There was a rumor existed in the upper realm. It spoke of a gate, ancient, elusive and a mythical passage, known as the Gate of God. It was said, the gate would grant anyone the ability to reach the heaven in a single step, and become immortal.
For millions of years, cultivators, sages and sovereigns tried to search for the Gate of God but to no avail. No had ever been able to find the Gate of God, let alone step inside it. Some dismissed it as mere myth, a fabrication born from the dreams of those obsessed with power and immortality.
No one truly knew what the Gate of God was.
Li Shenrong's gaze fell upon the massive gate carved with endless runes and formations, distant memories surged within him.
In the distant past, to obtain this Gate of God, Li Shenrong had scoured through forbidden realms, delved into forgotten ruins and mystical worlds. He had devoted half a million years just to decipher obscure ancient texts and ancient formations in search of clues. After years of bloody trial and error, he had obtained the Gate.
No one understood the Gate of God better than him. Some thought the Gate of God could lead to immortality, some thought it was a rumor, a lie. But Li Shenrong knew it was neither.
The gate of God was no path to enlightenment, nor a doorway to immortality. It was a prison-a treasure born from the condensed essence of an entire world. The gate held the power to suppress anyone and anything. Once someone entered the Gate of God, escaping was impossible. No matter what kind of supreme space traversing technique or a space teleporting escape technique, no one could come out, until the gate's owner willed it. The gate could not only seal away objects but also sentient beings.
No matter how powerful and mighty someone is, once he is trapped inside, his fate would be sealed.
Li Shenrong, as the owner of the Gate of God, had once sealed a peerless being inside it. That entity had spent a total of one hundred thousand years begging for forgiveness. Trapped inside the Gate's perpetual emptiness, its arrogance was reduced to dust. Only after a millennia of begging, did Li Shenrong grant it mercy.
Standing in-front of the gate again, Li Shenrong couldn't help but reminisce.
That year, after the great battle, his state was extremely perilous. The aftermath of the devastating battle which shook the high heaven, Li Shenrong was forced to destroy his Dao foundation. In that battle he had lost many valuable artifacts, including the Gate of God.
Returning to the present, Li Shenrong closed his eyes as his fingers brushed lightly against the smooth surface of the gate, tracing the familiar runes and encrypted formations. Power stirred beneath the surface, ancient and dormant, like a sleeping beast awaiting its master's command. The calligraphy inscribed across the gate seemed to ripple beneath his touch, radiating faint echoes of the terrifying might it concealed. The gate remembered him.
For a moment, Li Shenrong closed his eyes, letting the weight of the past wash over him. He remembered the battles, the bloodshed, and the countless souls who had fallen before him. He remembered the day he had sealed his peerless foe inside this very gate, listening as the mighty being's voice grew hoarse from endless pleading. And he remembered the moment when he, in the height of his power, chose to cast it all away, sealing his strength to pursue a path beyond the reach of the heavens themselves. But that was a long time ago.
Now, everything had changed.
Li Shenrong reached out with his consciousness, allowing his spirit sea to connect with the gate.
Spectators eagerly gazed at his wide back, waiting to see how tall his invoked starlight pillar would be.
Old Liu was confident in Li Shenrong, he was very excited as well. Lady treasurelight had a solemn expression as she kept waiting.
The runes stirred, the formations shifted slightly, and the calligraphy seemed to come alive-offering fleeting glimpses of distant stars and mysterious truths. The Gate of God began to awaken with a low rumble. The ancient formations lit up one by one. Just as the gate was about to open, Li Shenrong stopped. Everything returned to normal.
"That's it? What? What happened?" People exclaimed, not understanding what had just transpired. They thought Li Shenrong have failed.
Only the old woman understood, Li Shenrong was successful. Her gaze was shining as if nothing in the world was more exciting than seeing Li Shenrong.
Li Shenrong silently stared at her with a smile.
She bent down her old body and started searching for something inside her treasure bundle.
"Long ago, I found this in an ancient forbidden ground. I don't know what it is but i think it is something good." She handed him a small crystal at the size of an apple.
Li Shenrong's eyes constricted at the sight of the small crystal.
He took the crystal in his palm and observed it with a frown.
"Deal. Tell me when you are ready." Li Shenrong suddenly smiled as he put away the crystal.
"I will find you." With that said, The old lady treasurelight pulled everything inside her ring, grabbed the Gate of God and placing it above her head, vanishing under everyone's curious gaze.
Old Liu didn't ask what she gave him but silently stood behind him.
"This little brother, you can call me Suan Bu Jin. I am the leader of the Black Spear mercenary alliance. I wonder what kind of treasure she gave you. May i have a look?" A middle aged man approached Li Shenrong with a smile. There was a small group of people behind him, all of them had ferocious aura around them.
"That's Suan Bu Jin! He is the leader of Black Spear mercenary alliance. A ruthless and cruel man. This kid is in trouble. He should've left as soon as he got the treasure. Now, he will die, what a pity." Some people sighed as they felt it was a pity for such a young man to die like this, right after getting his hands on a treasure.
"Just wait! Mantis stalks the cicada unaware of the oriole behind." Some people smirked.