Pathway

Swiftly his hand movement to the spatial sac fastly tied to his waist and brought out the Iradium gold coin. His share from the Springflame sojourn.

"Irrium coin? That's not our treasure."

"Are you trying to buy our treasure?"

"Well, that might do, brother. One treasure for another. Besides, I like his voice. It's soft."

"Not soft. You mean pleasant."

"We will agree to disagree, brother."

Voiced Rorrom in a cold undertone before focusing on Jufeng.

"Immortal mortal, this is a hard bargain but we accept. One gold coin it is."

The two gold dragon recieved the Iradium gold happily and moved out of his way.

"If you want to buy more treasures, you know where to come."

"We already noted you as a patron of ours, immortal mortal."

"Until then, farewell."

Phew that was really close.

Ju Feng also bid his farewell and quickly left the area of the two dragons towards the direction of the Gloomvale. He was moving extremely fast using the swiftsteps. He couldn't afford anymore encounter like this one before reaching his destination. He might not survive it.

He was about to reach the outskirts of the Gloomvale, when he stepped into a formation trap. Stopped on his tracks, he looked around and saw a group of five heave-spirits. Gold-green nimbus light coming from giant human bodies with heads of lions. Terran lions. Sacred beasts of the early stage of nascent soul. Their nascent souls were easier to identify. Out of all the lionkinds, the heavily long mane of the terran lions, made them stood out.

"Stranded soul? What a blessing. Hehehe."

The one that appeared to be their leader pointed at Ju Ffeng as he laughed coldly.

"Take him." 

Ju Feng shook his head as he tried to wriggle free from the force-field he had just walked into. This was not what he envisaged. The situation in this place was getting more dire for him than anticipated. He had recently escaped one that looked grim, only for him to walk into this one. Heavens tears. Why? As he was ruminating on the circumstances at hand, he heard two familiar voices.

"Why should we allow that."

The two sky gold dragons voiced aloud as they streaked into the area.

"Gold dragons, this is our matter. It doesn't concern you."

"Actually, it does. He's our new patron. Our own prospect."

Replied Rorrom as Dorrom quipped in.

"So, how about that, huh? We simply can't allow it. Look for another soul, not this one."

"The two of you won't fare well against the five of us, if it comes down to it."

"Why don't we find out then."

The two groups were having a stand-off, when a massive heaviness descended on the area. The pressure was like weight of a thousand mighty mountain. Everybody involved was knocked in different direction. Ju Feng was knocked hard to the ground, with his head taking the brunt of it. Flat on the ground, he struggled to breathe as blood was streaking down his eyes, ears and corners of his mouth.

"In my terrace?"

A colossal voice boomed out of the shadow energy that had materialized overhead in the midair.

"Who dare?"

The faint shadow gathered together to reveal a shadow figure clothed in a shadow black robe. Two large red eyes could be seen in the hooded shadow face. The shadow energy sorrounding the figure was raging with incredible force. The force of an ascendant who had reached the gates of godhood.

"White lions and gold dragons?"

The shadow figure raised its hand and a huge shadow palm appeared and swinged in a circle. Despite the lions and the dragons blocking the palm, they were knocked flying in different directions.

"If not for the ones you serve." 

Looking around, the shadow figure saw Ju Feng lying on the floor with a bloody face and struggling for air.

"Pathetic."

The hooded figure made a flick motion with his fingers that sent Ju Feng flying towards the Gloomvale. He landed hard on the ground, knocking the wind out of his lungs and twisting his left arm. The pressure on him had disappeared but he had suffered greatly. Yet, he couldn't stay here. How could he knew where he was or whose territory he was right now? With great difficulty, he readjusted his twisted arm and managed to pop one bloodroot pill into his mouth.

With the remaining strength he got, he crawled towards the large hallway of the Gloomvale at the nearest distance. He knew that, if not for the crystals which the tree gave him, he would have been dead already. Though, his own soul of liquid orb was an added advantage, they meant little in this spirit world.

Ju Feng compelled himself to enter the hall before collapsing.

When he came around, he found himself in an immense hall that resembled a keep or a dominion. There were large incomprehensible runic inscriptions carved into the floor. The profound scripts winded slowly in from the entrance of the dark hallway to the foot of two closed massive doors, the only other features of the strangely dark place.

The massive doors rose up from the floor, in the expanse of several meters up through the air, then stopped before it could meet the hall's rooftop. Stopping with some yards short. The space between the rooftop and the massive doors was occupied with dark cloud that was filled with silent dancing lightnings.

It was a stranger place than the outside.

He remembered the words of the grey tree as he followed the oblique path of runes. Each step he took towards the massive doors, was of agonizing pain as the runes flared with each step. Every flare would travel to his dantian and wrench at his soul. He would take one step and waited for a long time to recover himself before he continued at a slow pace until finally he reached the immense doors.

After a moment of pause, he placed his feet squarely on the large rune at the front of the closed doors before inserting the last Iradium gold coin given to him by the tree, into the gold slit on one of the massive doors. The air was getting denser in the hallway as lightning were streaking down the massive doors

The massive doors made a thunderous snapping sound before it gradually began to open.

Beyond the doors was a hoard of nightmares.