293: The original person

Meanwhile, in the fantasy world.

A youth in cloth clothes stumbled and ran frantically through the misty hall. The pitch-black floor tiles and the towering, blood-red pillars made him appear infinitely small.

He reached the foot of a golden high platform and fell to his knees with a thud.

Purple smoke rising from incense burners on both sides obscured the youth's figure.

When he stood up, a lofty voice came from ahead.

"What is the meaning of this? What is there to panic about!"

The youth was so nervous that his voice cracked as he shouted.

"Exalted One! Tianwaitian! A meteorite has crashed into Tianwaitian!"

A hollow echo resounded through the great hall.

Before the echo had even faded, a massive black shadow suddenly swooped down from above in the very next second.

When it stopped, it revealed a bird-headed, human-bodied monster wearing fire-red armor, with golden light bursting from its eyes.

The youth felt no fear, only growing urgency.

"Exalted One! The falling stone from Tianwaitian came at such an inopportune time; it crushed the Blood Pool and smashed the Spirit Platform. This... what are we to do!"

The bird-headed man was furious.

"Hmph!"

He spun around in place, instantly dispersing the surrounding smoke.

Then, he truly transformed into a giant bird like a Kunpeng, spread his wings, and flew out of the great hall.

The great black bird flew south, finally stopping where dark clouds gathered ahead, and with a shake of its body, transformed back into human form and descended from the sky.

It transformed into a handsome young man wearing fairy shoes, a cloud crown, and a cyan robe.

He landed on the very edge of an endless, snow-white frozen waterfall. Passing through the waterfall, he arrived at the edge of an icy, snow-covered wasteland where the boundary between ice and forest was clearly defined.

At this moment, the young man realized that others had already arrived before him.

People around him were whispering.

"Damn! They always said gods lived in Tianwaitian. After tens of thousands of years, everyone thought it was just a legend. Who would have thought Tianwaitian actually exists!"

"Who knows! Since ancient times, the South Heaven Gate has always been a natural boundary. Strictly speaking, no one has ever been able to set foot inside this South Heaven Gate!"

"Now the South Heaven Gate has appeared on its own? Could it be that the God Race from above... is coming to kill us mortals?"

The bird-man couldn't help but snort derisively through his nose.

Just then, someone patted his shoulder from behind.

The man turned around alertly.

He saw a youth with a strange outfit, carrying a large golden sword on his back, looking at him with a sunny, beaming smile.

The two looked about the same age.

But in the world of cultivation, how could one judge true age by appearance?

Just by the fact that the other party had approached him silently, he felt the other party was unfathomable.

Little did he know, the person patting his shoulder was none other than Chen Tianming!

Chen Tianming had also heard the young man's sneer and felt he might know something, so he couldn't help but step forward to ask.

"Fellow Daoist, do you know what is happening ahead? Why are there so many people here observing?"

After saying this, to show his sincerity, Chen Tianming even bowed.

He improvised a cultivator's name on the spot.

"I am Daoist Tianming, a mere rogue cultivator. I wonder if I could receive some guidance from you, Fellow Daoist!"

As he spoke, he waved his hand, and a golden, perfectly round treasure bead appeared in his palm.

Seeing this bead, the young man was grinning from ear to ear on the spot.

"A rogue cultivator? You wouldn't happen to be a wandering prodigy from some major sect, would you?"

"My cultivation is shallow, and I am not worthy of giving guidance. However, since I have taken your payment, I will tell you what I know! I will accept this Universe Vajra Bead."

The youth waved his hand.

The swirling mist and clouds around them instantly formed a mirage-like image.

With this simple display, Chen Tianming could see that the other party had already gained some insight into the Great Dao of heaven and earth.

As the white mist drifted, Chen Tianming saw a huge square block wrapped in a circular dome.

The youth spoke slowly.

"Since ancient times, it has been said that the sky is round and the earth is square... but there happens to be this South Heaven Gate that can overturn this legend left behind from who knows how long ago."

"From the time I gained consciousness until I achieved immortality, nine thousand years have passed, yet this South Heaven Gate had never appeared. The 'round sky, square earth' eventually became a joke."

"I didn't expect the South Heaven Gate to appear at this time. I fear the prophecy left behind back then is about to be fulfilled!"

Hearing the Peng say this, the people around them also turned their gazes over.

"Is this true? Who left this kind of legend, and where?"

"I didn't expect you to be a Kunpeng in human form at such a young age. Our generation has produced many talents!"

Only Chen Tianming noticed that when the Peng was telling him the legend, he looked very sincere and forthcoming.

But those eagle eyes were constantly fixed on his face.

He was trying to find a flaw on Chen Tianming's face.

Fortunately, Chen Tianming had already noticed this and remained completely composed, smiling without continuing to ask questions.

At this moment, the Peng spoke.

"What? You don't believe me?"

However, Chen Tianming shook his head.

"It's not a matter of believing or not... Fellow Daoist, you've been talking for a while, and I've been listening for a while, but you haven't made it clear what the situation is inside!"

The Peng was stunned for a moment, then gave a bitter smile.

"Fellow Daoist, I already made it clear before I started: I do not know the situation inside. I have told you everything I know!"

"Moreover, the South Heaven Gate has just appeared. If you want to know what's inside, I'm afraid you'll have to go find out for yourself!"

He then saluted Chen Tianming, looking as if he did not intend to continue answering.

Chen Tianming also took this opportunity to slip away.

He appeared calm, but in reality, he felt quite guilty.

Arriving in an icy, snow-covered area, Chen Tianming waved his sleeve, and a large patch of white snow instantly dissipated, revealing a spacious cave underneath.

It turned out that Chen Tianming had already transferred all living people and creatures from the small world into the cave.

He had covered the cave entrance with a heavy disguise before going out to investigate the situation.

After all the trouble, for the fantasy world of origin, the small world that had been separated was also a mysterious existence!

The same world had been separated for at least a hundred thousand years. Chen Tianming had seen through the magic array, which caused the two to merge into one.

Now that he had inquired about everything, Chen Tianming felt that this place was not suitable for a long stay.

Imagine, these cultivators had originally regarded what was behind the South Heaven Gate as an existence like the Immortal World.

They revered it highly.

When they tried to contact the people inside the South Heaven Gate, they suddenly discovered that the so-called immortals inside were inferior to them in cultivation and insight.

They were even tens of thousands of years behind them...

Given the greed of human nature, would the fantasy world accept the small world, or would they carve up the people and assets in the small world, dividing the territory like a cake?