Chapter 976: 203: The Immortal Gate in the Starry Sky (9K)_5

Chapter 976: Chapter 203: The Immortal Gate in the Starry Sky (9K)_5

“This whip has never lashed you before—you don’t know pain, do you?”

The Source Ancestor cast a cold glance at him, then turned to the Divine King. Seeing the latter’s condition was no better than his own, he felt slightly relieved. His gaze then shifted to the door before them.

The patterns on the door, which had twisted earlier, had now reverted to their original forms.

The Source Ancestor’s eyes flickered. As the oldest Saint, it was no exaggeration to call him the most learned.

This appeared to be the handiwork of an Immortal, forbidding others from touching it. An Immortal had sealed this portal with power, shutting the path to the Immortal Divine behind it.

Nearby, the Divine King steadied his injuries and once again soared toward the door. However, this time, he refrained from rash action and instead focused on scrutinizing it.

The Source Ancestor drew closer as well, observing for a moment. Suddenly, he saw an anomaly in the pattern—there was a gap.

It was precisely this gap that allowed wisps of Immortal Qi to seep out, enabling them to detect the unusual energy behind the statue.

“It seems the power of the Immortal Divine is beginning to wane.”

Thoughts flashed in the Source Ancestor’s eyes. He exchanged a look with the Divine King—though rivals, they had once been the most familiar with each other.

No words were needed to understand one another’s thoughts.

The Divine King nodded slightly, and the two simultaneously joined forces. The Divine King swung his sword, while the Source Ancestor brandished the Sky Suppressing Whip. Energy roiled through the starry sky like a stormy sea, converging onto their weapons, condensing to a single point, and then suddenly striking the gap in the pattern.

A loud boom echoed as another brilliant explosion of light appeared.

This time, the two were prepared and retreated quickly upon striking, yet the speed of the reverberating light was too fast—it still swept them.

Both of their bodies were thrown backward, and they discovered that the Saint Path had been severed further.

Yet as for the door, it remained completely intact. The gap in the pattern showed no change, nor did it widen.

The combined might of the two was still insufficient to break through this door.

Their eyes revealed shock, but this quickly gave way to a firmer resolve. This was the power of the Immortal Divine. As Supreme Saints, they had already glimpsed the Heavenly Dao, but the Immortal Divine Power was far more mysterious and terrifying. The abilities of the Immortal Divine were simply unimaginable.

Li Hao stood silently at a distance, observing, and noticed something they had overlooked.

In the gap within the pattern, there was a faint slit. This door, in fact, was traversable.

However, the Source Ancestor and the Divine King seemed unaware of it—or perhaps incapable of perceiving it.

The slit was so narrow that only the faintest Immortal Qi could pass through.

“Haha, you can’t get in—it’s sealed off. What good is finding the path? Someone once claimed this place was an Abandoned Realm, and it turns out they were truly right…”

The Dragon Saint, witnessing the scene, let out a deranged laugh. Scarlet light encircled his figure, spilling from his scales. His expression alternated between ferociousness and mockery as he stared at the Source Ancestor and the Divine King.

The Source Ancestor said nothing, simply continuing to stare at the door.

After a long time, he slowly turned his head and looked toward Li Hao.

Li Hao thought this was merely a casual glance, but when his gaze met the Source Ancestor’s, he suddenly felt a jolt of alarm—a sense of unease arose in his heart.

That gaze… it seemed to hint at something.

The Divine King, meanwhile, continued to fixate on the door in silence, his thoughts seemingly elsewhere.

“Hao Tian, do you have a way to get inside?”

Suddenly, the Source Ancestor’s voice echoed within Li Hao’s mind.

Li Hao’s heart clenched at this, his tone helpless as he responded, “You and the Divine King can’t do it—how could I possibly manage?”

“Not necessarily. I’ve heard that the Immortal Divine once departed because of a great event. Perhaps this sealing of the realm was intentional. However, the outside prohibition may require your power to open. It’s possible the Immortal Divine deliberately left a path—a passage that can only be crossed with the power of your Sixth Extreme Realm.”

The Source Ancestor’s voice continued.

Li Hao could sense the Source Ancestor’s deep and calculating mind—it was alarming how far he had considered this possibility.

Indeed, Li Hao felt that if he entered his Transform to Immortal state, he might be able to squeeze through the gap in the door.

But if he truly exposed this ability, it wouldn’t bring him praise—it would bring calamity upon him.

These two would never allow anyone to enter the Immortal Divine Road before them, for fear that whoever entered first might destroy the path or reinforce and seal it further.

The path to supreme power was fraught with distrust—who would willingly entrust such a path to another?

“What you say makes sense, but I truly can’t do it.”

Li Hao replied with a bitter smile.

The Source Ancestor’s voice came to him softly, “Why not try? If you succeed, I’ll hold back the Divine King for you. I trust your character—if you can truly open this road, All Heavens will be grateful to you.”

Li Hao sneered inwardly at these words, unmoved. He knew full well that if he didn’t act in some way, the Source Ancestor wouldn’t let him go.

“Then I’ll give it a try.”

Li Hao said through the transmitted voice.

He then began walking toward the door.

The Divine King noticed Li Hao approaching and turned to glance at him, his eyes filled with icy intent.

The Source Ancestor said, “Let him try. He has the power of the Sixth Extreme Realm, a power similar and likely originating from the same source as the energy within the door. He may have a way.”

The Divine King’s gaze flickered but he said nothing further, nor did he extend his killing intent toward Li Hao again.

Li Hao, seeing this, approached the door. In front of the two, he entered his Transform to Immortal state before raising his hand to touch the door.

In his Ultimate Immortal Transformation, Li Hao’s body merged with the heavens and earth, allowing him to subtly flow through the gap in the door.

Li Hao thought to himself that, just as he had observed before, he could indeed enter—but only with painstaking slowness.

Yet if he truly did squeeze through, the process would inevitably be noticed by the Source Ancestor and the Divine King, who would then intervene.

Li Hao instead let his power ripple at the gap without delving deeper. After putting on this act, he withdrew his hand.

“I can’t do it.”

Li Hao said with a bitter smile, shaking his head.

The Source Ancestor fixed his gaze on him. “The prohibition didn’t attack you—it proves your power shares the same source.”

The Divine King also stared hard at Li Hao, his eyes glinting coldly with killing intent.

Li Hao’s expression subtly shifted, and he nodded, “That could be the reason, perhaps.”

“Hand over your method of cultivating the Sixth Extreme Realm. For the sake of your acquaintance with my clan’s Goddess, I will spare your life!”

The Divine King said icily.

The Source Ancestor’s demeanor was comparatively gentle. “Hao Tian, you are the only one to have accomplished the Sixth Extreme Realm. If you have any insights into it, they could benefit the Saint Path and spread your renown across All Heavens—you could receive endless incense fire offerings.”

Li Hao’s heart sank—there was no escape after all. These two had now shifted their focus to the Sixth Extreme Realm itself.

At first, they had viewed him simply as a key—but now, they wanted his cultivation as well.

“This method cannot simply be taught; it requires personal enlightenment. Even if I explained, would either of you truly believe me?”

Li Hao said.

The Divine King responded coldly, “You’re not even thirty years old, yet you’ve reached this level. The Sixth Extreme Realm didn’t take too much time for you to master, did it? Even if our aptitude is ten times worse than yours, ten years! Ten years should suffice to cultivate it if your explanation is sincere. If we fail within ten years, you alone will bear the blame!”

The Source Ancestor was silent, merely gazing at Li Hao steadily.

At this point, there was little need to maintain pretense.

They both sought the Sixth Extreme Realm—for now, at least touching the door without being attacked would allow them to study it closely and determine how to open it.

“The Sixth Extreme Realm—the more you desire it, the harder it is to achieve. Without true enlightenment, even centuries or millennia would be futile.”

Li Hao replied.

“So you refuse to speak?” The Divine King narrowed his eyes.

Li Hao remained silent. Ten years… this implied not only divulging all his insights but also spending ten years under their close watch.

If they failed to cultivate the method, they would undoubtedly blame him.

If they succeeded, they would likely eliminate him.

“Caught between a rock and a hard place,” Li Hao muttered quietly.

The Source Ancestor spoke in a soothing voice, “Hao Tian, you’re a wise man. This matter concerns All Heavens—you need not dwell on your misgivings. We merely wish to access the Immortal Divine Road—to ensure that no one else reaches it before us—and prevent anyone from jeopardizing this path. If I enter the Immortal Divine Road, I will ensure that the path remains open so that all realms can attempt to ascend to Immortality together.”

Li Hao nodded slightly and said, “You don’t want others to enter first because you refuse to entrust your fate to someone else. In that case, why should I trust you and hand over control of my own destiny?”

“Hao Tian, do not oppose All Heavens.”

The Source Ancestor said quietly, “Even if you refuse to speak, we will eventually decipher it ourselves.”

“Then enlighten yourselves.”

Li Hao replied, “I can promise that before you’ve cultivated the method, I will leave this place and never approach it again. I have no intention of exploring the Immortal Path—as it stands, I’m still young. With the vastness of All Heavens World, I haven’t even tired of the Mortal World yet…”

“Ingrate!”

The Divine King abruptly interrupted Li Hao, his eyes flashing with murderous intent. “This is your last chance—will you speak or not?!”