Chapter 561: Above the Nine Heavens, the Immortal Palace Appears

Ahead lay a cyclonic storm.Behind them were countless spatial cracks.

After a brief pause, they descended, moving almost level with the sandy ground. The cyclonic storm loomed above their heads, and their destination was clearly deep within it.

Only upon nearing the cyclonic storm did they realize it was not as calm as it appeared on the surface.

The clouds within flowed ceaselessly like seawater. However, the current was not fast, and the cloud mass was so dense, uniform, and pure, moving as a single entity, that it was difficult to discern from a distance.

Within the seemingly calm cyclone, a terrifyingly violent power was brewing.

Should the cyclonic storm collapse, it was feared that no one present, not even Nascent Soul cultivators, would be spared.

Qin Sang suppressed his unease and gazed up at the clouds above.

Judging by the movements of the Nascent Soul grand cultivators, Ziwei Palace was undoubtedly located within the cyclonic storm. However, their vision was completely obscured by the clouds, preventing them from seeing through the cyclone to its depths.

Qin Sang couldn't discern whether this power originated from the cyclonic storm itself or from the immortal array hidden deep within the cyclone, which sealed Ziwei Palace.

Just as Qin Sang's thoughts wandered, the red cloud suddenly stopped again.

They were now approaching the core of the cyclonic storm. Ahead, strands of cloud interwove to form a giant vortex, and at its deepest point, the eye of the storm, there seemed to be a large void. However, from their current position, they couldn't see what lay within it.

Time passed, and they remained stationary for over an hour.

With the four-colored cloud masses and the warship motionless, everyone was forced to remain in place. The Nascent Soul grand cultivators also showed no activity, leaving everyone wondering what they were waiting for.

Qin Sang glanced around.

Lord Dongyang stood with his hands clasped behind his back at the edge of the red cloud, not far from them.

Iron Crown Daoist, Chen Yan, Martial Uncle Feng Ming, and others were clearly privy to the situation; they remained calm and unperturbed, sitting in meditation.

Yun Youzi was by his master's side, making it inconvenient to transmit messages freely. So, Qin Sang approached Qiu Muxue, who was nearby, to inquire about the reason.

Ji Qing and the others also knew little about Ziwei Palace and drew closer out of curiosity.

“The entrance to Ziwei Palace is in the eye of the storm,” Qiu Muxue explained quietly, pointing to the void in the eye. “It's not time for Ziwei Palace to emerge yet. Only when an anomaly appears at the eye of the storm, indicating Ziwei Palace's emergence and the instability of the immortal array, will we have a chance to use our own array to break through and enter Ziwei Palace. We are just waiting for the right moment… it shouldn't be too long now.”

As he spoke, Qiu Muxue glanced at Qin Sang.

“The spiritual array used to break the immortal array of Ziwei Palace is called the Minor Big Dipper Array. It's the most reliable method, developed through years of experimentation by countless predecessors. While other spiritual arrays also offer a chance to break through, they don't guarantee complete safety; there have even been instances where they triggered a counterattack from the immortal array, resulting in significant casualties.

“To set up the Minor Big Dipper Array, besides numerous rare spiritual items, a crucial wondrous material called Star Essences Stone is required, which can currently only be found on Zhantian Peak.

“Zhantian Peak's space is fragile, allowing only a small quantity of Star Essences Stones to be collected at a time; otherwise, it would completely collapse. Furthermore, Zhantian Peak constantly drifts within the Cloud Mist Marsh, its position unpredictable, preventing either domain from monopolizing it.

“Thus, the two domains agreed to jointly manage Zhantian Peak, opening it only before Ziwei Palace emerged to collect the Star Essences Stones for the array. Over time, this gradually evolved into one of the venues for gambling matches between the two domains.

“Speaking of which, we cultivators of the Little Cold Domain owe a debt of gratitude to Junior Martial Brother Qin.

“Your crucial role in that gambling match helped the Little Cold Domain secure a victory. Otherwise, it might have been our responsibility to prepare the spiritual materials for the array, which would have been a considerable sum.

“Therefore, it's only right that you won the Snow Spirit Lotus and the Iris Flowers.”

Star Essences Stones, Zhantian Peak…

Qin Sang suddenly understood. Although he had partly guessed before, it was only after hearing these reasons from Qiu Muxue that he fully grasped the complete picture.

That gambling match was actually related to the Minor Big Dipper Array. The rewards given by Star-Gazing Island were far too stingy!

However, Qin Sang reconsidered. The amount of Star Essences Stones that could be collected from Zhantian Peak had little to do with strength or morale; it was more dependent on luck.

Grandma Jing's Star Spirit Net, which she had given him, was the only exception.

The Star Spirit Net was still in Qin Sang's possession; Grandma Jing had not taken it back.

If the Star Spirit Net were used to cheat in every future gambling match, the Little Cold Domain would remain undefeated. However, Qin Sang estimated that the Sky-Striding Alliance would detect the anomaly after no more than two attempts.

After learning the full story, Qin Sang and the others were no longer impatient and waited patiently.

Unexpectedly, this wait lasted for over six hours.

Half a day had passed when the cyclonic storm finally exhibited an anomaly.

Suddenly, a thunderous roar erupted from the clouds at the eye of the storm. The speed at which the cloud strands flowed gradually increased, and visible undulations could now be clearly seen with the naked eye.

Amidst the rumbling.

The entire cyclonic storm began to rotate slowly.

At the eye of the storm, a powerful suction force emerged, rapidly drawing the surrounding clouds upwards.

It was as if there was a bottomless pit in the sky, swallowing countless clouds without ever being filled.

As more and more clouds dissipated, the void at the eye of the storm began to expand outwards, and its edges visibly started to become more diffused.

The suction force above the eye of the storm collided with the powers within the cyclone, causing the forces here to become increasingly chaotic.

Gale-force winds howled.

Sand and stones were sent flying.

Chaotic spiritual energy and clouds rushed forth, causing both the Sky-Striding Warship and the four-colored cloud masses to tremble continuously.

Everyone's eyes widened as they stared at the extraordinary celestial phenomenon before them.

Such a sight was something an ordinary person would rarely witness in a lifetime, let alone from such close proximity.

The cyclonic storm spun faster and faster, reaching its peak in less than fifteen minutes. By then, the eye of the storm had expanded more than tenfold. After a deafening roar, a peculiar light suddenly descended from the very center of the eye!

The wondrous light instantly filled the entire eye of the storm and rapidly spread outwards.

The crowd gasped, awestruck by the aerial spectacle.

Through the thinning clouds, layers upon layers of cloud sea could be seen, piled high into the heavens. There, at what seemed to be the location of a celestial palace, stood a Heavenly Gate.

Boldly inscribed in the center of the Heavenly Gate were the three characters ‘Ziwei Palace’, identical to the depiction on the Ziwei Talisman!

However, the sensation of witnessing the Heavenly Gate in person was utterly different from seeing it on the Ziwei Talisman; the diagram could hardly convey a fraction of its grandeur.

The severely damaged Heavenly Gate was covered in traces left by ancient times.

The moment they saw the Heavenly Gate, a sense of ancientness, having transcended countless ages, washed over them, carrying with it an infinite desolation.

The Heavenly Gate of Ziwei Palace stood solitarily amidst the clouds. Its former glory was long gone; not even ruins or broken walls remained, only the damaged Heavenly Gate itself.

Yet, it stood firm, its three characters ‘Ziwei Palace’ still shining brightly.

Leaving behind the final trace of the immortal palace.

Narrating its past history to future generations!