Chapter 591 - 584: Returning to the Immortal Palace
Donghua, Northwest, Kunlun Mountain Range.
WHIRRRR!!
A convoy of military off-road vehicles stopped at the end of the road. Before them lay a majestic, towering mountain range that stretched as far as the eye could see, connecting heaven and earth. Just standing before it, one could feel an intense, oppressive presence.
Kunlun, the head of the Dragon Vein.
CLICK!!
The doors of the military vehicles opened, and several figures stepped out.
One of them was tall with broad shoulders, exuding a unique aura, as if nothing in the world could compare to him.
Unrivaled under heaven.
This man was none other than Zhou Yuanjue.
Standing beside him was a man in a Martial Arts Uniform. He had a large, bald head, a towering, mountain-like build, and a faint, humble smile was always on his face.
The Northwest Guardian, Tu Junshan.
On Zhou Yuanjue’s other side stood two more men.
One was a handsome, middle-aged man, while the last had white hair and a white beard, his face obscured by a silver mask.
These two were important figures of the Moon Race: Patriarch Yu Guanhai and the Third Clan Elder of the Moon Race.
Gazing at the peerlessly imposing Zhou Yuanjue beside him, then at the sprawling mountain range ahead, a complex look flashed in Yu Guanhai’s eyes.
He had first met Zhou Yuanjue deep within this very Kunlun, and that meeting had been far from pleasant.
Even later, despite Zhou Yuanjue’s immense power, as a Spirit Guardian, Yu Guanhai still held a faint sense of superiority.
Until not long ago.
When the Forest Race was in peril, Zhou Yuanjue had single-handedly repelled two Ancient True Kings, turning the tide against all odds. Moreover, the Great Clan Elder—who had recently broken through to the Ancestral Realm—sent word that several powerful Ancestral Realm Spirit Guardians from around the world were utterly incapable of stopping Zhou Yuanjue.
It was only then that he fully realized Zhou Yuanjue’s power and realm had completely surpassed those of the Spirit Guardians, perhaps even... rivaling that of their own ancestors.
That sense of superiority had since been utterly shattered, leaving not a trace behind.
"Are you really... going to do this?"
Yu Guanhai took a deep breath and asked in a low voice.
It wasn’t that he didn’t believe in Zhou Yuanjue’s power; it was just that what he planned to do was far too dangerous.
He actually intended to directly provoke a Primordial Ancestor, one who was very likely in a semi-awakened state.
This could very well trigger unforeseeable consequences.
"Don’t worry. You only need to provide support during this operation, not participate directly in the fight. I’ll just need your help to reinforce the Seal at the end."
"Also..."
Zhou Yuanjue looked over at Tu Junshan. "Are you prepared? When the time comes, I’m afraid I’ll truly need you to use your power to connect with the Dragon Vein and anchor the Immortal Palace with your own body. You should understand the dangers involved."
"Heh, no need to be so sentimental. If I hadn’t already made up my mind, why would I have come with you?"
"It’s perfect, really. You young ones of the new generation have risen. It’s time for us old bones to set aside our worldly duties and get some rest."
Tu Junshan said with a beaming smile.
’This isn’t just ’getting some rest’...’
Zhou Yuanjue nodded, said no more, and announced, "Everyone, let’s head into the mountains."
SWISH SWISH SWISH!!
With that, the four figures shot forward simultaneously. In just a few flashes, they disappeared deep into the mountain range.
...
...
「Deep within the Kunlun Mountain Range, atop a protruding peak where the Immortal Palace Seal was located.」
SWISH SWISH SWISH!!
Several figures suddenly appeared, standing atop the rocks and gazing into the distance.
As far as their eyes could see, the surrounding scenery looked completely ordinary.
But they knew this was merely a facade.
After the Seal was repaired by Daoist Bailong, the intense magnetic field around the Immortal Palace would warp the light spectrum and block perception outside of specific times, creating an illusion that was difficult for ordinary people to detect, thus concealing the Seal.
Beneath that calm facade lay a terrifying horror.
The others could only vaguely sense a shadowy mass lurking there, but Zhou Yuanjue, with eyes that could perceive the true magnetic field, could genuinely "see" it.
Within the Natural Magnetic Field in the distance, a behemoth lay coiled. An extremely dense magnetic field and natural Energy had formed a magnificent Celestial Palace, perched on a steep cliff, existing somewhere between illusion and reality.
The Immortal Palace had nine floors. On the highest one, something terrifying seemed to exist, its thick, bloody aura contaminating the surrounding magnetic field.
Chaos, war, slaughter...
The Celestial Demon Ancestor, "Ji," was considered the personification of war and slaughter, a God who presided over punishment.
According to legend, she possessed an incredibly tyrannical body and limitless power.
And as Zhou Yuanjue used his own formidable abilities to peer into the highest floor of the Immortal Palace, he also felt a gaze probing him from the unseen void.
"She’s ’awake,’ just as I thought."
Zhou Yuanjue said softly.
Hearing Zhou Yuanjue’s words, the expressions of Yu Guanhai and the Third Clan Elder changed in unison, turning grim.
"Next, grant me ’authority.’"
Zhou Yuanjue turned his head to look at Yu Guanhai and the Third Clan Elder, slowly extending his hand, palm up.
He was not a member of the Moon Race, so he too would be suppressed by the Seal upon entering.
Of course, since he was not a Celestial Demon, this wasn’t a major problem. What worried him was that if he used his own power to clash with his opponent while under this suppression, he might cause immense damage to the Seal, inadvertently helping his enemy. Therefore, he needed a certain ’authority’—a power that would not be treated as hostile by the Seal.
And only the Bloodline power of the Moon Race could grant this.
Yu Guanhai and the Third Clan Elder exchanged a glance, nodded slightly, and each placed two fingers on their own foreheads.
BZZZT!!
A hazy light flickered at their fingertips. They slowly lowered their hands and touched their two fingers to Zhou Yuanjue’s forehead.
They were about to temporarily lend their ’authority’ to him. However, this method would come at a cost, an energy drain proportional to the recipient’s power level.
Normally, even when granting authority to a being of the same level, the energy loss would be a drop in the ocean, completely negligible to them. But this time, their experience was entirely different.
Standing before them was not a man, but a black hole!
An immensely powerful suction force emanated from Zhou Yuanjue’s body, pulling at the power within them as if it were a bottomless abyss.
RUSH RUSH RUSH!!
Countless streams of Energy surged out of them like a river bursting its dams, completely beyond their control. They couldn’t even pull their fingers back.
’Just what is this level of energy drain?!!’
A look of terror gradually appeared in both their eyes as the Energy within their bodies plummeted.
Seventy percent.
Fifty percent.
Thirty percent!!
If it continued, and all their Energy was drained, there was no telling what would become of them.
’You said we were just providing support?!!’
’How can a routine transfer of authority feel like it’s going to cost us our lives?!!’