Primordial birth

Chapter 18- Gate

The next morning, Bao landed in Japan. Last night, when Bao ordered the flight pilot to change the heading to Japan, other martial artists on the airplane were not pleased with his choice. At first, they vocally argued, but then the old man from the clear sky pagoda convinced them. They were over 35,000 feet, so they didn't fight inside, and they were not in a rush. They still had a month until the opening, so they agreed and headed to Japan. They flew back to their destination after landing BAO in Japan.

When Bao arrived in Japan, he covered the entire country with his divine sense. As someone who previously had quasi-immortal soul, he already had a divine sense after breaking through to core-formation stage, tho it was nowhere compare to his peak state. He noticed that there were many martial artists in the country, yet none of them were capable of harming her. with his energy embedded on the runes, He searched for the jade pendant but couldn't find it. as if it vanished from this planet entirely.

Old Luo came to pick up Bao from the airport, then they both headed to Sumi's home, where they were currently staying. Bao met additional family members from Sumi's side and greeted them.

"Uncle, where was the last place you all visited together?" Bao asked old Luo

"After we walked around in the lower area for a bit, we headed up to the main festival area to watch the folk dance, but only Sumi and I reached, Yue was not with us,"

"Uncle, aunt, and others should have a rest; I will go check that region personally. Don't worry, she should be alright," Bao told them and proceeded towards the festival area where she disappeared.

He steadily climbed the lengthy stairs while sensing his surroundings continuously for that last moment when the Yue, along with the pendant, disappeared. When he was nearing the upper region, he felt his divine sense strike an invisible wall. Then he went to the place. If one looked at it, they would merely see another tori gate on the steps, but when Bao saw that gate, he knew what it was. It was a transmission array prepared on a gate.

[To activate the array would require a large amount of energy. 70 percent of that pendant's energy must have already been expended to activate the array. Uncle and aunt didn't activate the array. This may be due to less energy in their runes] Bao concluded

"Just wait for me Yue'er"

Bao placed his hand on the transmission array, then transferred energy to activate the array. When he entered through the transmission gate, it was not dazzling and without any sounds.

He was in utter darkness and frigid surroundings when the transmission was done.

When he tried to take a breath, he suddenly paused and covered his whole body with spiritual energy. The air was not harmful, but it's only that there was no air to breathe. It felt like being trapped inside a complete vacuum.

If Yue was teleported here with that amount of energy in the pendant, she would be able to survive without air for about a week. Bao expanded his divine sense as far as he could. There was not even a single life force in this darkness, yet he did sense something lurking in the shadows.

"Another human?"

"Did the array malfunction?"

"No, look, he is still standing, unlike another one who slumped unconscious instantly."

"But, it should still need spirit energy to activate the gates, so how come"

Those being in the darkness were speaking in human language. When Bao sensed them, he noticed that they were not alive or ghosts but something comparable to spirits.

"Human follow us," one of them added.

Then a ball of light floated in front of Bao, and he followed it without asking anything. After a while, that ball of light stopped and entered an unseen barrier. Bao followed him from behind. After he entered, what he saw was unexpected. Unlike outside the barrier, when everything was dark, after passing that barrier, everything was visible and there was light. That barrier was possibly concealing this area.

The region here was hollow and there were various buildings of diverse architecture and materials. In this place, spirit energy was denser than the Prithvi's. In this place, there was a substantial amount of air to breathe. Judging by their earlier chats, Yue could also be in this place, so he followed them.

Then Bao was transported to a place that was similar to a prison,

Those spirits said, "Stay here until the princess calls for you," and vanished away.

Bao could have just gone to this princess, but he needed to guarantee Yue's safety first, so he didn't make a move and waited. After sometimes someone came. It had a shape, unlike those earlier spirits.

"The princess has permitted you an audience, Follow me," the individual said.

After a while, they approached the palace. The palace was in the deepest section of that hallowed region. When he reached the palace, there were only two persons in the throne room: one was the princess, who was sitting, and the other one was likely her protector.

"Princess, I have brought that human," that individual said while partly kneeling.

"You may leave," that woman next to the princess said

After that individual went, they glanced at Bao for a while, 

"Who are you, human? And how did you come here? " A frigid voice that seemed foreign came from the throne. one who spoke was the princess, She had a dark black hair and she was wearing a traditional Japanese clothing, her face was Snowwhite as if lifeless.

"why does it matter to princess like yourself, like you said I'm but a mortal; I came through the tori gate,"

"How insolent! How dare you talk to the princess like that? Kneel, "the woman beside the princess said while unleashing the spiritual force on to Bao.

When Bao entered the palace, he already noticed that the woman alongside the princess was at the nascent soul stage, and the princess didn't have any cultivation base, But he didn't care much.

"Lan'er, stop!"

"What is your motive for coming here?" the princess questioned.

"I am here to bring back someone who entered here days ago."

"Oh, you mean that woman. What is your relationship with her?" the princess questioned.

"She is my Fri—wife,"

"Oh, it's like that, but you can't take her back right now,"

"What do you mean by that?"

"I didn't intend anything bad, it's just that her condition is unusual, and she can't go back right now," the princess said.

"Where is she? Take me to her,"

"Very well, as you are her husband, I will allow you to meet her. Follow me,"

Then they walked to a different room inside the palace. There were several chambers, but the furthest room had the widest entrance in the palace and was sealed with array formations. The woman beside the princess opened the door cautiously and they went inside.

At the center of the chamber was a big stone slab. It wasn't just any old stone slab; it was brimming with spirit energy. On top of that stone slab was a silver-haired sleeping beauty.