297: Chapter 297 Goodbye Zi Ling!

The high-sounding "rules" spoken by Star Palace Elders Qin Heng and Qin Yue still rang in their ears, echoing in the vast front hall with a nauseating aftertaste of hypocrisy.

However, this hypocritical tranquility did not last long.

Just shortly after the two Star Palace Elders finished speaking, while everyone was still immersed in the anticipation of the Void Heaven Palace opening and calculating their own plans regarding the "rules".

"Hum—!"

The entire magnificent front hall, without warning, shook violently!

This vibration did not come from the outside, but originated from the hall itself!

It was as if some ancient Restriction, sealed for three hundred years, had been thoroughly activated and awakened at this moment!

"Rumble..."

A low roar came from deep underground, and the smooth white jade floor tiles were no longer calm, but rippled and heaved like water!

Dozens of thick jade pillars simultaneously erupted with dazzling milky-white Spiritual Qi. The rare birds, strange beasts, sun, moon, and stars carved on the pillars seemed to come alive, flowing and swimming, emitting mysterious and unfathomable spatial fluctuations!

The "star" gemstones embedded in the dome shone brightly, casting down condensed beams of light that intertwined and converged at several specific locations on the floor of the hall!

The radiance grew more intense, and the spatial fluctuations became increasingly violent!

Only a few breaths later, under the gazes of everyone's shock, anticipation, and vigilance, the white jade floor tiles at the intersection of those light beams silently recessed and rotated, forming circular teleportation arrays, each a zhang wide, with silver spatial runes flowing along their edges and deep, rotating, bottomless voids inside!

There were seven teleportation arrays in total, distributed in the central area of the hall in the shape of the Big Dipper, their energies connected, emitting stable and powerful spatial power.

"Teleportation arrays! It's the teleportation array to enter the inner hall of the Void Heaven Palace!"

"It's finally starting!"

Inside the hall, a flurry of suppressed low exclamations and rapid breathing erupted. Every Cultivator, regardless of their cultivation level, stared wide-eyed at the seven teleportation arrays that emitted both enticing light and unknown danger, their heartbeats involuntarily accelerating.

Elder Qin Heng wore a gentle smile, stepped forward, and his voice was clear as he explained to everyone: "Fellow Daoists, these seven-star teleportation arrays are the gateways to the inner hall of the Void Heaven Palace. Passing through these arrays will lead you to the first barrier of this Void Heaven Palace trip—the 'Land of Ghostly Grievances'."

"Land of Ghostly Grievances?" Many Cultivators, especially the Core Formation Cultivators and Foundation Establishment Cultivators who were entering the Void Heaven Palace for the first time, changed their expressions slightly upon hearing this.

Just the name alone carried an ominous air.

Elder Qin Heng continued: "As the name implies, this place is a combination of ancient battlefield ruins and a gathering place for Yin energy, evolved through the Restrictions of the Void Heaven Palace. Inside, there are countless Yin ghosts and spirits, as well as ancient battle souls and lingering thoughts wandering about. The environment is treacherous and extremely dangerous. Moreover, the space there is unstable, and the teleportation landing points are random. After entering, you will likely be scattered, so you must each be careful."

He paused, his gaze sweeping across the entire venue, lingering slightly on the few Nascent Soul Old Monsters, his tone still gentle but carrying a trace of an imperceptible warning: "However, you need not worry too much. Although this place is dangerous, it also contains Opportunity. Some relics of ancient Cultivators, remnant treasures, and even rare Yin-attribute spiritual materials might be found there. Just remember the rules mentioned earlier, act according to your ability, and cooperate with each other; passing through this barrier safely is not difficult."

After finishing this final piece of polite rhetoric, Elder Qin Heng nodded to Elder Qin Yue beside him. Immediately, the figures of both men flickered simultaneously, fading and disappearing before everyone's eyes like foam, without stepping into any of the teleportation arrays, as if they had never existed.

The Star Palace Elders had left first.

But everyone knew that they had not left at all, but had entered the Void Heaven Palace in some unknown way to carry out their "sacred mission" of "maintaining order."

Once the Star Palace Elders were gone, the hypocritical veil of "rules" in the hall seemed to be quietly lifted.

The atmosphere instantly became more naked and tense.

"Go!"

Wan Tianming gave a low shout, his purple robes fluttering, and without hesitation, he was the first to transform into a streak of purple light, aggressively charging into the teleportation array at the Tian-Shu position, flashing with light and vanishing.

"Follow!" Tianwuzi and Mutengzi followed closely behind, stepping into the teleportation arrays at the Tian-Xuan and Tian-Ji positions respectively.

The three of the Righteous Path acted decisively and entered first.

"Hmph! Putting on an act!"

Savage Beard spat disdainfully, his copper-bell eyes burning with even greater Battle Intent. He laughed wildly, his mountain-like body crashing into the teleportation array at the Tian-Quan position. The violent force actually caused the light of the teleportation array to sway violently for a moment.

"Let's go!" Patriarch Extreme Yin coldly swept a glance at Uncle-Master Sun Buer in the corner in the distance, his figure turning into a pitch-black ghost shadow, submerging into the Yu-Heng position teleportation array.

Layman Qingyi continued to hold his bamboo slips, stepping calmly into the Kai-Yang position.

Madam Wen said nothing, her white clothes fluttering like a startled swan, entering the Yao-Guang position.

In the blink of an eye, the seven Nascent Soul Old Monsters each chose an array and vanished completely into the teleportation light.

The suffocating Nascent Soul Spiritual Pressure in the hall suddenly emptied, but the atmosphere did not become much easier.

The remaining dozens of Core Formation Cultivators finally awoke from their stupor, scrambling to rush toward the remaining teleportation arrays!

Everyone knew that following behind the Nascent Soul Old Monsters might allow them to avoid some of the most dangerous landing points, or perhaps pass through the Land of Ghostly Grievances more quickly.

For a time, figures were chaotic, spiritual light shone, and shouts and collisions were endless.

Lu Qiu sat cross-legged on his jade pillar, watching this chaos with cold eyes.

He was not in a hurry to move. The Nascent Soul Old Monsters had already entered; following them in now would likely lead to running directly into one of the Old Monsters, or falling into a vortex of danger they might trigger.

It was better to wait a moment and let these impatient Core Formation Cultivators go "scout the path" first.

His gaze swept across the corner of the hall without a trace.

There, Han Li was still sitting silently in the shadows, his head lowered, seemingly unaware of the chaos around him, and also showing no intention of moving immediately.

Clearly, he was planning the same thing.

Soon, more than half of the Core Formation Cultivators in the hall had left, and the light of the teleportation arrays flashed one after another.

After another dozen or so breaths, when only a few dozen people were left in the hall, most of whom had unstable auras and panicked expressions, Han Li's voice, deliberately suppressed yet still carrying a trace of tension, rang out in Lu Qiu's Sea of Consciousness:

"Senior Brother Lu..."

Han Li's voice paused, seemingly weighing his words, his tone revealing a rare, undisguised gravity and a trace of imperceptible pleading:

"I didn't expect... that so many Nascent Soul Seniors would gather in this Void Heaven Palace, and there are even several at the Middle Stage... The danger here far exceeds what Junior Brother anticipated."

He took a deep breath, his voice transmission continuing, carrying a complexity and honesty as he recalled the past:

"Senior Brother, back in the Heaven South, you and I joined forces several times to resist powerful enemies, and eventually traveled across the sea together to this Chaotic Star Sea... This friendship of surviving together and fighting side by side is extraordinary."

"Now, in this Void Heaven Palace, surrounded by dangers and Nascent Soul Cultivators, Junior Brother is alone and weak, with shallow cultivation..." Han Li's voice lowered, carrying a trace of difficulty, but he finally said it clearly:

"Junior Brother... dares to ask for Senior Brother's help again. In this palace, if we could secretly join forces and look out for each other, perhaps... the chances of survival, or even finding Opportunity, would be a bit higher."

"I wonder what Senior Brother... thinks?"

This voice transmission was sincere, laying out his own predicament and request, and also pointing out the deep connection between the two that had spanned seas and life-and-death trials.

Han Li was a person with a resilient Heart-Nature, independent and strong; to make him let go of his usual caution and pride to take the initiative to seek an alliance showed just how great the pressure in this Void Heaven Palace was and how difficult his own situation was.

Lu Qiu's expression was calm; he was not surprised by Han Li's request.

After a moment of contemplation, he replied via voice transmission, his voice remaining in that same gentle, indifferent tone:

"Junior Brother Han's words are indeed reasonable. In the Void Heaven Palace, Nascent Soul Cultivators run rampant; if you and I act alone, the risks are indeed not small."

He paused, his tone carrying a trace of solemnity:

"An alliance is possible. But we must set three rules."

"First, do not easily expose that we know each other. On the surface, we will go our separate ways and pretend not to know one another. Unless we encounter a life-and-death crisis or have an excellent Opportunity, do not initiate contact to avoid attracting unnecessary attention and schemes."

"Second, act according to the situation. The situation in the Void Heaven Palace changes rapidly; Opportunity and danger coexist. Junior Brother must judge for yourself and act according to your ability. If you encounter an irresistible danger, or if there is a need for assistance, you may secretly contact me with this Talisman."

As Lu Qiu spoke, he quietly flicked out an imperceptible light silver Talisman. The Talisman, as if possessed of spirituality, slid along the shadows of the floor and silently slid to Han Li's side, where he quietly put it away.

This was a one-way, secret short-range communication Talisman that could only be triggered once within a hundred-mile range and was extremely difficult for outsiders to intercept or track.

"Third," Lu Qiu finally said, his tone carrying a trace of unquestionable certainty, "At critical moments, I will naturally step in to help. But Junior Brother must also understand that the path of immortal cultivation ultimately relies on oneself. Some hurdles, some dangers, must be crossed and endured by oneself."

Han Li listened silently, his heart filled with a complex mix of emotions. There was the relief and gratitude from having his request for an alliance granted, admiration for Senior Brother Lu's calm, rational, and analytical style, and a touch of sobering self-reflection from being enlightened.

Indeed, the path of cultivation ultimately relies on oneself. That Senior Brother Lu agreed to assist at a critical moment was already a massive favor; he must absolutely not develop a sense of dependency.

"Senior Brother's teachings, Junior Brother will keep firmly in mind!"

Han Li replied solemnly via voice transmission, "Rest assured, Senior Brother, Junior Brother understands! I will strictly adhere to our agreement, act according to the situation, and will absolutely not drag Senior Brother down!"

"Good."

Lu Qiu nodded slightly, saying nothing more. By now, there were not many Cultivators left in the hall, and the light of the teleportation arrays was gradually stabilizing.

"Let's go." Lu Qiu stood up, his figure flickering as he transformed into an inconspicuous gray shadow. He chose a teleportation array that was still shimmering with light at random and stepped inside.

Seeing this, Han Li hesitated no longer. He took a deep breath, suppressing all the distracting thoughts and ripples in his heart, and his gaze became firm and calm once again.

He stood up, chose an unoccupied auxiliary array, and stepped into the swirling silver light.

His vision blurred, and a strong sense of dizziness and tearing sensation from the spatial shift washed over him.

However, for Cultivators at the Core Formation stage or above, this feeling lasted only an instant.

The next moment, Lu Qiu's feet landed on solid yet abnormally cold ground.

He quickly steadied his figure and vigilantly surveyed the surrounding environment.

What met his eyes was an endless expanse of desolation and dead silence.

The sky was a perpetual leaden gray, devoid of sun, moon, or stars. There was only a hazy, dim light, as if filtered through frosted glass, falling from an unknown source, shrouding the entire world in a gloomy, oppressive, and lifeless gray tone.

The light was dim, barely allowing for vision, but everything appeared as if viewed through a thin mist, exuding a sense of unreal, illusory, and eerie quality.

The ground consisted of cracked, blackish-gray earth, barren of any vegetation, and covered with crisscrossing giant ravines and pits of varying depths, as if it had endured a brutal war and long periods of weathering.

The air was filled with thick dust and a faint, elusive, strange odor of mixed rot and rust. The Spiritual Qi was thin and chaotic, carrying a bone-chilling cold that constantly attempted to erode his protective spiritual light.

This place was the first stage of the Void Heaven Palace—the Land of Ghostly Grievances!

Lu Qiu's Divine Sense spread out instantly. However, just as the Star Palace Elder had said, the space here seemed extremely unstable, exerting a powerful suppression and interference effect on his Divine Sense.

With his powerful Divine Sense, which rivaled that of the Late Nascent Soul Stage, he could only barely cover a radius of several hundred zhang here. Moreover, the images he probed were blurry, as if separated by a thick fog, far less clear than what he could see with his naked eye.

Furthermore, once his Divine Sense left his body, the rate of consumption was far greater than in the outside world, as if an invisible force were constantly devouring and wearing down his power of Divine Sense.

"Truly eerie." Lu Qiu's thoughts stirred, and the Chixiao True Fire circulated slightly within his Meridians, silently incinerating the incoming cold Qi. His gaze, sharp as lightning, swept across his surroundings.

The teleportation was random. At this moment, at the edge of his Divine Sense's perception, beside a low-lying ravine several hundred zhang away, there were unexpectedly two spiritual power fluctuations that did not belong to him!

One strong, one weak.

The strong one had a thick yet slightly impure aura, carrying a fierce, grassroots-like ferocity. The cultivation was at the Late Core Formation Stage, and it seemed to have broken through not long ago, with the Realm not yet fully stabilized. The owner of the fluctuation was a burly middle-aged man with a face full of flesh, fierce eyes, wearing coarse cloth short-garb, and several bulging leather bags hanging from his waist.

This man held a broad, door-like ghost-head saber, the blade dark red as if it had drunk countless amounts of blood, and he was vigilantly surveying his surroundings with a vicious gaze.

The weak one had a cold and obscure aura, with cultivation only at the False Core Realm, and seemed to have just experienced an intense spatial teleportation, with an aura that was slightly unstable. The owner of this fluctuation...

Lu Qiu's gaze narrowed, landing on the spot about ten zhang away from the middle-aged man.

There, a woman with a graceful figure and snow-white clothing stood quietly.

The woman's face was covered by a thin white veil, and beneath the veil, a faint purple mist seemed to be swirling, completely hiding her appearance under this dual concealment.

Yet, that cold, otherworldly, and pitiful temperament was unmistakable.

Fairy Ziling!

She had indeed come in as well!

Moreover, since the teleportation was random, she had been separated from the beautiful female guard at the Middle Core Formation Stage from before!

At this moment, she was alone, having been teleported to this desolate and dangerous Land of Ghostly Grievances, and coincidentally, she had been teleported to the same area as a Late Core Formation Stage Cultivator who looked like anything but a kind person!

At this moment, Fairy Ziling had clearly just steadied herself and noticed the middle-aged man not far away.

Her delicate body stiffened almost imperceptibly. Beneath her veil, her clear, autumn-water-like eyes, now filled with vigilance, quickly swept over the middle-aged man, then darted toward Lu Qiu, who was further away, seemed to have just appeared, and was also at the Late Core Formation Stage, causing a strong sense of unease to surge in her heart.

One strange, fierce-aura Late Core Formation Stage man.

Another strange, calm-aura Late Core Formation Stage middle-aged Cultivator.

She was alone, with False Core cultivation.

This situation did not look good no matter how one viewed it!

Fairy Ziling subconsciously took half a step back, her fair hand quietly gripping a cold jade pendant hidden in her sleeve, her internal magic power circulating silently as she became guarded to the extreme.

She forced herself to calm down, her mind racing as she thought of a strategy to escape.

However, after the middle-aged man had preliminarily surveyed the surrounding environment and confirmed there were no other immediate threats, his fierce gaze locked firmly and unscrupulously onto Fairy Ziling.

His greedy, lascivious, and undisguised gaze was like tangible, dirty hands, sweeping back and forth over Fairy Ziling's graceful figure and veiled face, as if wanting to pierce through the veil and purple mist to see the true face beneath.

His mouth split open to reveal teeth charred yellow from smoke, and he let out a harsh, grating laugh:

"Hahahaha!!"

"Truly, iron shoes are worn out in search, only to find it without any effort!"

"What kind of dog-shit luck do I have today to actually run into the famous 'Chaotic Star Sea's Number One Beauty'—Fairy Ziling, in this ghost of a place?!"

He licked his cracked lips, the lascivious look in his eyes almost overflowing, his voice sounding like a broken gong:

"I've long heard that the Miaoyin Sect's Fairy Ziling is a national beauty, a city-toppling stunner, and a peerless femme fatale that countless Cultivators dream of! It's a pity I never had the chance to see her true face! Who would have thought, who would have thought, that I would run into her here in the Void Heaven Palace! This is truly a heaven-sent blessing! Hahaha!"

Upon hearing this, Fairy Ziling's heart sank, and the color instantly drained from her pretty face beneath the veil, turning it deathly pale.

She suppressed her nausea and fear, took a deep breath, and tried hard to keep her voice calm. She bowed slightly to the middle-aged man, offering a salute, her tone carrying deliberate respect and distance:

"Junior Ziling greets this Senior. Senior is too kind with the praise; this Junior is unworthy. May I ask for Senior's name? This Junior stumbled into this place by mistake and had no intention of disturbing Senior, so I will take my leave now..."

While speaking, she quietly moved her feet toward the side and back, attempting to increase the distance and find an Opportunity to escape.

"Take your leave? Hahaha!"

The middle-aged man seemed to have heard a massive joke and laughed wildly without stopping. His figure flickered, and he blocked the direction Fairy Ziling intended to retreat. With a "clang," his ghost-head saber was slammed heavily into the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.

Looking down at her from a height, he unscrupulously surveyed Fairy Ziling's chest, which was heaving slightly due to nervousness, and leered:

"Fairy Ziling, why the rush to leave?"

"This Land of Ghostly Grievances is extremely dangerous! It is filled with soul-eating ghosts and monsters, as well as those ancient remnants of war souls; it is terrifying! A delicate little beauty like you, with such low cultivation, wandering alone in this ghost of a place—isn't that just a sheep entering the tiger's mouth, seeking your own death?"

He paused, his tone suddenly becoming "sincere," but the greed and possessiveness in his eyes became even more naked:

"How about this! I find you quite pleasing, and you are a rare beauty. If you are willing to agree and follow me from now on, becoming my thirteenth concubine, and serve me well... hehe..."

He licked his lips and continued:

"Then I will show some kindness and protect you so you can leave this Land of Ghostly Grievances safely. I can even look after you here in the Void Heaven Palace and help you find some Opportunities! How about that?"

"This is a huge stroke of good fortune! Many female Cultivators can't even beg for such a thing!"

"Consider it? Hmm?"

As he spoke, he slowly pressed forward. The fierce Spiritual Pressure of his Late Core Formation Stage, mixed with undisguised malice and lascivious Qi, was like an invisible shackle, layering itself over the pale-faced, slightly trembling Fairy Ziling!