Countless runes shimmered in the void, condensing into a towering Gate of Space.
The gate stretched nearly a hundred meters high, and standing before it made one feel utterly insignificant.
A devouring force rippled outward as a clockwise vortex spun within the void gate.
“Go on. This is the entrance to Heaven's End, Ocean's Edge,” Progenitor Thousand-Slaughters said. “As for the exits, there are many within. Each one leads to a different place. You’ll see for yourself once you’re inside.”
“Do me a favor,” Xu Zimo replied.
“What is it?” Progenitor Thousand-Slaughters asked.
“Outside, I’ve got two companions. Help me keep an eye on them,” Xu Zimo said.
“What’s this? Afraid your two girlfriends will run off?” Progenitor Thousand-Slaughters chuckled.
“Whether they’re friends or enemies… I’ll only know when I return,” Xu Zimo said with a faint smile.
Progenitor Thousand-Slaughters froze for a moment, then nodded.
“I won’t let them leave Brahma City.”
Xu Zimo gave a slight nod.
With that, he stepped forward and entered the gate of space.
Each time-space traversal was like this, heaven and earth spinning wildly, consciousness thrown into disarray, and the void shifting without pattern.
The spatial nodes shifted ceaselessly.
A Particle World like this had no fixed nodes, and its spatial walls were terrifyingly strong. Other than through a space gate, entering by any other means was practically impossible.
He didn’t know how long he drifted in this void exile until finally, a glimmer of light appeared and pulled his figure through.
When he opened his eyes, he was already standing on a reception platform.
This platform existed to welcome new arrivals. Nearby, several disciples from the Buddha and Demon factions stood watch.
“Register here,” one disciple said, handing Xu Zimo a crystalline token.
“All who enter Heaven's End, Ocean's Edge need an identity token. When you leave, return it to us.
If you lose it along the way, make sure to replace it quickly, or the consequences will be severe.”Xu Zimo took the token, and a glow flared from its surface.
A condensed silhouette of his body appeared and was etched into the token, his identity record.
“Alright, you may go,” the disciple waved him off.
“Excuse me,” Xu Zimo asked, “how do I get to South-Martial Pass?”
“This is North-Slayer Pass. Head south and you’ll reach it,” the disciple explained. “But it’s a long journey. Best to rent a beast mount.”
Xu Zimo nodded slightly and set off.
In the distance, he could already see the grandeur of North-Slayer Pass, towering and boundless.
The four great passes, East, South, West, and North, linked together like a vast Great Wall, rising and falling endlessly, encircling the entire Small World.
After walking for ten minutes or so, Xu Zimo reached the western gate of North-Slayer Pass.
Heaven's End, Ocean's Edge was bustling with life.
At the gates, streams of people came and went. The Brahma Monarch God Realm maintained order here.
Both sides of the entrance avenue were lined with countless stalls.
Vendors hawked every kind of wares imaginable.
“Step right up! Inherited legacies, divine manuals, blades, spears, swords, everything you could want!”
“Maps to South-Martial Pass! Thirty-eight thousand kilometers to the boundaries of Blackwater Lake, all noted down! A must-have for travelers!”
The shouts of merchants overlapped in a chaotic chorus, filling the air with heat and vigor.
“Brother, need a map?” As Xu Zimo passed by, a man blocked his way with a grin, holding out a rolled-up map.
“If you’re planning to explore Heaven's End, Ocean's Edge, a map is essential,” he said.
He opened the map briefly, then snapped it shut.
“I’ve marked many locations on this one, even dangerous zones and forbidden lands. Everything is crystal clear. You’ve got a good face, so I’ll give it to you for just ten thousand spirit crystals.”
“How many people have you sold this map to?” Xu Zimo asked with a smile.
“What, don’t believe me?” the man retorted.
“I’ve got professional ethics. These maps are solid.”
“So you’ve got maps to anywhere?” Xu Zimo asked. “Then give me one for Hundred Flowers Valley.”
“Hundred Flowers Valley? Never heard of it,” the man shook his head.
“Friend, you joking with me?”
“What about the Chaos Cloud Ravine?” Xu Zimo asked.
“That one, of course I know, it’s over by Blackwater Lake,” the man nodded.
“Give me that one,” Xu Zimo said.
“Pay first,” the man replied.
Xu Zimo chuckled and tossed out tens of thousands of spirit crystals at random. He had so many that he could hardly spend them all.
The man grinned, scooping up the crystals, then dug through his stall piled high with maps.
These sellers were like streetwise wanderers who knew every corner of Heaven's End, Ocean's Edge.
“Got it!” the man said after a long search, finally pulling out an old map from the very bottom of a chest.
It wasn’t drawn on paper, but on beast hide, weathered and ancient.
“If you hadn’t asked, I would’ve forgotten about this one,” the man said with a laugh. “My grandfather risked his life to make it back in the day. But the Chaos Cloud Ravine was too dangerous. He didn’t dare go deeper, so this is all he managed to chart.”
“You’ve been selling maps for years, and no one’s bought the Chaos Cloud Ravine one?” Xu Zimo asked.
“You know its other name?” the man smiled slyly as he tidied his stall.
“What is it?” Xu Zimo asked.
“Mass Grave,” the man replied. “As many who enter that land, so many corpses are left behind.”
“Sounds ominous. Not a single survivor?” Xu Zimo asked.
“Who knows? Maybe someone made it back, but if so, they’d be true powerhouses, not someone I’d ever cross paths with,” the man shook his head. “I’m just a map-seller. My news is limited. I hear rumors now and then, but they’re hardly reliable. Still, since you’re a generous spender, here’s a word of advice. Don’t go there if you can help it.”
Xu Zimo smiled faintly and unrolled the beast-hide map.
The details were indeed thorough, marking every possible route leading there.
“South-Martial Pass, Ten-Mile Slope, Blackwater Lake, Chaos Cloud Ravine…”
The path matched exactly with Gongyang Ce’s prophecy.
Except Gongyang Ce had only given him the place names, not the directions.
Xu Zimo waved his hand, and Chaos, the colossal titan, stepped forth from the void, its massive frame shaking the earth.
A crushing beastly aura swept outward, stunning everyone nearby.
Xu Zimo mounted its back and flew straight toward South-Martial Pass.
Only once the stormwinds settled and Chaos’s figure disappeared into the distance did the street return to silence.
The map-seller stared, dumbfounded for a long time before snapping back to his senses.