Jade Void Palace (Part 1)

"So it was all thanks to Senior Brother's good intentions. I am Heaven and Earth grateful! I will remember it forever!" Zhang Rongfang's heart bled as he bowed respectfully to Ding Rui.

"Junior brother, why are you like this?" Ding Rui shook his head and stepped forward to help Zhang Rongfang up, preventing him from bowing down.

"You are the future successor of the Great Dao Sect Heavenly Treasure Palace, so it is only right that we take you seriously no matter what."

"In addition," he paused, "I also came to Ze Province this time to visit my hometown. I am a native of this place and grew up here. Many years ago, when the Grand Master took me away, I was only ten years old. Now, many years have passed in the blink of an eye. If it weren't for my junior brother, I might not have been able to return home."

"I see," Zhang Rongfang, understanding dawning on him.

"By the way, Junior Brother, you have a difficult mission this time. Although the Palace Master of the Jade Void Palace Master was persuaded by the Grand Master to unify the palace, she trusts the Palace Master Grand Master, not anyone else."

Although Heavenly Treasure Palace and Jade Void Palace are of the same lineage and have two sides, your identity as a Daozi disciple, junior brother, mainly inherits everything from the Heavenly Treasure Palace.

The Jade Void Jade Void Palace, on the other hand, is a clandestine force, having always operated independently. Therefore...

"So, if I can persuade the Palace Master Jade Void Palace, then my identity can be considered to be truly and fully recognized?" Zhang Rongfang nodded knowingly.

"That's right. However, the Palace Master of the Jade Void Palace has some rather peculiar ailments. If you see her, please don't be surprised or afraid. You'll get used to it." Ding Rui seemed to be carefully choosing his words, which made Zhang Rongfang, who already had some suspicions, feel a chill run down his spine once again.

It seems that this trip to the Jade Void Palace was not just about seeking refuge, but also about Lao Yue's hope that he could meet with another force of the Great Dao Sect and unify their thinking.

"Alright, junior brother, it's time to get going. Don't blame the Grand Master this time. All of this is to give you an opportunity to thoroughly eliminate any potential threats and hidden hands around you."

"So we resorted to this desperate measure, but it seems that apart from a few affiliated forces of the Western Sect, we haven't gotten anything else." Ding Rui sighed.

"Thank you for your painstaking efforts, Master and Senior Brother. Heaven and Earth am ashamed," Zhang Rongfang sighed as well.

Immediately, Ding Rui and several others escorted him across Beautiful Spring Lake.

This time, there were no surprises.

Zhang Rongfang also understood that the reason why he deliberately created the situation of traveling alone was a pre-planned scheme.

Now that we're almost back in our hometown, there's no need for these preparations anymore.

What was supposed to come out has already come out.

So the group headed straight for Ze Province.

Instead of going to take up his post first, he went to the ancestral temple of the Great Dao Sect in Ze Province — Jade Void Palace.

*** Ze Province, Tian He Mountain Range.

In the very center of Ze Province, there is a massive mountain range that stretches across the region. This mountain is shaped like a river, winding and turning, with its top covered in snow. It is also known by the locals as the Tianhe.

The real Jade Void Palace is hidden at the highest point of the Tian He Mountain Range — Spirit Void Peak.

Spirit Void Peak is shaped like a giant hand with five fingers pointing to the sky and the palm facing upwards, as if it is supporting something invisible.

The Jade Void Palace complex was built right in the center of the palm.

To enter, one must first pass through the Heaven Gate.

"This is the Heaven Gate?"

Zhang Rongfang and the others were standing on the mountain path of Spirit Void Peak.

Ahead was a wide Great Way that stretched into a snow-covered canyon.

A massive, towering fortress guards the canyon.

The level's character is black and white, covered in ice and snow.

From a distance, it looks like a giant circular lock, with the keyhole being the only entrance.

The level's materials appear to be primarily a mixture of rock and metal, with intricate feather patterns, cloud patterns, and Daoist mantras inscribed throughout.

Zhang Rongfang looked around and observed the height of the mountain walls on both sides of the pass; they were at least several hundred meters high.

"Is this the Heaven Gate set up by the Jade Void Palace?" he asked in a deep voice.

"Not bad." Ding Rui revealed a slight hint of pride.

"The Heaven Gate is over a hundred feet high and is a crucial defensive line against all invading enemies. Because of its lock-like shape, many fellow disciples also like to call it the Heavenly Lock."

He led the way forward.

"Let's go, someone's coming to greet us."

Zhang Rongfang quickly followed. Behind him were Hundred Flowers Fairy and two others. The three were originally the leaders of the secret sentries that Jade Void Palace had previously set up outside, so they came back together to rest and recuperate.

The group continued on their way and entered the canyon.

The mountain walls on both sides are steep and covered with moss and grass, and even the withered vines cannot hide the faint weathering patterns on the stone walls.

Flocks of white, unidentified birds flew back and forth over the canyon, as if they were playing a game.

At that moment, more than a dozen tall figures dressed in white and wearing heavy cloaks quickly appeared on the steps leading directly ahead.

These people, both men and women, all wore thick white woolen hats, and their cloaks had warm fur trim on the collars for warmth.

On their backs were all sorts of strange weapons: spears, three-pointed double-edged spears, Wolf Tooth Club, long-handled Long Blade, and one even carried a pair of large, thick black meteor hammers.

The man leading the group was a middle-aged man with bright eyes and reddish skin.

This man had a small mustache, carried Wish Wheel on his back, and was about 2.3 or 2.4 meters tall. He seemed to hold a very high position among this group of people.

The others did not dare to step out of bounds as they moved.

"Yun Shan, First-Class Steward of the Jade Void Palace, greets Daozi. Greetings, Senior Brother Ding." As the middle-aged man approached, he solemnly clasped his hands in a salute to Ding Rui and Zhang Rongfang.

The two quickly returned the greeting.

"Thank you for leading the way, Junior Brother Yun Shan," Ding Rui said, following the other's lead. "I haven't been back for many years, and I wonder how things are here." He sighed slightly.

"Is Senior Brother Ding worried about things at home? The Ding Clan Estate has been peaceful and orderly all these years, with no problems." Yun Shan decisively started chatting with Ding Rui.

Zhang Rongfang, who was behind, spoke quietly with one of the people who had come with Yun Shan.

"You are Dao Child Zhang Ying of the Heavenly Treasure Palace? Daoist Title Heaven and Earth? What a grand Daoist Title!" A beautiful young woman with a full chest, wearing a pure white fox fur cloak, curiously approached Zhang Rongfang and asked.

"Yes, my Daoist Title was given to me by my master. I had no choice. Don't be fooled by my grand name. As you know, people at the Heavenly Treasure Palace don't really practice martial arts."

"My real name is Zhang Ying, the 'Ying' in 'shadow.' May I ask this junior sister's Daoist Title?" Zhang Rongfang asked in a low voice, while revealing a helpless expression.

"My name is Shangguan Yi, Daoist Title Han Zhen. You can just call me Han Zhen." The girl seemed to be quite young, but she was very outgoing and not shy at all.

Moreover, she's pretty and cute, with plenty of collagen in her face, and when she smiles, she reveals two deep dimples.

Such a person, even if you strike up a conversation abruptly, or even if you say something unexpected, will not make you feel uncomfortable.

People will be more tolerant of such people.

"I heard you came here to see the Palace Master, is that right?" Han Zhen asked in a low voice.

"Yes, my main purpose in coming here is to see the Palace Master. After all, he is my Grandmaster Uncle, so I have to come both out of courtesy and reason." Zhang Rongfang nodded.

"Then you'd better be careful." Han Zhen's expression suddenly became a little strange. "The Palace Master has a bad temper. You must go along with her in your words and actions, or you'll be in a lot of trouble!"

"How so?" Zhang Rongfang had long been curious about this Palace Master of the Jade Void Palace.

Upon hearing this, a thought struck him: could he possibly glean something from Han Zhen in front of him?

"I can't say it," Han Zhen shook her head. "You'll see when you go."

"Can't say it?" Zhang Rongfang was taken aback. What was that reason? He wanted to ask again.

Suddenly, Ding Rui spoke up from the front.

"Arrive."

Zhang Rongfang looked up and ahead.

They had now arrived at the foot of the enormous Heaven Gate, standing before a city gate that was slowly rising and opening.

The city gate is rectangular, with densely packed sharp metal spikes installed on both sides of the wall, clearly not just for show.

The group walked in and soon passed through the Heaven Gate.

Behind the gate is a huge cliff, below which lies a vast stone forest.

However, in this stone forest, every stone pillar is a huge mountain peak.

The mountain peaks have been flattened, and Daoist buildings in pure white and gold tones can be vaguely seen at the top.

Between the mountain peaks are vast expanses of dense, dark green Woodland.

Numerous colorful birds flew and circled among the mountain peaks.

The trees are lush and vibrant, and pink and white flowers can be seen scattering their petals in the wind from time to time.

"The Palace Master is in the Lingxiao Hall. Han Zhen, since you and Daozi get along well, you will lead the way and take him there," the Yun Shan Daoist leading the group instructed in a deep voice.

"Okay, Father." Han Zhen stuck out his tongue.

"Fellow senior brothers, I'll be going now." Zhang Rongfang cupped his hands in greeting to Ding Rui and the others.

"See you at Green Water Pool a bit," Ding Rui mentioned. "We'll eat there too."

"Good!"

Although Zhang Rongfang didn't know where Green Water Pool was, he could find out by asking someone for directions.

Immediately, Han Zhen led Zhang Rongfang, turning all the way, and after walking several hundred meters, stopped in front of a cliff and climbed onto a long, thick rope that directly connected to the other mountain peaks.

There was something that looked like a Cable Car hanging from the rope.

The two sat down, and Han Zhen slapped the rope ten times in a row, seemingly trying to transmit some message.

Soon, the rope started moving, pulling the Cable Car forward.

"In our Jade Void Palace's Twelve Clan Estates, each time we need to pass through a different Skyline to reach a different sect. Therefore, mastering the Skyline code is an essential requirement here," Han Zhen enthusiastically Zhang Rongfang.

"Skyline." Zhang Rongfang inexplicably thought of the same word from his previous life.

But he was quickly drawn to other information the other party was talking about.

"The Twelve Clan Estates? What are those?"

"These are the twelve Great Clans that make up the Jade Void Palace. Each of them was founded and established by a Grandmaster. Of course, the minimum requirement for founding a sect or palace is to reach the Grandmaster level, but in reality, the strength of these Twelve Clan Estates represents the essence of the entire Great Dao Sect, and much more. You'll understand once you come into contact with them." Han Zhen puffed out his chest slightly, speaking with pride.

"Twelve Grandmasters?" Zhang Rongfang took a breath. He couldn't help but think of the Sensing Gate.

"If the Sensing Gate were intact, wouldn't it be..."

"We defeated the Sensing Gate head-on back then. Although we took advantage of their internal strife, that battle established our Great Dao Sect Daoist Sect's second-place position!" Han Zhen said proudly with a smile.

"Okay. That's really something." Zhang Rongfang didn't know what to say. The Cable Car continued forward, climbing uphill from low to high.

More than ten minutes later.

The two finally arrived at the tallest of the many stone pillars in the Dao Palace.

It was a Pure White Palace with a huge Golden Bead placed on top.

The palace is shaped like a giant Chinese character for "heaven" and has Tai Chi Square on all four sides.

The place where Zhang Rongfang and his companion came down was one of the squares.

"Alright. We're here. You can go now." Han Zhen patted Zhang Rongfang on the shoulder, but she remained seated perfectly still.

"Aren't you coming down?" Zhang Rongfang had a bad feeling.

"Is the Palace Master someone that just anyone can see?" Han Zhen said solemnly. "So go ahead, and someone else will escort you out. Don't worry about me."

Zhang Rongfang felt that something was wrong.

Whether it's Han Zhen's expression at this moment, or the surrounding environment, yes.

This Dao Palace here has nine stories high, and apart from birdsong, there is no human voice around.

The ground was paved with excellent, smooth White Stone slabs and was very clean.

But this is the highest point in the area, and there isn't a single tree. It would be strange if it weren't clean. "Alright, I'm leaving." Before Zhang Rongfang reply, Han Zhen patted the rope again, and the Cable Car slid down rapidly, quickly moving away from the area.

They looked exactly like they were fleeing a disaster.