Traveling across the globe for the first time

Zhang Haoran felt that even if it were a real projection, it might not be at the beck and call of the Dao Tree.

That is, after all, the very essence of an emperor. If there were a large group of powerful figures standing here, and the other party did not want to sacrifice themselves in vain, they might challenge the passage to preserve their final dignity.

If they were summoned and found that there were only the two of them, they might choose to take a gamble first.

Therefore, summoning those projections is completely unreliable. Besides, he doesn't need any help. Those power of rules are all good things that can be used to accelerate the tempering of the jade bones.

Although he didn't intend to use Zhen Tianwang as cannon fodder, he still wanted to know the other party's progress, so he asked, "How many levels have you passed so far, that 'breaking nine' thing you mentioned?"

When he asked about this, Dao Shu's expression was a little strange. He gritted his teeth and said, "That person has now passed the five trials. He was unlucky. As soon as he entered, he was teleported to the trial where the God Emperor was located. There was a problem with the projection there. He was trapped in a palace and couldn't get out."

Perhaps realizing I was watching, it played some random stuff, and then just sat there motionless.

Hearing this, Zhang Haoran barely managed to suppress his laughter. He knew that the King of Zhen was playing Japanese adult films for Dao Shu, and he was doing it against his will, making things even more difficult for him, with those extremely offensive and offensive things.

The Dao Tree is a demonic plant, so naturally people will find it inexplicable.

Moreover, the Dao Tree has lived within the boundary for 100,000 years and is relatively unfamiliar with the situation on Earth, so of course it wouldn't know what those things are.

Dao Shu continued, "Several months have passed, and he seems to have suddenly figured something out. He directly summoned the Void Gate to advance to the ninth level and escaped from that palace."

It was around that time that I sensed the aura of a novice martial artist; perhaps it was his clone.

Strangely, the God Emperor's projection did not stop him from leaving this time.

Zhang Haoran rolled his eyes, thinking to himself, "Stop my ass! The God Emperor might have already been replaced by the Heavenly King of Suppression. Do you really think that old guy will stay there obediently for a few months?"

He didn't say these things aloud, and the other party didn't need to know them.

Daoshu continued, "After that, he wasn't very proactive in trying to pass the levels. He mostly chatted and drank tea with those projections, without learning any secret techniques. He didn't seem to be in a hurry to pass the levels."

I highly doubt he has the ability to tear through the void and arrive here directly.

Zhang Haoran chuckled and said, "Hehe, that's my senior, Zhen Tianwang. You don't need to worry about his affairs."

I don't need you to waste the power of the rules in the passage. Those are all good things to me, as they can help temper my jade bones.

"Lead the way! Let's see what Tianmen looks like."

At this point, Zhang Haoran suddenly remembered something: the inexplicable killing intent leaked from the seed projection, and the strange behavior of the Eastern Emperor, all indicated one thing: changes had occurred in the Heavenly Palace that were not in the original work.

He immediately said seriously, "Dao Shu! Find a way to inform the Heavenly King of Zhen, and tell him to slowly progress through the trials and not to rush over. Even if a battle breaks out here, he should not come to help."

With his current strength, he can't get involved!

If he doesn't believe you, just say you're Lü Fengrou's disciple and were asked to pass on a message.

That last sentence was to reveal his identity to the Heavenly King Zhen. It was certain that the Heavenly King Zhen did not believe the Dao Tree, but he must have known that the other party did not understand the situation in the Three Realms. Even if someone conveyed information to him, they would not talk about such trivial matters.

Therefore, as long as this sentence is said, the Heavenly King will most likely believe it. Even if he still has doubts, he will cautiously test the waters instead of rushing in as soon as he sees a battle taking place here.

The seed projection might be being manipulated, which is why it showed murderous intent towards him. Donghuang deliberately acted strangely in front of him, but refused to explain clearly, which was to remind him that the water here was very deep.

Zhang Haoran was very worried about the unpredictable events within the Heavenly Palace, which had already reached the level of an Emperor. Even he might have difficulty dealing with them; if the Heavenly King of Suppression were to come to their aid at this time, it would only add to the chaos!

This would make him feel constrained when he fights.

He said seriously, "You too!"
Once I engage the enemy, run as far away as you can and don't even think about helping. Otherwise, when I unleash my ultimate attack, I'll have to consider your existence.

"promise!"

Dao Shu immediately bowed in agreement. After the mural incident, his confidence was severely shaken. He felt that he had lived for 100,000 years in vain and was far too naive compared to those old silver coins.

He knew how powerful his current master was; if even the other side had to be careful when dealing with an enemy, then going up against him would be a waste of his time.

He should just stay a demonic plant and produce life essence whenever he wants. That would be so much more pleasant. Fighting and killing are not things he should be doing.

Although the Dao Tree could not directly transmit messages into the checkpoint, it could still communicate with the Heavenly King when he teleported. For this, he even went to great lengths to restore the severed roots.

Zhang Haoran wanted to stop Zhen Tianwang from coming mainly because he was worried that the danger might be greater than expected.

If I can handle the troubles after the passage myself, then there's no need for the Heavenly King to come and help. I can just invite him over to share the spoils after everything is over.

If even the enemies within the Heavenly Palace can't defeat him, adding two more Po Jiu won't change anything. There's no need for them to come and die. As long as the Heavenly King Zhen is alive, nothing will happen in the mortal realm.

After giving instructions to Daoshu, Zhang Haoran walked along the bronze road into the depths of the palace with a heavy heart. He walked for tens of thousands of meters before he saw a tall, massive gate.

It was neither bronze nor metal, but a crystal door.

Moreover, it wasn't embedded in the wall, nor did it have a door frame or anything; it just floated in the air, incredibly tall.

Curious, Zhang Haoran flew behind the door and looked inside, discovering that both sides were identical; it was indeed a spatial portal.

Daoshu respectfully said, "This is the Heavenly Gate!"
Once inside, there will be a small space, a place without rules.

Further on is the rule passage; passing through the rule passage will lead you to the location of the seed projection.

He said with a solemn expression, "The passage of rules is extremely dangerous. I once ventured deep into it, but even with serious injuries, I only made it halfway."

The great thunder there is extremely domineering, with the effect of obliterating one's very essence.

It took me tens of thousands of years to fully recover from that incident, so my lord must be careful. If you sense that things are beyond saving, retreat immediately, and we'll think of another way later.”

Zhang Haoran nodded solemnly. He felt that this setup was reasonable. If it were just a normal law attack, then two or three level-nine cultivators could take turns tanking the damage. If they were seriously injured, they could retreat to recover, and the power of the rules in the passage could be exhausted very quickly.

After all, once you reach this level of strength, as long as it's not a fundamental injury, you can recover quickly.

Only then did he understand why Daoshu had placed his hopes on those projections.

Those projections don't even have a primordial planet, so they're not afraid of being harmed by the primordial source.

He touched the Heavenly Gate and immediately felt a sense of being watched. He could vaguely sense that after passing through the Heavenly Gate, he would face a considerable crisis. Moreover, the source of the crisis was not the rule passage mentioned by the Dao Tree. It seemed that there was a powerful enemy waiting for him at the end of the passage.

Ordinary martial artists can sense when they are about to encounter a crisis, and he was even more convinced of this. The inexplicable killing intent of the seed and the strange behavior of the Eastern Emperor could be found after passing through the passage.

Now that things have come to this, there is no room for him to back down.

Zhang Haoran nodded vigorously and said seriously, "I know it's dangerous inside, but I won't be careless."

You open the door first!

"You won't need to come with me through the passage. After the door opens, you stay there to guard against any sneak attacks. Anyone entering except for the Heavenly King must be killed on sight."

Zhang Haoran was genuinely nervous. He didn't want to be stabbed in the back during a crisis. Therefore, having the Dao Tree guard the gate was the best option. This Heavenly Gate was not simple; opening it wouldn't be easy, even for someone at the ninth level of cultivation.

With the Dao Tree blocking the way behind the door, those emperor clones couldn't possibly get in.

He was worried that there might be an ambush behind the door, which is why he had Daoshu open it.

The Dao Tree dared not disobey Zhang Haoran's direct order. It suppressed its worries, returned to its original form, and unleashed its full power of peak-level Qi and Blood, sending out whip-like roots that planted themselves near the Heavenly Gate.

"open!"

A loud shout echoed in all directions.

With a creak,
A crack appeared in the Heavenly Gate.

"what……"

The Dao Tree roared again, using all its strength, its branches and leaves trembling and creaking! The crack in the Heavenly Gate gradually widened.

If it's just Daoshu passing through, this gap is enough.

However, it is his master who needs to go through. It would be undignified to squeeze through such a small gap. Even if it cannot be fully opened, it must be opened halfway.

He kept bursting out blood and qi, widening the cracks.

Zhang Haoran was very satisfied to see that Daoshu was so loyal!
He did not step in to stop it. While it is important to be considerate of subordinates, the necessary authority is also essential. The way to manage subordinates is to combine kindness and strictness.

Besides, with such a small gap, he couldn't see the space behind the door clearly. What if he just plunged in and got ambushed? That would be a real problem.

Rumble!
The Heavenly Gate slowly opened, until it was one-third open, at which point the Dao Tree could no longer continue.

He then said, "That's enough!"

At this point, Zhang Haoran was certain that there was no ambush behind the door; the enemy should be waiting for him on the other side of the passage.

He stepped forward, arrived at the Heavenly Gate, and slowly pushed out a palm.

"Hoar!"

A resounding dragon roar rang out, and the arm entwined with the golden dragon slammed onto the Heavenly Gate.

There was a loud bang!
The Heavenly Gate opened completely, and he then leisurely walked in.

That move just now wasn't to show off in front of the Dao Tree, although that was part of it, but mainly to see the strength of the Heavenly Gate and whether it could withstand those Emperor projections.

Actually, he had another thought in mind: he wanted to test the Heavenly Emperor's strength.

The Heavenly Gate is also a test!

Only those with strength can enter openly and legitimately; those without strength can only crawl through dog holes.

If he can't even pass this test, then he's not qualified to fight the other side.

The Heavenly Emperor is the ultimate boss of this world, while those emperors are just elite monsters.

The scenery before his eyes blurred for a moment, and Zhang Haoran found himself in a square, with the Heavenly Gate standing behind him, slowly closing.

Daoshu previously said that this was a small space, but that's not quite accurate. This plaza is several kilometers in circumference.

But thinking about it, it makes sense. The Dao Tree's true form is a towering giant tree, and this place is indeed a small space for it. If it were to revert to its original form, it could fill one-third of this square, leaving no room to dodge in a fight.

The Dao Tree consumed a lot of its vital energy when it opened the passage, and it is currently using its life essence to recover. This is the Land of No Return, where the energy of heaven and earth is extremely thin. To recover its vital energy, it needs to consume its stored energy.

He looked at the crystal passage and warned, "Master, please be careful!"

When passing through a passage, you must not linger in one place for too long, lest you deplete the power of the rules within the passage.

The power of the rules here can be continuously replenished.

If you stay in one place for too long, the power of the rules within the passage will gather there, and the attacks will become increasingly powerful.

In addition, the speed of advancement cannot be too fast, otherwise the power of the rules will go berserk, and the attack density will suddenly increase several times.

It's best to advance slowly at a normal walking pace, so that the attacks you receive won't become too much stronger.

Finally, it's worth noting that you should quit when you still have about 70% of your strength left. This channel won't reduce its attack power just because you give up.

Therefore, the withdrawal speed cannot be too fast, otherwise it will also be subject to intensive attacks.

"Okay! I'll be careful!"

Zhang Haoran nodded. These were all Dao Shu's words of experience, and it was worth listening to. Moreover, there was a formidable enemy on the other side of the passage, so they had to maintain sufficient strength to deal with any unexpected events.

He felt it was safer to withdraw when his strength was reduced to 80%, so as to avoid being caught off guard by a sudden attack from the enemy.

Besides, his jade bone is still 30% away from completion, so it's best not to fight enemies before that.

To force one's way through a passage while severely injured, facing an unknown enemy, is something only a fool would do.

He reiterated, "Guard the gate and don't let anyone in."

Furthermore, when I withdraw, you must protect me.

"promise!"

Daoshu solemnly responded, and in the next instant, it reverted to its original form, transforming once again into a towering tree.

The roots intertwined, and countless sharp spikes appeared on the side facing the Heavenly Gate, emitting an eerie light, while a treehouse was built in the direction of the crystal passage.

The meaning is quite clear: when Zhang Haoran leaves, he can rest in the treehouse, and he will close off the surrounding space to prevent anyone from disturbing him.

"well done!"

Zhang Haoran nodded in satisfaction, then stepped forward and appeared before the passage as if he had shrunk the distance between them. He had just entered the crystal passage...

Rumble!
The Great Dao's lightning fell like rain, including ball lightning in various colors such as gold, white, red, and blue. Each bolt of lightning contained the aura of law. Under the reflection of various lights, the crystal passage looked exceptionally beautiful, but it was also extremely deadly.

That's not all. Countless arms reached out from the void, holding all kinds of weapons—swords, spears, halberds, axes, hooks, and forks—and attacked him with a piercing whooshing sound. Each strike was at the level of a Heavenly King.

Although it was only at the sixth level, he was still a Heavenly King. Keep in mind, this kind of attack wasn't dozens or hundreds, but tens of thousands. Most importantly, these attacks didn't come in waves, but continuously, giving him no chance to breathe. (End of Chapter)