Seven-colored auspicious clouds shimmered in dazzling splendor, like fluffy cotton candy in every hue.
Xiao Yao longed to reach out and touch them, but his Divine Beast Nine-tailed Celestial Fox was still flying swiftly ahead. At the very least, he couldn't afford to lose sight of it!
Otherwise, he would have wasted ten million Low-grade spirit stones.
But the Nine-tailed Celestial Fox seemed to know what Xiao Yao was thinking. It stopped instead of continuing onward.
"Ying, ying, ying!"
Xiao Yao stopped too. "Are you telling me to touch these seven-colored auspicious clouds?"
The glowing Nine-tailed Celestial Fox nodded.
Seeing this, Xiao Yao reached out and touched the clouds, only to find they were no different from ordinary clouds. There was nothing solid to feel.
He had thought they might be something like the Somersault Cloud from Journey to the West!
Having satisfied his curiosity, Xiao Yao realized this was a perfect chance to catch the Nine-tailed Celestial Fox.
So he pretended to be fascinated by the clouds, touching them as he slowly edged toward the Nine-tailed Celestial Fox floating ahead.
He moved very slowly, but he was definitely getting closer!
After a while, Xiao Yao felt he had reached the best position from which to grab the Nine-tailed Celestial Fox.
Without a moment's hesitation, he lunged at it with all his strength, his momentum fearsome.
The Nine-tailed Celestial Fox tilted its head slightly, then shot forward with a whoosh, moving far faster than Xiao Yao's pounce.
And so, Xiao Yao still failed to catch it. Of course, he didn't crash heavily to the ground either; after all, he was a cultivator at the peak of the seventh level of the Sea Opening Realm.
If he couldn't even control his body this well, he might as well give up cultivating.
"Little fox! Why are you treating me like this?" Xiao Yao demanded angrily once he had regained his footing.
He looked so indignant, as if the Nine-tailed Celestial Fox had seduced him and then abandoned him.
The Nine-tailed Celestial Fox stopped and turned to call to Xiao Yao. "Ying, ying, ying!"
It wasn't mocking him. It sounded more like it was trying to explain something, and Xiao Yao realized the Nine-tailed Celestial Fox was leading the way.
But why was it guiding him?
Xiao Yao spread out his Spiritual Sense, only to find its range was tiny, covering a narrow path perhaps a meter and a half wide.
If the Nine-tailed Celestial Fox hadn't been flying ahead, he wouldn't have known where to go.
Then he considered what would happen if he stepped off the path. He would inevitably fall, and the only possible outcome would be the destruction of both body and soul.
Xiao Yao's powerful frame shuddered. He had thought reaching the summit meant he was safe, never imagining there would be a deadly trap waiting for him.
"Thank you, little fox!"
After thanking it, a question surfaced in Xiao Yao's mind: why was the Nine-tailed Celestial Fox so familiar with this place?
It was as if this were its own home.
But he didn't dwell on it. With the Nine-tailed Celestial Fox leading the way, he would soon uncover the mystery.
They continued in silence, their footsteps tapping openly along the path.
At last, Xiao Yao passed through the seven-colored clouds. One glance revealed a vast, magnificent palace complex standing atop them.
A gas far denser than spiritual energy permeated the place. Xiao Yao suspected it might be Immortal Qi.
So the palace before him was the legendary Immortal Palace?
"So there really is an Immortal Palace?" Xiao Yao exclaimed in astonishment.
According to ancient history books, immortals had once been able to roam this world, long, long ago.
But for reasons unknown, they were later summoned back to the Immortal Realm, and from then on, there had been no more immortals in this world.
Of course, quite a few extraordinary cultivators had still ascended to immortality!
But as soon as they became immortals, a mysterious force immediately compelled them to ascend to the Immortal Realm, forbidding them from remaining in this world.
That was why Emperor Tier cultivators were the strongest beings in this world.
So an Immortal Palace shouldn't have been possible.
Yet now it stood before him, and the sight dealt a tremendous blow to someone who had pored over ancient histories.
"Ying, ying, ying!"
The Nine-tailed Celestial Fox's call interrupted Xiao Yao's thoughts.
Looking over, he saw it swishing its nine golden-orange tails, clearly urging him to follow.
Xiao Yao immediately headed toward it.
After walking a while longer, he spotted a stone tablet bearing the forcefully written words "Qingshan Gou Di."
Xiao Yao's eyes narrowed. His tall, slender frame stood motionless, astonishment filling his handsome face.
He wasn't a hundred percent certain, but he was quite sure this wasn't an Immortal Palace. It was Qingshan Gou Di's residence.
But even if it belonged to Qingshan Gou Di, that was enough to shake him to his core.
Qingshan Gou Di Su Tanmeng ranked first on both the Great Emperor Ranking and the Empress Ranking. She was a truly terrifying figure.
Qingshan Gou Di cultivated exclusively in the Way of Prudence. She almost never showed herself, and to this day, no one had discovered the exact location of her Great Emperor's Dao Field.
Books had used this saying to capture just how cautious Qingshan Gou Di was:
"Who stands supreme in the Way of Prudence? One glimpse of Qingshan, and the path turns to dust!"
But what had truly made Qingshan Gou Di famous was that whenever she appeared, she would often kill her opponent with a single move, no matter how powerful they were.
Naturally, countless cultivators admired her, and even more wanted to become her disciples.
So was this really Qingshan Gou Di's Great Emperor's Dao Field?
Xiao Yao still had his doubts. Given how cautious Qingshan Gou Di was, it would be perfectly normal for her to build a fake Great Emperor's Dao Field.
"Ying, ying, ying!"
Hearing the Nine-tailed Celestial Fox call, Xiao Yao knew it was telling him to follow again.
He didn't hesitate and headed toward it.
The moment he passed through the gate, he heard an annoyed voice by his ear. "That's your disciple. I don't want to get entangled in karma with anyone else, understand?"
Outside the Giant Spirit Secret Realm, Dongfang Xuetong's delicate brows furrowed slightly, her expression grave.
She had thought Sister Susu would agree to her request. She hadn't expected her to refuse outright.
Did that mean her disciple Xiao Yao, who would be going with her to face the Demonic Path forces' headquarters in just over a month, was doomed?
In the end, it was because her strength wasn't unrivaled in the world.
At that moment, Dongfang Xuetong was filled with self-reproach. At the same time, she made up her mind and replied, "Sister Susu, I understand! So in a little over a month, even if I die in battle, I absolutely won't let my disciple die before me."
Su Tanmeng's expression turned grave. She said nothing, inwardly even regretting that she had ever gotten entangled in karma with the Lotus Sword Emperor.
If she hadn't, this situation would never have arisen!
Suddenly, a Nine-tailed Celestial Fox flew over from ahead. With a delighted expression, it plunged into the nine fluffy, soft golden-orange tails of Su Tanmeng, who had the same kind of tails.
"Huh! Why has the clone I left beneath the Dao Fruit Tree come back? Shouldn't it be maintaining the formation?"
At that moment, Xiao Yao was hiding behind a wall, his heart pounding.
Damn! This really was Qingshan Gou Di's Great Emperor's Dao Field!
No, wait!
That wasn't what he should be worried about. The Nine-tailed Celestial Fox was Qingshan Gou Di's clone, and he had treated her clone like a pet. He was totally screwed!
He had to run! If he didn't get out now, he was dead!
Having made up his mind, Xiao Yao began creeping toward the gate.
Just then, a woman's voice rang in his ear, gentle yet edged with coldness.
"Oh? Young man, you've made it all the way here. Why not come meet me, instead of trying to sneak away?"
Xiao Yao's whole body shuddered. He immediately bolted, speaking in a rush as he ran. "We don't know each other! Not interested! Not interested!"
Before you continue