Gates of the Myriad Realms Chapter 376

The 99th Universe.

Immortal Dynasty Dao Palace.

Cloud Rainbow Heavenly Venerate no sooner landed than she pulled out a talisman. A spiritual light flashed across the talisman, followed by a majestic voice:

“Yun Ni, come to the dome.”

“Yes.”

Yun Ni answered, taking flight again, passing countless layers of closely packed pavilions, traversing the vast sea of clouds, and soaring upwards. Above the mountains was the deep blue sky. And above this endless deep sky, a divine palace, radiating five-colored light, stood proudly at the zenith of the heavens.

Yun Ni’s expression grew slightly cold, and her lips twitched, but she ultimately refrained from uttering “old geezer.” She landed gently inside the divine palace. There, two rows of Dao Palace elders, all at the eighteenth level of the Dharma Realm, were already standing. A man with long black hair sat on a high platform, eyes slightly closed, his expression solemn. Four or five other powerful men and women knelt at the feet of the black-haired man. Upon seeing Yun Ni, they all showed expressions of resentment.

“It’s her again!”

“It was clearly our mission, but she completed it and took the reward.”

“Holy Venerate, please uphold justice impartially.”

“You absolutely cannot protect her anymore; she’ll just act recklessly!”

The five men and women chattered away.

Yun Ni smiled. What else could these useless pieces of garbage do besides crying to the Holy Venerate? The Holy Venerate was also getting old. That position would be hers sooner or later!

On the high platform, in his throne, the black-haired man still had his eyes closed and asked:

“Yun Ni, do you have anything to say?”

Yun Ni sneered, about to speak, when a scene suddenly flashed through her mind.

“One must know that the general public dislikes people who are too noble, too perfect…”

Yes. Rigidity cannot last. Besides, why should she stand out and waste her breath with these pieces of garbage? After all, they wouldn’t dare fight her.

Yun Ni’s thoughts churned, her gaze fixed slightly, and she bowed her hands to the high platform, saying:

“Reporting to the Holy Venerate, I’m actually quite tired and don’t want to争 these matters with them at all.”

“Oh?”

The black-haired man opened his eyes in surprise, sizing up Yun Ni. Not only him, but also the five powerful men and women, and even the Dao Palace elders standing respectfully on both sides, all looked at Yun Ni.

—What’s wrong with her today? This reaction isn’t like her usual self!

“Yun Ni, have you been cursed? Or perhaps bewitched?”

One person couldn’t help but ask. The black-haired man on the high platform had already made hand seals, releasing a spell that shot towards Yun Ni. This was an extremely advanced detection spell, capable of sensing any change in a soul.

Yun Ni allowed the spell to envelop her, feeling a mix of amusement and exasperation. But soon, she became somewhat entranced. She hadn’t expected… everyone to react this way. Had she really been too forceful before, pushing everyone to oppose her? Such a thing didn’t matter, but it was unnecessary. Simply… unnecessary.

The spell’s light slowly faded. On the high platform, the black-haired man spoke again:

“Yun Ni, the spell shows your soul is better than ever, but what exactly did you mean by those words just now?”

Yun Ni lowered her head slightly and respectfully said: “Reporting to the Holy Venerate, they only see me taking many lucrative missions, but they don’t see how dangerous those missions truly are. I only considered our fellowship and didn’t want them to face death, which is why I accepted those missions. If they resent me for this, it was not my original intention.”

After she finished speaking, the entire divine palace fell into a deadly silence. A middle-aged Taoist priest angrily shouted:

“You’re talking nonsense!”

“How am I talking nonsense?” Yun Ni asked leisurely.

The middle-aged Taoist priest stepped forward, pointed at her, and said:

“We clearly found a karma-law artifact that could instantly teleport us to Shah Telai and kill her, but you injured us and threatened us not to go!”

“—So tyrannical, yet you speak so grandiosely.”

“You are not worthy to be the senior sister of the Dao Palace!”

Everyone tensed up, looking at Yun Ni in unison. In the past, Yun Ni would have sneered, ready to assert her authority through a duel in the Dao Palace. But today was different. She looked somewhat bewildered, as if recalling something, without any hint of fighting spirit.

“Yun Ni, what do you say?” the Holy Venerate on the high platform asked.

Yun Ni sighed, took a step back, and bowed her head, saying:

“I wholeheartedly protected them, yet this is how they view me. From now on, I will no longer bother.”

“What about the mission?” the Holy Venerate asked.

Yun Ni closed her eyes, looking somewhat pained. Profit. How could she bear to lose it? But “rigidity cannot last”; if she followed that young man’s theory, to establish a perfect image, she must— lose. Only after losing can one gain. One must lose first!

“I’ll hand back the mission to pursue Charlotte, and I will never interfere again.”

Her expression was indifferent, but her fingernails, hidden in her sleeves, had already dug deep into her flesh, almost drawing blood.

“Really?” The Holy Venerate’s tone held a hint of disbelief.

Yun Ni let out a short, exasperated laugh, immediately released her hands, and said:

“Absolutely no falsehood!”

“But I must add that Charlotte, who could steal a large number of treasures from the Immortal Palace, is by no means as easy to deal with as she seems. Don’t think she’s just a thief!”

These words were spoken calmly, with a hint of concern. Everyone who heard them had different thoughts. In the brief silence, Yun Ni opened her eyes in surprise. Prestige—her prestige was increasing? Why!

She lowered her head, her eyes shifting, covertly observing everyone. The elders standing respectfully on both sides did not speak. But now, she had an inexplicable feeling—they didn’t seem to reject her as much anymore. Interesting. Too interesting! She had clearly given in a step, yet why did she gain support instead? What was the reason?

“If there’s nothing else, I’ll go back to cultivate. From now on, I will no longer interfere with how you choose to handle missions.”

Yun Ni said. She bowed slightly to the Holy Venerate on the high platform, then shot up into the sky and quickly disappeared.

The Holy Venerate did not speak. The elders on both sides also remained silent.

“Hahahaha, good, today the Holy Venerate made the decision for us, and we will surely complete this mission perfectly!”

“Who says not, she thinks the world will be different without her.”

“This is our chance to prove ourselves!”

“The mission rewards are ours!”

The five men and women said excitedly.

On the other side.

Cloud Rainbow Heavenly Venerate returned to her palace, closed the door, and sat cross-legged on the green jade platform. Today’s events had subtly stirred her Dao heart. A certain elusive realm lingered in her mind, appearing and disappearing, forming an indescribable bond with her. She was about to break through to a new realm! How could this be? Why…

Cloud Rainbow Heavenly Venerate stabilized her Dao heart, replayed all the events in her mind, and whispered:

“Rigidity cannot last, softness… cannot be maintained. Rigidity and softness complement each other, forming yin and yang.”

No sooner had she finished speaking than the Dharma Realm quietly manifested. Heaven blossoms fell, dharma sounds chimed, auspicious clouds flowed, and various phenomena appeared. She was entering a state of breakthrough! Cloud Rainbow Heavenly Venerate quickly made hand seals, cast a barrier sealing spell, and sealed her entire Dao Palace. It wasn’t time yet. No one must know she was breaking through! Cloud Rainbow Heavenly Venerate silently practiced her cultivation method, slowly adjusted all her strength, accumulated momentum, and quietly awaited the moment of breakthrough.

Meanwhile, at the far end of this ninety-nine-layered universe.

On a planet covered in ice.

Cloud Rainbow Heavenly Venerate’s five junior brothers and sisters had trapped a woman. The woman wore a red dress, had platinum blonde hair, eyes as pure as gems, and a gentle expression.

“Shah Telai, you’re about to die.”

One person said excitedly. The five of them had trapped the woman’s four servant divine beasts—the Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise. Achieving this was not easy; they even used an ancient demon-binding rope from the Dao Palace and spent a high price on immortal talismans to fully activate the rope’s power. The four divine beasts were only temporarily trapped. They had to seize the time to take down Shah Telai!

“You trap the divine beasts, I’ll kill her!” one of the five, the strongest Taoist, shouted. “Good!” everyone echoed. The Taoist priest grabbed a demon-subduing pestle from the void and pounced on Shah Telai. According to the intelligence they had, Shah Telai’s greatest strength was summoning divine beasts; once all the beasts were trapped, she would be passive. This was a good time to kill her! The Taoist priest arrived in an instant, wielding the demon-subduing pestle, creating thousands of afterimages, fracturing the very void. No matter if it was Shah Telai or anyone else, they would be pulverized by this move!

Thud—

A muffled sound.

The Taoist priest was kicked flying, and the demon-subduing pestle also fell heavily to the ground, making a “clank” sound. At the same time, the four trapped divine beasts suddenly all disappeared.

“What?”

“Are you alright, Senior Brother?”

“What just happened?”

Several people rushed over and helped up the Taoist priest. The Taoist, however, stared straight at Shah Telai, his eyes wide open, trembling all over.

“She—”

The Taoist uttered one word, but due to some emotion, he couldn’t continue. He had attacked thousands of times just now. But not once had he hit the opponent! What kind of skill, what kind of judgment, what kind of reaction was that? How could it be—wasn’t she a summoner? Why was her close combat ability so terrifying? Several people slowly realized, and together they looked at Shah Telai. Her platinum blonde hair had turned dark, her eyes emerald green, and her whole body radiated an indescribable mysterious aura.

“You want to kill Shah Telai?”

The woman’s tone changed, becoming increasingly cold and ruthless. At this moment, everyone felt an unprecedented chill in their hearts.

“You… are not Shah Telai.” A Taoist murmured.

“You mean Shah Telai?”

The woman slowly looked at the few of them, shook her head, and said:

“Shah Telai is thinking of her man and doesn’t have time to deal with you small fries. Speaking of which, just seeing me is your limit—you can’t even see Annie, let alone Shah Telai. Now, prepare to die.”

The woman walked towards them step by step. At this moment, the few of them subconsciously recalled the scene not long ago. In the Dao Palace above the dome, Senior Sister Yun Ni had said with a compassionate expression and gentle voice:

“I only considered our fellowship and didn’t want them to face death, which is why I accepted those missions.”

“If they resent me for this, it was not my original intention.”

Her words still echoed. So Senior Sister was truly thinking of them all along. But it was too late for regret.

…

Death Planet.

Xirang High School, Boy’s Dormitory.

Shen Ye squatted on a chair, solemnly placing several notebooks on the table. The strategy guide was done. He would notify Big Skeleton to come and get it later. He definitely had to sell it for a good price. As for now—the old man was also a master in the upper universe, so let him go and enjoy a few bowls of instant noodles.

Shen Ye flexed his aching wrist, stood up again, and re-entered the Dharma Body. Now, it was time to open the second sealed door. While he was in good condition, he aimed for excellent performance in all three door openings, so that after midnight, the dark green trait “Best Newcomer” could improve once more.

“Door.”

Shen Ye whispered. A door opened at the edge of darkness. After waiting for a while, there was no movement inside the door. Shen Ye activated “Time’s Frenzy,” pulled the door back, and peeked inside. The door was empty—nothing?

A line of faint glowing text quietly appeared:

“This is a powerful seal, ready, but temporarily no one is sealed within.”

Shen Ye was stunned for a moment, then suddenly realized. This was a good thing! He immediately placed his hand on the door, noting down the coordinates. —In the future, if he encountered particularly strong enemies, he could find an opportunity to throw them in. Problem solved! Now he had opened the door twice, with one more time left! Shen Ye closed the door. After the door disappeared, he pressed his hand into the void again and whispered:

“Door!”

The door reappeared. Click. The door opened. —Just like before, there was no movement inside the door. It couldn’t be empty again, could it! Shen Ye was about to check the situation inside the door when something rushed out of it, disappearing into the heavy darkness. In an instant, that thing immediately flew back, jumped into the door, and cursed furiously:

“Which black-hearted scoundrel dared to entrap this phoenix here!”

Phoenix? There’s a phoenix sealed here! Shen Ye immediately said: “Don’t get excited, who exactly are you?”

“I am the King of Ten Thousand Phoenixes!” the voice said.

“Okay, King of Ten Thousand Phoenixes, I only opened the seal to see what was inside; that was merely a protective measure,” Shen Ye explained.

“Little scumbag, hurry up and let me out, or I’ll kill you in minutes!” the voice said.

Shen Ye’s temper immediately flared. Even the old man had learned to speak properly after witnessing the destructive power of the Immortal Kingdom. What did you mean by continuously cursing? “Hey, I wasn’t targeting you. Why is your mouth so foul?” Shen Ye asked, annoyed. After a few seconds, a sobbing sound came from inside the door. “Don’t blame me, this is a sickness, and I can’t help it.”

Sickness?

Shen Ye’s anger subsided. If it wasn’t intentional cursing, there was nothing to dwell on. “Hey, what kind of sickness do you have that makes you curse?” he asked.

“I can’t help it. As long as a living thing talks to me, my mouth gets this foul.”

“—And if I curse too much, you’ll break down, and if I keep cursing, you’ll get hurt, and eventually, I’ll curse you to death.”

This won’t do! And it seemed that the other party couldn’t control their cursing. This gave Shen Ye a familiar feeling. He placed his hand on the door and immediately activated “Time’s Frenzy.” All the commotion inside the door immediately ceased. He then stepped forward, pulled the door back from the edge of darkness, continued to activate “Time’s Frenzy,” and looked inside. A majestic rooster stood within the sealed land. However, its comb was drooping, not at all stiff, and its eyes were red, as if it had just cried. …It was a rooster. So in the multiverse, a rooster is the King of Ten Thousand Phoenixes? Never heard of it!

Shen Ye immediately pulled out two phones. He tethered one, connected the other, then threw it into the sealed area and repositioned the door. Cancel “Time’s Frenzy”! “Hey, pick up the phone, let’s video call.” Shen Ye held the phone and initiated a video call. “You’re quite clever, aren’t you? This way, I’m facing this inanimate object, so I can’t curse,” the rooster said.

The video call connected. A large rooster appeared on Shen Ye’s phone screen. “Brother, may I ask your name?” the rooster asked. “I’m Shen Ye, a human—and you?” Shen Ye said. “I am the King of Ten Thousand Phoenixes, named Ren, titled Shen. You may call me Ren Shen.” The rooster said proudly. “Good name!” Shen Ye gave a thumbs-up, praising it. Ghost. Ren Shen Rooster. Which means “personal attack” in Chinese wordplay. You were born to do this, right? “Brother Ren Shen, why were you sealed?” Shen Ye asked. “Eighty thousand years ago, I was the phoenix lord immune to all poisons, specializing in testing drugs for various powers, earning generous rewards every time,” the rooster said.

Shen Ye already had a bad feeling and asked:

“And then what?”

The rooster sighed and said: “Then one day, a civilization from the highest layer of the universe refined the legendary Reincarnation Heavenly Pill, but couldn’t figure out its properties. They invited me to test the drug…”

Shen Ye suddenly realized. He knew this much too well. —The expired Reincarnation Heavenly Pill was a trap! Mogahou had fallen for it. But—Mogahou didn’t have the ability to curse people to death! “How many Reincarnation Heavenly Pills did you take?” Shen Ye asked. “How many? I damn well ate them for three years! Three years, do you know what I went through?” The rooster excitedly chattered on: “My body became like a rooster, no longer having the beauty of a phoenix, and my power also underwent a decisive change, becoming this hated and reviled state. Three years! Why did you eat them for three years? If you found something wrong, shouldn’t you have stopped immediately?” Shen Ye couldn’t help but ask. The rooster said: “It was my greed. The Reincarnation Heavenly Pill was too potent; it helped me elevate several realms, so…”

“So?”

“I kept madly consuming the Reincarnation Heavenly Pills, which filled my entire body with their power. You could say, I am the epitome of the Reincarnation Heavenly Pills.”

“Everyone wanted to eat me.”

“Even the phoenix clan betrayed me—they also believed that eating me could raise their power by several levels.”

“Under that betrayal, I sealed myself away, so no one could find me.”

“I cultivated diligently, spending ten thousand years to control the medicinal power.”

“Now no one can detect my power.”

“However—”

“The seal I set up then used all my treasures, and its effect was too strong, I couldn’t get out!”

“So I’ve been sealed here for tens of thousands of years.”

It let out a sad cry. Shen Ye listened silently, and his expression grew serious as he fell into contemplation. What to do? It was a bit tricky. He wondered if stewing it into chicken soup could extract its medicinal power. If not, maybe just roast it. Braised chicken pieces. “Brother, you wouldn’t be thinking of eating me, would you?” The Ren Shen rooster tilted its head, watching Shen Ye with one eye, looking somewhat wary. Shen Ye immediately said: “I swear, brother, I’ve never eaten a phoenix in my life, please believe that.” “Is that so? That’s alright then,” the Ren Shen rooster sighed in relief.

Shen Ye began to re-evaluate the situation. How to deal with it? Actually, beggar’s chicken wasn’t out of the question. Speaking of which, you can’t just take it out to play; if you casually insult people or launch personal attacks, our side will be wiped out. “Esteemed Ren Shen, it was a pleasure meeting you. Let’s part ways now; the phone is yours. Goodbye.” Shen Ye said. He reached out to close the door. “Wait a minute!” The Ren Shen rooster cried out in a panic. “Is there anything else?” Shen Ye asked. “Can you let me out, please?” the Ren Shen rooster pleaded. “But Brother Rooster, you can’t control your mouth. If you come out, it will cause chaos in the world—I love peace, and I don’t want to be an accomplice!” Shen Ye said sincerely. If you insist on coming out—sesame oil chicken? Boiled chicken? Recently, I’ve been craving strong flavors, so spicy chicken isn’t out of the question either.

“I just want to get out and breathe some fresh air, and I promise not to curse—I have a way to handle this.” The Ren Shen rooster said. “What way?” Shen Ye asked, curious. “Watch this.” The rooster placed the phone in the corner, stepped back a few paces, jumped up, and spun its body. With a soft “snap,” the Ren Shen rooster turned into a feather duster! “Brother, when I turn into an object, I won’t curse anymore.” “—If you’re worried, I’ll make a contract with you, as long as you carry me!” “I really don’t want to stay in this seal anymore, please!” The feather duster let out a series of sobs. It cried so much that Shen Ye’s heart softened. “I’ve never seen anyone carrying a feather duster around. Can you turn into something else?” Shen Ye asked, arms crossed. “Yes!” With a “snap,” the feather duster turned into a fan woven from colorful feathers. Shen Ye looked at the fan on the screen. Lines of faint glowing text appeared on the fan:

“King Phoenix Fan.”

“Wondrous Item, unique.”

“Description: One flap breaks defenses, two flaps injure the body, three flaps kill.”

“—It’s true!”