Fang Zhen roused his spirit, eager to meet this Crystal Bone Realm's Oxhead and Horseface.

He took down the Holy Garment case, holding it by the top handle with his left hand so as not to be hindered in the fight to come. With his longspear in his right hand, he walked toward the second Obsidian Stone Gate.

Avera followed closely behind.

As Fang Zhen reached the second stone gate, he felt a mix of excitement and slight nervousness.

He didn't mind. 'This kind of emotional state is actually perfect for a fight.'

Within the stone gate was a black, shadowy curtain, which Fang Zhen stepped through.

In an instant, he found himself in a vast, desolate environment on the other side of the gate.

It was still a stone chamber, but it was exceptionally huge—more like a massive square.

Overhead was a gray haze, making it impossible to see what lay above. Mist swirled at his feet, obscuring everything within a dozen or so centimeters of the ground.

Although it was clearly an indoor space, it felt like being in a fog-shrouded wilderness.

Fang Zhen felt a chill on his skin. The temperature had dropped significantly. It wasn't just a physical cold, but a chill that seemed to seep into his very soul.

About twenty meters away, a burly man with an enormous frame and proportions vastly different from a normal person's sat, seemingly in a daze or deep in Meditation.

Even while seated, he was over 1.7 meters tall. His build was as broad as a city wall. Long hair cascaded down, obscuring his face. He wore an earth-colored linen cloth draped diagonally across his body, leaving his left chest and back exposed in a style reminiscent of a monk's robes.

His exposed skin was gray, with a faint, rock-like texture. His muscles were solid, exuding a heavy, earthy simplicity.

An extremely long iron chain was wrapped around his waist. As thick as an average person's calf, it was tied in a knot at his waist, with two or three meters of chain extending from either side.

His most striking features were that, despite his burly frame, he was a hunchback, and his head was grossly disproportionate to his body. He was only about five heads tall, making his head seem abnormally large.

In his hand, he held an iron pickaxe nearly two meters long.

He sat there, motionless, as still as a rock.

"The Gatekeeper…" Avera's voice trembled slightly.

Fang Zhen looked at the grotesque figure before him.

'So this is the instance boss, the Forbidden Realm Gatekeeper.'

Perhaps it was because Avera had spoken the Gatekeeper's name, but the grotesque figure stirred. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

He slowly raised his head, his face still hidden behind the curtain of his long, grayish-white hair.

"Those who come from the Path of the Dead should only be ghosts and the undead."

"This is not a place you should be."

"Go back. I can give you one chance and pretend I never saw you."

The Forbidden Realm Gatekeeper's voice was slow and heavy.

His tone was not malicious, but it conveyed a complete lack of concern for Fang Zhen's existence.

The Forbidden Realm Gatekeeper wasn't trying to provoke him or display superiority. It was simply the condescension of a higher-dimensional being looking down on mortals. Though not born of malice, it was, objectively, an act of contempt.

"I've come all this way. Do you really think I'm going to turn back now?" Fang Zhen said.

"There's something I want behind you, and you're in my way. Either move, or I'll lay you out and walk over your corpse."

"I am determined to have it."

The Forbidden Realm Gatekeeper was silent for a long time before letting out a heavy sigh.

"All mortals must one day leave the world of the living and enter the Netherworld. One need only be patient."

"But there are always those who wish to shorten the process."

"For them, all I can do is help them on their way."

The Forbidden Realm Gatekeeper slowly rose to his feet.

Only then did Fang Zhen see just how towering the Forbidden Realm Gatekeeper truly was.

The Forbidden Realm Gatekeeper was a hunchback, but even so, he stood between 2.35 and 2.4 meters tall.

The Gatekeeper's head seemed even more immense now.

As the Gatekeeper stood, the iron chain at his waist clanked loudly. Hoisting his iron pickaxe, he began walking toward Fang Zhen with heavy steps.

"Be careful! I can support your attacks, but my Crystal Bone Crows don't have much offensive power," Avera called out from the side.

'So, she's finally going to do something?'

Fang Zhen's expression was indifferent. 'As long as Avera doesn't hold me back, it's fine.'

'I was planning to solo this anyway.'

"Back up. You'll be in the way if you're right next to me," Fang Zhen said.

This time, Avera actually listened. She moved away, putting about ten meters between herself and Fang Zhen, and watched the Forbidden Realm Gatekeeper nervously.

The Forbidden Realm Gatekeeper walked toward Fang Zhen, each step incredibly heavy. His footfalls echoed with a THUD! THUD! like massive weights striking the ground. His sheer size created a palpable sense of pressure.

Fang Zhen placed the Holy Garment case on the ground. Holding his longspear, he began to circle slowly, observing his opponent.

'The effect of the Magic Grease on my spear hasn't worn off yet. The Five-Colored Magic Flame can still burn for another ten minutes or so.'

The Forbidden Realm Gatekeeper suddenly raised his left hand. From more than ten meters away, he made a grasping gesture toward Fang Zhen, as if reaching for a handshake.

Fang Zhen instantly activated his precognitive senses.

In the vision, he saw the Forbidden Realm Gatekeeper fire a beam of dark energy that shot toward him at incredible speed.

Fang Zhen instinctively used Assassination Step.

Though it looked as if his body had only swayed slightly, he was already more than a meter clear of the black beam's path.

The Forbidden Realm Gatekeeper's black beam had only just left his hand, but it struck nothing but Fang Zhen's afterimage, missing completely.

However, in the next instant, the Gatekeeper's body dissolved into a patch of shadow and vanished.