Chapter 433 - 432: The Imperial Domain’s Golden Gate Falls

Lin Yuan did not answer immediately. His attention had shifted toward the next structure, whose light was so intense that the surrounding debris appeared dim in comparison.

A tremendous wave of heat spread across the Barrier Realm, and the fragments closest to it began to glow as though they had been placed inside a furnace.

The Primordial Volcanic Forge was passing through the fracture.

Its molten core resembled a hyper-dense star, radiating a blinding mixture of red, gold, and white light. Vast layers of ancient rock surrounded the central mass, and rivers of liquid fire flowed through channels that had been carved by countless ages of volcanic activity.

The heat was so intense that the spatial currents around it distorted, creating rippling waves that spread across the nearby ruins.

The Primordial Volcanic Forge was not an ordinary volcanic region. It was one of the great foundations through which the Nine Provinces maintained their elemental balance, preserving the laws of fire, heat, and transformation.

Countless cultivators had traveled there to temper their bodies, refine artifacts, and comprehend the deeper principles of flame.

Now, its entire structure was being carried away.

The demonic energy wrapped around the Forge seemed to suppress the natural laws that had once governed it. The molten core continued to burn, but its radiance had begun to flicker beneath the pressure of the extraction.

The surrounding channels of liquid fire twisted into unnatural shapes, and enormous fragments of glowing rock broke away as the Wonder was pulled toward the Hollow Beyond.

Ku Ming stared at the scene, his lips moving silently as he recited a Buddhist prayer. The monk had spent many years studying the balance of the world, and he understood that the destruction of a foundational Wonder would have consequences far beyond the region in which it existed.

If the Primordial Volcanic Forge disappeared, the elemental balance of the Nine Provinces would be severely disrupted. The loss would affect more than fire cultivators.

Countless formations, spiritual veins, and ancient inheritances depended upon the stability of the laws maintained by the Forge.

And the Demon Emperor was taking it as though it were merely another object to collect.

Then the light above them changed again.

A vast collection of floating mountains emerged through the fracture, their enormous peaks carrying the remains of ancient palaces and sacred formations. At the highest point of the structure stood the Golden Gate, its sealed surface shining faintly beneath the surrounding darkness.

The gate had once marked the passage toward the Imperial Domain, and its imposing presence had represented a boundary that countless cultivators had spent their lives trying to approach.

Now, even that symbol of separation was being dragged through the sky.

The Floating Mountains had served as the final pathway toward the Imperial Domain, and their ancient structure contained layers of spatial laws that had remained stable even when other regions of the Nine Provinces were disturbed.

Yet the force gripping them showed no respect for their history or significance. The mountains moved through the dimensional fracture like a stolen ornament, their enormous peaks surrounded by dark energy that continued to tighten around their foundations.

Lin Yuan’s gaze sharpened as he examined the Golden Gate. He could still sense traces of the Three Thousand Great Dao Barrier that had once protected the passage, but the formation’s radiance was weak and uneven.

Whatever defensive authority had remained within the structure had failed to prevent the Demon Emperor from seizing the entire Wonder.

The Golden Gate had once represented the arrogant confidence of the Imperial Domain. Its guardians had treated the cultivators of the Nine Provinces as insignificant beings who lacked the qualifications to enter their world.

Yet now, even the passage they had controlled was being carried away by a power they had apparently failed to anticipate.

Lin Yuan’s expression became colder.

"The Imperial Domain will have to face the consequences of this eventually," he said. "If the Demon Emperor continues taking the foundational Wonders, the damage will not remain confined to the Nine Provinces. The laws that separate the dimensions have already collapsed. Whatever happens here will eventually affect every connected region."

Ku Ming slowly lowered his hand. "Then the Imperial Domain may no longer be able to remain uninvolved, even if it wishes to do so."

"That does not mean they will come to help us," Lin Yuan replied. "We have already seen how they treat the Nine Provinces. If the Demon Emperor’s actions threaten their own interests, they may intervene. Until then, we cannot afford to depend on them."

Bai Qingyue looked toward the distant Golden Gate. Her expression was calm, but the hand holding the Sun Shooting Bow had tightened around its frame.

She remembered the contempt shown by the Imperial Guard and the cold manner in which the human cultivators had been expelled after attempting to cross the boundary.

The thought that the same people might now be forced to confront the consequences of their arrogance brought her no satisfaction. The Nine Provinces were being torn apart, and the suffering of their inhabitants could not be undone by the humiliation of those who had once looked down upon them.

"Whatever the Imperial Domain decides to do, we must continue with our own plan," she said. "If we find something capable of helping us, we should use it. Waiting for others to decide whether we deserve their assistance will only waste time."

Lin Yuan nodded. "Exactly."

The Golden Immortal Beast struggled against the rising currents, its enormous limbs pressing against the invisible paths formed by the surrounding spatial laws. The Celestial Jade horn released increasingly intense waves of light, allowing it to resist the force pulling nearby debris toward the dimensional fracture.

Yet the beast could not completely escape the disturbance, and its movement slowed as the gravitational pressure increased.

Ku Ming leaned forward, his golden aura spreading around the beast’s back. The Indestructible Karmic Wheel rotated behind him, releasing a series of golden patterns that reinforced the protective field surrounding their group.

Although his cultivation had returned to Peak Soul Transformation, the force affecting the Barrier Realm was so immense that even his strongest defenses could only reduce its immediate effects.

"Something is drawing the Wonders toward a single destination," the monk said. "This is not the result of uncontrolled spatial collapse. The movements are too orderly, and the demonic energy surrounding each structure is directing it toward the same region."