Deep within the Void stood a palace that appeared on no star chart.
The palace had no name. Those who knew of its existence called it the "Twelve Seats." Twelve Immortal Emperors had sworn an oath here, bound together like branches of the same tree, to defend the Immortal Realm.
Inside the palace, eleven figures occupied their thrones. Some sat upright, others reclined; some had their eyes closed, others kept their gazes lowered.
They rarely gathered in such numbers. Only one seat stood empty-Gu Hong's.
After a long while, the first person to the left of the head seat spoke.
"Still no word on Gu Hong's whereabouts?"
"None. It's as though he... vanished into thin air."
"Vanished into thin air?"
"Someone in the emperor realm, on his own territory, vanished into thin air?"
Another person spoke slowly. "The last place he appeared was... the Mortal Forbidden Zone."
The moment the words "Mortal Forbidden Zone" were uttered, the atmosphere in the palace changed.
Silence stretched on for a long time.
Finally, someone spoke, a trace of hesitation in their voice.
"Could it be because of... what happened back then..."
No one answered.
This was the possibility they least wanted to accept, yet had no choice but to face.
Whatever their personal relationships, Gu Hong's disappearance meant that every one of them could meet the same fate.
"Enough!"
The person in the head seat cut the speaker off. "That matter is not to be mentioned again."
The palace fell silent once more. For a moment, everyone looked tight-lipped, guarding the matter as though it were a bottomless secret.
No questions, no discussion, no mention of it. That had been their agreement.
After another pause, one of them shifted position and leaned back against the throne.
"If we won't discuss that matter, then