Chapter 310: Ancient Heavenly Palace
As the two approached the Ancient Heavenly Palace, they found the entire place enveloped by a protective barrier to shield it from the space storms in the void.
"Rip!"
Xiao Tian's hands were surrounded by spatial power. With a sudden tear, he managed to create a gap in the barrier. The ease with which he opened it was due to the palace having suffered a great calamity that not only led to the Heavenly Emperor's death but also significantly weakened its defenses. Additionally, the passage of time had further eroded the barrier's strength, allowing Xiao Tian to break through effortlessly.
"Let's go!"
Xiao Tian's figure flickered as he entered the palace, with Mandala following closely behind.
Upon entering, they found themselves on a hilltop, shrouded in an eerie silence with no signs of life. Only an ancient aura lingered in the air. As they gazed into the distance, they saw towering peaks and ancient buildings faintly visible. Further away, floating stone islands could be seen hanging in the sky, while the space retained remnants of a terrifying aura, far stronger than Xiao Tian, clearly left by the ancient Heavenly Emperor.
Xiao Tian looked at Mandala, asking, "Now that I've brought you here, where should we go?"
"Let's first find my true body. Being here has triggered some of my memories," Mandala replied, flying ahead.
As they flew, they saw deep chasms that seemed bottomless, evidence of a catastrophic battle long ago. Occasionally, they came across ruins of cities, all destroyed in that ancient war. Thus, they didn't bother searching these ruins for treasures.
As they continued, the floating stone islands above grew larger. After flying for a while, they stopped.
Mandala pointed ahead, where faint lines of spiritual energy crisscrossed the void, barely noticeable unless one paid close attention.
"There's a spiritual array here. Though it has weakened over the eons and is now only of a grandmaster level, it can still trouble an Earth Supreme," Mandala said, surveying their surroundings. "With your strength, you can easily break it, but let's find the entrance instead. It will grant us the status of disciples of the Ancient Heavenly Palace, sparing us some trouble."
"Alright," Xiao Tian nodded. Mandala was more familiar with this place, and there was no need to show off. Safety was paramount.
Following Mandala, they flew for a while until a massive stone gate appeared on a distant peak. This ancient gate was inscribed with intricate runes and three ancient characters: "Ascending Dragon Gate."
"In ancient times, disciples of the Ancient Heavenly Palace would enter through this gate. It evaluated their strength and potential, allowing the most exceptional to rise quickly," Mandala explained. "The lowest rank was Wolf Token, and the highest was Dragon Token."
"Swish!"
Without hesitation, Mandala transformed into a stream of light and approached the stone gate, eager to find her true body. As she reached the gate, brilliant light burst forth, forming a coiled dragon that roared, filling the air with its powerful presence. Soon, the dragon dissipated, leaving behind a simple, ancient token adorned with a golden dragon.
Mandala had received the highest level, the Golden Dragon Token, a testament to her potential to reach Heavenly Supreme levels, comparable to the greatest divine beasts.
Xiao Tian also tried and was similarly granted a Golden Dragon Token. With these tokens in hand, they shone brightly, causing the array's spiritual lines to vanish upon contact, allowing them to pass through.
Beyond the array was another ancient world, abandoned for millennia but still brimming with abundant spiritual energy. Massive stone islands floated in the sky, covered with countless palaces, showcasing its former glory.
"The Ancient Heavenly Palace is divided into nine prefectures and five halls, subordinate to the Heavenly Emperor. This is the first layer of the inner domain, home to the nine prefectures," Mandala explained. "Do you want to search for treasures here?"
"Of course," Xiao Tian replied. "Since we're here, we should look for treasures first. That way, even if we encounter danger later and have to leave, we won't go empty-handed."
"Follow me. The closest prefecture is the Wind Prefecture. Let's go there first," Mandala said, leading him northwest.
After flying for a while, they reached an inconspicuous stone island.
"This is where the Wind Prefecture is located," Mandala said, releasing a burst of spiritual energy that tore apart the barrier in front of them. As they entered, the scene transformed. The once unremarkable stone island expanded into a vast island, filled with countless palaces and stone towers. At the center stood a grand cyan hall.
Ignoring ordinary items, they headed straight to the island's center. Along the way, they saw many skeletons, all in poses of looking upward, their faces still showing traces of terror and shock.
Arriving at the main hall, they encountered a grandmaster-level spiritual array.
"Break!"
With a single punch from Xiao Tian, the array was shattered. Inside the hall, numerous stone pillars inscribed with runes supported the structure. At the center was a serene pool with lotus flowers, emitting wisps of cyan smoke filled with pure and abundant spiritual energy. Clearly, this pool was made entirely of Supreme Spiritual Liquid, containing at least a billion drops.
"Collect!"
Without hesitation, Xiao Tian took out a high-level storage bag and began collecting the Supreme Spiritual Liquid. When Gu Yuan, Zhu Kun, and the others arrived in the Great Thousand World, they would need a large amount of Supreme Spiritual Liquid to convert their energies.
After collecting the liquid, Xiao Tian's gaze turned to the back of the hall, where two stone pillars shone with a dazzling light. There, he found a cyan feather fan and a cyan jade scroll, both exuding a powerful aura, almost as strong as the Nine Divine Artifacts he possessed.
"It's a sacred artifact," Mandala said, showing little interest in such treasures.
(End of Chapter)
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