Chapter 123: The Thunder Gate Descends from the Heavens

Chu Jie and the others quickly stowed away their armor, for the golden armor was extremely conspicuous in the Abyss of Gods and Demons. If discovered, they would be forced into a grueling battle. Moreover, Chu Jie’s current condition was dire; his spiritual energy was nearly depleted, and he needed a secure place to recuperate.

They moved away from the site of their fierce battle to a different location. Chu Jie blasted a cave into the rock face and used the Universe Treasure Wheel to carve out a stone chamber. One by one, the group entered, and Chu Jie sealed the entrance behind them.

Among them, Wu Long was the most gravely injured, having been struck down by Ye Tianyou. Once in the safe zone, Wu Long could no longer hold on; he collapsed and slipped into unconsciousness.

Chu Jie produced a red pill—a restorative elixir given to him by a peerless fiend. Though he had no idea of its name, its effects were overpowering; as long as there was a breath of life, it could save them. After administering the pill to Wu Long, within a short while, Wu Long stabilized, his breathing steadying. Soon after, he opened his eyes and looked at Chu Jie with gratitude.

“Thank you, boss!” he said.

“Hurry and recover,” Chu Jie replied.

The others swallowed white jade pills, as their injuries were not as severe. These common healing pills sufficed. Within several hours, aided by the medicine, their wounds were nearly healed.

They had also collected a significant amount of purple flame, so they decided to remain there until fully restored before venturing out again.

Chu Jie circulated the Reincarnation Scroll within his body, channeling a vast amount of spiritual energy inward. In his dantian, a vortex of spiritual power spun continuously. The Reincarnation Scroll floated within the vortex, and each rotation infused his body with a great surge of energy.

After an unknown passage of time, Chu Jie opened his eyes. His spiritual power had fully replenished, and thanks to the recent battle, his cultivation had advanced. Soon, he would reach the seventh level of the Spirit Convergence Realm.

Chu Jie was the first to recover fully; the others were still regaining their strength.

Approaching the cave entrance, Chu Jie used spiritual energy to create a small opening, allowing him to survey the outside world.

Outside, thunder still rumbled intermittently, but the violet-red lightning had not appeared for some time; such lightning was evidently rare.

Through the Blood Dragon Ring, Chu Jie contacted Zhou Jie, learning that he too had recovered to peak condition.

Zhou Jie had once harbored deep resentment toward Chu Jie, but now, under the control of the Blood Dragon Ring, he had no choice but to serve him. Zhou Jie never expected this outcome; otherwise, he would have died rather than accept the energy that transformed him into a golden-armored warrior.

Now, Zhou Jie’s body was no longer under his own control; his consciousness likely remained dormant.

Under Chu Jie’s orders, Zhou Jie patrolled nearby, never straying far, ready to be summoned at a moment’s notice should trouble arise.

Chu Jie had a premonition that a great upheaval was imminent.

Inside the cave, the group gradually reached full strength. Duan Kun awoke first, followed by Li Yao, then Wu Long, and finally the others.

“Since everyone’s recovered, I’ll go out and seize more purple flame,” Chu Jie announced.

It was said that purple flame could aid cultivation, though its exact usage remained unknown. Certainly, someone must know, so accumulating as much as possible in the early stages was crucial.

His Wildfire Cauldron already contained over a hundred purple flames, but Chu Jie felt it was still insufficient.

Just as they stepped out of the cave, the thunderstorm above took a bizarre turn.

All the thunderclouds converged towards the center. Thunder that had once scattered across the sky now surged inward, forming a breathtaking spectacle.

“Let’s go—head to the abyss’s core,” Chu Jie commanded.

With all the thunder gathering there, something major was bound to happen.

At that moment, nearly every warrior in the abyss hurried toward the center.

It was clear that no more purple flames would descend from the sky.

As the thunder gathered, a pillar of light rose from the abyss’s center. Though similar to previous pillars, this one was unique, for tens of thousands of bolts of lightning descended upon it.

All the lightning struck the pillar’s location; no other areas were affected. Warriors near it remained unscathed.

“Hurry!” Chu Jie shouted.

Their group of nine increased speed, covering the distance to the abyss’s center swiftly.

After the lightning bolts struck, a fierce wind arose throughout the abyss, as if a portal had opened. Yet it was an ordinary wind, not the deadly Nine Heavens Gale, which would have slain many lesser warriors.

Suddenly, a towering gate, hundreds of feet tall and composed entirely of lightning, materialized at the abyss’s core. At first, it was a mere apparition, but as more lightning struck, the gate solidified until it stood fully formed.

Chu Jie and his companions arrived at the abyss’s core and gazed in awe at the immense Thunder Gate. Was it man-made or a natural phenomenon? What immense power could forge such a magnificent lightning portal?

He thought of the Dungeon Elder and the peerless fiend—perhaps only beings of their caliber could conjure such a grand spectacle.

Yet, deep down, Chu Jie suspected even the Dungeon Elder might not be capable of creating such a gate.

As the Thunder Gate appeared, silence fell over the crowd, all waiting for what would happen next.

Chu Jie keenly observed that many warriors affiliated with clans were submitting purple flames. These flames, painstakingly collected, had to be turned over to their clans for rewards and benefits.

Joining a clan came with restrictions but also advantages.

Chu Jie watched coldly, his collection of over a hundred purple flames still unused, the purpose of which eluded him.

Glancing around, he saw no acquaintances. Many cast unfriendly glances his way, but some unspoken rule forbade open conflict, so no one dared provoke him.

Chu Jie’s mood soured; many looked at him as if he were dead, whispering and eyeing the treasures he carried.

He sneered inwardly—many sought his treasures, but all had perished trying.

As the Thunder Gate shimmered, a scene appeared within it.

Amid a vast, white, misty space lay a colossal forging material stretching across the heavens and earth. Black flames burned beneath it, scorching it relentlessly.

Lightning continuously struck the forging material, but no matter how fierce the bolts, the material showed no sign of change.

Fixating on the black flames, Chu Jie suddenly sensed a flicker of a soul within the fire.

His heart jolted—this black flame was likely Soulfire, an unparalleled blaze born from burning souls.

Recalling the peerless fiend’s rampage of slaughter in the abyss, Chu Jie formed a grim theory.

Perhaps the souls of the dead had been gathered to become forging materials.

Those who saw this were stunned, then erupted in cheers. Legends spoke of rare treasures within the Abyss of Gods and Demons; now, they glimpsed their truth. Yet how to reach these treasures remained a mystery, sparking intense curiosity.

At that moment, many approached the Thunder Gate carrying purple flames.

As they stepped through, a bolt of lightning entered the flame in their hands, seemingly sensing its aura but not destroying it.

The person then appeared to step into rippling water and soon materialized inside the gate’s realm.

Everyone realized the purple flame’s role—it served as a token, allowing passage into the world beyond the gate.

That realm was where the rare treasures lay.

Many bearing purple flames entered the Thunder Gate. The first to enter were clan members. Many others, lacking purple flames, could only watch enviously.

Although Chu Jie now understood the purple flame’s function, he knew it could also be used for cultivation, but how remained a mystery. He had to find someone knowledgeable—likely high-ranking clan members.

He recognized a few entering the gate as members of the Luo family, including an elder. They would be his point of contact.

Suddenly, when a lone warrior without clan ties, clutching a spirit energy orb, tried to enter, several warriors surrounded him, swiftly killed him, and seized his purple flame.

Though sharing was supposed to be orderly, one of the group dared to dash through the gate with the stolen purple flame.

The others seethed with envy and turned their sights on other warriors.

Their actions served as a stark warning to all.