Stone Monument in the Emperor Palace

Stone Monument in the Emperor Palace . . .

In the dimly lit underground palace, a sense of unity seemed to prevail among the gathered geniuses, despite the enmity that had once festered between them. The two dominant powers in this subterranean realm, the Xiao Sect and the Twin Stars Alliance, had now thrown their support behind Qin Wentian. With this backing, it was evident that others wouldn't object either. Their shared goal was simple: escape from this perilous place.

The underground palace, though not immediately deadly, had claimed the lives of immortal kings over time as it trapped them until their very life force waned. Qin Wentian appeared to be their best hope for an escape, albeit a precarious one. Still, hope was a powerful motivator, and they had no choice but to grasp it.

"Calling all divine inscriptionists with the ability to decipher the runic diagrams in this underground palace," Qin Wentian commanded. Both he and Xuan Xing possessed this unique skill, and soon, several more inscriptionists stepped forward. For them, reading and understanding the divine inscriptions was a natural gift, and they were adept at deciphering their intricate transformations.

"Perfect, we only need six," Qin Wentian affirmed. He gestured to the five distinct pathways that led in different directions and explained, "Each of you, choose one of these paths. Your task is to activate the runic diagrams along the way. Your expertise will guide you to the safest positions to stand. The rest of you will form groups and accompany these five divine inscriptionists."

Xuan Xing inquired, "What about you?"

Qin Wentian responded confidently, "If you look at this underground palace from above, you'd realize it resembles a colossal palm. These five pathways resemble the fingers, and our current location is the palm's center. I will oversee this central area."

Xuan Xing questioned Qin Wentian's choice, his voice laced with suspicion. "Why are you the one responsible for the palm's center?"

Qin Wentian offered a mocking invitation, "If you believe you can handle it, feel free to take my place." His words dripped with sarcasm, and Xuan Xing seethed with frustration. Nonetheless, he grudgingly conceded.

Xiao Lengyue declared, "The Xiao Sect will join you."

Qin Wentian nodded, and together with the members of the Xiao Sect, they assumed their positions. The remaining experts followed the five chosen divine inscriptionists to their respective paths.

With everyone in place, Qin Wentian began activating the runic diagrams beneath his feet. His eyes remained closed, as he had committed every single runic diagram to memory. He could even reproduce them with precision if needed, making it effortless to trigger the divine inscriptions with his eyes shut.

The underground palace gradually came alive with radiant light. The divine inscriptions emitted a brilliant glow that grew increasingly dazzling. A potent energy pulsed through the palace, and if unleashed, it would unleash catastrophic destruction.

"The power of divine inscriptions is truly astonishing," murmured Xiao Lengyue, her thoughts wandering. She understood that delving into divine inscriptions could divert one from martial cultivation, yet the potential of a skilled divine inscriptionist was immense. As the myriad divine inscriptions converged into a single source of light, she grasped her father's wisdom: all things ultimately return to unity. These diverse inscriptions, when dissected to their core, could indeed be harmonized into one. Although many stellar martial cultivators opted for the quicker path of martial cultivation, those who mastered divine inscriptions were held in the highest regard.

As the last of the runic diagrams lit up, an awestruck hush fell over the gathered geniuses. They gazed upward as golden runic light bathed every corner of the underground realm in its radiant glow. It was no longer merely an underground palace; as Qin Wentian had suggested, it had transformed into the likeness of a colossal palm. The shimmering golden light outlined its contours, giving the impression that this entire place had been sculpted by the force of a colossal palm descending from the heavens.

"Can we really leave like this?" pondered many in disbelief. Qin Wentian had proposed the idea, but countless immortal kings, trapped here for millennia, must have entertained the same thought. Some among them were likely proficient in divine inscriptions, or even if they weren't, their unparalleled comprehension abilities would have made it possible to illuminate the entire underground palace. So why had they perished here?

It was evident that merely illuminating the divine inscriptions wasn't enough.

Qin Wentian, his eyes tightly shut, extended his perception to manipulate the flow of the divine inscriptions. Under his guidance, the divine inscriptions within the underground palace began to move. He set them in motion, and they soon flowed on their own, unleashing a formidable aura with a thunderous rumble as the entire underground palace quaked.

"He's actually done it," Xiao Lengyue marveled, her beautiful eyes fixated on Qin Wentian. Even immortal kings had failed, dying after eons of entrapment, yet Qin Wentian had succeeded in just half a year?

Despite her anticipation, disbelief swept over Xiao Lengyue. Could someone's comprehension truly be this extraordinary? Could he unravel what even immortal kings could not?

The colossal palm began to rotate, and Qin Wentian no longer needed to control it manually. The boundless runic light flowed autonomously. With an abrupt shout, he turned and sprinted forward, urging, "FOLLOW ME!"

Xiao Lengyue and the Xiao Sect members hesitated for a moment before dashing after Qin Wentian, racing toward the entrance through which they had originally entered. But why was he heading there? It was a dead end.

A deafening boom resounded as the entire palm quaked. At the point where Qin Wentian had sprinted, the stone walls began to disintegrate, eventually opening a passage. The sight left Xiao Lengyue's heart pounding. They quickened their pace, rushing toward the exit.

"Qin Wentian!" a furious roar echoed. Other experts from various pathways also dashed toward the exit. The shout came from Xuan Xing, seething with anger.

It became clear why Qin Wentian had chosen that position—it was the closest to the exit.

"Bzz!" Transforming into a wind roc, Qin Wentian soared toward the exit. Moments later, he found himself in another passageway.

Behind him, explosions and screams filled the air as the experts from the Xiao Sect and Twin Stars Alliance streamed through the exit. The passageway inclined upward, and there was no time for them to settle scores with Qin Wentian. They all fixated on this newfound pathway, their hearts gripped by apprehension. Could it lead to another dead end?

In the distance, a glimmer of light beckoned, a beacon of hope amidst the labyrinthine darkness. Excitement rippled through the crowd, and they quickened their pace, tracing the pathway that led to another vast chamber. Here, they were greeted by an even more intricate array of runic diagrams, surpassing even Qin Wentian's ability to decipher.

Qin Wentian couldn't help but wonder aloud, "Is this the interior of the ancient emperor's body, after we passed through the arm?" The 'body' appeared incomplete, with shattered walls in all directions and faint light seeping through. Voices of astonishment echoed as people rushed towards the source of the light. "Could this entire place be a statue of an ancient emperor? Did we exit the wretched cavern through the body of an ancient emperor?"

Qin Wentian approached a large gap in one of the walls, emerging into the outer region. He floated in the air, gazing back at the place they had left behind. Indeed, the outer expanse resembled an enormous, lifelike statue. The place they had exited from resembled an arm socket. As they looked into the distance, they spotted an ancient hall. The truth began to dawn on them.

"This is the emperor's palace we saw earlier. It must be here. So the underground palace we were in earlier was the hand of the ancient emperor," Xiao Lengyue exclaimed, her heart trembling with realization. They had entered this place through the arm; this was the true entrance.

"There's a monument here with words engraved by an ancient expert!" An excited voice erupted from an expert of the Xiao Sect. The crowd turned their attention to the entrance of the ancient hall, where a stone monument stood. They rushed down to inspect it.

"It's said that supreme experts from the older generations came here to admire the legacies left behind by the ancients. They were filled with longing, gazing at the wisdom of the ancients, feeling their strength and power. They could only lament to the heavens, wishing they had been born in the same era as the ancients. How regretful they couldn't spar with the ancients, unable to measure their own strength against them. They could only choose to safeguard the legacies, hoping that a chosen one from the younger generation might one day shine as brightly as the ancients."

The words on the monument brimmed with power. Each stroke contained a formidable energy, leaving everyone awestruck by the person who had inscribed them.

"They lamented that they weren't born in the same era...filled with regret over their inability to measure their strength against an ancient emperor," someone mumbled, sending shivers through the hearts of those listening. "The person who wrote these words didn't even leave their name. How powerful must they have been? Regretting that they couldn't challenge an ancient emperor."

"Who in the immortal realms could have dared to say such words? They must have been powerful enough to confront an ancient emperor. Unfortunately, they didn't sign their name, so we'll never know their identity," some of the geniuses sighed, regretful that such a formidable expert remained anonymous.

Qin Wentian, contemplating the scene, remarked, "Could it be that the underground palace was not an inescapable trap? The senior who left these words on the monument managed to leave, even if it had captured countless immortal kings." He surveyed the devastation around him, noting that only the stone monument and the ancient hall remained pristine, exuding a majestic aura. Clearly, the senior who inscribed the words had taken measures to preserve the Emperor Palace of Ancient Emperor Yi in its pristine state.

This revelation stirred deep admiration among the crowd. The spirit of this senior was extraordinary. Not only had they refrained from destroying the place when they couldn't claim the inheritance, but they had also ensured the preservation of this hallowed ground for a destined successor from the younger generation.

Amidst the contemplative atmosphere, Qin Wentian observed experts silently proceeding further into the hall. There were no longer shouts of excitement, but rather a palpable sense of discovery. Following their lead, Qin Wentian ventured deeper and was soon confronted by a colossal statue. His expression froze as he beheld what had captured everyone's attention.