As that mysterious aura spread, the air directly above the palace Library Pavilion began to change.
The clouds grew less ethereal, as though some strange force had stilled them and stained them a somber earthen yellow.
Even the light in the sky seemed viscous, as though it carried weight, pressing gloom into everyone's hearts.
The palace attendants, guards, and several consorts all raised their heads to look skyward, whispering among themselves.
"Isn't that the Library Pavilion?"
"Could that commander be behind this again?"
"I remember he only reached the first rank last month. Surely he hasn't already—"
"Impossible. This isn't the sign of a cultivation breakthrough."
"That yellow glow up there makes my heart race."
"With an omen like this, he must have grasped something profound again. I've long heard his powers of comprehension are unmatched through the ages. His reputation is well deserved—"
As they whispered, the clouds overhead suddenly churned violently.
In an instant, what looked like a boundless land stretched across the sky. Though illusory, it radiated a weightier presence than ten thousand mountains!
Within the phantom, countless peaks rose from the earth like the spines of divine beings. Vast plains spread in every direction, and enormous earth veins winding like dragon backs could faintly be seen pulsing slowly.
Each pulse made the mountains and plains resonate with a deep, mighty hum.
It looked as though a divine being who had become the earth itself was breathing slowly.
With every breath, the peaks were swords and the earth a dragon!
"Hiss..."
Ordinary martial artists might have sensed little from that boundless land beyond a tightness in their chests. But a Celestial Realm expert like Shen Dongming, who had cultivated divine intent, could feel an ancient, desolate quality within it.
Weight! Suppression! The power to bear all things!