Xihe Hall

The gorge was not as deep as expected. Before long, Yuan Ming followed True Man Tantai and the others, completely breaking through the blockade of blazing white flames and reaching the bottom of the gorge.

The situation here was vastly different from above. The brown earth bore no traces of fire scorching it, and the temperature in the surroundings had dropped considerably, no longer unbearably hot.

At the center of the valley floor stood a gigantic palace of grand scale.

The palace was entirely crimson, every brick and tile shrouded in a red glow like flames. Above its main gate hung a plaque bearing the three vigorous characters: "Xihe Hall." It seemed to have weathered endless years, carrying an ancient aura that made one's heart tremble.

True Man Tantai and his group landed before the great hall. Like ants standing before a towering tree, they could not even see the palace in its entirety with a single glance.

The main gates of Xihe Hall were tightly shut, with faint phantom runes flickering across them. They had clearly been sealed by some kind of restriction.

"I never expected the gorge to be like this. It looks like there must be something good hidden inside this hall. Even if it isn't Heavenly Fire, it must be an exceedingly precious secret treasure," Gan Wenqing said, gazing at the enormous Xihe Hall with slight excitement.

True Man Tantai thought the same. Without speaking, he raised one hand and cast a technique to inspect the restriction on the gates.

Yet at that moment, a mass of black qi suddenly surged from behind them. A thick, enormous black claw several zhang long emerged from it. It resembled a bear paw, its palm and claws covered in strange runes, and it viciously clawed down at the backs