Chapter 218

Chapter 218: Seventeen Halls of the Azure Rock

The massive explosion made the entire Star Mountain tremble slightly.

Earthly stone bombs were already powerful by nature, but their destructive force multiplied in the canyon’s confined space. Combined with the Golden Crystal’s spiritual pressure, the three factors trapped the explosion within a small area, amplifying its devastation.

The secondary explosions of the Earthly stone bombs also overlapped due to the narrow space. Moreover, the Golden Crystal wasn’t passive—it was a sentient being. Sensing the shockwave, its internal golden magic launched a counterattack.

All these intertwined attacks forced even the Lord of the Light City—the undisputed strongest in Sky City—into momentary defeat.

When the Lord rose again into the sky, his blue cloak torn and armor cracked, the canyon had vanished. The ground lay smooth as if scorched flat by high-temperature flames, leaving only the Golden Crystal standing at the center. Even its nearly unbreakable surface now bore spiderweb cracks.

"Impressive for an ant. You should feel proud!" The Lord’s furious roar echoed across the Floating City.

A pale green whirlwind swirled around him. When it faded, his cloak and armor looked brand new, though rage still burned in his eyes.

"Wait, ant. I’ll drag you out!" The Lord gestured, summoning more Exiles from the sky. This time, they weren’t warriors but his eyes and ears, hunting the pest who’d humiliated him.

Segarth briefly considered whether Midi might teleport into his palace using heavenly ruins, but dismissed the thought. Activating the teleportation magic array required complex password-like spells and gestures—knowledge obtainable only by collecting and analyzing information discs from Star Mountain’s ruins.

Even an undistracted person needed ten minutes to activate the array. The Earthly stone bombs’ explosion lasted mere minutes. Gathering spells in half a day and activating the array in minutes? Impossible for any human, Segarth concluded. Unless he saw it himself, he wouldn’t entertain the idea.

As the furious Lord ordered Exiles to scour every inch below, he never imagined Midi—the reincarnator with 20 years’ future memories—already stood in Sky City’s core: the Seventeen Halls of Azure Rock.

"So this is it—the Lord’s palace, Sky City’s heart." Emerging from the teleportation brilliance, Midi scanned his surroundings, excitement stirring in his starry black eyes.

Though a veteran adventurer who knew history’s course, everything here was new. In his past life, the Delos Empire’s army had arrived first. By Midi’s arrival, the battle with the Lord had long ended. Six halls had crumbled; the remaining eleven stood looted and empty. The central hall remained under heavy Imperial guard, off-limits to outsiders—especially Belmar’s fallen nobles like him.

Now, as Arad’s first human to enter this palace, countless secrets and treasures awaited. For an instant, he forgot the enraged Lord still searched for him below.

However, he quickly calmed down.

Though the escape succeeded, the real challenge remained defeating Lord Segarth of the Light City to resolve Sky City’s crisis.

The only path forward was awakening.

"I recall a teleportation magic array in the Palace of Moonlight leading to the shadows passageway between Sky City and Sea of Clouds," Midi thought to himself. "Awakening Crystals might be hidden there. But first, I must investigate this palace to uncover what the Empire tried so desperately to hide. That secret could be key to defeating the Light City’s ruler!"

Victory against the Lord of the Light City was impossible without awakening. Even with awakened power, one man’s strength wouldn’t be enough. To avoid the Empire’s fate, an unconventional approach was needed.

Having decided, Midi began his exploration immediately.

In his past life, wandering through ruins had filled him with bitter frustration – weak, lagging behind others, seeing only rubble while scavenging for treasures top adventurers might’ve missed.

This time, an entirely different sight greeted him.

Gilded pillars, exquisite statues, celestial murals bursting with color, vaulted ceilings stretching high above, majestic arches and corridors leading to classical halls…

What struck hardest was the sheer overwhelming scale.

Ceilings towered twenty meters overhead. Halls sprawled as vast as racetracks. Standing beneath them made Midi feel ant-like, craning his neck to glimpse entire chambers.

This wasn’t built for humans. Even ten-meter-tall Elemental Giants would seem small here. Only legendary dragons could properly fill such spaces.

This was the Seventeen Halls of Azure Rock in its prime – awe-inspiring yet alluring. The Elven Kingdom and Satellite City in Forest of Gran paled in comparison, seeming like child’s toys.

Yet this grandeur raised questions. Lord Segarth stood barely two meters tall. His Exile soldiers maintained human proportions despite their power. Why construct such colossal halls?

Puzzled, Midi pressed toward the central chamber.

The journey proved treacherous.

Though vast, the palace wasn’t undefended. Squads of Exiles patrolled every corridor and side chamber.

These tireless guardians knew neither rest nor fear of Death. Their Intelligence and combat abilities far surpassed Undead automatons. Worse, they rode blue flying discs – meter-wide platforms hovering midair.

Mounted on these agile flying vehicles, Exiles conducted aerial patrols, scanning every corner from above. The discs resembled Humanoids’ stone seats but moved faster and steadier.

Even with four categories of Demon Swordman skills, Midi struggled to evade the three-dimensional surveillance. The palace’s sheer size multiplied the challenge.

A full day passed before he reached the central hall.

More magnificent than its counterparts, this chamber held no patrolling Exiles. As the Light Lord’s personal domain, Segarth needed no guards here – his own power could instantly detect and destroy intruders.

But with the lord absent, Midi entered freely.

The thirty-meter-high hall contained an imposing obelisk matching its ceiling. Carved from unknown stone, the monument resembled a sky-piercing blade radiating timeless sharpness. Its mere sight made Midi’s blood pound and skin prickle.

Even the golden small sword within him vibrated faintly – resisting the stone’s aura or sensing danger.

Lines of text covered the obelisk’s surface like carved scripture.

Steadying himself, Midi peered upward. His gaze fell first on the inscription’s lowest line.

What he saw shocked him to the core.

King Bacal of the Tyrant Dragon.

Former Ninth Apostle of Demon Realm, once supreme expert ruler of the world.