Chapter 397 The Ghost King Palace Opens

“What the hell! You bastards set me up!”

A furious roar echoed as Tian Zhen appeared.

It was truly bad luck. He had just teleported in with his group and was instantly swept up by a Dao Storm. Now he emerged, face dark with rage, bones cracking loudly as his massive body expanded.

For the first time, Tian Zhen revealed his true form—his body covered in silver fur, a golden sigil glowing on his forehead.

The Dao Storm collided violently with his form, sparking like fireworks.

Suddenly, Tian Zhen grabbed at the air.

A shadowy force was caught in his grip, and he let out a thunderous roar.

Watching the clash of Dao force around him, Chen Fei’s pupils contracted sharply—any ordinary Earth Dao Realm cultivator would have been torn to shreds instantly.

Luckily, they were still in the outer edge of the Chaotic Wastelands, and the storm had just begun forming.

With a powerful surge, Tian Zhen shattered the storm around him—but it left his aura clearly weakened.

“Bastards! Are you trying to start a war?!”

The mighty Demon Emperor had a temper. He’d been sealed for years and originally thought he could suppress the silent Tian Qi, but it turned out Tian Qi had reacted faster, forcing Tian Zhen to burn his qi to survive.

“A demon beast…”

Ji Wugou glanced briefly at Tian Zhen, then turned away in disdain, eyes settling back on Yin Tianfeng of Tianshi.

Yin Tianfeng didn’t respond, his gaze coldly sweeping over Ji Wugou before turning away.

Tian Zhen remained sullen. Though he had once been wildly arrogant, even he knew better than to provoke the Ji Clan.

Looking at Ji Wugou and the two powerful elders behind her, he could only curse silently and swallow his anger.

No choice. The Ji Clan… is untouchable.

“Now that everyone’s here,” Yan Wujiao stepped forward, “let’s not waste any more time.”

No one objected.

All present pulled out their Ghost King Tokens.

As the tokens glowed, the space around them began to tremble.

The previously calmed Chaotic Wastelands erupted in violent waves.

Chen Fei looked ahead—at the center, an enormous Dao Storm began to spiral. Compared to the earlier ones, this was on a completely different scale.

“The Ghost King Palace…”

From within the heart of the storm, a massive palace gradually emerged.

It stood tall and majestic—not sinister or ghostly, as Chen Fei had expected, but grand and heavenly, like something out of a celestial dream. Even crane-like spirits circled the palace, making the scene even more surreal.

As the ground trembled, the palace floated above the center of the wastelands.

But a new problem arose: how to reach it through the surrounding Dao Storms?

The answer came quickly.

“Hold on to your token,” Mu Yunsu said, waving her hand.

The token that had floated away earlier flew back into Chen Fei’s palm.

The moment it touched him, a shimmering halo of light enveloped him—completely isolating him from the chaotic energies outside.

“Inside, seek opportunities—but protect yourself,” Mu Yunsu warned through voice transmission.

“If something feels wrong, don’t force conflict. Surviving is what matters most.”

Chen Fei looked back, smiled, and asked with a smirk:

“Is there a merit reward this time?”

“There is!” Mu Yunsu replied, both amused and exasperated.

This guy had already paid off his debts, but still chased after merit points like a man possessed.

Chen Fei held many rare treasures.

If he could break through to the Earth Dao Realm, he planned to return to the sect, exchange for more resources, and then set off exploring.

After all, his goal wasn’t merely the Heavenly Dao Realm—he wanted to reach Ascension to chase after Su Ran’s footsteps.

Reaching Earth Dao meant he could truly protect himself—even stand toe-to-toe with people from Tianshi.

He wasted no more time.

Others had already begun charging toward the palace, protected by their own token halos.

Chen Fei leapt forward.

The surrounding Dao Storms clashed and howled, but the protective light around him blocked it all. Even the terrifying pressures that could kill Heavenly Dao experts were completely shut out.

Chen Fei wanted to observe more—but before he could, the palace pulled at him with a sudden force of suction.

He was drawn in.

As he disappeared into the Ghost King Palace, the storms outside grew even more intense, soon hiding the entire palace from view.

“The Ghost King Palace opens once every thousand years,” Yan Wujiao said slowly.

“Let’s see who inherits the Ghost King’s Soul Bone this time.”

Tian Zhen remained silent, his face grim and his qi still depleted. He simply snorted.

One of the Ji Clan elders chuckled,

“The Ghost King had a strong relationship with our ancestor.”

The implication was clear—and irritating.

It was as if the Ghost King’s legacy had already been preordained for the Ji Clan. But no one bothered arguing. The Ji Clan had earned their arrogance.

In all of Xuanhuang, they were unparalleled, and their pride was generational.

“The Ghost King Palace usually stays open for about a month,” Mu Yunsu said, walking to one side.

“We’ll know soon enough.”

Yan Wujiao shot her a sidelong glance, frowning slightly.

Though Holy Gate had risen swiftly in recent years, he didn’t believe for a second that Skyspire Holy Land was only what it appeared to be.

Especially after the Skyspire Ancestor had acted—it made him even more wary.

He suspected they were planning something bigger.

But no matter what he tried, he couldn’t find out what. It was frustrating.

Then, the usually silent Tian Qi spoke.

“There’s been a disturbance in Northern Desolation. If you have time, you’d better look into it.”

He said no more, simply sat back down.

Though cryptic, both Mu Yunsu and Yan Wujiao’s expressions grew tense.

If Northern Desolation was changing, that meant… the true tribulation was beginning.

One of the Ji Clan elders maintained their usual lofty tone:

“Our Ancestor has long declared that the Ji Clan will not interfere in worldly affairs. We apologize.”

Back when their ancestor had forcibly ascended, he triggered a catastrophe.

Many had assumed the Ji Clan had suffered damage and thus abstained.

But now it was clear—they were deliberately avoiding entanglement.

Their current attitude only deepened the mystery surrounding their motives.