A colossal stone gate, a hundred zhang high, stood before them like a giant peak.
Moreover, this stone gate had no supporting structures around it, appearing as if a single slab of rock had been erected vertically on the ground, defying all common sense.
"Is this stone gate perhaps just decoration?" Cui Fu murmured involuntarily.
Chu Fan continued to walk forward, his feet moving, and replied, "Do you think this could be mere decoration?"
His intuition told him that although the stone gate stood alone on the earth, there must be a reason for its placement. If it could be opened, it would undoubtedly lead somewhere else. As for what that place might be, Chu Fan couldn't fathom it.
From a distance, the impact of the stone gate wasn't as strong. Only when they approached within a hundred meters did the two truly feel what it meant to be immense; their eyes could not reach its top. Even for Chu Fan, who had already witnessed the grand gates of the Eternal Hall, his inner shock was difficult to suppress. He couldn't imagine who could have created such a stone gate, nor what immense power they had used. An aura of desolation, magnificence, and overwhelming pressure bore down heavily on their minds.
"Hmm?" Chu Fan, who was observing, suddenly fixed his gaze on a small black dot high up on the stone gate. "Old man, do you see that? Is that the Star Compass?"
Following Chu Fan's pointed direction, Cui Fu's expression instantly became excited. "Yes, it's the Star Compass! It's the Star Compass we're looking for!"
The excited old man moved to step forward and retrieve the Star Compass, but Chu Fan placed a hand on his shoulder. "Are you trying to get yourself killed?"
"How can you be so impulsive at your age? Look, is that thing just casually hung on this giant stone gate?"
With the reminder, Cui Fu looked closely and realized that the Star Compass seemed to be an integral part of the giant stone gate, embedded at the intersection of countless runes. Furthermore, other intersection points on the stone gate held similarly strange-looking objects, while several positions remained empty.
"Could it be that the Star Compass was once a part of this stone gate?" Regarding where the Star Compass originated, Cui Fu, despite being a disciple of the Dharma Sect, had no idea. He only knew that the founder of the Dharma Sect suddenly obtained it, and gradually developed it by studying its formations and restrictions.
"It appears so!" Chu Fan's expression was not good. Although he didn't know where the stone gate led, he was certain that the Star Compass had once belonged to it, and taking it down now was likely impossible. The stone gate looked no different from ordinary objects, yet Chu Fan could still sense a faint danger, analyzing that as soon as they got too close, the peril would manifest.
Observing the numerous converging runes on the stone gate and the empty positions, Cui Fu suddenly said, "The Star Compass, could it be one of the keys to opening the stone gate?"
"Close enough!" Chu Fan nodded, agreeing with the statement. In fact, the moment he saw the Star Compass embedded in the stone gate, he knew it was undoubtedly one of the keys to opening it. At the same time, he confirmed that his earlier conjecture was not entirely wrong: countless years ago, when people besieged and stormed this place, their primary objective was not to eliminate the Demonic Sect, but to reach here. Was it to open the stone gate? Did they finally succeed?
Both fell into deep thought, but as events were too long past, their contemplation was destined to yield no results.
"Little Fan, are we just giving up like this on this trip?" Cui Fu felt that the reason the stone gate was hidden here, and where it led, were all too distant for him. He only knew that his purpose for being here was for the Star Compass. Now that the Star Compass was on the stone gate, he was unwilling to simply leave.
Chu Fan narrowed his eyes, gazing at the stone gate, and secretly analyzed whether to take the risk and attempt to retrieve the Star Compass. His thoughts were the same as Cui Fu's; turning back and leaving now was truly disheartening. After pondering for a while, Chu Fan spoke, "Old man, you wait here. I'll go and try!"
"If you sense anything is wrong, don't mind me. Retreat immediately!" Cui Fu nodded, feeling helpless. He wondered where he could possibly escape to if he wanted to. Outside, countless ferocious wolves were still guarding. He knew very well that with his own strength, he could not possibly break through the wolf pack's siege. Even if he were lucky enough to break free, there were still forces from the Underworld Palace guarding the outer perimeter. Without Chu Fan by his side, Cui Fu didn't believe he could leave here alive.
Taking a deep breath and slowly adjusting his internal energy, Chu Fan moved forward. The aura of a supreme grandmaster emanated from him. This was the first time he had unleashed the shackles on his body since leaving the Eternal Hall.
"Truly powerful!" Feeling the pressure emanating from Chu Fan, Cui Fu's heart yearned intensely. Looking at Chu Fan again, as he advanced, his steps gradually became heavier, as if a giant mountain was pressing down on him. Each step was taken with great difficulty. When he was still thirty meters away from the stone gate, Chu Fan had to stop. At this moment, his breathing was rapid, and fine beads of cold sweat had appeared on his forehead. For a supreme grandmaster to feel such immense pressure indicated just how overwhelming the pressure on Chu Fan was. After catching his breath for a few moments, he gritted his teeth and continued forward. When he was only ten meters from the stone gate, the formidable pressure caused Chu Fan's entire body to tremble, his complexion turned pale, and his internal energy was greatly depleted.
Did he really have to give up? Looking up at the Star Compass, only thirty to forty meters away, Chu Fan felt powerless. He knew that these last ten meters were the truly insurmountable chasm. His hesitation stemmed from his own existing issues. The alien poison was being suppressed, and Chu Fan worried that moving further would require him to mobilize more power to counter the pressure, leading to a loosening of the suppression on the poison and causing it to erupt. Having been ravaged by the alien poison for years, Chu Fan knew very well the immense crisis it would bring if it were to break out. Within the Eternal Hall, there were many elders who could assist him, so he wasn't worried and could attempt it. However, outside, if the alien poison became uncontrollable, the only one who could help him would be himself.
Behind him, Cui Fu saw Chu Fan standing still, his brow furrowed in confusion as to why he had stopped. After waiting for another two minutes and seeing Chu Fan still motionless, thinking something had happened, Cui Fu gritted his teeth and was about to step forward when he saw Chu Fan suddenly turn and walk back.
He gave up? Cui Fu was stunned, his excitement and anticipation vanishing.
"What's wrong?" As Chu Fan approached, Cui Fu quickly asked.
"The pressure released by this giant gate is too formidable, and I still have an old injury. I cannot force my way through!"
"The risk involved in forcing my way through is too great!" Seeing Chu Fan's pale face and the sweat on his forehead, indicating he had endured immense pressure, Cui Fu nodded and looked reluctantly at the Star Compass, saying, "If that's the case, then let's withdraw for now!"
"After all, this thing won't run away from this place. If you can't get it, others probably won't either!"
"Let's come back for it when we have sufficient strength!" As things stood, there was no other way. Chu Fan glanced back at the giant gate and turned back with Cui Fu.
Just as the two turned to leave, on the side pillar of the giant gate, the eyes of a statue suddenly opened.