Chapter 156: Star Palace's Mortal Enemy: The Heavenly Mystery Sect

Perhaps because he had taken all the Ancient Treasures from the second floor of the Treasure Light Pavilion in one go, Yan Taibai found the Extreme Wonder Illusion far more difficult than he had anticipated.

Every person he had met over these many years reappeared before his eyes, manifesting in their various identities.

At the beginning, he could resolve them cleanly and swiftly, but as more and more appeared, the time wasted naturally grew longer, and he could not help but worry that he might miss the opening of the Inner Palace and thus lose the chance to obtain the Void Heaven Cauldron.

Once this state of mind regarding "loss" emerged, the "people" who appeared later became increasingly realistic, often causing him to hesitate before striking.

Yet even so, day and night, he continued to exterminate these "old acquaintances" almost without rest, leaving Yan Taibai physically and mentally exhausted, but he persisted nonetheless.

……

This was a high tower; as the name suggests, it towered into the clouds and was immensely massive, with the entire tower body built from stacked, giant cyan stones.

This high tower was divided into five levels, with each level spaced a hundred zhang apart, and the main gate at the very bottom was a full fifty or sixty zhang high, which was truly shocking.

At the same time, the entire high tower seemed to be draped in a layer of white light, making it look like a magnificent, towering giant.

The cultivators before the tower were no different from ants in comparison.

Aside from the members of the Miaoyin Sect who were worried about Yan Taibai's safety, Wan Tianming, Tianwuzi, the Old Farmer, Qingyi Jushi, and others were all closing their eyes to rest.

And in their midst, a white Transmission Array still sat quietly.

As for the two Nascent Soul elders of the Star Palace, they were nowhere to be seen.

"Mother, why hasn't Uncle Yan come out yet? This Extreme Wonder Illusion isn't supposed to be that terrifying, is it?"

Ziling Xianzi stared at the white Transmission Array, full of confusion. By now, Yan Taibai was the only one who hadn't emerged; it was no wonder those who had ties to him were worried.

After all, without Yan Taibai, they would have no way to obtain the Void Heaven Cauldron, nor would it be their turn to compete for it.

"Rest assured, it is merely an Extreme Wonder Illusion; it cannot stop Brother Yan. There is no need to worry."

Zhou Yuan's delicate brows furrowed slightly as she spoke.

In reality, she was also worried, but she did not show it too much; otherwise, Wan Tianming of the Wanfa Sect, Tianwuzi, the Old Farmer, and even the Demonic Path's Qingyi Jushi might make a move against them.

Should Yan Taibai truly encounter some trouble.

However, Yan Ruyan was the only one who remained incomparably quiet, closing her eyes to rest, completely unconcerned about Yan Taibai.

After all, no one knew Yan Taibai's strength better than Yan Ruyan; even if he were truly trapped in the Extreme Wonder Illusion, there would be no problem at all. Regarding this, Yan Ruyan had absolute confidence.

In contrast to the women of the Miaoyin Sect, Wan Tianming of the Wanfa Sect, Tianwuzi, the Old Farmer, and their collaborator Qingyi Jushi were incomparably happy, though they did not reveal a shred of it, continuing to close their eyes and rest while waiting for the Inner Palace to open.

After all, they did not believe the opening time of the Inner Palace would change because of Yan Taibai; perhaps Yan Taibai had already fallen and was trapped within the Extreme Wonder Illusion.

For them, this was wonderful—a great threat had been resolved with ease.

But whether that was truly the case would only be known once the Void Heaven Palace closed.

Yet they were destined for disappointment; just as the Inner Palace was about to open, they all opened their eyes and stood up.

A white light shone within the array, and a figure appeared there.

It was none other than Yan Taibai.

As soon as Yan Taibai appeared, the hearts of the women of the Miaoyin Sect and Yuan Yao, which had been pounding with worry, finally settled, and they let out a sigh of relief with a smile.

"Master, what exactly happened? Is the Extreme Wonder Illusion you experienced truly that terrifying?"

Ling Yuling was the first to step forward, her beautiful face full of concern as she asked.

"Hehe, indeed, this Extreme Wonder Illusion is quite interesting; it made me stay a while longer. But it wasn't without its benefits."

Yan Taibai chuckled and glanced at Wan Tianming and the others, whose expressions were somewhat unnatural, and said.

"At the very least, it increased the chances of me overcoming my inner demons when I condense my Nascent Soul in the future. It seems this Extreme Wonder Illusion is more than just a test to reach the Inner Palace."

Once these words were spoken, Wan Tianming and the others curled their lips, completely disbelieving Yan Taibai.

If there were truly such benefits, why hadn't they discovered them?

However, this was no longer important; what was important and troublesome was that Yan Taibai had come out.

Their chances of obtaining the Void Heaven Cauldron had greatly diminished.

Even if they obtained the Void Heaven Cauldron, they would have to leave the Void Heaven Palace at top speed and return to the Wanfa Sect.

Just as both sides harbored their own thoughts, a violent tremor came from the ground.

Then, they saw the Inner Palace stone door, which everyone was most concerned about, rise up, revealing the blue stone passage inside.

Looking from afar, this passage appeared extremely tall and wide.

At the same time the Inner Palace stone door opened wide, the Transmission Array in the middle, which had been flashing with faint white light, dimmed and lost its luster.

"Go!"

As soon as the word was spoken, the four Nascent Soul cultivators—Wan Tianming, Tianwuzi, the Old Farmer, and Qingyi Jushi—rushed directly inside without the slightest intention of lingering, as if afraid that staying a moment longer would mean being left behind forever.

Seeing this, Yan Ruyan was the first to be unable to hold back, letting out a "pfft" as she laughed.

"They are truly wary of Brother Taibai, afraid that Brother Taibai will obtain the Void Heaven Cauldron before them. However, I fear their wariness is useless. Since Brother Taibai has come, this Void Heaven Cauldron will surely be Brother Taibai's."

"Ruyan is right. Brother Yan, two Elders, let us go in!" Zhou Yuan smiled beautifully and agreed.

"Very well, let us enter."

Yan Taibai nodded and smiled.

Subsequently, the group led by Yan Taibai stepped into the passage.

Compared to the others, the two Nascent Soul cultivators of the Miaoyin Sect were quite familiar with the path.

After all, the various passages of this Inner Palace were exactly like a labyrinth; the crisscrossing blue stone passages and the tall, solid, thick walls were all identical.

Besides that, every time they passed an intersection, a stone door carved with strange runes would appear.

These stone doors were all the same size and shape, over ten zhang in length and width, forming a square; some faced south, some north, and others opened to the east or west, seemingly without any pattern to follow, and without exception, they all flashed with a faint white light, clearly protected by some kind of Restriction.

Regarding this, the two Nascent Soul cultivators invited by the Miaoyin Sect began to explain unhurriedly.

Simply put, there were good things behind these stone doors, but they required the Void Heaven Remnant Map to unseal; once unsealed and the items retrieved, one would be immediately teleported out.

Therefore, the women of the Miaoyin Sect—Zhuo Ruting, Fan Jingmei, and Zhou Yuan—could choose this option, so as not to have come to the Inner Palace in vain.

"What are your thoughts?"

After listening to the explanations from the two Nascent Soul cultivators of the Miaoyin Sect, Yan Taibai spoke directly to ask Zhou Yuan, Fan Jingmei, Zhuo Ruting, and the others.

As for Yuan Yao, she was not here; she had gone to look for the Soul-Nurturing Wood.

Compared to Yan Taibai, Yuan Yao trusted herself more, even if she did have a favorable impression of Yan Taibai.

"This concubine wishes to see the Void Heaven Cauldron, so I do not wish to leave directly like this. I hope Brother Yan will understand."

"This concubine certainly does not think that Brother Yan is unable to obtain the Void Heaven Cauldron; it is just that viewing it while out in Brother Yan's hands is different from viewing it inside the Void Heaven Palace. I hope Brother Yan can understand. If Brother Yan is unwilling, this concubine can also leave."

Zhou Yuan said this with a face full of apology, bowing as she spoke. After hearing Zhou Yuan's words, Yan Taibai's expression remained unchanged as he looked over Zhuo Ruting, Fan Jingmei, Ziling Xianzi, and Ling Yuling.

Seeing the complex expressions of pleading and anticipation emerging on the faces of the women, he finally nodded.

"Fine, then let's all go take a look!"

"Many thanks, Brother Yan!"

"Many thanks, Martial Uncle Yan!"

"Many thanks, Master!"

Seeing Yan Taibai agree, the women immediately bowed in relief, thanking him with faces full of gratitude.

"Alright, enough with the formalities. Let's go! If there are no accidents, those fellows like Wan Tianming should be arriving soon."

Yan Taibai said with a helpless smile.

"That shouldn't be possible! Even for us, dealing with the Puppets in the previous levels is not an easy task in a short amount of time. Even if Sect Master Wan and the others have divine abilities and strength above ours, it is impossible for them to resolve it in such a short time."

One of the two Nascent Soul cultivators of the Miaoyin Sect said with a face full of disbelief.

"They borrowed something from the Heavenly Secret Sect of the Inner Star Sea that can evade the Puppets in the first few levels of the Inner Palace."

Yan Taibai explained.

He had forgotten the specific name, but it was indeed something from the Heavenly Secret Sect. He had originally wanted to borrow it too, but he actually did not know the location of the Heavenly Secret Sect.

It was only after asking others that he learned this Heavenly Secret Sect had always been elusive; the entire island could move and could appear in any known sea area of the Inner Star Sea or even the Outer Star Sea.

Therefore, to find the Heavenly Secret Sect, one needed the Heavenly Secret Token of the Heavenly Secret Sect. Very unfortunately, this thing only appeared once every hundred years, and the previous one was obtained by Wan Tianming of the Wanfa Sect.

Only then could they borrow that thing to use for evading the Puppets in the Inner Palace of the Void Heaven Palace.

"The Creation Instrument."

The two Nascent Soul cultivators of the Miaoyin Sect said with a sudden realization.

"To think that Sect Master Wan actually borrowed the Creation Instrument from the Heavenly Secret Sect. No wonder, no wonder."

"So, what exactly is this Creation Instrument?"

Yan Taibai blinked and asked further.

And the answer from the two Nascent Soul cultivators of the Miaoyin Sect was very simple, just three words: "Don't know."

"You don't know? Then how do you know that this Creation Instrument can evade the Inner Palace Puppets?"

Yan Taibai was stunned and asked in surprise.

"This is not a secret. It is said that the Heavenly Secret Sect also has a significant connection to the Void Heaven Palace. In the past, they also used the Creation Instrument to evade Inner Palace Puppets and almost obtained the Void Heaven Cauldron several times, which is why they went into seclusion. To think that Sect Master Wan actually borrowed the Creation Instrument."

The two Nascent Soul cultivators of the Miaoyin Sect explained.

"It's not just for that reason; it is said that the Heavenly Secret Sect once vied with the Star Palace for the position of Master of the Star Sea, but as a result, less than one in a thousand of the sect remained, and only then did they choose to go into seclusion."

The other Nascent Soul cultivator of the Miaoyin Sect explained further.

"Then this Heavenly Secret Sect is truly capable." Yan Taibai sighed.

"Indeed, that is why they have not been destroyed to this day."

"I roughly understand why Fellow Daoist Wan was able to borrow this Creation Instrument."

After a moment of thought, Yan Taibai said in a deep voice.

"Why?"

Yan Ruyan was curious.

"Because this Heavenly Secret Sect is nine times out of ten the force that brokered the alliance between the righteous and demonic paths, and this Creation Instrument was one of the conditions. After all, the grievances between the righteous and demonic paths in the Inner Star Sea are no less than those with the Star Palace. The only one capable of mediating between the two sides should be this Heavenly Secret Sect. Of course, these are just my guesses; I cannot guarantee whether it is true or not."

Yan Taibai shook his head and explained.

"That should be correct. This Heavenly Secret Sect has always been at odds with the Star Palace. Unfortunately, even the Star Palace cannot find their tracks; it is truly extremely bizarre." Ling Yuling nodded slightly and said.

"So that's how it is."

Zhou Yuan naturally believed Ling Yuling's words; she was one of the only three people in the Miaoyin Sect who knew Ling Yuling's true identity, while the others only knew that Ling Yuling came from the Star Palace.

But as for her specific identity, they were not clear.

And just as the few were talking, trouble arrived.

"I leave it to you two Elders."

Sensing the Puppets approaching, Yan Taibai spoke directly.

"Great Elder, rest assured, just leave it to us."

The two Nascent Soul cultivators of the Miaoyin Sect looked at each other and nodded.

Before the words had even faded, they transformed into two streaks of light and headed toward the danger.

Following that, in the passage ahead, there was a loud "Boom—" sound, followed by a series of crisp cracking sounds, as if something had shattered.

"With the two Elders here, these Inner Palace Puppets are nothing to fear."

Yan Taibai chuckled lightly. He couldn't let the two of them come for nothing; after so many years, it was time for them to do some work.

What's more, Yan Taibai was well aware of the identities of these two Nascent Soul Elders.

"Indeed!"

……

After the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the two Nascent Soul Elders of the Miaoyin Sect walked out with full smiles on their faces and said.

"Sect Master, Great Elder, we can go now."

"Very well, thank you for your hard work, two Elders."

Seeing this, Zhou Yuan smoothed her skirt and bowed in thanks.

"Sect Master, you are too polite. Time is short; we must hurry into the fifth level. Otherwise, if Sect Master Wan and the others obtain the Void Heaven Cauldron, it will be troublesome."

"Therefore, the Puppets ahead will also be trouble for you two Elders."

Yan Taibai said with a smile.

"That is only natural, Great Elder, please rest assured."

The two exchanged a glance, their hearts filled with bitter smiles.

But there was no other way; compared to the Miaoyin Sect, the two of them cared more about the safety of Ling Yuling.

How could the Heavenly Star Sages not send someone to protect their daughter? To just hand her over to Yan Taibai like this—how could that be possible? The two of them were not stupid.

When Yan Taibai's party stepped into the passage they had just been in, they saw that the ground was mostly covered in pieces of shattered, unknown silver metal; besides that, there was half a broken golden wolf head, several segments of thick, pitch-black, lusterless blades, and various other strange, miscellaneous items.

"These are all useless things."

The two Nascent Soul Elders of the Miaoyin Sect explained. "That is not necessarily true. Yuling, collect them. Once we return to the Miaoyin Sect, give them to me," Yan Taibai said, shaking his head with a smile.

Hearing this, before Ling Yuling could make a move, the two Nascent Soul cultivators of the Miaoyin Sect hurriedly spoke up.

"Such a small matter, why would we need Junior Niece Ling to do it? Just leave it to us."

After all, how could they possibly let Ling Yuling go to any trouble?

(End of chapter)