Chapter 92: The Fake
Chapter 92: The Fake
Lan Xiaozhu softly said, “It’s possible, but that method isn’t flawless. Cheng Lingyu bore over nine layers of Backlash Power, and I lost at least one year of my lifespan.”
Song Xuejiao pressed, “Then what method would be perfect?”
Lan Xiaozhu gave a cryptic smile, offering no answer.
Caiyun frowned. “Deeper contact would achieve perfection. You’re clever, but if this harms my junior apprentice, I won’t forgive you.”
Lan Xiaozhu chuckled lightly. “He already matters more to you than countless others. I once divined his future—vast, boundless, endless. I couldn’t grasp it, nor pin it down.”
Caiyun snorted. “Celestial Cataclysm Divination isn’t all-powerful. Those whose fates are veiled by the heavenly way can’t be predicted—and such people are never ordinary.”
Song Xuejiao cut in, “Enough. Let’s focus on the fourth person. See what he’s truly like.”
The three watched intently.
Soon, the fourth appeared—a man unnoticed until he breached the palace, shocking all.
Only his silhouette was seen: long hair streaming, aloof and elegant. When struck by Golden Crow flames, he made no move to defend himself, letting the inferno consume him.
In that instant, his black hair turned silver—strange yet dazzling, radiantly beautiful. Bathed in flames, he seemed to rise reborn, striding through the blaze into the palace.
The spectacle stunned everyone, even the five Spirit Masters. Who could defy the Golden Crow flames?
Caiyun’s face darkened. “This man’s dangerous. No commoner.”
Song Xuejiao gasped. “Xiaozhu’s divination was shockingly precise. Unbelievable unless seen. But which of these four will claim the Holy Emperor’s legacy?”
Lan Xiaozhu remained silent, shaking her head slightly. None understood the gesture.
Outside, cultivators seethed with frustration. The Holy Emperor’s legacy slipped from their grasp, the palace barred to them.
The five Spirit Masters—elites from Tianyang Empire’s Three Saints and Four Peerless, supremely confident—burned with humiliation. Yet here they were, barred from entry.
Upon passing through the entrance, Cheng Lingyu gaped at the sight before him.
A palace floated mid-air, blazing with light.
Within its grand hall loomed the Sun God Tablet, a massive stone monument. Below it sat a golden body, lifelike yet dreamlike.
From Cheng Lingyu’s vantage point below the hovering palace, only the tablet and golden body were visible. The sacred blood pool and mysterious jade bead remained hidden.
The structure shimmered, an ancient power dominating the void like a divine mountain, devouring surrounding energies, outshining all else.
Cheng Lingyu now stood on a cliff overlooking a colossal chasm—jagged stone spires pierced upwards, treasures glowing with lethal allure.
The chasm defied belief: over a thousand miles wide, fifteen hundred long.
Directly across stood another empty cliff. To his left and right, however, perched Hua Yuehong and Bai Ruomei. Having entered earlier, they surveyed their surroundings, beautiful faces etched with awe.
Cheng Lingyu sensed this was a separate small world, detached from reality. His True Martial Realm cultivation couldn’t explain such realms, but he didn’t dwell on it.
The palace blazed like a sun, its sacred aura warping time and space. A supergravity field pressed down, choking his breath.
Stone peaks riddled the chasm. Flickering lights among them hinted at hidden lifeforms.
As Cheng Lingyu scanned the area, a figure materialized on the opposite cliff—silver hair blazing so brightly it obscured his features.
Cheng Lingyu’s Magic Eyes technique allowed him to observe with precision, yet the silver glow masking the man’s face prevented any deeper investigation.
Hua Yuehong and Bai Ruomei both spotted the man, their beautiful faces flushing with excitement and agitation that puzzled Cheng Lingyu.
Did these two women recognize him?
The silver-haired man returned their gazes, first glancing at Bai Ruomei before fixing his peculiar stare on Hua Yuehong.
Cheng Lingyu felt slighted, as the silver-haired man hadn’t even acknowledged his existence.
“What’s so special about you? I’ll crush you beneath my feet someday,” Cheng Lingyu fumed internally, eyeing the mid-air palace while devising an ascent strategy.
The palace radiated oppressive might, its aura causing involuntary trembling in those who sensed it.
After brief consideration, Cheng Lingyu retrieved a magnet from his Spirit Cloak Ring – common forging material.
Testing its weight, he hurled it skyward with incredible force.
The magnet slowed rapidly under immense pressure, stalling after ten zhang before plunging into the chasm.
Cheng Lingyu grimaced. The unstable space and brutal supergravity field made aerial approaches impossible.
The magnet’s impact echoed through the chasm, drawing cold stares from the silver-haired man and both women.
Hua Yuehong stared in disbelief. She’d only entered this realm through the beautiful jade coffin – how had Cheng Lingyu managed to enter?
The silver-haired man dove into the chasm, followed by Bai Ruomei and Hua Yuehong. Though confused by their dynamics, Cheng Lingyu followed suit.
The small world’s supergravity field created terrifying descent speeds. The lifeless chasm bristled with jagged stones.
Lacking sufficient cultivation, Cheng Lingyu crashed down violently, shattering rock beneath his feet and embedding his knees in stone.
He grimaced. Without his robust physical body, this reckless leap would’ve been suicidal.
The silver-haired man descended effortlessly, displaying formidable power. The women landed more gracefully than Cheng Lingyu, though still clumsily.
Stone peaks now blocked all visibility. Circling his landing site, Cheng Lingyu noticed carved characters on a rocky cliff.
Each step felt like bearing Mount Tai’s descending force. Reaching the cliff face, golden words glimmered:
“Land of Annihilation,
Chance Concealed,
Life and Death Evaporate,
Fate Revealed.”
Sixteen golden characters were followed by smaller text explaining four hidden opportunities: Life (vitality), Death (peril), Illusion (transformation), and Extinction (destruction). These weren’t ordinary Spirit Treasures, being nearly undetectable.
Skeptical, Cheng Lingyu tested The Source Pearl. It reacted strongly toward the palace but ignored the chasm.
Reexamining the sky, he saw radiant clouds veiling an ethereal palace. “An illusion?” he muttered. From the cliff it had seemed real, but now appeared insubstantial.
Activating his Magic Eyes, Cheng Lingyu realized the palace resembled a projection – solid from afar, but clearly false from specific angles.
“This is Tianyang Empire’s ancestral ground where the Tianyang Holy Emperor ascended! How can it be fake? Like Lanling Holy Palace’s dual versions?”
The Source Pearl’s persistent reaction suggested treasures existed regardless of the palace’s nature. Storing it, Cheng Lingyu trudged onward through the oppressive supergravity field.
The four opportunities:
– Life: Unknown vitality source
– Death: Hidden lethal threats
– Illusion: Transformative paths
– Extinction: Destructive forces
Others found identical carvings. The silver-haired man moved freely through the supergravity, silver aura shimmering mysteriously. Hua Yuehong, at Blood Martial Realm’s early stage, ranked second in strength.
Summoning her beautiful jade coffin into her left palm, Hua Yuehong sweated under the binding force. She leaped onto a giant stone, barely maintaining balance.
The thousand-mile-wide chasm stretched fifteen hundred miles north-south. Except for the silver-haired man, all moved tortoiselike under crushing pressure.
Suddenly, a gliding white stone caught Hua Yuehong’s eye – skateboard-shaped with circular patterns, darting through the supergravity field effortlessly.