Ye Liang rubbed the Sword of the Thunder God in his hand.
It was a gift from Izanami.
"Izanami was a good girl. Too bad she fell for the wrong person," he murmured.
He had returned to the human world two months ago.
During these two months, Ye Liang mainly finished up matters regarding his departure and asked Susanoo-no-Mikoto to keep an eye on the villagers.
Izan Yamato was gone, which naturally left the headship of the Izan family to Susanoo-no-Mikoto.
Ye Liang's current strength had reached level 51.
According to Susanoo-no-Mikoto's estimation, though the Otsutsuki Clan was powerful, Ye Liang was now more than capable of dominating the Third Civilization!
He bid farewell to the villagers.
The Edge of Heaven!
In terms of his past life's knowledge, this place should be near the North Pole.
The weather was unusually cold. If it weren't for Ye Liang using [Fire Release] to warm his entire body, he surely would have caught a chill.
Susanoo-no-Mikoto waited here for him.
"Are you sure you want to take this path?"
"Do I even have a choice?" Ye Liang gave a wry smile. He wanted to go to Otsutsuki Planet, but he didn't have its coordinates.
Therefore, he could only take the most ancient method.
The Divine Path!
Also known as the Heavenly Ladder!
According to Susanoo-no-Mikoto, the Heavenly Ladder was a leftover path from ancient gods exchanging cultures with cosmic civilizations. Though it couldn't directly lead to Otsutsuki Planet, it could guide Ye Liang into the world of the Third Civilization.
After that, he would switch routes.
Like changing trains at a station.
"Fine! Since you insist on taking this road, I won't try to stop you anymore." As soon as Susanoo-no-Mikoto finished speaking, he pulled out a blazing red sword from the void.
He pointed toward the Arctic iceberg behind him.
"The Divine Path! Hidden beyond the mortal world!" With a forceful thrust of the sword into the ground, the iceberg split apart before their eyes.
A sky-reaching staircase leading straight into the clouds emerged.
Ye Liang gulped nervously.
This divine staircase seemed endless. Not only did it exude a bone-piercing chill, but even its aura sent shivers down his spine. The moment Ye Liang laid eyes on it, a sudden wave of fear surged through him.
"Go then! Once you leave today, we may never meet again. This way, your older sister can finally give up on her silly idea."
"Can't you say something more encouraging..."
Ye Liang shot him a glance before lifting his feet and stepping onto the Heavenly Staircase.
As soon as he set foot on the first step, an invisible pressure pressed down upon him. When he stepped forward again, the pressure suddenly increased—from one palm's worth of force to two.
Does this thing increase by the second?
Taken aback, Ye Liang hesitated briefly.
He continued walking a few steps further. He noticed that each time the pressure only increased by one palm's worth, so he relaxed slightly. As long as the burden didn't double every step, this amount of pressure was still bearable.
Ye Liang walked on for a while longer.
By now, he had reached halfway up the iceberg.
Susanoo-no-Mikoto behind him had already vanished from sight, and the road ahead remained unseen to its end. Ye Liang stretched his arms and suddenly took flight!
"Who the hell said you *had* to walk the Heavenly Road? Flying's way more convenient!"
Ye Liang patted himself on the back mentally for being so smart.
He chuckled, but after flying nonstop for twenty-four hours, he was completely stunned.
The pressure had now increased to about a ton, but that wasn't particularly impressive. What truly filled Ye Liang with despair was the fact that he had flown right out of Earth!
"Wo cao!"
Seeing himself side by side with the moon, Ye Liang instantly froze in shock.
"This can't be real! If this road, were constructed by humans, how many years would it take to extend beyond Earth? And judging from the current distance, there's still no end in sight!"
This was absolutely a miracle!
What the hell!
Now Ye Liang was the one suffering.
Finally, once he escaped Earth's gravity, Ye Liang's speed instantly reached an unbelievable level! In one sudden dive, he vanished into the distance at dozens of light-years per second!
After a long while...
He arrived on a tiny asteroid—only about a hundred meters in diameter.
A Bronze Door stood on top of it.
Once the Road to Heaven reached here, it simply disappeared.
"It looks like this Bronze Door is the very path connecting civilizations," Ye Liang mused, walking forward. Just as he tried to push open the door, two red-eyed lions over three meters tall burst forth from the sides of the door.
"This is the Gate of Civilization! To enter, you must complete a trial!"
"These lions can actually speak human language!"
Ye Liang was startled. He quickly took a step back.
"May I ask, seniors, what exactly is the test?"
"Three questions: first, why have you come? Second, from where do you come? Third, who are you?"
"What kind of questions are these?"
Ye Liang blinked, then began to think.
The two lions stared directly at him. "Kid, you must be from a primitive civilization. I advise you to turn back. This path ahead is no longer suitable for ordinary civilizations like yours to tread. A single misstep might lead to death and destruction!"
Ye Liang shook his head.
"No. My family's life depends on this. I must save her!"
The two lions exchanged glances, then sighed in resignation. "Fine then. Answer the questions."
"Alright."
Ye Liang nodded.
"First question. I came for my family!
My wife was taken by criminals. She's six months pregnant... and her strength is fading. I am a man, her husband. Even if the path ahead is unknown, I won't give up—not as long as there's even a sliver of hope!"
"Excellent! You've come for your family. Loyal and devoted, truly commendable." The two lions nodded simultaneously.
"Second question. I come from Earth!
Though Earth isn't a powerful civilization, we look out for each other. Even in hardship, we offer warmth and support. I come from Earth, seeking immortality (the eternal path of life)!"
"Bravo! What a fine 'seeking immortality'! Though you're from a primitive civilization, you don't belittle yourself, nor do you fear higher civilizations. Truly a promising talent!"
"Third question!"
Ye Liang continued, "Who am I? I am Ye Liang! I was born without immense strength or a powerful background. All I can do is struggle forward through hardship. If fate tries to crush me, I'll rise and fight! If the world betrays me, I'll tear it apart!"
If the Tao of Heaven is unjust, then I shall become the Tao of Heaven itself!
In short, my name is Ye Liang. That's all."
The two lions fell silent.
How often had they heard such bold words?
Some of these lines were classic quotes Ye Liang had borrowed from novels he'd read in his past life.
How could these two guardians from another realm possibly understand such profound words!
The lions' expressions turned complex.
"Little buddy, have you read any of the classics?"
"Classics? What's that?" Ye Liang said.
"Like *"Douluo Continent"*, *"Battle Through the Heavens"*, *"Great Master"*, *"Martial World"*..."
Suddenly, for no apparent reason, the air froze in an eerie stillness!
"You've read the classics..."
A muscle twitched on Ye Liang's face.
The lion let out a mocking chuckle.
"Back then, when the Creator God from your world came here, he brought a few classic books with him, saying they were the hallmark of his world. Seeing you speak with such arrogance now, I finally understand.
Your world is damn good! Every casual remark is an ultimate truth of the Way. How can I possibly stand in your way!" After saying that, the lion stepped aside and cleared the path for Ye Liang.
Ye Liang: "..."
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