Sealed Behind the Stone Gate

A wave of dread washed over Xiao Chen. He had been forced into the stone gate. At this moment, an indescribably terrible feeling surged into his heart.

Do not enter! Leave at once!

Within lay a land of absolute evil. The demon shadow had been refined by the kings time and again, yet each time it had successfully stepped back out from within. If he were sealed inside by Lu Zhan and the others, death was certain. The moment the demon shadow returned, it would surely strike at him.

And now, the Three Sovereign Mirror was lost. Facing the demon shadow without it meant certain death—no chance at all. To be slain like this would be too unjust.

But Lu Zhan and the three other ancestral ancestors blocked the stone gate, cutting off his retreat. He could not break through.

Xiao Chen's heart turned to ice. He was cornered. Yet in this moment of life and death, a cursed spark of curiosity still burned within him—he longed to glimpse the scene beyond the gate.

He dared not move, however. He did not even dare to turn his head. Lu Zhan and the others could strike at any moment.

He could not wait for death. In that instant, Xiao Chen commanded the Stone-Man King puppet to move. A desperate, all-or-nothing attack—burn the boats, fight with his back to the wall. If he could not succeed, he would die.

The Stone-Man King puppet let out a low roar. Its entire stone body burst into flame, becoming a giant human torch, radiant with divine light and a thousand beams of radiance, as it charged forward to slaughter.

He had to break a path, even at the cost of losing this powerful combat tool. Xiao Chen was completely committed.

Bang!

A wolf-fang great club came crashing down. It struck the Stone-Man King puppet, causing its divine fire to flicker and its body to tremble violently. But the puppet did not stop. Its hands formed an obscure, mysterious hand seal and pushed forward.

Boom!

A thunderous roar shook the air. The wolf-fang club was knocked aside, and the puppet surged forward.

Clang!

Lu Zhan moved like lightning. His withered claw came down like an indestructible blade, striking the puppet's palm. Stone chips flew, leaving several shocking finger marks.

The Stone-Man King puppet let out a long howl. Its mane of stone hair lashed out wildly, whipping forward with piercing sounds. Each strand was like an ultra-fine sword.

Bang!

Lu Zhan's palm-fingers hooked like talons, severing a great lock of the stone hair. At the same time, the four ancestral ancestors moved together.

The wolf-fang club, the palm-seal divine technique, the supreme ancestral laws—all came together to block the Stone-Man King puppet. The terrifying fluctuations shook the stone gate, causing large flakes of stone powder to fall.

The Stone-Man King puppet was struck like lightning. The four ancestors' combined assault cracked both its arms, sending stone fragments flying. It was hurled back, nearly colliding with Xiao Chen.

The four Otherworld ancestral ancestors combined—the sheer thought of their battle prowess was enough to make one tremble. Each was a peerless figure who could contend with King Pangu.

The Stone-Man King puppet, driven by Xiao Chen's will, charged forward once more. He had to kill a path to survive, or there would be no hope.

But Lu Zhan and the other three ancestors now formed hand seals simultaneously. The ancestral source Dao swelled like a vast ocean. Their enormous hands came crashing down together.

Bang!

The Stone-Man King puppet's arms snapped. Its entire body cracked and nearly shattered into pieces. It flew back as a ball of light and resettled into the stone jar.

Xiao Chen's heart sank. He was cornered. But he could not retreat—to step back into the stone gate meant certain death.

He lifted the mysterious stone jar into his palm and madly channeled divine power into it, causing all the markings on its surface to blaze with light.

The palm-sized stone jar was deeply mysterious. Since obtaining it, Xiao Chen had studied it often but had never discovered its origin or true power.

Now, as he recklessly drove his divine power into it, countless cobweb-like fine markings emerged beyond the existing ones, flowing with mysterious radiance.

They were like strands of order woven into a net, densely covering the jar and emanating a strange aura.

“The Source of All Evil!”

All four of Lu Zhan’s group changed color. Clearly, they understood something about the stone jar, and their faces showed caution.

Shiiing—

The stone jar suddenly shot out several beams of light—strange curse power, like flowing streams, surging toward Lu Zhan and the others.

They dodged swiftly, not daring to take them head-on. According to legend, some of the most powerful and malicious curses from before the primordial age could afflict even a Stone Man King with a serious illness—or even kill him.

There was no doubt—they sensed that each of these curses was of the highest grade. If one touched their bodies, it might never be removed for all eternity.

“Do you think this can stop us? I advise you not to play with fire…” Lu Zhan advanced, his demon claw sealing the entire stone gate as he reached inside.

At the same time, a wolf-fang club followed through the gap in the claw, each fang as sharp as a blade.

Xiao Chen was nearly in despair. He had to retreat, but he could not outrun the Stone Man King’s Dao imprint. He was struck like lightning—cracks appeared across his form.

He had already been severely wounded before, and now he was suppressed by two ancestral ancestors. His life force was faint to the extreme.

Paradise Lost opened. Keke poked its head out and swiftly pulled Xiao Chen inside.

“Do you think hiding in there is safe?” Lu Zhan sneered. At his level, even great worlds could be shattered with ease, so he naturally feared no Paradise Lost.

His demon claw reached out, sealing the void and fixing the stone gate in place, preparing to refine Paradise Lost.

“Eh—”

But after a moment, he let out a surprised sound. The other three Otherworld ancestors also joined him, helping to refine Paradise Lost.

“The legends are true. Paradise Lost, and the Deep Prison Abyss, are both rare treasures. They are more solid than a true great world. Even I cannot tear them.”

Yet even if Paradise Lost could not be torn, those inside could no longer bear the strain. The treasure was unharmed, but its occupants could not withstand the power leaking in.

In the end, Xiao Chen merged with the Divine Diagram, draped the ancient scroll over himself, chewed several stalks of Life-Reviving Grass, and charged back out.

“That’s right. End this now…” Lu Zhan’s voice was low, but he remained on guard, fearing that Xiao Chen would sacrifice the Divine Diagram without regard for the consequences, because even an incomplete formation diagram could cause devastating destruction.

But contrary to his expectations, Xiao Chen did not unleash the Divine Diagram. He kept it merged with his body to protect himself.

At this moment, he held the stone jar and fiercely tore at the sealing strip on its mouth. Instantly, a baleful aura surged out.

The sealing strip on the jar’s mouth looked like yellow paper, but it was not paper at all—it was a very special hide material, likely the molted skin of some creature.

It was densely covered with ghost-script characters, tightly sealing the jar’s mouth.

As Xiao Chen poured divine radiance into it and forced the seal open, the stone jar trembled violently, as if some demon inside was reviving and trying to burst out.

Lu Zhan sucked in a cold breath and swiftly retreated. The three ancestors behind him also shot back like phantoms from within the stone gate.

“Boy, do you understand what you’re doing?”

“I know perfectly well.” Xiao Chen continued to tear at the seal. Even though the seal had not loosened, it had already released an extremely baleful power that made one feel as if they had fallen into an abyss or descended into hell. An involuntary cold sweat broke out, and an inexplicable dread rose in the heart.

“You are opening the source of calamity—seeking your own death!”

“If I don’t open it, can I live?” Xiao Chen sneered, unmoved. “Rather than that, I might as well try. If you force me, come with me and see together what is sealed in the stone jar.”

Lu Zhan and the four ancestors’ faces darkened. They said nothing, unleashing all kinds of divine laws that surged toward Xiao Chen.

But in an instant, they all changed color. The powerful divine sense of a Stone Man King surged like a long river, rushing toward the stone jar!

It was like a runaway horse—utterly uncontrollable!

The four ancestors were shocked. They decisively severed that wisp of divine thought and retreated far from the stone gate.

Though Xiao Chen had the Divine Diagram protecting his body and had retreated behind the stone gate, he was still heavily injured. The Life-Reviving Grass in his mouth rapidly dissolved, repairing his nearly shattered flesh and soul.

At the same time, he noticed that the stone jar in his hand had become even more baleful. Black mist gathered at the seal on the jar’s mouth, appearing mysterious and malevolent.

Bang, bang, bang!

The stone jar shook violently, as if a living creature was trying to break free from Xiao Chen’s grip.

Xiao Chen’s heart went cold. He knew he was indeed playing with fire, and it could very well cost him his life.

A very bad premonition arose. The baleful aura seeping from beneath the seal was growing stronger and stronger.

He rushed toward the stone gate, but Lu Zhan and the others blocked it with their great power. At that moment, Xiao Chen pried open a tiny gap in the stone jar’s seal.

A wave of extremely unpleasant aura burst forth like a vast flood.

Boom!

There was no divine power fluctuation—only a formless ‘force’ that suppressed the mind and was impossible to resist.

Lu Zhan and the others were startled and quickly retreated. According to ancient lore, the stone jar was the Source of All Evil, possessing unpredictable baleful power. Though they did not entirely believe it or fear it, they were unwilling to risk exposure.

Seizing this opportunity, Xiao Chen rushed out of the stone gate and pressed the seal back down, sealing the stone jar.

But his heart was profoundly shaken. Cold sweat streamed down his body. In that brief instant, he felt as if he had endured thousands of years in purgatory.

Just now, he had heard iron chains clanking within the stone jar, like a chained beast struggling violently!

If not for those chains, when he had pried open the seal just now, would something baleful have burst forth?

Xiao Chen’s expression was grim. He had escaped the stone gate, but he was still shaken.

And he was not yet safe. Lu Zhan and the others could attack at any moment.

The Three Sovereign Mirror was already lost, and his goal had been achieved. It was time to leave.

But this cursed place was sealed on all sides. Even a Stone Man King could not break out. How could he escape?

“Ya ya——” Just then, Keke suddenly opened Paradise Lost again and whispered to Xiao Chen. The little creature was agitated, having sensed its parents’ presence.

Through the special connection of bloodlines, Keke’s parents had sensed it through the seal and were opening a passage to rescue it.

Xiao Chen’s heart leaped. If Keke was outside, the Stone Crow and the old skull would surely sense it. With their help, perhaps he and Keke could be rescued.

On the other side, the battle had reached its climax!

Just now, the demon shadow had devoured stars, swallowed a Stone Man King whole, and shattered his stone body, leaving only a pool of golden blood.

The kings, wielding the Three Sovereign Mirror together, fought a desperate battle and finally suppressed the demon shadow to the ground, gaining the upper hand for the first time.

The Dao of the kings wove into a golden net of order, suspending the Three Sovereign Mirror in midair. Three blurry shadows hovered above it, gazing down.

The demon shadow was pinned to the ground by the brilliant divine light from the stone mirror, struggling ceaselessly but unable to rise.

Lu Zhan and the three Otherworld ancestors showed anxiety for the first time, unable to remain calm. They charged over and struck at the golden net of order in midair.

Bang!

The net woven from divine Dao threads was struck. The Three Sovereign Mirror inside shook, and the divine light it cast dimmed. The three shadows above nearly vanished.

This sudden interference let the demon shadow, which had been pinned to the ground, catch its breath. Its heaven-shaking killing intent erupted, and it flipped to its feet in an instant, leaping into the air.

Bang!

Its demon claw reached out, instantly crushing the three shadows. The Three Sovereign Mirror trembled, nearly falling from the sky.

All of this happened in an instant. The demon shadow was free. The kings were shaken.

But fortunately, now that they controlled the Three Sovereign Mirror, they had absolute power on their side. They quickly stabilized the formation, surrounding Lu Zhan and the three ancestors along with the demon shadow.

The golden order re-woven into a divine net fixed the Three Sovereign Mirror in place. The three shadows reappeared, shining once more, enveloping the terrifying demon shadow in a dazzling halo.

Roar… The demon shadow lay prostrate, its body trembling continuously.

The final step of the Ninety-Nine Stone Steps resembled a massive altar. The ground was covered with incised marks and dark bloodstains. The demon shadow was in close contact with them, and at this moment, an extremely baleful power flowed forth.

All the incised marks came alive. Rivers of blood flowed within them, like a sketch being filled with color.

The demon shadow roared. All the marks seemed to fill with blood, welling up from beneath the stone ground.

All the engravings were filled with blood, linking together to form mysterious patterns. The demon shadow rose up, shaking the Three Sovereign Mirror above.

“Die——” A blurred word ‘die’ came from the demon shadow’s mouth.

Bang! A Stone Man King shattered on the spot, body and soul utterly destroyed!

This deeply shocked the kings. Everyone trembled with fear. They had cultivated for endless ages to reach the supreme pinnacle—to fall here, no one was willing to accept it.

“He is at his last gasp. This time we will definitely refine him—do not hesitate!” King Song urged, and the light from the Three Sovereign Mirror grew even brighter, while the Dao woven by the kings became denser and more powerful, dazzling to the eye.

As the light pressed down, the demon shadow suddenly faded significantly and collapsed to the ground again.

But it stubbornly raised its head, its hands touching the bloodstains on the stone ground. Its eyes shot out two terrifying beams, instantly piercing through Song Dafei.

Bang! Another Stone Man King perished, body and soul extinguished!

It felt utterly unreal—as if these were not Stone Man Kings who shook the heavens, but clay pots smashed to pieces on the ground.

The demon shadow’s power shook the kings’ hearts. Some had the urge to flee immediately.

But they were all extraordinary beings and knew what to do.

Everyone poured their utmost into building the divine laws with their Dao imprints, driving the Three Sovereign Mirror to suppress the demon shadow. At the same time, they each struck out to seal Lu Zhan and the others, preventing their interference.

Hum— The Three Sovereign Mirror trembled. The demon shadow was finally suppressed and unable to move, nearly fading away.

“Excellent. He will be refined at last—do not let up!”

The Three Sovereign Mirror slowly rotated, descending gradually toward the demon shadow.

Roar— When the stone mirror touched the demon shadow, it raised its head unwillingly and let out a muffled roar. Bang! Its head snapped off, and its gaping mouth bit down on another Stone Man King, shattering him. Golden blood splashed far and wide.

Hum— The Three Sovereign Mirror trembled. It ground the demon shadow’s body to nothing, then chased after the head, firing beam after beam.

Bang!

In the end, the head was drawn to the Three Sovereign Mirror, gradually fading until it disappeared. Lu Zhan and the others were furious but not despairing. They decisively used this opportunity to retreat from the encirclement.

Thump!

Just then, the sealed cursed land was pierced, and a tunnel opened. Keke immediately stirred with emotion and rushed into it.

Xiao Chen followed close behind. But a sudden change occurred—the kings struck together, cutting off the tunnel, sealing the two back inside!

“Ya ya…” Keke cried out in alarm, wounded from the blow.

“Gentlemen, do not be too ruthless. The Three Sovereign Mirror has already changed hands—do you want to exterminate us completely?”

The tunnel was opened again. Xiao Chen immediately sensed the powerful auras outside—at least three or four Stone Man Kings!

A light flashed, enveloping Keke and Xiao Chen, pulling them into the tunnel.

Boom! Even the Otherworld four ancestors joined the kings, who struck together to sever the tunnel once more.

“Hmph!” The Stone Crow’s cold snort came from outside. The powerful aura of Keke’s great-grandfather also shook. A blaze of divine light wrapped around Keke and Xiao Chen, piercing through the tunnel again.

But the kings were determined to keep Xiao Chen. A powerful divine law swept in, instantly freezing him. Xiao Chen sighed inwardly. He carried too many treasures; now that he had been discovered, disaster had come.

Without hesitation, he offered up the Divine Diagram, merging it with Keke. He unrolled the ancient scroll and cleaved it onto the little creature. He lifted the King’s Divine City, covering the little one’s head. Then he struck the Heavenly Mark and the Heavenly Stele into Paradise Lost.

Except for the stone jar, he gave everything to Keke. He poured out divine power, and the myriad treasures shone with a thousand lights. With the cooperation of several king-level experts outside, Keke cried out in surprise and rushed out successfully.

And Xiao Chen himself was captured back by the several great kings.

“You have already obtained the Three Sovereign Mirror, yet you are still not satisfied? You want other treasures too? Fine, I will grant you—take this first great gift!”

This time, Xiao Chen did not hesitate. He pulled hard at the stone jar’s seal.

Clank, clank— Immediately, ear-splitting sounds of iron chains shaking erupted from inside, as if some enormous creature was stirring. A terrifying aura instantly flooded heaven and earth, filling the void with surging black mist and a baleful power that made one tremble.

“Seal him into the stone gate!” the Lishi Beast shouted.

The others also sensed an extremely ill omen. They moved together, shaking the Three Sovereign Mirror and sweeping Xiao Chen into the stone gate.

They had no choice but to do so, terrified of creating another being like the demon shadow.

“That is—”

All the kings changed color. When they swept Xiao Chen along with the stone jar into the stone gate, Xiao Chen happened to collide with something… Clearly, the demon shadow was not extinguished. Though it had faded greatly, it had not completely perished.

This time, the kings acted together, sealing the stone gate. With the power of the Three Sovereign Mirror, they eventually sealed it shut, casting layer upon layer of dazzling light, carving dense characters and curse symbols into the stone gate.

Boom!

The stone gate was sealed forever!

May all your female ancestors be cursed! That was the cry Xiao Chen wanted to shout at the kings. He had collided with the demon shadow’s body, permanently sealed behind the stone gate.

The demon shadow’s ghastly eyes were fixed on him coldly!

Visibility was low inside. He could only see vast ruins around him. And so he stood face to face with the demon shadow.

Meanwhile, the baleful aura from the stone jar, its seal torn open, grew ever stronger. The sound of iron chains shaking was like thunder.

Cornered on all sides, the twin terrors pressed down on Xiao Chen alone.

“Little demon, don’t stare at me like that.”

Knowing he was doomed, Xiao Chen smiled a self-deprecating smile and gave the demon shadow this pet name.