Gates of the Myriad Realms Chapter 393

Chapter 376: The Intention of the Penglai Mountain Lord!

A man was crouching inside the alchemy furnace.

Two people stood outside the furnace.

All three remained still.

—What now?

With a warm and soft jade in his arms, the Heart Devil didn’t know what to do next.

Shen Ye looked towards the furnace, only to see a pair of resentful and cold eyes flash past.

That Elder Fuyun!

He had witnessed the beautiful Mountain Lord embracing his Heart Devil, and now he must be filled with hatred!

Damn it.

Shen Ye cursed silently.

Before the great calamity descended, he absolutely could not let the female Mountain Lord restrain his Heart Devil and seal him in the alchemy furnace alongside Elder Fuyun.

If that happened, wouldn’t the Heart Devil surely die?

But—

He would die just the same outside.

According to historical records, all disciples below the twelfth realm of the Dharma world perished.

—He couldn’t engage in combat either.

What to do?

Shen Ye composed himself, silently chanted, “Peace, not strife,” and then spoke:

“Is that Elder Fuyun in the alchemy furnace? I’ve already put the last incident behind me. Please leave and don’t linger.”

The Heart Devil repeated the words.

The stunning Mountain Lord suddenly turned her head and glanced inside the alchemy furnace.

“You two—have a grudge?”

She asked with some difficulty.

Shen Ye quickly waved his hand, then wrote the character “白” (white/innocent) on his face, his voice wavering:

“I suspect the Elder didn’t do it intentionally; it’s just that his strength is so great that anything he casually does can be overwhelming for newcomers like us.”

“—Mountain Lord, please don’t take it to heart. I stopped blaming him a long time ago.”

The Heart Devil was much smarter this time. His face instantly paled, and he said, aggrieved:

“Mountain Lord, please don’t take it to heart. I stopped blaming him a long time ago.”

“—I suspect the Elder didn’t do it intentionally; it’s just that his strength is so great that anything he casually does can be overwhelming for newcomers like us.”

Elder Fuyun leaped out of the alchemy furnace and sneered, “I don’t recall ever harming you.”

The beautiful Mountain Lord looked at him, then at the Heart Devil.

Shen Ye forced a smile, made a grasping motion with his hand, lowered his head, and trembled, “You’re right, there really wasn’t any.”

The Heart Devil barely managed a smile, his hand unconsciously clutching the beautiful Mountain Lord’s soft hand, and he tried his best to speak in a calm voice:

“You’re right, there really wasn’t any.”

He then lowered his head in dismay.

Silence fell in the alchemy room.

Both men said it was nothing.

—Was it truly nothing, or was it a pretense?

If it was truly nothing, then so be it.

But what if it was something?

Look at the aggrieved expression of that little wolfdog, Shen Ye—

Did they really think people were fools who couldn’t see any problems?

Elder Fuyun was at the nineteenth level of the Dharma Realm; even a little force in his words could harm the little wolfdog.

Whether intentional or not, they couldn’t be left together.

The Mountain Lord gradually formed a plan in her mind.

Just as she was about to speak, the Heart Devil picked her up.

“Get in the alchemy furnace.”

Shen Ye said.

The Heart Devil raised an eyebrow at him.

No—

You were just teasing a moment ago, and now you’re lustful?

Without time to think, he held her, walked to the alchemy furnace, and gently jumped in.

“Sister Mountain Lord, you’re safe here. I’ll handle the danger outside. It doesn’t matter if I die; Elder Fuyun is stronger, and he can protect you too.”

Shen Ye said, channeling the Heart Devil.

After speaking, the Heart Devil was about to leap out of the alchemy furnace but was pulled back by the Mountain Lord.

The stunning woman smiled and pressed a hand on him.

The Heart Devil was rendered immobile.

“As a disciple of the seventh level of the Dharma Realm, you will almost certainly not survive the impending great calamity.”

“And I must preside over the calamity response for Penglai Immortal Mountain; this concerns the survival of the sect.”

“—We’ll meet again after the calamity.”

“Shen Lang.”

As her voice faded, the stunning woman flew out of the alchemy furnace.

Soon after.

Elder Fuyun also fell into the alchemy furnace.

He too seemed to have his strength sealed, standing motionless opposite the Heart Devil, eyes closed, seemingly in a coma.

Neither could move.

Thump.

The alchemy furnace was sealed.

Inside the furnace, only the spiritual light tracing the runes emitted a faint glow.

A deathly silence.

Shen Ye suddenly exhaled, feeling completely relaxed.

It was too difficult.

Fate’s settings were unchangeable, such as that one—

“The Mountain Lord loves two men.”

Everything he did wasn’t about fighting or winning against the other, because that was impossible.

The only thing he could do was remind the Mountain Lord to ensure her own safety.

Survive!

For the sake of living, what were a few soft words?

wωw ⊕тt kan ⊕C〇

“Oh? I can move!”

The Heart Devil suddenly regained his freedom of movement and leaped up happily.

Shen Ye immediately looked across.

He saw that Elder Fuyun remained motionless and unconscious.

—This was the countermeasure the Penglai Mountain Lord had prepared beforehand.

“Hahaha, now you’re the one trapped.”

The Heart Devil laughed loudly, brimming with satisfaction.

He casually drew a blade and approached Elder Fuyun.

“What are you doing?”

Shen Ye asked coldly.

“What am I doing? Guess!” the Heart Devil said through gritted teeth, his blade already raised.

“Wait!” Shen Ye suddenly transmitted his voice.

The blade the Heart Devil had just raised paused, and he explained:

“Before my rebirth, he tortured me for many days and even chopped off my head!”

“If you don’t want him to kill you a second time, then do as I say—remember, if he kills you again, I won’t be able to revive you.” Shen Ye said.

“I want revenge!” the Heart Devil roared.

“If you make a move, you will surely die, but I will still be alive.” Shen Ye said coldly.

The Heart Devil’s blade couldn’t go through.

“…You’re the Heart Devil, right?” he said, glaring angrily at Shen Ye.

“This is a trap delivered to your doorstep; don’t fall for it.” Shen Ye said.

“A trap?”

“Think carefully: once you make a move, what would your fate be if the destiny setting suddenly changed to ‘he woke up and broke free from the Mountain Lord’s restraints’?”

“Hiss—”

The Heart Devil gasped, silently sheathing his blade.

The next second.

That majestic voice sounded again:

“The great calamity is approaching.”

“Although the alchemy furnace is stable, it continues to tumble amid the calamity.”

“Elder Fuyun crashed against the inner wall of the alchemy furnace, inadvertently breaking the Penglai Mountain Lord’s restraints and regaining his freedom.”

Outside the alchemy furnace, thunderous roars immediately resounded.

The great calamity had begun!

The furnace was struck by an extremely powerful force, causing it to tumble through the air, and after a few breaths, it crashed against the hard mountain, emitting a deafening sound.

The two inside the furnace were thrown off balance.

Elder Fuyun was struck a few times and slowly opened his eyes.

“It’s over, he’s awake, what do we do?!”

The Heart Devil asked in despair.

Shen Ye, however, was looking at the small characters in mid-air:

“The setting of fate has been additionally appended and become increasingly strained, thus you have been granted an opportunity for an additional setting.”

“You must not alter any of the other party’s fate settings!”

“No more than three characters!”

“You have five seconds to complete the setting; it will expire if you are late!”

Three words!

—It was getting stricter and stricter.

How could he possibly avoid the Heart Devil’s death?

There was no time to think. Shen Ye shouted three words at the top of his lungs:

“He—hates—her—”

Time’s up!

Elder Fuyun was a man with a long beard, a foxy face, and bright, piercing eyes, exuding the charm of a mature man in his every gesture.

He regained his freedom, stretched slightly, then retreated and fixed his gaze on Shen Ye’s Heart Devil.

“I was unconscious just now,” he said.

“Yes,” the Heart Devil replied.

“You didn’t kill me?” he asked.

The Heart Devil recalled the situation earlier, his mouth twitching.

—Good thing he didn’t make a move.

At this moment, Shen Ye spoke:

“We have no grudges against each other.”

The Heart Devil repeated the sentence.

“But you just told her that I hurt you,” the Elder sneered.

“That was for self-preservation—you ask yourself, if I were restrained by the Mountain Lord and then thrown into the alchemy furnace, how would you treat me?” Shen Ye said.

In fact, in the original history, he had already made a move.

If Shen Ye hadn’t added the “rebirth” setting, the Heart Devil would have long since vanished into thin air.

The Heart Devil repeated it.

The Elder listened, fell into thought, and remained silent for a moment.

If that were truly the case…

He would definitely make a move.

So, the other party was truly acting in self-preservation?

The image of that woman floated in his mind, and for no reason, a surge of hatred welled up in the Elder’s heart.

For a woman like her, I even had the thought of killing a fellow disciple!

…My Dao heart has been distorted.

Yet she still brazenly put me and him together.

Who is she humiliating?

Perhaps she regards us as merely her male concubines?

A surge of hatred welled up in the Elder’s heart.

“Elder, after the great calamity, what are your plans?” the Heart Devil asked, following Shen Ye.

“You, a newly initiation disciple, dare to inquire about my affairs?”

“Boys helping boys.”

“Hmph, what about you? What are your plans?”

“I plan to withdraw from the sect.”

“Why?” the Elder asked, surprised.

“The Mountain Lord clearly likes you, but also says she likes me, and even locked the two of us together—”

“What exactly are we? Are we her male companions?”

“Elder, I feel her heart is insincere, that she’s playing with our feelings.”

“If I’m still alive after the great calamity, I will leave the sect.”

After saying that.

The Elder couldn’t help but nod repeatedly, even feeling a sense of satisfaction in his heart.

This kid is good.

He had the chance just now, but he didn’t think of killing him, which was much stronger than himself.

And he realized it immediately.

Our feelings were all being toyed with.

When he leaves, I’ll leave too!

—He was already eager to see that woman’s expression.

The Elder sized up Shen Ye’s Heart Devil and said, “While we’re still relatively safe, if you have any doubts about your cultivation, you can ask them, and I’ll give you some guidance.”

“Really?” The Heart Devil couldn’t believe it.

“Just as you said, male cultivators help male cultivators,” the Elder said with certainty.

—The stronger and more famous he becomes, the more that woman will regret it!

The Heart Devil subtly glanced at Shen Ye.

What to say now?

Shen Ye didn’t expect such a gain and couldn’t help but scratch his head.

This elder should be an ancient upper-realm cosmic being.

At this moment, he was projected by the Heart Devil technique, and perhaps he could answer some questions, but Shen Ye didn’t have much to ask.

As for knowledge about Dao scriptures, he could just ask the battle guidance master.

Right—

Dao scriptures.

Dao scriptures!!!

“I do indeed have a question, and I wonder if the Elder can enlighten me,” Shen Ye said.

“Speak,” the Elder replied indifferently.

The Heart Devil followed Shen Ye and said:

“I have cultivated the Tai Shang Wang Qing Yu Hua Fei Sheng Jing, and through Heart Devil, I have learned all the skills of the seventh realm of the Dharma world in the cosmos, and can even integrate them, but I am still caught in ‘Heart Devil Combat’ by other people’s Heart Devils, unable to escape—”

“May I ask if the Elder has any solution?”

Upon hearing this, the Elder suddenly laughed and shook his head, saying, “What good is it to learn a bunch of trash skills, even if you can integrate them?”

Shen Ye froze, then said unwillingly, “But I integrated them and created an unrivaled skill.”

“So what?” The Elder patiently taught, “We have an old saying, which you must always remember.”

“Please enlighten me.”

“The dragon holds the sea pearl, but the swimming fish ignores it—if you’re going to learn, learn a mythical-level skill. A myriad of other-level skills can’t compare to one mythical-level skill!” the Elder said.

Shen Ye was speechless.

The Elder continued:

“As for the method—”

“Cultivating the Tai Shang Wang Qing Yu Hua Fei Sheng Jing, combined with the sect’s sacred traces, can integrate skills and Heart Devils, transforming them into mythical-legendary skills and achieving an unrivaled profession.”

“This is the true inheritor of my Penglai!”

Shen Ye’s heart pounded.

He said to cooperate with the sect’s sacred traces?

Could it be—

Penglai Immortal Mountain was precisely the sect that possessed the Tai Shang Wang Qing Yu Hua Fei Sheng Jing countless years ago?

Upon reflection.

The appearance of Heart Devil battles on Penglai Immortal Mountain, rather than any other sect, also seemed to point to this answer.

“What is an unrivaled profession?” Shen Ye asked.

A glimmer of longing appeared in the Elder’s eyes, and he softly said:

“Those are truly unique professions, capable of killing enemies across realms, truly free in myriad universes, unafraid of calamities, and achieving eternal life!”

Shen Ye remained silent, countless memories flashing through his mind.

At this moment.

He suddenly remembered the noon when Xu Xingke and he first met.

They ate together.

Xu Xingke also urged him to seek truly powerful professions.

And—

His former profession: Lord of Non-Life.

Simply with the first-realm skill “Mirroring My Existence,” he stood his ground against various enemies.

Yes.

Profession was the most important!

The alchemy furnace continued to shake, seemingly hitting something again, emitting a deafening hum.

The two inside the furnace tumbled around, both trying to avoid each other.

When the shaking and collisions stopped, they hadn’t hit each other once.

The Elder continued:

“To escape from ‘Heart Devil Combat,’ you must defeat the other party’s fate setting three times in a row, keeping the Heart Devil alive.”

Shen Ye was slightly startled, then immediately realized.

With “The sect master loves me,” “I was reborn,” and “He hates her,” he had already won three times in a row!

The Heart Devil was also alive.

“And then? What should I do then?” Shen Ye quickly pressed.

“Is there a big difference in your strength? I mean, in the realm of cultivating the Dao scriptures?” the Elder asked.

“Very big,” Shen Ye said.

“That’s troublesome. In this situation, the difficulty of the fate setting battle is extremely high. When the enemy issues the fourth fate setting, you must embed your own fate setting!”

“You mean—”

“Interrupting! You can only change the passive situation by interrupting, by breaking the opponent’s fate setting.”

“Remember, the situation will be very perilous, and you probably only have one chance to turn the tables.”

“Once you achieve this, the Heart Devil Combat will disintegrate.”

As the Elder explained, small glowing characters appeared before Shen Ye’s eyes:

“Based on the opponent’s hint, the following explanation is provided.”

“When the next fate setting is activated, you can seize the right to speak, thus changing the situation and causing the Heart Devil Combat to disintegrate.”

“You need to pay attention to three points:”

“1. The initial three fate setting conditions cannot be changed.”

“2. There is no time for hesitation or thought; you must interrupt immediately.”

“3. The fate setting phrase you can utter cannot exceed 2 characters.”

“—You only have one chance to turn the tables!”

All the small characters vanished.

Shen Ye fell into deep thought.

The number of characters he could say was decreasing.

If he didn’t counterattack immediately, he would lose the chance to change the situation later.

But how to do it?

As he pondered, all movement outside gradually ceased.

That majestic voice sounded again:

“During the great calamity, the Penglai Mountain Lord watched helplessly as many disciples and elders died before her eyes.”

“She remembered the two men she had hidden away.”

“If a man has no strength, how can he be called a man? So she eventually gave up on you and fell in love with Elder Fuyun.”

“To prove her love to Elder Fuyun, she took advantage of the quiet period during the calamity, returned to the alchemy furnace, and released you two.”

Shen Ye had been listening, but he hadn’t found an opportunity to interrupt.

At this moment, a magical sound came from outside the alchemy furnace.

—The Mountain Lord was opening the alchemy furnace.

And then?

What would she do?

This was not good!

He only had two characters, and he hadn’t found a suitable opportunity until now.

If he couldn’t insert himself into the opponent’s fate setting—

Everything would be over!

At this moment, the majestic voice sounded again, carrying a hint of mockery:

“Unfortunately, under your influence, Elder Fuyun no longer loves her; in fact, he greatly resents her.”

“To win back Elder Fuyun’s heart, she harshly struck you with a palm.”

“In this process, she finally discovered that only your death could prove that her love was solely for Elder Fuyun, and not for you!”

The majestic voice became filled with killing intent, as if pronouncing the Heart Devil’s fate:

“—What method would be best to kill you?”

“No, let’s torture you first.”

“Torturing you can make Elder Fuyun clearly see her true feelings!”

“You endured endless torture, your whole body covered in shocking wounds, so much so that it seemed a single casual blow could end your life.”

The majestic voice slowly narrated the entire process, its tone continuous and captivating, slightly slow, as if the entire event had reached its end, and this end was filled with content worthy of appreciation and admiration.

“It’s time.”

“She summoned a dozen weapons from the void, contemplating which one would be best to kill you.”

“Looking at you, dying on the ground, she finally made up her mind and began—”

Shen Ye’s entire body glowed with flames, and he suddenly spoke, shouting loudly:

“Regret!”

An invisible ripple emanated from Shen Ye, silently merging into the void.

In the ethereal realm, something inexpressible changed.

It was interrupted!

The sudden two words interrupted the opponent’s fate setting, and even embedded into it!

The majestic voice no longer sounded.

Boom—

The alchemy furnace opened.

A graceful female voice came from outside:

“The great calamity has temporarily receded. Come out for some fresh air; I have something to tell you.”

The Penglai Mountain Lord!

Elder Fuyun and Shen Ye’s Heart Devil exchanged glances.

“I’m leaving the sect right now.”

Shen Ye and the Heart Devil said.

The Elder shook his head and advised, “There’s no need to rush. It’ll be safer to leave after the great calamity.”

After speaking, he soared out of the alchemy furnace.

Shen Ye and the Heart Devil also flew out, landing in the room outside.

The Mountain Lord’s gaze shifted between the two of them.

“If a man has no strength, how can he be called a man—Shen Ye, you may leave. My heart belongs to him.”

The Mountain Lord sighed and said.

“Good!” Shen Ye and the Heart Devil immediately walked out.

“Wait!” Elder Fuyun frowned.

Shen Ye and the Heart Devil were held in place by his ethereal pressure.

“I forgot to tell you earlier, but there’s absolutely no possibility between us, Mountain Lord. Please respect yourself in the future.”

“I’m leaving.”

“As for Shen Ye—his power is too low, it’s better to keep him in the alchemy furnace to avoid the great calamity.”

Elder Fuyun finished speaking and turned to leave.

“Wait a moment!” The Mountain Lord frowned.

She pressed a hand, and Elder Fuyun was also held in place from a distance, unable to move.

“Do you think I’m two-timing? No, I’ve already realized my true feelings. I only love you. He was just a fleeting fancy!”

The Mountain Lord said seriously.

“Mountain Lord, I have made up my mind; feelings cannot be forced,” Elder Fuyun said.

The Mountain Lord immediately grew anxious, waving her hand and striking the Heart Devil with a palm through the air.

The Heart Devil spat out a mouthful of blood, flew backward, rolled on the ground, and couldn’t move.

“If I kill him, you’ll love me, won’t you?”

The Mountain Lord spoke, as if deranged.

“No—” Elder Fuyun’s expression changed, “Don’t harm him!”

“Look, I can absolutely strike him down. My heart is only for you!” the Mountain Lord said again.

Spiritual light transformed into a long whip, lashing the Heart Devil.

“Look!”

“I have no feelings for him whatsoever!”

Whip after whip.

The Heart Devil was whipped until his whole body was covered in blood.

“You treat a sect disciple this way? I truly misjudged you,” Elder Fuyun said coldly.

The Mountain Lord became even more agitated, waving her hand, and various weapons instantly appeared in the void.

She strode towards Shen Ye, saying excitedly:

“What will it take for you to believe that I only love you?”

“—Look, I’ll kill him!”

She casually grabbed a long sword, lifted it high, then her gaze fell upon Shen Ye’s Heart Devil.

Her hand paused.

The Mountain Lord looked at the bloodied youth, her heart greatly shaken.

—He was just an innocent youth.

Even if she didn’t like him, could she torment and kill him like this?

The Mountain Lord looked at Elder Fuyun.

But his eyes were icy cold, filled with disgust and hatred.

Clang!

The long sword fell to the ground.

“You may leave,” the Mountain Lord said softly, her voice filled with sorrow.

“Will you kill him?” Elder Fuyun asked.

“No, I won’t.”

“Hmm, take care of yourself.” Elder Fuyun said and turned to leave the alchemy room.

Shen Ye squatted beside the Heart Devil, resting his chin on his hands, carefully observing the unfolding situation.

Outside, earth-shattering rumbles echoed.

—After a brief respite, the great calamity seemed to descend once again!

“Faint.”

Shen Ye decided.

“Pretend to faint?” the Heart Devil transmitted.

“The other party is a Grand Cultivator; a fake faint won’t fool them. It has to be a genuine faint!” Shen Ye said.

The Heart Devil reversed his cultivation technique, immediately tilted his head, and fell unconscious.

The Mountain Lord, seeing him unconscious, and sensing the situation outside, couldn’t help but sigh.

“Alas, you might as well stay in the alchemy furnace…”

“At least you’ll save your life.”

She carried Shen Ye’s Heart Devil and gently placed him in the alchemy furnace.

The Heart Devil remained unconscious.

The Mountain Lord carefully examined him, then stood up, exited the alchemy furnace, and stood outside, releasing hand seals to close the furnace.

Continuous rumbling sounds came from outside.

The earth shook violently.

The room swayed back and forth, seemingly on the verge of collapse.

Yet, the Mountain Lord stood motionless, as if in a daze.

What was she doing?

Shen Ye grew vigilant.

Everything was already over, so why was she still guarding here?

Was she waiting for the next fate setting?

No!

According to Elder Fuyun, he had broken the opponent’s fate setting, so this Heart Devil Combat should have disintegrated!

Why was this scene from the past era still here?

Suddenly.

“After expending the sect’s entire magical power, I finally managed to grasp a Heart Devil battle in the future timeline.”

The Mountain Lord let out a long sigh.

Her entire being seemed to transform, exuding an ancient, weathered aura, her exquisite beauty even more pronounced than before.

It was as if—

At this moment, she was truly a living person.

The Mountain Lord clasped her hands together, releasing streams of colorful light.

Streaks of divine light flew from her hands, rapidly spreading across the floor, walls, and ceiling.

And her tone had become completely different from before:

“Don’t worry, this place is completely isolated. Even your opponent won’t know what happened at this moment.”

She turned her head and looked at Shen Ye.

Shen Ye was stunned.

What?

She—

She could see me?

What was everything that just happened?

The Penglai Mountain Lord spoke:

“I played out a whole act just to determine who among you I should care about.”

She looked at Shen Ye and continued:

“—Since you possess a Heart Devil and your Dharma Body has a rule of transformation bestowed by the sacred trace, it proves that you are the true inheritor of my Penglai Mountain.”

The Mountain Lord clapped the alchemy furnace from a distance.

A small opening immediately appeared on the outer wall of the alchemy furnace.

The Mountain Lord placed a jade slip into the opening, pressed it firmly, and the opening immediately closed again.

From the outside, the surface of the alchemy furnace was perfectly seamless, with no hidden compartments visible.

The Mountain Lord’s expression was serious as she said:

“Listen, you need to go into the sacred trace, find the alchemy furnace, and retrieve this jade slip.”

“It contains the secret scriptures of the Tai Shang Wang Qing Yu Hua Fei Sheng Jing, and it is the true inheritance of my Penglai Mountain. I entrust it to you here, in this illusory realm of Heart Devils.”

“Remember, remember.”

As her voice faded.

The Mountain Lord retracted her hand seals.

The colorful lights that enveloped the entire alchemy furnace all extinguished.

In an instant.

All anomalies vanished.

Shen Ye opened his eyes and found himself still standing in the room.

The Heart Devil Combat was over.

This was Panlong Town.

He was a disciple of the Tai Shang Dao Palace, on a patrol mission for several days in Panlong Town.