Once the winds and clouds settled and the surrounding scenery changed, the land was no longer barren and parched, nor were there layers upon layers of flames before their eyes.
This was a plaza—vast and ancient. Cracks ran everywhere across the stone-paved ground, and several enormous pits scarred the area, as though a fierce battle had once taken place here.
Farther ahead stood three arched gates, linked together. The central one was the tallest. From afar, it looked like the gate from myth and legend through which one entered and exited the Heavenly Court—the Heaven Gate.
Beyond these three arches lay layers of white mist and clouds, stretching beyond sight like a Cloud Sea. Outside the sea of clouds, several figures could vaguely be seen rising and falling within it, seemingly entangled with enemies. From time to time, Divine Ability lights and shadows erupted, revealing that a fierce battle was underway.
"These are the Demon Kings. The faster ones have already reached the Cloud Sea. The Cloud Sea connects the Four Directions Secret Realms in all directions. Once they leave the Cloud Sea, they can enter the main hall." The young Daoist spoke to Qiu Yan with a smile. "This main hall is the Demon Saint Palace they spoke of." As his words fell, his gaze passed over Qiu Yan and landed behind him.
Following the Daoist's gaze, Qiu Yan turned and looked. Before him stood a palace, utterly dilapidated, with many sections already collapsed. Yet even so, it still exuded a weighty, majestic aura. It made one solemn at first sight and feel insignificant at a glance, not to mention the supreme majesty faintly leaking from within the palace—like the instinctive awe primitive tribes felt when they saw Heavenly Fire descend.
That aura truly shook Qiu Yan. Then his