Chapter 159: Conflicts Among the Three Realms, the Rise of the Celestial Extreme Star Palace
Everything is unknown. Around us, there are always things that can be seen yet difficult to explain. But as people grow, these phenomena, just like why it rains, are gradually unveiled.
This was in the mountains behind the Flower Sea, only two kilometers away from the Ghost Clan. Yet suddenly, a palace rose here—extraordinarily magnificent. It wasn’t built of bricks or stones but of some kind of metal, shining, clean, bright, and noble. The palace was a hundred zhang wide, five times as long, and about ten zhang high. It consisted of countless rooms of varying sizes, far surpassing any building in the three realms. Such a splendid palace in these mountains gave off an eerie feeling.
At that moment, Lan Ren, Tian Jiao, and Li Ling stood about ten zhang outside the palace. Li Ling couldn’t help but ask curiously, “This palace seems to have no defenses at all. What if it’s attacked by the Demon Clan or the righteous forces?”
Lan Ren smiled and said, “My brother surely has a way. Besides, this palace is the foremost among the Six-Star Palaces. It’s equipped with an abundance of precious weapons, and its external arrays are extremely powerful. Try it if you don’t believe me.” With that, she picked up a fist-sized stone from the ground and handed it to Li Ling.
Li Ling took the stone half-believingly, glanced at Lan Ren, and used the supreme Buddhist technique to throw the stone with all his strength. Li Ling’s cultivation ranked among the top ten in the martial world, so every move he made had far-reaching consequences. Though it was just a stone, he channeled all his vital energy into it.
The stone flew like a meteor from the sky. Driven by Li Ling’s powerful vital energy, it moved so fast that only a black shadow could be seen. But then, to Li Ling’s shock, as soon as the stone touched the palace, a white membrane instantly formed around it, reflecting the stone back with equal force.
However, due to the angle, the stone veered slightly and flew back toward Lan Ren. Without time to think, Li Ling quickly hugged Lan Ren and pushed her to the ground.
With a whoosh, the black stone flew over them, creating a slight breeze. This showed that the palace wasn’t defenseless at all—its defenses were invisible. And it was precisely these invisible defenses that made them even more dangerous.
Li Ling looked at Lan Ren lying beneath him and asked, “Are you okay?”
Lan Ren suddenly felt her face burning as if on fire. She replied, “I’m fine, really.”
Only then did Li Ling realize he was still lying on top of her. He quickly got up and said, “I’m sorry. I just panicked a moment ago, so…”
Lan Ren nodded shyly and said, “It’s okay, really. No need to say more.”
Tian Jiao, who had been quiet all along, naturally understood Lan Ren’s feelings. The two of them had become like sisters by now. If it weren’t for her dislike of Lan Ren’s brother, Tian Jiao wouldn’t have remained silent. But now, seeing Lan Ren and Li Ling causing such a funny situation, she couldn’t help but laugh and said, “Haha, you two really are something. There are so many fun things to do, yet you choose something so dangerous.”
Lan Ren pouted at Tian Jiao and said, “Shut up.” Tian Jiao smiled and fell silent again. These past few days, she had always seen Lan Ying hovering around her sister, yet she was powerless to tell her sister the truth, which kept her worried. Today, with Lan Ying not around, she felt much more relieved…
At this moment, it was unclear whether Li Ling deliberately changed the subject or asked out of curiosity. She said, “Is this palace that strange? Your brother has been inside for so long—why hasn’t he come out yet?” Lan Ren explained, “Wait. Maybe he’s talking to the King of the Underworld. Originally, the Underworld was under the King’s rule, but thirty years ago, he suddenly passed the throne to my brother, who was still a child. Then he went into the ‘Void Mirror’ with four elders, leaving no words behind. Thankfully, the elders and some old ministers in our clan are supporting my brother. I guess he’s reporting to the King of the Underworld now.” Li Ling was even more astonished and said, “You mean? There’s someone even more powerful than your brother?” Lan Ren nodded and said, “Of course. My brother learned his combat techniques from the King of the Underworld. But since the King entered the ‘Void Mirror’ thirty years ago, my brother is obviously the strongest now.” Although Lan Ren tried hard to speak well of her brother, Li Ling clearly knew that Lan Ying’s sword skills weren’t the highest, and there were even more powerful people—the true rulers of the Underworld, the King of the Underworld. Li Ling shook her head with a wry smile and said to herself, “The Foolish Sword has thought it has achieved something all these years, but looking back now, there are always those greater ones out there.”
At this moment, Tian Jiao spoke up, “To be able to create such a palace in an instant—is really impressive.” Lan Ren continued as the narrator, “It wasn’t created in an instant at all. The Tianji Star Palace has existed in our Underworld for ten thousand years. After improvements by several elders, it can now be transmitted here through the ‘Light Transmission Array’.” Li Ling couldn’t help but marvel again, “It’s truly amazing. It seems there are many things in this world we don’t know about.” Lan Ren smiled proudly…
As for Lan Ying, she was now at the highest point of this “Tianji Star Palace.” This was the most secret chamber, accessible only to the six palace masters of the Underworld—of course, including Lan Ying herself. Right now, she was standing in this cold blue crystal chamber, talking to a mirror. Anyone who took one look could tell this wasn’t an ordinary mirror. It was made of yellow bronze, about a person’s height, and rectangular in shape. On both sides of the bronze mirror were two green snakes soaring upward, with wings. Though embedded around the mirror, they could move because they were completely alive—only their tails were stuck in the mirror, preventing them from escaping. The two green snakes had terrifying faces; they would occasionally open their mouths to reveal rows of teeth, looking both frightening and disgusting. At the top of the mirror was embedded a star—a deep blue star that reflected the light from the crystals around the chamber. It was unclear what material it was made of, but it was glowing at that moment.
At this moment, the entire mirror was already surrounded by that blue glow, which grew increasingly intense and dense. Just then, a voice came from within, saying, “Ying’er, is that you?”
The arrogance of the Blue Shadow had long vanished, replaced by utmost respect as he replied, “Yes, King of the Underworld.”
The Blue Shadow continued, “King of the Underworld, I have already spread the Tianji Star Palace to the three realms outside.”
The King of the Underworld nodded and said, “Hmm, I already know that. I trust you the most with tasks. Compared to the other palace masters, you are much more steady. Explain the reason for this.”
The Blue Shadow replied respectfully, “Yes, King of the Underworld. If I’m not mistaken, there is still a lingering grudge between our Underworld and the Divine Realm.”
“Hmph, that old scoundrel Pangu thought that with enough supporters, he could rule the three realms. Haha, what’s the result now? He’s lost his power to the Great Sage. If it weren’t for his rivalry with me back then, it should have been us who ruled these three realms.” The voice in the mirror seemed extremely agitated upon hearing the Blue Shadow’s words.
“Eh… Back then, when Pangu split the three realms, the Great Sage sent me along with him. But with just my own strength, it was impossible to take the three realms from Pangu. Out of desperation, I created the Underworld on my own and never interfered in that world’s affairs again. I wonder… why did Ying’er bring this up today?”
The Blue Shadow continued, “My King, I’ve been in this world for ten years now and have come to fully understand it…”
“Haha, I knew it. The other six palace masters once reported to me about you, saying you were indulged in the pleasures of the women in the three realms and neglected state affairs. But I never voiced my opinion. I knew you always had a reason for everything you did; otherwise, you wouldn’t have done it. So, I waited for your explanation. It seems I wasn’t wrong after all…” The voice in the mirror laughed again.
The Blue Shadow continued, “This time, it’s also because of a friend of my sister that I spread the Tianji Star Palace out of the Underworld. On the surface, they asked me to intervene and stop the struggle for control of the three realms, but I used the situation to spread the Tianji Star Palace openly throughout the three realms.”
“As long as I find the right opportunity, I will not only take over both the righteous and demonic forces in the three realms but also challenge the Divine Realm again to avenge our past humiliation.” Although the Blue Shadow remained respectful, his expression was dark.
The mirror emitted that voice again, “Haha, good, Ying’er. You’ve done well. You’ve worked hard over these ten years. But the three realms are full of strife, and there are some people we must be wary of.”
The Blue Shadow asked in surprise, “Who else?”
The voice in the mirror replied, “Leng Jian, the strongest swordsman; Su Shao, who possesses the body of the Nine Nether Demonic God; and the new envoy from the Divine Realm. You must be careful of these people. But…”
The Blue Shadow asked, “But what?”
The voice in the mirror replied, “Through astrology, I predict that your greatest enemy is the Nirvana Man.”
The Blue Shadow immediately realized and said, “My King, are you referring to Liu Yi?”
The voice in the mirror continued, “Yes. The celestial maiden by your side has a three-life bond with him. He won’t just disappear so easily. Although I can’t determine where he is now, I have a strong intuition that he will become our greatest enemy.”
Blue Shadow gritted his teeth and thought to himself, “Liu Yi, it’s Liu Yi again… I can’t believe you can take Gilly away from me.”
The figure in the mirror replied, “For now, follow your current plan. I think, aside from that troublesome Su Shao, no one else will be a match for you. Use your brain more—some things can’t be solved just with a sword.”
Blue Shadow bowed respectfully and said, “Yes, my king. I will do my best.”
The voice from the mirror continued, “Mm. The Six-Star Palace has strong opinions about you. So this time, I’m sending you eighteen top experts from the Six-Star Palace and eighteen Dark Guardians. Be thorough in everything you do.”
Blue Shadow said, “Yes, my king. I shall retire now.”
Another voice came from the mirror, “Mm, wait a moment.”
Blue Shadow asked, “My king, is there anything else?”
The mirror replied, “Although you’ve endured much hardship in these three realms over the past ten years, I know you’ve developed feelings and fallen in love with the Heavenly Maiden. As your king, I can’t say anything—it’s your right. But I hope you understand that you shouldn’t force anything. Let go when it’s time to.”
Blue Shadow paused for a moment and said, “My king, I’ll listen to whatever you say. But… as for Gilly, I can’t let her go. I have no way back. All I can do is face Liu Yi’s appearance.”
A long sigh came from the mirror, “Since you’ve made up your mind, then go.”
Blue Shadow bowed respectfully and stepped back, slowly leaving that mysterious chamber…
A sigh came from the mirror, “If you had no love, then you would be perfect.”
Blue Shadow, now outside the chamber, seemed to have many worries. Of course, the most important thing in his heart was still Gilly. He wasn’t as strong as he appeared—he was afraid too, afraid that Liu Yi would really take Gilly away from him…
After about fifteen minutes, Blue Shadow stepped out of the palace. He smiled at Li Ling and the others and said, “It’s done. I’m sorry to have made you wait outside, but it’s the palace’s rule. Please forgive any shortcomings.”
Li Ling smiled and said, “Not at all. Now that this palace has appeared in these three realms, I’d like to ask the Emperor—does he plan to intervene in the conflict between the good and evil forces?”
Blue Shadow smiled and said, “Hehe, of course. It’s rare for my younger sister to want to do good deeds. How could I, as her elder brother, not support her? As for the people from the good and evil factions, I’ve already sent people to gather information. At any opportunity, the Tianji Star Palace will appear between the two factions to hold them in check.”
Blue Shadow continued, “Alright, my sister, please take Brother Li and Miss Tianjiao inside first. I’ll go get Gilly.”
Blue Blade nodded and said, “Mm, okay.”
Everything was arranged. It was already dark outside. In these mountains, such a large-scale palace exuded a sense of mystery. Gilly had been placed in a room at the back of the palace by Blue Shadow. Although it was a palace, considering Gilly’s well-being, Blue Shadow had decorated it like a garden, giving her a sense of belonging.
At that moment, Blue Shadow sat in the main hall, discussing with Li Ling and the others the power dynamics between the good and evil forces in the three realms…
Although Lan Ying had been in the Three Realms for some time, he hadn’t intervened much in the conflicts between the righteous and the demonic forces. He only occasionally received some information, so he didn’t know much. But now, as he aimed to hold back the struggle between the two factions, he also secretly planned to unify them. Thus, he had to take this opportunity to learn more from Li Ling.
It was unclear how long they had discussed it when a question stumped them all: How could they intervene in the disputes between the righteous and the demonic forces, play a role in holding them back, and let them know the strength of Tianji Xinggong?
Li Ling shook his head and said, “There’s no news at all from the righteous or demonic forces right now. But such calmness is even more unusual. Ao Tian of the demonic forces has always been ambitious, and the leaders of the Blood Sect and the Dark Sect are among the greatest experts. Moreover, according to some reports, Tian Long and Huo Feng have joined the Dark demonic forces with ulterior motives—though what those are remains unknown.”
Lan Ying also frowned and said, “This problem seems difficult to solve. The situation between the righteous and demonic forces is tense; we can’t intervene in their conflicts without reason…”
At that moment, Lan Ren couldn’t hold back anymore and said, “Isn’t it simple? Send someMing guards guards to kill a few of their elders and show them just how powerful Tianji Xinggong is.”
Li Ling quickly shook his head and said, “That won’t do. Wouldn’t that create enemies for ourselves? Do you want to offend the righteous forces or the demonic forces? It might even provoke a counterattack from both sides.”
Lan Ying nodded and said, “Brother Ling is right. We can’t act rashly. What if the demonic race abandons the righteous forces and turns their attention to us? That would only bring trouble. Besides, our goal is merely to hold them back so they have no reason to attack, giving Brother Ling more time to find evidence that the Nine Nether Demon God isn’t dead and convince both factions.”
As he spoke, Lan Ying kept smiling, but in his heart, he had another thought. Although the righteous forces seemed stronger at the moment, the leader of the demonic forces wasn’t a fool either. If he was already eager to unify the Three Realms, who would be foolish enough to provoke them when the odds were so uneven? If he wasn’t mistaken, Ao Tian must be hiding great strength.
Just as they were worried, Tian Jiao suddenly spoke up, saying, “I think you’re all making this too complicated. Thinking simpler might be better. Maybe there’s a better solution.”
Lan Ying had always liked Tian Jiao’s appearance because she resembled Jilier greatly. So, he couldn’t help but show interest and said, “Miss Tian Jiao, please share your insights.”
Tian Jiao nodded and said, “Now that Tianji Xinggong has appeared in these Three Realms, why hide? As you said, do we really have to make them feel the danger of Tianji Xinggong indirectly?”
Li Ling looked at Tian Jiao with new respect and asked, “So… what do you suggest, Miss Tian Jiao?”
Tian Jiao continued, “We’ve seen Lord Lan’s sword—it’s comparable to any expert from the righteous or demonic forces. Moreover, his subordinates are likely not ordinary people. I think we should simply issue a challenge to the righteous and demonic forces. The content of the challenge could be to celebrate the establishment of Tianji Xinggong.”
Upon hearing this, Lan Bian immediately said, “No, no—your topic has gone back in circles. The Tianji Star Palace was just established; how could it have enough fame to invite top experts from both the righteous and demonic factions?”
Tianjiao continued to explain, “Maybe it’s not possible usually, but definitely now. The righteous and demonic factions have been looking for a reason to start a war. The reason they haven’t fought yet is simply because there’s no reason. But if we issue a challenge to them now, then… it’s as if we’re creating that reason.”
Lan Bian said confusedly, “What are you talking about? Some reason? Creating a reason? Sister Tianjiao, are you sick?”
At that moment, Lan Bian burst into laughter and said, “Sister, learn from her. We’re both women, yet Sister Tianjiao’s wisdom truly leaves me speechless in admiration.”
Just then, Li Ling also realized what was going on and said, “Yes, that’s right…”
Hearing this, Lan Bian grew anxious and stamped on Li Ling’s foot, asking, “Yes, what’s right?”
Blue Shadow smiled and said, “Enough, sister. Don’t get angry. Sister Tianjiao is absolutely right. She’s awakened us from our delusions—we’ve made things too complicated. If we follow what Sister Tianjiao said, as long as Brother steps forward once, both the righteous and demonic factions will surely calm down for a while.”
Lan Bian urged anxiously, “Then tell me…”