"Why is there no chance?" Joe Di asked, his gaze falling on Yu Zhaiyi's disheveled hair, covered in wounds. He guessed that Yu Zhaiyi was simply not strong enough and had been forced back.
Yu Zhaiyi sighed again. "Everyone who comes this way is seeking the ultimate Grand Way. But the number of places on the Grand Way Path is limited, and many people are forced to stop halfway, waiting for the next opportunity. Over time, a star city has even formed there..."
"What do you mean?" Joe Di frowned slightly. He was proving his Dao on the Grand Way Path—why would he need a quota? Was someone actually controlling the Grand Way Path?
Joe Di immediately thought of the Gate of Life and Death—wasn't that something deliberately left behind by someone?
Yu Zhaiyi explained, "This Grand Way Path is somewhat similar to the Cosmic Staircase... Brother Di, you know about the Cosmic Staircase, right?"
Joe Di nodded. He had seen the Cosmic Staircase before and had even walked it once himself.
Seeing that Joe Di knew about the Cosmic Staircase, Yu Zhaiyi continued, "Our cultivation can't progress endlessly along this Grand Way Path. When we reach the end, we can't advance any further. At the end of the Grand Way Path, there's a Dao Array Gate, similar to the Ascendant Gate."
Only by obtaining enough Ascendant Gold can one open the Dao Array Gate and enter the higher realm of the Grand Way Path. I've heard that once you step through the Dao Array Gate, there's a top-tier star platform where you can perfect your Dao Resonance and lay a solid foundation for advancing to the next level."
"What is Ascendant Gold?" Joe Di asked.
Yu Zhaiyi explained, "Ascendant Gold is the most precious material in the Vast Expanse, refined from the highest Grand Dao Principles. It's similar to..."
Yu Zhaiyi thought for a while before suddenly saying, "You should know about Vast Iron Crystal, right?"
"I do," Joe Di replied. Of course he knew about Vast Iron Crystal—back at the Creation Nest on White Palm Mountain, he had even obtained a piece. Vast Iron Crystal possessed spiritual intelligence; even with his strength, it nearly escaped him. If not for someone intervening and his powerful rule lock, he would have only been able to look at it.
Vast Iron Crystal could be considered one of the most precious treasures in the Vast Expanse. His Tian Sa Blade was upgraded to a creation-level artifact because of the Vast Iron Crystal he obtained at White Palm Mountain. Now his Tian Sa Blade could pierce illusions—all thanks to Vast Iron Crystal.
"You know how rare Vast Iron Crystal is—it's almost impossible to find. But Ascendant Gold is actually Vast Iron Crystal, repeatedly refined by the highest Grand Dao Principles in the Vast Expanse. Compared to Vast Iron Crystal, Ascendant Gold is countless times more precious," Yu Zhaiyi said.
Joe Di naturally knew how valuable Vast Iron Crystal was. The piece he got at White Palm Mountain had attracted countless powerful cultivators who coveted it. If his cultivation had been any weaker, the Vast Iron Crystal would have been out of reach. If Ascendant Gold was many times rarer than Vast Iron Crystal, just how hard was it to obtain?
"So you're saying the Dao Array Gate needs Ascendant Gold to open?" Joe Di's heart sank. If the Grand Way Gate required such a precious material, where could he possibly get Ascendant Gold?
"Yes, it definitely needs Ascendant Gold. In our universe, don't even think about it. But here in the Vast Expanse, Ascendant Gold isn't all that hard to find..."
Joe Di couldn't help but interrupt Yu Zhaiyi. "Why?"
Yu Zhaiyi said, "I haven't been here long, so I haven't found out why. I only know that at the end of the Grand Way Path, besides the Dao Array Gate, there's also a Forgeworld. Entering the Forgeworld allows you to obtain Ascendant Gold. When I first heard this, I was overjoyed. With enough time, even if I spent years, I could gather enough Ascendant Gold and cross the Dao Array Gate..."
At this point, Yu Zhaiyi shook his head with self-mockery. "I was just too naive."
"Is someone trying to steal Ascendant Gold, or is it forbidden for others to search for it?" Joe Di asked.
"Neither," Yu Zhaiyi replied, eyes filled with loneliness and helplessness. "Once you reach that place, the struggle between races becomes trivial—only strength matters. When I first arrived, it was fine, but after a few years, when I tried to search for Ascendant Gold with others, I didn't understand some rules. I was threatened: if I found any Ascendant Gold, I'd have to open my own universe and pay ninety percent of it as tribute."
Yu Zhaiyi didn't continue, but Joe Di understood—Yu Zhaiyi must have been unwilling and escaped on his own. As an experienced powerhouse, Yu Zhaiyi could manage to get away if he really wanted to.
"Someone's coming." Joe Di didn't ask how Yu Zhaiyi escaped; instead, he looked into the distance.
Yu Zhaiyi's expression changed. Within a few breaths, a burly male cultivator appeared outside the ship's defensive array.
Just by seeing the constant flow of fire Dao aura around this man, Joe Di knew he was the one who had injured Yu Zhaiyi earlier.
"Ha, so you have another companion..." The burly cultivator saw that Joe Di's ship's defensive array was active, but didn't hesitate and stepped directly onto Joe Di's ship.
"You've got guts, coming onto my ship," Joe Di said calmly, not even bothering to activate the defensive array.
"Trying to scare me? If I'm not mistaken, you haven't even reached the Fifth Step," the burly cultivator laughed, his tone dismissive.
He wasn't completely sure, but based on experience, Joe Di probably hadn't reached the Fifth Step yet.
Even if Joe Di had reached the Fifth Step, so what? In this man's eyes, he was still an ant. Not just the Fifth Step—even the Sixth Step newcomers meant nothing to him. That's why he dared to board Joe Di's ship. When the difference in strength is vast enough, there's nothing to fear.
Yu Zhaiyi subconsciously glanced at Joe Di. He knew Joe Di's strength well—if anyone said Joe Di hadn't reached the Fifth Step, he wouldn't believe it. But Yu Zhaiyi also knew how powerful this newcomer was. Even Bai Junxiao and San Wu were no match for him. Not because Bai Junxiao and San Wu were weak, but because this man had lingered in the Ascendant Gate's star city for countless years, making him one of the strongest there.
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Any cultivator outside the Ascendant Gate, after enough years, would have their strength refined and rapidly improved.
"You're just at the Fourth Step—not worth my attention. But I need manpower right now, so you're in luck. Separate a strand of your soul and let me mark it." The burly cultivator glanced at Joe Di, then turned his gaze to Yu Zhaiyi. "You really annoy me. Do you know how much time you've wasted for me..."
Joe Di didn't even wait for him to finish. He threw a punch at the burly cultivator.
"Courting death..." Seeing Joe Di dare to attack, the burly cultivator's eyes flashed with anger. He cultivated the fire Dao, so his temper was already more volatile than most. He'd been in a good mood today and hadn't acted immediately, but now this ant dared to strike first—it was outrageous.
As soon as Joe Di threw his punch, the burly cultivator responded without hesitation, punching back at Joe Di.
If he didn't make Joe Di regret facing his flames, then all those years spent in the Ascendant Gate's star city would have been for nothing.
The burly man's punch carried terrifying Dao resonance. From the sheer force, it seemed the next moment would reduce Joe Di and his ship to dust.
Yu Zhaiyi was a bit stunned. Standing beside Joe Di, he could clearly sense the power in the burly man's punch, yet felt no threat to his life. What was going on...?
While Yu Zhaiyi was still pondering, the burly man's expression changed. He immediately sensed a shift in the spatial rules. His punch, filled with furious fire Dao power, had barely landed for an instant before the fire Dao aura was extinguished as if doused by an endless sea. Not only did his punch feel restrained, but even his own Dao resonance was suppressed.
This was the highest level of spatial cosmic rules—within moments, all his Dao resonance and domains were crushed, and the space became a miniature universe belonging to his opponent. How profound must one's understanding of Dao rules be for this? No matter whether his opponent was at the Fourth Step or not, such strength was beyond his ability to resist.
Once the burly man realized this, he no longer cared about appearances or Joe Di's incoming punch. His Dao resonance flared wildly as he tried to retreat from the ship's defensive array. Even if he took a punch from Joe Di, he had to escape first.
But even though his escape technique was fast, he suddenly felt like a snail—his movements not only weren't quick, but got slower and slower.
Joe Di's calm voice rang out, "You think you can just come onto my ship and leave whenever you like? Take a punch first..."
Before he finished speaking, the domain already weakened by Joe Di split apart, and a fist Dao resonance, like an iron peak, crashed down.
Bang! Crack!
The fist Dao resonance struck the burly man, shattering all the bones in his body with a series of continuous cracking sounds.
(That's all for today's update. Good night, friends!)