Chapter 1043 1043 Second step

The changes that happened next were so sudden and so abrupt, that neither Shun Long nor Little Black could do more than just register them before they took place.

First, the white light around the golden stele had turned almost blinding, quickly filling the entire foggy space inside the 'Stone of Time'. Even Little Black, who now had strength equivalent to a peak rank 7 magic beast couldn't help but close his eyes, before he instinctively wrapped his gigantic body around his master.

But even that... was meaningless.

Shun Long was no different from the black dragon in that regard. In front of the blinding white light, even under Little Black's protection, he couldn't help but shut his eyes, as the loud humming from the ancient stele rang out next, piercing straight into his ears.

It was the sound of metal vibrating violently, and yet for some reason, Shun Long could feel his own soul reacting to it, as if the sound was calling for him.

''No, that's not it!''

Shun Long quickly realized his mistake as he hurriedly sent his soul sense to examine his spiritual space.

And indeed, right above his spiritual sea, the small, triangular-shaped stone had already started to rotate in a clockwise motion.

Listening to the faint buzzing sound it was emitting, Shun Long instantly realized what was going on.

The ancient stele wasn't calling for him. It was calling for the 'Stone of Time'!

It had been such a long time since the 'Stone of Time' reacted to anything that Shun Long had almost forgotten what he had gone through the last time something like this happened.

But now? Staring at the faint blue light that was quickly filling his spiritual sea at an alarming rate, he couldn't help but think back to those two times he had experienced in the Night star continent.

When he'd been forcefully teleported to those unknown lands, one of which was even guarded by a high-level immortal.

Right now, he was a late-stage Dao King — and one that could most likely reign supreme in his own realm of cultivation. Even in the entire Immortal Dimension, Shun Long was confident that only a handful of Dao Kings could possibly last more than a dozen moves from him if he was willing to go all out.

But even the strongest Dao King in history would be no different from an ant in front of the weakest of immortals, let alone that old man Shun Long had faced when he found himself trapped in that place called the 'Eternal Confinement Immortal Prison'.

The 'Stone of Time' didn't seem to care about any of that, though. Shun Long could tell that his own reservations were no different from a leaf's before an impending storm, as the triangular-shaped stone inside his spiritual space was only rotating faster and faster with every passing second.

And finally, when that bright blue light began to seep out and envelop the rest of his body, the very outcome Shun Long had hoped to avoid... followed.

Little Black's massive body was the first to disappear, followed by the mountains of middle and high-grade spirit stones around him and the numerous other treasures that filled the foggy space. Eventually, even the foggy space itself seemed to distort into nothingness, replaced by a majestic white palace surrounded by pure darkness.

No, that wasn't entirely true. Darkness was indeed ever-present around the jade-white palace, but just like the last time, Shun Long could still see the figures of the 2 angels clad in silver armor guarding the palace gates.

Just like the last time, those figures were still holding their imposing spears as they blocked the gates, and just like the last time, Shun Long could still see the dark-golden runes covering the gigantic marble walls of the palace.

The one thousand golden steps that led the way to the palace were still shining with their radiant golden glow, and just like the last time, Shun Long was once more standing on the first golden step.

This time, however, things were different. That terrifying pressure Shun Long had felt the first time he was here was now nowhere to be found. Aside from a slight increase in gravity, the overwhelming force from before was simply... gone.

Of course, Shun Long knew that this also made sense, but the striking difference still made him pause momentarily. He had replayed his last experience here numerous times in his mind and had already come to a certain conclusion.

The reason he had almost died the last time was simple. He had been weak. Too weak to come to a place like this.

He didn't know why the 'Stone of Time' had sent him to this place, but he'd barely made it out by the skin of his teeth back then — if he could even call it that.

He had barely survived the crushing force of the first step and had been sent flying the moment he tried to ascend the second step.

Of course, that time, he was just a peak Heaven grade cultivator and his 'Monarch's Eternal body' had just advanced to the peak of the third stage, whereas now he was almost a peak-stage Dao King instead.

The difference between his past and current self wasn't one that could be measured through mere words, but perhaps... golden steps.

Shun Long had to admit, he didn't quite know what this place was. He'd even described it to Little Black, but neither the black dragon, nor the memories he had unlocked from his previous life seemed to have any recollection of the jade-white palace or the language of those dark-golden runes inscribed on its walls.

Still, one thing was for certain: For as many dangers this place may be hiding, just that golden stairway was definitely an opportunity.

The last time he was here, just staying on the first step for a while had pushed his body refinement cultivation from the middle of the third stage, all the way to the peak.

Given that this didn't seem to be the 'Eternal Confinement Immortal Prison', and with no one else in sight, Shun Long found himself standing between two paths.

The first one was to step on the patch of red soil behind him and return to the foggy space. He couldn't be certain if this was going to work, but the last time he was here, it had been that red soil that sent him back to the 'Stone of Time'.

''And the second... is to climb.''

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