A key?

  The reward for the fourteenth layer of Qi Refining was actually a key.

  Even Lu hadn't anticipated this.

  Had the system truly fallen on such hard times?

  Handing him a key to brush him off?

  Yet Lu didn't panic. He calmed himself and carefully examined what this key truly was.

  This time, the system offered no description—not even the slightest hint about the key—leaving Lu utterly astonished.

  Leaning back in the Thousand-Bladed Chair.

  On the pavilion, the Black-White Queen, Yun Qiangu, and the others looked at Lu with puzzlement and curiosity, unsure why his demeanor had suddenly shifted mid-conversation.

  The Black-White Queen didn't interrupt his thoughts. She cradled her wine cup, took a sip, and watched him with deep meaning.

  Yun Qiangu and Wanbao Saint exchanged glances, vaguely sensing something.

  The lake island's atmosphere grew heavy.

  No more heated discussion—the Black-White Queen and the two human Saints waited for Lu to return to himself.

  In this world, perhaps only Lu could command such treatment.

  After a long while, Lu snapped back, smiling apologetically.

  "Sorry, everyone—lost in thought."

  Lu chuckled.

  The Black-White Queen swirled her cup, long legs crossed, thoughtfully regarding him.

  "Something on your mind?"

  She asked.

  "Share it. If it's troubling, with our strength, we might help."

  Yun Qiangu chimed in.

  Lu narrowed his eyes.

  Then, with a mental shift...

  Perhaps let Yun Qiangu and the Black-White Queen see if they recognized the key.

  "Just recalled a sealed artifact."

  Lu smiled.

  Raised hand—dim light gathered in his palm, absorbing ambient radiance.

  Soon, light converged.

  In Lu's palm: a pitch-black, ancient yet ordinary key.

  No terrifying aura, no strange fluctuations.

  Seemingly utterly mundane.

  The Black-White Queen, Yun Qiangu, and Wanbao Saint focused on it—and froze.

  The Black-White Queen's elegant brows furrowed, revealing doubt.

  Unfamiliar with such a plain key—how recognize?

  Yet vaguely... odd.

  The utterly ordinary key somehow drew her gaze.

  "Where'd this key come from?"

  Black-White Queen curiously asked.

  Yun Qiangu and Wanbao focused too.

  Especially Wanbao—named for myriad treasures; fought with them overwhelming.

  Thus studied all artifacts.

  "Just an ordinary key—but beneath plainness, extraordinary."

  "Feels great dao simplicity."

  Wanbao said.

  All eyes on Lu—curious origin.

  Lu inwardly sighed—knew these Primordial pinnacles likely unrecognizable; perhaps system's origin unknown to them.

  Shook head: "A treasure, I suppose."

  System-produced—treasure; no issue.

  Wanbao interested: "Treasure has use—try primordial spirit or energy activation."

  Suggested.

  Lu narrowed eyes—primordial spirit surged.

  Vast spirit flooded key—but key couldn't bear.

  Lu frowned.

  No more spirit—used refined qi instead.

  Boom!

  Reaction!

  Pitch-black ordinary key—like bottomless abyss; madly absorbed infused qi.

  Whale-swallow.

  Lu's face shifted—felt cuts frantically drained.

  Key ungracious.

  Absorbing Lu's qi—peculiar patterns flickered.

  Subtle annihilation fluctuations spread.

  Black-White Queen's amused face stiffened—abruptly stood; chair crashed unnoticed.

  You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

  Flawless visage—shock, astonishment, fear!

  This aura...

  "The gate?!"

  Black-White Queen utterly familiar with gate aura.

  Survived countless eras—among oldest beings.

  Yun Qiangu and Wanbao initially unconcerned—but her shock roused them.

  "What? Key has gate aura?"

  Not survivors prior era—unfamiliar aura.

  But knew gate terror.

  Primordial myriad eras—glorious ones; Black-White told of beast ancestor era—grandest.

  Chaos-tiers thirty; myriad races vied; experts countless.

  Led by beast ancestors—era end challenged gate entity.

  Even assaulted beyond.

  But gate opened—terror leaked.

  Five beast ancestors palm-extinguished; dozens chaos-tiers fallen in one palm.

  Grand era—easily destroyed.

  Left indelible sorrow grandest age.

  Thus Yun Qiangu and Wanbao feared gate too.

  Lu surprised at Black-White Queen.

  "Gate? Key to the gate?"

  Lu uncertain.

  Suddenly felt key... scalding.

  "No... wrong!"

  Lu brows tight—soul quivered; something off.

  "System rewarded 'gate' key?"

  Deep breath.

  Found inconsistency—once thought system five ancestors' creation; now... perhaps not.

  "If ancestors'—where their gate key..."

  "Or jointly forged? For successor enter early, eliminate gate crisis?"

  Lu confused.

  Of course—key perhaps gate entity's.

  System too...

  Lu deep breath—mist thicker.

  Soon severed key link—ceased input.

  Key aura dispersed; eerie patterns retracted.

  Black-White Queen still stared Lu, key uncertainly.

  Yun Qiangu and Wanbao restless.

  Stared Lu—peculiar gazes.

  Gate key... if true—major.

  Where'd kid get gate key?

  Truly as god-demon emperors said—tied to beyond?

  Black-White Queen approached—examined key.

  Lu unconcerned—tossed to her.

  She caught—inspected; returned plain.

  Patterns gone; gate-sourced aura vanished.

  "How activated earlier? Primordial spirit?"

  Asked.

  "Qi—pure refined qi."

  Lu on Thousand-Bladed Chair—pondered; no concealment.

  Gate matter—Primordial terror.

  No need hide.

  Perhaps key—crisis resolver?

  "Perhaps key lets us enter beyond early?"

  Lu curious.

  Black-White stunned—returned key.

  Yun Qiangu and Wanbao exchanged—focused.

  Premature gate opening?

  Black-White pondered Lu's words.

  Prior eras—never occurred.

  Perhaps crisis solution?

  "Dangerous—but prior eras unprecedented; premature opening... novel."

  Black-White said.

  "But..."

  "Perhaps chance."

  Eyes bright—suddenly tempted.

  Lu narrowed eyes.

  Fourteenth reward—qi-absorbing key; deeper meaning?

  Shook head—no overthink.

  "Since absorbs qi—sufficient perhaps triggers gate."

  Black-White stared Lu: "Try?"

  Excited—perhaps her only hope.

  Knew impossible survive this era; prior wounded, essence blood taken—entity target her this era.

  "Possible—but full preparations; rash—catastrophe."

  Yun Qiangu serious.

  Wanbao nodded.

  Rash release entity—absolute apocalypse current Primordial.

  Black-White calmed—understood.

  "Chaos depths—use ancient arrays there..."

  Wanbao proposed.

  Chaos depths—gate emergence site; myriad eras supreme arrays against beyond terror.

  Effective thus far.

  Arrays profound—even array-master Yun Qiangu opaque.

  Black-White to Lu: "Thoughts?"

  Lu stroked key.

  "Agreed—but wait awhile..."

  Now fourteenth breakthrough; qi reserves not peak—not strongest; five bodies not fully fused.

  No rush.

  "Yes... peak condition."

  Black-White serious nod.

  "We cultivate Five Phoenixes."

  "Lu—peak state; proceed plan..."

  Black-White said.

  No lingering—alluring form flashed; vanished.

  Reappeared Buzhou Peak.

  Zhu Long there—planned stay; adjust state, guide Zhu Long cultivation.

  Yun Qiangu and Wanbao bade farewell Lu—adjusted states separately.

  Key emergence—hope; but hope or apocalypse unclear—opening reveal.

  But pre—that; maximize state; confidence, strength against.

  Lake island—Lu alone again.

  Leaning Thousand-Bladed Chair—planned rest post-breakthrough.

  But time forbade.

  "Key..."

  "System five ancestors' joint? Or gate entity's?"

  "Key absorbs qi—how much? Fourteenth enough?"

  Deep breath.

  Glanced key—subtle gleam.

  Stored.

  Lu on Thousand-Bladed Chair—produced Spiritual Pressure Chessboard; arranged game.

  Arranged while pondering.

  "If key truly opens annihilation gate—immense danger..."

  Thus Lu only elevate strength—stronger safer.

  Snap!

  Piece on board—like drop calm lake; ripples.

  Ahead: forge Five Phoenixes from peak immortal-martial to hyper-fantasy world!

  Lu's strength tied world elevation.

  ...

  Time flicked—ten millennia.

  Primordial fully human era.

  Humans ruled, dominated; many ancestral experts left Five Phoenixes—wandered starry sky, explored perils; self-breakthrough.

  Starry races encountered humans—no provocation.

  Humans united; current overlords—no rival.

  God-demon five emperors slain—no balancer.

  Fortunately humans non-bullying; Primordial relatively stable.

  Greatest change: Five Phoenixes starry sky.

  Beast ancestor realms, mystery stars, Destiny Tower, emperor fall sites—myriad holy lands; human cultivation unprecedented rapid.

  Prodigy contention golden age.

  Varied geniuses emerged—vied resources, danced.

  Five Phoenixes holy lands strengthened—with Saint overseers.

  Sima Qingshan's painting sect, Kong Nanfei's Vast Righteous Holy Land etc...

  Now Five Phoenixes, even Primordial top holy lands.

  Disciples countless; experts clouds.

  Sima and Kong beast inheritors—current starry pinnacles; Saints!

  Though uninvolved holy land rivalries—Saint presence deterred challengers.

  Kong Nanfei, Nie Changqing, Sima Qingshan, Bai Qingniao, Overlord Xiang Shaoyun—focused cultivation; Lu-gifted emperor foundations—leaps.

  Beast inheritance base plus emperor foundations—rapid digestion.

  Tonggu Saint remained Azure—learned much; soul elevating ceaselessly.

  Zhu Long Buzhou Peak—millennia Black-White guidance; steady growth.

  Azure Dragon, little Yinglong, Crimson etc.—benefited; rapid under guidance.

  Little Yinglong fully digested immortal origin—peak Quasi-Saint combat.

  Azure, Crimson etc. lesser—peak Heavenly Emperor.

  Five Phoenixes Continent—not just them advanced.

  Tang Yimo secluded Immortal Array Tower—occasional roars.

  Terrifying auras faintly erupted.

  Dantai Xuan sat Sea of Suffering shore—rebirth flowers; gazed reincarnating souls—myriad insights.

  Insights converged rivers—purified karma.

  Master underworld, death domain.

  Should endless karma—yet lotus unstained mud; buddha amid sin.

  Influenced underworld; maintained reincarnation.

  Soul transformed third layer—Dantai Xuan like blooming lotus; shook entire Five Phoenixes.

  Heavens seven-colored radiance.

  Underworld linked Five Phoenixes—endless auspicious.

  Dantai Xuan breakthrough—Sea shore; thought Sainthood.

  Breakthrough moment.

  Seated northern Great Snow Mountain peak Kong Nanfei opened eyes—smiled.

  Central Nine Phoenixes Palace rear farmyard Bai Qingniao nodded slightly.

  Western Overlord stood Dongyan River bank—breath dragon-like.

  Southern Sima Qingshan paused painting—continued; strokes roaming dragon.

  Beiluo Lake Nie Changqing opened eyes—boated lake; laughed loudly.

  Five Phoenixes another Saint—joyous; but no great waves.

  Micah, Gu Mangran etc. envied—but own paths; millennia progress; Quasi-Saint.

  Humans ever stronger.

  Witch, demon clans birthed Quasi-Saints.

  Even Twelve Ancestral Witches united—Saint-rival combat.

  World qi denser—bore more experts.

  Yet many breakthroughs vaguely sensed world oppression—extreme terror.

  ...

  Lake island.

  Lu slowly opened eyes—millennia; set relics across Five Phoenixes; Quasi-Saint inheritances—prodigies vied opportunities; breakthroughs ceaseless.

  For Five Phoenixes hyper-fantasy impact.

  Fact: millennia two Saints born.

  Dantai Xuan one; other unparalleled prodigy reincarnated Azure—sole third-layer soul breakthrough among many.

  Humans stronger.

  Saints emerged—overwhelmed era; faintly beast ancestor grandeur.

  Lu exhaled.

  Ning Zhao approached gracefully—poured wine.

  Warm liquid aroma.

  Lu cradled cup—sipped lightly.

  Raised hand—five Indestructible Demon Bodies fused one; deep purple energy orb terrifying power surging.

  Finally five elements unity.

  Qi cuts—Five Phoenixes millennia rapid development—peak.

  Fourteenth layer peak reached.

  But no fifteenth prompt.

  Though post-fourteenth dim "+"—perhaps trigger needed.

  "Current Five Phoenixes peak immortal-martial... yet no hyper-fantasy breakthrough."

  "Origin universe immortal origin five phoenixes..."

  "Hyper-fantasy world... what? Mere hypothesis?"

  Lu truly unclear hyper-fantasy impact.

  Current Five Phoenixes Continent—dozens Saints; Quasi-Saints dozens nearing hundred; Daluo, human Heavenly Emperors more.

  Force surpassed entire Primordial.

  Yet... blocked hyper-fantasy.

  Invisible barrier.

  Then Lu recalled key...

  "Perhaps this hyper-fantasy impact... key?"

  Lu eyes gleamed—thoughtful.

  Smiled.

  Sipped wine.

  Lake island breeze gentle.

  Then Lu tossed purple orb skyward.

  Boom!

  Alternate dimension—black hole erupted; annihilated all.

  Whoosh!

  Pavilion.

  Fuzzy figures leaped space.

  Black-White Queen, Yun Qiangu, Wanbao Saint—eyes bright appeared.