After traveling a considerable distance to the south, Ho Meng began to feel an edge of anxiety. He muttered to himself, "I must move faster. I cannot let those bastards from the demonic sects realize what is happening and claim it first."
During his flight, Ho Meng kept recalling fragments of the prophecy from the ancient books. The Heavenly Dao Embryo was both a blessing and a curse for the world. Anyone who succeeded in absorbing it would instantly reach the God Realm.
This was the ultimate peak, a stage occupied by only three mysterious figures in the long history of the cultivation world. "If a demonic cultivator obtains it, the balance of the world will crumble. My people might become slaves beneath their feet," Ho Meng thought with a grim expression.
He increased his speed, slicing through the clouds toward the southern border. Three months of grueling travel finally brought him to a sacred place known as the XuanXian Altar.
The altar was magnificent, featuring four giant pillars that seemed to pierce the heavens. In the upper realm, there were only four such places, serving as gates for lower realm cultivators who had reached the Immortal realm to ascend.
The XuanXian Altar was the closest gateway to the territory of the Immortal Dog Clan. Because of this proximity, Ho Meng suspected he would not be alone there.
Sure enough, from a short distance away, Ho Meng saw flashes of energy from cultivators fighting over the teleportation point. Four powerful cultivators were locked in a life-and-death struggle, each radiating the aura of a different Great Sect from the Upper Realm.
"It seems my hunch was correct. They must have realized the existence of the Embryo," Ho Meng whispered. He narrowed his eyes, observing the situation from behind a cluster of white clouds that hid his presence.
"Fortunately, I arrived just in time. It looks like none of them have managed to descend yet."
Ho Meng's gaze shifted to the four giant stone pillars surrounding the altar. Near each pillar was an indicator jade. All four jades were still dim, indicating that no being had yet activated the teleportation process.
Anyone intending to descend to the Lower Realm had to accept that their cultivation would be forcibly suppressed to the Peak of the Ascension Realm. In the eyes of the world's laws, they would be no more than mortals who had just begun to touch the door of immortality.
Furthermore, this teleportation gate had a very limited quota. Only four beings from any race were allowed passage. After that, the portal would be locked for three years. The journey through the dimensional rift itself would also take three years to complete.
This law was absolute. No one dared to use avatars or substitute bodies to trick the gate, as the backlash from the world's will would instantly destroy the soul of anyone who tried to violate it.
"Hehe... let them exhaust themselves first. Even though I could charge in now, why should this King waste energy in vain?" Ho Meng muttered with a cunning smirk.
Three hours passed. Ho Meng began to feel bored watching the endless battle. He lay lazily on his cloud, tucked away behind other thick layers of mist.
"Yawn... it seems it is time for this King to make an appearance. Look at them, that human cultivator looks the most pathetic among the rest," he thought while stretching his back.
Thanks to his high-level concealment technique, Ho Meng's presence and cultivation were completely undetectable by his opponents' spiritual senses.
Ho Meng then transformed into his half-human form. He appeared as a man with long, flowing black hair and golden eyes, marked by two black lines on each cheek.
He leaped from the heights, plunging right into the center of the battlefield with a smirk that revealed his sharp fangs.
Crash!
The ground of the altar shook violently. Thick dust billowed high, creating a black silhouette in the middle of the fighting grounds.
"Hello everyone... would my humble self be allowed to pass and teleport first?" A casual voice broke the tension.
The four cultivators recoiled and leaped back, falling into defensive stances.
"Who dares to interrupt us?!" one of them shouted. His voice thundered like a lion's roar. With a single swing of a burning hand, he swept away the dust blocking their view.
Ho Meng's figure finally became clear. He stood tall, leaning casually on a black spear that was driven deep into the altar's surface. His golden eyes glanced mockingly at the flame-maned Beast in front of him.
"The King of the Dog Clan, Ho Meng? Why have you left your kingdom? Don't tell me you are also after the phenomenon from seventy years ago in the lower realm?" the figure asked in a threatening tone.
"Haha... maybe yes, maybe no. I just happened to be passing by and saw you all fighting. Isn't it a fascinating sight?" Ho Meng pointed his finger at Chu Feng, flashing a fanged smile.
"Especially seeing you so energetic, Chu Feng. You know? That phenomenon stressed me out so much I couldn't sleep for the last seventy years, hahaha!"
Chu Feng narrowed his eyes. "Don't play games. What is your purpose here alone without any guards, King Ho Meng?"
"You are quite clever, I'll give you sixty points." Ho Meng's expression suddenly turned serious. "I am just curious, do you know what actually fell at the site of that phenomenon?"
The other three immediately took up battle positions. A human cultivator with a slender sword pointed his weapon forward.
"Forgive us, King Ho Meng. We cannot tell you. Given the ancient history of the dog clan, shouldn't you already know yourself?"
The human cultivator thought dismissively, "This is the first time I have met the king of the dog clan in this upper realm. So arrogant and cunning. Based on his cultivation, he is only at the True Immortal stage. Isn't that lower than me?"
Ho Meng glanced at the human from the Eternal Heaven Orthodox Sect. "Who are you? I don't recognize your face. Are you a new elder? Of everyone here, you are the weakest. Is the second-largest sect in the southern region now this pathetic?"
Ho Meng smirked. Feeling his pride wounded by the dismissive gaze, he pulled his spear and spun it with a motion that sliced through the air. In that moment, he stopped hiding his power.
BOOM!
A thick killing intent exploded from his body. Ho Meng revealed his true realm: Third Stage Immortal King. The gravitational pressure around the altar seemed to increase instantly as he walked toward the human cultivator with every step heavy with bloodlust.
"Listen, boy..." Ho Meng stood tall at two meters, looking down at the trembling Su Xiao. "Tell me your name before speaking to me, or I will send your soul straight to reincarnation!"
Su Xiao swallowed hard. Cold sweat poured down his temples. His arrogance vanished, replaced by a deep, primal fear.
"Ah... it seems you are offended. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Su Xiao, a new elder appointed after the phenomenon. My Master ordered me to investigate the lower realm," Su Xiao replied while drawing back his sword as a sign of false respect.
Inside, Su Xiao was cursing him. "This dog bastard! If you hadn't come, my plan would have succeeded. His realm is far above mine. Dammit! I can't be reckless. There are other altars. Just wait for my revenge in the lower realm, you wretched dog!"
"With all humility, I apologize for offending you. Thank you for sparing my life. Allow this lowly Su Xiao to take his leave," Su Xiao said with a deep bow, though his heart was seething.
Ho Meng withdrew his killing intent. Without another word, he turned his back on Su Xiao as if the human was nothing more than a speck of dust. Su Xiao immediately sped away, flying as fast as lightning to leave the altar.
"Just you wait, you damned dog! I will shred you to pieces one day!" Su Xiao thought, his teeth gritting in hatred.
Meanwhile, Ho Meng walked casually toward the indicator jade while whistling a light tune. "Hey, why are you all so quiet? You seemed so spirited earlier. Don't you want to stop this King?"
The two remaining cultivators glanced at each other, then stored their weapons back into their storage rings.
"We do not dare to cross you, King Ho Meng," hissed a snake demon while bowing. In his heart, he was grateful that Su Xiao had provoked Ho Meng to show his true strength, otherwise he might have died a foolish death.
"Haha... please, King Ho Meng. I will be leaving as well. See you in the lower realm. And be careful of that human from earlier, he looks quite treacherous," said Xian Xian, a beautiful female fox, as she walked toward the northern pillar.
"Aren't you a cunning one yourself, Sweet-Talked Fox? Also, thank you for the warning, Xian Xian of the Southern Lotus Brothel Peak, haha!" Ho Meng retorted sharply, making the veins on Xian Xian's temples tighten for a moment.
"Hey Chu Feng, what about you?"
"Hmph... it turns out you are that good at hiding your realm," Chu Feng grumbled. "Do as you wish. I am tired of fighting. Let us depart together."
Ho Meng smirked. The four of them simultaneously touched their respective jades, channeling spiritual energy to activate the portal.
Instantly, the ancient carvings on the altar floor lit up with a blinding purple light, swallowing the four of them into the dimensional rift.