Chapter 346: Heavenly Palace Ally

Calming his spirit, Chen Mu's gaze sharpened slightly as he fell into brief thought.

With his current Foundation Establishment realm of Three Flowers Gathering at the Crown, plus his many hidden cards and ability to fight beyond his rank, he was confident he could stand against a Foundation Establishment Five Qi Aligning with the Core, even a Manifest Spirit Undamaged.

But the Heavenly Palace realm…

That was an entirely different tier—a true master who commanded the forces of heaven and earth, whose power far surpassed anything the Foundation Establishment could match.

That malevolent entity, so feared by Tong Zhenjiang and deemed only addressable by a Heavenly Palace cultivator, must possess terrifying qualities.

Forcing entry would be unwise.

Yet Chen Mu was not without his own cards.

"A Heavenly Palace ally… I do have one."

Chen Mu smiled faintly.

The Lady of the Taiyin Star owed him a favor.

That Lady of the Taiyin Star was none other than a Heavenly Palace cultivator!

"An ancient evil from the Blood Emperor Sect, neither alive nor dead… if I could slay it, what kind of card might I 'pick up'?"

Far from fear, Chen Mu felt a flicker of curiosity and anticipation.

Such an ancient malevolence was certainly no ordinary foe.

Having made his decision, Chen Mu no longer hesitated.

First, he reached out with a gesture, summoning Tong Shoutian's corpse before him through empty air.

His gaze settled on the dark-silver, ancient breastplate; with a pulse of true energy, he peeled it from Tong Shoutian's corpse. A thought stirred, and the breastplate vanished into his palm space.

Next, he expertly searched Tong Shoutian's body, retrieving several jade vials of pills, a small pouch of poisoned ox-hair needles, and scattered gold and silver notes—all tucked away.

From Tong Zhenjiang's corpse, he gained little: only a few vials of healing and true energy-restoring pills, and a decent-quality inner soft armor, which Chen Mu found unworthy but took anyway.

As for the corpses of the other guards and wandering cultivators, Chen Mu had no patience to bother with them.

Their possessions held no value for him.

Having finished, Chen Mu shook his true energy, dispelling the dust and bloodstains from his hands.

Then, with a sweep of his right hand, a vast "Starlit Robe," as if woven from night sky and starlight, draped over his body, and a plain white mask, devoid of any pattern, covered his face.

Disguise complete—his aura utterly transformed.

No longer the disguised wandering cultivator, but a member of the mysterious organization "Star Gods."

"Wu Quxing!"

He withdrew the Star Token—neither metal nor jade, its surface shimmering with starlight—and with a thought, activated it.

Hum~

The Star Token blazed with light; a profound spatial ripple spread outward from Chen Mu, warping and folding the surrounding air like water.

The next instant, Chen Mu's figure, along with the spatial ripple, vanished from the edge of the pit, leaving behind only a litter of corpses and the faint, fading screams echoing from below.

…

White clouds drifted; floating islands stood scattered; the central Star Transmission Platform's pillar still pierced heaven and earth.

The Star Palace remained as ever: serene, transcendent, unchanging since antiquity.

Chen Mu's figure materialized at the edge of one floating island.

After confirming direction, his form became a streak of starlight, swiftly flying toward the grandest structure—the Starlit Palace—whose halls loomed faintly through starlit mists.

Inside the palace, vast and silent, the towering dome was inlaid with countless sparkling star gems; the floor, smooth as a mirror, reflected shifting star maps.

No other "Star Gods" moved within; only eternal starlight fell soundlessly.

Chen Mu walked with ease to one side of the hall, selected an unused Celestial Star Pillar, and extended a finger to swiftly carve several arcane runes upon its surface, setting a restriction only a specific recipient could access and view the mission content.

Then, with a flick of his palm, he produced a special token—deep blue, its surface swirling with silver lunar patterns.

It was the emergency contact token the Lady of the Taiyin Star had given him last time.

Chen Mu gently placed this specially crafted Star Token into a recess at the base of the Celestial Star Pillar, perfectly matching its shape.

Immediately, he channeled his internal true energy, slowly feeding it into the token.

Hum—

The Celestial Star Pillar trembled slightly; the speed of its starlight flow surged.

The deep blue token activated, emitting a soft lunar glow that merged with the pillar's starlight.

An invisible, precisely directed special ripple, through the mysterious link between Star Tokens, shot outward across vast distances, straight to the Star Token held by the Lady of the Taiyin Star.

Message sent. Awaiting reply.

Chen Mu stood beside the Celestial Star Pillar, arms folded, his gaze behind the mask calm as still water.

Given the Lady of the Taiyin Star's status and power, if convenient, she would respond swiftly upon receiving the message.

About a quarter hour passed.

The air at the entrance of the Starlit Palace rippled faintly.

A figure glided in soundlessly.

The newcomer wore the same wide "Starlit Robe" embroidered with specks of starlight, and bore a pure white mask; her steps were light, as if treading upon moonlight.

Though masked, her cold, ethereal aura, subtly tinged with the gentle radiance of moonlight, was unmistakable—she was the Lady of the Taiyin Star.

"Wu Quxing, you've waited long."

The Lady of the Taiyin Star walked straight to Chen Mu; her voice, cool yet gently warm, emerged through the mask. "Upon receiving your urgent message, I came at once. What is the matter?"

"Forgive me for disturbing your cultivation."

Chen Mu bowed, offering the Star Palace's simple salute, his tone sincere. "I've asked you here because I have a difficult matter and seek your aid."

"Wu Quxing, speak plainly," the Lady of the Taiyin Star nodded slightly, urging him to continue.

Chen Mu cut straight to the point, recounting how he had sailed seeking opportunity, passed by the Ice-Fire Island, and disguised himself to join Tong Shoutian's expedition team.

Using the "Ruins of Tiandao Sect" as bait, he actually intended to feed the blood of primordial martial artists to the "Blood-Devouring Heaven Blade," while exposing the conspiracy and extracting detailed information—especially that Tong Shoutian had discovered an ancient evil artifact during his investigation of the ruins and declared that only a Tiangong realm cultivator could confront it—laying out the facts clearly and highlighting the key points.

Finally, his gaze passed through the mask toward the Moon Star Lord, and he spoke with sincere tone.

"... Deep within those ruins, an evil entity lurks—strange and ancient, originating from the Xuehuang Sect. Descriptions say it is 'neither alive nor dead,' and its power likely exceeds that of a Earth Altar realm cultivator. Wu Qu has some interest in the origin of this evil, and wishes to investigate further. Hence, I humbly request your assistance; if you can slay it, that would be best."

He paused, then added further, his tone even more solemn.

"Whether or not this succeeds, Wu Qu will forever remember your aid. Additionally, the 'Blood-Devouring Heaven Blade'—the sword requiring vast primordial martial energy to even touch—is of no interest to Wu Qu. If you resolve the evil entity, the blade is yours—consider it a token of gratitude and reward from Wu Qu."

"The Blood-Devouring Heaven Blade? A top-grade mystery weapon?"

Upon hearing this, the Moon Star Lord's cold voice betrayed a faint, almost imperceptible ripple.

She fell silent for an instant, as if weighing her options, then spoke.