Chapter 180: The Hidden Dragons and Crouching Tigers' Spirit Palace

Yu Zhiwen's small mouth was slightly agape.

Even through the veil, the shock on her face was still visible.

"Zhongyu?"

"That's right!"

Jiang Bianyan nodded and said, "Otherwise, how do you think Tian Sang Ling Gong rose to prominence? In just a few decades, it's already showing a trend of overshadowing the spirit palaces in over a dozen surrounding prefectures."

"All of this... Ye Xiaotian deserves the credit!"

He paused for a moment, his eyes suddenly filled with admiration, and he whispered, "If this guy had been born a few years earlier and gained more experience, he might have even secured a spot among the 'Zhongyu Ten Venerables'..."

"That way, he wouldn't have to settle for coming to this remote corner."

Yu Zhiwen felt that today's visit had been truly worthwhile, with one shocking revelation following another.

"The Ten Venerables?" she asked.

But Jiang Bianyan said no more, shaking his head slightly. "That's still far beyond you, so I won't go into it. I'm here mainly for the Bai Ku matter, so let's focus on preparing for that first!"

Yu Zhiwen nodded gently, her jade-like face appearing calm, though her heart was churning with waves of emotion.

Was the power of space truly that formidable?

Besides, she herself had never encountered anyone with such an attribute, not even at headquarters...

"Oh, right!"

She suddenly remembered something and said, "I heard that the rise of Tian Sang Ling Gong was actually due to the previous palace master. What was his name again..."

Yu Zhiwen furrowed her brows in thought.

Jiang Bianyan smiled and replied, "Sang Lao."

"That old man has been retired for many years now. He just holds the title of vice-dean in the inner academy and spends most of his time traveling around various regions, rarely at the spirit palace."

"Hmm, he seems to have returned recently, but I haven't seen him around this time."

"Sang Lao..." Yu Zhiwen asked curiously, "Who's stronger between him and Ye Xiaotian?"

Jiang Bianyan seemed amused by the question and chuckled before saying, "Little girl, you need to remember, this isn't about who's stronger or weaker anymore."

"Huh?"

"Ye Xiaotian is strong, right?" Jiang Bianyan countered.

Yu Zhiwen looked at the white-haired boy, who was holding open two world passages with one hand each, and nodded involuntarily.

Of course he was strong!

Someone who wielded the power of the world—how could he not be?

"In front of Sang Lao, Ye Xiaotian can only obediently take his scolding!" Jiang Bianyan said, dropping a bombshell.

"Hiss!"

Yu Zhiwen nearly sucked her veil into her mouth, incredulous. "Is he on the Wangzuo level?"

"No, no, it's just the accumulated fear from long ago!"

Jiang Bianyan burst out laughing, but then realized something was off—the gazes from the hundreds of black-clad people below were quite intimidating—so he quickly stopped.

Seeing that Ye Xiaotian hadn't turned around, he lowered his voice and continued, "I heard Sang Lao recently took on a disciple. That old man has incredibly high standards, so maybe you'll find a rival right here."

"Oh?"

Yu Zhiwen perked up with interest. "Who is it?"

"I'm not sure. Seems like it's another girl. Who knows, you might even run into her in Bai Ku."

A girl...

Yu Zhiwen's usually serene thoughts rippled with a hint of excitement. Without this conversation, she probably wouldn't have felt any fighting spirit for this journey.

But now...

Sang Lao's disciple?

This was something to look forward to!

"Tian Sang Ling Gong really is full of talents!" Yu Zhiwen couldn't help but exclaim.

"It sure is..."

Jiang Bianyan's words trailed off suggestively as his gaze shifted to Qiao Qianzhi, who was always half a step behind everyone else, with that perpetual playful smile on his face.

From the way he had activated the array earlier, this seemingly average cultivator was the one hiding his depths the most.

At the very least, he was a Ling Zhen Zongshi, and possibly even a grandmaster...

If it was the latter, that would be terrifying!

A Ling Zhen Grandmaster could, with the advantage of terrain, take on ten enemies single-handedly, and among higher realms, they were among the few capable of achieving "transcendent realm kills."

Jiang Bianyan felt a sudden chill in his heart.

Tian Sang Ling Gong's strength was indeed formidable, so why had they sent that plea for help? Could it be that the "Sheng Nu" were planning a major emergence?

Well, that shouldn't be possible...

Those scheming underlings could never stand the light of day. If they dared to emerge, the glory of the Sheng Shen would surely wipe them out in an instant!

A soft hum interrupted Jiang Bianyan's thoughts.

Two light vibrations echoed as Ye Xiaotian's world passage was nearly complete.

In less than a quarter of an hour, he had successfully connected the two realms. This construction speed once again left the two of them in awe.

"Wu!" Jiang Bianyan suddenly said.

At his word, the entire scene fell silent.

Even Yu Zhiwen swallowed her intended words and closed her eyes to comprehend.

The hundreds of black-clad people below did the same, including Zhao Xidong, who was holding the "Twelve Pearl Spirit Curtain Disk," as he lowered his eyelids and observed carefully.

In the world passage, faint traces of the Great Dao rules appeared, but even more precious was the extremely dense power of space attributes.

The former represented the "Dao," while the latter was its manifestation.

This was the power of the Great Dao rules, something only Wangzuo-level experts could comprehend. For the vast majority here, who were below Wangzuo, this was a breakthrough opportunity!

Just one glance sent many into a state of sudden enlightenment.

Ye Xiaotian was sweating profusely; it was rare to see him exerting himself so fully. This was a precious chance indeed.

Even among the spirit palace's own members, few had ever witnessed Ye Xiaotian using his space power with such effort.

Jiang Bianyan gazed at the clearly visible rules in the passage and sighed inwardly.

If he weren't already a Wangzuo and hadn't found his own Dao, such a clear display of rules would have surely advanced him further.

But now, that was impossible.

Every Wangzuo had their own unique "Dao," and the competition of the Great Dao was brutally fierce. If he denied his own Dao because of Ye Xiaotian's, his life would likely be ruined.

He averted his gaze; two incompatible Daos gained nothing from being stared at.

Qiao Qianzhi, however, studied it intently. The power of space had countless applications in the world of Ling Zhen masters.

He absorbed it eagerly, savoring every bit.

Ye Xiaotian wasn't about to delay important matters just because others were enlightening themselves. In his view, rescuing the people from Tian Xuan Gate came first.

Every extra minute wasted meant more danger for those inside!

The world passage finally stabilized, and Ye Xiaotian's voice echoed through it, simple and direct:

"Come out!"

At Tian Xuan Gate's array entrance, the three people lying on the ground jumped up in shock, pointing at the crowd behind them.

"It's a space passage!"

Luo Leilei turned in astonishment and saw that another space passage had opened on the side of the array gate behind them.

"What's going on?"

"Xu Xiaoshou hasn't come back yet—who connected to the dean?"

Mu Zixiao gazed at the massive Chengtian Ancient Tree, deep in thought. "Maybe after Xu Xiaoshou succeeded, the small world recovered, and the dean can intervene now?"

"Stop speculating and move! If not now, when?"

The three rushed forward together. Luo Leilei couldn't stop them and could only watch as they entered the space passage and vanished.

"Let's go. Xu Xiaoshou should be able to catch up... right?"

Mo Mo, holding the bronze furnace, glanced at the bracelet on her hand and hesitated. "We can't wait any longer."

They really couldn't wait!

Everyone there wasn't foolish or stubborn; they all knew that if the passage hadn't opened yet, they could afford to wait, but once it did, how long it would last was unknown.

Waiting to go together might mean ending up on a different path altogether.

Mo Mo stepped in first, Mu Zixiao hesitated briefly before following.

Zhao Qingteng took a couple of steps, paused, then slowly turned back and extended his hand. "Together..."

"Get lost!"

He shook his head and left directly.

Luo Leilei stared at the space passage, finding it incredibly hard to take a step.

She wasn't waiting for Xu Xiaoshou; it was the outside world that filled her with fear.

If her deduction was correct, stepping out would mean facing a swarm of black-clad people...

Biting her lip, she finally decided to step forward.

"Double Line brother, you have to hurry over..."