The Secret of the Three Gates

Nightmare followed Azure Glass, once again stepping into the Lost Village. The village remained tranquil, and the villagers, seeing Nightmare's return, showed a mix of awe and curiosity in their eyes but did not obstruct them.

The two went straight to the deepest part of the village, to an inconspicuous stone house covered in ancient vines. This was the Witch Grandfather's dwelling.

Azure Glass stopped at the door and softly said, "Witch Grandfather, he has returned."

The low wooden door of the stone house opened silently, and an aroma mixed with herbs and the dust of ages wafted out. The light inside was dim, with only a hunched figure sitting on a futon with his back to the door, as if he had become one with the stone house.

"Come in, child," an old, hoarse voice, yet imbued with a strangely peaceful power, resounded.

Nightmare stepped inside, while Azure Glass quietly guarded outside, not entering.

The stone house was furnished with extreme simplicity: just a bed, a table, and a futon. The Witch Grandfather slowly turned around, his face still hidden in the shadows beneath his hood, only a pair of profound eyes, seemingly capable of holding stars, calmly observing Nightmare.

Nightmare wasted no words, placing the "cloud key" directly on the table: "I went to the Third Observation Post and obtained this. Now, I need to know the truth."

The Witch Grandfather's gaze fell upon the cloud key. A ripple seemed to stir in his calm, ancient-well-like eyes. He stretched out his emaciated hand, gently stroked the token, and murmured, "'cloud key'... it has finally reappeared. It seems Senior 'Star Scar's' waiting was not in vain."

He raised his head and looked at Nightmare: "You have many questions. Sit down. This old man will tell you what you ought to know."

Nightmare sat down cross-legged opposite him.

The Witch Grandfather slowly began, his voice echoing with the passage of time: "First, the 'Reverse Scale Plan.' As you suspected, this is the last 'kindling' plan formulated by our Cang Clan ancestors after foreseeing a 'Great Annihilation' sweeping across the myriad realms."

"Great Annihilation?" Nightmare frowned.

"You can understand it as a cyclical, Heavenly Dao-level 'harvest,'" the Witch Grandfather's tone carried a hint of sorrow. "Certain unspeakable supreme existences view the beings, civilizations, and even the worlds themselves across the myriad realms as crops. When a season matures, they harvest it. After being harvested, the world's Laws are incomplete, Spiritual Qi is depleted, and civilization is fractured, resembling ruins. This world is the remnant of the last harvest."

Nightmare's heart was greatly shaken. Although he had long suspected it, hearing it confirmed still sent a chill down his spine.

"And the 'Reverse Scale Plan' was to steal a sliver of life under the scythe of this harvest," the Witch Grandfather continued. "Our ancestral great powers, gathering the strength of the entire clan, built three 'gates' and their corresponding 'observation posts' within the gaps of the myriad realms. These are the three 'Calamity Evasion Grounds.' Secret passages connect the three gates. Theoretically, if fully activated, they could form an 'ark' independent of the Reincarnation of the myriad realms, thus escaping the Great Annihilation."

"The three gates correspond to three anchor points. The one you went to is the third gate. And here..." The Witch Grandfather pointed to the ground beneath them, "...is the entrance to the first gate. And the section of finger bone sealed in the Forbidden Ground behind the village is the 'coordinate' that stabilizes the first gate's passage, as well as one of the manifestations of the first gate's power."

Nightmare took a deep breath: "Then what is the 'gate key'?"

"The gate key is the core for activating and controlling the three gates," the Witch Grandfather said. "Three keys correspond to the three gates. The 'cloud key' in your hand corresponds to the third gate. The 'blood key' corresponds to the second gate, and according to records, it was lost deep within the Gui Xu Sea Eye. As for the 'bone key'...". The Witch Grandfather paused, "...it corresponds to the first gate and has been guarded by successive Witch Grandfathers."

A flash of light appeared in his hand, and a token, seemingly carved from a white jade-like finger bone, emanating a soft white glow and an ancient aura, appeared. Its fluctuations were of the same origin as Nightmare's Azure Qi and Blood, yet even more ancient.

"Only by gathering all three keys can the Reverse Scale Plan truly be fully activated, opening the path to the ultimate 'Calamity Evasion Ground,'" the Witch Grandfather's voice became heavy. "However, the last Great Annihilation came too quickly and suddenly. The plan was not entirely successful. The three gates could not be completely connected, many clansmen could not evacuate in time, and the 'blood key' was lost in the fallen Gui Xu Sea Eye."

"What about 'The Fisherman'... ?"

"'The Fisherman'...". A cold glint flashed in the Witch Grandfather's eyes. "They call themselves 'Heavenly Patrolmen.' Perhaps they are related to those 'harvesters,' or perhaps they are their subservient pawns. Their purpose is to find and destroy the three gates and their keys, completely severing any spark of resistance from the beings of the myriad realms. They have infiltrated this world for a long time, and their influence is deeply entrenched."

"And the Gui Xu Sea Eye, due to its special environment, is not only where the second gate is located but also retains traces of the most intense battlefield from the last Great Annihilation. Its space is extremely unstable, making it an important stronghold operated by 'The Fisherman.' They also seem to be searching for something deep within the Sea Eye. That Blood Sacrifice, I'm afraid, is not as simple as merely acquiring vitality."

Nightmare fell silent, all the clues finally connecting. This was a grand scheme and counter-scheme spanning eons, and he, unknowingly, had become deeply entangled in it.

"Why me?" Nightmare asked the most crucial question. Why would he, a "small" demonic cultivator, become key to this plan?

The Witch Grandfather looked at him deeply: "Because of 'variables.' The Heavenly Dao is incomplete, and the harvest is not perfect; there will always be a sliver of variability. You possess the Cang Clan Bloodline, albeit thin, but you gained the recognition of Senior 'Star Scar,' and furthermore, you refined the Xiangliu Poison, a variable item, condensing a myriad poison nascent soul. Your destiny has already deviated from the Heavenly Dao's predetermined plan. You are the most suitable candidate to find the lost 'blood key' and restart the three gates."

"Of course," the Witch Grandfather's tone shifted, "you can also choose to leave. This old man will erase your relevant memories, and you can continue to be your demonic cultivator, seeking your enemies. However, no one knows when the next Great Annihilation will arrive. Perhaps a hundred years, perhaps a thousand years... When the harvest comes again, all things in this world, including you, will be like ants, with no one able to escape."

The choice was given to Nightmare.

Should he shoulder this immensely heavy mission, to strive for that elusive sliver of life? Or pretend ignorance, and continue on his path of revenge, until the end of days arrived?

A long silence fell over the stone house.

Nightmare's gaze was lowered, looking at his palm infused with virulent Demonic Essence. Scenes from his past and present flashed before his eyes: the tragedy of the frog tribe, the oppression by the Human Race, Lin Hao's destiny, his own struggles, the near-death experience in the Gui Xu Sea Eye... What he pursued was never merely revenge, but rather to control his own destiny!

And now, a larger choice, concerning the fate of the myriad realms, lay before him.

After an unknown amount of time, he slowly raised his head, all confusion and hesitation gone from his eyes, replaced only by a rock-solid determination and a spark of wild fire.

"What do I need to do?" His voice was calm, yet carried an undeniable power.

The Witch Grandfather seemed to have anticipated this answer, a hint of relief in his eyes: "First, you need to completely control the 'cloud key' and try to sense the approximate location of the 'blood key.' Then, you must re-enter the Gui Xu Sea Eye, find and retrieve the 'blood key.'"

"During this period, 'The Fisherman' will certainly not stand idly by. The dangers you face will far exceed anything before," the Witch Grandfather solemnly warned. "Furthermore, the power within you still needs to be sorted out. The Starfall Demonic Art is too low-grade and can no longer fully unleash the power of your myriad poison nascent soul. Within the first gate, there lies the true core Legacy left by our ancestors—The Netherworld Book of Life and Death. This method encompasses everything and can integrate all techniques, perfectly suited for your situation. Are you willing to accept it?"

A sharp glint flashed in Nightmare's eyes: "I couldn't ask for more!"

"Good," the Witch Grandfather nodded. "Azure Glass will take you to the outer Legacy ground of the first gate. Whether you can gain recognition and how much you can comprehend depends on your own fortune."

With that, the Witch Grandfather gently pressed the "bone key" in his hand against the stone house wall.

The wall silently split open, revealing a downward-extending, star-flickering staircase passage, from which an aura far more ancient and boundless than that in the Forbidden Ground behind the village permeated.

Azure Glass's figure appeared at the doorway, nodding slightly to Nightmare: "Follow me."

Nightmare stood up, took one last look at the Witch Grandfather, then resolutely turned and stepped into the starlit passage.

A new challenge, and a new beginning.

To defy fate and change his destiny, to transcend Reincarnation, he must brave the Gui Xu Sea Eye, this Dragon's Den and Tiger's Lair, once more!

And after he stepped into the passage, the Witch Grandfather gazed at the slowly closing entrance, murmuring softly, as if speaking to someone:

"The seed has been sown. Whether it can grow into a towering tree in the storm and stir this deadlock... depends on him..."

"Old friend, we... can only do so much..."

A faint sigh dissipated into the dust of the stone house.