A Secret of the World Road
Among the Three Hundred Stars of Great Luo, there were two Heavenly Ladders that led to the World Road.
Only cultivators of the Profound Understanding Realm could enter the World Road to seek opportunities, contend for positions in the realm, and strive for the summit.
This ancient road was extraordinary beyond measure. It had everything: great medicines that strengthened bloodlines, heavenly scriptures that seized the wonders of creation, incomplete supreme arts, and broken Dao weapons.
During the most glorious era of the imperial Dao, imperial scions vied for supremacy, and sacred physiques and Divine Bodies appeared one after another. On the World Road that manifested in those years, far too many incredible things appeared.
A youth obtained a large piece of dragon blood heavenly gold there. He later attained the Dao and used it to forge the Great Emperor Weapon known as the White Dragon Spear. He dominated the Three Thousand Worlds and remained invincible for a million years.
Someone with a mortal physique obtained origin chaos Qi there, causing his physique to transform into a chaos physique. Though it was incomplete and had enormous flaws, it was still without equal. He was called the Spirit Emperor, and he could contend with Great Emperors, suppressing countless Saints until they dared not make a sound.
More astonishing still, a three-hundred-year-old Profound Opening cultivator with no background whatsoever brought a flower out of the World Road. It contained a terrifying life force and was suspected to be an immature immortal medicine, with astonishing medicinal effects.
If cultivated to maturity, it could help a Great Emperor live a second life and remain invincible for a million years.
His fate was changed. Using it as a stepping stone, he became a disciple under a Great Emperor, defied the heavens to change his destiny, and ultimately became a Saint of exalted status.
Whether they were heavenly geniuses intent on contending for supremacy or Rogue Cultivators hoping to gamble on an opportunity, they began climbing the Heavenly Ladders to enter the ancient road.
It was not just the heavenly geniuses of the younger generation. Some cultivators who could see no path ahead and were nearing the end of their lifespans severed their own cultivation realms to seek opportunities and great medicines within, hoping to break through and extend their lives.
There were also ambitious mighty experts who used certain esoteric things to conceal their presence and disguise themselves as Profound Opening cultivators, attempting to deceive the heavens and enter.
Without exception, they all failed and were expelled.
"The old palace master of the Spirit Profound Palace actually disguised himself as a junior and tried to enter the World Road."
A red-lipped, white-toothed youth was identified as an old monster at the peak of the Venerable Realm, only half a step away from becoming a Saint. Yet he had swallowed his pride, changed his appearance, and used some method to make his life essence young again.
"He's climbed the Heavenly Ladder. He's almost succeeded." Someone marveled that the old palace master's methods were extraordinary. He was about to deceive the Heavenly Ladder and had already come most of the way.
"If he entered the World Road at the peak of the Venerable Realm, who could match him? Profound Opening cultivators would be less than ants before him. A single sneeze could kill them in droves." An old antique spoke up, sternly condemning such behavior.
Yet someone recognized him: not long ago, he too had made an attempt, only to fail. His cultivation had been suppressed, and he had been expelled and sent tumbling into the starry river, making a great fool of himself.
The old palace master of the Spirit Profound Palace blinked his clever, wide eyes as he hid among the younger generation. Against his chest was a piece of mystic turtle shell that could conceal his presence and hide him from the workings of heaven.
"I'm almost there." The old palace master of the Spirit Profound Palace was overjoyed. He had obtained this piece of mystic turtle shell from a great tomb, where it had been placed inside a white jade coffin. It was far harder than the Saint Weapons in the palace.
He suspected it was the heart-guarding shell of a mystic turtle Saint Emperor or Quasi-Emperor. Afraid others would covet it, he never used it, placing it against his chest whenever he entered seclusion or attempted a breakthrough. It calmed his mind and steadied his Qi, and its wondrous uses were endless.
"We can't let him succeed in climbing it." The enemies of the Spirit Profound Palace gathered to discuss the matter.
"He's climbing the Heavenly Ladder, under the World Road's protection. How can we touch him?" Everyone frowned. An Ancient Sage had once struck with overwhelming force, wielding a Saint Weapon in an attempt to kill the descendant of an enemy, but he had been unable to break through the World Road's protection and suffered a backlash.
That Ancient Sage had been in his prime, yet he died immediately after making his move, without the slightest warning.
A Saint Emperor had been alerted at the time and traced back time and investigated cause and effect, hoping to discover why. Yet blood flowed from his seven orifices, and he nearly fell from his cultivation realm.
It involved a supreme, immense karma and contained a supreme, immense terror. Even an ancient Saint had died silently, his soul scattered. How could they dare to act?
They could only watch helplessly as the old palace master of the Spirit Profound Palace climbed ever higher, drawing closer and closer to the World Road.
Just as he was within reach, one more step from entering the World Road, a sudden change erupted. The World Road in that region shook violently, and a blade of white light swept down from it.
It was a heavenly saber, and the presence it gave off was so powerful that it could slay Saints.
As though it had transcended space and time, the heavenly saber slashed through the old palace master of the Spirit Profound Palace before anyone could react.
"I'll die, I'll die!" The old palace master of the Spirit Profound Palace was horrified. As the heavenly saber descended, his body shook and his soul trembled. He would die.
"Trying to deceive the World Road? What wishful thinking. How many have harbored such ambitions since ancient times? Not one has succeeded," his enemy sneered.
The old palace master staggered. The heavenly saber had not extinguished his life force, and he took the step no one had ever taken successfully before.
The expressions of everyone outside changed. An old monster at the peak of the Venerable Realm had succeeded. Let alone an imperial scion, even if every Great Emperor since ancient times were reincarnated and cultivated anew, none could defeat a Venerable while at the Profound Opening Realm.
"Hahaha!" The old palace master laughed heartily, as though he could see a splendid future: claiming the mandate of heaven, obtaining immortal medicines, proving his Dao to become an emperor, and sweeping all before him throughout the ages.
But the next moment, his body underwent a strange change. He could no longer maintain the appearance of a red-lipped, white-toothed youth. He decayed in an instant, his body turning insubstantial, about to disperse, about to be erased by an unknown existence.
"Impossible!" the old palace master roared. He no longer suppressed the presence of a peak Venerable. Many of the heavenly geniuses around him were crushed by the powerful blast and burst apart, sending flesh and blood flying.
He fell into madness and drove the turtle shell against his chest with all his might, trying to resist the unknown power and find a chance at survival.
The turtle shell emitted a soft, sacred white light, and his body, which had nearly turned insubstantial, began to solidify again.
At the same moment, every Heavenly Ladder in that star region vanished instantly, severed from the outside world. Whether Venerable or Saint, none could see what was happening within any longer.
"Hm? The Turtle Emperor's heart-guarding shell?"
An ethereal voice rang out without warning. Only the old palace master, the sole survivor, could hear it. It was unfathomable, like the will of this world.
The next moment, a great hand reached out to seize him, boundless, blotting out the sky. As it reached forth, the world stood still. The old palace master tried to resist but could not move. Still conscious, he was crushed into a mist of blood.
"Just as I thought, something is amiss!" Just then, a voice rang out like great bells, its source unknown, yet it resounded throughout the entire Spirit Realm. A black broken sword tore through the cosmos, attacking from an unknown place.
Its sword intent pressed down on an entire realm, its sword light flooded the nine provinces, and it slashed into the World Road.
A true peak mighty expert had struck without hesitation.
"The Tribulation Sword-a formidable name indeed. What a pity it was broken in that battle. And yet you dare to run rampant." The being on the ancient road spoke sharply. The great hand seized the mystic turtle shell and grappled with the broken sword.
The heavens were severed by their struggle, and a region of the world was reduced to nothingness. Even the present world was caught up in it. With every collision, the escaping shockwaves reduced another star region to nothingness.
"A rat hiding behind the scenes, a monster clinging to life. Since when did you dare bare your claws and fangs?" The master of the broken sword sneered, intending to cross the boundary and enter the ancient road to kill the being hiding behind it.
"Withdraw, fellow Daoist. It is not yet time." An imposing voice rang out, and the master of the broken sword's expression changed drastically. The speaker was an utterly terrifying emperor.
He conferred with him for a while, then ultimately chose to recall the broken sword and withdraw.
"That junior brat who lacks immortal source will die by my hand sooner or later." The being in the ancient realm was furious. His supreme authority had been challenged, and he swore that the brat would pay him back sooner or later.