Chapter 4829

“That’s it?” Kai was surprised.

“What? Do you still want to kill me?”

The man’s face darkened instantly.

“Senior, don’t misunderstand! I didn’t mean it that way. I just thought it was a bit too simple,” Kai quickly explained.

“Hmph! If I were at full strength, I could kill you with just one finger,” the man snorted coldly.

“Senior, may I ask you something? You’re not from this world, yet you’re acting as a gatekeeper. Why is that?”

Kai was curious about where these gatekeepers came from and how they were chosen.

Hearing the question, the man sighed. “Who said I’m not from this world? My era is simply too distant—most people have long forgotten me.”

“Wait… Senior, are you saying you were once a great power in this world?” Kai was shocked.

“Not exactly a great power, but I ascended to the heavens through my own efforts…” The man gazed at the sky, his eyes filled with longing.

“Then why did you return? And your strength—while formidable—is far from that of the true immortals in heaven,” Kai asked sincerely.

“That’s none of your concern. Since you’ve passed this trial, I’ll leave a pass mark on you,” the man said.

With that, a red light shot from his palm, striking Kai.

In an instant, Kai could feel a new mark within his body.

“Senior, will you remain here forever? This world is on the verge of being abandoned—soon, it may face complete destruction,” Kai asked.

He was desperate to understand the truth behind the ladder to heaven. More and more, it seemed like the creation of an unfathomable being, with everyone merely acting as pawns.

Seeing Kai’s persistence, the man let out a sigh. “We will never meet again, so I suppose it won’t hurt to tell you…”
“I was suppressed here by the Great Dao and branded with a prisoner’s mark. There is no way for me to leave.”

“To put it simply, my current status is that of a prisoner—one being punished…”

The man’s words stunned Kai. He hadn’t known that even the heavenly world had prisoners!

“Then can you leave the world of the Ladder to Heaven? If you could, wouldn’t you be able to return to the heavenly world?”

Kai asked.

The man shook his head. “I can’t leave. Even if I could, returning to the heavenly world would be impossible. I know you all come from there. The heavenly world is sealed by the Great Formation of Heaven and Earth, trapping its cultivators inside. There’s no way back.”

“Besides, the heavenly world itself is also suppressed by the Great Dao. Staying here is far more comfortable…”

“Senior, the Great Formation of Heaven and Earth has started to weaken. I believe it won’t be long before it breaks!”

Kai said with conviction.

“Impossible! That formation was laid by an ancient great power. How could a mere cultivator from the heavenly world break it?”

The man was skeptical.

“I can!” Kai declared, pulling out four jade slips. “These are the jade slips of the Heaven and Earth Formation. I’ve already deciphered two. Once I crack the remaining two, the formation will be fully revealed, and then I can break it!”

The man’s eyes flickered with interest as he looked at the jade slips. He turned to Kai and asked, “So, you want to free me and then use the opportunity to break the Heaven and Earth Formation in the heavenly world, allowing me to return?”

“Yes!” Kai nodded firmly.

“Why would you save me? And even if I leave, the prisoner’s mark remains. I must break that first before I can truly be free.”

The man questioned.

“No reason. I just feel like doing something good.”

Kai smiled.

Seeing his expression, the man chuckled and said, “If you truly free me, I am willing to serve as your subordinate and follow your orders for three hundred years!”