The deeper gate of pure darkness stood fully revealed in the distance. Ancient pressure poured from the widening cracks, heavier and colder than anything the group had faced. The black mist pulled toward it in slow, thick currents. Even the rival's golden energy flickered under the weight of it.
Wei Chen felt the claimed fragment pulse hard against his chest, as if recognizing the older power and warning him at the same time. The rival felt it too. For a moment both of them stopped mid-exchange and looked toward the gate.
The pause did not last.
The rival recovered first and launched another heavy golden strike, trying to end the fight before the deeper gate could fully open. Wei Chen met it with the denser Yang the fragment still fed him. The collision cracked what remained of the platform beneath them and forced both men to shift to a more stable section of floating stone.
Around them the rest of the group adapted quickly. Tigress Yu and Zhao Yin cut down the residual shadow energy that kept rising under the new pressure. Huo Yan worked with Lan Qing and Mei Yun, their ice-flame mix creating controlled bursts that kept the shifting platforms from breaking apart completely. The disciples held the edges and finished anything that slipped past.
The deeper gate continued to open. Each new crack released another wave of cold, ancient energy that pressed against every cultivator present.
Wei Chen used the fragment's power to keep the rival from closing in. His movements stayed clean and precise. The rival's attacks still carried real force, but the constant pressure from the gate made it harder for him to commit fully.
During a brief stretch where the rival was forced to block a rapid sequence of bursts, Wei Chen moved past Tigress Yu. He checked the cut on her arm, then rubbed her firmly between her legs while speaking low.
"Still steady."
She gave a short breath and pressed against his hand for a few seconds before he turned back.
A short time later, while the disciples cleared broken stone, he pulled Zhao Yin close behind a more stable formation. He guided her down, pushed into her mouth, and moved with controlled rhythm while the main pressure of the gate continued to rise. She took him quietly until he pulled back and returned to the fight.
The ancient pressure spiked again. New shadow energy began forming faster in the mist near the deeper gate. Tigress Yu and Zhao Yin moved to cut it down before it could gather. Huo Yan and the ice queens launched a strong combined blast that cleared a wider path. The disciples held formation.
In a brief opening after a heavy exchange, Wei Chen found Lan Qing steadying her breathing. He dropped lower, parted her legs, and licked her with focused pressure until her thighs tensed and she came with a soft, controlled sound. He stood, wiped his mouth, and moved back into position.
Mei Yun received a short moment while she prepared another cast. He stood behind her, cupped her breasts, and moved his thumbs across her nipples as he spoke close to her ear.
"Keep the mix ready. That gate is older than the last one."
She nodded, a light flush on her face, and continued.
The rival refused to retreat. He gathered what golden energy he had left and forced another clash. Wei Chen met it with the fragment's power and drove him back again. The stone under them split further.
The deeper gate opened wider.
A deep, resonant sound rolled across the entire sealed area. The black mist parted in a broad circle, and something massive began to shift behind the remaining darkness of the gate. The cold pressure became almost physical.
Wei Chen felt the claimed fragment pulse one more time — stronger, clearer, and carrying a sharp sense of warning.
The rival's eyes narrowed as he felt the same thing.
Whatever was behind the deeper gate was no longer only waking.
It was beginning to step through.
To be Continued
© Kishtika., 2026
All rights reserved.
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Next Chapter: 171 - What Steps Through
The deeper gate opens fully as an ancient presence far older than the previous shadow lords begins to emerge into the Abyssal Void Realm.