After crossing the open, ancient Primordial Era Square, the three found a towering, majestic Primordial Era Hall standing before them.
The hall stood about a hundred feet tall, its arched dome built from blue-black stone bricks. Fine moss had grown in the joints, gleaming dark green under light that came from some unknown source.
An enormous Luminous Pearl, as large as a washbasin, was embedded in the center of the dome. It cast a soft, milky-white glow that lit the entire hall as brightly as daylight.
Deep inside the hall stood a raised platform. It was empty, with no statue, no offering table, and no furnishings of any kind.
But its base was densely covered in runes, which glimmered faintly in the Luminous Pearl's light.
At the front of the hall, a plaque hung above the entrance. It was made of red sandalwood, its corners slightly damaged, but the lettering remained clear. Three characters, their strokes ancient and powerful, seemed to penetrate the wood.
Chen Siyao looked up at the unfamiliar writing on the stone plaque, her eyes full of confusion. She gently tugged Chen Hao's sleeve and asked softly, "Hao, what does that stone plaque say?"
Chen Hao raised his eyes to the stone plaque and answered slowly, his voice calm and even. "Xuantan Hall."
"Xuantan Hall?"
Yang Wanqing and Chen Siyao exchanged a glance, both looking utterly bewildered.
Yang Wanqing rose onto her tiptoes to study the magnificent hall again and asked curiously, "Master, Master, whose hall is Xuantan Hall? It sounds so impressive!"
Chen Hao's gaze swept over the black tiger statues on either side. His lips parted as he gave a quiet answer. "It's Zhao Gongming's sanctuary."
Zhao Gongming?!
At that name, Chen Siyao and Yang Wanqing's eyes widened in shock, then lit up brilliantly.
"Zhao