Chapter 218: First Probe of the Nether Gate

As immortal light illuminated the night sky, the Nether Gate emerged.

That night, almost half of the Hua Republic experienced a mild tremor. Just as Mou Yue had said, aside from the area near Mount Pingdu suffering serious damage, the surrounding regions remained unharmed. The incident had not caused many casualties either, which could only be described as a stroke of luck amid misfortune.

The Nether Gate should have been three hundred

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underground, yet it was now right behind Mount Pingdu. The surrounding terrain barely changed, but within a three-hundred-meter radius of it, all electronic equipment became unusable. It was as if some unknown force field were interfering with them.

Measurements revealed that the gate was thirty-three meters tall and thirty-three meters wide. If not for the gray mist shrouding it, it would have looked like a simple stone archway standing silently in the mountain hollow behind Mount Pingdu.

Like a portal, all things sent into the Nether Gate vanished without a trace, be they living or non-living. Moreover, despite the burst of immortal light and the gate's sudden appearance, the female corpse's location remained unknown.

Still, despite one mystery following another, the authorities responded swiftly. Heavy forces were stationed around the Nether Gate, and all online news was moderated to ensure it only mentioned an earthquake near Mount Pingdu the previous night.

Several experts from Daoist sects had already been summoned to the area. Research teams, Special Warfare Unit squads, and modern armored vehicles were deployed within the shortest time possible.

***

6:00 PM, in the villa's living room.

Crunches echoed one after another, like vengeful ghosts gnawing on fresh bones.

"Little Xuanxuan, do we still have the cucumber-flavored chips? Toss me a bag; I just finished mine."

"

Mm, mm!

"

Whoosh~

A large bag of chips, bought online for seven yuan and eighty cents, flew over Wang Sheng's head and landed in a pair of greasy little hands. The bag was mercilessly torn open, and the loud, rhythmic crunching returned.

On the living room's projector screen was a live broadcast of Mount Pingdu, streamed directly from the Special Investigation Unit's temporary command post at the frontlines. Since this kind of channel was typically reserved for the high-ranking officials of the Hua Republic, they had to use Chi Ling's credentials.

Xi Lian, the rightful holder of the access, lounged lazily on the main sofa, surrounded by boxes of preserved fruit and a fizzy drink. She hugged the bag of chips that had flown into her hands and munched away happily, looking as though she had fully settled into the role of a spectator.

Mu Wanxuan sat cross-legged on the sofa to the left, surrounded by bags of snacks. Unlike the half-immortal fox, who had completely let herself go, she always ate gracefully since she wanted to reduce the amount of cleaning that Wang Sheng had to do afterward.

Wang Sheng sat on the carpet in front of the sofa, his brow furrowed in deep thought. He kept wondering what had caused the unexpected situation. In his past life, he had never heard of anything about the Nether Gate. Even after digging through his memories, he couldn't recall any earthquake near Mount Pingdu around this time.

Considering Mount Pingdu was home to Youdu Ghost City, an event involving immortal light and a quake couldn't possibly go unnoticed. If something this major had occurred in his past life, the online cultivation circles would have talked about it even if the government had blocked the news completely. He would have at least remembered hearing something.

It seemed the knowledge from his past life had become useless.

The Yin-Yang All-Creation Sect, which should have stirred up trouble for five or six years, had been suppressed after only two or three years. Moreover, the Nether Gate at Mount Pingdu was clearly tied to the female corpse.

There could still be a series of major events ahead that he truly knew nothing about. Hence, he made up his mind to stop relying on what he had known in his past life to avoid misjudging the situation at hand.

Soon, they heard an elder issue a command.

「Prepare for the fifteenth live test.」

The screen shifted to the area in front of the Nether Gate, where several lab-coated staff members slowly approached the mist. They stopped ten meters away.

Those who had walked closer than that distance had experienced dizziness, ringing in the ears, nausea, and vomiting. After stepping back, though, they quickly returned to normal.

The research team from the Cultivation Research Institute conducted a series of experiments. On-screen, more lab-coated personnel appeared from time to time, reporting in scientific terms that Wang Sheng and the others couldn't understand.

Wang Sheng could only grasp the basic idea of it. Apparently, the magnetic and gravitational fields in the area were showing unusual changes. Moreover, the gravitational acceleration here seemed weaker.

It didn't matter much, though.

In one experiment, a heavy object was tied with special rope and thrown into the Nether Gate. The rope was cleanly severed, as if sliced by a sharp blade. In another test, sparrows in cages were sent in, but the cages just vanished along with the birds. Although the cages had self-disintegrating mechanisms, none of the birds ever flew back. They threw in several more cages afterward, but not even a single feather came out.

The atmosphere grew heavier. A voice off-screen suggested sending soldiers from the Special Warfare Unit inside to investigate, but the idea was immediately rejected.

「Under these conditions, sending people in would be no different from sending them to their deaths. We have to first confirm what's inside and take the appropriate precautions before attempting live human tests.」

「Some sacrifices are unavoidable in a situation like this.」

As several senior members of the Research Institute began to argue. The screen switched to another feed, showing over a dozen white-haired Daoist elders.

A staff member from the Special Investigation Unit issued a reminder.

「Daoist masters, we're on camera now. The higher-ups are watching.」

One of the elders said in a deep tone, 「Whoever steps through the Nether Gate... will find themselves in the land of the dead.」

Another added, 「Leaders, according to the texts passed down through our Celestial Master Sect, the Nether Gate is the only doorway between Earth and the Small Nether Realm. This gate should be located three hundred

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beneath Mount Pingdu, protected by a grand array. In ancient times, ghost soldiers guarded it.

「It was the sole entrance for ghost envoys moving between realms. When the Nether Realm wasn't sealed, spirits could enter it through local City God Temples. But to exit, they had to pass through the Nether Gate. Something must have changed for it to surface. The female corpse is most likely guiding us.」

From off-screen, Chi Ling asked,「Can Golden Core Realm cultivators enter the Nether Gate?」

「I am willing to try,」the old Celestial Master replied, then sighed. 「Our biggest worry now is whether any monsters or ghosts will come out of the gate. If no one goes in to see what's inside, we'll never be at ease.」

Another elder quickly said, 「We are willing to accompany the Celestial Master.」

At once, over ten elders volunteered to enter the gate as well.

"Big Sister, can Golden Core Realm cultivators go into the Small Nether Realm?" Wang Sheng asked.

"A thousand years ago, ghost soldiers heavily guarded the Nether Gate. A Golden Core Realm cultivator wouldn't even have made it close," Xi Lian replied. "Now? I'm not sure. Since the gate is wide open and no one is stopping them, a reasonably capable Golden Core Realm cultivator should be able to resist the ghostly aura."

She yawned lazily, then added, "Those modern cultivators are surprisingly decent. They're starting to look like real teachers."

Wang Sheng fell into thought. He wondered if Xi Lian could be persuaded to go in herself.

Maybe she'll uncover something important.

Among the three individuals in the villa, the one with the lowest cultivation realm worried the most.

"Hey, Little Fei Yu," Xi Lian casually called. "You really don't think we should help? The Nether Gate showing up in the world of the living... must mean something serious."

Wang Sheng was just about to respond when Chi Ling said,「I have discussed this with the others. If you are willing to volunteer, Daoist masters, that would be ideal. However, we don't have to send you all in at once. We suggest just four.」

「The Celestial Master and several sect masters carry great responsibility. Why not let us few carefree old men go instead?」another elder suggested.

「Very well.」

「Alright!」

Soon, four elders were selected to explore the Nether Gate. Each was from a different Daoist lineage.

The research institute promptly delivered equipment, and a recording device was strapped to the elders. Although the devices didn't work near the gate, the researchers suspected they would function once inside.

Minutes later, in front of countless watchful eyes, the four elders unleashed their enchanted power and stepped forward together. As they entered the ten-meter radius, the gray aura surrounding the gate began swirling faster, as if trying to repel them. However, the resistance wasn't too strong.

Five meters...

Three meters...

Two meters!

「Go!」

The four Daoist elders dashed forward, vanishing into thin air.

Other than a faint ripple of primal qi, there were no other signs or anomalies.

The area around the Nether Gate fell completely silent. Only the faintly blowing winds could be heard. The thick clouds overhead showed no sign of parting, and sunlight still could not reach the eerie place.

Ten seconds passed. Then twenty.

After half a minute, every cultivator and ordinary person watching the gate frowned in silence. Had the righteous side of the Hua Republic just lost four Golden Core Realm cultivators like that?

After reaching the Golden Core Realm, one's lifespan would extend to eight hundred years. Though the elders appeared old, they all had a long life ahead and the potential to ascend the immortal path.

Xi Lian and Mu Wanxuan also stopped eating. Their eyes remained fixed on the screen.

Soon, four tiny shadows appeared on the other side of the gate. They rapidly grew and took shape until four elders stepped out side by side. They were moving steadily, and their aura remained stable. One even raised his head and laughed loudly.

𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

Another Daoist elder shouted, 「The gate really does lead to the Nether Realm! It's a vast plain, but here's nothing in sight except for a few mountains in the distance!」

「There's no need to worry! The ghostly aura can harm ordinary people, but it can't hurt cultivators past the Foundation Establishment Stage!」

At that moment, however, green light flared from the Nether Gate. The swirling gray mist condensed at high speed, forming a giant hand that reached straight for the four Daoist elders.

A low hum reminiscent of a Buddhist chant echoed from the TV speakers. Even Wang Sheng's Dao heart trembled slightly.