The core of the Immortal Realm, the struggle for the Reverse Key

The moment the stone door closed completely behind him, the clamor, killing intent, and Heavenly Dao pressure of the outside world were all completely cut off.

Before him was not the darkness he had anticipated.

Instead, it was a deep, tranquil, yet surging-with-boundless-energy, dark blue space.

There was no distinction between heaven and earth; beneath his feet was a shimmering, faintly glowing light-blue "ground" like rippling water, and above his head was a "dome" of the same color, with countless star-like points of light slowly rotating.

The air was permeated with an indescribable aura—ancient, vast, and carrying a sacred majesty, yet rooted in a strong rebellion and negation against the existing order and the so-called "Heavenly Dao."

It was the aura of the immortal firmament path-reversal key! It was purer than the Lingyuan Evil Qi and grander than the power of the Mortal Realm's earth veins; it was a power that truly touched the Origin of the "Dao's" reversal!

Nightmare stood at the entrance and took a deep breath.

Merely by breathing, he felt the two dao reversal key imprints within his body trembling and humming wildly, like a wanderer returning home, or the palpitation of a longing for completion.

The star dao fruit shone brilliantly, its guidance clearer than ever before—it was in the very depths of this dark blue space!

He did not hesitate and stepped forward.

The ground beneath his feet, which looked like rippling water, felt exceptionally solid when stepped upon.

With every step he took, the surrounding dark blue light seemed to ripple slightly, resonating subtly with the Reverse Dao Power within his body.

There was no wind or sound in the space, only a primordial silence.

As he ventured deeper, the surrounding scenery began to change.

On the dark blue "walls" on both sides, some vague, gargantuan phantom reliefs began to emerge.

Some looked like towering Divine Beings battling the firmament, others like apocalyptic scenes of stars shattering and the Dao reversing; more numerous were some ancient runes and trajectories that were completely incomprehensible yet soul-shaking.

These were all "Dao Marks" naturally condensed by the Reverse Dao Power over the long years of the Xianqiong Forbidden Land.

The pressure was also increasing.

It was not just the feeling of spatial stagnation, but also a sense of scrutiny and pressure originating from the spiritual level, as if coming from ancient times.

An ordinary Cultivator here would likely struggle even to remain conscious.

But Nightmare walked with firm steps, his eyes clear.

The Demonic Star Flame flowed slowly within his body, isolating that spiritual pressure outside.

The two dao reversal keys were like two bright lamps, illuminating the path ahead in this Domain of the same Origin, neutralizing most of the environmental suppression.

He did not know how long he had walked; time seemed to have lost its meaning here.

The dark blue light ahead gradually became more intense, eventually converging into the outline of a larger, more ancient stone door.

The stone door was slightly ajar, and from the crack, a glow of the Reverse Dao shone a hundred times more intensely than the surroundings, along with... the call of the third dao reversal key that felt like it was about to burst out of his body!

Xianqiong Sacred Hall!

Nightmare quickened his pace and arrived before the stone door.

Just as he was about to push it open, his movements paused slightly.

Outside the stone door, it was not empty.

A figure stood quietly before the door.

It was a tall figure clad in tattered, ancient Immortal armor.

The style of the Immortal armor was extremely ancient, covered in cracks and the mottling of time, yet it still radiated an undeniable majesty.

The figure stood with its back to the stone door, facing the direction Nightmare was coming from; its face could not be seen clearly, only a head of gray-white long hair draped behind the armor.

He had no physical body, his form was slightly transparent, and his body flowed with a faint light that was of the same Origin as the surrounding Xianqiong Reverse Dao aura but possessed an extra touch of pure Immortal power.

This was a remnant soul, yet it was powerful enough to make Nightmare narrow his eyes slightly—Peak Tribulation Crossing stage!

And it was the kind of Peak that had an incredibly solid Foundation, having almost stepped half a foot into a higher level!

A remnant soul of an ancient Immortal! The final and strongest guardian of the immortal firmament path-reversal key!

The remnant soul seemed to have long sensed Nightmare's arrival and slowly turned around.

It was a face outline that was vague yet carried vicissitudes and endless majesty.

At the position of the eyes, two golden soul flames burned quietly, staring at Nightmare, with a gaze that held scrutiny, compassion, and an indifference that seemed to pierce through eternity.

"Halt."

The remnant soul spoke, its voice dry and hoarse, yet like a great bell, it echoed in this silent space with an unquestionable tone of command.

"This place is the source of the Xianqiong Reverse Dao; it is not something you can covet. Retreat quickly, and you may keep your Divine Soul intact."

Nightmare stopped and looked at the remnant soul from ten zhang away.

He could feel the pure ancient Immortal power on the other party, as well as the obsession to protect the dao reversal key deeply branded at the core of the remnant soul.

The Realm of this remnant soul before death probably far exceeded ordinary Undergoing Tribulation, and it might have even touched the threshold of what the Immortal Realm calls a "True Immortal."

"Move aside," Nightmare said, his voice calm yet equally unquestionable, "The thing I want is behind that door."

The golden soul flames in the remnant soul's eyes flickered slightly, seemingly flashing a hint of surprise, then turned into an even colder indifference and... a trace of faint mockery?

"Reverse Dao Power... Mortal Realm, Lingyuan... You have already gathered two keys?" the remnant soul said slowly, "No wonder you could break through the many obstacles outside and arrive here. Pity..."

He shook his head slightly, his gray-white long hair moving without wind.

"The path of the Reverse Path defies the Heavenly Dao and is ultimately a deviant path. At the end of the ancient times, how many brilliant talents attempted to defy the heavens and change their fate, only to end up as ashes, leaving behind only us remnant souls to guard this place and warn future generations. The immortal firmament path-reversal key is not a blessing, but a source of disaster. Whoever carries it will surely suffer the Heavenly Dao's world-toppling punishment, their Divine Soul imprisoned forever, beyond redemption."

His voice carried a peculiar rhythm, as if containing some truth pointing directly to the Dao, attempting to shake Nightmare's resolve.

"Let go of your obsession and leave now. With your ability, you could be supreme in the Lower Realm and live a long, unfettered life; wouldn't that be joyful? Why suffer to pursue this mirror image of a flower and reflection of the moon, courting your own destruction?"

If it were someone with weak resolve, they might truly be influenced by these words and cowed by the pressure of that Peak Tribulation Crossing stage remnant soul.

But Nightmare just listened quietly, his eyes without the slightest ripple.

After the remnant soul finished speaking, he slowly opened his mouth, his voice still flat:

"Are you finished?"

The remnant soul was silent, the golden soul flames staring at Nightmare.

"If you're finished," Nightmare nodded, "then move aside. Or..."

He raised his right hand, and dark red Demonic Flame rose quietly, wrapping around his arm.

"I will help you find complete liberation."

No arguing, no attempt to persuade. Those with different Daos cannot work together. His Dao was the Reverse Path, breaking all shackles and seizing everything he wanted! The Concepts of ancient Immortals, the punishments of the Heavenly Dao, the warnings of eternal damnation... what did they have to do with him?

Those who block the way, only one word—kill!

The remnant soul seemed to finally realize that words were useless against the person before him. The two golden soul flames suddenly became incomparably sharp, the tattered Immortal armor around him hummed, and a terrifying pressure, far stronger and purer than before and carrying the meaning of ancient Immortal judgment, erupted!

"Stubborn and unyielding! You profane the Xianqiong and defy the Heavenly Dao; you shall suffer—Xianqiong Judgment!"

The remnant soul lifted his hands in the air, his movements ancient and solemn. The endless dark blue Xianqiong Reverse Dao Qi around him, as if summoned, crazily gathered between his hands! It was not absorbed by him, but guided and transformed by him in an arcane manner!

In the blink of an eye, a gigantic sword of light, composed entirely of concentrated dark blue and golden interwoven energy, appeared above his head! The light sword was over a hundred zhang long, and on the blade, countless fine ancient Immortal runes flowed, radiating a supreme aura of judging all things and purging Chaos! This was not a simple energy attack, but a "Rule Punishment" formed by invoking some of the Origin rules of the Xianqiong Forbidden Land!

"Judgment—fall!"

The remnant soul waved his hands downward violently!

The hundred-zhang light sword, carrying the terrifying momentum of tearing space and severing Laws, slashed down towards Nightmare's head! Before the sword arrived, that will of judgment, purging, and erasure had already descended, locking onto Nightmare's Divine Soul, intending to "judge" him and his "Reverse Path" existence out of this world!

Facing this terrifying strike that could make even a Peak Cultivator of the same level Soul Flying Away and Spirit Scattering, Nightmare finally moved.

He did not retreat, nor did he dodge.

Instead, he stepped forward!

At the same time, the two dao reversal key imprints that had been dormant within his body, for the first time in the outside world, actively manifested clear phantoms!

In the palm of his left hand, the earth-yellow phantom of the mortal realm reverse key floated, heavy as a mountain, suppressing the earth veins.

In the palm of his right hand, the pitch-black phantom of the lingyuan reverse key rotated, deep as an abyss, annihilating Yin and Yang.

The moment the two phantoms appeared, the Xianqiong Reverse Dao Qi that had been invoked by the remnant soul suddenly stagnated, then as if it had found its true Dominator, it began to break away from the remnant soul's control and faintly flowed towards Nightmare!

"dao reversal key... as expected..." the remnant soul's voice carried a trace of complexity, but the momentum of the judgment light sword was even more urgent!

And Nightmare slammed his hands together in front of his chest!

"My Dao is the Reverse Path! My power can break all Laws!"

"A mere ancient remnant thought, invoking a bit of the Reverse Path's fur, and you dare to call it... Judgment?!"

"Reverse Path Ultimate Kill—Dual Keys Shatter the Firmament!"

"Boom—!!!"

The two dao reversal key phantoms collided and fused in front of his chest! An unprecedented, terrifying power, pure to the extreme, of disorder, destruction, and negation of all established rules, erupted from the center of the collision!

This power spread in a spherical shape and instantly collided fiercely with the descending dark-gold judgment light sword!

There was no earth-shattering explosion.

What there was, was a more eerie, more essential... dissolution and annihilation!

The countless ancient Immortal runes on the judgment light sword representing Heavenly Dao order and Immortal judgment, the moment they touched this pure Reverse Dao Power, were like encountering a nemesis; they flickered violently, wailed, and then... shattered into pieces and dissipated! The energy structure of the light sword itself, condensed to the extreme, was also brutally torn and disintegrated by the power of disorder!

Just like a hot knife cutting into solidified grease.

The dark-gold giant sword, starting from the tip, disintegrated inch by inch! It turned into points of light filling the sky, swept away by the spreading Reverse Dao Power, returning to nothingness!

"Impossible!" the remnant soul finally lost his voice, the golden soul flames swaying violently, showing his extreme shock! The Xianqiong Judgment that he was proud of and that could judge those of the same level was actually so easily... crushed by the other party with a purer Reverse Dao Power?!

This exceeded his cognition! The Reverse Dao Power was strong, but how could it be pure to such a degree? It was as if what the other party mastered was the true Dao Reversal Origin!

At the very moment his heart and mind were greatly shaken.

Nightmare's figure, like a teleportation, had already penetrated the energy turbulence that had not yet completely dissipated and appeared before the remnant soul!

So close that he could even see the subtle lines of shock on the remnant soul's blurred face.

"Ancient ghost, it is time to rest in peace."

Nightmare's cold voice rang out, his right hand fingers formed into a sword, and on the fingertips, it was no longer dark red Demonic Flame, but a touch of chaotic gray light that had fused the Origin power of the two dao reversal keys! This light was not dazzling, but it radiated an aura of ending that made the Divine Soul tremble.

"Reverse Path—Return to Ruins Finger."

He pointed a finger, understated, yet it seemed to span time and space, ignoring the layer of ancient Immortal armor protection on the remnant soul's body (the Reverse Dao Power specifically counters this kind of order protection), and directly tapped onto the most solid golden soul flame core at the remnant soul's chest!

"Pop..."

A crisp sound so slight it was almost inaudible.

The remnant soul's movements froze completely. He slowly lowered his head, looking at the "wound" on his chest where the gray light had intruded and was spreading rapidly, then raised his head to look at Nightmare. In the golden soul flames, the shock slowly faded, turning into an indescribable complex emotion—realization? Relief? Or... a trace of the ease of finally being liberated?

"...So... this is... the true Reverse..."

The unfinished words ended abruptly as the soul flame core completely annihilated.

The remnant soul's tall and ancient body, like a weathered sand sculpture, starting from the point where he was tapped, quickly turned into countless fine points of light, drifted away, and finally completely merged into the surrounding dark blue Xianqiong aura, leaving no trace.

The ancient Immortal remnant soul, the final guardian of the immortal firmament path-reversal key, had fallen.

Nightmare withdrew his finger and stood quietly for a moment. He felt that as the remnant soul dissipated, the last trace of repulsion and barrier from the stone door ahead had also completely disappeared.

He did not linger, stepped forward, pressed his hands on the cold stone door, and pushed hard.

"Rumble..."

A friction sound, heavier and more ancient than the entrance stone door, rang out, and the stone door opened inward.

Behind the door was a hall that was not particularly magnificent, but everywhere it exuded extreme antiquity and mystery. In the center of the hall, there were no extra decorations, only a gray-white stone platform of the same material.

On the stone platform, a "key" that flowed with deep dark blue and brilliant golden light, similar in shape to the previous two dao reversal keys but more complex and mysterious, was floating quietly.

The third dao reversal key—immortal firmament path-reversal key!

It seemed to have life, pulsing slightly, emitting an aura of Dao Reversal Origin that was of the same Origin as the two keys in Nightmare's body, but more complete and vast.

A trace of burning heat finally flashed in Nightmare's eyes. He strode forward without any hesitation and reached out to grasp the immortal firmament path-reversal key.

It was cold to the touch, and then, a torrent of Reverse Dao Power so massive it was unimaginable, as if it had found its final destination, surged crazily into his body! This power, pure, vast, and ancient, instantly merged seamlessly with the two Reverse Dao Powers of the Mortal Realm and Lingyuan within his body; the three keys became one!

"Boom—!!!"

Within Nightmare's body, it was as if some shackles were instantly broken! His aura soared crazily like a rocket! The Late Tribulation Crossing stage barrier collapsed at a touch, and he directly stepped into the Peak Tribulation Crossing stage! And it was still climbing and stabilizing!

In his Dantian and Purple Mansion, the originally dark red Demonic Star Flame, under the Fusion and tempering of the three Dao Reversal Origins, began to undergo a transformation in color! Into the dark red, hues of dark blue and earth yellow were integrated, finally turning into a chaotic, deep "Grandmist" color that seemed to contain the Concept of all things beginning and ending—Hongmeng Reverse Dao Demonic Star Flame!

The power of the flame increased several times over! Moreover, he clearly felt that his understanding and control of the Reverse Path Laws had reached a whole new level! The imprints of the three dao reversal keys in his body completely fused, turning into a more complex and mysterious Chaos imprint, branded deep within his Divine Soul.

Power! Unprecedentedly powerful strength filled his entire body! He even had an illusion that he, at this moment, could blast his previous self apart with one punch!

At the same time, a cold and grand stream of information was transmitted into his consciousness from the fused Reverse Dao imprint:

[three keys of dao reversal gathered.]

[Dao Reversal Origin initially completed.]

[Permission for the 'Reverse Path Channel' to the 'heavenly dao core' unlocked.]

[Location complete: Above the Nine Heavens of the Immortal Realm, Heavenly Dao Origin Sea.]

[Reminder: The heavenly dao core is the source of order and the ultimate enemy of the Reverse Path. Opening the channel requires charging and will trigger a violent backlash from the heavenly dao core; please be cautious.]

Nightmare slowly opened his eyes, the chaotic-colored light in his pupils flashed and disappeared, returning to deep calmness.

He clenched his fist, feeling the brand new power surging within him that was enough to shake the heavens and earth, and a cold and wanton arc slowly curved at the corner of his mouth.

"Peak Tribulation Crossing stage... Hongmeng Reverse Dao Demonic Star Flame..."

"heavenly dao core... Reverse Path Channel..."

He raised his head, his gaze seeming to penetrate the stone roof of the Xianqiong Sacred Hall, penetrate the layers of barriers of the Xianqiong Forbidden Land, and look towards that supreme Nine Heavens in the underworld.

"Finally... waited for this day."

"Wait for me."

"I am coming... to end you."