105: Chapter 105 Heavenly Pillar

Chapter 89: Heavenly Pillar

Saturday, 3:00 AM.

The wind was strong.

Chen Zhen stood on the mountainside, looking up at the peak that pierced directly into the clouds.

Heavenly Pillar—the intersection of two worlds. Higher than Kunlun, more perilous than Changbai Mountain, and harder than any mountain he had ever climbed.

Snowflakes hit his face, biting and cold. But the six light spots in his Dantian rotated slowly, Stellar Energy protecting his whole body, isolating the chill from his skin.

He took a step and continued upward.

There was no path. Only steep rock faces and thick snow. The snow underfoot was soft; one step could sink to his thigh. The wind whipped snow particles against his face like knives.

He raised his hand, a talisman stuck to his palm.

"Rock Climbing Talisman · Experimental Version"

Instantly, a powerful adhesive force emerged from his palms and soles, gripping the rock face firmly like a gecko. He had specifically drawn this before setting out, taking thirty-seven versions to succeed.

He climbed up, step by step.

Three hundred meters. Five hundred meters. Eight hundred meters.

The wind and snow grew stronger, making it almost impossible to see the path ahead. But he didn't need eyes—in his perception, the light emitted by the giant boulder at the summit was growing brighter.

Dark blue, like a lighthouse.

He continued to climb.

When he climbed to one thousand meters, the wind suddenly stopped.

It didn't really stop; some kind of force was blocking the wind.

Chen Zhen stopped and looked up.

The summit was not far ahead. The light from the giant boulder illuminated the entire sky, pushing the wind and snow back ten meters away.

Around the giant boulder, dense runes floated—not carved into the stone, but suspended in the air, slowly rotating as if alive.

Every rune exuded powerful pressure.

Chen Zhen took a deep breath and continued upward.

The last hundred meters.

Fifty meters.

Ten meters.

He stood before the giant boulder.

Huge.

Much huger than he had imagined.

At least ten stories high, dark blue throughout, semi-transparent, its surface covered in runes. He recognized those runes—core circle with three dots, radial curves, nested geometry, three-hundred-sixty dot matrix—ten times more complex than the Dongshan Rune, and more precise than Kunlun runes.

The entire giant boulder was glowing. The light pierced through the wind and snow, shooting straight into the clouds, dyeing the sky for a hundred miles around dark blue.

In the center of the giant boulder, a fist-sized fragment floated.

The last piece.

He took a deep breath and stepped closer.

Just as he stepped into the ten-meter radius of the giant boulder, the Formation activated.

Golden light shot from the surface of the giant boulder, forming a massive barrier that blocked him out. Dense runes appeared on the surface of the barrier, each one burning and exuding terrifying heat.

"Guardian Formation detected"

"Type: Two-World Seal"

"Strength: Limit"

"Unlocking Condition: Holder of six or more fragments"

Chen Zhen raised his right hand, dark blue light brightening in his palm.

The six light spots in his Dantian lit up simultaneously.

He walked into the barrier.

The golden light automatically parted a path; those burning runes seemed to have encountered their own kind and voluntarily moved aside.

He walked toward the giant boulder step by step.

With every step, the ground beneath his feet trembled.

With every step, the surrounding runes flickered.

Walking to the front of the giant boulder, he reached out and touched the surface.

The runes instantly lit up with blinding light, and a massive amount of information flooded into his mind.

Not language, but images.

Ten thousand years ago.

A person stood before this giant boulder, holding a fragment in his hand. He embedded the fragment into the giant boulder, then turned around, looking at this side of the lens—looking at him.

That person was exactly like him.

Original Body.

He spoke, his voice ringing directly in Chen Zhen's mind.

"I left a memory in the giant boulder, waiting for you to come and retrieve it."

"If you see this, it means you have collected all seven fragments and are standing before the Heavenly Pillar."

"Congratulations to you. And congratulations to me."

He smiled, and on that face identical to Chen Zhen's, there was a complex expression—gratification, anticipation, and a little... sadness.

"The next thing I am going to tell you is very important."

"When the Heavenly Road opens, it won't just be our two sides connecting. There are other things that will also wake up."

He paused.

"Ten thousand years ago, I sealed something. It is older than me, older than the Star Core, older than this world. I sealed it, but I also trapped myself on this side."

"The Seal is loosening. I can feel it."

"So I need you to come over. Help me re-Seal it."

He looked at Chen Zhen, his gaze very serious.

"But I need you to understand one thing—once you come over, you might not be able to go back."

The image was silent for a few seconds.

Then he smiled.

"Of course, you might also be able to go back. After all, I haven't tried it."

"You decide for yourself."

The image dissipated.

Chen Zhen withdrew his hand, looking at that fragment.

It floated in the center of the giant boulder, emitting a soft glow.

He reached out, passing through the surface of the giant boulder—the stones were like water, offering no resistance.

His fingertips touched the fragment.

Ice cold.

Then warm.

The fragment turned into light spots, flowing into his body along his arm.

Merging with the six in his Dantian—

Then, the world went quiet.

---

Seven light spots floated in his Dantian, forming a perfect heptagon.

No explosion, no excruciating pain, just quietly rotating. Every rotation, vast Stellar Energy surged through his entire body. Those meridians that previously required conscious guidance were now automatically flushed, widened, and strengthened by the Stellar Energy.

Power ten times stronger than before.

Chen Zhen opened his eyes, looking at his hands.

In his palms, the dark blue light had completely turned into pale gold. That gold flowed beneath his skin, as if it had a life of its own.

He clenched his fist. The air exploded into a ripple in his palm.

"Fusion successful"

"Spiritual Power limit: 1500 → 3000"

"Realm Breakthrough: Qi Refining Level 5 → Qi Refining Level 6"

"Obtained new ability: [Star Core: Second Layer] (Passive) Stellar Energy intensity increased sevenfold, Cultivation efficiency + 500%, damage to yin-evil entities + 3000%"

"Obtained new ability: [Lord of the Heavenly Road] Can freely open and close the Heavenly Road"

"Obtained new ability: [Two-World Transit] Consumes 100 Spiritual Power to instantly travel between the two worlds"

He stood before the giant boulder, looking at his hands.

Seven pieces.

Eleven more to go.

But those fragments, he didn't need to look for them anymore.

He raised his head, looking at the sky.

The Heavenly Road was about to open.

---

6:00 AM.

Chen Zhen stood at the summit of the Heavenly Pillar, looking up at the sky.

The east began to turn white; dawn was breaking. But he wasn't looking in that direction. He was looking directly overhead.

There, there was a crack.

An invisible crack, but in his perception, it was incredibly clear. Like a tiny scar carved into the sky.

The intersection of two worlds.

He raised his right hand, palm facing up.

The seven light spots in his Dantian lit up simultaneously.

Stellar Energy surged into his palm, turning into a pale golden beam of light, shooting straight into the clouds.

The beam of light struck the crack.

The crack began to widen.

One foot. One meter. Ten meters. One hundred meters.

The sky was torn apart.

Not an exaggeration, it was truly torn. The crack was like an eye, slowly opening. The edges were dark blue light, and inside was another sky—gray, with no sun, no stars, only endless mist.

In the crack, a person stood.

A person exactly like him.

Original Body.

He was wearing very old clothes, ancient in style, like those from thousands of years ago. But his face was exactly like Chen Zhen's, and his eyes were the same—calm, focused, as if looking at himself in a mirror.

He looked at Chen Zhen and smiled.

"You're here."

The voice rang directly in Chen Zhen's mind, exactly the same as in the previous memory.

Chen Zhen looked at him.

"I'm here."

The two stared at each other for three seconds.

Then Original Body reached out.

"Come over."

Chen Zhen took a step and walked into the crack.

Stepping in, the world changed instantly.

There was no more wind and snow, no more cold, only gray mist surrounding him. Beneath his feet was void, but he could stand steady—as if something invisible was supporting him.

Original Body stood three meters in front of him, watching him approach.

"Ten thousand years," he said, "finally waited for it."

Chen Zhen looked at him.

Up close, Original Body looked a bit older than he had imagined. Not old in appearance, but in his eyes. In those eyes, there was something he couldn't understand—vicissitudes, exhaustion, and a hint of... relief.

"You've been guarding here for ten thousand years?"

Original Body nodded.

"About that. The flow of time here is different from over there. Here it is fast, there it is slow. I spent ten thousand years here, while only three thousand years passed over there."

He paused.

"But for you, it was just an instant."

Chen Zhen was silent for a few seconds.

"Where is that thing?"

Original Body turned around and looked into the depths of the mist.

"Over there."

He took a step and walked forward.

Chen Zhen followed.

The two walked in the mist, seeing nothing around them. Only the void beneath their feet and the endless gray.

After walking for about ten minutes, Original Body stopped.

The mist dispersed.

Before them was a huge pit.

At least one kilometer in diameter, bottomless. The edge of the pit was as smooth as if cut by a knife, and something was glowing at the bottom of the pit—dark red, flashing on and off, like a heartbeat.

"It's down there," Original Body said, "ten thousand years, it has been trying to break out."

Chen Zhen looked at the bottom of the pit.

In his perception, that thing's aura was astonishingly vast. Stronger than anything he had ever seen—ten thousand times stronger than The Out-of-Controls, ten thousand times stronger than Yun Xi, stronger even than Original Body.

"You can't suppress it alone?"

Original Body gave a wry smile.

"Can't suppress it. I can only Seal it, not kill it. This thing is older than me, older than this world. I don't know what it is or where it came from. I only know that if it comes out, both sides will be finished."

He looked at Chen Zhen.

"So I need you."

Chen Zhen looked at him.

"What can I do?"

Original Body raised his right hand, dark blue light brightening in his palm.

"You and I, same origin, different bodies. Our combined power can re-strengthen the Seal."

He paused.

"But there is a problem."

"What problem?"

Original Body looked at him, his gaze complex.

"After strengthening the Seal, you will be trapped here. Just like me."

Chen Zhen was silent for a few seconds.

"Can't go back?"

Original Body shook his head.

"I don't know. I haven't tried."

He looked at the bottom of the pit.

"But you can also choose not to help. If you go back now, with the seven fragments, you can live very well over there. You can ignore the matters here."

He looked at Chen Zhen.

"You decide for yourself."

Chen Zhen stood at the edge of the pit, looking at the dark red light below.

It flashed on and off, like a heartbeat.

It was also like it was waiting for something.

He remembered the look in Zhou Rui's eyes before he set out, the small fragment Shen Mo handed him, the Protective Talisman Su Xiaoya gave him, what Chen Hao said: "Take care."

He remembered the six spiritual plants in the base, the three thousand runes on the wall, the unfinished blank talisman paper in the corner.

He remembered the words Original Body said: "Once you come over, you might not be able to go back."

He was silent for a long time.

Then he turned and looked at Original Body.

"I'll help you."

Original Body looked at him, and something in his eyes brightened.

"Are you sure?"

Chen Zhen nodded.

"Sure."

Original Body was silent for a few seconds.

Then he smiled.

In that smile, there was gratification, gratitude, and a little... complex emotion.

"Good."

He raised his hand, dark blue light brightening in his palm.

Chen Zhen also raised his hand.

The two beams of light intersected and shot toward the bottom of the pit.

The dark red light began to flash violently, as if struggling.

But the two beams of light were too strong.

Ten seconds.

Thirty seconds.

One minute.

The dark red light grew weaker and weaker, and finally disappeared completely.

The bottom of the pit returned to calm.

Chen Zhen withdrew his hand, looking at Original Body.

"Done?"

Original Body nodded.

"Done. The Seal is strengthened. It can last for at least another ten thousand years."

He looked at Chen Zhen.

"Thank you."

Chen Zhen didn't speak.

Original Body waited for two seconds, then smiled.

"Do you want to go back and try now?"

Chen Zhen was stunned for a moment.

"Can I try?"

Original Body spread his hands.

"I don't know. But you can try."

Chen Zhen took a deep breath and activated [Two-World Transit].

100 Spiritual Power consumed.

His vision blurred—

The next second, he stood at the summit of the Heavenly Pillar mountain.

The wind and snow remained.

The crack was still overhead, but it had shrunk to only one meter wide.

He looked down at his hands.

He was back.

He turned and looked at the crack.

Original Body stood in the crack, looking at him.

He smiled.

"Looks like you can go back."

Chen Zhen also smiled.

"Looks like I can."

Original Body nodded.

"Well, see you next time."

He turned and disappeared into the mist.

The crack slowly closed.

The sky returned to calm.

Chen Zhen stood at the summit of the Heavenly Pillar, looking up at that ordinary sky.

Seven fragments slowly rotated in his Dantian.

He took a deep breath and turned to go down the mountain.

The wind and snow remained.

But everything was different.