The Scripture Repository
Call out!
Three streams of light shot out from the Heavenly River and appeared on a solitary peak outside the Heavenly River. They revealed themselves to be Lin Ming, accompanied by the North King and Xia Jia.
The solitary peak was about a hundred feet high, with a flat summit like a platform. Several clumps of withered yellow weeds and a few broken Stone Stele grew on it. Clearly, this place was once an Ancient Heavenly Palace ten thousand years ago, but now it has long been abandoned and its original appearance is no longer visible.
The three landed on the summit, the pebbles beneath their feet tumbling and rolling, making a crisp sound in the silence.
As for Zi Yan, she was still advancing to the Earth Sovereign within Lin Ming's Inner World at this moment.
That Perfect Baptism tempered her Spiritual Energy and physical body to the extreme. She had already touched the threshold of the Earth Sovereign, but touching it was one thing, truly crossing it would still take time.
They were currently positioned behind the Heavenly River. Looking ahead, they saw a hazy, indistinct world.
The hazy mist was like a thin veil covering the world, making distant scenery indistinct; only blurry outlines could be seen faintly in the fog.
In that hazy atmosphere, all of them could vaguely sense a kind of oppressive aura.
The oppressive aura seemed to exist not as a single force, but as several forces simultaneously; some were as heavy as mountains, some as sharp as knives, some as cold as an abyss, and some as fiery as fire.
Regardless of the path, they all felt immense pressure, like a group of mortals standing before several sleeping Giant Dragon. Although the Giant Dragon had not yet opened their eyes, the oppressive aura emanating from their very bones was already suffocating them.
"If we go any further ahead, we'll enter the territory of the Five Halls," Lin Ming said, pointing ahead to the two of them.
His voice was steady and calm, and his dark, unfathomable eyes gazed at the hazy world, a faint light slowly flowing deep within his pupils.
This Ancient Heavenly Palace, apart from the Heavenly Emperor, was divided into Five Halls and Nine Mansions. They had already passed through the Nine Residences, and now they were about to approach the residences of the five who possessed the most powerful residences in the Ancient Heavenly Palace, second only to the Heavenly Emperor.
The Nine Residences are the branches and leaves, the Five Halls are the backbone, and the main hall where the Heavenly Emperor resides is the root of the whole tree.
They've now covered most of the branches and leaves; next, they'll face the thickest branches of the tree.
Upon hearing this, the expressions of the two of them slightly tightened.
It is said that the five Hall Masters are the Heavenly Emperor's right-hand men, all at the Perfected Earth Sovereign level, and possess formidable strength.
It is said that these five Hall Masters all possess the qualifications to challenge for the Heavenly Sovereign. If such figures were placed in the current Sky Luo Continent, they would be capable of dominating the world.
Not to mention the Sky Luo Continent, even in the entire Great Thousand World, Perfected Earth Sovereign is a super strong person who can establish a sect and dominate a region.
Although most of them perished in the cataclysm ten thousand years ago, the mere pressure they left behind was enough to suffocate the North King and Xia Jia.
"Lord Lin Ming, I saw a brief description in that ancient book, saying that there was a Scripture Repository in the Ancient Heavenly Palace. Is it located after the Five Halls?" the North King suddenly asked.
His voice carried a hint of probing and a hint of anticipation. Although the records about the Ancient Heavenly Palace in that ancient book were fragmented, those few words repeatedly mentioned a Scripture Repository, saying that it contained the cultivation techniques and supernatural Cultivation Method accumulated by the Ancient Heavenly Palace over thousands of years, and was the most core place of inheritance for the entire Upper Heavenly Palace.
Upon hearing this, Lin Ming, having received the inheritance from the Master of the Lin Residence, also knew a bit about it and said, "That Scripture Repository in the Ancient Heavenly Palace is quite peculiar. It is hidden within the Ancient Heavenly Palace, and even within the Ancient Heavenly Palace, very few people can enter it."
He paused here, a thoughtful glint flashing in his dark eyes.
For a moment, both of them turned their gaze to Lin Ming, eagerly awaiting his answer.
In response, Lin Ming slowly said, "Because that Scripture Repository itself is a High-Rank Sacred Artifact."
Lin Ming's voice wasn't loud, but it was like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, stirring up ripples in the hearts of the two people.
Instantly, both of them were startled, and their eyes widened.
That Scripture Repository was actually a High-Rank Sacred Artifact? The North King's lips moved, and he subconsciously repeated, "High-Rank Sacred Artifact..."
His voice carried an almost dreamlike daze. What was the concept of High-Rank Sacred Artifact? The Azure Wood Seal in Lin Ming's hand was Sacred Artifact, but it was only a low -Sacred Artifact one; the Thunder Spear was a mid- Sacred Artifact one; while High-Rank Sacred Artifact was the pinnacle of Sacred Artifact, only one step away from the legendary quasi- Heavenly Sovereign artifact.
A High-Rank Sacred Artifact would be enough to make all the Earth Sovereign fight tooth and nail on the Sky Luo Continent, and even those reclusive Old Monster would crawl out of their coffins to snatch it.
This Scripture Repository is itself a High-Rank Sacred Artifact, so doesn't that mean it can not only store things, but also fight on its own?
"Then, Lord Lin Ming, what should we do? If the Scripture Repository is a High-Rank Sacred Artifact, it can be hidden away, and it may be impossible to find. Even if we do find it, we may not be able to get in," Xia Jia couldn't help but say.
Her voice carried a mixture of urgency and helplessness. After all, a powerful Sacred Artifact of that level was simply beyond their capabilities to deal with.
If a High-Rank Sacred Artifact were to be fully activated, its power would probably be even more ferocious than that of a Perfected Earth Sovereign. These few people would probably not even be enough to fill a tooth gap if they crashed into it.
In response, Lin Ming chuckled and said, "Although this Scripture Repository is extremely difficult to find, it is not impossible to enter. After all, the Heavenly Emperor placed it in the Ancient Heavenly Palace not merely for storage."
His smile held a certainty, and his dark eyes reflected the outline of the hazy world ahead, with a faint light slowly flowing deep within his pupils.
"Lord Lin Ming, do you have a way to find it?" Xia Jia asked again upon hearing this.
Her eyes lit up, like someone who had been wandering in a maze for ages suddenly spotting a door that might lead to the exit.
Lin Ming shook his head and said, "You can't find it by searching. However, it will automatically appear after you pass the test of the Scripture Repository."
"A test?" Both of them were taken aback. Then Xia Jia asked again, "Does Lord Lin Ming know what kind of test it is?"
The North King also pricked up his ears, his tiger-like eyes filled with a mixture of tension and anticipation.
Lin Ming shook his head again and said, "I don't know what kind of test it is. However, I think this test began the moment we entered the Ancient Heavenly Palace."
The two were stunned again. North King scratched his head, while Xia Jia frowned. They looked at each other, clearly pondering the meaning of Lin Ming's words.
Did it all begin the moment they entered the Ancient Heavenly Palace? Does that mean everything they did on their journey from the Dragon Ascension Gate to here might have been a test?
Then, Xia Jia added, "However, no matter what the test is, it won't be difficult for you, Lord Lin Ming. As for the two of us, we know our limitations and won't expect anything from it."
She spoke frankly, and the North King nodded in agreement.
The two knew that since the Scripture Repository was a High-Rank Sacred Artifact, its trials were certainly beyond their level to handle. Rather than risk their lives due to greed, it would be better to obediently follow Lin Ming and drink the soup.
In response, Lin Ming said, "Although in that Ancient Heavenly Palace, the opportunity to enter the Scripture Repository mostly granted because disciples gained recognition through their outstanding performances."
"Those Ancient Heavenly Palace disciples who gained recognition did so for various reasons: some had a sudden enlightenment during their cultivation, others had a special understanding of a certain supernatural power, or they had displayed amazing skills in a disciple sparring match... These methods of expression were diverse, but it seemed that the higher the disciple's rank, the more outstanding their performance had to be. Of course, the higher the level of permission they received after entering the Scripture Repository should also be."
However, Lin Ming quickly First Revolution, saying, "But there are exceptions. Some ordinary disciples have also had their share of opportunities. In fact, it all comes down to fate. If you have the fate, you can naturally enter the Scripture Repository; if you don't, you can only watch helplessly."
Lin Ming spoke casually, but the underlying truth left North King and Xia Jia speechless for a moment.
Upon hearing this, the two also felt a glimmer of hope. If even an ordinary disciple had a chance, what if, despite their lack of strength, that "fate" fell upon them?
Xia Jia couldn't help but scan the surrounding void, her bright eyes filled with a searching intent, as if trying to find traces of the Scripture Repository in the air.
The North King also subconsciously straightened his chest and patted the dust off his robes that had accumulated in the Heavenly River, as if he were tidying up his appearance in preparation for inspection.
Seeing this, Lin Ming gazed into the void and said, "That Scripture Repository possesses sentience, so it should have sensed us when we entered the Ancient Heavenly Palace. Perhaps our every move was under its watchful eye."
Lin Ming's voice wasn't loud, but it echoed across the empty mountaintop.
Upon hearing this, both of them felt a chill run down their spines. Xia Jia subconsciously shrank her neck, and North King also rubbed his arms. Their gazes swept across the surrounding void. Although they didn't feel like they were being watched, Lin Ming's words made them feel uneasy, as if an eye was watching them from the shadows.
Xia Jia muttered under her breath, "So it saw everything we did in the Heavenly River: collecting Crystal Stone, setting up formations to catch fish, and even Lady Zi Yan's Perfect Baptism...?"
As she spoke, she wrinkled her nose, looking like a cat that had suddenly realized it had been the subject of much attention.
The North King coughed lightly, subconsciously straightened his collar, and said gruffly, "So what if we looked? We haven't done anything wrong."
But as he spoke, his eyes couldn't help but glance around a few times, clearly showing that while he was putting on a tough front, he wasn't entirely at ease inside.