Wu Tian stood at the peak of the Emerald Moon Sect's highest mountain, gazing at the vast expanse beyond. The Mortal Realm. A world he had only theorized, a world he had dreamed of, now within his grasp.
His decision had been made, but the path ahead was uncertain. No one had ever ascended from the Sealed Plane.
The Sect's Elders gathered before him, along with the most powerful disciples. Even the normally impassive Daoist Iron Cloud regarded him with an expression bordering on solemnity.
"You must understand," the Sect Master said, his voice heavy. "Leaving this world is not the same as stepping into another sect's territory. You will be stepping into a land where titans walk, where our highest cultivators would be no more than ants."
Wu Tian remained silent, but his heart pounded in anticipation. A world without limits. A world where true power existed.
Daoist Iron Cloud continued, "The method to ascend has long been lost to time. Even if one reaches the pinnacle of this world, there is no known path forward."
Wu Tian smirked. "Then I'll carve my own."
A Gift and a Warning
Elder Rong stepped forward, extending a small, aged scroll. "This was recovered from an ancient ruin. It speaks of a single method—an unstable gateway, a crack in space that forms once every few decades."
Wu Tian took the scroll, his gaze sharpening. A crack in space?
He read quickly. The unstable rift could form anywhere, and stepping through it carried immense risk. If one entered at the wrong moment, they could be lost forever in the void.
Yan Xue, who had remained silent, finally spoke. "And what if he doesn't return?"
The Sect Master's eyes darkened. "Then we assume he perished."
Wu Tian rolled up the scroll and slipped it into his robes. "I'm not dying that easily."
Elder Rong sighed. "Then take this as well." He held out a jade talisman, its surface etched with unfamiliar runes. "It holds a fragment of our sect's legacy. Should you ever return, it will be proof of your origins."
Wu Tian accepted the talisman without hesitation. Proof of where he came from. A reminder that this was where his journey began.
Then, Daoist Iron Cloud raised a hand. "Before you go… one final test."
The Last Battle
Wu Tian raised an eyebrow. "A test?"
The Sect Master nodded. "You have surpassed all disciples in our sect. You have achieved power none in this world have ever dreamed of. But before you step into the Mortal Realm, you must prove one final thing—"
His gaze sharpened. "That you can survive it."
A powerful aura exploded outward as three Grand Elders stepped forward.
Wu Tian's smirk widened. "So, I have to fight my way out?"
Daoist Iron Cloud's expression remained impassive. "If you cannot withstand this, then you are not ready to leave."
The tension in the air thickened as the Grand Elders activated their techniques. Each one had cultivated for centuries, reaching the absolute peak of this world. Pseudo-Core Realm, Late Stage.
Wu Tian exhaled, his body pulsing with the power of the Ninth Gate—Celestial Rupture.
Three opponents at once? Good.
He cracked his knuckles. "Let's get started."
Breaking Through
The first elder moved, his Qi manifesting into a roaring golden dragon. It surged toward Wu Tian with devastating force.
Wu Tian did not dodge.
Instead, he stepped forward.
The very air twisted around him as he activated Heavenly Stride, his movement exceeding the limits of space itself.
His fist shot forward—
BOOM!
The golden dragon shattered. The elder coughed up blood, stumbling back in shock. One down.
The second elder formed countless Qi swords, filling the sky with a deadly rain of sharp energy.
Wu Tian exhaled, raising a single hand. Void Heart pulsed.
The swords halted mid-air—then collapsed into nothing.
The elder's face paled. Two down.
The third elder gritted his teeth, summoning the full force of his cultivation. The earth trembled as his Qi formed a colossal titan, towering over the battlefield.
Wu Tian stared up at it, unimpressed.
He took a single step.
Reality itself shattered.
The titan dispersed into dust. The elder collapsed to his knees, staring at Wu Tian in absolute disbelief.
Three down.
The entire sect was silent. The strongest figures in this world had fallen in moments.
Wu Tian rolled his shoulders. "That all?"
Daoist Iron Cloud's lips curled ever so slightly. "You pass."
Departure
Wu Tian turned toward the horizon. The sky had darkened, and somewhere, beyond the edge of this world, the unstable rift would soon appear.
He had one chance.
Yan Xue stepped beside him. "You don't have to do this."
Wu Tian smirked. "I do."
She hesitated before finally nodding. "Then return stronger."
He chuckled. "You already know I will."
With that, Wu Tian vanished.
The next time he stepped forward, it would be into an entirely different world