Immortal Road.

Everyone looked curiously at the light gate, which led to a vast and boundless starry sky. It looked bright and clear, not as dark as the outer void. Most importantly, there was a staircase inside.

"This is the Heavenly Ladder!"

With a piercing gaze, Layman Jinglian stepped directly through the portal and onto the steps.

This staircase is magical. Originally there were only two steps, but when he lifts his leg to take a step, a new step will automatically appear above him. After climbing the new step, the bottom step will disappear into thin air!

And so you climb step by step, new steps appear, old steps disappear, the cycle repeats, the ladder to heaven is always under your feet, and you can choose the direction entirely as you wish, but there is no turning back!
Because the downward steps have been removed, this is a classic case of removing the ladder when you go up to the roof!
"The path to heaven has been a manifestation of rules since ancient times, leading from the lesser world to the greater world, where the laws of heaven and earth are also sublimated."

"In the past, the lower realm had Yin and Yang energies, and each minor world should have been able to give birth to two immortals. However, the predecessors cut down the trees, and the descendants lost their shade. Now, let alone becoming an immortal, it is even difficult to break through to the Void Realm!"

"Fortunately, there is always a way out. Since Emperor Longxiang established the Heavenly Court in the Immortal Realm, he has ordered all the immortals in the myriad realms to return to their places, removed the bloodsucking worms that were crawling on various worlds, released his control over the ascension channels, ended the dark age of the void universe, and lit the dawn for the immortal civilization!"

"The Golden Ascension Platform is a guiding light for ordinary cultivators from all realms, giving everyone a fair chance to compete. The Heavenly Ladder was thus created."

While they were talking, Layman Jinglian had already climbed five steps.

He took each step with a steady and powerful stride, and didn't seem particularly afraid, so he must have known what he was doing.

The people outside were all staring intently into the room. They hadn't even had a chance to say goodbye yet, and the Immortal Envoy was already in such a hurry to ascend?
"The Five-Tube Illumination Formation must not be interrupted. You all need to maintain it for at least three days. You may dismantle the formation only after I have succeeded!"

He gave detailed instructions and made a promise to everyone before leaving.

"Gentlemen, the journey is long and the sky is high. Farewell!"

"Thank you for your help these past days. I will never forget it and will definitely record your contributions in the Golden Palace's merit book."

"If we meet again in the Immortal Realm someday, a single word of 'fellow Daoist' will suffice to dispel all the vicissitudes of life!"

"Lord Immortal Envoy!"

The crowd cheered, their faces filled with reluctance.

After all, being trapped in the lower realm in this life is like a caged bird or a frog at the bottom of a well. Knowing that there are higher planes and having witnessed powerful true immortals, who wouldn't want to live a long and immortal life?
Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end, and the moment of parting has finally arrived, but it came all too suddenly.

They longed to ascend to heaven with Layman Jinglian, for the Gate of All Wonders still stood overhead, and if they seized the opportunity to enter now, they could catch up.

But they dare not!
Because he hadn't adjusted his condition, hadn't digested the Earth Spirit Pills he had, and the Gate of Myriad Wonders wasn't opened by his own primordial spirit resonating with the Immortal Realm, who would dare to rashly embark on the path to ascension?
Moreover, the war between the two major factions has just ended, and they haven't even made arrangements for the aftermath of their own forces. How could they just leave such a vast holy land like that?

Most importantly, they are all incarnations of Yuan Nian.

The true body is still hidden somewhere, so what's the point of the avatar ascending with the celestial messenger?

As they looked up in awe, the Pure Lotus Hermit ascended the heavenly ladder step by step, illuminated by a five-tube lighting array, guiding him so that he would not lose his way in the celestial realm.

But in the very next moment!
Suddenly, an unexpected turn of events occurred, and a familiar sinister laugh rang out.

"Croak, I, the Heavenly Toad Emperor, am back!"

Jinglian Jushi stumbled and nearly fell off the Heavenly Ladder. He swayed and clutched his head, crying out in pain, his cheeks visibly bulging.

Her belly burst through her robes in an instant, and she let out a deafening scream!

"Ah-"

"???"

The Nascent Soul stage cultivators outside the door were stunned and stared blankly into the room.

"Today it's finally my turn to come out! All that waiting on the platform for so long wasn't for nothing!"

The Pure Lotus Hermit roared to the sky, trembling with rage, wishing he could tear his clothes to shreds and curse loudly on his path to ascension.

"Will you cursed creatures ever stop? Is it fun to stick to me like glue? When I return to the Immortal Realm, I will definitely report you to the Golden Palace!"

"Tell me a story? What's the point of tattling on me?"

Immediately afterwards, Layman Jinglian turned around abruptly, opened his mouth and stuck out a long tongue, his target heading straight back the way he came!
One of the Nascent Soul stage cultivators who was presiding over the Five-Tube Illumination Array outside the door was caught off guard and his body was caught in the trap. He frantically tried to break free, but the next moment he was pulled into the Gate of Myriad Wonders!

Then, on the Heavenly Layman, Jinglian suddenly closed the gaping mouth of the gorilla basin.

Creak, creak.
They just started chewing without a care in the world.

Layman Jinglian was almost going crazy; his stomach acid surged up, and he nearly vomited on the steps.

The Five-Tube Illumination Array was meant to guide him to ascension, but suddenly a corner of it was broken, which is like cutting off his own path!

You're asking for it!

Even though the celestial envoy was severely injured, he still unleashed boundless energy at this moment, instantly suppressing the cursed creature.

"Wait, something's not right here, this doesn't seem to be in the void!"

The voice of the Heavenly Toad Emperor came from his bulging belly, sounding as surprised as a curious child.

"You're actually planning to ascend? What an idiot! You're perfectly fine staying in the lower realm, why would you be so foolish as to try and ascend?"

"What business is it of yours if I ascend to immortality!"

This statement also shocked everyone outside the door.

They had just had one of their members snatched away by accident, and now everyone was on edge, afraid of following in their footsteps. Yet, they couldn't resist the urge to witness the ascension, only to hear different opinions.

Are there really people these days who don't want to ascend to immortality?

"The upper realm is engulfed in war, with powerful clans and families vying for power, and numerous sects and dynasties standing side by side. It is said that there is even a special imperial kitchen in the heavens, which feeds our clan's elites! How can it compare to the carefree life in the lower realm?"

The Heavenly Toad Emperor patiently and kindly advised Layman Jinglian not to make a mistake.

"You're used to being a tyrant in the lower realm, but once you go to the upper realm, you'll just be someone else's prey. Why be so upset?"

The Pure Lotus Hermit was so angry that he trembled all over. How dare they destroy his Five-Piece Illumination Array! Their crime was absolutely unforgivable!
This has happened before he's even ascended to immortality; isn't this going to kill him?
"I am a celestial inspector from the upper realm. My ascension is none of your business! Go back and tell that person who cursed me that he can forget about ever ascending again. I'll be waiting for him up there!!!"

"What, a celestial messenger?"

The Heavenly Toad Emperor was startled; had he actually come here to mess with an immortal?
But the creatures of hell have a different thought process than humans; they immediately realized what was happening and burst into laughter, their bellies bulging as they chuckled.

"Excellent! To think that I, the Emperor, could be cursed and used against the Celestial Envoy is truly a rare sight. This will be another boastful point on my resume on the platform in the future, hahahahaha!"

Platform, resume?
Jinglian Jushi was completely bewildered. What was this thing?

However, he quickly eliminated the evil creatures that had descended. Over the past few days, he had gradually learned how to deal with these hellish creatures, and they were not too difficult to handle.

He didn't dare linger, realizing something was wrong. The curse had come too quickly today; could it be that the other party was about to come knocking on his door?
"Fellow Daoist Haoran, please help me set up the Five-Tube Illumination Array!"

"Rest assured, Immortal Envoy." The Holy Lord Haoran took the baton and reactivated the formation. Only then did the Pure Lotus Hermit breathe a sigh of relief, thankfully there was a backup to take his place.

But the next moment, the whole area outside the door suddenly shook.

The fragments of the world they were in were shaking violently, as if some powerful being was about to break in!

The Holy Lord Haoran was greatly alarmed and hurriedly called out to those inside the door.

"My Lord, something terrible has happened! Someone has found our location, and the powder illusion you gave us has been seen through!"

The Sword Master also rushed into the cave in a panic, shouting in this direction.

"My lord, someone is trying to force their way in. I have activated the item you provided to temporarily keep him out of the entrance!"

Layman Jinglian opened her eyes wide, clearly panicked!
He quickly turned around and began climbing the ladder to heaven, using both his hands and feet, afraid of being caught red-handed if he was even a step too late. His disheveled appearance startled the group of people outside the door.

They all reached in and shouted:

"My lord, my lord, what should we do? Please give us an answer!"

Even Layman Jinglian was too busy taking care of himself to care about them. I didn't expect the other party to arrive so quickly. They discovered something was wrong right after cursing me. Could they be monitoring me from a distance?
That's right, he guessed correctly.

Lin Shan possesses a cursed sacred object, the Scarecrow, which can observe the other party's current situation while casting a curse. Upon discovering that the Pure Lotus Hermit was about to escape, he decisively stepped forward and personally stormed into the World Fragment!

He could not possibly allow the patrolling immortal envoy to ascend, otherwise, as mentioned before, once the Golden Palace issued a warrant for his arrest, he would be captured as soon as he ascended, which would be a sure death trap!

Boom boom boom——

A violent collision sound came from outside the fragments of the world. In the tense atmosphere, the remaining people were so frightened that their faces turned pale. Suddenly, Layman Jinglian screamed again and fell down.

"Red umbrella, white pole, after eating we lie down together on the plank, on the plank we sleep in the coffin, and then we're buried together on the mountain."

Numerous tiny mushrooms sprouted from his back like bamboo shoots after a rain, bursting through his clothes and swaying their heads, staring at him with strange expressions as they sang a children's song!

"The Demon Mushroom King?"

How could Layman Jinglian not recognize this old rival? He immediately gasped in shock.

"Hehehe, it wasn't for nothing that I've been waiting on the platform all this time. It's all about speed when it comes to grabbing orders. Who can beat me on today's second order?"

The mischievous Mushroom King was extremely troublesome, constantly damaging his body and triggering old injuries to restrain him, causing Pure Lotus Hermit to suffer unbearable pain!
He was particularly surprised when he saw the other person rolling around on the ladder.

"Huh, this looks like the Path to Heaven. Could it be that you, old man, are actually ascending to heaven?"

As soon as the topic of ascension came up, the other party immediately launched into a long, rambling speech, using the exact same rhetoric as the Heavenly Toad Void Emperor.

"I really don't understand. It's so much better to live a carefree life in the lower realm. Why would you be so foolish as to go to the Great Thousand World? Don't you know that competition is fierce in big places? Small places are more suitable for a peaceful retirement. You're poor, have no resources or background. If you go there, you'll just be someone's leeks, being harvested repeatedly. What's so good about that?"

Wow~
This monstrous mushroom king seems to have a lot of ideas. It actually enlightened the cursed object while the curse was being cast, advising him not to go astray.

Moreover, he spoke about it in great detail, as if he had actually been there.

Layman Jinglian fought back with all his might, and even shouted back, not losing ground.

"I am an imperial envoy patrolling the upper realm. I ascended back to report to the Palace Master. You, a mere mushroom spirit, dare to obstruct me. You are defying the Heavenly Court! Don't let me return alive, or I will descend to the mortal realm to take your dog's life!"

"scare?"

The Mushroom King was startled when he heard this.

After a long while, they realized what was happening and all the little mushroom people laughed and mocked.

"You still come to the mortal realm to look for me? If you want to look for someone, you can only look for the platform. With the cursed platform protecting you, even Jinque wouldn't dare to casually go to hell to take someone away!"

Seeing that he couldn't frighten the thing, the Pure Lotus Hermit had no choice but to tough it out and forcefully exorcise the demon, finally driving away the Mushroom King.

This really took a lot of effort; it almost killed him!
Meanwhile, the noise outside the door was getting louder and louder. The six Nascent Soul stage cultivators who remained behind were in a panic and didn't know what to do. They wanted to break through the space and escape, but they didn't dare to leave the immortal envoy behind.

After all, he had just risked his life to help kill the Azure Lotus Fairy, and he had finally made a good impression on the celestial envoy. Who knows, he might need the envoy's help to ascend in the future!
Running away at this crucial moment, wouldn't all the previous efforts be in vain?
At this point, the outside world could no longer be stopped. The protection of the World Fragment was ultimately limited. Even with the advance arrangements made by Layman Jinglian, it was still impossible to stop outsiders from forcefully breaking in!
A chilling aura surged into the cave, and the expressions of the Holy Lord Haoran and others, who were familiar with this state, immediately changed drastically.

"Is this the realm?"

A gray Yuan Sha domain instantly enveloped them, followed by the appearance of more than thirty Yuan Shen stage puppets, which engulfed them without saying a word.

Lin Shan then walked in step by step.

He looked up at the light gate above his head, and through the gate he saw Layman Jinglian climbing inside. He smiled slightly and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Finally caught up."

When the Pure Lotus Hermit took a moment to look back, he discovered that all of his underlings had disappeared, leaving only Lin Shan standing outside the door playing with a small bow. He was about to take out two lamps, place a straw figure on them, and shoot again.

The items on the altar were lotus roots that had shed from the sixth-grade green lotus on his body!

"Wait, no!"

The words had barely left his mouth when the arrow was released!
slap~
"what!!!"

Jinglian Jushi shouted and immediately covered his groin with both hands, kneeling on the steps of the Heavenly Ladder. He had performed the Dragon Raises its Head once again!
"On the second day of the second lunar month, the dragon raises its head; if the dragon doesn't raise its head, I will."

After the children's song, it's time for the folk song, and the Hell Void Realm Emperor, the Hell Sea Turtle King, makes a dazzling appearance!
"Fellow Daoist, I am the King of the Prison Sea Turtle, specializing in curing incurable diseases throughout the myriad realms. I can make you strong even in old age. Would you like to regain your youth?"

"I"

The lay Buddhist Jinglian was panting heavily, having been thoroughly tormented by these beasts. At this moment, she couldn't even utter a complete sentence.

Judging from the constipated look on his face, it's not hard to guess that he's on the verge of a breakdown!

How could anyone treat someone like this? You beast!
Boom~~~
He had already been cut down to the length of a toothpick, and now he was completely gone. Layman Jinglian discovered that he was already very skilled at the process of purification.

His eyes held humiliation, and even a hint of tears welled up. He turned back and gave the instigator one last deep look, making a deep impression on him. Without looking back, he climbed the steps and left!

He wants to ascend to immortality, he wants to return to the celestial realm, and he wants to thoroughly expose and denounce the perpetrators!
If you've got the guts, never ascend to immortality in this lifetime, or you'll fall into my hands and I'll make you wish you were dead!
However, Lin Shan outside the door spoke calmly, uttering only four words.

"Wind, Thunder, Calamity, Prison!"

Suddenly, in an instant, Layman Jinglian's entire body stiffened, and he remained motionless.

He looked up in disbelief.

A magnificent Heavenly Thunder Pool slowly emerged. (End of Chapter)