Young Noble Be Monster Slaying-Chapter 824: Beholding the Heavenly Palace

Rumble! Crack!

A twisting, dragon-shaped bolt of lightning descended from the heavens, tearing through half the darkened sky and crashing down upon a towering mountain.

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Its momentum was terrifying, yet the strike left behind only a shallow pit at the mountain’s peak—one of countless scars already marring its surface.

The divine lightning would have turned any ordinary mountain to dust.

But here, it was barely noticeable, as that mountain was no ordinary stone. It was a devilish mountain brimming with spiritual energy, its walls etched with the remnants of white bones. No one knew how many corpses it had devoured or how long it had been feasting.

There was no other sign of life on the mountain—only a single, towering ancient tree whose canopy blotted out the sky. It appeared to draw spiritual energy from the mountain, its crown twisted with bulging knots of blood-red wood that pulsed like veins.

The devilish mountain seemed powerless against it and could only let the tree feed on it like a parasite.

It was an apocalyptic sight. However, within the Divine Ruins, it was nothing more than an ordinary corner.

This forbidden land was filled with deadly dangers and remained a threat even to eighth-realm experts. That massive tree bristled with spiky black orbs, and from each emanated an aura thick with menace and dread.

When Chu Liang saw the tree, he thought it looked familiar.

Could it be the same as the ghost tree near Mount Shu? It seemed to be of the same species, though it was much, much larger.

By absorbing wandering souls, the ghost tree produced thorny black spheres infused with spiritual energy. These could germinate into berry seeds in the White Pagoda and contributed much in the early days when Chu Liang first started building his business.

Thinking back on those youthful days when he begged daily for seeds, Chu Liang couldn't help but feel a little nostalgic.

So those strange plants had originated from deep within the Divine Ruins.

"I followed the guidance of ancient texts, cross-checked countless sources, and spent years searching the Divine Ruins before confirming this location," the Whale-Riding Immortal said with certainty. "The Heavenly Palace of the Sword Domain is definitely on that thundercloud."

Chen Erniu asked, "How do we get up there?"

Even someone like them wouldn’t survive a direct hit from that divine lightning.

"I came up with two options," the Whale-Riding Immortal said. "One was to draw the lightning with wood and redirect it into the ghost tree. The other was to use metal and channel the lightning into copper pillars. But refining those pillars is expensive and risky, so wood turned out to be the simpler choice."

As he spoke, he had already taken out four white jade talismans.

Each one was crafted from fine jade, capable of holding a talismanic formation. He rose into the air and hurled the talismans outward, embedding them in the ground around the ghost tree.

Whoosh!

The talismans lit up and linked together, forming a glowing net around the massive tree. Feeling threatened, the ghost tree lashed out with its branches like a wild beast baring its claws, striking at the Whale-Riding Immortal.

However, the Whale-Riding Immortal moved like the wind, and there was no way the ghost tree could hurt him.

Once the formation was complete, the Whale-Riding Immortal formed another set of hand seals, and the ghost tree was instantly enveloped in a layer of white light. In the next moment, the divine lightning above—drawn by an unseen force—came crashing down onto the ghost tree.

It was the Lightning-Attracting Celestial Light Formation.

Thanks to the advantages of his Transcendent Spirit constitution, the Whale-Riding Immortal had mastered nearly every divine skill in existence. His accomplishments in formation arts were equally outstanding, and constructing a large-scale formation was as easy for him as lifting a hand.

Rumble! Crack!

The strike shattered all the thorny black balls on the ghost tree, and Chu Liang instinctively winced in pain. The tree had a very high defense. It withstood the impact with minimal damage, but the sky cracked again as a second bolt of divine lightning descended.

Rumble! Crack!

By this time, the four of them had already taken to the air, flying quickly toward and through the thundercloud.

They slammed headfirst into the ink-black clouds, hitting with the force of a collision against iron. The impact rang out with a deep, echoing thud.

Divine thunder exploded in their ears, and the sheer terror of it sent a chill down to their bones. Fortunately, the ghost tree absorbed most of the impact. Without it, no matter how high one’s cultivation, reaching this place would have been impossible.

They didn’t spend long crossing through the thundercloud, and before they realized it, they had already emerged above the clouds.

The thundercloud beneath their feet was firm like solid earth. When they looked up again, a blinding white light filled their vision.

There really was a building above them!

The radiance of the building was completely hidden by the thunderclouds, which was the only reason its light didn’t pour down on them. Otherwise, it would have shone like a miniature sun. A sun could not be approached, and the same would have been true for this palace if its light had not been hidden.

Even from this distance, the blazing spiritual energy within that light made Chu Liang’s skin tingle with pain. If they moved any closer, the heat might have melted them on the spot.

With his current cultivation, he was powerful enough to walk the outside world without fear. Yet, within the Divine Ruins, death could strike at any moment..

This land was more terrifying than words could describe.

Through the blinding light, several dark shapes could be seen lying on the ground. It was unclear if they still lived or had already perished.

"Someone got here before us?" Jiang Yuebai asked in surprise.

"That’s perfectly normal," the Whale-Riding Immortal replied. "We’re not the only ones who could have found this place. Let skill speak for itself."

While he was speaking, he unfurled a black banner with a thunderous boom.

The moment it opened, an inky glow spread out, enveloping the group and shielding them from the blinding intensity of the light.

"The Yang Qi Severing Banner?!" the Sword Emperor exclaimed. "You stole that from the diabolical sect?"

It was easy to recognize this artifact as the Yang Qi Severing Banner was ranked seventy-sixth in the Catalog of the Mortal World’s Ten Thousand Treasures. It was a diabolical relic passed down through the demonic sect, and it was known for its deadly effect. Once unfurled, it cut off all yang qi within its range, causing both living beings and vegetation to lose their vitality in an instant.

At this moment, the Whale-Riding Immortal was using the artifact in reverse, turning its power into a shield against the intense glare. His preparations for this expedition had clearly been thorough.

"Stole? Now that's a harsh word," the Whale-Riding Immortal said with a smile. "I just took the liberty of retrieving it."

That familiar tone made Chu Liang think of his esteemed teacher. The poor diabolical cultivator who once held this Yang Qi Severing Banner was truly unfortunate... to have been targeted by such a ruthless powerhouse…

Under the protective aura of the Yang Qi Severing Banner, the group moved forward slowly, not daring to rush lest the surging spiritual energy overwhelm them.

Soon after, they arrived beside the figures they had seen earlier.

There seemed to be five people huddled together under a large black umbrella—clearly another artifact designed to ward off yang spiritual qi, though not nearly as powerful as the Yang Qi Severing Banner.

Their cultivation was lower, and halfway through their ascent they could go no farther. They had propped the umbrella in front of them and collapsed beneath its shade, completely exhausted and too weak to even retreat.

At first, Chu Liang and his companions had no intention of helping these fellow adventurers.

After all, this was no place for unrestrained sympathy.

Everyone who came here was a desperate risk-taker. Who knew if the people you saved might turn on you later?

Even if one were going to help, they should wait until the matter was over. Until then, whether anyone would still be alive was up to fate.

It was cruel, but that was the rule when exploring a hidden realm.

No matter how civilized the nine provinces had become, once inside a hidden realm, only the laws of the desolate wilderness applied.

It was brutal but very much real.

But just as Chu Liang passed by, he caught sight of a familiar face. That face lifted slightly, as if reaching out to them for help.

"Huh?" Chu Liang paused as he looked at the face and called out, "Elder Yin?"

GLTD Alternate Universe's Thoughts

Translator: GT