Gaze and you will become stronger: starting from Doupo

These star fragments were no ordinary stellar debris. Some resembled colossal skeletons, thousands of feet long, shaped like the spine of some prehistoric behemoth; others looked like the ruins of shattered palaces, still bearing faint runes and emitting a dim spiritual light. These star fragments slowly rotated within the Abyss, colliding with each other and emitting dull thuds, like the low roars of ancient beasts. Gazing at these enormous skeletons, the cultivators could imagine how powerful beings had once perished within the Abyss, which deepened their awe of it.

Seemingly sensing the confusion of the Gluttonous King and the others, the Demon King spoke, "This Heavenly Abyss divides the borderlands in two; its other side belongs to another realm. Its mysteries are unknown. Many of our experts have traveled along the Heavenly Abyss, but none have ever reached its end." A hint of helplessness lingered in the Demon King's voice. He recalled his predecessors who had attempted to explore the Heavenly Abyss; they were all outstanding figures from the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, yet they all vanished without a trace, never to return. "The Heavenly Abyss is too vast, and it's filled with spatial turbulence and demonic power. Even Supreme Realm experts dare not venture too far in," he added, his eyes grave.

"Wasn't it said that this Heavenly Abyss was to help us guard the Imperial Pass? Then... how is it guarding it?" Countless cultivators were puzzled, gazing at the distant Heavenly Abyss, but they didn't sense any special power. In their eyes, although the Heavenly Abyss was strange and magnificent, it didn't exude a pressure strong enough to stop the alien army, making it hard to imagine how it could protect the Imperial Pass. A cultivator at the Transcendent Realm couldn't help but ask, "Is it just a decoration? But Senior Demon King just said it can devour celestial bodies..."

"Our strongest fighters are peak supreme beings like Senior Meng and Wang Changsheng, but there are immortal beings in the alien realm whose fighting power is equivalent to our true immortals! Under such circumstances, once the immortals from the alien realm come over, they could probably rewrite the border war situation with a single finger."

The Demon King's voice grew heavy as he looked at the cultivators falling one after another on the battlefield, his tone filled with heartache: "The reason why the Borderlands have been able to hold on all these years is because of the Heavenly Abyss's restraint on the immortals. Ordinary cultivators from other realms can infiltrate through the Heavenly Abyss's weak points, but immortal beings cannot."

"It's this Heavenly Abyss that has maintained the stalemate! Although it's ineffective against ordinary cultivators, whenever an immortal from another realm tries to cross over, the Heavenly Abyss unleashes its supreme power, sucking those immortals into the abyss and causing them to disappear," the Demon King said earnestly. His eyes held a hint of relief; without the Heavenly Abyss, the immortals from other realms would likely have already breached the Imperial Pass, and the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths would have been devastated. "The Heavenly Abyss seems to possess sentience, automatically recognizing the aura of immortals. Once it senses it, it will launch an attack. Over the years, many immortals from other realms have perished within the Heavenly Abyss."

"Swallowing immortals...?" Upon hearing the Demon King's account, countless cultivators were shocked. When they looked at Tianyuan again, a hint of fear appeared in their eyes. True Immortals were legendary beings in the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, the lifelong pursuit of countless cultivators. Yet Tianyuan could easily devour immortals at the True Immortal level; such power was truly terrifying. Looking at the churning black and white mist within Tianyuan, they dared not underestimate it in the slightest, feeling that endless killing intent was hidden within that mist.

Rumble!
At this moment, two massive armies clashed in the Heavenly Abyss, their dense ranks and overwhelming auras clashing in a fierce battle. As far as the eye could see, the vast expanse resembled a boundless ocean, brimming with murderous intent! Within the vortex of the Heavenly Abyss, cultivators from the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths mingled with beings from other realms, various colored energy lights blooming like fireworks, only to vanish in an instant. Enormous roars echoed continuously—the sounds of clashing magical treasures and exploding energy—shaking even the city walls slightly. From the city walls, the cultivators on the battlefield appeared as insignificant as ants, yet they were enacting the most magnificent song of life and death.

"Kill!"

"Defend the borderlands and drive away these invading enemies!"

Even atop the distant city walls, the cultivators could hear the resounding battle songs and fierce cries of battle echoing from the battlefield. Those voices were filled with determination and courage; even from a great distance, the fervor and conviction they contained could be felt. There were roars of young cultivators, howls of veterans, and cries of the dying; these sounds converged, forming an invisible force that inspired everyone on the city walls.

At this moment, Tianyuan became the most intense battlefield, filled with various powerful auras.

The oppressive aura of the Supreme Realm cultivators erupted intermittently on the battlefield, booming like thunder, each eruption accompanied by the fall of countless cultivators. True One Realm and Escape One Realm cultivators surged towards the enemy like a tidal wave, constructing a defensive line with their flesh and blood. The alien creatures, in various forms—some with wings, some covered in scales, and some pure energy beings—emanated an aura of evil, fearlessly charging towards the defenses of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths.

The True One Realm cultivators, revered in the outside world, served as cannon fodder in the battles of this desolate land. Outside, they might be leaders of small, respected factions, but in this borderland, they were relegated to the front lines, often killed in a single encounter by foreign cultivators. One True One Realm cultivator had just summoned his magic weapon, before he could even unleash his divine power, when a clawed foreign creature ripped his chest apart, blood spurting out and staining the sand beneath his feet. His eyes still held resentment, but his body collapsed, instantly swallowed by the ensuing torrent of battle.

In the outside world, even the supreme being of the Transcendent Realm, who has become a hegemon in a region, is merely a general on the battlefield, and a single misstep can lead to his demise. A Transcendent Realm cultivator, wielding a long saber, bravely slaughtered the surrounding alien cultivators. In the flash of his blade, he had already slain more than a dozen enemies. But in the instant he took a breath, an alien assassin hidden in the shadows suddenly attacked, a jet-black energy blade piercing his heart. He looked down in disbelief at the wound in his chest, his body slowly collapsing, the long saber falling to the ground with a clang, never to be picked up again.

"Fellow Daoist Hongjun, I'll go first!" Meng Tianzheng glanced at the Tianyuan Battlefield, immediately clasped his hands in a fist salute to Wu Fang, and strode away. Meng Tianzheng's eyes sharpened like knives; the carnage on the battlefield filled him with anxiety, and he knew he couldn't delay any longer. His voice carried a hint of urgency, yet he maintained his respect for Wu Fang. After speaking, he leaped into the air, transforming into a streak of light and rushing towards the Tianyuan Battlefield. Seeing this, the two early-stage Supremes who had been guarding the city walls followed closely behind Meng Tianzheng, joining the Tianyuan Battlefield as well. They knew that Meng Tianzheng alone could not turn the tide of the battle, and although they were exhausted, they gritted their teeth and followed. The two exchanged a glance, both seeing determination in each other's eyes. They drew their weapons, released their full aura, and transformed into two streaks of light, rushing towards the blood-red battlefield.

On the battlefield, five Supreme Beings from the alien realm were jointly attacking three Supreme Beings from the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths side, the battle incredibly fierce. The three Supreme Beings from the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths were covered in wounds, their auras disordered, clearly having endured for a long time. One of them had lost an arm, golden blood continuously flowing from the wound; he gritted his teeth, struggling to withstand the attacks of two Supreme Beings from the alien realm. Another was bound by a black energy chain, unable to move, only able to desperately hold on, blood constantly spilling from the corner of his mouth. The third was in the most wretched state, half his body corroded, revealing stark white bones, yet he still roared and launched attacks, refusing to yield.

The five supreme beings from the other realm were menacing, their coordinated attacks relentless and brutal, their faces etched with cruel smiles. One supreme being, wielding a bone staff, continuously chanted incantations, unleashing beams of black energy towards the supreme beings of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, catching them defenseless. Another, burly supreme being charged like a tank, relentlessly ramming into the defenses of the supreme beings of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, attempting to break through them.

"Brother Meng, you've finally arrived!" With Meng Tianzheng's arrival, the previously one-sided battlefield situation instantly reversed. The three Supreme Beings from the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, upon seeing Meng Tianzheng, ignited a fierce will to survive in their eyes, their previously exhausted bodies seemingly filled with renewed strength. One of them couldn't help but shout excitedly, his voice trembling with emotion—the joy of seeing hope in a desperate situation.

Upon entering, Meng Tianzheng immediately activated the Immortal King's Shroud. Although it bore various stains of blood and the marks of time, this did not diminish its status as an immortal artifact, or even an immortal king's treasure. The Immortal King's Shroud unfurled in the air, stretching for thousands of feet, its surface shimmering with a faint immortal light. The star patterns on it lit up under Meng Tianzheng's control, radiating an immense pressure. The stains of blood and the marks of time did not weaken its power; rather, they seemed like badges of honor bearing witness to countless battles, making its aura even more profound.

Under Meng Tianzheng's control, the shroud swayed beneath the abyss, the faint sounds of endless battle cries echoing within, a thrilling spectacle. The shroud seemed to come alive, dancing nimbly in the air, sometimes transforming into a gigantic shield to block the attacks of the alien supreme beings; other times, it became a sharp whip, lashing out at enemies with a crisp "crack." The star patterns on the cloth flickered continuously, releasing beams of golden light. These beams contained the pressure of a Celestial King, causing the alien supreme beings' expressions to change drastically, sensing a powerful threat.

slam-la-

On the battlefield of Tianyuan, the Immortal King's Shroud danced, quickly repelling the five supreme beings from the alien realm. Meng Tianzheng, wielding the shroud, descended like a war god. He swung it forward with a mighty swing, the cloth instantly expanding to form a massive barrier, protecting the three supreme beings from the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths behind him. Simultaneously, the shroud erupted with dazzling light, a powerful shockwave sweeping towards the alien supreme beings. The five alien supreme beings, caught off guard by Meng Tianzheng's immediate power, were forced back by the light, black blood trickling from their mouths. Their formation was instantly disrupted, and the cruel smiles on their faces turned grim.

"That tattered flag again? Too bad, this time, even if you have it, you can't stop us from breaking through!" A supreme being from another realm laughed. This supreme being was tall and thin, his face covered in black scales. He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, his eyes flashing with a mad light. His voice was disdainful, clearly showing his knowledge of the Immortal King's Shroud, yet brimming with confidence. "Your other three supreme beings are late, surely something happened to them? Without them, you few alone can't stop us!" His words were full of provocation, attempting to shake the morale of the cultivators of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths. At the same time, he secretly gave a wink to the other four supreme beings, preparing to launch a stronger attack and break through Meng Tianzheng's defenses in one fell swoop. The vortex of the Heavenly Abyss continued to spin, the black and white mist churning endlessly, as if witnessing this fierce battle that would determine the fate of the borderlands.

"My king has awakened, and even the abyss of heaven cannot stop him!"

The alien supreme being fixed its gaze on Meng Tianzheng and burst into loud laughter. The laughter, filled with arrogance and cruelty, was ear-piercing like the scraping of metal, echoing across the Tianyuan battlefield and causing a chill to run through the hearts of cultivators across the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths. It possessed the torso, legs, and arms of a human, its muscles flowing and explosive, its skin a strange bluish-black, covered with fine silver scales that shimmered with a cold luster in the dim light of Tianyuan. But its head was that of a massive silver snake, its mouth opening and closing to reveal two rows of sharp fangs, dripping with dark green venom that instantly corroded small pits in the sand. A thick snake tail trailed from the end of its spine, its scales layered upon each other, the tip slightly upturned, radiating a dangerous aura. Even more striking were the pair of silvery-white yaksha wings on its back, their edges as sharp as blades, covered with a translucent membrane covered in dark red patterns, which stirred up gusts of foul wind with each flap. This is the Serpent Yaksha, a renowned royal family member from another realm, known for its ferocity and bloodthirstiness. It ranks among the top in the realm's combat power rankings, and ordinary supreme beings are no match for it.

As the powerful voice faded, the serpent demon appeared, his eyes slightly closed, muttering incantations as if performing some ancient ritual. The next instant, the void before him hummed, the air began to fluctuate violently, and black and white mist converged wildly, forming a constantly spinning energy vortex. At the center of the vortex, space began to distort, and countless runes could be vaguely seen flickering within, radiating a chilling pressure.

Zheng!
A metallic clang suddenly rang out, like a dragon's roar echoing through the heavens or a tiger's howl echoing through the mountains, causing the entire Tianyuan to tremble slightly. This sound did not come from the clash of ordinary metal, but rather from the resonance of supreme immortal laws, causing the souls of all the cultivators present to tremble, as if they were about to be torn apart by the sound.

A golden spear slowly emerged from the void vortex. Its entire body was golden, flowing with dazzling celestial light. The spearhead was incredibly sharp, seemingly capable of piercing the heavens. Intricate patterns were engraved on the spear, which, upon closer inspection, were composed of countless tiny dragon motifs. These dragons were so lifelike that they seemed poised to break free from the spear and soar through the heavens. This spear was approximately nine feet long, its handle wrapped with dark red animal sinew, making it both slip-resistant and durable. Its overall design was incredibly imposing, a terrifying weapon that would leave a lasting impression at first glance. (End of Chapter)