Chapter 197

Chapter 197: Origin Palace

“Husband, is there a quota limit for attaining immortality?” As they walked halfway, the Vice Palace Master of Empress Nuwa Palace suddenly asked via voice transmission.

The Palace Master of Empress Nuwa Palace stopped in his tracks.

“Success or death,” the Palace Master of Empress Nuwa Palace said solemnly.

The group’s walking pace became increasingly faster, and they could already see the green foliage, boundless and endless, as if a green cloth covered the edge of the heavens, layer upon layer.

“That should be the crown of the Jianmu divine tree. We are about to reach the end,” said the Leader of the Maha divine clan, unable to conceal his excitement, with a full-faced smile.

They finally saw the dawn of attaining immortality.

Emperor Venerable Yama’s heart tightened, holding the Slaying Immortal Gourd, and he became even more cautious.

“Brother, we are almost at the end,” said Great Emperor Ziwei, his palms sweating, clearly also extremely tense.

“Don’t rush.”

Ye Xu laughed and said, “There is still an Origin Palace.”

Although Duobao Daoist had not explained the origin of the Origin Palace, Ye Xu guessed that the Origin Palace should be one of the seven treasures of the Seven-Treasure Mystic Forest, existing at the end of the Jianmu divine tree, and it was of great significance.

Nangong Zhandao’s steps suddenly stopped.

“Junior brother.”

Lin Qianmo’s expression slightly moved. “Did you sense something?”

“I feel a force; it seems to be calling to me in the unseen,” Nangong Zhandao said candidly.

“Probably the Origin Palace mentioned by Duobao Daoist.”

Lin Qianmo seemed lost in thought.

“This Origin Palace must hide astonishing secrets.”

Nangong Zhandao did not dwell on the matter; he looked at Lin Qianmo and said, “If we can truly enter the Immortal Realm, will senior sister leave?”

Lin Qianmo gently shook her head.

Nangong Zhandao did not say anything more.

The crown of the Jianmu divine tree blotted out the sky and sun; each leaf was a thousand miles wide, with various divine patterns etched on the leaf surfaces, extremely ancient, and at a glance, it became hard to tear oneself away.

The patterns on each leaf were completely different.

“The leaves of the Jianmu divine tree are also treasures,” said Ye Xu, walking towards the nearest leaf.

He channeled his magical power and reached out to pick it.

Bang!

Suddenly, a hazy green light emanated from the leaf, and a vast force swept out; Ye Xu was blasted away, covered in dust.

“Pfft!” Ye Xu spat out dust, looking very disheveled.

“That’s the Jianmu divine tree, one of the Nine Great Spirit Roots of Heaven and Earth. With your cultivation, trying to shake the Jianmu divine tree is pure folly,” ridiculed Emperor Venerable Miao Fa.

Ye Xu remained silent. He approached the divine tree’s leaf and carefully observed the patterns on the leaf surface. After a moment, he activated the Creation Heart Sutra, the power of the Great Dao of creation burst forth, and he immediately began deducing the divine patterns.

"What is he doing?" The Palace Master of the Holy Mother Palace frowned.

"He’s bringing shame upon himself," Emperor Venerable Miao Fa scoffed disdainfully.

"He desires to decipher the Great Dao imprint of the Jianmu divine tree to pluck its divine leaves," Lin Qianmo discerned Ye Xu’s intention.

"The Great Dao of creation truly has boundless, marvelous applications," Emperor Venerable Mi Luo remarked enviously.

The Great Dao of creation, as its name implied, allowed one to conjure existence from nothingness. It was vastly superior to even the Great Dao of Chaos or the Path of Oblivion. Only forces like time, celestial law, causality, or destiny could potentially rival it.

Otherwise, a mere cultivator at the peak of the emperor realm would not warrant their intense scrutiny.

Half a quarter-hour later, light emanated from Ye Xu’s palm. A gentle radiance enveloped the entire leaf. The divine leaf detached from the branch, shrinking continuously until it was only palm-sized, finally alighting in Ye Xu’s hand.

"A ridiculous clown."

Ye Xu glanced back lightly at Emperor Venerable Miao Fa, his expression brimming with scorn.

Emperor Venerable Miao Fa ground his teeth in fury.

"Wasting time."

Emperor Venerable Yama dismissed it indifferently, already nearing the treetop limits. The end was approaching.

The group advanced into the foliage.

Countless divine leaves hung like worlds descending from the Heavens, each manifesting profound mysteries and emanating diverse, all-encompassing powers.

"The Jianmu divine tree, also known as the World Tree, truly lives up to its name," White-browed Buddha murmured, utterly astonished.

"What a pity we cannot take it away."

Emperor Venerable Zi Zai gazed with covetous eyes.

Several hours later, the group, uncertain how far they had traveled, suddenly caught sight of a leaf radiating chaotic divine light. It stood out entirely from the leaves of the Jianmu divine tree.

Su Miao Zhen’s eyes pierced through the void like twin swords.

Instantly, Su Miao Zhen beheld a temple.

This temple stood upon a divine leaf, its entire structure forged of bronze. Looking directly at it, its walls were engraved with ancient, mysterious totems, seemingly eternal.

"There’s actually a temple in there?"

The Palace Master of the Holy Mother Palace knitted her elegant brows tightly.

"Shall we take a look?" Emperor Venerable Zi Zai inquired.

Before they could decide, Ye Xu, Great Emperor Ziwei, Lin Qianmo, and Nangong Zhandao had already moved past the others, striding towards the temple on the leaf.

"Aren’t those fellows afraid it might be a trap?" Emperor Venerable Zi Zai voiced his confusion.

"It seems they likely possess some knowledge we lack. Otherwise, they wouldn’t proceed towards the temple with such certainty," deduced the Palace Master of the Holy Mother Palace, her eyes gleaming as she guessed the truth.

Su Miao Zhen, Dao King, and Emperor Venerable Mi Luo also took action.

If three supreme experts couldn’t resist this temptation, the rest naturally found it hard to suppress their own curiosity.

That grand hall might very well be connected to the secret to becoming an immortal. None of them wanted to miss it.

"Is this the Origin Palace?"

Great Emperor Ziwei gazed at the bronze temple and murmured in awe.

The Bronze Temple’s four sides were engraved with ancient totems and primitive divine scripts in the language of innate gods, emanating an aura of profound mystery and timeless antiquity.

Having weathered countless Change of the Worlds, it still stood here.

Upon the main plaque, three archaic characters, also written in the primal language of innate gods, slanted crookedly. Though the four could not decipher them, they knew they spelled "Origin Palace."

"These totems come from an exceedingly ancient source," Lin Qianmo gazed intently at the unfamiliar emblems. "Legends say that beings from the Primordial Era, their spiritual wisdom had not yet fully awakened, would worship various ancient gods, adopting both these ancient gods and the Primordial beings as their totems."

"This Origin Palace is very likely a relic from the earliest days of the Primordial Era."

Lin Qianmo, having once ruled as Empress of the Heavenly Edict and ascended to the Immortal Realm, possessed wisdom scarcely less than the Duobao Daoist.

The reason she pinpointed the early Primordial Era was that by its later stages, it was already the Era of the Heavenly Emperor.

That was an epoch when myriad races united in reverence, believing that human strength could conquer heaven, long having ceased to hold ancient gods or Primordial beings in awe.

"The Origin Palace?"

Su Miao Zhen, overhearing Great Emperor Ziwei and Lin Qianmo, furrowed her brow. "You know the origin of this divine hall?"

Emperor Venerable Mi Luo wore a similar expression of doubt.

"Some of what Daoist Friend Lin knows are things I haven’t even heard of," Emperor Venerable Mi Luo thought to himself.

Lin Qianmo shook her head.

"It is not we who know," Lin Qianmo said, "but the Duobao Daoist." She added regretfully, "Sadly, Duobao Daoist is not here, or he could surely inform us."

"That fellow truly lived up to being an Immortal Realm visitor; pity he slipped away," sighed Emperor Venerable Yama. By now, he felt certain that the Duobao Daoist hadn’t perished but had escaped.

Otherwise, not even the slightest trace would be left unturned.

"Since we’ve arrived, why must we rely on others for answers?" Dao King declared, stepping forward ahead of the rest and moving purposefully towards the Origin Palace.

Emperor Venerable Mi Luo and the others lingered where they stood, not following.

As Dao King approached the Origin Palace, he stared at the bronze divine doors, sealed for millions of years yet polished to a brilliant luster. Engraved upon each door was a totem of an ancient god, murky, indistinct, and utterly beyond clear comprehension.

Even glimpsing these vague patterns was enough to instill a sense of reverence.

"Let him probe the way," remarked Emperor Venerable Miao Fa dispassionately.

Should Dao King trigger a trap and fall to an attack, they would have no choice but to retreat immediately.

"Dao King is always cautious," said Emperor Venerable Yama. "His willingness to serve as the pathfinder means he’s discerned something hidden. He’d never be so rash otherwise."

"We shall see."

Dao King channeled his magic power and placed his hands against the bronze divine doors.

Creak!

His physical strength pushed to its absolute limits, he managed to shift them by a hair. As the doors cracked open a fraction, an ancient air filled with the dust of ages hit his face.

"Open for me NOW!" Dao King roared.

Muscles bulged like coiling dragons beneath his skin. Employing peak physical might, he slowly, inexorably, heaved the colossal bronze divine doors apart. Inch by inch, the sight within the great hall unfolded before everyone’s eyes.