klisemfg Chapter 201 First Exploration of the Immortal Palace
Chapter 201 First Exploration of the Immortal Palace
On the eastern horizon, a pale dawn tore through the night, casting a soft golden light upon the earth.
Bathed in the soft morning light, Zhuang Yu's figure appeared even more upright.
Following that mysterious call, he finally arrived at his destination—a magnificent celestial palace.
The celestial palace gates soared into the clouds, constructed entirely of an unknown jade stone, radiating a soft, shimmering light.
The surface of the jade is carved with intricate runes, like coiling dragons, exuding an ancient and mysterious aura.
Zhuang Yu looked up, his eyes filled with longing.
He knew that the Immortal Palace contained countless rare resources and powerful cultivation techniques, enough to allow him to advance further on the path of cultivation and even touch the legendary immortal realm.
An overwhelming surge of excitement welled up within him.
"As expected of the legendary celestial palace, it is truly extraordinary!" Zhuang Yu took a deep breath, feeling the rich spiritual energy permeating the air, as if he were in a fairyland.
He reached out and gently stroked the cold, smooth jade door. A faint vibration came from his fingertips, as if the palace, which had been asleep for ten thousand years, was slowly awakening.
Just then, two figures rushed in from a distance, bringing with them a fierce gust of wind, and landed in front of Zhuang Yu.
The visitors were Jin Yangzi and his ally Mu Zi.
Jin Yangzi wore his usual cunning smile, but his eyes held a hint of greed and domineering.
"Oh, isn't this Fellow Daoist Zhuang Yu? What, are you also interested in this Immortal Palace?" Jin Yangzi said sarcastically, his tone full of mockery.
Mu Zi stood silently beside Jin Yangzi with a gloomy expression, radiating a chilling killing intent, like a venomous snake ready to deliver a fatal blow at any moment.
"The Immortal Palace is a treasure of heaven and earth, and only those with the right fate can obtain it." Jin Yangzi crossed his arms, his eyes sweeping over Zhuang Yu with a hint of contempt. "However, the resources within this Immortal Palace are already in the hands of my Jin Yangzi Alliance. Fellow Daoist Zhuang Yu, you should find another treasure land, lest you throw your life away in vain."
Jin Yangzi's domineering words ignited a surge of anger in Zhuang Yu's heart.
He stared coldly at Jin Yangzi, a disdainful smile playing on his lips.
"Is that so? I'd like to see if this celestial palace gate can really stop me." Zhuang Yu said, turning his gaze to the mysterious gate, and slowly raising his right hand...
Zhuang Yu ignored Jin Yangzi's bluffing threat, his gaze fixed on the gate of the Immortal Palace, as if it held endless secrets.
A cold smile played on his lips as he slowly raised his right hand, revealing a crystal-clear jade talisman in his palm.
This jade talisman emitted a faint golden light, and its surface was engraved with ancient and complex runes. It was a treasure obtained from a mysterious space—a barrier-breaking talisman.
"Break!" Zhuang Yu shouted, summoning the jade talisman.
The jade talisman transformed into a golden ray of light, shooting straight towards the gate of the celestial palace.
"Om-"
A deep hum resounded, and the runes on the gate of the celestial palace seemed to be activated, flashing with dazzling light.
Immediately afterwards, visible ripples spread out from the center of the gate, colliding with the golden light.
Jin Yangzi and Mu Zi were both startled upon seeing this.
They never expected that Zhuang Yu would actually have a way to break the Immortal Palace's restrictions.
"Mu Zi, do it!" Jin Yangzi
Upon hearing this, Mu Zi flashed into a black shadow and pounced on Zhuang Yu.
He formed hand seals, and streams of cold, black spiritual energy, like venomous snakes, coiled towards Zhuang Yu.
Zhuang Yu was prepared and easily dodged Mu Zi's attack with a swift movement.
He struck out with his palm, and a golden streak of spiritual energy shot out, striking Mu Zi squarely in the chest.
"puff--"
Mu Zi spat out a mouthful of blood, her body flying backward and crashing heavily to the ground.
Jin Yangzi's expression changed; he hadn't expected Zhuang Yu to be so powerful.
"Hmph, a mere trick." Zhuang Yu snorted coldly, his gaze turning back to the gate of the Immortal Palace.
Under the impact of the golden light, the runes on the door began to show cracks.
"Break!" Zhuang Yu shouted again, increasing his spiritual power output.
The jade talisman shone brightly, its golden light became even more dazzling, and the cracks on the gate of the immortal palace grew larger and larger.
"Click——"
With a crisp sound, the runes on the gate of the celestial palace finally gave way and shattered completely.
"Not good!" Jin Yangzi's expression changed drastically. He realized that the gates of the Immortal Palace were about to be opened.
Just then, an aged voice came from the depths of the celestial palace: "Who dares to disturb my peaceful cultivation?"
The runes on the gate of the celestial palace cracked like a spider web, emitting a piercing cracking sound.
Zhuang Yu's forehead was covered in fine beads of sweat, but his hands did not stop moving at all.
Golden spiritual energy, like a rushing river, continuously flowed into the jade talisman.
Each wisp of spiritual energy landed precisely on the cracks in the rune, disintegrating it bit by bit.
Jin Yangzi watched with a pounding heart.
He originally thought that with his mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivation, he would be able to suppress Zhuang Yu, but he did not expect that Zhuang Yu's strength far exceeded his imagination.
What made him even more uneasy was that Zhuang Yu's movements in breaking the restrictions were becoming more and more skillful and faster.
The runes on the gate of the celestial palace were mostly broken and were on the verge of complete collapse.
"We can't wait any longer!" Jin Yangzi thought to himself.
He knew that if he didn't act soon, once the gates of the celestial palace were opened, the treasures inside would be out of his reach.
He took a deep breath,
At this critical moment, Zhuang Yu suddenly thought of Wang Yao.
That gentle and kind girl silently stayed by his side, doing his laundry, cooking for him, and healing his wounds and detoxifying him.
He promised her that he would take her to see the prosperity of the cultivation world and that he would make her live a happy life.
Thinking of this, Zhuang Yu's eyes became even more determined.
He took a deep breath and poured all the remaining spiritual power in his body into the jade talisman.
"boom!"
With a deafening roar, the runes on the celestial palace gate shattered completely, and the gate slowly opened, revealing a golden path leading to the unknown.
Zhuang Yu ignored Jin Yangzi behind him, turned around, and walked towards the gate of the Immortal Palace.
"You..." Jin Yangzi's expression changed drastically upon seeing this, and he was about to stop him.
However, at that moment, Zhuang Yu suddenly stopped...
The light of the jade talisman suddenly went out, and only a few cracks remained on the runes on the gate of the immortal palace, flickering with a faint light, but they did not completely collapse for a long time.
Just as Jin Yangzi was about to launch a full-scale attack on Zhuang Yu, Zhuang Yu suddenly stopped, turned around to look at Jin Yangzi, and a meaningful smile appeared on his lips.
"Fellow Daoist Jin Yangzi, why the rush?" Zhuang Yu's tone was relaxed, as if the life-or-death confrontation just now was merely a joke. "We are both mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivators. If we were to truly fight to the death, I'm afraid neither of us would benefit. How about we cooperate instead?"
This sudden suggestion stunned Jin Yangzi.
He originally thought Zhuang Yu would fight to the death or take the opportunity to escape, but he did not expect him to propose cooperation.
Mu Zi was equally surprised; he stared warily at Zhuang Yu.
"Cooperation?" Jin Yangzi narrowed his eyes, a hint of sarcasm in his voice. "Between you and me, there is an irreconcilable feud!"
Zhuang Yu laughed heartily: "Fellow Daoist, you are mistaken. The cultivation world is inherently a dog-eat-dog world. The struggle between you and me is nothing more than for our own interests. Now that the Immortal Palace is right before us, filled with countless treasures, why don't we join forces and explore it together? Wouldn't that be wonderful?"
Jin Yangzi fell silent.
He had to admit that Zhuang Yu's proposal was indeed very tempting.
It would probably take him a lot of effort to break the restrictions of the Immortal Palace on his own, and he would also have to face unknown dangers within the Immortal Palace.
If we can cooperate with Zhuang Yu, we can not only save time and energy, but also increase the chances of success.
He turned to look at Mu Zi, his eyes questioning.
Mu Zi nodded slightly in agreement.
He knew that although Jin Yangzi appeared strong on the surface, he was actually very cautious deep down.
Jin Yangzi looked at Zhuang Yu again, pondered for a moment, and slowly said, "Alright, I agree to cooperate with you. However, let me make this clear beforehand: if I find out you're up to no good, I'll make you regret it!"
Zhuang Yu smiled and said, "Of course. Now that we've started working together, we should naturally be honest with each other."
Just as the two reached an agreement, a powerful pressure suddenly emanated from the depths of the celestial palace.
This oppressive force, like Mount Tai pressing down, made Jin Yangzi and Mu Zi feel breathless and tremble all over.
Zhuang Yu also felt this powerful pressure. His expression changed slightly, and he thought to himself, "Not good, the guardians of the Immortal Palace have noticed us!"
"Who dares to disturb my peaceful cultivation?" An aged yet majestic voice came from the depths of the celestial palace, carrying a hint of cold killing intent.