Venerable Hidden Universe could not help but let out a cry of shock. It was so alarming that clamor immediately broke out in every corner of the Nine Lights Heavenly Palace.

This was especially true for the great palace masters. All of them had instantly soared outside, but they immediately froze in midair right after. Not a single person dared to continue moving forward.

How could the heart of the Nine Lights Heavenly Palace be approached so easily? However, to their complete astonishment, the two figures floating in the air were right above the nine great palaces, the most important place in the entire Nine Lights Heavenly Palace, and no one had been able to detect their approach.

In a split second, the alarms of Nine Lights Heaven had rung out from all over and the figures of those who had rushed out immediately were like flying locusts filling the sky. For someone to invade noiselessly into the core of the Nine Lights Heavenly Palace was a huge matter that had not occurred for many years.

From the palace masters to the disciples of the Nine Lights Heavenly Palace, there were a grand total of a few million people and this did not even include the bulk of the outer palaces of the extensive Thousand Desolate Realm. For two people to have just invaded like that, it would be common sense to think that they were simply courting death. If every single disciple spat at them, it would be enough to drown them.

But those palace masters, hall masters, and disciples who fled from the Heavenly Handle Yun Clan were the ones who had turned pale immediately.

Why would those two evil omens who scared them out of their own wits suddenly appear here!?

“Yun Che? So they are the ones who killed the Chief Palace Master!?” Palace Master Hidden Mirror spoke in a low voice as a black sword appeared in his hand. “You’ve come at the right time! You’ve saved us the energy to pursue and eliminate you! We will offer you as a sacrifice to appease the spirit of the Chief Palace Master today!”

“Hidden Mirror, stop!”

At his words, several shouts of different degrees of panic rang out simultaneously. Palace Master Hidden Universe gave his all to suppress both the sword energy and profound energy that was just released, and shouted, “Don’t make a move!”

Palace Master Hidden Mirror’s gaze swept across a few faces as he lowered his voice, “This is the Nine Lights Heavenly Palace! Even if their strength is half a step away from becoming a Divine Master, what do we have to fear!?”

“I said, don’t make a move!” Palace Master Hidden Universe’s tone turned grave… Palace Master Hidden Mirror had not followed him to the Heavenly Handle Yun Clan. He had not personally witnessed how the Desolate Heaven Dragon Clan was reduced to a bunch of corpses in the blink of an eye. He had not seen how the Nine Lights Heavenly Sovereign was cut into eight pieces in a single instant.

That scene which was frightening beyond compare almost caused the souls of the crowd of Divine Sovereigns to collapse. Even if they were to face such a frightening figure head-on and emerge victorious based on the great number of people they had, the Nine Lights Heavenly Palace would surely still be stained with blood. The number of casualties would be beyond comprehension.

The Nine Lights Heavenly Palace had just lost the Nine Lights Heavenly Sovereign and Venerable Hidden Sword. They could no longer bear any more losses.

“Hidden Universe is right,” another palace master stated. “You did not witness how frighteningly powerful they are. It’s so much more than you can imagine! Since they have dared to show themselves today, it naturally means that they are not afraid. One day we will take revenge for the death of the Chief Palace Master… But that day is not today and it definitely will not be in this place.”

Palace Master Hidden Mirror clenched his fists tightly and calmed his breathing down. The strength of the palace masters who returned was not any weaker than his, but their fears were real. Moreover, if they exchanged blows here, no matter what the outcome was, the Nine Lights Heavenly Palace would turn into rivers of blood.

Venerable Hidden Universe stepped forward and said submissively, “I see that it’s Venerable Yun and… Miss Fairy. I wonder how can the Nine Lights Heavenly Palace be of a.s.sistance to the two of you?”

Though extreme hatred and fear gripped him, he had no choice but to squeeze out a humiliated smile.

“Be of a.s.sistance?” Yun Che’s low voice penetrated the entire Nine Lights Heaven, “We just killed your Chief Palace Master. Not only are you not trying to avenge him, but instead you are being submissive and trying to curry favor? Hah... so this is the so-called Nine Lights Heavenly Palace. It seems that they have raised a useless, wretched bunch."

Those words could be seen as an extremely humiliating poison which was enough to agitate and anger anyone. The disciples of the Nine Lights Heavenly Palace exploded in anger immediately but Palace Master Hidden Universe merely laughed heartily and had the crowd quiet down swiftly before the noise level could get any higher. “Venerable Yun’s words are incorrect. The two of you did indeed kill the Chief Palace Master. But you two have great strength akin to that of Divine Masters. Though the Chief Palace Master did not mean to offend the two of you, his death was not in vain. Although the sadness of our loss is tremendous, we have no intention to pursue this matter.”

“On the contrary, we, members of the Nine Lights Heavenly Palace, have always respected strong pract.i.tioners. Since the two of you have come, it means that you are our guests. If you have any requests, we are willing to help in any way we can. And if you are able to give us a pointer or two, it would be the fortune of the Nine Lights Heavenly Palace.”

The words of Palace Master Hidden Universe were clearly ones of humiliation and defeat but he had said them in such a magnanimous and upright tone. At the same time, he was telling all of the disciples that these were two people that they should never offend and that no one should make any reckless moves.

“Very good, I like clever people like you.” Yun Che gave a small smile and said, “In that case I would like to ask for a small favor from the Nine Lights Heavenly Palace. I believe that strong pract.i.tioners such as yourselves would not reject my request, would you?”

“Please tell us what you need.” Palace Master Hidden Universe said, “As long as it’s something that the Nine Lights Heavenly Palace can achieve, we will definitely not disappoint you.”

“It’s a simple task.” Yun Che continued, “It seems that Nine Lights Heavenly Palace has existed in this Thousand Desolation Realm for over a hundred thousand years. No matter how useless you are, you should at least have a few treasures. I’m lacking a few devil crystals and devil jades recently…”

Palace Master Hidden Universe heaved a sigh of relief inwardly and hurriedly said, “I see, how many does Venerable Yun require? As long as the amount is bearable, we are willing to offer it to you.”

“That won’t be necessary.” Yun Che glanced to the side and said, “You can just take me to your treasury.”

“What!” Palace Master Hidden Universe’s head whipped up and the color of everyone’s faces changed drastically.

The treasury was where all secrets and inside information were acc.u.mulated by the sect. It was definitely… a forbidden area where outsiders could not set foot into!

Not more than five people were able to enter the treasury, even in a sect as huge as the Nine Lights Heavenly Palace.

“Why? Is there a problem?” Yun Che asked coldly.

“Venerable Yun, this…” Palace Master Hidden Universe tried his best to remain calm and said, “The treasury is the greatest forbidden area of a sect. It is where the entire sect's foundation is and outsiders are never allowed to set foot in it. On that note, I believe that…”

“I don’t want to listen to your nonsense,” Yun Che interrupted him. “Either you bring us in, or, I’ll kill you and then go in myself. You don’t have a third option… don’t blame me for not giving you a chance!”

Every word was spoken coldy and decisively, without any room for negotiation.

“Venerable Yun, this…”

“You scroundle!” No matter what Palace Master Hidden Universe wanted to say, Palace Master Hidden Mirror had already been utterly angered. “Hidden Universe! They have already humiliated us to the core and you’re still trying to curry their favor like a dog! Are you trying to throw away the dignity of our Nine Lights Heavenly Palace!”

A black sword appeared in Palace Master Hidden Mirror’s hand as his profound energy erupted from within. He had already soared into the skies and was rus.h.i.+ng toward Yun Che as he shouted, “Everyone, attack! Even if the entire Nine Lights Heavenly Palace is drenched in blood, we will bury them here forever!”

“Wait!” Hidden Universe stretched out his hand quickly but failed to hold Palace Master Hidden Mirror back. He gritted his teeth and chased after him, holding Palace Master Hidden Mirror in a deadlock. By the time he faced Yun Che again, his expression was as calm as still waters. “Yun Che, we’ve already given in many times, don’t go too far!”

“The Nine Lights Heavenly Palace has stood proud and tall in the Thousand Desolation Realm for many years. The number of secrets we have acc.u.mulated is definitely greater than you can imagine! If we bring out our trump card, eliminating just the two of you will definitely not be difficult! If we are able to resolve our disputes, the Nine Lights Heavenly Palace is willing to take a step back. But if you want the fish to die and the net to break… our Nine Lights Heavenly Palace will accompany you to the end!”

“No, you’re wrong,” Yun Che said serenely. “Only the fish will die, the net will not break.”

Palace Master Hidden Universe’s expression darkened completely and he let out a sudden roar, “Get into formation!!”

His command was quickly pa.s.sed on to everyone through sound transmission. The eight great Nine Lights Palace Masters who had been waiting to strike after acc.u.mulating their powers soared forward and made their move. In an instant, eight pitch-black sword formations burst forth from the skies of Nine Lights Heaven. The moment that the sword formations started to take shape, the formations linked up and connected with each other to form one enormous Eight Lights Sword Formation.

The Nine Lights Sword Formation that was formed by the joined efforts of the nine great palace masters could defeat the Chief Palace Master of the Nine Lights Heavenly Palace. Even though they were short of one light due to the death of the Chief Palace Master, the formation’s power was still formidable. The startling sword’s power and the soul suppressing darkness shrouded the entire Nine Lights Heaven in the blink of an eye.

In that instant, the mountains cried out, the galaxy trembled, and all those who had been floating in the air were instantly crushed to the ground. It was as if all of creation were but ants under the power of this heavenly might.

“Yun Che, prepare to die!” Since they have already made their move, there was no holding back anymore.

Yun Che stood still without moving an inch. His left hand pressed on Qianye Ying’er’s waist and gave her a strong push as his right hand grasped the Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor Sword. He casually made a slas.h.i.+ng movement with his sword and a pitch-black sword beam shot forth.

The sword beam was only about eight feet long and it looked extremely ordinary. Compared to the Eight Lights Sword Formation, it looked like the fluorescence of a luminous moon, pitifully small and dim.

The eight great palace masters had completely disregarded this sword beam that could clearly be dispersed with a wave of an arm. Each of them had a malevolent gaze as the Eight Lights Sword Formation was suddenly activated and was headed straight toward Yun Che. It was also at this moment that the sword beam and the Eight Lights Sword Formation had collided with each other.

Rip———

That was the scariest ripping sound they had ever heard in their entire lives.

That darkness sword beam seemed to be like a devil’s blade from the abyss of h.e.l.l and pierced through the Eight Lights Sword Formation…

The instant the sword beam disappeared, the huge sword formation collectively formed by the eight great Nine Lights Palace Masters had been forcibly split into two halves.

As if it were just meer cloth!

Contained within that seemingly ordinary sword beam was actually the elementary power of the Eternal Calamity of Darkness!

“Wha... what!”

At that moment, the eight great palace masters opened their eyes so wide that they could pop out, as if a frightening and yet preposterous nightmare had arrived. The energy of the sword formation had been wildly scattered and they were hit with a powerful backlash. They crashed to the ground forcefully, their auras greatly disturbed.

Meanwhile, Yun Che had released a second burst of power. In a split second, a golden flame filled the entire sky and threw the eight of them into the inferno of the Golden Crow flame.

A loud sound rang out, causing the surrounding air to vibrate. The eight great palace masters were hurled to the ground and golden fire started to burn them. Their horrible screams were so shrill that it was impossible to believe that they came from the eight powerful Divine Sovereigns.

The members of the Nine Lights Heavenly Palace were dumbstruck. When news of the death of the Nine Lights Heavenly Sovereign at the Heavenly Handle Yun Clan had arrived, they then knew of the name “Yun Che”. From the att.i.tude of Palace Master Hidden Universe, it was even more evident that he was an incomparably frightening figure.

But they would never have imagined that he would be frightening to such an extent… The sword formation that the eight great palace masters had formed collectively was enough to defeat the Nine Lights Heavenly Sovereign, but it had been casually dispersed by Yun Che with a single move. While the second move had severely injured them all.

They were the eight great palace masters, said to be the highest level of existence in the Thousand Desolation Realm. But in front of Yun Che, they were actually this weak!?

Their strength… could they be in the Divine Master Realm!?

“Ac...tivate!!” Palace Master Hidden Universe seemed to have exhausted all his energy as he roared with all his might.

At that moment, thousands of dark rays shot forth from different directions in Nine Lights Heaven, converging at a single point in midair. Immediately, an enormous darkness barrier spread out, completely enveloping the core of the Nine Lights Heavenly Palace.

At that moment, their auras had been completely isolated.

The eight great palace masters continued to struggle and scream in the midst of the Golden Crow flames. When they had extinguished the golden flames with much difficulty, they had already been covered with injuries from head to toe. They looked extremely haggard and battered, like they were half ghost and half human. But the moment they saw the barrier spread out and that Yun Che had been isolated outside of it, all of them breathed a long sigh of relief.

Under those relaxed conditions, other than the pain of their bodies, what remained was fear and soreness.

“Divine… Divine Master!?” Gone was the firm strong will that Palace Master Hidden Universe had possessed initially. He knelt and slumped to the ground, seemingly unable to stand up.

He finally understood why Hidden Universe and those palace masters who had previously gone to the Heavenly Handle Yun Clan would be afraid of Yun Che to such an extent.

He had only used two moves and they were already reduced to such a sorry state!

This was absurd… just too absurd!

“Yun… Yun Che!” Venerable Hidden Universe stood up and even though there was an absolutely safe barrier separating them, he was still unable to completely suppress his nerves. He panted raggedly and said, “This is the Nine Lights Heavenly Palace's great protective formation. Once activated, no one is able to break it!”

“The Nine Lights Heavenly Palace does not want to be your enemy. If you retreat now, we will call it even and our grudges will be settled. As for the death of the Chief Palace Master, we will not pursue it any further. However…” Palace Master Hidden Universe gathered all his strength and spoke in a firm tone, “If you continue to force our hand, we will immediately use sound transmission and inform the Thousand Desolation Divine Sect that you are here. When that moment comes, you won’t be able to leave even if you want to!”

“Ha,” Yun Che sneered and floated down, moving closer to the barrier. “Just based on this tortoise sh.e.l.l alone?”

(Wu Guike: Who? Who’s calling for me?”)

Note: Tortoise sh.e.l.l and Wu Guike has the name p.r.o.nunciation in Mandarin

Palace Master Hidden Universe said fiercely, “This protective barrier was created by our ancestors and it is connected to the dark ley lines of nine hundred enormous mountains below us. Even if it was the Thousand Desolation Sect Master… Even if the entire Thousand Desolation Divine Sect attacked together, they still wouldn’t be able to crack it! If you don’t believe me, you’re welcome to try!”

Yun Che narrowed his eyes and slowly stretched out a single finger. A black light radiated from his finger and he gently poked the barrier.

Ping!

A gentle sound rang out as Yun Che’s finger pa.s.sed through the barrier directly.

In that instant, millions of cracks started to radiate from the spot where Yun Che placed his finger, covering the entire dark barrier.

————