"What a massive ancient relic..."
"It's even larger than the Jiutian Taiqing Palace."
"Standing here makes one feel like an ant."
"The scale of this place... it's as vast as a small country."
Lin Qingtan stepped into the ruins, a realm steeped in ancient energy. Her voice was filled with awe as she exchanged glances with Ling Qingzhu.
Ye Feng's voice cut through their reverie. "It's just a ruin. It doesn't compare to my Heavenly Palace."
The ancient structures stood in solemn rows—towering pagodas, broken platforms, shattered walkways. Even in ruin, they exuded a sense of once-mighty glory. One could almost hear the echoes of a thriving ancient civilization.
"Heavenly Palace?" Lin Qingtan's expression wavered, her heart skipping a beat.
"Where is this Heavenly Palace?" Ling Qingzhu asked, frowning slightly. She had never heard Ye Feng mention such a place.
"Another world," Ye Feng replied calmly. "A home I built myself. It has ninety-nine heavens—eighty-one main floors and eighteen hidden layers. Each heaven floats high in the sky, formed by countless floating mountains. Every floating mountain is as large as a small country."
"Home...?" Lin Qingtan murmured, stunned. It was the first time Ye Feng had spoken so intimately about anything personal.
Ye Feng nodded lightly. "Yeah."
"I want to see it," Ling Qingzhu said softly, a rare flicker of longing in her voice. "A home in the skies... it must be beautiful."
"There will be a chance," Ye Feng said, eyes distant. "I was on my way to bring Xiao Wu and the others to the Heavenly Palace. We're merely passing through here. Once I finish my journey, I'll return and take both of you with me. If you want to claim a mountain or land there... it's yours."
"Xiao Wu?" Lin Qingtan tilted her head. "Who is that?"
Ye Feng briefly told them about Xiao Wu, Liu Erlong, Poseidon, Bibi Dong, Ning Rongrong, Ye Lingling, Zhu Zhuqing, Dugu Yan, the Goddess of Life, the Goddess of Kindness, and many others who now lived in his Heavenly Palace.
Their journey continued. After half an hour of walking, a colossal mountain emerged ahead.
It was massive—thousands of feet tall—its surface marked by jagged rocks. A dense and oppressive energy surrounded the peak, so intense it condensed into swirling mist.
The mountain was a natural landmark that drew attention instantly.
Pushing forward into the fog-draped forest, they trekked another half hour before discovering a massive stone door, half open, etched with intricate ancient symbols. Someone had clearly entered before them.
Without hesitation, the trio stepped inside.
Beyond the stone gate was a vast underground maze. Ancient and cold, it stretched endlessly, like the spine of some long-forgotten beast.
Soon, they stumbled into a den filled with high-level Fu puppets. Some were aggressive and attacked on sight.
But Lin Qingtan and Ling Qingzhu had grown used to Ye Feng's presence. Their standards had risen—these talisman puppets barely caught their attention.
Moving deeper, they entered a narrow canyon within the cave, where clouds of frigid mist floated silently above a stream.
"So cold... the air here bites the soul," Ling Qingzhu murmured, drawing her robe tighter.
"This is the Nine Netherworld Cold Qi," Ye Feng explained. "It's one of the purest sources of Yin energy in existence. Qingtan, stay here and cultivate. It'll benefit you immensely."
The cold Qi here was beyond extreme. Lethal to most.
But for Lin Qingtan—whose cultivation was naturally aligned with cold attributes—this was an unparalleled opportunity.
Ye Feng guessed that if she could fully absorb it, she might directly step into the Shengxuan Realm.
Lin Qingtan nodded. "Alright."
She sat cross-legged by the cold stream without hesitation. Ye Feng raised his hand, and a light infused with chaotic energy spread from his palm, forming a protective barrier around her body.
Leaving her behind, Ye Feng and Ling Qingzhu continued on. After passing through the misty ravine, they emerged into a wide, eerie hall—a massive black altar lay at its center.
The altar gleamed with a dull, iron-like sheen, as though forged from obsidian or some other dark metal. Dozens of thick, towering stone pillars encircled it, their surfaces engraved with swirling, ancient symbols.
In the very center rested a massive black orb. Strange fluctuations rippled from it, and high above, an ancient symbol array connected the entire altar, binding every pillar like a spider's web of power.
"Nothing here?" Ling Qingzhu frowned, disappointment creeping into her voice. "It looks like the Devouring Ancestral Talisman has already been taken."
She wasn't wrong. According to the original timeline, the Devouring Ancestral Talisman had been discovered long ago.
The Great Desolate Ancient Monument had been explored countless times. Any supreme treasure would have been long gone.
Ye Feng nodded slightly. He already knew. Three years ago, the leader of the Yin Kui Sect had indeed taken the Devouring Ancestral Talisman. However, he had been unable to refine it—lacking a vital key.
"It seems we've come too late," Ling Qingzhu sighed.
"No," Ye Feng said, eyes fixed on the massive black bead. "There's still something here."
"What is it?" Ling Qingzhu asked, puzzled.
Ye Feng remained silent, his gaze unshifting.
Ling Qingzhu closed her eyes, sensing carefully. A moment later, her eyes snapped open. "Strange... even without the Ancestral Talisman, this black bead is radiating an odd energy."
Under Ye Feng's guidance, she examined one of the nearby stone pillars.
Boom!
She struck it with her palm.
Buzz!
The pillar trembled but didn't break.
Ling Qingzhu turned to Ye Feng.
With a calm expression, Ye Feng walked forward and lightly flicked the pillar with his finger.
Bang!
The entire pillar exploded into pieces.
From the collapsing stone emerged a figure—an old man dressed in black, his white hair flowing like a waterfall. Slowly, he rose to stand atop the altar.
He opened his eyes and let out a breath of surprise. "Someone actually broke a Dark Silver pillar?"
His gaze swept across the altar. First landing on Ling Qingzhu, then pausing on Ye Feng. A hint of shock flickered in his eyes.
"I can sense her strength," he said, gesturing to Ling Qingzhu. "But you..." He turned to Ye Feng. "I can't see through you at all. The aura around you... it makes my soul tremble."
The old man let out a long sigh. "The Tianxuan Continent is saved."
"Who are you?" Ling Qingzhu asked cautiously.
"I was the previous master of the Devouring Ancestral Talisman," the old man replied. His tone was wistful. "I've been dead for tens of thousands of years. What you see now is merely a sliver of my remaining will."
"Do you wish to be resurrected?" Ye Feng asked suddenly.
The old man smiled faintly. "Young one, I know you are powerful... but I am only a fragment of consciousness. I await the next successor of the Devouring Talisman. Resurrecting me... is not possible."
Ye Feng raised a brow. "You want to live again... Then I will make it so."
He raised his hand and formed a complex hand seal. The seal flew forward, merging into the old man's phantom-like body.
In an instant, heaven and earth trembled. Spiritual energy roared in from every direction.
The old man's soul, once faint and translucent, began to solidify.
First came the bones—clicking together like ancient clockwork. Then the vessels—red lines glowing faintly. Finally, flesh and muscle wrapped around the skeleton, and blood began to flow.
Three minutes passed.
A new body stood on the altar.
The former master of the Devouring Ancestral Talisman... had been reborn.
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