Chapter 1136: You Come In

Chapter 1141: Come On In!

This Immortal Palace contains several realms. Each realm is independent. How far one can go, and how many realms one can enter, depends on their cultivation, fortuitous encounters, and destiny.

From outside the Immortal Palace, looking down, two realms appeared to be hidden beneath the spiritual tide. A shimmering ripple obscured them, revealing only indistinct black and white colors blurred beneath the water.

The clearest realm visible to everyone was the Immortal Palace's Third Realm, situated above the spiritual tide. This realm was vast, seemingly boundless, exuding a majestic aura. It boasted numerous structures and countless buildings. Radiant light shimmered all around, with thousands of auspicious colors. Countless spiritual glazes crafted from immortal jade glittered under the sky's seven-colored light, as if adorned with countless worldly gems. Immortal cranes circled within this Third Realm; despite their illusory nature, they emitted real and melodious calls, intertwining with the roaring surges of the spiritual tide to compose what sounded like heavenly music.

Exotic flowers and rare plants were also countless, competing in their beauty. Occasionally, figures of immortals could be seen, seemingly reflected from the ripples of time, appearing before the onlookers. Though indistinct, as they moved, spiritual energy swirled around them, indicating their extraordinary nature.

Further in the distance, a vast figure sat cross-legged, seemingly upholding the grandeur of the Third Realm. Its gaze was like a torch, capable of piercing through all worldly disturbances. In front of it, numerous cultivators stood, each in a devout posture, seemingly learning immortal arts and principles. The entire Third Realm was filled with melodious zither music and the clear sound of reading, presenting a scene of complete serenity.

Behind this, mountain ranges rose, also part of the Third Realm. Clouds and mists wreathed them, and pavilions and towers could be faintly seen emerging from within, as if housing reclusive masters in secluded cultivation, pursuing higher realms.

As time flowed here, the seven-colored lights quickly faded, and night descended, with stars twinkling. The Immortal Palace's radiance then intertwined with the celestial stars, creating a scene like a paradise on earth.

Gazing at everything before them, varying degrees of awe arose in the hearts of those outside the Immortal Palace. For them, this was the first time in their lives they had witnessed such an Immortal Palace. Xu Qing was no exception.

As the spiritual tide surged and the Immortal Palace manifested, most of the individuals present began to glow with starlight, mirroring the palace. This radiance emanated from their respective keys! Xu Qing's key, the bamboo slip gifted by Yunmen Qianfan, now shone brightly.

However, his gaze did not linger on the Immortal Palace for long; instead, he looked towards the distant horizon. The moment the Immortal Palace opened, numerous figures began to rush in. Many among them did not possess the Quasi-Immortal City Token, as the sole condition for entering the Aurora Immortal Palace was a key, not necessarily ownership of a City Token. Therefore, many Dominator cultivators who had not participated in previous hunts also descended upon this place. Among them were not a few renowned individuals. Yet, even with their past glories, they still struggled to compete with the Stars currently present, especially those from the Eastern Star Domain!

Among the four major star domains of the Fifth Star Ring, the Eastern Domain ranked first. This was not only because three of the eight great Stars resided in the East, but also because the overall number of exceptional talents in the East far surpassed the other three domains.

Now, these three Stars had also arrived, and their manner of descent stirred the hearts of all present.

First, a murderous aura inexplicably surged from the hearts of all cultivators present who did not possess a Sacred Law. It instantly became incredibly dense, affecting their minds and bodies, and spread outwards, filling the area with malevolent energy. This energy was drawn by an astonishing force, forming a black wooden door. This ancient door slowly opened, and from within stepped a young man dressed in black. The moment he appeared, everyone present felt their minds rumble as the murderous aura, under his control, continuously surged, as if... the one who appeared had become the master of killing intent. He stood there, gazing at the Immortal Palace, uttering no words, yet with the convergence of this murderous energy, his entire being seemed to transform into a sharp blade! A blade capable of fighting a Sacred Law!

Xu Qing's eyes narrowed. These characteristics, combined with the map's description, allowed Xu Qing to immediately identify the individual without needing to be told. This person was the Eastern Star, Evil Spirit Son. According to the map's details, he was a rogue cultivator who rose through life-and-death battles, devouring countless beings and cultivating a demonic path. In his early days, he joined a sect, then betrayed it, was pursued for sixty years without success, and vanished without a trace. Many years later, he reappeared, joined another sect, only for the same betrayal and pursuit to occur, with the same outcome: no success. In the years that followed, similar events occurred a total of seven times. He apprenticed seven times, betrayed seven sects, and finally, under endless pursuit, he rose against the odds. The moment he achieved Dominator status, he massacred everyone in the sects he had once joined, from top to bottom. Amidst a sea of corpses and blood, he forged his own Dao of Slaughter. He then fought another Eastern Star to a stalemate, earning him the title of a Star.

“His Sacred Law isn't cultivated; it's a Sacred Law artifact!” Xu Qing gazed at Evil Spirit Son, faintly discerning a broken blade within his body!

“Yuan Shansu's Sacred Law comes from his family's ancestor. His family, being the foremost in the Southern Domain, possesses profound heritage. Although his ancestor is not an Immortal, he is at the peak of Quasi-Immortal and possesses his own Sacred Law.” “As for Jiang Fan, like me, he inherited his from his respective master,” Li Mengtu spoke in a low voice. “And this one, I’ve heard about him before. The betrayals required by his demonic cultivation were to activate a supreme treasure imbued with a Sacred Law, a matter tacitly approved by the Eastern Sky Patrol.”

Xu Qing nodded slightly at the words, then his gaze fell upon the sky. The sky rippled as celestial light spread, and within the light, a person walked forth. This person had a kind and refined appearance. As he drew near, a warm aura radiated from him, enveloping the affected cultivators, who immediately recovered as if waking from a dream. This was none other than Zhou Zhengli, one of the three Eastern Stars. He hailed from the Eastern Zhou family, and his reputation, like his name, was for chivalry, generosity, and benevolence, earning him the respect of countless cultivators in the East. As he walked, his first glance was directed at Evil Spirit Son. Their Daos were clearly polar opposites, thus each desired to eliminate the other. Evil Spirit Son snorted coldly, ignoring him, then took a step and directly entered the Immortal Palace, his figure instantly vanishing within.

Zhou Zhengli's expression remained calm. He withdrew his gaze, clasped his hands slightly towards the crowd, smiled at Jiang Fan and others, nodded to Li Mengtu, and also noticed Xu Qing. After a slight nod, he too walked towards the Immortal Palace. However, just as he approached and was about to step in, Zhou Zhengli suddenly paused and bowed towards the sky. At the same time, Xu Qing and the other Stars also sensed something and looked up at the firmament. The dark night sky already had stars, but now, nine more had appeared. These nine stars encircled each other, forming a star ring. As they shimmered, starlight descended, forming a figure from nothingness. Dressed in a simple Star Official's Daoist robe, with long hair draped over his shoulders, he had a handsome face and a cold expression, as if little emotion flowed within him. The moment he appeared, he stepped through the air towards the Immortal Palace. He walked past Zhou Zhengli. Zhou Zhengli bowed his head. Star Ring Child walked by. Only then did Zhou Zhengli step into the palace.

The gravity caused by Star Ring Child's appearance surpassed all others. Jiang Fan, Yuan Shansu, and Qianjun Piyi from the Northern Domain all wore solemn expressions. Then they each rose and proceeded towards the Immortal Palace. As for the other qualified individuals, they too, with determined expressions, stepped in one after another.

Not far away, Li Mengtu also took a deep breath, his expression more solemn than ever before. “Star Ring Child!” “He is the foremost of the eight great Stars, and also recognized as... the strongest Dominator of the Fifth Star Ring!” “He hails from the Eastern Star Ring Tower and was bestowed the name Star Ring, becoming this generation's Star Ring Child. His cultivation has reached the late stage of Dominator, possessing nine great authorities. His strength is unfathomable, and he rarely makes a move. There was only one public battle where he challenged a Quasi-Immortal Emperor. He won that battle, becoming renowned throughout the world.”

“This was his achievement before receiving his inheritance, Xu Qing… you should be able to discern something from that, right?” Li Mengtu's voice was low. “He comprehended his own Sacred Law before his inheritance,” Xu Qing calmly stated.

Li Mengtu nodded, a ripple of emotion in his expression. “He is the first among our generation I’ve seen who comprehended a Sacred Law without relying on sect inheritance, Brother Xu, you are the second.”

“Additionally, I heard that recently in the East, he refused the inheritance offered by his master. He said he didn't like things others had used; a name was a symbol, so he accepted that, but for a Sacred Law… he preferred his own.”

“His Sacred Law is extremely mysterious; I don't know what it is, but... to be able to defeat a Quasi-Immortal, its power is evident!”

“After all, even if some Quasi-Immortals haven't truly formed their own Sacred Law, most will acquire a Sacred Law artifact at any cost.”

“Otherwise, what would it mean to be a Quasi-Immortal in this dazzling Fifth Star Ring?”

Li Mengtu took a deep breath and stood up, looking at Xu Qing. “Brother Xu, shall we go in too?” “Though Quasi-Immortals have entered since the Immortal Palace opened, their method of entry is different from ours; they directly enter the Fourth Realm. So, theoretically, we won't see them and are unlikely to interact. Even if we possess a Sacred Law and eventually step into the Fourth Realm, by then, most of them would have already moved on to even higher realms.”

Xu Qing nodded slightly at this. “Very well.” With that, he stood up and, together with Li Mengtu, walked towards the Immortal Palace. As for the Earth Spirit Patriarch, he followed behind the two. Soon, their three figures stepped inside the Immortal Palace. From the outside, there was only a ripple, and no trace of them could be seen.

Meanwhile, in the Immortal Palace's Second Realm, hidden beneath the spiritual tide, there was a peculiar area. All that could be seen was pure white, devoid of any sense of space or time. From within that whiteness, a small figure gradually crawled out. Holding a sword, it turned back, placed one hand on its hip, and spoke proudly, “Great Demon King, come in if you dare! Come on in, come get me!” After shouting for a long time without a response, the small figure, feeling triumphant, was about to leave when it suddenly changed expression, looked into the distance, and exclaimed in surprise, “Oh, a son has arrived?”