Thick black clouds started to cover the entire sky the moment Yao Jun's finger came into contact with the black wall. Crimson bolts of lightning and bursts of violet flame shot out from the clouds, the air around them crackling for a short moment before bursting into flames due to the intense heat.
The earth beneath Yao Jun seethed and contorted, resembling water more than it did earth. The earth rose into two waves that crashed down onto Yao Jun, thick fangs of earth rising from the two waves as they crushed down on him. The fire and lightning in the clouds also rained down at the same time, bolts and pillars as thick as a grown-man was tall hailing down onto Yao Jun, the entire area turning into a visage of hell in less than a second. A heavenly tribulation had come for Yao Jun, deeming him to go against the natural course of heaven.
But just as the waves of earth were about to crash down onto him, a black mist seeped out from his chest, from the location where his God Gate resided, and spread throughout the surrounding area. The waves of earth were pressed back down into the ground, the fangs of stone shattering into tiny pebbles. The fire and lightning were also swallowed by the black mist, scorching away a bit of it before dissipating.
More and more of the earth around him rose up into waves that crashed down onto him, more and more bolts of lightning and pillars of fire rained down from the clouds, but none of them were able to get through the black mist that surrounded Yao Jun. And slowly, without him noticing it, his strength and cultivation started to rise.
Yao Jun was unaware of the things taking place around him, he had entered a pitch black world the moment he touched the palm-sized wall. The darkness quickly melted away to reveal a very familiar scenery to him, Flying Fish Town, the place where he had spent most of his youth. Yao Jun was currently hovering in the air above the city, which was completely devoid of people, his body somewhat transparent and ethereal. Yao Jun gave the entire planet a quick scan, but it wasn't just this town that was devoid of people, the entire planet didn't hold a single living being.
Yao Jun raised his head and gazed up into the star-covered sky. His entire body felt as light as the wind, he felt like he could go as high as he wished, go wherever he wished. And so, he started to soar high into the sky, quickly leaving the small planet behind and moving through the rest of the universe. He traveled past larger and larger planets, saw danger zones and wonders he had never even heard of or imagined before, an entire galaxy consisting of nothing but pitch black gass that corroded anything that got close to it, a peach-blossom tree the size of several large planets gathered together. He even saw a black hole currently in the process of swallowing up several planets, twisting and contorting them as it drew them in.
And before long, he reached the end of the universe. Beneath him were countless galaxies that now looked so small that they resembled stars, and above him was a vast darkness that seemed endless. If he strained his eyes and peered into the darkness, he was just barely able to see countless tiny motes of light shimmering, calling out to him, begging him to explore them.
Beyond this vast darkness was the seemingly endless multiverse, countless more universes waiting to be discovered and explored, some were supposedly even far larger than the one he was in right now. Faced with such a sight, even the usually calm and stoic Yao Jun could feel his heart thumping. Just how many strong people were hiding out there, how many were able to rob him of everything in the blink of an eye, just how many wondrous sights would he be able to show Guo Luo and their daughter if they ventured out there and made a safe place for themselves?
Yao Jun stretched out his arm and reached for the darkness that separated this universe from the others, but his hand was blocked by an invisible wall just as it was about to reach the darkness. He put a bit of strength into his arm and tried to push through it, but the wall remained steadfast in the face of his effort. The wall didn't even budge when he unleashed all his might, adamantly refusing to let him leave the universe. Just as Yao Jun's eyebrows furrowed, a rumbling and strangely familiar voice rang out from behind him.
"It's no use, you are currently just a specter created by the God Gate, you cannot leave this universe, you'd have to bring your real body if you wish to leave this universe."
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Yao Jun hurriedly turned around when he heard the rumbling voice, his heart trembling slightly from the shock. Standing only a few steps behind him was a middle-aged man with a body rippling with muscles, pitch black hair hung loosely down to his waist and his eyes were constantly changing color. He was clad in a simple black robe, one very similar to the one that Yao Jun's God Gate produced. The man didn't look at Yao Jun, his gaze drifting into the vast darkness beyond the universe.
"It's funny, it really is. We fashion ourselves as gods, but that's only in this small birdcage of ours. Were we to leave this cage, we'd quickly find that what once made us gods no longer works properly, we'd be stuck with only what we already have. To leave the cage and become normal, or to reset the cage to zero and stay a god, what would you choose?"
Yao Jun remained silent after the middle-aged man asked his questions, his eyes narrowing faintly. Yao Jun could feel his entire being tremble in the face of this man, but not from fear, from joy. He was happy to see the man, being in his presence was a source of joy for Yao Jun, and he had no idea where these feelings came from, so he became even warier. The man turned his gaze onto Yao Jun, giving his entire body a look-over before a faint appreciative smile appeared on his face.
"That's good, you need to be that vigilant if you wish to make it far in life, naively trusting others will only get you betrayed and abandoned. But it would be a bit of a shame if you were to distrust everything I told you, so let me help ease your worries."
The man waved his hand, space around them gathering together and forming a table and two chairs in front of him. The man sat down on one of the chairs and then dug his right hand into his own chest, tearing it open and revealing that he didn't have a heart, he had a black castle surrounded by nine spires where his heart should be. The moment Yao Jun saw this castle and felt how it connected to him, called to him, he knew who this man was, even before he said it.
"I am Li Long, and I am the original Supreme Law of Demons, or Demon God's Gate, whatever you wish to call it. A little piece of me exists within each fragment of the law, allowing me to observe the lives of everyone who picks up a fragment. And now that you have fused the core piece of the law with another, it has enabled me this small chance to have a meeting with you. So, do you think you could answer my earlier question for me?"
It was now that Yao Jun also realized why Li Long's voice sounded so familiar to him, it was the voice he heard from his God Gate when it first awakened, and any time another God Gate awakened. Yao Jun's eyes remained locked on the black castle for a few seconds before he pulled his gaze up, sitting down on the second chair that Li Long had made for him and giving his simple response to the earlier question.
"I do not wish to reset this universe, doing so would undo everything I have done with Luo'er, everything we shared will vanish. But I also refuse to be normal, I cannot protect them if I am normal, only the greatest height will be good enough."
Yao Jun didn't have the slightest desire to do as the previous God Gate holders had done, he would not allow the time of this universe to be turned back once again, he refused to let anyone undo the moments he had shared with Guo Luo. He would bring them with him and leave this universe, he would become stronger than anyone to protect them. Li Long listened to Yao Jun's answer and let out an amused cackle when he finished, the corners of his lips curving up slightly.
"Hehehe, you refuse to remain in the cage, but you also refuse to remain normal, you really want it all. That's quite greedy of you, but I like it, it shows guts. But you know, if you and she leave this universe, you will be unable to use your powers to their greatest effect? She will no longer be able to absorb mental energy and you will no longer be able to absorb new Demonic beasts, you will have to cultivate just like everyone else does, and that is truly hard. I tried to do the same along with my little queen of dreams back then, but we had become too accustomed to our way of cultivation, so we had to turn back. It's a terribly arduous road, are you really sure you want to step on it?"
Yao Jun had heard about the relationship between the first Illusion God's Gate and the first Demon God's Gate from Guo Luo back when they were still in the remnant energy of the first Demon God's Gate. She had heard about it from the first Illusion God's Gate when they met for a short moment, quite similar to how Yao Jun was talking to Li Long now.
Yao Jun didn't bother voicing a response to Li Long's question, it was a pointless question with an answer that was already set in stone. Seeing Yao Jun's determined and steely expression, how could Li Long not know what his answer was? His lips curved up even further as he stood up from his seat, another cackle escaping from his lips.
"Hehehe, I knew you'd answer like that, I've watched you ever since you were born after all. Very well, then let me teach this greedy king how to become a true Demon God, let me show you the true power of your God Gate."