Shrouding the Heavens: Starting by joining the Holy Land of Yao Guang

Chapter 428 Chaos Cave

With the roar subsiding, the five beings moved in unison, charging forward. The supreme divine might pierced through the immortal path, causing countless gods, demons, and immortal spirits to fall. Various rains of light exploded, and Dao traces spread everywhere.

Li Yao's eyes flickered slightly as he followed the five figures, and as the path to immortality opened up, he saw even more.

Finally, the path to immortality came to an end, where there was a stone gate, very ancient and weathered by time.

On those two gates were large characters written in blood, the bloodstains still flowing, giving the impression that they were just written. The scent of the blood was also terrifying; it was undoubtedly imperial blood.

Li Yao looked over. The door on the left was labeled "Past," and the door on the right was labeled "Future."

Above the two doors hangs a plaque with two words written on it: "Now!"
"Worldly troubles are locked away; enlightenment leads to the immortals!"

As the five beings arrived, a mighty celestial sound resounded. It was an ancient mark that had been almost erased over the long years and would probably disappear completely in another thousand or eight hundred years.

The five monks tensed up, already having some guesses.

Countless ages ago, a powerful being once came here and left behind a Daoist saying, which seemed like a hint.

Around the gate, mist surged and swirled, a vast and chaotic energy churning within, impenetrable even to the most powerful beings, making the place even more mysterious. The blood-stained characters were shocking, foreshadowing an ominous feeling.

Unknown and mysterious, could a celestial realm lie behind the door?

But the five Venerables don't have time to think about it now. Their time is running out. After reaching the ultimate sublimation, they will climb to the top and then be on a downward slope every moment.

The only option left for the five is to charge in and gamble on a future.

"boom!"

The five beings moved in unison, unleashing their unparalleled aura. Each of them shone brightly, runes filled the sky, and forbidden killing techniques pressed forward, causing the eternal blue sky to tremble.

With a loud "boom," the stone gate shook violently, but instead of opening as expected, it unleashed a terrifying backlash, surging like a vast ocean, blasting the five figures away.

Those were the most refined immortal laws, so powerful that even the Five Venerables could not pass through and were blocked outside.

Their combined efforts were futile; the stone gate rebounded with five opposing forces, each corresponding to one of the five attacks.

It's quite clear: to enter the Immortal Realm, you can only rely on yourself; you can't join forces. This is the rule of this Immortal Path.

Alternatively, one could resort to absolute violence, exceeding the limits of the stone gate's tolerance; otherwise, one could only obediently abide by the rules of this immortal path.

A blinding light filled the air, making the place seem to boil. Every ray of celestial radiance contained unparalleled power, shaking the ages. If it were not intentionally controlled, even a few rays would be enough to shatter the ancient Big Dipper.

The five beings were unwilling to give up and continued their attack, using their own methods to smash through the stone gate, determined to break into the Immortal Realm and attain immortality.

This is the final hurdle, an age-old wait that drives people mad, making them disregard the consequences.

The laws of the imperial path intertwined and collided violently with the immortal radiance emanating from the stone gate.

"Only one last step left! Activate the magic array, fuse all paths into one, and break through this gate!" a supreme being shouted, his eyes brimming with excitement.

Upon hearing this, the other four nodded and roared, causing the mountains and rivers to tremble. Even those far away in the wilderness could feel their frenzied aura, and the entire starry sky shook violently.

Throughout the myriad realms, all living beings held their breath, their minds completely captivated, no longer caring about anything else, all eager to see the final outcome.

"boom!"

The Big Dipper trembled violently, and the five continents of Zhongzhou, Beiyuan, Nanling, Ximo, and Donghuang all began to glow, rising up huge pillars of light that, from a distance, resembled an enormous five-colored altar.

Imperial runes covered it, rapidly evolving and constantly converging, eventually transforming into a massive magic array that absorbed a vast amount of surrounding essence, turning it into a surging mist of light.

Everyone was shocked, never expecting such a turn of events, as if it had been prepared long ago, just waiting for this moment.

"when!"

At that moment, the Wushi Bell, which had originally returned to Zishan, shook violently again, emanating endless bell waves. At the same time, the direction of the Sacred Cliff was also glowing, echoing Zishan.

The Great Emperor Wushi has come up with a backup plan. Although he is not present, he is still making arrangements to see if the path to immortality in this world is real.

At the same time, Mount Sumeru, the source of ten thousand Buddhas in the Western Desert, also burst forth with billions of feet of celestial light, accompanied by Buddhist chants, as if ten thousand Buddhas were sitting on top of each other, reciting scriptures together.

In this lifetime, not only the Supreme Being, but also the Great Emperor's backup plans are being revealed at this moment, ready to be deployed at any time.

"It's the final gamble," Li Yao murmured to himself, without stopping him.

From beginning to end, he remained a detached observer, fully aware of what was about to happen.

He knew that this life was the right time and the right path, but unfortunately, there were no right people.

This path to immortality was opened for the Azure Emperor. He has enough combat power that he could definitely break into the Immortal Realm if he did not evolve it himself.

Besides this place, he himself could also do it; if he wanted to break into the Immortal Realm, he absolutely could.

But that was not Li Yao's path, and he still had many attachments and unfinished business in the mortal world, so it was impossible for him to enter the Immortal Realm at this time.

The Golden Crow, who was also eager to make a move, met the requirements, but unfortunately, his combat strength was far too weak to open the Immortal Gate. Unless Li Yao granted his request, he could only watch helplessly.

"Does the Heavenly Emperor believe the Five Venerables will fail?" Gai Jiuyou asked curiously after hearing Li Yao's words.

The path to immortality is unknown and mysterious. Even the ancient emperors could only speculate, without any real evidence. Without actually venturing in, who would dare to say that the path to immortality is wrong?
"The right time, the right path, but not the right person." Li Yao didn't hide anything and stated the answer directly.

In the past, he might have been secretive because he had too many concerns, but now he doesn't need to, and he has no worries at all.

With great strength comes the confidence to do whatever you want, without having to worry about anything.

Gai Jiuyou was incredibly impressed. Combining the performances of the five immortals on the Immortal Path, he quickly came to the answer: "Does the Heavenly Emperor mean that only the current Great Emperor has the qualifications to enter the Immortal Realm?"

These words were not deliberately concealed, and the Golden Crow Emperor in the outer reaches of the Samsara River immediately listened attentively.

The great emperor of our time, that is him!
Li Yao withdrew his gaze from the Immortal Path and turned to look at the Five-Colored Array that was constantly gathering power. He said casually, "The current Great Emperor is just the most basic requirement. One must also have a certain level of strength to break in. At the very least, one must have the combat power of the Azure Emperor back then."

Gai Jiuyou was taken aback; it must have been at least as powerful as the Azure Emperor back then!
These conditions are far too harsh.

He glanced at the Golden Crow Emperor in the distance and couldn't help but shake his head.

Looking at all the emperors throughout history, the Azure Emperor is definitely one of the best, the top tier. Compared to him, the Golden Crow Emperor is still a bit inferior.

It's not that Gai Jiuyou looks down on the Golden Crow Emperor, it's just that the difference between the two is obvious.

Golden Crow Emperor: ...

How could he not see Gai Jiuyou's gaze? He couldn't help but feel annoyed. How dare a mere unorthodox Daoist judge him, the Great Emperor?

If it weren't for the Heavenly Emperor's influence, he would have struck out with a palm right now and taught the other party a lesson.

"Does the Heavenly Emperor have no thoughts?" Gai Jiuyou clearly sensed the Golden Crow Emperor's malice, but he didn't care and continued to ask Li Yao.

Now that the fog has been lifted, if the Azure Emperor could storm into the Immortal Realm, then the current Heavenly Emperor can certainly do the same.

As the one who was closest to achieving enlightenment during the era of the Azure Emperor, and who had even attempted to break through to the Azure Emperor's Great Dao, Gai Jiuyou was very clear about the Azure Emperor's combat strength, or at least had a general idea of ​​it.

Therefore, he is the most authoritative person in the universe to speak on who is stronger between Li Yao and the Green Emperor.

Without a doubt, it is the Heavenly Emperor, and not just by a fraction of his strength.

Li Yao shook his head, which was considered an answer to Gai Jiuyou's question, but he did not offer any further explanation.

Because at that moment, the Five-Colored Array finally completed its preparation.

"Boom!" The five continents trembled violently, and a divine light of hundreds of millions of feet shot up. Countless imperial runes intertwined to form a magnificent array of unparalleled beauty, which burst forth with endless light, transforming into a pillar of light that reached the heavens, tearing everything apart and rushing toward the end.

This was an unparalleled offensive; even a great emperor would not dare to confront its might, but would have to temporarily evade it rather than meet it head-on.

In the current universe, perhaps only Li Yao can be fearless in the face of such killing.

With a deafening roar, a massive pillar of light crashed into the stone gate, unleashing the most dazzling and blinding celestial radiance. The resulting aftershocks were devastating, annihilating everything like a waterfall cascading from the heavens, leaving a vast expanse of white.

Everyone was horrified. Under this power, their souls trembled. The Immortal Path was torn apart, and from this place, it pierced through the entire Eastern Wilderness, spread to the outer realms, and cut down countless stars.

"boom!"

The aftershocks spread outwards from the Immortal Path, with the ancient star of the Big Dipper bearing the brunt.

Just when everyone was in despair, Li Yao made his move. With a casual wave of his hand, his unparalleled power erupted, easily smoothing out the fluctuations that were enough to destroy an entire star field. The remaining fluctuations were blocked by the imperial formation of the ancient Big Dipper star.

This ancient land of life survived, and all living beings collapsed to the ground, feeling as if they had survived a catastrophe.

The insignificance of life is vividly displayed at this moment.

"kill!"

Zhan Tian roared throughout the universe. On the ancient road, the five Venerables went mad. The fluctuations of the Emperor's Artifacts spread, and under the control of the Supreme, the ultimate divine power swept across the sky and struck the stone gate.

The universe was overturned, and the imperial laws, refined to their extreme, seemed poised to destroy the world. Heaven and earth trembled, all the myriad paths roared, and various great heavenly sounds resounded, incredibly active. Just a few words were enough to draw people into the realm of the Dao.

"boom!"

Amidst a deafening roar, cracks appeared in the stone gate, from which dense immortal laws overflowed, accompanied by some longevity substances. However, the cracks quickly healed, and the stone gate fell silent.

The Supreme Beings did not follow the rules, and their power did not exceed the limit of the stone gate, so they could not force it open.

"Worldly troubles are locked away; enlightenment leads to the immortals!"

The reappearance of the brand is like a reminder, making the consciousness extremely clear: only by understanding one's own path and having sufficient power can one open the path to immortality.

This is not an obstruction, but a well-intentioned reminder: even if the stone gate is opened with external force, the road behind it will still be impassable.

But the Supreme Beings, who had gone mad with killing, and the beings who longed for eternity, did not notice this. They were too eager to prove the existence of the Immortal Realm and were willing to risk everything for it.

"Reverse the Grand Formation and merge our powers into one!" one of the Supreme Beings shouted, and the others nodded in agreement.

"boom!"

The five continents trembled violently, their light intensifying. However, this time, the Five Elements Divine Light reversed, reenacting the power of chaos. The five-colored divine light also transformed into a vast chaotic divine light, merging with all the myriad paths to become the only one in heaven and earth.

The five Daos merged and became one under the effect of the great formation, and once again blasted towards the stone gate.

“This…” Gai Jiuyou’s eyes narrowed as he looked at Li Yao.

The rules of the Stone Gate are that it can only be opened by one's own methods; numerical superiority is useless unless a dozen or twenty supreme beings attack together, exceeding the power limit, in order to forcibly open it.

However, under the influence of the great formation, the Dao of the five beings began to merge and become one. This could be considered cheating, but it did indeed conform to the rules of the Stone Gate.

Li Yao remained silent, for there was no time to answer him. The power of the five deities and the great formation had already breached the stone gate, and the cheating was successful.

This upheaval brought peace to the world, and people seemed to have forgotten how to breathe.

Is the realm of immortals truly behind the stone gate?
Without pausing for a moment, the five beings charged forward, determined to uncover the answer to the ages.

"The gates of immortality have opened. Could it be that this life was truly the right one, and I was wrong?" In the various forbidden zones of life, supreme beings whispered.

They hesitated. They were originally certain that the path to immortality through the Big Dipper was the wrong path, the wrong time, but now, some of them were no longer so sure.

As things stand, it might actually be feasible. With the combined power of the five supreme beings and the grand formation, even if some aspects are flawed, it doesn't necessarily mean they can't break through.

"kill!"

With battle aura soaring to the sky, the five beings, aided by the magic array, stormed into the immortal gate and beheld a vast world, where the Daoist principles were astonishing and life was thriving.

A substance emanated from that world, and its mere presence nourished their decaying bodies, replenishing their life force slightly. Though not much, it did slow down their aging process.

This is only the beginning. The distance to that world is vast, and it's hard to imagine what it would be like if we really stormed into the Immortal Realm.

The five figures, their pupils blazing, charged forward with frenzied fury, disregarding everything.

Finally, they reached the end. Ahead lay a chaotic cave, filled with chaotic energy that even the Supreme Being's gaze could not penetrate, leaving them unaware of what lay within.

Once again, the unknown and mysterious await. Behind the stone gate lies not a celestial realm, but a new ancient road. At the end of this ancient road, a chaotic cave floats, requiring one to continue forward.

"This may be the final battle, everyone. Once you enter, there is no turning back. There are still regrets."

"Over the long years, my resolve has become firm and will never change; otherwise, even if I were to sever and seal myself off, I would have long since decayed."

"Fight in!"

All five were steadfast; their beliefs had been tested and refined over countless years.

Even if a supreme being were to sever himself and seal his body with immortal essence, it wouldn't be perfect. It would still require the cooperation of the mind to put oneself into a state of annihilation in order to better maintain it.

That state requires a very strong belief, otherwise one will retreat from time to time.

In other words, the supreme beings who have survived to this day must all be obsessed with something, and they will not care about anything else, not even their own lives.

As you hear the news, you can die in the evening.

Without hesitation or retreat, the five beings disappeared into the chaotic mist and vanished from the path ahead.

This decisiveness is almost obsessive, but it's also normal; they have long since lost all attachments.

The auras of the five beings vanished, and they could no longer be sensed in this vast universe. Even the forbidden zones of life, the Golden Crow Emperor, and even Li Yao could not detect them.

The Chaos Cave is too mysterious, isolating everything. Inside is the absolute unknown, as if it does not belong to this world. No matter how powerful a person is, they cannot stand in this world and look towards another world.

Throughout the myriad realms, everyone fell silent, as if the entire universe had pressed the mute button, awaiting the final outcome.

However, as time went by, the Chaos Cave remained calm and silent, a silence that was unsettling.

"So, this means... it was a success?"

"If one enters the Chaos Cave and passes through, can one become an immortal, or are there other obstacles?"

Finally, fervent discussions began to erupt in various ancient sites, because the Chaos Cave remained silent, and the Supreme Beings had gone deep inside and never returned.

Only Li Yao knew that the greater the hope, the greater the disappointment, and the Five Venerables were destined to fail.

"boom!"

Suddenly, a golden rainbow streaked across the sky, and the Golden Crow couldn't resist any longer. He charged into the Immortal Path, ready to give it a try.

He's not the supreme being, and his time is limited. It doesn't matter if this path is wrong; he can simply turn back.

As for Li Yao's words, sorry, he only believed 20% of them.

The Heavenly Emperor is just a bit stronger; what does he know about the Immortal Realm?

(End of this chapter)