Chapter 144: Ascending the Divine Path: Clash with the Unknown Gatekeepers

At the ten-thousandth level of the Divine Path, it felt like stepping into the realm of the gods. Power surged through the air, and everything here seemed alive.

But at the very end stood a single, sealed door. Behind it lay the chance to become a god—but what awaited on the other side, paradise or damnation?

No one knew.

Right now, before this mysterious and solemn gate, Gu Xiaoyao and Xuyan stood side by side, their eyes locked on its ancient surface.

Uncertainty flickered across Xuyan’s face, torn between pushing forward or reconsidering their next move.

Gu Xiaoyao thought for a moment. After coming this far, did it even matter what lurked inside? No matter if it was a dragon’s den or a tiger’s lair, he’d slice through it with his sword.

He steeled himself and boldly stepped up, planting both hands against the heavy, ancient door—the Forbidden Gate—and pushed with all his strength.

A torrent of thick black smoke burst from the gap, swirling outward in a powerful rush.

Gu Xiaoyao’s face had been expressionless, but that changed the instant he saw what waited beyond. His heart skipped a beat, and for a moment he froze.

On the other side—an entirely different world, a distant endless void. Nothing but emptiness stretched as far as the eye could see, with countless giant stones floating weightlessly.

Not far from the door, a patch of barren ground set the stage.

There, an enormous cauldron of oil bubbled violently above a blazing fire. The surrounding ground was littered with bones.

These remains belonged to powerful humans, each of whom fought their way through all ten thousand levels to reach this very spot. They’d opened the gate brimming with hope to become gods—only to end up as nothing more than a meal.

Suddenly, a voice echoed from within, crawling out from the abyss like something from hell itself. Just hearing it was enough to make your legs go weak.

“Human, do you wish to become a god too?”

From the darkness, two pairs of crimson eyes appeared. Then, a pair of massive wings unfurled.

Two towering figures stepped into view—faces twisted, skin black as night, four horns atop their heads. These were two Outer Demons of the Demon God realm.

Their names: Al and Afa.

Gu Xiaoyao stared up at the two demons towering thousands of times his own height, not sure if he could take them down.

Xuyan’s face was pale with fear. “Host, maybe we should just run for it! These two feel as strong as gods—I don’t think we stand a chance!”

Gu Xiaoyao suddenly broke into a hearty laugh, but there was a steely edge in his voice. “No! All our struggles have led to this moment. Even if they’re powerful, we have to try!”

“Besides, I swore I’d slay these beasts and avenge the fallen heroes of the human race!”

He gripped the Skydome Sword, stepping forward as his aura erupted. With a flick of his wrist and a hard stare, he shot toward the two demons like a blazing star.

Al looked down, eyes full of disdain. “A mere human dares to defy the gods? How foolish. You’re flying right into the flames.”

Afa snorted. “No need to waste words—let’s end him together!”

The two demons moved in perfect sync, striking at Gu Xiaoyao from opposite sides. Their blows contained a power that didn’t even belong to this world.

Where their hands passed, space itself collapsed—everything dissolved to nothing. Sensing the danger, Gu Xiaoyao switched from attack to defense.

Both palms slammed into the Skydome Sword, sending Gu Xiaoyao flying. He crashed hard against the massive door.

“You really are strong—but I’m not done yet!” Gu Xiaoyao grinned, wiping blood from his lip as excitement flickered in his eyes.

With a defiant roar, Gu Xiaoyao surged forward. Using the demons’ massive size against them, he exploited a tiny opening to chop off one of their horns.

One demon spun around, eyes blazing with fury as it realized it had lost a horn.

“In ten thousand years, only Murong Jianbai and Murong Qingxue have ever gotten the better of us! I can’t believe another human like you has appeared after all these millennia!”

“But if you can’t even defeat me, you don’t deserve to dream of becoming a god! Die, human!”

Al exploded with rage, smashing the cauldron into dust and sending scalding oil pouring across the ground.

Afa stomped so hard the lone patch of ground shattered, leaving only floating stones in the void.

Thanks to his small size, Gu Xiaoyao dodged through their attacks and leapt onto one of the drifting stones.

Xuyan clung to his shoulder, panic in her eyes as the two demons closed in behind. She urged Gu Xiaoyao to move faster and escape.

Al and Afa beat their wings, scanning for any sign of Gu Xiaoyao—but all that remained were floating boulders, with no trace of him anywhere.

Frustrated, the two demons were about to expand their search when they caught movement among the stones—a shadow darting at breakneck speed.

Afa focused his gaze and saw Gu Xiaoyao flitting between the rocks. Enraged, he bellowed, “Running won’t save you! Get ready to be my next meal!”

“Watch me catch him!” Al folded his wings and flashed forward at blinding speed.

As Al passed, the floating stones dissolved into mist, leaving nothing but empty space.

Afa followed close behind, tearing a rift in space with a swipe and leaping straight through.

“Not good!” Gu Xiaoyao glanced back to see a massive figure hurtling his way and felt a surge of dread.

Just as Gu Xiaoyao ran blindly ahead,

Xuyan shrieked, “Host, stop! Something’s wrong up there!”

“What do you mean?” Gu Xiaoyao responded, snapping his head forward.

A massive rift yawned open before him, and in an instant, Afa’s bloody maw lunged from within.

Afa was already certain of victory. With Gu Xiaoyao speeding forward, there was no way he could dodge in time. There could only be one ending.

And that was ending up inside his belly. Afa grinned, relishing the moment.

Al arrived just as quickly. Soon all the floating stones had been reduced to powder—there was nowhere left to land.

Surrounded front and back, the two demons’ monstrous bodies filled every inch of this world, leaving Gu Xiaoyao no way out.

Confident they’d won, Al and Afa finally let down their guard and started to mock him.

“Is running all you’ve got? Looks like I overestimated you. A would-be god like you is nothing special.” Afa shook his head.

Al’s tone turned playful. “Right, but we’re not going to let you die quickly. It’s been thousands of years since a human made it this far—let’s have some fun!”

While they bantered, Xuyan whispered hurriedly in Gu Xiaoyao’s ear.

“Host, the Yin-Yang Spirit told me these demons have a weakness, but with your current strength you still can’t beat them—not even if you know where to strike.”

“But at the far end of this void is another door. If you can get through it, you’ll achieve Sword God!”

“We can lure them to chase us over. At the critical moment, I’ll use Absolute Frost to freeze them for half a stick of incense—that’ll give us a big window to get through!”

“If we make it, by the time they react, it’ll already be too late!”

Gu Xiaoyao nodded. “Looks like that’s our only shot—let’s slip away while they’re distracted!”

“Are you two really scheming right in front of us? Think we’re fools?” Al spun around, face livid.

“Crap, run!”

Gu Xiaoyao sprang forward, vanishing in a blur. With nowhere to hide amid the empty void, he’d become a moving target.