Chapter 744: The Demonic Palace!
Boom!
The haughty man summoned a sphere of molten energy, which descended onto the ground with immense force. The scorching spiritual energy swept across the land, shattering the earth for tens of thousands of meters in all directions. The demonic puppets within the range of the blast let out agonized screams before being incinerated completely.
With the demonic energy briefly cleared, the group caught their first glimpse of the grand palace shrouded in darkness. Despite the corrosive influence of demonic energy, the palace's colossal structure remained intact, exuding an ancient and imposing aura. It felt as though a primordial beast lay in wait, ready to strike.
The group crossed the space rapidly, arriving before the palace. Xiao Ze observed its immense black gates, their oppressive size resembling the entrance to another world. The corruption of demonic energy had stained the exposed sections of the palace a deep, pure black, further enhancing its sinister presence.
The blood spear wielder spoke up. "Now that we've crossed the demonic domain, the struggle for the inheritance will depend on individual strength!" With a determined expression, he thrust his spear forward, striking the massive black gate.
Creak!
To everyone's surprise, instead of breaking the gate, the strike merely pushed it open with a deafening groan. The blood spear wielder raised his brows in slight disbelief. He had expected his blow to shatter the gate entirely, but its resilience was far beyond ordinary.
The onlookers exchanged glances, their expressions somber. Even a casual strike from a perfection level Earthly Supreme, likely wielding a low tier sacred weapon, had only opened the gate. This gate was no ordinary structure it was a defense of unimaginable strength.
As the gate opened, the demonic puppets, which had been swarming around them, suddenly scattered as if sensing a predator. The group couldn't help but feel a chill. The demonic domain was only the first obstacle; the true dangers clearly lay within the palace itself.
Xiao Ze inspected the interior beyond the gate. The darkness within seemed impenetrable, swallowing even the radiant light emitted by the Earthly Supremes. Holding the bronze token in his hand, he confirmed that the palace was indeed the destination indicated by its guidance.
Yet doubts crept into his mind. This didn't feel like the Yaoguang Palace he had expected. Instead, it resembled a demonic stronghold. Could this truly be one of the Seven Star Palaces under the Chaos God Emperor's command? If so, what had happened in ancient times to transform it so drastically?
Before he could think further, the three perfection level Earthly Supremes dashed into the palace without hesitation. Their desire to ascend to the Heavenly Supreme level drove them forward, undeterred by the risks.
For them, the gap between perfection level Earthly Supreme and Heavenly Supreme was tantalizingly close, yet insurmountably vast. Any chance to increase their odds of breaking through was worth pursuing, even if it meant entering a death trap.
The remaining Upper Earthly Supremes hesitated briefly before following suit, unable to resist the allure of a potential legacy.
Xiao Ze watched as the black gate seemed to devour the brilliant light of the Earthly Supremes, its eerie presence evoking the image of a ravenous beast. Only he and Qing Yanjing remained outside.
Raising the bronze token high, Xiao Ze confirmed its glow still pointed toward the palace. He turned to Qing Yanjing. "What do you think? This palace is clearly a death trap."
After a moment's thought, Qing Yanjing replied, "It's worth a try. I have several life saving tools, including the escape talisman crafted by a Heavenly Supreme. If things go south, we'll have a way out." She smiled, her eyes sparkling with confidence.
"Alright," Xiao Ze nodded. "Let's see just how dangerous this demonic palace really is."
The two readied their escape talismans and stepped through the black gate.
As they entered, the massive doors slowly closed behind them with a resounding thud, as if sealing off their fate. The eerie silence returned, and even the scattered demonic puppets grew still, no longer stirred by the presence of spiritual energy.
Inside the palace, the scene before them was far from the hellish lair Xiao Ze had anticipated. Instead, they found themselves in a vast, desolate battlefield. The land stretched endlessly, littered with half buried bones and scattered weapons, some embedded in the ground like forgotten relics. The air was thick with the remnants of an ancient and ferocious battle.
At the far end of the battlefield stood an enormous, ancient platform, its structure exuding a solemn aura.
Xiao Ze and Qing Yanjing exchanged a glance before making their way toward the platform. As they drew closer, its massive scale became apparent, resembling a mountain towering over the land. In front of it stood a colossal black stone tablet, its surface etched with three bold characters:
"Challenge Platform"
Beneath these words, a list of names was inscribed, ranked according to the highest level of the platform they had reached. At the very top was:
"Luo Qingfeng – Perfection level Earthly Supreme – Layer 92"
The names below were similarly ranked by platform level rather than cultivation rank. For instance, the 19th and 20th positions belonged to a Lower Earthly Supreme and an Upper Earthly Supreme, respectively.
"This must be an ancient trial ground of the Yaoguang Palace," Qing Yanjing speculated.
Xiao Ze nodded. "Seems like it. It's akin to a ranking system for their geniuses. But the strength of the Yaoguang Palace must have been staggering just look at this list. The top twenty are all Earthly Supremes!"
He marveled at the implications. An Earthly Supreme was a supreme powerhouse in the Tianluo Continent, often the leader of a major faction. Yet here, the Yaoguang Palace had at least twenty Earthly Supremes listed, not to mention those who might not have participated in the trials. Even the one who had given Xiao Ze the bronze token wasn't on the list.
"So, what do we do now?" Qing Yanjing asked.
Xiao Ze furrowed his brows. "This space seems sealed. The way forward is likely tied to this platform. We'll have to face the challenge."
(Chapter End)
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