Chapter 484: Holy Palace Martial Splendor

North of Shengzhou lies a vast, boundless region, filled with countless natural wonders and spiritual energy. It is said that the Shengzhou Continent alone possesses sixty percent of the Great Heaven of Cangxuan's fortune. Within the Shengzhou Continent, the prosperous and spiritually rich land north of Shengzhou likely accounts for thirty percent of Shengzhou's fortune.

This thirty percent of fortune, found in northern Shengzhou, nurtures a powerful, influential sect: the Sacred Palace, renowned throughout the Great Heaven of Cangxuan.

Many years ago, the Sacred Palace was merely an unremarkable sect on the Shengzhou Continent. At that time, the Cangxuan Sect was an unshakeable force, peerless in the entire Great Heaven of Cangxuan. However, at some unknown point, the Sacred Palace began its astonishing rise, ascending to the ranks of the most powerful sects in the Great Heaven of Cangxuan within a mere century. It was during this period that Old Ancestor Cangxuan, the master of the Great Heaven of Cangxuan, was besieged by mysterious powerful figures and perished, sending shockwaves throughout the entire realm. Consequently, the Cangxuan Sect, once the foremost power, began to decline in strength and could no longer maintain its top position. The Sacred Palace then took its place, ascending to become the most formidable and influential sect in the Great Heaven of Cangxuan. It unilaterally controls the region north of Shengzhou, leveraging its thirty percent of fortune to overshadow all other powers. To this day, the Sacred Palace stands on the Shengzhou Continent like a blazing sun, dominating the land. Even the other five major influential sects regard the increasingly powerful Sacred Palace with apprehension.

The extreme north of Shengzhou. The land there is perpetually frigid, covered in vast snowfields. Yet, amidst this icy expanse, an endless barrier rises, carving out a verdant, picturesque realm within the snowy landscape. Majestic mountains stand tall within, white cranes soar, and waterfalls cascade like silver rivers, presenting a scene of otherworldly beauty. Among these mountains, countless white halls stand, arranged in perfect order, exuding an aura of solemn grandeur. This is the current stronghold of the most powerful sect in the Great Heaven of Cangxuan: the Sacred Palace.

Deep within the Sacred Palace, a white grand hall rests atop a colossal peak. Inside, a bottomless blood pool glows ominously. On prayer mats opposite the pool, several figures sit in meditation, their bodies exuding unfathomable auras. At the center sat a man with flowing silver hair. He wore a gentle smile, and his eyes, like his hair, were silver, making him appear mysterious and inscrutable. This silver-haired man was none other than the Master of the Sacred Palace, known as Sacred Origin Palace Master, a renowned and influential figure in the Great Heaven of Cangxuan. Beside him, the other meditating figures, judging by their auras, were clearly high-ranking and prominent members of the Sacred Palace.

Gurgle. Their gazes were fixed on the blood pool, from which blood bubbles slowly rose, followed by the formation of a vortex. Finally, a naked male figure slowly ascended from the depths of the pool. Faint blood-red patterns subtly appeared on his body, writhing and crawling within his flesh, an unsettling sight. Upon closer inspection, these patterns resembled grotesque, twisted blood-faces. Eerie and terrifying.

As the gaze moved upwards, a handsome, chiseled face came into view. The face was not unfamiliar; if Zhou Yuan were present, he would instantly recognize it, for it belonged to his former great enemy, Wu Huang! What was strange, however, was that Wu Huang's physical body had been destroyed by Zhou Yuan in the Saint Remains Domain, with only his soul barely escaping. Yet, now he possessed a physical body once more.

Wu Huang's tightly closed eyes slowly opened, a faint crimson glow appearing within them before gradually receding. He rose from the blood pool and knelt reverently before Sacred Origin Palace Master, speaking with respect: "Thank you, Palace Master, for reconstructing my body!"

The silver-haired, silver-eyed Sacred Origin Palace Master smiled as he regarded Wu Huang, his gaze sweeping over the body marked with numerous eerie blood-face patterns. He nodded and said, "Excellent. This Blood Asura Physique is remarkably well-suited for you."

Wu Huang clenched his fists, feeling the astonishing, brutal power surging within him. "I can feel it," he said, "the strength of this body is far greater than my previous one!"

Sacred Origin Palace Master chuckled, "Naturally. A considerable amount of resources was expended to forge this body for you."

Wu Huang licked his lips, lowering his gaze to his hands, a fierce glint appearing in his eyes. He murmured, "Zhou Yuan, did you ever expect this? What if you destroyed my body last time? Now, I am even stronger! If we meet again, I will make you taste what it's like to have your body severed!" Infinite hatred surged across his face.

Sacred Origin Palace Master smiled faintly. "That Zhou Yuan is doing quite well in the Cangxuan Sect. The last I heard, he had already become a Purple Sash disciple. However, now that you possess the Blood Asura Physique, once your spirit perfectly integrates with this body, you will be able to unleash its full power. By then, slaying Zhou Yuan and avenging yourself should pose no problem."

Wu Huang clasped his hands respectfully and said, "My thanks to the Palace Master for this accomplishment!" Sacred Origin Palace Master nodded with a smile, then waved his hand, dismissing Wu Huang.

Wu Huang respectfully exited the hall, and silence once again settled within.

"Palace Master, spending such immense effort to forge the Blood Asura Physique for Wu Huang, isn't it perhaps a bit excessive?" a white-haired elder beside Sacred Origin Palace Master slowly inquired. "While Wu Huang's talent is decent, our Sacred Palace has others who are no less capable. Diverting so many resources to him might cause resentment among other disciples."

Sacred Origin Palace Master smiled faintly. "Complaints belong to the incompetent. If such individuals exist, they can simply be expelled from the Sacred Palace." He gazed profoundly at Wu Huang's retreating figure. "After all, he carries the Saint Dragon's Fortune."

"Hasn't this matter been thoroughly investigated? The Saint Dragon's Fortune in him belongs to that Zhou Yuan. Wu Huang is merely a fake dragon," another high-ranking Sacred Palace member interjected.

Sacred Origin Palace Master chuckled. "What is a 'fake dragon'? As long as he can slay and absorb that Zhou Yuan, he will naturally become a true dragon. Moreover, although Zhou Yuan carries the Saint Dragon's Fortune, he lacks the destiny of a Saint Dragon. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been stripped of his fortune at birth. However, this person truly possesses a degree of resilience, managing to escape from such a desperate situation and even reclaiming half of the Saint Dragon's Fortune from Wu Huang. Indeed, he has some capability."

The elder next to him asked in confusion, "What use is this Saint Dragon's Fortune to our Sacred Palace?"

Sacred Origin Palace Master's eyes narrowed slightly, a glint flashing in his silver pupils as he slowly said, "The Saint Dragon's Fortune can help us locate the Cangxuan Saint Seal, which Old Ancestor Cangxuan hid."

Inside the grand hall, several figures visibly tensed in surprise.

"The Cangxuan Saint Seal is a sacred artifact born from the Great Heaven of Cangxuan itself, capable of sensing the world. And the Saint Dragon's Fortune is also born from this world; those who possess it are naturally considered favored children of the heavens and earth. Once Wu Huang matures and slays Zhou Yuan, reclaiming that half of the fortune, I will be able to leverage that power to break through Old Ancestor Cangxuan's concealment methods and locate the Cangxuan Saint Seal. As for these 'true' and 'fake' dragons, they hold no further significance to me..."

Sacred Origin Palace Master's silver eyes gazed at the blood pool before him, the crimson light reflecting in his gaze, as a fanatical smile slowly spread across his lips.

"By then... I shall become the supreme master of the Great Heaven of Cangxuan... And my Sacred Race... will once again rule over the Great Heaven of Cangxuan."