Pure Harmony Palace.
Dragon Qi circulated over the black jade throne, brimming with violet lightning. Clad in magnificent deep-purple robes, Xu Xuan circulated his Divine Abilities, his Dao Body light, as though the entire Vast Sea buoyed him up, free of all restraint.
With a thought, he stepped out of Pure Harmony Palace in an instant and stood above the clouds, gazing toward the center of Heaven Pool. The Great Nanfa Temple's territory remained on the outskirts, toward the north, neighboring Duskfall Gate.
At Heaven Pool's center, the seawater grew ever darker, even swallowing the daylight. The reverse scale at Xu Xuan's neck trembled, shooting out a profound gleam of mysterious yin.
"What exactly are Netherwhale and the Stone Men fighting over?"
According to the sword-carved inscription on the azure stone beneath the Supreme Clarity Stele, Heaven Pool had likely held other mysteries in the Ancient Era beyond being the fief of Mist Marsh's Dragonkin-mysteries connected to Kunpeng.
He checked his thoughts and looked toward a temporary palace on the island. Inside, a woman in peach-red palace robes was handling affairs, an array of dossiers spread before her. He turned into a streak of violet lightning and descended in an instant.
Inside the temporary palace, Yang Yuanxin was intently reading the dossiers on her azure jade desk, the Red Pupil lustrous. No one else was in the palace. Cool incense burned, its white vapor drifting.
The Great Void split open, and a streak of violet lightning stepped out. She noticed nothing until Xu Xuan reached her and gave a light cough. Only then did Yang Yuanxin come back to herself, her eyes lighting up, her smile bright as warm sunshine.
"You broke through?"
"I just came out of seclusion."
Xu Xuan approached and sat to one side. Yang Yuanxin's gaze