Chapter 1600: One Finger Breaks the Barrier

Grandmaster Zangyu’s choked cry of shock immediately caused a clamor to erupt throughout the Nine Luminaries Heaven Palace.

Especially the various Palace Masters, almost all instantly burst through their roofs and flew out, but then abruptly froze mid-air, no one daring to advance further.

For an entity like the Nine Luminaries Heaven Palace, its core area was certainly not easily approached. Yet, the two figures in the sky were located, startlingly, above the nine great palaces—the very core of the Nine Luminaries Heaven Palace. Still, no one had detected their arrival.

In an instant, alarms blared throughout the Nine Luminaries Heaven, and countless figures swarmed out like a plague of locusts. A silent intrusion into the core of the nine palaces—this was an unprecedented event for the Nine Luminaries Heaven Palace in countless years.

The Nine Luminaries Heaven Palace, from its Palace Masters to its disciples, numbered in the millions, and that didn’t even include the countless outer palaces scattered across the Thousand Desolation Realm. For two people to intrude like this, under normal circumstances, would be tantamount to seeking death; a single person's spit could drown them.

However, the Palace Masters, Hall Masters, and disciples who had barely escaped back from the Heavenly Core Cloud Clan instantly turned ashen.

How could these two ominous figures, who had nearly scared them to death, suddenly appear here?!

“Yun Che? They are the ones who killed the Grand Palace Master?!” Palace Master Cangjing stated in a deep voice, a black sword appearing in his hand. “Excellent timing! This saves us the trouble of hunting them down! Today, we shall offer them as a living sacrifice to the spirit of the Grand Palace Master!”

“Cangjing, stop!”

The moment he spoke, several shouts rang out simultaneously, all imbued with varying degrees of terror. Grandmaster Zangyu even lunged forward, forcefully suppressing the profound energy sword aura he had just unleashed. “Do not attack!”

Palace Master Cangjing’s gaze quickly swept over the faces of the others, and he stated grimly, “This is our Nine Luminaries Heaven Palace! Even if their power truly approaches that of a half-step Divine Master, what is there to fear?!”

“I said, do not attack!” Grandmaster Zangyu’s voice grew stern. Palace Master Cangjing had not accompanied them to the Heavenly Core Cloud Clan; he hadn't witnessed the instant slaughter of the Arid Heaven Dragon Clan, their corpses strewn across the plains. Nor had he seen the Nine Luminaries Exalted One twisted into eight pieces in an instant.

That terrifying scene had almost shattered the souls of their Divine Sovereigns. Facing such formidable individuals, if they truly confronted them head-on, even if they could win through sheer numbers, the Nine Luminaries Heaven Palace would surely be bathed in blood, suffering unimaginable losses.

Having just lost the Nine Luminaries Exalted One and Honored One Cangjian, the Nine Luminaries Heaven Palace absolutely could not afford any further harm.

“Zangyu is right,” another Palace Master agreed. “You didn’t witness it yourself; their terror far exceeds your imagination! Since they dared to show themselves like this today, they must be utterly confident. We will surely avenge the Grand Palace Master’s death… but definitely not today, and certainly not here.”

Palace Master Cangjing’s grip tightened, and his aura diminished. The returning Palace Masters were not weaker than him in strength, but their fear was undeniably real. Furthermore, if they engaged in battle here, regardless of the outcome, the Nine Luminaries Heaven Palace would undoubtedly become a river of blood.

Grandmaster Zangyu stepped forward, cupped his hands and said, “So it is Honored One Yun and… the Immortal Maiden. May I ask what brings the two of you to our Nine Luminaries Heaven Palace, and what guidance you might have for us?”

Though his heart was filled with intense hatred and fear, he had no choice but to force a humiliated smile onto his face.

“Guidance?” Yun Che’s low voice pierced through almost the entire Nine Luminaries Heaven. “We just slaughtered your Grand Sovereign, and instead of rushing forward to avenge him, you grovel? Heh… so the so-called Nine Luminaries Heaven Palace is just a den of spineless, worthless curs?”

These words were incredibly humiliating and malicious, enough to provoke anyone to furious anger. The Nine Luminaries Heaven immediately stirred with violent auras, but Grandmaster Zangyu let out a hearty laugh, swiftly suppressing the murmurs that had barely begun to rise. “Honored One Yun, you are mistaken. The Grand Palace Master did indeed die by your hands, but your power is heaven-defying, comparable to that of a Divine Master. Although the Grand Palace Master’s offense against you both was unintentional, his death was not unjust. Though we are deeply grieved, we have no intention of seeking retribution.”

“On the contrary, the people of my Nine Luminaries Heaven Palace have always revered strength. Since you have graced us with your presence, you are honored guests. Should you have any requests, we would gladly assist. And if you could offer us even a little guidance, it would be a great blessing for our Nine Luminaries Heaven Palace.”

Grandmaster Zangyu’s words, though a clear act of humiliating submission, were delivered with an impressive, imposing air. At the same time, he was subtly informing everyone in the palace that these two were figures who absolutely could not be provoked, and no one should act rashly.

“Very good, I like intelligent people like you,” Yun Che said, seemingly with a slight smile. “Since that’s the case, I’ll ask your Nine Luminaries Heaven Palace for a small favor. Given your reverence for power, I trust you won’t refuse?”

“Please speak, Honored One,” Grandmaster Zangyu replied. “As long as it is within the capabilities of my Nine Luminaries Heaven Palace, we will surely not disappoint you.”

“It’s very simple,” Yun Che stated. “Your Nine Luminaries Heaven Palace has supposedly existed in this Thousand Desolation Realm for hundreds of thousands of years. Even if you’re utterly useless, you must have some accumulated resources. I happen to be short on demon crystals and demon jade recently…”

Grandmaster Zangyu’s heart instantly lightened, and he quickly said, “I see. How much do you require, Honored One? As long as it is within our palace’s capacity, we will present it to you immediately.”

“No need for that,” Yun Che said, his gaze sweeping sideways. “Just take me to your sect’s treasure vault.”

“What?!” Grandmaster Zangyu abruptly looked up and everyone’s expression instantly shifted.

The sect’s treasure vault was where a sect’s accumulated foundation lay. It was an absolute—an absolutely forbidden—area that no outsider could ever enter!

Even within the immense Nine Luminaries Heaven Palace, no more than five individuals were permitted entry.

“What, is there a problem?” Yun Che asked coldly.

“Honored One, this…” Grandmaster Zangyu struggled to maintain his composure. “The treasure vault is the sect’s greatest forbidden area. All our accumulated wealth and secrets are contained within, and outsiders absolutely cannot enter. This point, I presume, Honored One…”

“I don’t want to hear excuses,” Yun Che interrupted him. “Either you lead us inside, or I’ll kill you all and enter by myself. There is no third option. Don’t blame me for not giving you a chance!”

Each word was cold and resolute, leaving no room for negotiation.

“Honored One Yun, this matter…”

“You fool!” Grandmaster Zangyu was about to say more, but Palace Master Cangjing had completely erupted in fury. “Zangyu! They have insulted us beyond measure, and you’re still cowering like a dog! Are you planning to completely tarnish the Nine Luminaries Heaven Palace’s reputation?!”

His black sword appeared, profound energy erupted, and Palace Master Cangjing shot skyward, aiming directly for Yun Che. “Attack together! Even if blood stains these nine palaces today, we must keep them here forever!”

“Wait!” Zangyu quickly reached out, but failed to restrain Palace Master Cangjing. He gritted his teeth, pursued swiftly, and firmly seized Palace Master Cangjing. When he turned to face Yun Che again, his expression was as grim as water. “Yun Che, we have already yielded repeatedly; do not push your luck!”

“My Nine Luminaries Heaven Palace has stood in the Thousand Desolation Realm for tens of thousands of years. Its accumulated power is far beyond your imagination! If we unleash our trump cards, destroying merely two of you would be no difficult feat! If a peaceful resolution is possible, my Nine Luminaries Heaven Palace is willing to step back. But if you insist on a fight to the death… then my Nine Luminaries Heaven Palace will fight to the bitter end!”

“No, you are wrong,” Yun Che said quietly. “Only the fish will die, not the net.”

Grandmaster Zangyu’s face completely darkened, and he let out a furious roar: “Form the array!!”

At his command, the eight Nine Luminaries Palace Masters, who had already communicated amongst themselves and were poised for action, all rose into the air and drew their swords. Instantly, eight black sword arrays bloomed across the Nine Luminaries Heaven. As they formed, the sword arrays linked together, creating a colossal Eight Luminaries Sword Array.

The Nine Luminaries Sword Array, when combined by the nine Palace Masters, could utterly defeat the Grand Palace Master of the Nine Luminaries Heaven Palace. Although one luminary was now missing, its power remained formidable. A world-shaking sword might and dark spiritual pressure instantly enveloped the entire Nine Luminaries Heaven.

In that instant, all the mountains hummed, the stellar river trembled, and all those hovering below were instantly pressed down, as if all beings were mere ants before this divine might.

“Yun Che, prepare to die!” Having made their move, they held nothing back.

Yun Che stood still. With his left hand, he firmly pushed Qianye Ying’er at her waist, and with his right, he seized the Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor Sword. With an utterly casual swing, he brought the sword down, unleashing a black sword beam.

The sword beam was only eight feet long, appearing unremarkable. Before the Eight Luminaries Sword Array, it seemed as humble and faint as a firefly beneath a bright moon.

The eight Palace Masters completely ignored the sword beam, which clearly appeared to be a casual swing. Each of their faces was ferocious, and the Eight Luminaries Sword Array was abruptly unleashed, directly enveloping Yun Che. It was at this exact moment that the sword beam collided with the Eight Luminaries Sword Array.

*Tear—*

It was the most terrifying tearing sound they had ever heard in their lives.

That dark sword beam, barely a foot long, pierced through the Eight Luminaries Sword Array as if it were a demonic blade from the deepest abyss of hell…

The instant the sword beam vanished, the massive sword array constructed by the combined efforts of the eight Nine Luminaries Palace Masters was violently ripped into two halves.

Like shredded silk!

That seemingly ordinary sword beam actually contained the rudimentary power of the Dark Eternal Calamity!

“Wh… what?!”

At that moment, the eyes of the eight Palace Masters simultaneously widened to their fullest, as if confronted by a terrifying and absurd nightmare. The power of the sword array disintegrated wildly, and the immense backlash struck them like a heavy blow. Their bodies plummeted, their auras in complete disarray.

And at that moment, Yun Che unleashed his second sword, and golden flames instantly surged across the sky, engulfing all eight individuals into the Golden Crow Fire Purgatory.

A tremendous roar shook the sky. The eight Palace Masters were blasted downwards, golden flames consuming each of their bodies. Their screams were so agonizing that it was hard to believe they came from eight powerful Divine Sovereigns.

Everyone in the Nine Luminaries Heaven Palace was dumbfounded. When news of the Nine Luminaries Exalted One’s death at the Heavenly Core Cloud Clan reached them, they had learned the name “Yun Che.” Grandmaster Zangyu’s demeanor had further indicated he was an incomparably terrifying figure.

But they had never dreamed he would be terrifying to such an extent… The sword array, constructed by the combined might of the eight Palace Masters and strong enough to defeat the Nine Luminaries Exalted One, was shattered by his casual swing. His second sword then gravely wounded all of them.

They were the eight Palace Masters, widely considered the highest-level existences in the Thousand Desolation Realm. Yet before him, they were so utterly vulnerable?!

His strength… could it be at the Divine Master Realm?!

“Open… the barrier!!” Grandmaster Zangyu roared, his voice hoarse and raw, as if expending all his strength.

Instantly, thousands of dark light pillars shot up from different directions of the Nine Luminaries Heaven, converging at a single point in the sky. In a flash, they unfurled a massive dark barrier, completely shrouding the core nine palaces.

All auras were instantly and completely cut off at that moment.

The eight Palace Masters continued to struggle and howl amidst the Golden Crow flames. After they finally extinguished the golden flames with great difficulty, they were scorched and covered in wounds, appearing half-human, half-ghost, and utterly disheveled. But as they gazed at the barrier that had instantly unfurled and Yun Che isolated outside, they all breathed a long sigh of relief.

With the immediate threat seemingly contained, all that remained in their bodies, besides pain, was terror and utter exhaustion.

“Di… Divine Master?!” Palace Master Cangjing’s former bravado completely vanished. He knelt, almost unable to stand.

He finally understood why Zangyu and the Palace Masters who had journeyed to the Heavenly Core Cloud Clan were so terrified of Yun Che.

Just two sword strikes, and they were reduced to such a wretched state!

This was unbelievable… utterly unbelievable!

“Yun… Yun Che!” Grandmaster Zangyu stood up. Though an absolutely secure barrier now separated them, he still couldn’t entirely suppress the terror in his heart. He panted, speaking hoarsely, “This is the Nine Luminaries Heaven Palace’s grand protective formation! Once activated, no one can ever break through it!”

“My Nine Luminaries Heaven Palace does not wish to be your enemy. If you retreat now, our grievances will be settled, and we will no longer seek vengeance for the Grand Palace Master’s death. But…” Grandmaster Zangyu tried his best to sound resolute, “If you press us further, we will immediately transmit a message to the Thousand Desolation Divine Sect about your presence here. At that point, you won’t be able to leave even if you wish to!”

“Heh,” Yun Che chuckled, floating downwards until he was close to the barrier. “Just with this turtle shell?”

Grandmaster Zangyu said vehemently, “This palace-protecting barrier was built by our ancestors, connected to the dark earth veins of the nine hundred towering mountains below. Even if the Thousand Desolation Cult Master… even if the entire Thousand Desolation Divine Sect were to attack, they could never break it! If you don’t believe me, feel free to try!”

Yun Che’s eyes narrowed. He slowly extended a finger, a black gleam shimmering at its tip, and gently poked the barrier.

With a soft sound, Yun Che’s finger directly pierced through the barrier.

Instantly, with Yun Che’s finger as the epicenter, the dark barrier erupted into countless cracks, radiating across its entire expanse in a single moment.