Chapter 574: Inner Palace

Upon reaching the altar, we realized its immense size. The condensed, pervasive aura of bloodlust was a vivid, dripping crimson, like actual blood, sending shivers down our spines.

Even without the ancient restrictions, no one would likely dare to venture into that sanguinary aura.

After the Immortal's Tomb, we encountered several more dangerous areas, but none were as terrifying as the Ghost King in the Immortal's Tomb.

The Immortal's Tomb seemed to be the most perilous stage. As long as we passed through it, the subsequent dangers would not be difficult for Core Formation cultivators to navigate, provided they were cautious.

Along the way, they also encountered special ancient formations that forced everyone to act independently and separate.

However, Lord Dongyang had already prepared spiritual talismans and artifacts to counter them, which helped Qin Sang and the others pass through with minor scares but no true danger.

Lord Dongyang and Chen Yan had a clear objective: the Inner Hall!

Apart from that, nothing else captured their interest. Strange lights and secret realms encountered along the way were not even glanced at. They headed straight for the Inner Hall at maximum speed.

Qin Sang was naturally delighted by this.

The faster Lord Dongyang moved, the better. The sooner they entered the Inner Hall, the fewer opponents they would face when picking the Scarlet Cloud Purple Fruits. Those Core Formation cultivators surely couldn't travel or clear stages as quickly as Lord Dongyang.

However, the downside was that Wandering Cloud would be left behind.

He hoped the wooden bracelet would last long enough for Wandering Cloud to catch up.

Lord Dongyang raised a finger, pointing ahead, as he gave his final instructions.“The jade wall ahead is the entrance to the Inner Hall. Once inside, wait patiently in place; do not wander off, especially into ancient halls with restrictions. Lady Chen Yan and I will come find you.”

In front of them stood a semicircular mountain, embracing a massive pit hundreds of zhang in diameter.

The pit was filled with dense demonic energy, bottomless and emitting a bone-chilling cold, as if connecting to the Netherworld.

It was said that a Nascent Soul Grand Cultivator once risked their life to leap into the demonic pit, but even when the Ziwei Palace closed, they still hadn't managed to discover what lay at its depths.

On the other side of the demonic pit was a sheer cliff face.

Embedded in the cliff face was a massive Eight Trigrams jade wall, strikingly prominent like a bright moon in the night.

The pure jade wall, embedded above the demonic pit, seemed highly incongruous.

This was the jade wall Lord Dongyang had pointed to.

“The ancient restrictions within this jade wall were originally formidable, requiring even Nascent Soul cultivators to proceed with caution,” Lord Dongyang explained. “Fortunately, they've been damaged, and their power reduced to a minimum. The remaining restrictions will only have a slight effect on your mental state. The three of you, holding this Heart-Calming Pendant, will be able to pass through easily. Those who believe their will is strong can also treat this as a path of mental tempering. While it might not be very effective for Core Formation cultivators now, you should still gain considerable benefits.”

Qin Sang reached out and took the Heart-Calming Pendant, feeling a refreshing coolness spread from his palm, which had the effect of stabilizing one's mind. He calmly put it away.

With the Jade Buddha, he had no need for such an item.

“There’s no time to lose, let’s go in!”

With that said, Lord Dongyang led them as he soared into the air and flew straight towards the jade wall.

They flew over the demonic pit.

The moment they touched the jade wall's green light, Qin Sang suddenly felt his body lighten. He looked up and saw that Vajra Ring, like Lord Dongyang and the others, had vanished without a trace.

It seemed the jade wall, like the formation they encountered earlier, would forcefully separate everyone.

A surreal passage appeared in his vision, with shifting, colorful lights, as if he had jumped into a kaleidoscope.

Qin Sang secretly activated the Jade Buddha to protect his nascent soul, and the so-called 'heart-tempering tribulation' did not occur.

Although it seemed like an illusory passage, he still felt as if he were treading on solid ground. After a slight hesitation, Qin Sang activated his movement technique and rushed towards the end of the passage at top speed.

Inside Che Yutao's Mortal Dust Gourd, Qin Sang had already experienced the so-called 'heart-tempering'.

It proved that as long as the Jade Buddha was present, these heart-tempering methods had no effect on him whatsoever. He always maintained the detachment and calmness of an observer, unable to be immersed, thus failing to achieve the tempering effect.

It was merely a waste of time.

Qin Sang's several mental transformations had all stemmed from the various encounters and tribulations he faced along his journey.

Within the passage, Qin Sang unleashed his Sword Qi Thunder Sound divine ability, transforming into a streak of sword light and speeding forward.

This passage was very peculiar, its end completely unknown.

Suddenly, Qin Sang felt as if he had touched a barrier, and the next moment, he broke through.

“I’m out!”

Qin Sang's heart stirred. He quickly grabbed the wooden bracelet he had prepared and swiftly slipped it onto his arm.

Immediately, the chaotic scene before him vanished. His vision brightened, and he vaguely caught the scent of fresh grass, a stark contrast to the gloomy, bloody atmosphere of the Outer Hall.

Qin Sang felt that beneath him was not land but a void, and his body was rapidly falling.

Looking down, he saw it was true: he was in mid-air, and below him was a lush green grassland covered in yellow and white wildflowers, a scene bursting with vitality.

“Please don't let me run into Lord Dongyang and Chen Yan! I heard the entry points into the Inner Hall are random, so it shouldn't be such a coincidence.”

He prayed silently, then raised his arm to check.

He discovered that the moment the wooden bracelet was slipped onto his arm, it transformed into a dragon-shaped bracelet. The small, palm-sized yellow dragon came to life, aiming at the bloody mark on Qin Sang’s arm and taking a deep breath.

Then, the threads wriggled and were swallowed whole by the yellow dragon. However, they were not severed; instead, they also bound the yellow dragon.

Nevertheless, the mark's fluctuations were now isolated by the yellow dragon.

The yellow dragon yawned human-like, then coiled around Qin Sang's arm and reverted back to a wooden bracelet.

Qin Sang clasped the wooden bracelet, finding it very sturdy. Feeling reassured, he began to look around.

He stood on the soft grass. Before him rose a lush green mountain, with trickling springs and ancient, towering trees. However, there were no birds or beasts, not even the sound of insects.

Without these, the seemingly vibrant place held an undeniable sense of desolation.

At the mountainside, Qin Sang saw the corner of a flying eave peeking out from the trees, indicating an ancient hall hidden within. However, a layer of green light, manifested by a restriction above the hall, suggested that the area was not as safe as it appeared.

At this moment, Qin Sang had already concealed his presence and moved to hide under a tree.

When he shifted his gaze from the mountain to its base and then to the other end of the grassland, he found that the grassland abruptly ended!

He continued to gaze into the distance.

Mist permeated the air, and ethereal energy drifted about, making it truly like a celestial realm.

But amidst the sea of clouds, he could discern two fragments of land floating in mid-air. Each was distinct and separate, like a floating island suspended high in the sky.

These two land fragments varied in size. One, like the one Qin Sang was on, had a complete mountain peak.

The other was very small, yet it contained a large river. Despite the tiny land fragment, the river water was seemingly endless, still abundant even now, cascading down from the sky, its destination unknown.

In the distance, there appeared to be even more fragments!