expression became quite bewildered.

She asked, "You said that leaving the Boundary Sea is one of the signs of becoming an immortal?"

The Holy Ancestor frowned, and said uncertainly:

"One of the Inheritance I received from the ancient sages was: ' The Boundary Sea is boundless; one can transcend realms to become an immortal.'"

"It is said that the Boundary Sea is the most filthy place in the entire world, so our worlds all form boundary walls to automatically resist Boundary Sea invasion. They even exile some heinous cultivators, banishing them from within our world to beyond the Boundary Sea."

"The Boundary Sea is vast, and even we do not know its true extent; it harbors far too many evil things."

Ning Qi was even more puzzled upon hearing this.

He asked, "But wasn't our world born from the Boundary Sea? If the Boundary Sea is filthy, then our world, which was born from the Boundary Sea, shouldn't be unable to escape its filth either."

The Holy Ancestor shook his head.

"I don't know exactly what happened either; I only got the information from the ancient sages. But it can be explained in one sentence..."

"What did you say?" Ning Qi and Hai Zu asked at the same time.

The Holy Ancestor slowly spoke, "The lotus rises from the mud yet remains unstained; the Boundary Sea is mud itself, and we are still adrift in this boundless mud. Only by becoming an immortal can we escape!"

Upon hearing this, Ning Qi and Hai Zu were greatly shocked.

They exchanged a glance, both seeing the surprise in each other's eyes.

Although their cultivation levels may differ, they share one thing in common: they have integrated the energy of the Boundary Sea into their own bodies.

If what the Holy Ancestor said is true, and becoming an immortal means leaving the Boundary Sea and transcending Boundary Sea, then wouldn't they be unable to become immortals?

At the very least, the energy of the Boundary Sea within the body must be completely stripped away!

Hai Zu's icy eyes flickered uncertainly, and doubts arose in her heart. Had she taken the wrong path from the very beginning?

In order to defeat the Mountain Ancestor, she risked absorbing the power of the Boundary Sea, and even harbored a terrible ambition.

She regarded the Boundary Sea as the sea as well, allowing herself, the Sea Ancestor, to control it.

Ning Qi scratched his head, feeling that something was amiss.

Noticing the unusual expression on Hai Zu's beautiful face, he advised, "Perhaps this is just one of the paths to immortality; Hai Zu need not worry too much."

The Holy Ancestor realized the impact his words had on the two of them.

He quickly explained, "Perhaps that was the path taken by High Antiquity sages. Countless billions of years have passed since then, so this statement may no longer hold true."

Only then did Haizu regain his composure.

Compared to the others, she had a particularly difficult time maintaining her composure and was prone to falling into a state of madness.

This is also a side effect of her forcibly integrating into the energy of the Boundary Sea.

The three looked at the mountain ancestor again.

As the image of the Mountain Ancestor approached the Golden Immortal Golden Immortal Gate step by step, a sudden change occurred.

Before the Golden Immortal Gate, golden steps automatically appeared, extending to the foot of the Mountain Ancestor.

The Mountain Ancestor has already stepped onto the first golden step.

Whoosh!

Even more unexpectedly, since the appearance of the golden steps, the energy of the Boundary Sea has been unable to approach the Golden Immortal Gate, retreating even further away from both the Golden Immortal Gate and the Mountain Ancestor.

The energy of the Boundary Sea was completely driven away from the entire area within ten zhang of the Golden Immortal Gate.

Upon seeing this scene, the thoughts that Ning Qi and Hai Zu had just changed seemed to instantly return to their hearts.

It seems that what the Holy Ancestor just said is true!

Tap tap!

The Mountain Ancestor ascended the golden steps step by step, finally arriving before the Golden Immortal Gate.

The pale golden light completely enveloped him, making him appear even more ethereal.

The Mountain Ancestor's two giant hands had already touched the gates of the Immortal Sect.

At this moment, his expression was extremely solemn.

The Mountain Ancestor seemed uneasy. He first glanced at Ning Qi and the other two out of the corner of his eye, and seeing that they were still watching his ascension to immortality, he looked away again.

He then turned to look at the land behind him, where the receding waves of the Boundary Sea revealed a calm lake.

The mountain ancestor turned around and roared, "Open up for me!"

He suddenly exerted force in his arms, his muscles bulged, and golden light shone around him, making him look like a golden giant.

Click!

The Golden Immortal gate creaked and began to slowly open along the golden pillars to both sides, and the gaps in the gate grew wider and wider!

Therefore, even more Golden Immortal light spewed out from within the immortal gate and landed on the Mountain Ancestor.

The immortal aura emanating from the Mountain Ancestor had almost solidified into a tangible form. His entire body was trembling slightly, and every cell seemed to be trying its best to absorb the Golden Immortal light and the immortal aura.

Ning Qi and the other two gazed at the slowly pushed-open Golden Immortal gate, looking through the doorway into the room.

However, neither their gaze nor their senses could penetrate the Golden Immortal Gate, and they were completely unable to see what lay behind it.

Before them, there was only a dazzling expanse of gold, like sunlight shining down.

Click!

The Mountain Ancestor had already pushed the Golden Immortal Gate halfway open; it could be said that if he turned sideways, he could squeeze through.

Of course, if he shrunk his appearance, he could also break in directly.

However, the Mountain Ancestor did not choose to do so. His toes gripped the golden steps below, and he exerted all his strength to push against the immortal gate, trying to push it open completely.

Click click click!

Just as the mountain ancestor had pushed two-thirds of the way open, a sudden change occurred.

A large amount of black mist suddenly emerged from within the Mountain Ancestor's body!

"Cough!"

Shan Zu couldn't help but cough, exhaling a large mouthful of black mist.

"Is this... the process of transcending the mortal realm and becoming an immortal?"

The Mountain Ancestor exerted even more force in his hands, continuing to push the Immortal Gate.

His coughs became more frequent, and with each cough, he would expel a large amount of black gas, which was then washed away by the golden light surrounding him.

Ning Qi and the other two stared intently at his retreating figure.

Initially, they saw wisps of black mist spewing from the mouth of the Mountain Ancestor amidst the golden light. Gradually, large amounts of black mist began to emerge from all seven orifices of the Mountain Ancestor.

Later on, black mist was emanating from every pore of the Mountain Ancestor's body, which even the golden light could not wash away.

Within the golden light enveloping the Mountain Ancestor, a black halo had appeared, covering his body.

Click!

At that very moment, the Golden Immortal Gate, which the Mountain Ancestor had pushed open, mysteriously closed a small portion of itself.

What happened?

The Mountain Ancestor's body was pushed back a few inches by the return of the Immortal Gate, and he immediately realized that something was wrong.

"Open it!"

He roared again, unleashing his full Law Power upon the Golden Immortal gate.

The Golden Immortal Gate, subjected to the force, involuntarily opened even further backward.

Just when the Mountain Ancestor thought it was an accident, the entire Golden Immortal Sect rebounded with even greater power.

Creak!

This time, the mountain ancestor was pushed back even further, and his soles left two obvious marks on the golden steps.

"What exactly is going on? Why are they preventing me from joining the immortal sect?"

The mountain ancestor finally managed to steady himself, but his face could no longer remain calm; instead, it was filled with doubt.

The same was true for Ning Qi and his two companions who were watching from a distance.

Ning Qi couldn't help but think of what the Holy Ancestor had just said.

Ning Qi sensed that the black mist ring appearing within the Golden Immortal light surrounding the Mountain Ancestor was the energy of the Boundary Sea hidden within the Mountain Ancestor's body.

Clearly, the immortal light within the Golden Immortal Gate was constantly driving away the Boundary Sea energy within the Mountain Ancestor's body, but for some reason, the Boundary Sea energy within the Mountain Ancestor's body was increasing.

Logically speaking, the Mountain Ancestor had almost always stayed within the Mountain and Sea Realm, and even if he had been to the Vast Realm, he shouldn't have come into contact with much of the Boundary Sea's energy.

Therefore, Shan Zu should not have so much Boundary Sea energy within his body.

"Wrong..."

Ning Qi suddenly remembered the remnant of Mount Buzhou that had flown from the Boundary Sea earlier. It was something summoned by the Mountain Ancestor, and he immediately understood many things.

The Mountain Ancestor may not have had much Boundary Sea energy within him, but he swallowed the remnants of Mount Buzhou into his body.

The remains of Mount Buzhou are devoid of any life or living beings.

It was clearly left behind in a hidden area somewhere in the Boundary Sea, and had just been summoned here by the Mountain Ancestor.

Having been left in the Boundary Sea for so long, countless billions of years, and subjected to such prolonged erosion, how could the remnants of Mount Buzhou not have been tainted by the energy of the Boundary Sea?

That's why there's so much Boundary Sea energy within the Mountain Ancestor's body!

Ning Qi thought of, the Holy Ancestor and the Sea Ancestor also thought of, and the Mountain Ancestor, as a participant, naturally realized it as well.

"Mount Buzhou is the path to immortality; why are you blocking its entry?"

The Mountain Ancestor continued to push the Golden Immortal Gate with both hands, but the fingers of one hand were tapping on the Golden Immortal Gate.

This time, however, the Mountain Ancestor found that even with more force, he did not push the Golden Immortal Gate open as before. Instead, more power returned to it, closing the Golden Immortal Gate.

"No!"

The Mountain Ancestor panicked. He was about to completely open the Golden Immortal Gate, but now the gate was closing, trying to shut him out!

"Who gave you permission to refuse the descendants of Mount Buzhou?"

Shan Zu was somewhat hysterical, almost unable to believe what he was seeing.

The next second, he actually turned sideways, trying to squeeze into the Golden Immortal Gate.

However, the Golden Immortal Gate gave him no chance to exploit any loopholes. The entire Golden Immortal Gate began to shrink, making it impossible for the Mountain Ancestor's physical body to enter.

"No, how could this be?"

The Mountain Ancestor reacted swiftly, immediately choosing to shrink his physical body, but the Golden Immortal Gate also shrank accordingly.

Click!

Not only that, even the Golden Immortal Sect was trying to reclaim the golden staircase that had appeared before, as if to expel the Mountain Ancestor from the steps.

The Mountain Ancestor was terrified upon seeing this, and dared not shrink his physical form again, nor dared to slip through the Immortal Gate.

He stood with his feet in a squatting stance, bracing against the Golden Immortal gate, using his back to press against one side of the gate while pushing against the other side with one hand.

With his remaining hand pounding on the Golden Immortal gate, the Mountain Ancestor roared:

"Have you forgotten the agreement regarding the crossing between immortals and mortals?"

More black mist emerged from his body, almost splitting in half with the Golden Immortal light that enveloped him, and it continued to increase.

A mountain-shaped mark reappeared on the forehead of the Mountain Ancestor, shining towards the Golden Immortal Gate.

The mountain-shaped mark was imprinted on the Golden Immortal gate, but the Golden Immortal gate was different from before, emitting a clanging sound.

However, the two sides are currently at an impasse, Golden Immortal Sect seems to have slowed its trend of closing down.

Even Shan Zu's attempt to push things further was futile!

The mountain-shaped mark was imprinted on the lintel of the Golden Immortal Gate, and it also turned into a cloud of black mist. The black mist then merged into the Golden Immortal Gate, instantly activating the intricate immortal runes on the Golden Immortal Gate.

The two seemed to be exchanging ideas, or comparing past agreements.

Then, the golden light emanating from the Golden Immortal Gate began to dissipate, fading from gold and eventually reverting to a silvery hue.