The white gold qi around Isemeine seemed to form a gaseous nebula. It sparkled in the air, sometimes sparse, sometimes concentrated, but always free flowing.
Facing her, Ryu's own aura imploded as well, veins of red coursing out from his eyes and along his cheeks. His qi continued to climb, the Nether Qi around him concentrating into such a solid mass that it began to be visible even to Isemeine.
'Heaven Gate!'
Ryu roared into the skies, his steps heavy as he took a step forward.
A massive golden gate hung before him, its pressure bearing down on him like the weight of a mountain. Yet, he still took a second step, then a third.
With each one he took, the air beneath him shattered, the mountain ranged below erupting into a rain of rock and rubble.
Ryu's cultivation suddenly soared.
Lower Connecting Heaven Realm… Middle… Higher… Peak… Half-Step Immortal Ring Realm!