Chapter 322: Red Gate Anomaly [2]

Just then, Bing Xin arrived on the cloud platform, accompanied by several disciples whose cultivations ranged from Tier Three to Tier Four."Bing Xin, let them enter," the Elemental Heaven Peak Master ordered.

Bing Xin glanced back at the leader of the group, a woman with six eyes and gave a slight nod.

The Tier Three disciples stepped forward first.

But the instant they attempted to enter.

CRISK—!

Violent spatial fluctuations erupted as the gate rejected them outright.

"This—!" one of the Elders muttered, his expression darkening.

This was no longer a simple anomaly.

The other side was actively targeting the disciples already inside.

That particular Elder vanished instantly, moving to investigate.

"Haa... perhaps I should cross over myself," the Elemental Heaven Peak Master muttered.

"That would be a rash decision," another Elder said calmly.

"Peak Master, you would simply die."

It was the Yin–Yang Peak Master who spoke.

Though he presided over a minor peak, his status still placed him among the Elders.

Before the conversation could continue, another presence arrived.

Sharp. Clean.

Like a sword that will cut anything in its path.

A man stepped onto the platform, his aura carrying unmistakable sword intent.

He was the direct disciple of the Sword Peak Master of Martial Heaven Peak.

His Daoist name – Flowing Sword.

"Peak Master," he said, bowing respectfully to the Elemental Heaven Peak Master.

"Why are you here?" she asked, clearly recognizing him.

He smiled faintly.

"It seems my disciples are trapped inside as well."

Despite his youthful appearance, he was already an Immortal.

Before further discussion could unfold.

An old man appeared.

His face was veiled beneath a strange cloth, obscuring his features completely.

The moment he arrived, everyone instinctively bowed.

His eyes shone with intense golden light, piercing through the gate and far beyond it, looking directly towards the Fallen Heavens.

Then, just as suddenly as he had appeared.

He vanished.

The Elemental Heaven Peak Master narrowed her eyes.

"...So it is because of that, and the Martial Ancestor too." she murmured.

"There’s no need to look now," she declared aloud.

Several Elders, understanding her meaning, nodded and disappeared.

’I thought this was a random targeted incident and that my disciples were merely caught in crossfire... but it seems some secret conspiracy is going on and, it centers around that child the Martial Heaven Peak Master told me about.’ Flowing Sword thought.

"I agree," Flowing Sword said aloud.

"After all, my disciples are no weaklings."

"Aren’t you bragging about your juniors now?" the Yin–Yang Peak Master scoffed.

Flowing Sword turned slightly, his smile sharpening.

"Elder, perhaps refrain from commenting on the affairs of the younger generation."

He deliberately emphasized the word Elder.

The Yin–Yang Peak Master’s eyebrows twitched.

They were nearly the same age, but status was status.

"Enough," the Elemental Heaven Peak Master muttered.

Both snorted, but neither pressed further.

They continued to wait, eyes fixed on the unstable gate.

Several Elders discreetly stationed themselves outside the sect, watching the other side carefully.

Yet none of them, except the old man knew the truth.

The ones inside the gate were not merely a few Peak Tier Four cultivators.

There were hundreds.

As for the old man.

He was simply honoring his disciple’s wishes.

Their fates showed no signs of death.

At least, not yet.

And after all.

What does not kill you... Makes you stronger.

Though few realized it, the old man was a ruthless cultivator through and through.

***

Earlier...

Fallen Heavens, Great Ascension Continent.

After the Grand Council concluded, nearly a hundred disciples were dispatched.

Each of them possessed cultivation ranging from Peak Tier Three to Peak Tier Four, drawn from various races of the Fallen Heavens.

They traveled together under the guidance of a representative of the Heavenly Demons.

She was a stunning woman with crimson skin, sharp fangs, and an aura of pure slaughter clung to her like a second skin.

Yet beauty meant nothing before her presence.

Whenever the others looked at her, fear alone overwhelmed their senses, an instinctive terror engraved into their bloodlines.

After a long journey, she left the gathered geniuses upon a vast Ascension Platform.

Before them lay a breathtaking yet ominous sight.

Numerous gates, perfectly aligned in a grid-like formation, hovered silently in the air.

Nearby stretched a desolate passageway — a broken route, that would one day connect the other side.

For the first time, this place was no longer empty.

Previously, only a handful of low-ranking cultivators had come here to manage the gates.

But now—

These disciples stood as the first true pioneers.

The chosen.

Waiting for them upon this plain stood a man who had personally spoken with the God-Weeping Sovereign, helping him devise and revise, the plan now set in motion.

His name was Evil Mind — Xie Zhi.

A single black horn spiraled from the left side of his forehead, curving behind his head like a crown forged from malice.

Around him stood members of the Heavenly Demons, along with elites of their subordinate races.

The air itself seemed heavier in their presence.

Xie Zhi slowly turned his gaze toward the assembled disciples standing upon the desolate plain.

A cold smile crept onto his lips.

And without realizing it, everyone present felt a chill crawl up their spines.

"Welcome," Xie Zhi said calmly, his voice carrying an eerie warmth.

"Geniuses of the Fallen Heavens. Future pillars of your respective races. I am Xie Zhi."

"It is my great honor to welcome you truly, from the bottom of my heart, for aiding us in this great cause."

The gathered disciples stiffened.

Then, as one, they bowed deeply.

"We are honored to stand before Senior Evil Mind."

Their voices echoed across the desolate platform.

Xie Zhi gave a slight motion of his hand.

At once, the Heavenly Demon representative stepped forward, guiding the gathered geniuses to join those already waiting on the opposite side.

None of them noticed.

Beneath their feet, an immense spell formation had already been completed, its patterns hidden deep within the land itself.

And far above them the gates waited for the moment to swallow them.