Upper Mysterious Heavenly Palace!
Before my eyes, a myriad of clouds and mist surged forth, like a tide or cotton wool, carrying an indescribable sense of ancient vastness.
The clouds and mist were not ordinary dust or water vapor; they flowed and transformed with wisps of pale silver Daoist radiance, which, upon touching the skin, subtly resonated with the Law Power within the body.
Qi Yun's eyes cleared, and the Daoist aura of [Great Luo Heaven] flowed naturally around his body, completely isolating the foreign clouds and mist within three feet of his body.
It remained unmoved despite the raging torrents.
A few breaths later, the churning clouds before their eyes seemed to be slowly parted by an invisible hand.
Gradually thinning and dissipating.
My vision suddenly opened up.
Qi Yun looked up and his expression immediately froze.
Even with his profound understanding of having forged the foundation of the Supreme Dao Foundation, witnessed the emergence of the Imperial Weapon of Lifeless Valley, and even clashed with figures like the Crown Prince of Southern Yin across the void, he still possessed remarkable State of Mind.
At this moment, a barely concealed shock flashed across his eyes.
Ahead -
An endless sea of white clouds stretched to the horizon, its waves rolling and undulating, serene and vast.
In the middle of this endless sea of clouds.
A palace stands silently suspended in the clouds.
No, that was a "palace" that could not be described in ordinary words.
It was a massive architectural complex, stretching like mountains and towering like divine peaks!
The entire structure is made of a pure white material that is neither gold nor jade, with a warm and lustrous sheen like moonlight, and is surrounded by a hazy and sacred pale golden halo.
Layer upon layer of eaves and brackets, like a phoenix spreading its wings, seem to break through the sea of clouds and venture into the higher and more boundless void.
The pillars are so thick that it takes a hundred people to encircle them. They are carved with countless intricate runes and patterns that seem to contain the ultimate truths of the universe, moving slowly and flickering like breathing.
The palace's main gate was over a thousand feet high, with two tightly closed doors, their color a deep, dark bronze, yet their surface was densely inlaid with countless shimmering silver specks like stars.
Above the lintel hangs a huge plaque, neither gold nor jade, of simple and ancient material, inscribed with four large ancient seal characters.
[Upper Mysterious Heavenly Palace]
Around the entire Heavenly Palace, countless tiny phantoms, shaped like dragons, snakes, cranes, lotuses, pagodas, and so on, seemed to possess life, slowly circling and dancing along some mysterious trajectory, leaving behind trails of pale golden Flowing Light.
The sky above this sea of clouds is rendered with Flowing Light, making it absolutely magnificent.
"This is it! This is it! The Upper Mysterious Heavenly Palace!!"
Released from his independent space by Qi Yun and manifesting his form, Situ Huaji landed on the clouds and his gaze fell upon the magnificent palace suspended atop the sea of clouds. He was struck by lightning and froze on the spot.
Immediately, an indescribable ecstasy and excitement overwhelmed his reason, causing him to growl out involuntarily, his hands rubbing together uncontrollably, his eyes burning with an intense heat.
"Upper Mysterious Heavenly Palace —one of the thirty-six palaces of the Heavenly Court, a supreme holy land dedicated to the deduction and refining of talismans! Haha—"
Ha ha ha ha!"
He gazed up at the sacred treasure he had longed for, his voice trembling slightly with extreme excitement.
"Having spent decades searching through ancient texts and fragments, deducing celestial charts and sea maps, and escaping death countless times—today, my wish has finally come true, and I have finally seen its true form!"
Qi Yun ignored Situ Huaji.
His gaze remained fixed on the "Upper Mysterious Heavenly Palace" from beginning to end.
The Heavenly Court was jointly founded by ancient True Lord, aiming to gather collective wisdom, explore the ultimate Dao, and seek the path to transcendence.
The "Upper Mysterious Heavenly Palace" before us is only one of the thirty-six palaces, and it has long since disappeared along with the Heavenly Court over the ages.
Its remaining foundation and grandeur are far beyond what any talisman sect or even the so-called sacred land of talismanic arts in the world can match. Its "high" and "deep" originating from the source of the Great Dao are like the difference between clouds and mud.
However, precisely because of its high level, the risks it harbors are bound to be far greater than those of ordinary relics.
Even a mere wisp of residual restriction or a dormant rule from True Lord cannot be taken lightly.
After a moment of contemplation, Qi Yun suddenly raised his right hand, his wide sleeves fluttering gently in the Fresh Breeze amidst the sea of clouds.
No light shone through the cuffs.
Yet, an endless stream of pure white talisman paper, fine as snowflakes and thin as cicada wings, fluttered out like startled jade butterflies!
The moment these talismans left the cuffs, fine and lively ink patterns quickly appeared on the surface of the paper.
In the blink of an eye, the countless white talismans flashed with light and their forms changed abruptly!
They transformed into tiny paper cranes, each no bigger than the palm of your hand, yet incredibly lifelike and detailed.
The paper crane is pure white, except for a touch of vibrant ink on its beak and feet. Its eyes are adorned with two points of pure, Divine Sense, giving it a lively and spirited appearance.
"Go."
Qi Yun's mind stirred slightly.
Tens of thousands of snow-white paper cranes, as if receiving a silent military order, suddenly scattered, transforming into a white torrent shimmering with faint light, and flew gracefully towards the majestic and silent "Upper Mysterious Heavenly Palace" in front of them.
Each paper crane is an "eye" extending from Qi Yun.
These tens of thousands of paper cranes, like dust, silently seeped into every corner inside and outside the Heavenly Palace.
This vast, ancient, and silent celestial palace, like an exquisitely detailed three-dimensional painting, began to be reflected in Qi Yun's Sea of Consciousness frame by frame with unparalleled clarity.
With eyes closed and mind focused, Qi Yun channeled his Daoist energy, subtly connecting with the countless paper cranes in the sky, his deep blue Daoist robe fluttering gently in the sea of clouds and breeze.
Situ Huaji managed to calm down from his euphoria and dared not make a sound, for fear of disturbing the investigation of this "senior".
Time quietly slipped away between this seemingly frozen sea of clouds and celestial palace.
Paper cranes fluttered in the air, falling silently like snowflakes.
Be careful.
The spiritual transmission of Cai Kun, the Wealth Connects to the Divine, rang out, his tone unusually solemn.
"The remaining aura of True Lord in this place is extremely strong."
Just now, when your paper cranes touched the palace itself, I faintly sensed several deeply lurking ripples—
This Upper Mysterious Heavenly Palace is not as tranquil as it appears on the surface.
This Imperial Weapon True Spirit, who had witnessed even higher-level techniques, possessed a spiritual sensitivity far exceeding that of ordinary cultivators.
Its words made Qi Yun's already solemn expression even more wary.
"Clear."
Qi Yun responded with his thoughts, while simultaneously controlling the tens of thousands of snow-white paper cranes that had infiltrated various parts of the Heavenly Palace, slowing down the pace of the investigation to an even more relaxed and gentle rhythm.
Like a gentle breeze brushing across a dusty ancient scroll, it dares not stir up the slightest unnecessary ripple.
The interior of this Upper Mysterious Heavenly Palace is more magnificent than imagined.
Main hall, side halls, scripture pavilion, alchemy room, workshop, and Dharma Demonstration Platform ----
Palaces and pavilions of various functions stand side by side, arranged in a mysterious formation that embodies the ultimate principles of heaven and earth.
Most of the palace doors were tightly closed, emanating an ancient, forbidden glow, sometimes bright, sometimes dim.
Those radiant lights formed an intricate barrier, their aura obscure and difficult to discern, yet subtly connected to the grand rhythm of the entire celestial palace.
A single hair can affect the whole situation; it cannot be broken by brute force.
But soon, the paper cranes discovered a breakthrough.
That was a side hall located in the southeast of the Heavenly Palace.
It was much smaller than the main hall, and the door was not made of the dark bronze of the main hall, but of a light blue material that resembled both wood and jade.
At this moment, the palace door, which should have been perfectly sealed, had been forcibly smashed by an incense burner.
It seems to be an act of anger from someone.
Looking through the cave entrance, the scene inside the side hall could be vaguely seen.
The hall was not very large, and the furnishings were simple. The floor was covered with warm, cloud-patterned white jade, but at this moment it was a mess.
A bronze incense burner, about the height of two people and with three legs and a round belly, lay overturned on the ground. The body of the burner was severely deformed, and the lid had flown away. The incense ash that had accumulated inside the burner and had long since solidified into a grayish-white stone was scattered all over the ground.
Near the overturned incense burner, there were seventeen or eighteen brocade boxes, each about seventeen feet square.
These brocade boxes are made of various materials, including sandalwood inlaid with jade, cold iron with openwork patterns, and ice silk. Their surfaces all have a faint luster, and even though they have been covered in dust for a long time, their extraordinary qualities can still be seen.
Most of the brocade boxes had their lids opened, and the insides were empty; nothing was left.
Only three brocade boxes lay intact on the messy ground.
One is dark gold in color, with layers of cloud and thunder patterns embossed on its surface. The lid is tightly closed and fits perfectly.
The box is entirely indigo blue, seemingly carved from a single piece of deep-sea jade, translucent and crystalline, with the outline of what appears to be a scroll of silk visible inside.
The last one is the simplest, made of ebony, without any decoration, yet it naturally exudes a profound and dignified Daoist charm. In the center of the lid is a vermilion seal, its color faded but its handwriting ancient and simple.
"A dilapidated side hall—a remnant of a brocade box—"
Qi Yun's mind raced, but he did not act rashly.
He manipulated over a hundred paper cranes, which quietly flew into the side hall through the hole in the main gate. He repeatedly examined every inch of the floor, every corner, and even the inner wall of the overturned incense burner and every pattern of the scattered brocade boxes.
Meanwhile, more paper cranes circled the outer perimeter of the side hall, carefully inspecting for any possible anomalies.
a long time.
All the messages carried back by the paper cranes.
No abnormalities were found!
A glint flashed in Qi Yun's eyes, and he no longer hesitated.
"Walk."
It transformed into a streak of light, condensed to its fullest extent and with a chaotic color, tearing through the sea of clouds and shooting straight toward the damaged side hall in the southeast corner of the Heavenly Palace.
Where the rainbow light passed, the clouds naturally parted without stirring up the slightest turbulence, demonstrating an exquisite and masterful control over power.
Situ Huaji encouraged upon seeing this. He quickly activated the remaining Blood Qi in his body, transforming into a dark red, fierce streak of light, and followed closely behind.
However, his injuries had not yet healed, and his escape light was obviously somewhat unstable and slowed down considerably. He could only try his best to keep up with the fading rainbow trail left by Qi Yun.
Almost in the blink of an eye, the chaotic rainbow that Qi Yun had transformed into swept past the eaves of the palace buildings and pierced through the hole in the side hall door with perfect precision.
The radiance faded, and the figure silently landed on the messy, cloud-patterned white jade floor inside the hall, without disturbing a speck of dust.
He didn't look at the three brocade boxes immediately.
Instead, he raised his eyes and personally scanned the interior of the side hall with his naked eye.
The interior of the hall was dimly lit, with only the light from the sky filtering through the holes and the faint glow emanating from the brocade boxes themselves.
There was a unique, slightly cool scent in the air, a mixture of aged spices and jade dust.
The overturned, enormous bronze incense burner was so close, it was incredibly oppressive.
The mottled verdigris and charred marks on the furnace body silently testify to the violent impact of that year.
The empty brocade boxes scattered around, along with the three intact ones, lay quietly in the light and shadow, waiting to be opened again after countless years.
Situ Huaji then stumbled into the hall, his feet landing on the cold jade floor with a slight echo.
His gaze swept greedily over the three brocade boxes, his breathing quickened, but he forcibly restrained himself from making any rash moves.
He simply looked at Qi Yun, waiting for instructions from this "senior".