Chapter 1726: White Ziqi's Determination

The Heavenly Palace forces had trespassed into Thousand Illusions' territory. Originally, the Illusion Sect, holding the advantage of terrain, intended to deplete their strength before trapping and eliminating them. However, if the Heavenly Palace captured Stone Dragon Peak, the balance of power would shift, and the advantage would change hands. By the time Thousand Illusions emerged from seclusion, he would be isolated, making him much easier to deal with.

"Thousand Illusions isn't coming out, is he?" Myozan Heaven chuckled. "Good, excellent. Go ahead and slaughter all his disciples and grand-disciples. Let him see it clearly!"

And then seize all the treasures from the Illusion Sect's storeroom!

"That old wretch Thousand Illusions must have accumulated a vast collection of treasures since ancient times."

Bai Ziqi mused, "We should also send people to explore the Inverted Lake. Something isn't right about that place."

How could he ignore the Inverted Lake within the Inverted Sea? Local fishermen also claimed that every time the Storm Wall opened, yaksha demons would crawl out of the Inverted Lake.

Ha, what a joke. How could a true immortal's ancient dwelling contain idle demons and wild monsters? If Thousand Illusions truly didn't want to see them, he could crush them to dust with a single slap!

The gray parrot suddenly said to Bai Ziqi, "If you capture True Lord Thousand Illusions for me, you will have accomplished an unprecedented feat. What reward do you desire?"

Bai Ziqi lowered his gaze. "Even if Your Holiness were to bestow a mere feather upon me, it would weigh more than a hundred mountains."

These words were no exaggeration. Myozan Heaven was one of the thirty-five true gods, ranking among the top four among the gods of Spirit Void. Otherwise, how could Myozan Heaven possess such a colossal golden statue in the temple on Mount Xu, and how could they exclusively command the faith of an entire nation on the Gilded Plain?

Bai Ziqi also knew that this expedition to the Inverted Sea was an opportunity Myozan Heaven had seized by overpowering the other gods. Once True Lord Thousand Illusions was successfully apprehended, Myozan Heaven's power would undoubtedly surge, and their divine rank would ascend.

This was a true and mighty deity.

"You are known for your uprightness and loyalty; when did you learn to be so slick?" The gray parrot just plucked a feather from its back and offered it to him. "Here, it is bestowed upon you."

Bai Ziqi took it with both hands and said solemnly, "Thank you, Goddess."

The gray parrot stopped laughing, tilted its head, and scrutinized him for a moment before continuing. "The old man managing the Heavenly Palace is increasingly overwhelmed. The Holy One already intends for you to take over as the chief envoy, which makes it inconvenient for me to speak up for you."

Bai Ziqi nodded, knowing the Goddess spoke plainly.

"You have already bestowed many treasures upon me, and this Lamp Spirit." Bai Ziqi raised a hand, and a small golden flame ignited on his fingertip. "I am already content."

Bai Ziqi had led the army effectively, and Myozan Heaven ought to bestow rewards, but there was no rush. The gray parrot hummed, "Once you become chief envoy, what will you do?"

"Today's Heavenly Palace is riddled with corruption and decay, stagnant and crumbling alongside Begar. The most crucial task is naturally to purge the rot, cast off the old, and embrace the new," Bai Ziqi said solemnly. "Spiritual energy is erupting in the human realm, an unstoppable force. The Heavenly Palace must also act proactively. If we continue to muddle through without innovation, as we do now, we will only become more passive in the coming great upheaval."

Myozan Heaven chuckled twice, "I see why you're so disliked."

Myozan Heaven had often heard negative remarks about Bai Ziqi.

This young man was too eager for advancement, yet he was already the Heavenly Palace's Capital Envoy, with only one position above him. The more capable Bai Ziqi became, the more people disliked him.

"You flatter me, Your Holiness," Bai Ziqi continued. "Leaving other matters aside, why was the fact that He Xiao was the mastermind behind the chaos in the Heavenly Palace concealed for so long? Who covered for him in Begar, in Spirit Void City, and before the Heavenly Palace? Furthermore, the sporadic, minor conflicts with Mou State have been allowed to fester by the Heavenly Palace, which has been powerless to curb them, leading to widespread chaos in the surrounding areas! Once I uncovered the truth, I knew that unless these obstacles are removed, the Heavenly Palace's operations will always be hampered and inefficient. With great changes upon us, one delay, one misstep, could lead to complete ruin."

The gray parrot chuckled softly, as if finding his last remark a bit alarmist, but still said:

"Excellent. We were not mistaken about you."

The Heavenly Palace indeed needed a successor with such ambition.

Bai Ziqi sensed Myozan Heaven's dismissiveness. Given the Heavenly Palace's might and Begar's power, what did a few minor mistakes matter? Why speak of complete ruin?

But Bai Ziqi's sense of urgency was very real and had grown heavier since he arrived at the Gilded Plain. Although this land appeared chaotic at first glance, changes were subtly brewing beneath the surface. For one thing, why was the amount of nightmare energy far less than before?

Bai Ziqi always felt a new, ominous power rising in the shadows. Allowing it to develop further would surely be greatly detrimental to the Heavenly Palace.

He didn't know the exact source of the threat, but he could feel its presence. Unfortunately, he had no evidence, couldn't voice his concerns, and certainly couldn't persuade the other gods.

The fleet continued to advance along the coastline when a scout reported: "There's no beach at the southeastern corner of Silver Pearl Island, but there is a long reef."

The parrot flew away, and Bai Ziqi ordered, "Approach it."

The fleet approached the long reef cautiously, fearing that the terrain might suddenly rise again, causing the ships to run aground.

However, as they neared the bend, the waters ahead remained open, with no sudden topographical changes.

At this point, Bai Ziqi hesitated. Instead of ordering the fleet to proceed directly, he walked back to the table to examine the sand table.

This was the map created earlier by the Harrier Demon's reconnaissance flight over Silver Pearl Island.

Bai Ziqi repeatedly examined the sand table, comparing it to the scene before him, then pointed. "There used to be a reef wall here, with the sea outside and a lake inside. But now, this wall is gone?"

Two reef walls enclosing each other would divide the inner lake from the outer sea.

He still remembered the name of this lake: Inverted Lake.

Now that one wall was missing, the inner and outer bodies of water were connected, merging the lake and the sea.

Bai Shiqi looked down and up, comparing several times, then exclaimed, "Yes, the reef wall is gone! Could the Illusion Sect have set a trap for us?"

The sand table had been made less than two hours ago. Either there was an error in its creation, or the Illusion Sect had tampered with it, secretly removing the reef wall.

Both possibilities were considerable.

Bai Ziqi surveyed the waters ahead. "I wondered why there were no raised cliffs here. It seems the Illusion Sect wants to drive us precisely to this spot."

Bai Shiqi gazed at the murky black lake water, feeling an increasing sense of hidden danger. "Yet again, Your Excellency saw right through it!"

"The Illusion Sect doesn't know I've already produced a panoramic sand table of Silver Pearl Island, and they're still trying to lure me into the Inverted Lake. There must be something peculiar about this place," Bai Ziqi hummed. "Those two fishermen mentioned earlier that the Inverted Lake is the entrance to the 'Ghost Realm.' This means it's likely the boundary between illusion and reality. Give the order: advance."

"…Your Excellency?" He wondered. Knowing it's a trap, yet still moving forward?

"Get to shore as quickly as possible, before the Illusion Sect unleashes its next grand divine power." This force could only unleash its full combat potential once it was on solid ground.

So, even knowing the trap lay ahead, the Heavenly Palace forces had no choice but to plunge straight into it.