Chapter 451: The Moon God Palace's Secret Realm and an Ancient Formation
The first rays of morning sunlight broke across the horizon, symbolizing hope. However, the Sea Moon Continent was an exception. A haunting silence blanketed the land, as no sound emerged from its expanse.
During the previous night's massacre, the entire Razor Toothed Demon Clan was wiped out every last one of them, from the highest ranking leaders to the lowest soldiers.
No bodies remained, either. Those too weak were shredded and devoured by ferocious beasts corrupted by demonic energy, while the more powerful corpses were collected and stored in spatial rings. They were then sent to the Heavenly Dao Tower's first layer, where Huaien absorbed their bloodline essence to enhance his Swallowing Spirit Bloodline.
A Long Awaited Reunion
At that moment, Zi Yan finally located Gu Yuan and Zhu Kun, who had been hiding underground, using the bloodline connection she shared with her father.
"Heavens! Did you really kill the entire Razor Toothed Demon Clan?" Zhu Kun asked incredulously, embracing Zi Yan tightly before continuing, "Did your teacher bring all of White Jade Pavilion's top experts here?"
Gu Yuan stood nearby, equally shocked. He knew how dangerous the Sea Moon Continent was. Despite its isolation from other demonic territories, reaching it required evading numerous Outer Realm patrols, particularly those of the infamous Devouring Demon Clan.
And yet, here was Zi Yan, calmly claiming that the Razor Toothed Demon Clan had been annihilated!
Zi Yan grinned mischievously. "Not at all, Father. This time, only Teacher, Xiao Yan, Xun'er, Senior Brother Huaien, and I came. Actually, Senior Brother Huaien didn't even need to fight. Teacher released the seal on his Swallowing Spirit Bloodline, so he focused on absorbing the bloodline essence from fallen Razor Toothed warriors. As for me, my task was simply to find you and Gu Yuan."
She paused before adding, "The real fighters were just Teacher, Xiao Yan, and Xun'er."
Unbelievable Feats
"Impossible! Just three people managed to annihilate an entire clan in a single night?" Zhu Kun was stunned, and Gu Yuan's expression mirrored his disbelief.
Both men were familiar with the Razor Toothed Demon Clan's strength. The clan boasted ten Demon Emperors, countless Demon Generals, and a leader rumored to have reached the Sky Demon Emperor stage.
Even Zhu Kun and Gu Yuan had felt paralyzed by the overwhelming presence of a Sky Demon Emperor during their infiltration.
And yet, Zi Yan claimed that her teacher and two juniors had wiped them out overnight.
"I can't believe it. In just five years, your teacher's strength has become so terrifying," Gu Yuan muttered, shaking his head in disbelief.
Beside him, Zhu Kun couldn't help but feel a sense of defeat. Back on the Dou Qi Continent, even though Xiao Tiance had been formidable, the gap between them hadn't seemed insurmountable.
But in the Great Thousand World, things had changed drastically. Zhu Kun and Gu Yuan had obtained great opportunities, pushing their cultivation to the peak of Earthly Supreme Perfection. They were even optimistic about achieving Heavenly Supreme someday.
Yet Xiao Tiance had not only founded White Jade Pavilion a superpower akin to a colossus but had also advanced his strength at an almost unfathomable pace.
Now, the man could kill Saint Grade Heavenly Sovereigns, an accomplishment far beyond merely defeating them.
Zi Yan's Reassurance
Seeing the defeated looks on their faces, Zi Yan couldn't suppress her laughter.
"Father, Gu Yuan, you two should stop comparing yourselves to my teacher. Not even the so called prodigies of the Great Thousand World's five Ancient Clans can match his cultivation speed."
She smirked before adding, "And let me tell you something: during the battle, my teacher didn't even use his War Array Master or Formation Master techniques. Yet he still killed the Razor Toothed Demon Clan leader effortlessly."
Gu Yuan and Zhu Kun gaped, their expressions frozen in disbelief.
Zi Yan, feeling a pang of pity, quickly changed the subject. "Anyway, let's stop dwelling on that. Teacher sent me to find you both, so now that I've succeeded, let's go meet him."
The two men nodded reluctantly, their curiosity about Xiao Tiance's current strength outweighing their bruised pride.
A Humbling Encounter
When they finally reunited with Xiao Tiance, Zhu Kun and Gu Yuan couldn't hide their shock. The aura radiating from him was overwhelming, like a vast ocean of power.
After sensing their conditions, Xiao Tiance smiled warmly. "It's good to see you both safe and sound. These three kids were worried sick about you."
The two men exchanged glances, offering sheepish smiles.
"Our apologies for causing so much trouble," they said in unison.
A Favor to Ask
After some brief exchanges, Gu Yuan stepped forward.
"Tiance, may I request your assistance with something? Zhu Kun and I came to the Sea Moon Continent searching for the Moon God Palace's secret realm. But after more than half a month, we've found no clues."
Xiao Tiance raised an eyebrow. "The Moon God Palace's secret realm?"
Gu Yuan nodded. "We discovered a map pointing to this location. It suggested that the palace held treasures that could aid our cultivation, possibly even help us break through to the Heavenly Supreme stage. However, our search has been fruitless."
Xiao Tiance pondered for a moment before replying, "Interesting. I've heard of the Moon God Palace before. It was said to be an ancient relic left behind by a sect specializing in space and moon based techniques. If the secret realm exists, it's likely hidden by unique spatial formations."
He turned to Zi Yan. "Zi Yan, do you still have the map they mentioned?"
Zi Yan quickly retrieved it from her storage ring and handed it over.
After studying the map carefully, Xiao Tiance's expression grew serious. "This formation... it's not something anyone below a Saint Grade Formation Master can unravel. Fortunately, I might be able to crack it."
A New Objective
Gu Yuan and Zhu Kun's eyes lit up.
"You mean you can open the secret realm?" Zhu Kun asked eagerly.
"It's not a guarantee, but I'll do my best," Xiao Tiance replied confidently.
With their goal now set, the group began preparations to uncover the Moon God Palace's hidden secrets, unaware of the challenges and dangers that awaited them.
"Could you help us search for it?"
"Indeed," Zhu Kun added, nodding. "We came here upon learning about a rare treasure within the Moon God Palace's secret realm the Ascension Moon God Flower. Its petals are said to enhance one's comprehension of cultivation and increase training speed. Unfortunately, after half a month on the Sea Moon Continent, we haven't even found the secret realm's entrance. Worse, our activity attracted the Razor Toothed Demon Clan, forcing us to hide underground. If you hadn't arrived, we planned to search for one more day before leaving this place."
Hearing this, Xiao Tiance pondered briefly before nodding. "Though I've sealed the Sea Moon Continent with a formation, it's not guaranteed that other Outer Realm experts won't learn about the events here. I can only give you today. If we can't find the entrance by then, you'll have to return to the Great Thousand World with Xiao Yan and the others."
A Renewed Search
"Understood. Thank you, Tiance," Gu Yuan and Zhu Kun said, visibly relieved. With Xiao Tiance's help, they were more confident of success.
The group split up, each scouring the Razor Toothed Demon Clan's former base for clues.
By midday, Xiao Tiance furrowed his brows, his tone tinged with doubt. "Ling'er, are you certain your source power is nearby?"
"Yes, Little Master," Ling'er replied confidently, perched on his shoulder. "There's no way I'd mistake it. To others, source power is imperceptible unless they see or touch it directly. But to me, it's as if it's part of my body. As long as it exists in the same space as I do, I can pinpoint its location. Right now, I sense it just a few meters away from us."
Trusting Ling'er's abilities, Xiao Tiance nodded. However, despite thoroughly searching the area, they had found no trace of her source power.
A Skyward Revelation
As the pair pondered the dilemma, Pang Wa emerged from the Heavenly Dao Tower, grinning mischievously. "Little Master, Ling'er, aren't you two overthinking this? If you can't find it underground, why not look up?"
The suggestion was a revelation.
"Of course! If it's not below, it could be above!" Xiao Tiance exclaimed.
Without hesitation, he bent his knees and leapt into the air.
About 500 meters above the ground, Xiao Tiance suddenly felt as though he had struck an invisible wall.
"Bang!"
Ripples spread across the sky, revealing a massive formation hidden from view.
"It's inside, Little Master! My source power is inside!" Ling'er exclaimed, her excitement palpable.
A Hidden Formation
"What an intriguing formation," Xiao Tiance remarked, examining the barrier. "Though it's only at the grandmaster level, its concealment is remarkable. As long as no one touches it, even a saint grade formation grandmaster wouldn't notice it."
Pang Wa chuckled in agreement. "That's correct, Little Master. This type of formation was commonly used during ancient times by powerful factions to protect secret realms. Unfortunately, when the Outer Realm forces invaded, many of these factions were destroyed, including the Moon God Palace. Still, who would have guessed they hid their secret realm right above their sect headquarters? No wonder no one has found it for so many years."
"When there's no threat, the sect headquarters is the safest place to hide something. But when disaster strikes, the least likely spot becomes the safest," Xiao Tiance mused before his expression turned serious. "Since we've found it, let's focus on breaking the formation and retrieving what's inside. We need to move quickly if the Outer Realm's 32 clans catch wind of this, we'll be surrounded and trapped."
Cracking the Formation
Ling'er flew off his shoulder, circling the formation to study its patterns. As a formation grandmaster, her expertise was undeniable. In just ten minutes, she had mapped out the entire structure.
After about an hour of analysis alongside Xiao Tiance, they devised a way to safely deactivate it.
Though they could have brute forced their way in, doing so would have risked collapsing the secret realm, destroying everything within.
"Pang Wa, go inform Gu Yuan and Zhu Kun that we've found the entrance," Xiao Tiance instructed. Pang Wa nodded and quickly disappeared to relay the message.
Meanwhile, Xiao Tiance and Ling'er positioned themselves on opposite sides of the formation. With synchronized hand seals, they sent intricate patterns of light cascading into the barrier.
"Buzz... buzz... Break!"
The barrier shimmered before openings appeared at several points.
Entering the Secret Realm
"It worked!" Xiao Tiance smiled as the formation dissolved. Noticing Gu Yuan, Zhu Kun, Xiao Yan, and Xun'er rushing toward him, he called out, "The entrance is open. Let's move quickly grab what we can and leave before we attract unwanted attention."
Everyone nodded. Gu Yuan and Zhu Kun wasted no time, diving into the secret realm with fervor.
A Greater Danger Looms
Unbeknownst to them, the moment they breached the Moon God Palace's formation, powerful demonic entities across the Outer Realm suddenly shifted their attention toward the Sea Moon Continent.
In multiple locations, Sky Demon Emperor level experts paused, their gazes locking onto the distant horizon.
The breach had not gone unnoticed.
(End of Chapter)
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