Feng Qi first learned about Path of Ascension from Lü Yue.
However, he never had a concrete answer as to where exactly Path of Ascension was or what kind of place it truly was.
Through multiple timeline explorations, he had formed some educated guesses.
The blockers that Old Mist mentioned might very well be those human powerhouses who had disappeared from history, and the path where they intercepted domain creatures could be Path of Ascension.
But was this truly the case? The intelligence he had gathered so far was not enough to give him a definitive answer.
Now, hearing that Tian Shu had been to Path of Ascension and even returned from there, Feng Qi immediately realized that he might finally be able to learn the truth from him.
With anticipation and curiosity, he looked straight at Tian Shu and asked:
"Tian Shu, what exactly is Path of Ascension? Can you explain it to me in detail?"
Tian Shu did not hesitate and nodded.
"It is a passage that connects to another world—the Domain World. More accurately, it is not just a single path, but countless paths."
"If the beings of the Domain World want to enter our human world, they must either carve out a new road or advance along an existing one. Only then can they reach our world."
"I, along with the other Path of Ascension Warriors, am one of the gatekeepers of these roads. Our mission is to stop any domain forces that threaten human civilization from descending into our world. That's why Path of Ascension is also known as the First Line of Defense. We move along these emerging pathways, eliminating the majority of domain creatures that attempt to invade."
Hearing Tian Shu's explanation, Feng Qi finally confirmed that his previous speculations were correct.
However, he still had many doubts in his heart.
So, he continued to ask, "But I don't understand. The human world has already been invaded to this extent, and yet you are still out there blocking new domain forces. Why not return and help rebuild human civilization? Wouldn't it be better if you all fought alongside us in the cities?"
Hearing this, Tian Shu shook his head.
"You are thinking too simply. Path of Ascension is the source of the domain invasion. If we don't cut off the source, even more domain forces will flood into the human world. The human world is vast, and compared to running around everywhere to hunt them down, isn't it much easier to stop them at the source? If not for the Path of Ascension Warriors fighting on the frontlines, humanity's situation would be far worse than it is now."
Tian Shu's explanation resolved a long-standing question in Feng Qi's mind.
Back then, he had wondered—
If the so-called gatekeepers of Path of Ascension were human powerhouses, why didn't they return to assist human civilization?
With their strength, they could have greatly accelerated humanity's progress in building its defenses.
But now, looking at the situation from another angle, he realized his perspective had been too simplistic.
Perhaps Path of Ascension Warriors had already intercepted 80%, 90%, or even more of the invading domain forces.
If not for them, the challenges faced by humanity would be unimaginable.
For example, the Mist Lord and his Mist Clan.
Had it not been for the Path of Ascension Warriors intercepting them, the entire Mist Clan might have descended into the human world. The devastation they would have brought could hardly be put into words.
Imagine if the Mist Lord had arrived fully intact—without injuries, and with an army of elite warriors backing him. He would have been far more terrifying than the weakened version that Feng Qi encountered.
At this moment, Feng Qi finally understood the true meaning behind Tian Shu's words.
Path of Ascension is like a giant filter. Although some still manage to slip through, this method ensures the least amount of damage to humanity.
If there were no Path of Ascension Warriors, perhaps the human strongholds—the Five Major Cities—wouldn't even exist today.
Tian Shu sighed. "We have already done our best to prevent domain forces from invading. But there are always some who manage to open up new, unnoticed passages into the human world."
Hearing this, Tian Shu sighed and continued:
"Because of this, we made a decision—every child raised in Path of Ascension must return to the human world at the age of sixteen to help humanity fight domain creatures. Once they have gained enough strength, they will return and take up the mantle of Path of Ascension Warriors."
At this moment, Mu Qing suddenly gasped in realization. "Lü Yue?"
Feng Qi nodded, confirming her thoughts.
"That's right. Lü Yue must have come from Path of Ascension. Though he was not born there, he was raised in it. From our perspective, his strength is already impressive, but it's still not enough to survive the battles in Path of Ascension, where the worst and most violent domain forces gather. Sending him back to the human world was likely part of his training. But ultimately, he is destined to return to Path of Ascension."
Tian Shu nodded. "You're absolutely right. Once they reach a certain level of strength, Old Woman will seek them out and bring them back."
Feng Qi frowned slightly. "Can't they return on their own?"
"Returning is easy, but entering Path of Ascension is incredibly difficult. Only Old Woman possesses the ability to freely traverse back and forth… But from what you're saying, it seems like you have a friend from Path of Ascension, and he never told you the truth?"
"Yes. But he's the type to always speak in riddles. He never shares much about Path of Ascension."
Tian Shu sighed. "That's not his fault. Every child from Path of Ascension, whether born or raised there, is given a strict rule before entering the human world—never reveal anything about Path of Ascension to outsiders."
Hearing this, Feng Qi nodded.
"I see… It must be because they fear that information about Path of Ascension would spread and cause widespread panic. If people knew that humanity's challenges were far greater than they imagined, many might lose hope for the future and give up altogether."
"After all, hope is the driving force that keeps people moving forward. Being in the darkness is not true despair—real despair is knowing you are in the darkness with no way out."
Hearing these words, Tian Shu revealed a look of surprise.
"You're exactly right. That was precisely why we established this rule in the first place."
Feng Qi, however, smiled.
Through countless timeline explorations, his worldview had been shattered and rebuilt multiple times. He had discovered that the world he once thought he understood was far from the truth. The hidden shadows beneath the surface held too much darkness and despair.
But amidst this, he also discovered that there were still human forces fighting in the shadows, striving to find a future for humanity.
Now, knowing that there was a group of human powerhouses fighting on Path of Ascension, he felt a sense of reassurance.
This path to salvation was not entirely shrouded in darkness—light still accompanied it.
There were many hidden comrades in this struggle.
They might be in different places, but they had never given up on human civilization, nor had they chosen to surrender to fate.
Feng Qi took a deep breath and refocused.
"Tian Shu, let's continue where we left off—tell me more about how you lost control."
Tian Shu nodded and resumed his story.
"Back then, Old Woman took me to Path of Ascension. It was like a vast web, with numerous intersecting routes. I was assigned to a squad stationed at Route 32, responsible for guarding and patrolling nearby branch paths."
"It was only after arriving at Path of Ascension that I realized how brutal the battles were."
"Some domain forces entering Path of Ascension weren't just scouting parties. There were entire species gambling their existence on reaching the human world, hoping to secure a future for their race. Their desperation made them absolutely ruthless. Every battle was a fight to the death."
"I went through squad after squad of teammates. If not for my Divine Mark, I would have died there as well. During this time, new recruits sent by Old Woman kept arriving at Path of Ascension, joining our ranks as warriors."
"Through endless battles, I rapidly grew stronger. My Divine Mark absorbed and analyzed the blood of countless domain creatures, allowing me to gain many formidable domain abilities. These simulated powers became my greatest assets in fighting against the domain forces."
At this point, Tian Shu's face showed a nostalgic expression.
He remained silent for a long time before continuing.
"At my loneliest moment, I was the only one left defending Route 32. Every other warrior stationed there had died in battle. Perhaps Old Woman realized I was strong enough to guard an entire main route, so she stopped sending reinforcements to Route 32."
"During that time, I constantly patrolled newly formed side routes. For nearly thirty years, I fought alone. In those days, I was overwhelmed by isolation. Aside from killing, there was nothing else. To this day, I have no idea how many domain creatures I have slain."
"Defending Route 32, being gravely wounded became routine. But thanks to the Divine Mark's extraordinary healing ability, I survived time and time again."
Hearing this, Feng Qi pieced together a realization.
It seemed that Path of Ascension was incredibly vast.
The Path of Ascension Warriors primarily guarded main routes, while also patrolling branch routes to prevent domain forces from slipping through unnoticed.
At this moment, he asked curiously, "Did the endless slaughter ever make you feel lost?"
"Not as long as I had a clear purpose," Tian Shu replied. "But the loneliness was real. At my most desperate moments, I even found myself chatting with domain creatures."
Feng Qi was stunned. "And then what?"
Tian Shu snorted. "What else? I killed them. You think I'd let them live and endanger human civilization?"
Feng Qi: …
Mu Qing: …
Feng Qi sighed and continued, "So, even though you were stationed at Path of Ascension, you rarely had any contact with other Path of Ascension Warriors?"
Tian Shu nodded. "There is a central hub in Path of Ascension, a gathering point for Path of Ascension Warriors. Wounded warriors are transported there for treatment, and those guarding main routes occasionally take breaks there to recover."
"But I was an exception."
"That Old Woman left me to guard Route 32 all by myself! No one ever came to replace me! I had no choice but to stay there!"
Seeing Tian Shu's bitter expression, Feng Qi suddenly understood why Tian Shu had so much resentment toward Mu Yan.
Previously, he had wondered—since Tian Shu was raised by Mu Yan, shouldn't he feel a deep sense of gratitude toward her? Perhaps even see her as family?
But now it all made sense. Mu Yan had essentially dragged him into a lifetime of hard labor, turning him into humanity's most devoted warrior.
No wonder he kept referring to her as "Old Woman" with such frustration.
Tian Shu sighed and shook his head. "To be honest, I do understand Old Woman's reasoning. Before she assigned me to Route 32, she told me that I was already strong enough to fight alone. It was time for me to take responsibility."
"With great power comes great responsibility." Feng Qi nodded.
"That doesn't stop me from hating her!"
"Or maybe you just miss her." Mu Qing suddenly interjected.
"No, I just want to punch her in the face." Tian Shu immediately denied it.
This casual exchange eased the tension, allowing familiarity to settle in.
Tian Shu continued sharing his experience.
"During my time guarding Route 32, the pressure on me was immense, and I craved power more than anything. I constantly absorbed and analyzed the blood of domain creatures to gain new abilities and grow stronger."
"Then, one day, after a fierce battle where I wiped out an entire domain species, I searched through their remains and discovered a jade box containing a single drop of blood."
"It was a drop of Pillar God Blood."
"I could feel the vast energy within it, the boundless knowledge of universal laws it carried—it matched exactly what Old Woman had described as Pillar God Power."
"She had warned me before: The power granted by my Divine Mark had limits. She told me never to attempt analyzing the blood of creatures that made my instincts shudder with fear—because that fear was the Divine Mark's way of telling me that I couldn't digest it."
"But faced with this drop of incomprehensible power, I hesitated."
"I struggled internally for a long time, but in the end, my thirst for strength overcame my fear. I chose to consume the Pillar God Blood."
"The moment it entered my body, my own blood ignited like fire, scorching hot... I thought I was going to die."
"At that moment, a flood of knowledge about the world's fundamental laws poured into my mind. The symbols and meanings were utterly incomprehensible, and they only kept increasing, overwhelming me until I blacked out."
"When I woke up, I found that my strength had skyrocketed. My perception of the world became incredibly sharp—I could sense even the most subtle shifts in my surroundings just by breathing."
"I thought I had succeeded."
"But I was wrong."
"I hadn't gained control over the Pillar God Blood—I had lost myself to it. The price of this power was moments of complete madness, where I became utterly uncontrollable."
"Fortunately, at the time, I was still the sole guardian of Route 32, so I didn't have to worry about harming my comrades."
Mu Qing, who had been listening intently, asked, "Uncle Tian Shu, when you say 'uncontrollable,' do you mean emotional instability, or something else?"
"It wasn't just emotional instability—it was complete loss of consciousness. My body would enter a primal, bloodthirsty state, acting purely on instinct. Maybe it was because I had absorbed too many domain creature abilities over the years, but in those moments, I had absolutely no control over myself."
Hearing this, Feng Qi glanced at Mu Qing.
Her situation, while severe, was still fundamentally different—her episodes of loss of control were driven by emotional outbursts. But Tian Shu described something far more terrifying: total loss of will.
Tian Shu continued:
"I imagine you must be wondering—if I was the guardian of Route 32, how did I end up back in the human world?"
"It was an accident."
"For all the years I guarded Route 32, I never allowed a single domain creature to pass. Every invader perished beneath my blade, paving a road of bones."
Tian Shu paused for a moment before continuing.
"Then one day, I encountered a particularly troublesome domain race. They were extremely powerful, and the battle was grueling. After a long struggle, I managed to slaughter most of their tribe, but a few survivors broke past my defenses, escaping toward the end of Route 32."
"It was my first-ever failure."
"Panicked, I immediately gave chase. At the time, I thought that if I couldn't catch them, I'd have to leave them for the warriors in the human world to deal with."
"But just then, I lost control."
"Before I knew it, my body was chasing after them instinctively, and in that frenzy, I unknowingly crossed the World Barrier—and returned to the human world."
"In the end, I killed them all. But by the time I regained my senses, I realized... I could no longer return."
Feng Qi furrowed his brows. "Shouldn't you have sought out Mu Yan? She could have sent you back to Path of Ascension. She might have even been able to help you suppress the instability in your body."
Tian Shu sighed. "I tried. But no matter where I searched, I couldn't find her. And she never came looking for me."
"Left stranded in the human world, I became a ticking time bomb. Especially in the cities—if I lost control, there was no force in the human world strong enough to stop me at that time."
Feng Qi finally understood the real reason Tian Shu had chosen to imprison himself.
As Tian Shu had said from the beginning, it wasn't by choice—it was out of sheer necessity.
Yet, despite having answered one of his biggest questions, Feng Qi still had many doubts lingering in his mind.