Half a month later, I finally traversed the grasslands and arrived at the Seven-Tiered Stone Pagoda!
If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I could hardly have imagined such a colossal structure existing in the world of Marfa.
Immensely large, towering beyond sight, the gigantic cylinder stood amidst the wilderness, resembling an unconquerable sword piercing the very clouds! It exuded an unparalleled sense of pressure and a soul-shaking impact!
Were it not for the tower’s body, built from stacked, yellowish-brown mica granite blocks, and its peculiar rhombic cylindrical exterior, I never would have believed this edifice was constructed by human hands.
The stone pagoda! Before it stood a massive stone wall, inscribed with dense, intricate text!
This text was an introduction to the Seven-Tiered Stone Pagoda!
As for the contents, Ji Du had already informed me.
During the era of the Divine Dragon Empire, there were strict time regulations for cultivation within the Celestial Gates.
Once one entered the Seven-Tiered Celestial Gate, all challenges had to be cleared within seven days, or the challenger would be forcibly teleported outside the tower! Furthermore, the level reached within those seven days represented the cultivator’s attainment at that specific tier.
Moreover, an individual was granted only a single opportunity in their lifetime to enter the Seven-Tiered Celestial Gate for cultivation!
No one knew the underlying principles upon which the Seven-Tiered Celestial Gate was constructed.
Inside was an independent space, entirely distinct from the King's Forbidden Zone, or even the entire Marfa Continent.
And the opponents encountered by each person upon entering the Celestial Gate were completely different; thus, one could not rely on the experiences of others for guidance. The only reliance was oneself.
Without sufficient strength, one could not hope to pass; moreover, the slightest misstep carried a risk to one's very life!
Challenging the Seven-Tiered Celestial Gate required not just power, but also courage, resolute will, the ability to adapt in a direct confrontation, and sheer luck!
After reading the introduction carved on the stone wall, I instinctively walked toward the central plaza at the base of the pagoda.
This area was ringed by mountains, surrounded by exposed, earthy brown cliff faces, giving it a desolate and vast appearance!
Before me lay a monumental white stone staircase!
It angled steeply upward! It resembled the steps of an ancient Roman palace structure!
The summit of the staircase led to a standard palace gateway—tall and immense!
Flanking the main gate stood two colossal stone pillars, lending an air of solemn majesty.
Yet, the most striking feature was the massive relief carving directly above the main entrance. Embedded precisely at the center of the carving was a huge blue orb, resembling a crystal ball, shining with brilliant luminescence!
Beneath the blue orb were inscribed four ancient characters!
First Celestial Gate!
So, this was the First Celestial Gate!
I instinctively drew a deep breath!
Slowly, I regulated the breath within my body!
Finally, I had arrived here!
For safety, I decided to first bring my physical condition to its absolute peak before attempting the challenge!
An hour later, confident that I was optimally prepared both physiologically and mentally, I ascended the steps! Arriving before the palace doors!
I instinctively reached out to sense the surrounding aura!
The environment was utterly silent; I could detect no life force or fluctuation, as if all life in this world had vanished, and only I remained!
What was happening?
It must be known that I had already broken through the realm of the Phantom Eye; my sensory capabilities were now so profound that even I couldn't accurately categorize them.
In terms of sheer power, even without wearing my heavy armor, I could defeat the Saint Word Zhen Yu of the past!
Yet, with my current sensitivity, I couldn't perceive any ambient energy fluctuations.
Could it be that there truly was no living entity inside the great hall?
Or perhaps the adversary hidden within was so immensely powerful that it could completely mask its presence from my senses.
In that moment, my nerves tightened sharply!
It seemed the Seven-Tiered Celestial Gate was indeed more complex than anticipated; I needed to proceed with extreme caution.
I cautiously stepped into the hall!
It felt as if I had passed through a gateway of time and space. The instant I crossed the threshold, everything around me seemed to blur! This sensation was akin to the process of being teleported by the Memory Set Space while in a state of unity between heaven and earth!
Soon, the distortion around me ceased!
However, what lay before my eyes astonished me profoundly!
A vast, open hall!
The surrounding walls were adorned with enormous reliefs, depicting various strange and bizarre creatures.
Along the walls, approximately every twenty meters, stood a stone pillar as thick as a man, topped with a large, cauldron-like brazier. Fierce flames burned within these braziers, illuminating the entire hall brightly.
In the very center of the hall floated a pale blue hemispherical light shield, about ten square meters in size, shaped like an inverted great bowl, tightly capping the floor. Through the pale blue surface, I clearly saw a hexagonal circular formation inlaid on the ground within, marked by six ancient characters.
The entire light barrier appeared ethereal and fluctuating, like wisps of pale blue mist. Upon closer inspection, numerous twinkling specks danced around the perimeter of the barrier, resembling countless fireflies. This was the materialization of elemental essence resulting from a vast accumulation of magical energy, indicating that this was a place where magical elements were intensely active.
What I saw felt both familiar and alien!
Was this not the Woma Barrier that guarded the Woma Altar?
It was exactly identical to what I had witnessed on the third level of the Illusionary Environment!
Within the barrier, the sturdy figure standing on the six-ringed formation was indistinguishable from memory!
Its entire body radiated a strange, dark green hue!
Its head was elongated with a sharp point, perfectly resembling a goat’s head!
It bore two sharp horns atop its head, two long tassels hung from its cheeks, and a goatee trailed from its chin.
It looked exactly like the Woma Priest I had encountered before!
However, I could clearly sense that the Woma Priest before me was absolutely not the one we had slain previously!
Compared to the former Woma Priest, the one before me now exuded an aura that was infinitely more terrifying and powerful!
Since awakening, this was the second time I had experienced such intense nervousness and dread! I had only felt this sensation when confronting the small creature at the Lakeside of Heart Cleansing!
Yes, the Woma Priest before me gave me the exact same impression as the small creature at the Lakeside (the Dark Red Moon Demon)!
It wasn't the Woma Priest! Yet it shared an identical appearance with the Woma Priest, and its power was so formidable!
Could it be the "Dark Woma Priest"?
I was momentarily stunned by my own inference!
How could this be possible!
The Dark Woma Priest was supposed to reside within the Ant Hatchery!
Why would it appear in the First Celestial Gate of the King's Forbidden Zone?
As if sensing my presence!
The Woma Priest, still as rigid as a statue within the barrier, shifted slightly!
What followed was a surge of thick, heaven-piercing killing intent.
Heavens, no! This was too much!
I hadn't even launched an attack! Or broken the barrier yet!
Almost simultaneously!
With a loud POF, the blue barrier ruptured like a punctured balloon, scattering countless blue-glowing shards like shrapnel!
"Damn it!"
The familiar scene unfolding before me nearly shocked me out of my wits!
I hadn't made a move, yet the barrier had exploded on its own!
This was absolutely bizarre!
Although I had anticipated that the Seven-Tiered Celestial Gate would be no trivial place, I never imagined the very first level would pit me against such a troublesome foe!
Ji Du had told me that his encounter in the First Celestial Gate only involved some mutated Woma creatures, the strongest being two mutated Woma Guards. While they were powerful!
They were at least ten times stronger than the monsters encountered in the Forbidden Desert and Forbidden Grasslands. But they were not enough to stop Ji Du and his group, so they passed through smoothly. Based on experience, the difficulty of the First Level should not have been substantial!
So why, when it came to me, did such a terrifying level of monster appear?
CRASH! ROAR!
Almost the moment the barrier shattered, the dark green figure shot forward like a cannonball fired from a barrel.
The terrifying speed and the impact force honed to an apex caused its massive form to appear strangely blurred and distorted in the air.
The Woma Priest’s speed was unrivaled in the world, let alone the Dark Woma Priest, which was tens of times stronger!
This speed was absolutely the fastest I had ever witnessed!
What was even more shocking was that this entity was actively attacking!
The Woma Priest in the Third Level of the Illusionary Realm only attacked after we destroyed the barrier; the Dark Woma Priest before me was completely different!
Although I don't know why, it seems any event involving me tends to attract unexpected variables.
However, I was not someone to be easily trifled with either!
Twenty-five years of cultivation—today, I finally get a proper fight!
Even though my Executioner's Blade felt a bit unwieldy, I couldn't afford to worry about that now!
Of course, to avoid repeating past mistakes, I dared not infuse the Executioner’s Blade with Battle Qi!
This meant the attacking methods I could employ were limited to pure physical, close-quarters combat, precluding any external projection of energy!
Without further hesitation!
With a Sweep of a Thousand Armies maneuver, I swung the Executioner’s Blade, striking fiercely at the incoming Dark Woma Priest!
It must be understood that my strength now surpassed my past self by an immeasurable margin.
Although the heavy steel Executioner’s Blade carried significant weight, in my grip, I barely felt it, giving a sensation of effortless mastery.
Therefore, speed was not significantly impacted.
This Sweep of a Thousand Armies fully utilized the coordinated strength of my arms, waist, and solid stance—it was incredibly potent!
And its speed was astonishing!
SWOOSH!
A blurry afterimage! The heavy Executioner’s Blade landed a solid hit!
BAM! RUMBLE!
The Dark Woma Priest was jolted backward over thirty meters!
As it flew back, it let out a strange cry of surprise.
Clearly, this strike had caused it some pain!
Having landed a successful blow, I dared not relax, immediately re-assuming my stance!
If this Dark Woma Priest could be dismissed so easily, it would be unworthy of its title! Thus, I remained vigilant!
ROAR! WOOO!
As if to confirm my suspicion!
Mid-air, the Woma Priest roared wildly!
It violently flapped its massive wings!
Its straight backward trajectory instantly halted! It then veered into a bizarre arc, shooting straight up into the high altitude!
Following that, the massive wings flapped several times, and the Woma Priest rapidly inverted its upward momentum, settling into a perfect inverted dive, head down, feet up, plummeting toward me at astonishing speed!
What the—!
This move was exactly identical to the Sky-Strike method used in my Nine Heavens Star River Sword Art's Seed Form!
Truly the Dark Woma Priest—what incredible adaptability! While I consider myself unparalleled in aerial combat, that judgment is limited only to opponents who are human.
Against an aerial master like the Dark Woma Priest, I wouldn't dare engage in an aerial duel!
More importantly, I wasn't wearing the Heavenly Demon God Armor, nor was the Dragon Shadow Sword in my hand—my two strongest aerial weapons were absent.
Only now did I fully grasp what Luo Wushuang, the opponent of Saint Word Zhen Yu back then, must have felt when facing my Nine Heavens Star River Sword Art.
This was practically cheating! There was no recourse other than passive defense!
From the half-sky, the Dark Woma Priest’s massive body descended like a meteor, smashing down!
If it connected squarely, it would surely result in utter annihilation.
Instinctively, I bounded backward explosively!
CRASH! BOOM!
Almost simultaneously, the spot where I had stood was smashed into a massive crater!
Countless fragments of shattered stone, mixed with violent shockwaves, sprayed outward like a torrential storm!
I didn't even have a chance to adjust my breath!
From the hail of flying debris, a blurry afterimage shot out like lightning!
Ah! So fast!
This speed was beyond imagination!
Even though my cultivation had soared and I had activated the visual range of the Phantom Eye, all I could capture was a hazy phantom!
Even more startling was the suffocatingly intense, terrifying killing intent!
Worthy of being the Dark Woma Priest!
Though it was only for a fleeting instant!
The projectile-like body slammed into my chest!
Its white-glowing talons swooped down like phantoms!
The speed was absolutely the quickest I had ever seen in my life!
It felt as if the very air was being torn apart, emitting sharp, piercing screeches!
Blast it! I, Xing Chen, was reduced to being chased relentlessly with no chance to counterattack!
Truly, the tables have turned!
It was only now that I deeply understood the plight of the opponents I had ambushed and hunted in the past! The savage killing intent clung to me like maggots on bone, like a shadow that couldn't be shaken off!
My only option was to exert my full strength to mount a defense!
The Executioner’s Blade swept outward instantly!
The Lightning Step beneath my feet activated simultaneously! Dodging left and right!
WHOOSH! WHOOSH!
The descending talons were met squarely by the Executioner’s Blade!
Then, with a CLANG, they were knocked aside! But at the moment of impact, the terrifying shockwave transmitted through the Executioner’s Blade sent a numbing vibration up both my arms!
Such fearsome power!
This Dark Woma Priest possessed not only astonishing speed but equally formidable strength!
In just one exchange! Yet, cold sweat uncontrollably beaded on my body!
This life-or-death pressure was something I hadn't even experienced when confronting Feng Tian Battle God head-on!
They were simply not on the same level!
In terms of strength, speed, technique, and strategy, the Dark Woma Priest before me was flawless!
Almost instinctively! I used the powerful impact to launch myself backward in retreat!
However, the rapidly approaching afterimage showed no sign of stopping! It pursued me like a ghost, instantly catching up!
It gave me absolutely no chance to catch my breath!
This thing! It’s too fast!
I must break free of this pursuit, or I won't even get an opening to strike back!
My thoughts raced!
The Lightning Step beneath my feet exploded into action instantly!
Weaving left and right, I flashed out a sequence of erratic, unpredictable steps!
I felt I had pushed my speed to its absolute limit; my entire being drifted around like an unstable whirlwind, refusing to let it lock onto a target!
Yet, the Dark Woma Priest’s reaction was unbelievably swift!
Its massive wings flickered just a few times, and its speed increased by an incredible magnitude once more!
And those gigantic steel claws lunged toward me with terrifying swiftness!
No matter how wildly I shifted my movement technique, those enormous steel claws remained locked onto my vital points!
Heavens, what kind of monster is this!
Does its speed have no limit?