The Mysterious Stone Gate

A chilling wind howled through the pitch-black valley.

Ye Chuan formed a hand seal, and hundreds of sword shadows materialized from his peachwood sword, shimmering with an eerie blue glow. They trembled slightly in the wind, poised like dragons ready to strike.

To avoid damaging the terrain, he refrained from using large-scale magical attacks. Instead, he wielded his sword with precision—each shadow slicing through the air like a scythe, swift and deadly.

Wherever they passed, the swarming spirits dissipated into nothingness, as if harvested like wheat.

At the same time, Ye Chuan’s spiritual sense expanded outward from his core.

Breaking through to the Crystallization Realm had its advantages—his range far surpassed what it had been during his Foundation Establishment days. Though he couldn’t cover the entire valley, searching was effortless now.

His senses combed through every inch of the valley, leaving no suspicious corner unchecked.

Behind him, Tian Xiaotian and Susu followed closely, their eyes brimming with admiration.

The translucent sword shadows weaved through the hordes of spirits, reducing them to ashes and leaving behind clusters of soul essences.

Tian Xiaotian couldn’t help but mutter, “If I had this kind of power, I wouldn’t have to be so cautious in dungeons anymore.”

Hell, she could even braid a Ghost King’s hair if she wanted.

Susu nodded slightly, though she said nothing. Her envy was plain to see.

Time slipped by unnoticed. After over an hour, Ye Chuan glanced at his backpack, now filled to the brim with soul essences, and felt a flicker of satisfaction.

Then, his spiritual sense suddenly detected something—a downward-leading cavern, oozing with a palpable darkness. A faint but unmistakable sense of danger prickled at his awareness.

“There…” Ye Chuan paused, finally spotting something unusual.

“Let’s go. Found something interesting.”

Hearing the faint excitement in his voice, Tian Xiaotian and Susu exchanged a nervous glance but followed without hesitation.

As they approached, a massive cavern entrance loomed before them.

The mouth of the cave was lined with dark-red moss, radiating an icy chill.

Just standing near it sent a bone-deep cold rushing over them. Tian Xiaotian shivered violently, hugging herself as her teeth chattered.

“S-so cold!”

Susu frowned, her expression grave. “It’s freezing inside… and there’s something unnerving about it.”

Ye Chuan studied the cavern’s depths for a moment before turning to them with a smile.

“Wait here. I’ll go in alone.”

Tian Xiaotian and Susu paled, their faces twisting with unease.

Tian Xiaotian rubbed her hands together. “B-boss, we know we’d just slow you down, but staying out here…”

After the relentless waves of spirits, their stamina and spiritual energy were nearly depleted. Even a single stray spirit could be deadly now.

They’d die. Absolutely.

Ye Chuan chuckled reassuringly. “Of course I’ll keep you safe.”

Before they could react, an inky surge of chaotic energy erupted from the ground. The earth trembled slightly as a massive Blood Wolf Demon emerged—its crimson eyes gleaming, its oppressive aura thick with the metallic scent of blood.

“Eek?!” Tian Xiaotian and Susu screamed, clinging to each other in terror.

Ye Chuan patted the wolf demon casually. “Relax. With it here, nothing will get close.”

Tian Xiaotian stared at the creature—more terrifying than any spirit—and forced a trembling smile. “H-have a safe trip, Boss…”

Noticing her expression, Ye Chuan added offhandedly, “Don’t worry. It used to eat people, but it doesn’t anymore.”

Tian Xiaotian: “?”

Wait, what?!

That did nothing to reassure her. If anything, she was now even more terrified of the wolf demon.

Without another word, Ye Chuan turned and strode into the cavern.

The moment he stepped inside, an icy chill enveloped him. The ancient peachwood sword in his hand glowed faintly, pushing back the darkness.

The tunnel twisted like a giant serpent, descending deeper with every step. The cold grew more intense, until even his breath crystallized in the air. The temperature had long since dropped below freezing.

But thanks to his Chaotic Immortal Body, the biting cold was nothing more than a mild discomfort.

“Can’t even see my own hand,” Ye Chuan mused, eyeing the dim glow of his sword. He realized he lacked proper illumination magic.

After a moment’s thought, he extended a hand. Spiritual energy surged at his fingertips, coalescing into a blazing fireball the size of two fists. The orange flames roared to life, casting light on the moss-covered walls and strange carvings.

With a flick of his will, he sent the fireball floating beside his shoulder like a miniature sun.

Satisfied, he pressed onward.

The deeper he went, the heavier the sense of danger became—as if unseen eyes watched from the shadows.

Strangely, not a single spirit or monster crossed his path. The unnatural silence only heightened his wariness. His steps grew lighter, his spiritual energy coiled tightly within him.

Too many monsters were predictable. But a place where none appeared? That was far more unsettling.

After what felt like an eternity, a towering stone gate materialized before him.

The gate stood several meters high, its surface etched with ancient, cryptic runes. A faint blue radiance pulsed from the cold stone, as if harboring some primordial power.

“A door? Seriously?” Ye Chuan arched a brow, intrigued. He ran his fingers over the surface—icy to the touch, the grooves rough with age.

He pushed against it with all his strength, but the gate didn’t budge, as if fused with the mountain itself.

“Not that easy, huh?” Ye Chuan stepped back, stroking his chin as he studied the gate.

Should he force his way in? Or attempt a spatial leap?

To be safe, he first tried probing beyond the gate with his spiritual sense—only for it to rebound as if striking solid metal.

Blocked?

That meant spatial leaps were off the table too.

“Then brute force it is.” Ye Chuan channeled spiritual energy into his peachwood sword. The blade blazed with light as power condensed along its edge.

“Clear Breeze Sword Art—Sever!”

Dozens of wind blades, sharp and unrelenting, shot toward the stone gate like arrows loosed from a bow. The sound of their passage echoed through the silent cavern, shaking loose fragments of rock from the walls.

Yet, despite the barrage of sword energy, the stone gate remained unmoved.

Recommend Series

Teaching the Female Lead to Be Thick-Skinned, Not Shameless

Teaching the Female Lead to Be Thick-Skinned, Not Shameless

close your eyes and open them again, only to find yourself transmigrated into the role of a villainous male supporting character. Readers familiar with urban wish-fulfillment novels know that it is only through the relentless antics of the villainous male supporting character that the plot between the male and female leads can progress. As the villainous male supporting character, Long Aotian not only has to bully the female lead, harass the second female lead, and flirt with the third female lead, but he also has to go all out to antagonize the male lead. In the end, when his body is discovered, he is still clutching half a moldy fried dough stick in his hand. Fully aware of the plot, Long Aotian is determined to change his fate, starting with the female lead! In the beginning, the female lead lacks confidence: "Big brother, I hope I didn't scare you?" In the middle, the female lead treads carefully: "Brother Long, please don't hit me, okay?" Later on, the female lead becomes coquettishly clingy: "Aotian, it's time to pay the 'public grain' tonight." Long Aotian's legs go weak, and he feels like crying: "I taught you to be thick-skinned, not shameless!"

As Long as I Outlast You All, I’ll Be Invincible

As Long as I Outlast You All, I’ll Be Invincible

end. Thus one must continue to cultivate, and become a saint or great emperor, in order to prolong one's life. Chen Xia, however, completely reversed this. Since his transmigration, he has gained immortality, and also a system that awards him with attribute points for every year he lives. Thus between the myriad worlds, the legend of an unparalleled senior appeared. "A gentleman takes revenge; it is never too late even after ten thousand years." "When you were at your peak I yielded, now in your old age I shall trample on you." - Chen Xia

Immortal Already, Now You’re Inviting Me to a Newbie Transmigration Group?

Immortal Already, Now You’re Inviting Me to a Newbie Transmigration Group?

Heart] Chen Yi traversed the cultivation world for eight hundred years, charging his way to the Tribulation Transcendence stage. Just as he was outwitting his 81st Heavenly Tribulation to ascend to immortality, he was suddenly pulled into a chat group called the "Multiverse Transmigrators Support Group." To his surprise, the group was filled with nothing but fresh-faced newbies who had just transmigrated. [Help! I transmigrated into a disgraced concubine in the cold palace, and the tyrant emperor is about to execute me!] [I ended up as a cannon-fodder villain, and the protagonist is still chasing me—WTF!] [I woke up as the protagonist’s father, but I’m about to be sacrificed in a ritual! What do I do? Urgent!!!] Chen Yi stared at the chaotic flood of desperate pleas in the group and fell into deep thought. "Seriously? You drag me into a newbie transmigrator chat group… only after I’m one step away from becoming an immortal?"

Stop It! Your Archrival Can’t Become Your Wife

Stop It! Your Archrival Can’t Become Your Wife

【Prologue: The Beginning of It All – Use holy water to heal the saintess tainted by demonic energy, then converse with her.】 Shen Nian stared at his older sister sipping yogurt, lost in thought. So you’re telling me my sister is the saintess, and yogurt is the holy water? 【Main Quest 1: Brave Youth, Become an Adventurer! Reward: Rookie Adventurer Title.】 【Side Quest 1: Find the Adorable Kitty! Reward: 1000 Gold Coins.】 Shen Nian: "Wait, I’m a high school senior here—did some guy who got isekai’d accidentally bind his system to me?" Hold on, completing quests gives gold rewards? Titles even boost stats? Is this for real? (A lighthearted, absurd campus comedy—not a revenge power fantasy.)