Chapter 776: Gate of Two Realms |
"What? What do you mean?" she asked.
Ming Yue didn't quite understand what the Grand Elder meant. Rather, she didn't think that it'd be like this.
"Indeed, the place that the High Council has allowed you access to is beyond that gate. Normally that gate leads to the Empyrean Paradise, a small world with energy pure enough to allow anyone to breakthrough with ease. However, that place is just a by-product of something else. After all, that energy has to come from somewhere."
As the Grand Elder explained, he stepped away from his desk, walking towards the back corner of his office.
He placed his hand on it which seemed to activate something as the walls clanked. A part of it suddenly opened up, revealing a hidden passage where he gestured for her to enter.
Ming Yue obliged, following him into the passage. The hidden door promptly closed when the both of them were inside.
The Grand Elder brought her to the end of a passage where another set of doors awaited them. When he came into contact with them, they opened revealing a small lift.
The two of them stepped in, the doors closed, and the lift descended.
"Well, by saying the very words that the High Council gave you, the gate will open up to a realm very different than what you'd expect. It is called 'The Divine Citadel' and it is a world created by the High Council themselves as well as hundreds of other skilled masters. When you enter, you will find the energy purer and stronger than compared to the Empyrean Paradise. But as the name suggests, this world has only the citadel and it is surrounded by nothing but grassland."
The lift finally stopped as he spoke, and the doors opened. He walked out, bringing Ming Yue towards the gate.
They were inside this massive hall that was largely empty save for that giant stone gate. Stepping in front of it, the Grand Elder turned to her.
"Now then, you will walk up to the gate and speak those words. Once the gate opens you can enter, time in there will be slower than out here, about a year inside is equal to a day. The only limit is your own lifespan. Reaching the Heaven Realm is an arduous task, you may be a step away but that last step is the hardest. And the Citadel, climb it, go as high as you can for it is near endless."
Saying his piece, Elder Huang stepped aside, allowing Ming Yue to stand in front of the gate alone. She looked at it before saying those words.
"The Mansion of Earth, Palace of Jade."
The gate hummed to life, the etchings on it glowed as it opened, showing an entrance filled with light. It was almost blinding but for her, it felt welcoming. Almost as if it was calling for her.
She took one step forward and didn't stop, walking through the gateway.
Elder Huang watched as the gates closed after her. He stood there for a minute or two, staring at the gate almost aimlessly. The Grand Elder seemed to be lost in thought.
"Will things be different this time? Will the cycle be broken?" he muttered.
He turned around and walked towards the lift to go back to his office.
"The Final Calamity, is it the end of everything or the beginning of something new?"
His words were ominous without a doubt but there was a shred of hope in there. Maybe, he still placed his faith in the next generation.
And Ming Yue had just started the next leg of her journey, inside this small world.
Walking through, the light grew brighter, forcing her to squint and shield her eyes from the light. But soon the light would dim and she felt a soft wind coming across her face.
"Is this is?"
She blinked several times as her vision returned. The cultivator looked around, surveying her surroundings and studying the landscape.
"It really is just an endless field of grass", she muttered to herself.
Indeed, the Grand Elder's words were not exaggerating. There was nothing but verdant grass as far as the eye could see, waving around in the wind. But she saw the Divine Citadel or rather, she simply could not ignore it.
It was a fortress. Even from afar, Ming Yue could tell that it was vast.
If the Grand Elder hadn't told her about it beforehand, she would've thought it was a small city. However, the Divine Citadel wasn't just large but it was tall, extremely tall.
She couldn't help but look up at it, staring at the point where the citadel meets the clouds. Minutes passed as she gazed at this towering structure, something awaited her inside.
"Xue Yue, Senior Zhen, what do you think of this place?"
Ming Yue brought both swords out, keeping them sheathed by her side. She started walking, heading straight for the Divine Citadel.
"It's a giant fortress but I can't seem to sense what's inside", Xue Yue answered.
"Hrmm, whatever it is, this place is beyond the both of us. It's a place of power, there's no doubt about it and it's ancient. We won't know what this place will offer us until we get inside", Senior Zhen replied.
"I see,"
Ming Yue half-expected such answers knowing that this realm was something none of them could comprehend.
But Xue Yue did say one more thing about it.
"Even if we don't know, I'd say that it's pretty obvious, right? You brought both of us out so you think so too, it's going to be a fight."
The woman nodded.
"What else could it be? I'm just not sure what kind of fight is waiting for me."
It didn't take long for her to reach the gates which were closed shut. They were just as large as the gate from earlier but were far more imposing. They weren't covered with intricate designs, no lavish or grand imagery.
There was only one word on those gates when she looked at them.
"Trial."
She read it to herself before placing her hands on the gate and pushing it forward. The grating sound of stone against the ground echoed in the empty grasslands as the gates were opened.
Digging her feet in, she pushed the gates as wide as her arms could go, giving herself plenty of space to walk in.
What awaited her was indeed a vast city but one that was empty and parts were in ruins. The buildings were partially crumbling with vines and grass making their way through the cracks. The roads weren't well maintained with a few cracks here and there. Some of the stone was even missing from it.
"What sort of place is this?" she thought to herself.
She walked down the main road, looking down the side streets.
"There's so many buildings but there doesn't seem to be anything on them, no signboards, no decor, nothing. No inns, no restaurants, no homes... What exactly was this place meant to be?" she wondered.
"Seems a bit eerie if you tell me", Xue Yue chimed in, "What could be inside them?"
It might've resembled a city from the outside but the Divine Citadel was anything but a city. The buildings were all very similar, lacking in design and more like blocks.
Were people meant to be here?
She wasn't sure at all but she wanted to find out.
Stopping in front of one of them, Ming Yue walked up to the door and opened it up. She took a peek inside only to find that it was a living space, complete with furniture and light. She furrowed her brows and started checking the buildings at random.
Each one was the same, there was a bed, a desk, tables, and chairs.
All of it was seemingly untouched.
And finally, she made it to the center where the citadel was, tall and staggering.
