Simulation becomes reality, have I ever looked down upon the eternity?

Chapter 539 The Gate of the Deceptive Kingdom, the Heretic Ant True Man?

Yang Chen and his companions silently crossed the towering city wall like six wisps of smoke.

Below are the patrolling demons, giants with dark blue skin and as tall as small buildings, carrying giant hammers.

There were also demons with wild boar heads, and spiders the size of carriages.

Thousands upon thousands of ghostly soldiers marched in formation, guarding the city gates impenetrably.

The city was shrouded in mist, making it impossible to see anything clearly.

Like a city buried in fog, except the fog is a sinister black fog.

Fortunately, all six of them were at the Dao Embryo Realm, making it difficult for these demons to detect them.

Lu Qingyu felt the coldness coming from her arm and frowned. Although cultivators can feel the cold and heat, once they release their magic power, they become impervious to water and fire.

Now there's even a cold frost on my arm, with a slightly icy feeling.

Xiao Wan'er also said, "Was it the same when you came last time?"

Yang Chen's gaze swept solemnly over the churning black mist, and he slowly shook his head: "When I came here last time, although the city was filled with eerie atmosphere, it was nowhere near as bad as this."

"Looks like I need to be careful."

However, this kind of sinister energy was not enough to pose a threat to the six Dao Embryo Realm cultivators.

The six people crossed the city wall and walked lightly along the eaves.

Choose not to use any magical artifacts, lest you disturb the demons.

Among the six, Qin Shixiu of Feilai Peak possessed "Dharma Eyes," whose divine light pierced through layers of black mist like lightning.

See!

Every hundred feet in the city stands an altar, on which is enshrined a dark and eerie "Bodhisattva" statue.

It should be the "King of Xuanhuang Yingde Lunzhuan".

The statue resembled the Thousand-Armed Guanyin, yet it exuded a sinister and malevolent aura.

Each palm has a scarlet vertical eye, densely packed, that rotates slightly as if it were a living thing, as if it were spying on the entire city.

Wherever the cold gaze swept, even the black mist twisted and writhed, making people uneasy.

The group concealed their presence and stealthily made their way towards the city center, stepping on the black-tiled roofs of the continuous rows of houses.

The deeper you go, the stronger the eerie sense of oppression becomes.

Lu Qingyu suddenly paused slightly and transmitted his voice secretly: "These statues... seem a bit off."

Qin Shixiu's eyes flickered slightly, his voice tinged with hesitation: "Have you noticed that the eyes of these statues seem to be turning towards us?"

Yang Chen noticed again that there was a statue not far away that seemed to have turned its head and was staring at them with a leisurely gaze.

The faces of those statues were clearly expressionless, yet they inexplicably evoked a chilling sense of focused concentration.

It's like a humanoid creature with no expression, staring at you without blinking.

It looked as if it was about to grin open and reveal a chilling smile at any moment.

The six people stopped abruptly on the roof of a dilapidated four-story restaurant.

The situation is very bad.

Besides Yang Chen, there was another woman on Qiyun Peak. If Zhou Jing were here, he would recognize her as Shen Zimo, who was going down the mountain for the first time to undergo trials.

The two then descended the mountain together.

Shen Zimo asked, "What should we do now?"

Yang Chen made a decisive decision: "Withdraw from the city."

Several people nodded at the same time.

They stopped concealing themselves and used all their magical treasures or escape techniques to retreat along the way they came.

Six beams of light suddenly erupted, and magical treasures and escape techniques were unleashed simultaneously, transforming into streaks of light that sped back the way they came.

In an instant, it darted over a hundred miles away, the surrounding scenery becoming blurred in the flash of light.

"Something's wrong!"

Yang Chen suddenly shouted sharply.

The group paused, horrified to find that they were still standing on the same dilapidated restaurant, with the cracks on the eaves exactly the same.

They were going around in circles.

The fog around us seemed to have gotten even thicker.

The six men immediately formed a formation back to back, all of them looking grim.

The demons below were alarmed, and countless scarlet eyes lit up in the black mist, like will-o'-the-wisps in hell.

In an instant, a huge, crimson-headed serpent snake snaked up a pillar in the restaurant, opened its blood-red maw, and bit down on the six people.

With a single swing of his sword, Lü Qingyu cut the snake in two.

But they couldn't stop the growing number of demons gathering around them.

With the addition of ghostly soldiers, the six have become the target of everyone's attacks.

Yang Chen transmitted his voice, "Zi Mo, set up the teleportation array."

"Senior Sister Xiao, you secretly used the Thousand Mile Teleportation Talisman."

"Brother Qin, if your Divine Demon Shuttle cannot be moved later, head southwest."

"Junior Sister Lü, try to see if you can shatter those statues."

The six followed the instructions, and the number of demons and ghostly soldiers around them increased.

Lu Qingyu possesses the "Five Elements Escape Technique Sword Manual," and his five spiritual swords resemble a peacock spreading its tail feathers.

The demons and monsters nearby were shattered by the magic sword before they could even get close. These demons and ghost soldiers were not highly skilled and could hardly affect the six people, but they had the advantage of being numerous.

Xiao Wan'er's arms were wrapped in a cold current like ribbons, and she had already activated the Black Emperor Overturning the Sea Palm.

In an instant, a chilling aura rose sharply, and a gigantic toad demon spat out a scarlet tongue more than ten feet long. The tongue instantly froze into a block of ice upon touching the airflow, and then shattered inch by inch.

Qin Shi and his companion from Feilai Peak used the "Zhaiguang Technique," forming hand seals, and a phantom flying eaves and brackets appeared above the heads of the six people.

The clear light flowed under the eaves, and any demon that got too close was instantly pierced and torn apart, letting out a mournful wail.

More and more demons gathered around, and the corpses of the dead were devoured by other demons. As they devoured the corpses, the demons' cultivation levels increased, and their auras became increasingly ferocious.

Their foothold was constantly being squeezed, and their situation was extremely precarious.

Suddenly, the spirit sword in Lü Qingyu's hand split in two, piercing straight towards the pitch-black statue of the "Xuanhuang Yingde Lunzhuan King".

Wherever the sword light reached, the surrounding demons immediately became restless and let out terrified roars.

The statue was split in two and shattered on the ground.

Yang Chen shouted, "Zi Mo, now!"

The magic array beneath the six people's feet suddenly shone brightly, but the array's operation was extremely difficult, as if it were imprisoned by an invisible force.

At the same time, the teleportation talisman in Xiao Wan'er's hand spontaneously combusted without wind, turning into specks of golden light that enveloped everyone.

Just as their figures were about to disappear, the space twisted, and the six of them were forcibly pulled back to their original positions.

Yang Chen's face darkened.

Qin Shi had already unleashed a divine shuttle the size of a flying sword.

The shuttle burst into golden light, engulfing the six people within it, and then transformed into a golden lightning bolt that streaked through the air, leaving a charred trail in the path of the demons.

However, in just a few dozen breaths, the golden lightning mysteriously circled back to its original point.

The divine shuttle trembled violently and was eventually forced to reveal its true form, with the six people reappearing in the same spot.

Yang Chen's face was extremely pale.

At this moment, they finally understood that this place had been completely sealed off, impossible to move or escape, and had become a forbidden area.

The statue of "Xuanhuang Yingde Lunzhuan Wang" that was cleaved in two by Lü Qingyu's sword is now slowly healing in the surging black mist.

Thick, black blood seeped from the crack, wriggling like a living thing as it rejoined the two halves of the statue.

The eyes on the palms of their hands watched the six people silently.

Lu Qingyu retrieved her flying sword, the hilt resting in her hand, her eyes now much calmer.

The black fog grew thicker and thicker, completely enveloping them, leaving them only able to make out the hideous, enormous demonic figures a few feet away.

"We can't get out!"

This thought clearly surfaced in her mind.

The Demon Lord, before even revealing himself, had already trapped them here to their deaths; this was a level far beyond what the six of them could contend with. The girl in green merely brushed her fingertips lightly across the sword blade, flicking off the dark red demon blood.

She suddenly recalled the scene before she left, when she volunteered to come in Zhou Jing's place.

Inside the tent, the candlelight flickered, and the young man's brows and eyes were filled with quiet contemplation.

"Senior sister, I don't regret it."

"It's just that I won't be able to protect you anymore."

The demons' attacks grew increasingly frenzied, surging forth relentlessly, the sounds of tearing and biting sending chills down one's spine.

Yang Chen calmed himself down, exhaled, and said, "Everyone, don't give up. If we can hold on until the elders from the mountain arrive tomorrow, there might still be a glimmer of hope."

Qin Shi smiled bitterly upon hearing this, "If we can't make it through tonight, then that's our fate."

Of the six, the Li disciple from Feilai Peak had already lost his composure.

His face was deathly pale, his lips trembled uncontrollably, and his eyes were bloodshot: "No, I can't die here. Absolutely not."

He suddenly grabbed Qin Shi's sleeve, "Senior brother! We have to find a way to escape!"

The test is between life and death!

No one can accept the idea that there will be no tomorrow after today.

Qin Shi pressed down on his violently trembling shoulders and shouted angrily, "Junior Brother Li, calm down!"

How can I stay calm?

"If it weren't for the fact that you all decided to come, things wouldn't have turned out this way."

He turned to Yang Chen, his eyes filled with resentment: "Say something!"

Yang Chen met his gaze without flinching, a faint smile appearing on his lips: "If I really want to die here..."

"I'll die with you, okay?"

The disciple was disheartened, tears and snot streaming down his face, his teeth clenched tightly.

Qin Shi, the senior disciple of Feilai Peak, patted him on the shoulder and said gently, "Alright, alright."

"I promise you, I will not let you die before I die."

"But I... I'm scared."

"What's there to be afraid of? Look at Xiao Qingfeng's two senior sisters, they didn't react at all."

"We are disciples of Feilai Peak and Fangcun Mountain. To die slaying demons and monsters is... a worthy death."

Xiao Wan'er's eyes remained calm as she looked at the endless demons and monsters around her.

The barefoot girl's pupils reflected another figure.

Back then, at the bottom of the lake, I witnessed my own death.

She wasn't afraid of death, but at that time her magical power was completely exhausted, and she couldn't move an inch.

Death itself is not scary.

That kind of powerless struggle, only able to quietly await death.

It is the long, cold, dark, and lonely experience that is far more terrifying than death itself.

A voice rang out amidst the despair.

You can't die yet!

Xiao Wan'er came to her senses, but felt regretful that she hadn't revealed her feelings to Junior Brother Zhou.

Just then, a familiar voice rang out in Xiao Wan'er's heart once again.

"Go southeast."

She saw the surrounding black mist suddenly cleaved apart by a beam of purple-gold light.

The barefoot girl's eyes suddenly lit up, as if she had returned to the bottom of the lake, while the boy's voice came from the surface of the water with the waves.

You can't die yet!

~

You concealed your presence and stealthily followed Yang Chen and his group into the imperial city.

The sealing power of the "Primordial Chaos Fire-Suppressing Diagram" flows around you. Combined with your current cultivation level, even a Golden Core cultivator would find it difficult to detect your presence.

Now, you're walking in the guise of a Purple-Gold Heavenly Horned Ant, so it's likely no one knows your true nature.

A faint purple-gold light flickered across your body as you subtly absorbed the surrounding Yin energy, then slowly exhaled it to cover your entire body and conceal your aura.

You became a shifting shadow, silently following them.

When the six people landed on the rooftop of a restaurant in the city center, you watched from the shadows.

The statues standing in the four directions had already sensed their presence, but deliberately remained motionless—clearly a ploy to lure the six people into this place.

You didn't rush to attack, but quietly watched as demons and ghostly soldiers surged in from all directions, surrounding the six of them.

Yang Chen and the others formed a back-to-back formation, and even with the use of "teleportation talismans" and "flying shuttles," they could not leave.

[Your eyes shimmer with a jade-like radiance. The Jade Emperor's Aura Observation Technique is activated, and the surrounding black mist vanishes, along with the divine statue.]

As the fog cleared and your vision gradually returned, you slowly looked up—the entire city was being held in the mouth of a red-haired demon as large as a mountain!

The demon, with its blue face, fangs, and blood-red fur, was partially hidden within the black mist.

If an ordinary person were to witness this scene, they would likely be captivated by it.

And deep within the throat of this demon, a majestic, vermilion gate stood silently.

The black mist also emanated from this massive vermilion gate.

[You showed no fear of this red-haired demon, but this massive vermilion gate made you frown and feel slightly uneasy.]

Your pupils contracted slightly as an ancient record from the Daoist canon—"The Kingdom of Devils"—appeared in your mind.

This mysterious place has been mentioned many times in the ancient texts of Fangcun Mountain, all because of the word "ascension," which countless cultivators dream of.

It is said that cultivators in this realm must use the Ascension Platform to break through the barrier and ascend to immortality.

[But the Ghost Kingdom is an exception—this strange realm, existing outside the proper world, was a unique path for cultivators to ascend to immortality in ancient times.]

Even more chilling is that beings from the upper realm can also descend upon this realm through the Ghost Kingdom.

However, the Kingdom of Ghosts later disappeared, and there are no further records of it.

Unexpectedly, I've encountered the Ghost Gate again today.

But who opened this strange door here, and what is their purpose?

[The ghostly soldiers borrowing a path, the Xuanhuang Yingde Reincarnation King manifesting his divine power, and now the mysterious sects.]

This kind of event is beyond the reach of a cultivator like Yang Chen.

[Anything involving the word "ascension" will have a profound impact on everything in this world, affecting both righteous and heretical sects.]

Seeing that Yang Chen and his group of six had reached a dead end, you no longer hesitated.

A purple-gold light flowed in his palm, and immense magical power compressed and collapsed in an instant, finally condensing at his fingertips.

As you gently tapped the screen, a tearing sound echoed through the void, and the purple-gold light pierced through the surrounding sealed space like a sharp sword.

"Head southeast." Your words resonated in Xiao Wan'er's heart.

Of everyone present, only she had witnessed some of your strength and recognized your voice now.

The six people moved in sync with Xiao Wan'er.

Just as you were about to leave, you suddenly stopped, your gaze fixed on a certain spot deep within the black mist.

"Fellow Daoist, how much longer shall we continue?"

Silence reigned all around; the black mist remained.

You are very patient.

After a long while, a faint, ethereal voice came from all directions, indistinguishable in gender or age: "This world can actually nurture such a flawless true spirit as you. Truly, creation is unfair."

The voice paused, then asked, "What power or faction have you come from?"

[You ceased to conceal yourself, your form suddenly solidifying—a tall, black-haired youth appeared, a purple-gold radiance flowing through his muscles like water. Faced with questioning, you merely responded with a cold laugh.]

"Even if you don't say it," the voice, sometimes near, sometimes far, spoke with a certain confidence, "there was once a 'True Ant' among the heretics, whose true form was a Purple-Gold Heavenly Horned Ant."

The expression on the black-haired youth's face seemed to gradually freeze.

"Looks like I was right."

(End of this chapter)