The resonance of life and death touched the Dao Tree, seeping into it like a bone-attached parasite.
Joe Di sensed the flow of Dao resonance around the Dao Tree accelerating. He immediately realized that the Life-and-Death Way Resonance was stripping away the Dao Tree’s foundational Grand Way. Clearly, this infiltrating resonance possessed sentience; whoever left this resonance intended to sever the Dao resonance of any Human Clan cultivator entering the Life-and-Death Gate.
However, his Dao Tree possessed three Grand Way Foundations, making it far from easy to strip away.
Without hesitation, Joe Di infused his own vitality into the cycle of the Grand Way. The Dao Tree, originally infiltrated by the Life-and-Death Way Resonance, grew clearer and sturdier under Joe Di’s infusion of vitality. Although not yet able to suppress the invading resonance, it was no longer being stripped away.
The three Grand Way resonances on the Dao Tree flowed endlessly. Nourished madly by Joe Di’s vitality, they began to permeate into the resonance of the Life-and-Death Grand Way. However, this process was slow, and as Joe Di continued to infuse his vitality, his entire being began to turn ashen.
If not for his three Grand Way auras beginning to suppress the Life-and-Death Way Resonance, Joe Di would have already severed it—cutting off the resonance clinging to the Dao Tree and fleeing immediately.
Now that his three Grand Way auras could gradually suppress the invading Life-and-Death Way Resonance, Joe Di naturally would not leave so easily. As long as he could endure, he would eventually subdue the resonance and transform the Life-and-Death Grand Way into a branch of his Dao Tree.
As time passed, Joe Di clearly underestimated the terror of the Life-and-Death Way Resonance—especially within the Life-and-Death Gate. His vitality was continuously drained by the circulating Grand Way, his hair turning from gray to pure white, and his whole body exuding an aura of death.
Joe Di knew very well that if this continued, soon he wouldn’t even be able to sever the Life-and-Death Way Resonance. In fact, even now, he could no longer easily cut off the resonance that had infiltrated his Grand Way cycle and Dao Tree.
The only thing that kept Joe Di going was that his three Dao resonances still held the advantage—and that advantage was steadily growing.
At the same time, Joe Di understood that this growing advantage might well be an illusion. If he faltered, no matter how great his advantage seemed, he would collapse in an instant—his Dao Tree and three Grand Way Foundations swept away by the Life-and-Death Way Resonance, becoming branches of someone else’s Grand Way.
......
As soon as Owen Sander, Jasper Bai, and Raina Wen—three Sixth Step cultivators—entered the Life-and-Death Gate, they realized they had underestimated it.
Even though they had performed a blood sacrifice with two Fifth Step Paragon Human Clan cultivators to the Life-and-Death Gate, it was still far from enough. Judging by the invasive resonance of the Life-and-Death Grand Way within the gate, to pass through, they would likely need at least one Sixth Step Human Clan cultivator for a blood sacrifice.
There was no turning back at the Life-and-Death Gate; having entered, they could only move forward.
At this moment, whether Owen Sander, Jasper Bai, or Raina Wen, all of them frantically fled forward. They only hoped to escape the Life-and-Death Gate before their Grand Way Foundations were stripped away. Though they knew the chance was slim, there was no retreat.
If Owen Sander and the other two could still choose to desperately rush forward, then Jing Wanying, Ancestor Hong Lin, and Yu Zhaiyi had no choice at all. They could only burn their blood essence and lifespan in a frantic dash behind them. Only now did they realize how naïve it was to think they could use Human Clan blood sacrifices to pass through the Life-and-Death Gate.
"Owen Sander, if you hadn’t been so indecisive, we wouldn’t be trapped in this passive situation," Jasper Bai said, his tone full of irritation.
If not for Owen Sander, the three of them would have been confident in taking down Joe Di. Joe Di’s strength was nearly at the Sixth Step, and he could certainly be used for a blood sacrifice at the Life-and-Death Gate, letting them pass safely.
Owen Sander remained silent for a long while before finally saying, "This time it truly is my fault. I shouldn’t have coveted those temporarily useless things…"
Both Jasper Bai and Raina Wen knew exactly what Owen Sander coveted—Joe Di’s Immaculate Grand Way. Joe Di’s Dao was truly perfect, surpassing all three of them. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to withstand Jasper Bai’s grasp, and that punch of his radiated the most harmonious beauty of Dao in accord with the laws of heaven and earth.
Feeling the Life-and-Death Way Resonance growing ever stronger, Jasper Bai couldn’t help but say, "Raina Wen, is there still a Fifth Step Human Clan cultivator in your world?"
Before Raina Wen could answer, everyone shuddered. Owen Sander looked up in shock at the distance and muttered, "What’s going on?"
Not only Owen Sander, but Jasper Bai and Raina Wen also looked at the distance in shock. The Life-and-Death Way Resonance, which had been oppressing them and even threatening to strip away their Dao, suddenly weakened—and kept growing weaker.
Raina Wen’s cold voice rang out, "Whatever the reason, I think we should pick up the pace. Otherwise, we’ll end up dying in the Life-and-Death Gate regardless."
They didn’t need Raina Wen’s reminder—Owen Sander and Jasper Bai both sped up their escape. With the crushing resonance of the Grand Way diminishing, the three relaxed and naturally moved faster.
Even those trailing behind—Zachary Yu, James Wan, and the Redlin Patriarch—felt a great sense of relief. Originally prepared for death, now that the pressure eased, they seized the opportunity and rushed forward desperately.
Several days passed, and Owen Sander, leading the way, suddenly stopped in his tracks.
"What’s going on?" Seeing Owen Sander stop, Jasper Bai and Raina Wen instinctively halted as well.
Owen Sander stared blankly, pointing at a shadow in the distance that looked like a withered tree and said, "Is that Joe Di?"
Jasper Bai and Raina Wen both saw Joe Di. At this moment, rather than calling him a person, he resembled a withered tree on the verge of petrification.
There was not a trace of vitality left in Joe Di; his whole body radiated gray and deathly aura. Around him, the endless Life-and-Death Way Resonance continued to seep into his body.
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"I understand now..." Raina Wen’s voice trembled; she knew what was happening to Joe Di.
"No wonder we felt the Life-and-Death Way Resonance weaken and could relax so much. So that’s it." Owen Sander sighed in realization.
At this point, they all understood: most of the life-and-death aura within the gate had been drawn to Joe Di, who was being crushed and stripped of his Dao and vitality. Because Joe Di had absorbed nearly ninety percent of the Life-and-Death Grand Way Resonance, the others found it easier to continue.
Raina Wen instinctively took two steps toward Joe Di, but Owen Sander snapped, "Do you want to die?"
Raina Wen stopped, understanding Owen Sander’s warning. The Life-and-Death Way Resonance within the gate was stripping and assimilating Joe Di’s Dao and vitality. If she got too close, she might be drawn in and become the next victim, just like Joe Di.
"Go." Jasper Bai uttered a single word, then sped forward even faster. Missing this opportunity would be foolish—Joe Di had essentially performed a blood sacrifice to the Life-and-Death Gate, paving the way for them.
A day after Jasper Bai and the others passed through, Zachary Yu and his companions arrived. James Wan and the Redlin Patriarch, upon seeing Joe Di, didn’t even pause—they rushed onward. Zachary Yu, however, stopped, gazed at Joe Di for a long time, then cupped his fists and said, "Brother Di, my abilities are limited; I cannot help you..."
With that, his figure flickered and he disappeared into the distance.
......
Joe Di knew he had reached the most critical moment—his vitality was nearly exhausted. If not for the World Tree, it would have long since vanished. Now, even the World Tree was withering; let alone himself. But Joe Di understood that the Life-and-Death Grand Way Resonance in the gate was also at its end. If he could endure a little longer, he would completely crush the resonance, strip away its Dao, and turn it into the fourth branch on his Dao Tree.
(That’s all for today’s update. Good night, friends!)