Then Let the Sole Palace Come See Me!

The White Dragon Abyss Lord cast an unreadable look at Ancestor Ziyuan. "If we manage to leave the Immortal Palace this time, I should find opportunities to spend more time with Supreme Venerable Ten Thousand Suns." Ancestor Ziyuan rolled his eyes at her. "Aren't you afraid of the Sole Palace?" Supreme Venerable Ten Thousand Suns had annihilated Taihuang Palace. Under normal circumstances, Ziyuan Heaven's threshold would have been worn flat long ago by an endless stream of visiting carriages. Yet Qi Yuan's destruction of Taihuang Palace had also offended the Sole Palace, which had initiated the Linya Molt. Consequently, no matter how strong Qi Yuan was, very few Supreme Venerables openly took his side. Instead, they kept their distance to avoid becoming targets of the Sole Palace. "Afraid? I am far more afraid of failing to survive my Root Demon Tribulation," the White Dragon Abyss Lord sighed. "Great strength brings great tribulation. It was truly best back when we were Yin Gods—carefree, without worrying about the Linya Molt, and without dreading whether we would die in the next Root Demon Tribulation." Of course, the White Dragon Abyss Lord was merely humblebragging. If forced to return to the Yin God realm now, she would not agree even if beaten to death. Still... Yang Gods of the Ultimate Principle Realm in the Immortal Realm truly had far too many worries. In these matters, the slightest misstep could cause even a Great Ultimate Principle to perish. "Rather than dreaming of returning to the Yin God stage, you'd be better off thinking about stepping into the third tier of the Yang God realm," Ancestor Ziyuan said. "Perhaps once this Linya Molt concludes and the Immortal Realm's Seventh Heaven is fully constructed, we will also have a chance to take another step forward." "The Immortal Realm's Seventh Heaven... How could it be built so easily?" the White Dragon Abyss Lord lamented. Right then, Ancestor Ziyuan's eyes suddenly narrowed. "What is that?" Far in the distant sky, boundless Everlasting Kalpa Glow surged outward. The spectacle resembled the apocalypse itself. Yet amidst the vast sea of Everlasting Kalpa Glow, three jade-green fruits seemed to fly forth. The moment he saw those three fruits, a look of profound shock emerged in Ancestor Ziyuan's eyes. The White Dragon Abyss Lord's eyes went wide as well, filled with astonishment. "There are actually fruits within the Everlasting Kalpa Glow? These jade-green fruits... must be divine fruits!" The Everlasting Kalpa Glow could corrode even ultimate principles. How could they not be astonished to see fruits gushing forth from within it? Without hesitation, the two flew after the spot toward which the three divine fruits were soaring. Fortunately, one of them was flying in their direction. Behind that divine fruit, several streaks of light trailed closely. Evidently, other Yang Gods had discovered the fruit as well and sought to seize it. As the divine fruit drew nearer, excitement flushed Ancestor Ziyuan's face. "Let's join forces to take the divine fruit and divide it later!" the White Dragon Abyss Lord transmitted her voice. Among those pursuing this particular divine fruit, there were several notable powerhouses. "Alright." Ancestor Ziyuan agreed immediately without hesitation. "I'll hold them off, and you intercept the fruit!" the White Dragon Abyss Lord proposed. Her figure expanded and grew toweringly majestic at that instant. A pristine, snow-white dragon soared into the firmament. A dragon's roar reverberated across heaven and earth. Dragon claws and a dragon body spanned the sky. Terrifying ultimate principle laws surged forth, causing the void to shudder. "White Dragon Abyss Lord, how dare you!" a furious roar echoed. The voice came from a Great Ultimate Principle. Seeing that the divine fruit was nearly within reach only to be cut off from the front, how could he not be enraged? "This treasure is fated with us; it chose to fly our way. Could we possibly refuse it?" the White Dragon Abyss Lord chuckled lightly. Meanwhile, Ancestor Ziyuan had already gathered the power of his ultimate principle and reached carefully toward the divine fruit. Seeing this, the other Yang Gods wore looks of regret. With two Great Ultimate Principles joining forces, unless a Supreme Venerable intervened, virtually no one could wrest this divine fruit from them. The Great Ultimate Principle from Biluo Heaven also showed disappointment in his eyes. One glance was enough to tell this divine fruit was extraordinary—a peerless treasure. He watched helplessly as Ancestor Ziyuan was about to take the fruit into his grasp. But in the next breath, he froze. The White Dragon Abyss Lord's expression also changed drastically. "Careful!" She looked toward Ancestor Ziyuan, her heart gripped by intense dread. The moment Ancestor Ziyuan's ultimate principle touched the divine fruit, a terrifying law aura erupted and spread from within it. In an instant, Ancestor Ziyuan's ultimate principle shattered, and his aura withered. His eyes went wide in utter disbelief. "What kind of fruit is this?" With just a single touch, he had been gravely injured. How could he not be stunned? If this were forged into a weapon specifically designed to combat Great Ultimate Principles, the consequences were unimaginable. After all, even a Supreme Venerable could not injure him so effortlessly. Yet an ordinary-looking fruit had done it. How could he not be shocked? "Be careful! An endless aura of flame resides inside this fruit. Do not touch it!" Despite his injuries, Ancestor Ziyuan urgently warned the White Dragon Abyss Lord through a voice transmission. Seeing this, the White Dragon Abyss Lord regarded the fruit with deep apprehension and dared not make another move. In that very moment, the fruit suddenly vanished. Watching it disappear, some of the remaining Yang Gods hesitated, while others pursued it onward without pause. The one from Biluo Heaven also chased ahead. "How are you?" the White Dragon Abyss Lord asked worriedly, looking at Ancestor Ziyuan. "I won't die," Ancestor Ziyuan replied. However, his current condition was terrible. The ultimate principle he had comprehended seemed to have been melted away by that single fruit, leaving it fractured into pieces. "Your condition is very wrong," the White Dragon Abyss Lord frowned. "What exactly was that fruit?" For a fruit spewed from the Everlasting Kalpa Glow to injure a Great Ultimate Principle filled her with immense shock. "Inside that fruit, I felt an endless aura of flame, like... no... that flame is different from ordinary fire," Ancestor Ziyuan said, his brow tightly furrowed. Just then, the Great Ultimate Principle from Biluo Heaven appeared. He looked at Ancestor Ziyuan with wary eyes. "Ancestor Ziyuan, what did you encounter when you touched that fruit?" The divine fruit had moved too quickly; even he had failed to catch up to it. "Why should this old man tell you, Xian Zang?" Ancestor Ziyuan retorted without answering. "Hmph! If you two hadn't blocked me, that divine fruit would already be in my pocket. I haven't settled that score with you yet!" Xian Zang snapped in an unfriendly tone. "Don't think that just because you have Supreme Venerable Ten Thousand Suns backing you, this old man fears you!" Xian Zang hailed from Biluo Heaven. Besides him, Biluo Heaven possessed a Supreme Venerable. Thus, he had no reason to cower before Ancestor Ziyuan. "Heh, I have Supreme Venerable Ten Thousand Suns behind me. What about you?" Ancestor Ziyuan drawled lazily, his face full of smug satisfaction. "You..." Xian Zang was infuriated. "Anything can happen inside the Immortal Palace. Supreme Venerable Ten Thousand Suns has offended the Linya Molt. Who knows if he can even survive it?" Though he spoke boldly, Xian Zang lacked conviction. His gaze shifted as he looked at Ancestor Ziyuan. "You'd better tend to your own wounds first. Don't die in this inner Immortal Palace and end up as a variant spirit of the Sole Palace." Having said his piece, Xian Zang said no more. He had come purely to probe for information about the divine fruit. Since Ancestor Ziyuan refused to speak, he couldn't be bothered to ask further and vanished from sight. "You really are as stubborn as ever. You know Supreme Venerable Biluo is inside the Immortal Palace as well. If he takes offense, your days won't be easy," the White Dragon Abyss Lord cautioned. "Hmph." Ancestor Ziyuan gave a cold snort. "I'd tell anyone before I told Biluo Heaven." In the past, Taihuang Palace had possessed overwhelming power. Guiyu Heaven had submitted to them and clashed with Black Demon Abyss. In fact, Guiyu Heaven had later dared to move against Hei Jian precisely because they caught wind of rumors that another Supreme Venerable was leaning toward Taihuang Palace. Across the Sixth Heaven, the number of Supreme Venerables could be counted on two hands—there were only a few. Supreme Venerable Biluo was heavily suspected of aligning with Taihuang Palace. Consequently, Ancestor Ziyuan harbored no goodwill toward Biluo Heaven. "Cough, cough... Hot... burning..." Ancestor Ziyuan mumbled as blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. It felt as though true fire were searing his flesh and bone. Concern filled the White Dragon Abyss Lord's eyes. "Don't go dying in this inner palace." Her worry was genuine. First, the Immortal Palace was inherently dangerous, requiring one to constantly evade the Everlasting Kalpa Glow. Second, the other Yang Gods were potential concealed enemies; after all, once enough Yang Gods died, the Linya Molt would come to an end. Third, strange occurrences were proliferating within the Immortal Palace—not only Everlasting Kalpa Glow, but even divine fruits had emerged. Anything could appear next. "Rest assured, even if this old man dies, there is someone to care for me in my old age and see me off," Ancestor Ziyuan wheezed with a cough. His injuries were severe, but in terms of strength, he still possessed the combat capability of a Great Ultimate Principle. His chances of survival were high. His only concern was how bizarre this injury was. Right then, a surprised voice rang out: "Old man, long time no see. Injured again?" As the words fell, a man in a blood-red robe appeared, peerlessly handsome. Seeing this handsome man, Ancestor Ziyuan instinctively rubbed his eyes like a mortal. The White Dragon Abyss Lord was similarly stricken with shock. Could this be... Supreme Venerable Ten Thousand Suns? "Why are you here?" Ancestor Ziyuan finally managed to ask, his mind still reeling. Beside him, the White Dragon Abyss Lord felt intense wariness. Supreme Venerable Ten Thousand Suns had appeared right beside her, yet she hadn't sensed him in advance in the slightest. "I heard you were here, so I came looking for you," Qi Yuan said casually. "This is the Immortal Palace!" Ancestor Ziyuan was baffled. Without an edict from the Sole Palace, the Immortal Palace could not be opened at will. Furthermore, no phenomena had occurred just now. That meant no new Yang Gods had been summoned into the Immortal Palace by the Linya Molt. "Right, this is the Immortal Palace, so here I am," Qi Yuan said offhandedly. Ancestor Ziyuan was rendered speechless. He was utterly bewildered. He could only guess that this Linya Molt was riddled with so many oddities that even outsiders could walk in. "You shouldn't have entered. Once inside... there is no leaving," Ancestor Ziyuan said, feeling grateful yet sighing with lament. By annihilating Taihuang Palace, Qi Yuan had thoroughly offended the Sole Palace. Coming into the Immortal Palace was walking straight into the lion's den. The Sole Palace would surely single him out. "Never mind that. Old man, your injuries are quite heavy." As Qi Yuan spoke, he placed a hand on Ancestor Ziyuan's arm, a peculiar glint flashing across his eyes. "Just now, three divine fruits shot out of the Everlasting Kalpa Glow... I intercepted one, and as a result... I encountered an endless sea of fire," Ancestor Ziyuan recalled, lingering dread in his eyes. "Fire?" Qi Yuan found it somewhat strange. "It feels somewhat like cosmic rules, yet it isn't." Having reached the Yin God stage, Qi Yuan possessed Heaven-Opening Realm combat power and was well versed in cosmic rules. Right now, Ancestor Ziyuan's injuries showed that his ultimate principle was shattered and being consumed by flames. That fire bore a strong resemblance to a first-rank Fire Rule among cosmic rules. Yet it was entirely different. To make an imperfect analogy: the true Fire Rule was real, whereas the fire rule on the divine fruit was illusory. This was very strange. Normally speaking, a first-rank Fire Rule represented all flames in existence. "This divine fruit is rather interesting," Qi Yuan said. Surging spiritual energy swept forth from Qi Yuan. Seeing this, Ancestor Ziyuan smiled helplessly. "Don't waste your magical power on me." Even if a Supreme Venerable took action, resolving this kind of ultimate principle dissolution would likely prove exceedingly difficult. Yet in the very next breath, his eyes flew wide, filled with astonishment. "The shattering of my ultimate principle... has stopped?" That fire had been relentlessly breaking down his ultimate principle. Now, with a mere gesture from Qi Yuan, the burning had actually ceased. How could he not be stunned? "With my current strength, I can still only halt its harm to you. I really am too weak!" Qi Yuan sighed emotionally. Beside them, the White Dragon Abyss Lord desperately wanted to roll her eyes. "You aren't weak at all," Ancestor Ziyuan couldn't help but say. "As a god, I can't even achieve omniscience and omnipotence. How am I not weak?" Qi Yuan retorted. "...Omniscience and omnipotence? Do you want to become a Dao Ancestor or something?" Ancestor Ziyuan couldn't help rolling his eyes at Qi Yuan. "For now, you'd better return to Ziyuan Heaven to nurse your wounds," Qi Yuan said. "Return to Ziyuan Heaven?" Ancestor Ziyuan was bewildered once more. How could he return? He wondered when Qi Yuan would ever fix this eccentric, rambling habit of his. "You can go back whenever you want." As Qi Yuan spoke, he made a slashing motion toward the sky. A phantom of the Immortal Palace gates abruptly manifested. In that exact moment, the massive gates swung open. Ancestor Ziyuan's eyes went round. "The gates of the Immortal Palace actually opened?" The White Dragon Abyss Lord was equally horrified. This was the first time she had ever witnessed such a thing. It completely defied all her expectations. Beside her, Ancestor Ziyuan stared at Qi Yuan, desperately tempted to ask: *Did you sell your backside to the Sole Palace?* Of course, that was the line he had originally wanted to say to the master of Taihuang Palace back then. "All right, you can leave whenever you like," Qi Yuan clapped his hands. "I still have business in this Immortal Palace, so I won't be heading out just yet." No sooner had he finished speaking than several streaks of light shot toward the open gates in the sky. "Hahaha... The gates of the Immortal Palace are open! This old man is leaving!" "We can't stay in the Immortal Palace any longer—it's too dangerous!" Many Yang Gods noticed the Immortal Palace gates opening. Unaware that Qi Yuan had opened them, they saw the gates wide open and fled this place of trouble in droves. Ancestor Ziyuan's lips parted, and he finally said, "This old man will head out first. Be careful here on your own. Above all... do not touch the Everlasting Kalpa Glow or those divine fruits." "Yeah, don't worry," Qi Yuan said casually. After passing through waves of doubt and shock, more and more Yang Gods exited the Immortal Palace. Standing in the Immortal Palace, curiosity filled Qi Yuan's eyes. With a wave of his hand, a diamond-shaped crystal fell into his grasp. "Is this the source of the flowing light that Shen Wushen and the others needed?" The flowing lights outside originated from crystals like this, which contained the aura of various origin divine abilities. Such an item was precious to Purple Mansion cultivators, but to a Yang God, it was practically useless. "This Immortal Palace is indeed strange. The Everlasting Kalpa Glow... is rather interesting." His hand touched the Everlasting Kalpa Glow. The pure, flawless radiance seemed to melt the rules he commanded. [Everlasting Kalpa Glow: dissolves rules, reforges rules.] The information his eyes perceived revealed that the function of the Everlasting Kalpa Glow was to dissolve worldly rules and forge new ones in their place. "Even a god cannot be all-knowing and all-powerful," Qi Yuan sighed softly. Right then, a faint murmur suddenly sounded: "Even a god cannot have everything go according to his heart's desires." Qi Yuan turned to look and saw a figure facing away from him. It appeared to be a shadowy silhouette, possessing only an inextinguishable sliver of true spirit. "Who are you?" Qi Yuan asked curiously. That silhouette did not seem to be a native being of the Sixth Heaven. "I am a disciple of the Five Mountains Wanderer. I rashly broke into this bizarre world, thinking I could obtain countless fortunes, never expecting to perish here," the silhouette said. When mentioning the Five Mountains Wanderer, a hint of pride showed in his tone. "The Five Mountains Wanderer?" Qi Yuan had never heard the name. Even in death, pride remained written across the phantom's face. "The Five Mountains Wanderer represents the five mightiest mountains in existence. In the Immortal Realm, he is Mount Sumeru, Mount Dong, Mount Taiqing, Mount Taihuang, and Mount Xuling. Within this Immortal Palace, he may be this mountain, that mountain, or those few mountains. Of course... that is assuming my master has entered this world as well." The Five Mountains Wanderer: the so-called "Five Mountains" did not refer to five specific peaks. Rather, across different worlds, he represented the five "strongest" mountains in each. "Your master sounds pretty impressive," Qi Yuan evaluated. "If you ever meet my master, please tell him not to save me, and not to come to this world!" After saying this, the phantom gave a bitter smile. "I forgot. You cannot leave this world either." "Is this world that special?" Qi Yuan asked. The Immortal Realm was indeed peculiar. First, it resembled a cage from which Yang Gods could not escape. Second, the Immortal Realm's future had been severed by someone. "Extremely special. After all... variant Dao fruits actually exist here." Mentioning this, a fanatical light gleamed in the phantom's eyes. "The world possesses Dao fruits, and it also possesses variant Dao fruits. If a variant Dao fruit harmonizes with oneself, consuming just one... allows one to step into the rule realm!" Every variant Dao fruit represented a cosmic rule. If one's own ultimate principle matched the rule carried by a variant Dao fruit, taking it was enough to elevate someone directly into the third tier of the Yang God realm. Such a shortcut naturally made countless powerhouses green with envy. The phantom had been lured by a variant Dao fruit, prompting him to enter the Immortal Palace. In the end, he had met his demise here. "Variant Dao fruit?" Qi Yuan muttered. He recalled the divine fruits Ancestor Ziyuan had spoken of. Could those be variant Dao fruits? To think such fruits existed in this world, granting entry into the rule realm upon consumption. "How do variant Dao fruits come to be?" Qi Yuan asked. The phantom shook his head. "I do not know either. Perhaps... it is related to Dao Lords of the fifth tier of the Yang God realm." As the phantom spoke, he surveyed his surroundings, desolation coloring his eyes. "Your world... is far too extraordinary. Truly extraordinary. I have never seen a world like this before." When speaking of this, dread surfaced in his eyes. Qi Yuan took no surprise in any of it. Was there a single ordinary world among the ones he inhabited? Every single one was extraordinary. Of course, in truth, every world across existence was extraordinary in its own way. "If... you ever have the chance to visit the Five Mountains Alliance and meet my master, please be sure to tell him under no circumstances should he come to save me, nor should he fish me out from the Cosmic Mother River," the phantom said. This was the reason he had preserved an inextinguishable sliver of true spirit. If he perished completely, his master, the Five Mountains Wanderer, might dredge his true spirit from the Cosmic Mother River to resurrect him. He had a premonition that something horrifying would occur if that happened. Now, only by attaching himself to the Immortal Palace and serving as an artifact spirit could he cling to this lingering existence. "Sure, if the opportunity arises, I will pass the message along," Qi Yuan said. "But first, you need to help me with something." "Speak." "How much do you know about the Sole Palace and the Linya Molt?" A complex look appeared in the phantom's eyes. "It is an unknowable entity." *As expected.* Qi Yuan grasped the subtext of the phantom's words. The Sole Palace was an existence at the fourth tier of the Yang God realm. "How much do you know about the fifth tier of the Yang God realm?" Qi Yuan asked. The phantom shook his head. "For this matter, it would be better for you to seek answers within the Sole Palace." "How do I find the Sole Palace?" Qi Yuan pressed. The phantom spoke with a calm, poised tone, carrying the demeanor of an expert: "Defeat me. Subdue me." *Smack!* A slap whipped across the phantom's face, sending him spinning wildly in circles. Only when Qi Yuan stepped down on him did the spinning come to a halt. "Consider yourself subdued now. Tell me... how do I enter the Sole Palace?" Qi Yuan asked, stepping on the phantom. The phantom was dumbfounded. He had never expected this seemingly polite and gentle person to act with such... abrupt tyranny. Striking without a single word of warning! "Unless one is a variant spirit or bound by covenant, one cannot enter the Sole Palace," the phantom answered truthfully. *Cannot see the Sole Palace?* "Then let the Sole Palace come see me!" Qi Yuan said.