Nine Heavens Node, Channel Open

Ten days passed in the blink of an eye.

The Meteor Training Ground was a special area formed by countless shattered star fragments, located a million miles outside of the Nidao Star.

These fragments had been artificially gathered and fixed with great magic power to form an empty "arena" over 100,000 miles in diameter, covered in reinforced and shielding Formations, capable of withstanding the full-force bombardment of Dao Master Realm Cultivators.

At this moment, in the center of the training ground, four hundred figures stood in neat rows.

One hundred Peak Dao Master Realm experts, three hundred elite Dominator Realm experts.

They came from the Nidao Guards, the former remnants of the Blood Fang Pirate Group, elite warriors from the Thunder Fire Domain, Ice Seal Domain, and Myriad Beast Domain, and a portion of ruthless individuals screened from other powers in the Middle Universe Domain who truly craved strength and battle.

Over these ten days, they had undergone hellish screening and integration.

Nightmare had not appeared, but the nine Nidao Guards supervised throughout, while Blood Fang and fifty original Nidao Guards cadres were responsible for the specific drills.

The training content was simple and brutal to the extreme: combat, slaughter, elimination, and more combat.

Resources were sufficient, and Legacy fragments were distributed based on performance, but every sparring session could result in serious injury or even death.

Ten days later, those who were still standing here had their Auras honed like unsheathed blades; their eyes were sharp, their Battle Intent was solid, and they had initially formed a combat tacit understanding in small squads.

More importantly, they had all been branded with the mark of the "Nidao Alliance" — that was not just a badge, but a kind of awe and obedience toward that mysterious and powerful Alliance Leader formed after being tempered by blood and fire.

Hum —

The space above the training ground rippled.

Nightmare's figure appeared silently in mid-air.

He was still dressed in black, his dark red cloak fluttering behind him without wind.

He did not deliberately exude Aura, but the four hundred gazes below focused on him in unison, filled with fanaticism, awe, and a hint of imperceptible anxiety.

Nightmare scanned everyone below with a calm gaze.

He could clearly feel the surging power and killing Aura within these people, and he was quite satisfied.

"Ten days ago, I said I would give you a chance."

His voice was not loud, but it clearly entered everyone's ears, "Now, that chance is right before you."

He waved his hand, and a three-dimensional star chart unfolded before everyone.

In the center of the projection was the vast star chart of the Middle Universe Domain, and at the edge, a specially marked node shimmering with nine-colored faint light was strikingly visible.

"This is the Nine Heavens Node," Nightmare pointed to that node, "and it is the only entrance to a higher level of the Universe — the ‘High Universe Domain’."

"High Universe Domain?" A suppressed commotion came from below.

For the vast majority of Cultivators in the Middle Universe Domain, this name was only a vague concept in legends, representing a more vast starry sky, richer Origin, and more powerful Legacy, but it also meant... more terrifying dangers.

"That's right." Nightmare confirmed their suspicions, his tone without the slightest fluctuation, "There, the concentration of Origin is ten times, a hundred times higher than here."

"Celestial Venerable Realm Cultivators are not the Peak there."

"Of course, opportunity and danger coexist; the powers there are more powerful, and the rules are more cruel."

He paused, his gaze becoming sharp: "But that is where true powerhouses should go."

"What is the difference between cowering in the Middle Universe Domain acting as a king and a frog at the bottom of a well?"

"Today, I will lead you to open the ‘Grandmist Heavenly Road’ and march into the High Universe Domain."

"This journey will by no means be smooth."

"There are ancient Restrictions, unknown strong enemies, and countless life-and-death crises ahead."

"Now, if anyone feels timid, you may withdraw."

"Those who withdraw can still remain in the Nidao Alliance, enjoying the resources and status of the Middle Universe Domain, and I will not pursue it."

Nightmare finished speaking and waited quietly.

Among the four hundred people below, no one moved.

Some had eyes that were even more fiery, some clenched their fists, and some took a deep breath to suppress the instinctive fear in their hearts, but not a single person chose to withdraw.

Having passed the ten-day hellish screening and standing here, they had long since bet their lives and futures on this Alliance Leader.

"Very good." A flash of cold light passed through Nightmare's eyes, "Then, let's depart."

His figure flashed, and he appeared at the edge of the training ground.

There, three black warships that had been reinforced again, with larger volumes and more ferocious lines — "ni dao vessel", "Vanguard", and "Meteor" — were floating quietly, with dark red energy patterns flowing on the hull surfaces.

"Board the ships!"

Four hundred Vanguard Army elites divided into three torrents and surged into the three warships quickly and orderly.

Blood Fang sat in command of the "Vanguard", and nine Nidao Guards were dispersed in key positions of the three ships.

Nightmare stepped into the command platform of the "ni dao vessel" alone.

"Target, Nine Heavens Node. Maximum speed, jump."

With the command issued, the engines of the three warships lit up simultaneously, spitting out more solid Chaos-colored light flames, tearing three huge spatial rifts in the Void Realm, and plunged into them!

...

Nine Heavens Node.

Located near the "Void Barrier" at the very edge of the Middle Universe Domain.

There were no stars here, no planets, only a piece of eternal, deep darkness that seemed to be able to devour all light.

In the center of the darkness, nine strange "stars" that were not large in volume but exuded distinct attribute Origin light, slowly revolved in a trajectory that defied common sense, forming a perfect Nine-Palace Grid pattern.

At the center of the nine stars was an absolutely calm Void Realm area where even the darkness seemed to be "frozen".

This was the Nine Heavens Node.

In legends, it was one of the "Star Gates" connecting different levels of the Universe in ancient times, which was later sealed for unknown reasons, leaving behind only powerful Restrictions and legends.

When the three black warships broke away from the jump state and appeared at the edge of this darkness, a sense of desolation, vastness, and faint repulsion stemming from ancient times rushed toward them.

"High-intensity composite energy field detected... suspected ancient Restriction."

"The Void Realm structure ahead is unusually stable; conventional jumps cannot penetrate it."

"The energy fluctuations emitted by the nine stars have attributes that generate and restrain each other, forming a perfect cycle, suspected to be the Restriction core."

The ship-borne detection Formation quickly fed back information.

Nightmare stood at the bow of the "ni dao vessel", looking through the porthole at the nine strange stars slowly rotating, as well as the dead silent Void Realm in the center.

On the back of his hand, that mark from the ancient Reverse Path stele was slightly heating up at this moment, resonating with some obscure fluctuation coming from the front.

"Stop the ships, prepare for battle." He issued the order.

The three warships stopped ten thousand miles away from the nine-star area, and all attack Formations and energy shields quietly entered the highest state of alert.

Nightmare stepped out of the warship and hovered alone in the cold, dark Void Realm.

He could feel that within the nine-star area, besides the powerful ancient Restrictions, there was also... the Aura of living things.

The number was not small, and their cultivation levels were not low.

Sure enough, not long after he appeared.

Within the nine-star area, that dead silent Void Realm rippled like a water surface, and figures emerged from it.

There were fully fifty people, each with a powerful Aura, and they were all at the Early Stage of the Dao Master Realm!

They wore various types of armor or Dao robes, not in a unified style, but on their chests or cuffs, most wore badges representing different forces of the Middle Universe Domain.

These people were the "guardians" of the Nine Heavens Node, or rather, the "gatekeepers".

Most of them were garrison Cultivators sent here by some ancient forces or Hidden Family in the Middle Universe Domain, passed down from generation to generation, whose duty was to guard the node, prevent anyone from opening the channel to the High Universe Domain without "permission", and also guard against "uninvited guests" who might come from the other side of the channel.

"Stop, intruders!" A leading old Daoist wearing star-patterned Dao robes and holding a whisk stepped forward, his voice old but containing unquestionable majesty.

"This is the Nine Heavens Node, the beginning of the Grandmist Heavenly Road. Those without the ‘Upper Realm’ Decree or the ‘Joint Council Order’ of the Middle Universe Domain are not allowed to approach, much less open the channel arbitrarily!"

"Violators will trigger the backlash of the ancient Restrictions and suffer the Grandmist Heavenly Punishment, with body and soul destroyed!"

The old Daoist's eyes were like lightning, sweeping across Nightmare and the three warships behind him, a flash of astonishment and doubt in his eyes.

He had guarded the node for over a thousand years and had seen many ambitious powerhouses attempting to explore the secrets of the High Universe Domain, but this was the first time he had seen one like the person before him, bringing such a large-scale elite troop with such a deep and dangerous Aura.

Especially the black-clad young man leading them, who was clearly only in the Middle Stage of the Dao Master Realm (Nightmare had hidden part of his Aura), yet gave him an extremely dangerous feeling.

"Upper Realm Decree? Joint Council Order?" Nightmare repeated these two terms, his tone carrying a faint mockery, "What are those things?"

"Presumptuous!" Behind the old Daoist, a hot-tempered, burly man wearing heavy red armor shouted angrily, "Where did this ignorant madman come from!"

"You don't even understand the rules of the Nine Heavens Node, yet you dare to come here and act wild? Get out quickly, or don't blame us for activating the Restrictions and executing you all!"

"Rules?" Nightmare smiled, his smile cold, "My rule is — I want to go through, and those who block the path will die."

Before the words had faded, he moved.

He did not rush toward the fifty guards, but charged directly toward the center of the nine-star area, that seemingly calm, dead silent Void Realm!

"Audacious! Activate the Restriction and stop him!" The old Daoist's expression changed drastically, and he shouted sharply.

The fifty Dao Master Realm guards formed Seals simultaneously.

Having been stationed here for a long time, they had long since established a connection with part of the outer Restrictions.

Immediately, the nine strange stars shone brightly!

Red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, purple, black, white—nine-colored lights intertwined, turning into a giant net covering the sky and earth.

Within the net, terrifying energy that generated and restrained each other circulated endlessly, covering Nightmare's head!

At the same time, each star shot out a thick beam of Origin light, bombarding Nightmare from different directions!

This was the power of an ancient Restriction capable of trapping and killing several Peak Dao Master Realm experts!

Facing this earth-shattering attack, Nightmare's speed did not decrease at all.

Around him, the Hongmeng Chaos Reverse Dao Demonic Star Flame erupted!

But this time, the Demonic Flame was not just a simple attack or defense, but turned into countless tiny, tentacle-like flame threads, actively greeting the nine-colored light net and the Origin light beams!

Chi, chi, chi—!

The moment the Demonic Flame threads came into contact with the Restriction energy, there was no explosion, no cancellation.

Instead... it was swallowing! Assimilating! Reversing!

The Hongmeng Chaos Reverse Dao Demonic Star Flame inherently possessed the characteristic of "reversing all Dao", and the ancient Restriction before them, although exquisite and powerful, had its core built on a certain Law of "Order" and "Cycle".

For the Reverse Dao Power, this order was the best "fuel" and "nourishment"!

Seeing that aggressive nine-colored light net, after touching the Demonic Flame threads, it actually dimmed and dissolved at a speed visible to the naked eye!

It was as if ice and snow had encountered a red-hot iron!

The nine Origin light beams were also entangled, differentiated, and absorbed by the Demonic Flame threads!

"Impossible!!" The fifty guards exclaimed in horror in unison.

They had never seen anyone who could "eat" the ancient Restriction of the Nine Heavens Node so easily!

With just this delay, Nightmare's figure had already appeared directly in front of the fifty guards like a ghost, piercing through the Restriction light net that had been riddled with holes by the Demonic Flame!

The distance was less than a hundred zhang!

"Not good! Form a Formation and face the enemy!" The old Daoist reacted the fastest, roaring hoarsely, his whisk swinging out thousands of star phantoms.

The fifty Dao Master Realm guards were no slouches either, instantly forming a battle Formation.

Their Auras connected into one, and the majestic pressure of the Dao Master Realm mixed with the power of the battle Formation pressed down on Nightmare like a landslide or tsunami!

However, facing this combined pressure that would make a Late Stage Dao Master Realm Cultivator change color, Nightmare only frowned slightly.

"Noisy."

He raised his right hand, spread his five fingers, and then... clenched his fist violently!

Boom—!!!

With his fist as the center, the Hongmeng Chaos Reverse Dao Demonic Star Flame, which had absorbed part of the Restriction power and become even more violent, exploded like a volcano that had been suppressed for eternity!

It turned into a Chaos-colored sea of fire that swallowed everything, instantly drowning the fifty guards along with the battle Formation they had formed!

There were no screams, no struggles.

In the sea of fire, there was only the tooth-aching "sizzling" burning sound, and one after another, life Auras that quickly dimmed and annihilated.

It took no more than two breaths.

The sea of fire dissipated.

In the original place, there was nothing.

The fifty Early Stage Dao Master Realm guards, along with their Magic Treasures and armor, had all turned into nothingness, not even leaving a trace of ash.

Nightmare shook his hand, as if he had just brushed off a little dust.

He turned his gaze to the Void Realm in the center of the nine stars, and the ancient runes that were faintly emerging in the Void Realm—that was the true entrance Seal of the Grandmist Heavenly Road channel.

He flew closer slowly, and the Reverse Path stele mark on the back of his hand was now as hot as a branding iron.

"This is it..."

He raised both hands, palms facing each other, and the three dao reversal keys within his body resonated with unprecedented intensity!

The Hongmeng Chaos Reverse Dao Demonic Star Flame was no longer violently released, but turned into pure Dao Reversal Origin power, flowing through his arms and into his palms.

A pitch-black ball of light, the size of a fist, which seemed to contain a miniature Chaos Universe inside, with countless Reverse Dao runes flowing on its surface, slowly took shape.

"Grandmist Heavenly Road... Open!" Nightmare whispered, and pushed his palms forward violently!

The pitch-black ball of light sank silently into the center of the rune Seal.

Hum—!!!

The next moment, the entire Nine Heavens Node area shook violently!

The nine strange stars emitted light to the extreme, and then, the light collapsed inward, all converging into the central Void Realm!

Rumble!

It was as if a giant door that had been sealed for hundreds of millions of years was slowly pushed open.

A huge beam of light, whose color could not be described in words and seemed to be combined by countless Origin Laws, shot up into the sky from the Void Realm!

The beam of light was over a thousand miles in diameter, piercing through the sky and earth, extending to the end of the line of sight, and plunging into a deeper, unknown dimension!

The majestic and unimaginable High Universe Domain Origin Aura, like a burst galaxy, surged out along the light beam channel!

Just the wisps that leaked out made the members of the Nidao Vanguard Army in the warships behind feel refreshed, and their cultivation Bottlenecks loosened slightly!

The Grandmist Heavenly Road — was opened!

Nightmare stood at the entrance of the channel, feeling the energy tide that came rushing toward him, far exceeding the Middle Universe Domain, and the Origin within his body made a joyful sound.

He could feel that his Bottleneck at the Middle Stage of the Dao Master Realm was rapidly softening under the wash of this high-level Origin Aura.

But he did not step in immediately.

He turned and looked at the three warships behind him, transmitting his voice with Divine Thought, his tone cold and clear:

"The channel is open."

"From here on, there is no turning back."

"Board the ships, depart!"

"Target — High Universe Domain!"