C2681 Outside the Heavenly Palace
C2681 Outside the Heavenly Palace
Jiang Fann continued flying in that direction, determined to secure the Divine Spell if the remnants weren't in the Celestial Palace. Its usefulness was already evident to him, making it incredibly valuable.
As he approached the Celestial Palace, the sensation grew stronger, and the Divine Spell became more active within his Qi Sea. To prevent any mishaps, Jiang Fann kept suppressing the aura of the Divine Spell. Fortunately, the power of his Innate Dao Fruit surpassed that of the Divine Spell, allowing him to completely isolate its energy.
Meanwhile, at the Celestial Palace, a robust cultivator named Zhao furrowed his brow, staring at the distant sky with a puzzled expression. Zhang Qianren noticed his sudden change and asked, "Master Zhao, is something wrong?"
"I sense the power of the Divine Spell drawing nearer, but I can't pinpoint it. It's truly perplexing," Zhao replied, turning to Zhang Qianren. "Let's be clear, if we get our hands on the Divine Spell and it includes the Chapter of Body Arts, I get first dibs."
The Venerable Harn Star said, "I personally agree to this, and the others won't compete with you either. We all recognize your strength. Since we're working together to strengthen this alliance, everything is negotiable."
Despite being at the pinnacle of his realm, the Venerable Harn Star was quite courteous to this individual, who was at a slightly lower level, indicating the formidable power of the latter.
Zhang Qianren replied, "Master Zhao, you can rest assured. As long as we can deal with that person, everything will be fine. However, the immediate concern is to be cautious of the woman from Myriad Clouds Mountain. Based on the clues brought back by Pharmacist Xing Yan, her power might surpass even yours. According to the information I have, she might be a dark practitioner, which makes her a tough opponent."
The Venerable Harn Star said, "Don't worry about that woman. With the combined efforts of a few of us, we can handle her, maybe even suppress her. If she knows what's good for her, fine. If not, we'll eliminate her as a dark practitioner; leaving her around would only cause trouble..."
Zhang Qianren said, "Then there's no time to waste. Master can start preparing as well. Since Jiang Fann has already made his move, we could act at any moment. We've done so much groundwork; this time, we must strike decisively and not give him a chance to recover."
"You don't need to worry about my side. We've been ready for a while now. Those old guys are on standby, and the teleportation arrays are set up. We can catch them off guard at any time."
Zhang Qianren suddenly remembered something and reminded his mentor, "Pharmacist Xing Yan hopes to keep the Heaven Supporting Divine Wood. If possible, try to suppress it. The Divine Wood hasn't fully matured yet, and with your strength and that of the other seniors, it shouldn't be a problem to control it."
The Venerable Star replied, "You don't need to worry about the Divine Wood. It's a spiritual entity of nature, formed from the ultimate power. Even if its main body is destroyed multiple times, it can regrow. As long as there's a single branch left, it can revive. We won't harm it unless absolutely necessary, but we can't let it interfere with our plans. Don't forget your objective."
Zhang Qianren nodded, "Of course."
The Venerable Star left the courtyard to make further arrangements. Zhang Qianren headed to the Medicine Hut, while the cultivator named Zhao stayed behind to continue his training. After Zhang Qianren left, Zhao sat cross-legged, a golden aura enveloping him, his body shimmering with a sacred light, his energy contained.
Meanwhile, Jiang Fann, continuing his journey to the Celestial Palace, once again sensed the presence of the Divine Spell. This time, it was unmistakable, and the feeling of excitement surged through him.
A smile appeared on his face, "It must be the remnants of the Divine Spell! I didn't expect to find this right after my retreat. I hope it will be useful to me."
The Creation Spell of Heaven and Earth consists of nine chapters. Jiang Fann has already acquired seven of them, needing just two more to advance to the Heavenly King chapter and overcome the bottleneck imposed by the ultimate path. This would significantly ease his breakthrough, marking a crucial opportunity for his true rise.
He was filled with anticipation, eager to discover which chapter the aura of the fragmented scroll he sensed was coming from.
"I should have brought Mo with me," he thought. However, Jiang Fann decided against calling for Mo's support. The forces at the Heavenly Palace had already begun their operations and might launch a surprise attack on Myriad Clouds Mountain. It was safer for Mo to stay there. As for the situation at the Heavenly Palace, Jiang Fann planned to investigate first. If possible, he wouldn't mind handling it himself. Regardless, he was determined to get his hands on the Divine Spell fragment.
Disguised as Wan Chengfeng, he noticed the cultivator following him kept a distance. With his objective changed, Jiang Fann knew he couldn't let the follower keep tracking him. He quickly descended outside a town and blended into the crowd. Using his skills, he altered his appearance and aura. By the time the cultivator caught up, Jiang Fann had already vanished without a trace.
"Did he notice me? How did he disappear so quickly?" the cultivator wondered. He then took out a Spirit Attached Jade to inform the Heavenly Palace of the situation. The location wasn't far from the Heavenly Palace, and there was a teleportation array available. He needed assistance to find Wan Chengfeng.
Meanwhile, Jiang Fann had no intention of wasting time there. He slipped into a nearby alley, heading straight for another exit of the town, and then made his way toward the Heavenly Palace.
As Jiang Fann approached the celestial palace, the power sensed by the Divine Spell grew stronger. Yet, he couldn't shake an indescribable feeling, a sense of unease that seemed not entirely caused by the Creation Spell of Heaven and Earth.
This discomfort forced Jiang Fann to stay alert. Fortunately, the Divine Spell's response became more intense, solidifying his resolve to reach the celestial palace. It was his first time going there.
He communicated with the Universe Furnace, asking directly, "I know Lin Zhan's God Slaughter Array was the main defense of the celestial palace. Besides that, are there any other defensive formations?"
The Universe Furnace replied, "There are other formations, but Lin Zhan is the only Formation Spirit. The others are strong, but just purely so. I can't be sure of the current situation. You might want to ask him, as he was the one controlling the formations back then."
Through Jiang Fann's spiritual sense, Lin Zhan heard the Universe Furnace and responded, "I did control the celestial palace's formations back then, but whether they've changed, we'll only know once we're there. Don't get your hopes up too much. The God Slaughter Array was the main formation, and with it gone, the power of the supporting formations has greatly diminished. Given the current advancements, he likely wouldn't keep using the formations."
Lin Zhan made a valid point; the people who helped set up the grand formation at the Celestial Palace are long gone.
As Jiang Fann entered the territory of the Celestial Palace, he noticed many young individuals with impressive skills in the nearby towns. He even saw several guards in silver armor patrolling the area. These silver-armored cultivators were the Celestial Soldiers of the Celestial Palace. Compared to the Celestial Soldiers who once defended against foreign invaders, these new ones were much stronger, with most having reached the Dao Understanding Stage, a rarity in the past.
Jiang Fann glanced at the map in his hand. "Once we leave this town, the mountains where the Celestial Palace is located are directly to the north. This is where the Celestial Palace conducts transactions with outside cultivators. All the forces within the city are under the jurisdiction of the Celestial Palace, similar to the old Tianfu City, but with even greater overall strength."
Normally, Jiang Fann might have sent out the old dragon to gather information, but the dragon's unique identity made it well-known to the Celestial Palace. Having been at Myriad Clouds Mountain for so long, the dragon wasn't a secret. Such a holy beast would be hard to find elsewhere in the realm, so its sudden appearance here would surely attract attention and quickly reach the ears of the Celestial Palace.
Jiang Fann approached the city gate leading towards the Celestial Palace but didn't act immediately. Instead, he stood nearby, observing carefully. Since he was on a quest to find the Divine Spell, he needed to figure out a way to blend into the Celestial Palace first.
Based on the Divine Spell's reaction, he was almost certain that the fragment was somewhere within the nearby celestial palace. He was determined to obtain it.
He soon noticed that many cultivators were heading to the celestial palace, ranging from the young to the old. Some of the elders had impressive skills, making it hard to discern their backgrounds.
The current landscape felt incredibly unfamiliar to Jiang Fann.
Just then, a figure emerged from the bustling street crowd, heading toward the city gate. This person looked quite young, dressed in a blue martial outfit, carrying a large gourd on his back. His aura was otherworldly, giving off a vibe that kept people at a distance.
This sight stirred many memories for Jiang Fann.
"Xian Hu!"
Although he didn't know why Xian Hu was here, it seemed he was also heading to the celestial palace.
What shocked Jiang Fann the most was that Xian Hu had already reached the third level of the Reincarnation Realm. This was astonishing because Xian Hu was a contemporary of his, unlike those ancient prodigies who had awakened from long slumbers. Xian Hu had trained and grown alongside him.
Previously, when they traveled together, Xian Hu disappeared near the vines when his power was still weak. Jiang Fann never expected him to become so powerful upon their reunion.
Jiang Fann didn't reveal his true appearance but instead sent a message directly to him.
"Xian Hu! Long time no see!"
The previously expressionless Xian Hu suddenly paused, then quickly glanced around, but unfortunately, couldn't find who was speaking to him. However, from his reaction, it was clear he recognized the voice.
Jiang Fann continued, "The alley by the left side of the city gate."
Upon hearing this reminder, Xian Hu looked directly over. When he saw Jiang Fann's appearance, he frowned slightly, clearly unfamiliar with Jiang Fann's face.