amaotonovel Chapter 1400 Void Heaven Palace
Chapter 1400 Void Heaven Palace
Chapter 1400 Void Heaven Palace
Qin Hao shook his head, but a smile played on his lips.
This little guy, no wonder he can become a Dao Ancestor just by eating and sleeping, it's truly enviable.
He put the Howling Soul Beast into his spirit beast pouch, then walked to the pile of broken bones, bent down, and picked up a complete rib. The moment his fingertips touched the rib, a stream of information entered his mind.
"The Profound Soul Refining Demon Technique, not bad, this is the complete 'Profound Yin Scripture'."
Qin Hao turned his gaze to the center of the hall, where two flames were still intertwined.
"With this Profound Soul Refining Demon Technique, I should be able to make this Profound Soul Yin Fire my own."
With this in mind, Qin Hao's thoughts stirred, and he manipulated the Heavenly Capital Corpse Fire to slowly retreat from the battlefield. As soon as the Heavenly Capital Corpse Fire retreated, the Profound Soul Yin Fire lost its restraint and attempted to fly towards the fragments of the Profound Bone, but was blocked by Qin Hao's prepared spiritual power. He took out the Frost Pearl from his storage bag, infused it with spiritual power, and the pearl instantly burst forth with a dazzling white light, shooting out a stream of cold air that instantly froze the Profound Soul Yin Fire into a black ice ball.
Qin Hao then took out a jade box—this jade box was made from deep-sea cold marrow, capable of isolating all flames and primordial spirit fluctuations, and was specially used to store evil things like the Profound Soul Yin Fire. He put the frozen Profound Soul Yin Fire into the jade box, affixed three spirit-sealing talismans, and then carefully put it into his storage bag.
After doing all this, he turned to look at the "Seven-Colored Lotus" in the center of the pool. The colorful lotus seemed to sense the danger and suddenly shook violently. With a "splash," the pool water parted, and a black snake as thick as a bucket leaped out of the water—it was the level seven demon beast, the Demon Crown Serpent! The serpent's crown was as bright as the Seven-Colored Lotus, but it exuded a highly poisonous aura. Its eyes were scarlet, and it flicked its forked tongue as it lunged at Qin Hao.
Qin Hao's eyes turned cold. With a casual wave of his hand, a golden light shot out—the Gilded Armor-Piercing Blade. The golden blade struck the Demon-Crowned Serpent's vital point instantly, like lightning. With a "splat," the serpent's head fell to the ground, black blood gushing out and corroding small holes in the rock. After dealing with the Demon-Crowned Serpent, Qin Hao pulled out the Spirit-Sealing Pillar, stored it in his storage bag, then summoned the Ink Dragon Boat and leaped onto it.
Just then, a black streak of light streaked across the sky at incredible speed, radiating the aura of a peak early-stage Nascent Soul cultivator—it was none other than the Extreme Yin Ancestor! Clearly, he had sensed the breach in the island's protective barrier and rushed over in haste.
Qin Hao's lips curled into a playful smile: "Extreme Yin Old Demon, I'll let you live a little longer. Once we reach the Void Heaven Palace, I'll take your dog's life!"
He steered the Ink Dragon Boat, activating a concealment array. The Ink Dragon Boat instantly became transparent, skimming the surface of the sea and speeding away in the opposite direction of the black escape light, quickly disappearing into the vast ocean.
A moment later, the figure of the Extreme Yin Ancestor landed on the island. Looking at the chaotic array scattered across the ground, his face instantly darkened, and his mind went blank with anxiety—his greatest fear was that Xuan Gu would escape. After a moment's hesitation, he plunged into the cave.
"Xuan Gu, are you dead or alive?" The voice of the Extreme Yin Ancestor echoed in the hall, carrying a hint of tension and killing intent. He looked at the scattered bones on the ground, then at the snake corpse by the pool, his eyes flickering uncertainly.
After a long while, seeing no response, the Extreme Yin Ancestor snorted coldly, his tone a mix of bluster and cowardice: "Hmph, whether you are dead or alive, I am no longer the insignificant person you could manipulate! If you are still alive and dare to come looking for revenge, I will be waiting for you!"
After saying that, he searched the hall again carefully, and only after confirming that there were no remnants of Xuan Gu's primordial spirit did he leave the cave unwillingly.
……
Three months later, on the thirty-first floor of the Sacred Mountain in Tianxing City, inside Qin Hao's cave.
In the center of the cave, Qin Hao sat cross-legged, with the jade box containing the Xuanhun Yin Fire floating in front of him. The jade box had been opened, and a black ice ball floated in mid-air, which was the frozen Xuanhun Yin Fire.
"AI system, assist in refining the Profound Soul Yin Fire, prioritizing the safety of the primordial spirit and preventing it from being devoured by the Yin Fire," Qin Hao said in a deep voice.
The Mysterious Soul Yin Fire specializes in attacking the primordial spirit. It is more dangerous to refine than the Heavenly Capital Corpse Fire. If one is not careful, the primordial spirit will be eroded by the Yin Fire, leading to madness.
[AI system activating... Analysis of the characteristics of the Profound Soul Yin Fire completed... Refining plan being generated... First step: Use the Cold Dawn Pearl to continuously suppress the ferocity of the Yin Fire; Second step: Circulate the Profound Soul Demon Refining Technique, using one's own primordial spirit as a guide to gradually devour the Yin Fire; Third step: Nourish it daily with essence blood to stabilize the refining results...]
A cold, mechanical voice echoed in his mind, and Qin Hao began to act according to the AI's plan. Spiritual energy surged at his fingertips, and the Frost Pearl hovered beside the Profound Soul Yin Fire, continuously releasing a chilling aura to suppress its ferocity. Simultaneously, he activated the Profound Soul Demon Refining Technique, sending a wisp of his refined primordial spirit into the ice sphere, cautiously touching the Profound Soul Yin Fire.
The Profound Soul Yin Fire sensed the invading primordial spirit and instantly became agitated, attempting to retaliate, but was firmly suppressed by the chilling currents of the Cold Dawn Pearl. Qin Hao's primordial spirit, like a patient hunter, gradually devoured the power of the Yin Fire, transforming it into his own primordial spirit power. This process was extremely slow and extremely dangerous; the slightest carelessness would result in being devoured by the Yin Fire.
After half a year, Qin Hao finally completely refined the Profound Soul Yin Fire. He opened his palm, and a ball of black flame floated in his hand, dancing gently, no longer possessing any ferocity—this ball of Profound Soul Yin Fire now completely belonged to him.
However, Qin Hao did not directly merge the Heavenly Capital Corpse Fire with the Profound Soul Yin Fire.
Compared to the unknown effects of the fusion of these two flames, the Asura Sacred Flame, a fusion of Xuanhun Yin Fire, Qianlan Ice Flame, and Bixie Divine Thunder, is undeniably powerful.
"It seems we have no choice but to abandon the idea of fusing the two." Qin Hao sighed and absorbed the Profound Soul Yin Fire into his body. "After obtaining the Azure Ice Flame and having the AI analyze its characteristics, we'll consider whether to fuse it with the Heavenly Capital Corpse Fire."
Although he couldn't fuse the two flames, possessing both the Heavenly Capital Corpse Fire and the Profound Soul Yin Fire elevated his combat power to a new level. The Heavenly Capital Corpse Fire primarily attacks the physical body and spiritual power, while the Profound Soul Yin Fire specializes in attacking the primordial spirit. The combination of the two is enough to deal with most Nascent Soul cultivators.
"Next, we just need to wait for Han Li to cultivate the Ten-Thousand-Year Golden Thunder Bamboo, and then make another batch of Yin Fire Thunder. With that, our trip to the Void Heaven Palace will be practically foolproof!" Qin Hao stood up and stretched. The Void Heaven Palace is teeming with experts; cultivators like Barbarian Beard and Wan Tianming, who are in the mid-Nascent Soul stage, will be present. We must be fully prepared.
Of course, Qin Hao wasn't idle either. During this time, he began to try drawing advanced talismans.
Compared to intermediate and high-level talismans, high-level talismans are more than ten times more difficult to make. The main difficulty is that ordinary talisman paper can no longer contain the surging magic power of a Nascent Soul cultivator—it must be drawn with the hide of a demon beast, and the attributes of the hide must be the same as those of the talisman.
For example, drawing the lightning-type "Purple Cloud Thunder Talisman" requires the hide of a lightning-attribute demon beast called "Thunder Pattern Leopard"; drawing the fire-type "Blazing Sky Burning Talisman" requires the hide of a fire-attribute demon beast called "Crimson Flame Bird". These hides are extremely rare, and a single Thunder Pattern Leopard hide is worth tens of thousands of spirit stones.
Meanwhile, the spiritual ink used to draw advanced talismans is also much more expensive. The spiritual ink needs to be mixed with rare materials such as Netherworld Grass juice, Golden Pattern Butterfly powder, and Deep Sea Mystic Crystal powder. The cost of each batch of spiritual ink is enough to make a Core Formation cultivator feel the pinch for half a day.
Even if all materials meet the requirements, the success rate of drawing the talisman is extremely low—less than 10% for ordinary Nascent Soul cultivators, and the slightest mistake will render all the materials useless. With the assistance of the AI, Qin Hao, through precise control of spiritual power output and adjustment of the drawing order of the talisman runes, only achieved a success rate of 20%.
An ordinary Nascent Soul cultivator would have gone bankrupt long ago due to excessive consumption. It was only because Qin Hao had accumulated enough wealth through hunting demons over the years, coupled with the monthly offerings from the Myriad Sounds Sect, that he was able to barely survive.
It took him five years to create a total of one hundred high-level talismans, including fifty Golden Spear Talismans, twenty Blazing Sky-Burning Talismans, and thirty Golden Escape Talismans—these talismans were enough to save his life or allow him to turn the tables in critical moments.
Time flies, and fifteen years have passed in the blink of an eye.
On a clear, sunny morning, Han Li arrived as promised.
Qin Hao opened the stone door and saw Han Li standing outside, wearing a brand-new blue robe, with a hint of urgency in his eyes.
"Junior Brother's cultivation seems to have improved again. I imagine it won't be long before he breaks through to the late stage of Core Formation." Qin Hao smiled and let Han Li in. "By the way, how's the refining of your natal magic weapon going?"
Han Li smiled gratefully: "Thanks to Senior Brother's Golden Thunder Bamboo, otherwise I don't know when I would have been able to refine my natal magic weapon."
After speaking, he opened his mouth and spat out a small cyan sword, which grew longer in the wind and transformed into a seven-foot-long sword in the blink of an eye.
“Indeed, the aura of the Evil-Repelling Divine Thunder is very strong, making it perfect for suppressing evil spirits.” He nodded in satisfaction: “Now that the sword has been forged, let’s begin refining the Yin Fire Thunder.”
The Yin Fire Thunder created this time was an improvement upon the Yin Fire Thunder Technique from the "Mysterious Yin Scripture" after repeated simulations by Qin Hao's AI. It requires the use of Mysterious Soul Yin Fire, Evil-Repelling Divine Thunder, and various rare materials. These thunder beads are extremely powerful; the power of a single Yin Fire Thunder is equivalent to the full-force attack of an early-stage Nascent Soul cultivator. If ten are detonated together, their power is almost comparable to the full-force attack of a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, making them more than sufficient to deal with mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivators like Barbarian Beard and Wan Tianming.
The two busied themselves in the cave. Qin Hao was responsible for providing the Profound Soul Yin Fire and the refining method, while Han Li was responsible for infusing it with Evil-Repelling Divine Thunder. After half a month of hard work, ten Yin Fire Thunders, completely black and covered with thunder patterns, were finally completed.
Qin Hao carefully placed the Yin Fire Thunder into a jade box and said with satisfaction, "Alright, everything is ready. The Void Heaven Palace will open soon, and we should set off."
Before setting off, Qin Hao found Yuan Yao and Yan Li. He handed Yuan Yao a jade slip containing the Xuanhun Demon Refining Technique and instructed her, "I need to go to the Void Heaven Palace. It may take a long time before I return. You two should not go out recently. Yuan Yao, you can start cultivating the Xuanhun Demon Refining Technique. This technique is much more profound than the previous one, and it will also be useful to me later."
Yuan Yao accepted the jade slip and nodded solemnly: "Senior, rest assured, Yuan Yao will certainly not let you down."
Yanli quickly added, "Don't worry, senior, we won't wander off. We'll wait for you in the cave."
Qin Hao nodded in satisfaction, and then left Tianxing City with Han Li, piloting the Ink Dragon Boat towards the depths of the Chaotic Star Sea—they needed to find a secluded place to wait for the signal for the Void Heaven Palace to open.
Just one month after Qin Hao and Han Li left Tianxing City, Qin Hao suddenly had an idea. He stopped the Ink Dragon Boat and took out two yellowed maps from his storage bag—one was a fragment of the Void Heaven Palace map obtained from Emperor Yue, and the other was a fragment of the map extracted from Xuan Gu's memories and redrawn.
At this moment, a small red arrow faintly appeared on both maps, pointing in the same direction—a sea area in the western part of the Chaotic Star Sea.
"It seems the Void Heaven Palace has already opened. Junior Brother Han, let's go and meet the many experts of the Chaotic Star Sea!"
Faced with the arrogant Qin Hao, Han Li could only smile wryly. He was just a mid-stage Core Formation cultivator, what qualifications did he have to compete with the world's experts? Any Nascent Soul cultivator could easily crush him. It was better to keep a low profile.
……
The western part of the Chaotic Star Sea is perpetually shrouded in a thin layer of gray mist, which even a Nascent Soul cultivator's divine sense can barely penetrate for a hundred miles. Qin Hao and Han Li transformed into two streaks of light, weaving through the mist one after the other—Qin Hao's azure light was condensed and steady, his spiritual energy fluctuations controlled at will, displaying the composure of a Nascent Soul cultivator; Han Li's gray light, on the other hand, was more restrained, flying close to the sea surface to minimize the leakage of his aura, consistent with his cautious approach.
Following the arrows on the map, the two flew tirelessly for a whole day. At first, they could see scattered islands and traces of monsters on the sea, but as they went deeper, the fog became thicker and thicker, making it difficult for even sunlight to penetrate. All that could be heard was the monotonous sound of waves crashing against the rocks.
"We've arrived." Qin Hao's voice carried a hint of barely perceptible excitement as he gazed into the depths of the mist.
Han Li followed his gaze, his pupils suddenly contracting—in the mist, an extremely magnificent palace was suspended in mid-air! The palace was entirely constructed of dark golden boulders, standing hundreds of feet tall, with intricate star patterns carved on its roof, shimmering faintly in the hazy mist; the palace doors were tens of feet wide, with two giant stone dragons coiled on the doorframes, their heads bowed, as if guarding the secrets within; below the palace, there was no support, yet it was steadily suspended in mid-air, surrounded by faint spatial fluctuations, clearly maintained in its suspended state by an ancient formation.
"This is the Void Heaven Palace?" Han Li couldn't help but exclaim in amazement.
Qin Hao nodded and flew towards the Void Heaven Palace first: "Let's go, let's go in and take a look."
As the two passed through the palace gates, an ancient and profound aura enveloped them. The palace was not as dark as they had imagined, but rather illuminated by countless luminous stones embedded in the walls, the light soft yet sufficient for visibility.
In the center of the main hall stood hundreds of stone pillars, each as thick as two people could hug. Each pillar was engraved with indistinct ancient runes. Many cultivators sat cross-legged on top of the pillars, some with their eyes closed in meditation, others talking in hushed tones. The atmosphere was both solemn and subtly restless. Those who could come here were all well-known cultivators in the Chaotic Star Sea, the weakest of whom were at least in the late Core Formation stage, and there were quite a few Nascent Soul cultivators as well.
The moment Qin Hao stepped into the main hall, dozens of gazes were fixed on him. Among these gazes were scrutiny, curiosity, and also hidden hostility—the Void Heaven Palace contained countless treasures, and each additional powerful individual meant another competitor.
"This fellow Daoist is quite unfamiliar. You must have just advanced to the Nascent Soul stage not long ago, right?" A gentle voice rang out, and the speaker was a thin old man with white hair and beard.
The old man, dressed in a blue Taoist robe, sat on a stone pillar near the hall entrance. His aura was peaceful, yet he carried the pressure of an early Nascent Soul cultivator, clearly indicating that he was a highly experienced cultivator. He cupped his hands in greeting to Qin Hao, his smile warm: "I am Qingyi Jushi from Nanhe Island. If you don't mind, fellow Daoist, you are welcome to come and stay for a while. When we enter the Void Heaven Hall later, we can look after each other."
Qin Hao understood, but he showed a perfectly humble smile and returned the greeting with a cupped hand: "Fellow Daoist Qingyi, please. I am Zhang Tie, a rogue cultivator who has only recently advanced to the Nascent Soul stage. I am not yet familiar with the rules of the Chaotic Star Sea, and I hope you will take good care of me in the future."
As soon as he finished speaking, a low murmur arose in the hall.
"A rogue cultivator? A Nascent Soul cultivator?"
"Wait, could he be the one who formed his Nascent Soul on the Sacred Mountain in Tianxing City decades ago?"
"I remember when the Nascent Soul was formed on the Holy Mountain, it caused a celestial phenomenon. The surge of spiritual energy lasted for more than three months, and even the Twin Saints of the Star Palace were alarmed. However, I haven't heard any news about this person since then. I never expected that he was a rogue cultivator!"
"It is said that this person was not even two hundred years old when he formed his Nascent Soul. To be able to advance to the Nascent Soul stage at such a young age is simply heaven-defying! Given time, our Chaotic Star Sea may have another late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator."
"Hmph, you think too simply. If breaking through to the late Nascent Soul stage were so easy, the Chaotic Star Sea wouldn't only have the Star Palace Twin Saints and the Six Paths Supreme Saints after all these years. Besides, he hasn't even joined the Star Palace. Given the Star Palace's style of doing things, would they let a rogue cultivator with such great potential grow freely? He might perish at any time."
Qingyi Jushi stroked his long beard, a hint of understanding flashing in his eyes, and his smile became even more enthusiastic: "So it is Fellow Daoist Zhang. I have long heard of your great name, and seeing you today, it is indeed well-deserved—to have such cultivation at such a young age, you are truly a rising star."
Before Qin Hao could continue the pleasantries, a clear, cold female voice suddenly rang out, tinged with disdain: "Hypocritical."
Qin Hao looked in the direction of the sound and saw a beautiful woman dressed in a tight-fitting outfit sitting on a stone pillar on the other side of the hall. The woman appeared to be in her thirties, with fair skin and stunning beauty. Her black tight-fitting outfit accentuated her shapely figure, and a long sword hung at her waist. She exuded the aura of the early stage of the Nascent Soul realm, and her eyes held a hint of arrogance and indifference.
Qin Hao thought to himself: This is Madam Wen, the Daoist partner of the Six Paths Supreme Saint. Putting aside everything else, the Six Paths Supreme Saint certainly has a good eye for choosing a Daoist partner. It's a pity that his methods are too despicable. He didn't even spare his own younger sister. In the end, it was the Star Palace Master Ling Xiaofeng who benefited from it.
Madam Wen felt Qin Hao's gaze, frowned slightly, glanced at him coldly, and then ignored him, continuing to close her eyes and rest—in her opinion, a newly promoted Nascent Soul cultivator was not worth her much attention.
Just as Qin Hao attracted everyone's attention and became the focus of everyone's discussion, Han Li took advantage of the chaos to quietly walk around to a stone pillar in the corner of the hall and slowly sat down cross-legged. He suppressed his aura to the lowest level, like an inconspicuous stone, trying to minimize his presence, while his eyes secretly observed every cultivator in the hall, silently memorizing their appearance and aura.
Qin Hao naturally understood Han Li's thoughts and chuckled inwardly: Old Demon Han's cautious nature is truly ingrained in his bones. But that's fine too; keeping a low profile is the only way to go further in a place like the Void Heaven Palace, where all sorts of people mingle.
"Huh, this old demon is here too?" Just as the discussions in the main hall were gradually subsiding, a slightly surprised voice rang out.
Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw a black light slowly descending from the gate of the Void Heaven Palace. When the light dissipated, it revealed an ugly old man. The old man had a face full of wrinkles, sunken eyes, and a grin that revealed a few yellow teeth. He exuded the aura of the peak of the early stage of the Nascent Soul realm. He was none other than the Extreme Yin Ancestor!
As soon as the Yin Ancestor stepped into the main hall, his gaze swept across the entire room. When he saw Qin Hao, he was first stunned, then his eyes flashed with intense killing intent, and the wrinkles on his face twisted with anger: "It's you!"
"Heaven rewards those who persevere, and I have actually managed to corner you here!" The Yin Ancestor gritted his teeth, and the black spiritual energy around him began to fluctuate violently, with a faint aura of death permeating the air: "Boy, today I will grind you to dust to vent my hatred!"
Qin Hao's lips curled into a cold smile, his tone laced with mockery: "How arrogant. What? So much time has passed, and you've already forgotten how your clone died and how the Heavenly Capital Corpse Flame was stolen?"
"What? He actually killed the Yin Demon's clone?"
"Heavenly Capital Corpse Fire? Did I hear that right? The Extreme Yin Demon actually cultivated the legendary Heavenly Capital Corpse Fire? And this person even stole it?"
"My god, the Extreme Yin Demon has roamed the Chaotic Star Sea for many years and is infamous. Countless Nascent Soul cultivators dare not provoke him easily. This kid actually dared to sever his clone and steal his life flame. He's too bold!"
"It seems the rumors were true. This Fellow Daoist Zhang's strength is far more than it appears on the surface."
If the crowd had some doubts about Qin Hao's strength just now, then now, with Qin Hao's seemingly arrogant words, everyone has a completely new understanding of this "newly promoted" Nascent Soul cultivator.
The infamous reputation of the Extreme Yin Ancestor is known to all in the Chaotic Star Sea. He is ruthless and vindictive, and even many established Nascent Soul cultivators give him some leeway. There are very few Nascent Soul cultivators in the entire Chaotic Star Sea who can kill his clone, steal his life flame, and dare to provoke him in public.
Upon hearing this, the Old Ancestor of Extreme Yin's face instantly turned ashen, and the corpse aura around him intensified, clearly indicating that he was extremely enraged. He took a sudden step forward, about to make a move, but was sternly rebuked by a majestic voice: "Extreme Yin! Do you want this elder to remind you of the rule that private duels are forbidden within the Void Heaven Palace?"
Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw an old man in a golden robe standing on the high platform directly in front of the main hall. The old man had a dignified face, white hair and beard, and exuded a powerful aura of a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator. His eyes were sharp as knives. He was none other than Jin Kui, the Grand Elder of the Star Palace.
When the Yin Ancestor saw Jin Kui, his aura instantly subsided by more than half, and a trace of fear flashed in his eyes—Jin Kui's strength was far above his own, and if it really came down to a fight, he would be no match for him, not to mention that this was the Void Heaven Palace, the territory of the Star Palace.
He took a deep breath, suppressing his anger, and stared intently at Qin Hao, gritting his teeth as he said, "Boy, if you have the guts, come with me into the inner hall! Once we're there, I'll definitely extract your soul and refine your spirit, making you taste a fate worse than death!"
Qin Hao smiled calmly, his tone relaxed yet full of confidence: "What? You want to offer me the rest of your Heavenly Capital Corpse Fire?"
"You!" The Yin Ancestor almost lost his composure on the spot, his eyes turning bloodshot. The Heavenly Capital Corpse Fire was a thorn in his side, and Qin Hao's repeated mention of it was like rubbing salt into his wounds: "Boy, don't just engage in verbal battles! If you have the guts, come into the inner hall and fight me to the death!"
"Since you're in such a hurry to be reincarnated, I, Zhang, will do you a favor and give you a ride," Qin Hao said casually.
As soon as he finished speaking, the hall erupted in an uproar.
Everyone was quite surprised. No one expected that Qin Hao would actually dare to accept the challenge from the Extreme Yin Ancestor. After all, the Extreme Yin Ancestor was a peak early-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, while Qin Hao had only advanced to the Nascent Soul stage less than a hundred years ago.
"Fellow Daoist Zhang, are you simply too confident in your own strength, or are you just not thinking straight? You actually dare to risk your life against the Extreme Yin Demon?"
"This is going to be a good show! In all these years, this is the first time I've seen someone dare to provoke the Extreme Yin Demon like this, especially a newly promoted Nascent Soul cultivator. This trip to the Void Heaven Palace has truly been worthwhile!"
"That old bastard Ji Yin is usually arrogant and domineering, and has offended a lot of people. Now that someone dares to deal with him, I want to see how he will get out of this mess!"
"Do you think Fellow Daoist Zhang can really defeat the Extreme Yin Demon? I have a feeling it's unlikely..."
Just as everyone was discussing, Madam Wen, who had been resting with her eyes closed, suddenly opened them. Her beautiful eyes looked Qin Hao up and down, a hint of surprise flashing in them. Her tone was playful: "Boy, if you can survive the Extreme Yin's attack, you'll be qualified to spar with me."
Qin Hao turned to look at Madam Wen, a faint smile on his face: "I am also quite curious about Madam Wen's Phoenix Sword Technique. After this matter is settled, I would really like to ask Madam for some pointers."
Madam Wen snorted lightly, her eyes filled with arrogance: "Let's talk about it after you survive." After saying that, she added: "If you really survive, come to Baibi Mountain—I will show you the true power of the Luanfeng Sword Technique."
"Haha! Let me, Hu Manzi, see who has the audacity to challenge that old ghost Ji Yin to a life-or-death duel!" A rough, loud laugh suddenly rang out, interrupting the two men's conversation.
As soon as the laughter subsided, a burly figure leaped in from outside the palace gate. The newcomer was about eight feet tall, with an extremely robust physique and bulging muscles that made his golden armor bulge. His curly hair and beard were a rare golden color, as flamboyant as a lion's. He had a scar on his face that ran from his forehead to his chin, and his eyes were sharp. He exuded the violent aura of a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator. Just by standing there, the surrounding cultivators subconsciously took a few steps back.
"It's Barbarian Beard! What's he doing here?"
"Get away from here! This barbarian Hu always does things his own way, without distinguishing between good and evil. As long as you displease him, no matter if you are a Nascent Soul cultivator or a Core Formation cultivator, you will be beaten to a pulp by him, and you might even get caught in the crossfire!"
"I heard that this barbarian Hu has cultivated an extremely powerful body-tempering technique. His physical strength is comparable to that of a transformed demon. He can tear apart a Core Formation cultivator without using magic power. Even a mid-Nascent Soul cultivator doesn't dare to provoke him easily."
Ignoring the reactions of the surrounding cultivators, the bearded man leaped and landed in front of Qin Hao. The ground trembled slightly as he landed—Qin Hao had clearly seen that the bearded man hadn't used any magic power at all; he had relied solely on his physical strength to leap over ten zhang and land steadily in the gap between the stone pillars. This physical strength alone was comparable to that of those demonic beasts known for their physique.
"Kid, your name is Zhang Tie, right?" The bearded man sized Qin Hao up and down, his eyes filled with admiration. "When you're fighting that old ghost Ji Yin, you must let me know! It would be such a shame to miss such a spectacular show!"
Seeing that the barbarian was completely ignoring him and instead praising Qin Hao, the Old Ancestor of Extreme Yin was furious and couldn't help but say, "Barbarian, don't forget, we're on the same side! How dare you side with outsiders?"
Barbarian Beard glanced at Ji Yin with a nonchalant air, his tone laced with disdain: "I've always been a loner, who's on your side? Besides, Ji Yin, you old devil, all you ever do is bully the weak. Now that you've met someone who dares to challenge you, I'm overjoyed, why should I help you?"
"You..." Ancestor Jiyin trembled with rage, but dared not utter another word—he knew Barbarian Beard's temper well; if he were truly angered, Barbarian Beard would dare to beat him even inside the Void Heaven Palace, and Elder Jin Kui might not help him then. He could only glare hatefully at Qin Hao, then turn around and find a stone pillar far away from the two of them to sit down, remaining silent.
Just as the atmosphere inside the main hall had eased somewhat, another streak of light flew in from outside the hall. The light dissipated, revealing a middle-aged cultivator dressed in a white Daoist robe. The cultivator had a refined appearance, held a folding fan, and exuded a gentle aura befitting a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator. Behind him were several other cultivators dressed in similar Daoist robes, clearly the leaders of some major sect.
"It is Wan Tianming, the sect leader of the Wanfa Sect!"
"Sect Master Wan has arrived too! That's great, now the top Nascent Soul stage cultivators from both the righteous and demonic paths are basically all here."
"The Ten Thousand Laws Sect is a major sect of the righteous path, and Wan Tianming has always considered himself the leader of the righteous path. Now that he's here, he'll probably stand on Fellow Daoist Zhang's side, right?"
Wan Tianming's gaze swept across the main hall, and when he saw Qin Hao, a knowing glint flashed in his eyes. He then stepped forward, cupped his hands in greeting, and said with a smile, "Fellow Daoist Zhang, I have long admired your name. Although that Extreme Yin Old Demon has a rather bad reputation, he does have some tricks up his sleeve. You have only recently advanced to the Nascent Soul stage, so there is no need for you to risk a direct confrontation with him. With me here, that Extreme Yin Old Demon would definitely not dare to lay a hand on you."
His words, seemingly out of concern for Qin Hao, were actually an attempt to win him over—Qin Hao possessed such strength at such a young age and had immense potential; if he could be brought into the righteous path, it would be a good thing for the Myriad Laws Sect and even the entire righteous path.
Faced with Wan Tianming's attempt to win him over, Qin Hao maintained a gentle smile and returned the gesture with a cupped hand: "Thank you for your kindness, Sect Leader Wan, but this matter is a personal grudge between me and Ancestor Jiyin, so there's no need for you to worry about it. Since I dared to accept Ancestor Jiyin's challenge, I naturally have a way to deal with it."
Upon hearing this, Wan Tianming's smile faltered slightly, and a hint of disappointment flashed in his eyes. He exchanged glances with the other Wanfa Sect cultivators behind him, all shaking their heads inwardly—in their view, Qin Hao's actions were undoubtedly overestimating his own abilities. If the Extreme Yin Ancestor were so easy to deal with, the Wanfa Sect wouldn't have allowed him to roam freely in the Chaotic Star Sea for hundreds of years.
"Since Fellow Daoist Zhang is confident, then I, Wan, will wait and see." Wan Tianming's tone was much calmer. Since Qin Hao had rejected his offer, he naturally wouldn't care about the other party's life or death anymore: "I hope that Fellow Daoist can be as composed as he is now when the time comes."
After saying that, he led the cultivators of the Myriad Laws Sect to a stone pillar and sat down.
Qin Hao nodded slightly and said nothing more. He walked to the corner where Han Li was, found a stone pillar, sat down cross-legged, closed his eyes, and began to rest.
Han Li sensed Qin Hao's approaching aura, his eyelids twitched, but he didn't open his eyes. He quietly used a telepathic technique to say to Qin Hao, "Senior brother, the Extreme Yin Ancestor is quite powerful, and there are also Nascent Soul stage cultivators like Barbarian Beard and Wan Tianming around. We should be careful."
Qin Hao responded using telepathy: "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing. There are many treasures in the inner palace, but the dangers are also greater. You should also be careful. Don't be reckless when you encounter danger; preserving your life is the most important thing."
"I understand," Han Li replied in a low voice.
Over the next three days, cultivators continued to enter the Void Heaven Palace, gradually filling the stone pillars within. During this time, several Nascent Soul cultivators arrived, but none of them triggered the intense confrontations of before. Everyone silently accumulated power, awaiting the moment when the inner hall of the Void Heaven Palace would open.
Three days later, the doors of the Void Heaven Palace suddenly slammed shut with a loud bang, and the star patterns on the ceiling lit up abruptly, emitting a dazzling light. Elder Jin Kui, standing on the high platform, rose, his spiritual energy surging, and his majestic voice resounded throughout the entire palace: "The time has come! The outer hall teleportation array of the Void Heaven Palace is open! All cultivators wishing to enter the inner hall, proceed to the teleportation array area immediately! The outer hall is fraught with danger; your lives are at your own risk. Take care!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the ground in the center of the hall suddenly cracked open, and a huge teleportation array slowly rose up.
"Let's go," Qin Hao said in a low voice.
"Mm." Han Li nodded.
The two stood up and followed the flow of people, walking step by step towards the central teleportation array. The surrounding cultivators also stood up, their faces showing excitement, tension, or greed, and approached the teleportation array.
As the Old Ancestor of Extreme Yin walked past Qin Hao, he glared at him fiercely, his eyes filled with murderous intent. The bearded man patted Qin Hao on the shoulder and grinned, "Kid, don't die too soon. I'm still waiting to see you fight that old ghost, Extreme Yin!"
Qin Hao ignored the provocation of the Extreme Yin Ancestor, simply nodded slightly to the barbarian bearded man, and then stepped into the teleportation array with Han Li.
As their feet touched the jade ground of the teleportation array, the spirit stone at the array's core suddenly burst forth with dazzling light, and the spatial aura within the array's patterns instantly intensified. Qin Hao could clearly feel a powerful spatial force enveloping him, and the surrounding scenery began to distort and blur…