Gaze and you will become stronger: starting from Doupo

His eyes, gleaming with celestial light, pierced through the heavens and landed on Jiang Han. Having entered the realm of immortality, he possessed a divine eye, capable of seeing through all illusions and discerning the essence of all things. However, no matter how intently he scrutinized Jiang Han, how dazzling the celestial light in his eyes, or how thoroughly he used his secret techniques to probe, he still found nothing unusual. Jiang Han's aura was steady, and although his spiritual power was pure, it had not reached the immortal level, let alone the level of a Celestial King.

There were two mysterious forces within the opponent's body. Although he couldn't see through them, he could roughly judge their power. These two forces intertwined, forming a peculiar balance that granted Jiang Han combat strength far exceeding that of cultivators of the same level, making him invincible among the Supremes, but still lacking compared to him. Previously, if it weren't for Tian Yuan's intervention, he probably would have already killed the opponent! With his strength, dealing with a cultivator who hadn't even reached the Immortal realm should have been a piece of cake.

But then, at that very moment, the mysterious powerhouse from another dimension, possessing the strength of a Celestial King, actually knelt before the target he was meant to kill! This kneeling was so unbelievable that it left him completely bewildered. He even began to doubt his own judgment. Could Jiang Han truly be hiding astonishing strength? Or was this some kind of conspiracy orchestrated by the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths?

"The number one person below the Immortal Path, yet before me, he is but an ant." An Lan from the otherworld glanced at Jiang Han indifferently before offering his assessment. His voice was flat and emotionless, as if stating a simple fact, yet the arrogance and disdain within it seemed to freeze the surrounding air. If it weren't for the kneeling of the imposing man in the Heavenly Abyss, he wouldn't have even given Jiang Han a second glance. In An Lan's eyes, only Immortal King-level experts were worthy of his attention; all others were mere dust.

"Your Majesty, is he from the future or from an even more ancient era?" the immortal from another realm pressed. He simply couldn't understand why a Celestial King-level expert would acknowledge someone with a cultivation level far lower than his own as his master. There must be some secret about the river of time behind this.

This time, however, even An Lan shook his head without answering, seemingly unable to figure it out either. An Lan's gaze returned to Ye Fan in the Heavenly Abyss, his eyes flashing with divine light. He could sense that familiar aura emanating from the other—the domineering confidence of a powerful being, somewhat similar to his own, yet far more profound, as if it had been tempered by countless years. He vaguely felt that the appearance of this powerful being from another dimension might bring unexpected changes to this war spanning millennia.

"Father!" Ye Qingxian's body trembled slightly as she looked at the man standing on the cauldron in the abyss. Her heart was filled with emotion, and tears streamed down her beautiful eyes. Her voice was choked with sobs, brimming with grievance and longing, as if emotions that had been suppressed for countless years were finally erupting at this moment. Her figure was slender, yet she trembled slightly due to the intense emotional turmoil, and her fair cheeks were covered with tears, making her appear pitiful.

"Senior Brother!" the little boy cried out, even waving his delicate little hand, his eyes filled with excited admiration. Although he was still young, he had already seen countless powerful figures, but in his heart, the senior brother in the Heavenly Abyss was the most dazzling existence. He waved his little hand, his face full of excitement, as if he wanted to rush to the edge of the Heavenly Abyss immediately and feel his senior brother's divine power up close.

Ye Qingxian and Xiaobudian's calls immediately raised the atmosphere in the arena, which had been somewhat calming down. If Ye Fan's acceptance of a disciple had only caused shock before, these two calls directly pushed the suspense to its climax.

In an instant, countless gazes fell upon Ye Qingxian and Little Dot, their faces filled with astonishment. They could hardly believe that, besides the connection between Ancestor Hongjun and that mysterious powerhouse from another dimension, there was actually such a daughter. Moreover, judging from Little Dot's address, she seemed to have a brotherly bond with that mysterious powerhouse!
"Who is this woman? She actually calls that powerful being from another dimension 'Father'!" The cultivators of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths were in an uproar again, their eyes scanning Ye Qingxian back and forth, trying to find more clues from her.

"And that little guy, calling him 'Senior Brother,' could he also be a disciple of Ancestor Hongjun?" Someone turned their gaze to the little one, their eyes filled with curiosity. They had witnessed the little one's performance on the battlefield before; his combat strength was extraordinary, and his talent was exceptional. Now, learning that he might be a fellow disciple of that Immortal King-level expert, they were even more shocked.

The alien beings looked even uglier. They hadn't expected that this powerful being from another dimension not only had a formidable master, but also a daughter and a junior brother. This meant that the other party's power might be far more complex than they had imagined, and the causal relationships behind it were far more extensive.

"Little Ye, you must be able to sense my current state. With you bowing like this, what am I supposed to do?" Jiang Han nodded to Ye Fan, his expression calm, even a faint smile playing on his lips, as if everything was under control. But inside, he was in a state of utter panic. He could clearly feel the gazes converging from all directions, the pressure threatening to crush him.

If he were to face An Lan, the Immortal King from another realm, at this moment, it would be tantamount to suicide! Jiang Han lamented inwardly. He knew his own strength best. Although, with the two mysterious powers within him and the system's enhancement, he was invincible in the Supreme Realm and could even contend with True Immortals, he couldn't even defeat a single finger of An Lan, an Immortal King. The oppressive aura contained in An Lan's mere glance was enough to disrupt the circulation of his spiritual energy, let alone withstand a direct confrontation. He now only hoped that Ye Fan could quickly eliminate An Lan and prevent him from revealing his true strength.

"Master, when will I be able to roam freely through the river of time like you, without any restrictions, and descend upon any era at will..." In the Heavenly Abyss, Ye Fan rose, looking at Jiang Han with utmost respect, and uttered a sigh. His eyes were filled with longing. The river of time was mysterious and unpredictable, filled with endless dangers. Even Immortal King level experts dared not traverse it casually, for the slightest carelessness would result in being devoured by the power of time, and their lives would be annihilated. But in his eyes, his master Jiang Han could control it with complete freedom, a level of mastery that was currently beyond his reach.

"That day won't be far off." Jiang Han remained calm, trying to make his voice sound authoritative and confident. But his heart was pounding. He didn't have the ability to freely travel through the river of time; it was all thanks to the system. Moreover, each journey consumed a huge amount of energy and had many limitations. It wasn't as easy as Ye Fan thought.

"Master, your cultivation is suppressed, so let your disciple act on your behalf for now." In the Heavenly Abyss, Ye Fan bowed to Jiang Han again, his attitude extremely respectful. Then he turned around, his gaze falling once more on An Lan, the Immortal King of the Otherworld. When his gaze turned to An Lan, the previous respect vanished instantly, replaced by a chilling killing intent and overwhelming battle spirit. His aura also became sharp, like a peerless divine sword about to be unsheathed.

"Do you really want to fight?" An Lan said calmly, one hand behind his back and the other holding a golden ancient spear, exuding unparalleled divine might. The golden ancient spear was forged entirely from immortal gold, engraved with countless intricate runes, flowing with immortal divine light, and its tip flashing with a cold light capable of tearing apart the starry sky. Just by holding it in his hand, it exuded an aura that could suppress all ages.

He stood there silently, his radiance flowing, his divine light boundless, surrounded by illusory images of the sun, moon, and stars, as if he were one with the entire universe. Every move he made affected the laws of heaven and earth, shaking the heavens and the earth! Even facing Ye Fan, a Celestial King-level powerhouse, he showed no fear; the arrogance of an Immortal King was deeply ingrained in his bones. "If you swear a blood oath never to approach the Heavenly Abyss again for a million years, this Heavenly Emperor may leave!" Ye Fan spoke coldly. His voice seemed to come from the heavens above, carrying an unquestionable majesty. Celestial light swirled around him, and the great cauldron beneath his feet slowly rotated, emanating an aura that suppressed all heavens.

Boom! As Ye Fan's voice fell, a gigantic handprint emerged from that alternate dimension and plunged into the Abyss. The handprint blotted out the sky, seemingly formed from primordial chaos, its surface covered in profound Dao patterns, radiating boundless power. The gigantic hand gently lifted the dim immortal city, its seemingly gentle movement containing unimaginable strength, slowly raising the immortal city from the perilous Abyss and sending it back into the black hole above. After the immortal city returned to the black hole, the black hole rippled slightly before returning to calm, as if it had never existed.

This seemingly simple move demonstrated Ye Fan's perfect control over power and his disregard for the laws of the Heavenly Abyss, leaving all the cultivators present astonished once again. It should be known that the Heavenly Abyss is filled with chaotic spacetime storms and terrifying restrictive power; even immortal-level experts dare not easily venture there. Yet Ye Fan could extend his palm across spacetime and easily send the Immortal City back—this strength was truly terrifying.

"What right do you have to make me swear a blood oath! You are not qualified!" An Lan sneered, a hint of anger flashing in his eyes. He was an immortal king of another realm, with an incomparably noble status. How could he possibly swear a blood oath to someone else? This was an utter disgrace to him! As soon as he finished speaking, his figure flickered. Without any fancy movements, he simply took a step and appeared in the Heavenly Abyss.

He and Ye Fan faced each other directly, but they were in different timelines. An invisible spacetime barrier separated them, its surface shimmering with distorted light and shadow, as if it might shatter at any moment. Even so, the auras emanating from the two clashed fiercely, causing violent fluctuations in the surrounding spacetime. Countless tiny spatial cracks were constantly forming and disappearing, emitting a hissing sound.

"Since you remain obstinate, then this Heavenly Emperor has no choice but to suppress and kill you!" The cauldron beneath Ye Fan's feet trembled, emitting a muffled roar. The cauldron's mouth was filled with the primordial energy of all things, radiating the aura of life. Numerous celestial bodies slowly rotated, as if evolving a universe. His eyes were as cold as frost, and his aura as a Celestial King erupted without reservation, rivaling An Lan's imposing presence.

Just then, on the city wall of the Imperial Pass, Jiang Han heard the mechanical system voice suddenly ringing in his mind, and his body trembled violently. The voice was cold, mechanical, and devoid of any emotion, yet it made Jiang Han's heart clench sharply.

[Several powerful forces far exceeding the host's capabilities have been detected in the current environment. Does the host wish to activate the ultimate combat power that the current system can withstand?]

[After the ultimate combat power is successfully activated, the system will mark the host with a black mark once.]

[Ultimate combat power activation time: three minutes]

Jiang Han's face instantly turned deathly pale. He gritted his teeth, suppressing his shock and inner turmoil. He was naturally familiar with the system; it was his greatest asset in surviving this perilous world, providing him with cultivation techniques, martial arts skills, and even warnings at crucial moments. But he had never heard of any "ultimate combat power," let alone known that activating it would result in a "darkening mark"!
“Several powerful forces…” Jiang Han subconsciously scanned the scene. Ye Fan and An Lan were naturally two of them, both of whom were Immortal King level experts, far surpassing his current combat power; perhaps there were other Immortal Kings hidden in the shadows, or some old monsters from the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths? Thinking of this, Jiang Han’s heart sank. It seemed that the situation was more dangerous than he had imagined.

"Ultimate combat power... how strong can it be?" Jiang Han asked in his mind. He needed to know if this power was worth the risk. The system did not answer immediately, but Jiang Han could sense that if he activated ultimate combat power, he might be able to briefly contend with the power of a Celestial King. For him at this moment, this was undoubtedly a lifeline.

But what exactly is the "Darkening Mark"? Will it drastically change his temperament, making him bloodthirsty and brutal? Or will it subject him to some kind of control by the system? Or will it leave behind some kind of hidden danger that is difficult to eliminate, affecting his future cultivation path? Jiang Han dared not imagine, and this unknown risk made him hesitate.

“Three minutes…” Jiang Han’s gaze returned to the standoff in the abyss. The atmosphere between Ye Fan and An Lan had reached its peak, a battle imminent. He didn’t know if Ye Fan had absolute confidence in defeating An Lan, after all, An Lan was a renowned Immortal King with unfathomable strength. If something unexpected happened to Ye Fan, then the next one to face An Lan’s wrath would undoubtedly be himself, his “master”!
At that point, let alone resist, he probably won't even have a chance to escape. Activating his ultimate combat power might allow him to protect himself in a critical moment, and might even help Ye Fan turn the tide of the battle; but if he doesn't activate it, he can only leave it to fate and place all his hopes on Ye Fan.

The surrounding chatter, the gazes of the cultivators, the increasingly terrifying aura within the Heavenly Abyss, the cold notification from the system in his mind… all of this weighed heavily on Jiang Han's heart like a boulder, making it difficult for him to breathe. His fingers gripped the hem of his clothes tightly, his knuckles turning white from the force, and fine beads of sweat even appeared on his forehead.

Should he gamble everything, unleash that unknown ultimate power, and bear the risk of being marked with darkness? Or should he trust Ye Fan, observe the situation, and entrust his fate to someone else? Jiang Han's heart was in turmoil; every choice was related to his life and death, and to his future path. (End of Chapter)