Chapter 2177: Lingxiao Treasure Hall

The night in Luosuo Domain was peaceful and serene.

The Child of the Plane and Sheng Zun stood like two spears atop the mountain peak, staring intently into the void, waiting for the person in the black hole to emerge. After four full days, not only had no one shown up, but not even a bird had appeared, making the situation awkward.

"That person has probably already left," Xi Chen said meaningfully.

"It's possible he's been killed," Sheng Zun replied, his expression grave and his words weighty.

With that simple exchange, these two formidable figures both felt an urge to curse. What was so great about that black hole anyway? It was dark and gloomy—didn't the person inside get bored? Couldn't they come out for a stroll? At the very least, let us know who you are, and then you can go back!

Ye Chen couldn't hear their conversation. Compared to those two, he was more concerned about the treasure.

In the black hole, he had been traveling for an unknown amount of time before finally stopping deep within it.

In the distance, a palace hovered like a massive mountain, supported by copper pillars, one of which was broken, causing the palace to tilt to one side. Scattered tiles lay around it, and the so-called treasure was inside.

With the Hundun Ding hovering above his head and a broken Di Jian in his hand, Ye Chen approached stealthily. In the pitch-black space of the black hole, people or evil creatures weren't unusual, but seeing a palace like this was a first. Who would bother putting an entire palace in a black hole? It all felt strangely mysterious.

Only when he reached the palace did Ye Chen realize how insignificant he was. The palace was enormous, making him feel like a tiny ant standing before it.

Vaguely, he could make out the plaque on the palace, inscribed with four grand characters: Lingxiao Baodian.

Those four characters were incredibly majestic, their strokes infused with supreme pressure that made it hard to look directly at them. It was an aura that could oppress anyone.

He could easily imagine that the person who wrote those characters must have been an extraordinary being, possibly even an emperor-level expert. Otherwise, with Ye Chen's cultivation, why would he feel so suppressed?

"Lingxiao Baodian," Ye Chen murmured softly, searching his memory but finding no record of it. He'd never heard of such a place. How had such a massive palace ended up in a space black hole? What incredible divine ability would it take to move something as huge as a mountain into it? He knew he couldn't do it.

After tearing his gaze from the palace plaque, Ye Chen stepped into the palace.

As soon as he entered, a wave of ancient energy rushed at him, forcing him to stagger back half a step.

Once he steadied himself, he looked around the hall. Four dark copper pillars rose to the sky, carved with ancient totems that supported the structure, exuding a sense of solemnity, majesty, and grandeur.

For some reason, the moment he saw the hall's layout, Ye Chen thought of the golden throne hall in a mortal dynasty. This was essentially a royal court!

Unlike a mortal golden throne hall, however, this Lingxiao Baodian was filled with traces of ancient immortal energy.

Ye Chen followed the path upward with his eyes. At the top of ninety-nine stone steps stood a dragon throne carved from white jade, covered in layers of dust from the ages. Though empty, it seemed as if a god sat upon it, overlooking the eight wastelands and the entire world.

That dragon throne was a symbol in itself, much like in a mortal dynasty where, even if the emperor wasn't present, his ministers had to bow before it.

In that moment, Ye Chen felt the same impulse—to kneel before it. The pressure came from his very soul.

Break!

Ye Chen silently rebuked himself, fortifying his divine platform to resist the force.

The dragon throne seemed to hold some kind of magic; even a single glance made his mind unsteady.

"What family's palace is this?" Ye Chen muttered as he walked, scanning his surroundings. Walking through this so-called court, he felt as insignificant as an ant. The palace was just too vast.

He wanted to find some clues, but there were none—no traces left at all.

In his view, this must have been the remnant site of an ancient dynasty, carrying a civilization's history and a lineage's heritage. As for which dynasty it was, he had no idea for now.

When he reached the center of the hall, he stopped involuntarily and looked up. Above him was no longer the ceiling, but a vast starry sky—a real cosmic expanse. The sun hung high in the east, bathing the world in its light, while the moon was suspended in the west, casting its glow over the earth. Stars twinkled, dusted with the passage of time.

In that instant, Ye Chen was stunned, his mind growing hazy once more. This palace was truly mysterious. How could there be a starry sky above? Those brilliant stars felt incredibly real.

"A starry sky formed by secret techniques," Ye Chen murmured, stepping forward and soaring upward, intent on reaching the end of it to explore the universe and perhaps uncover some opportunity.

However, he had underestimated the palace. No matter how long he flew—whether it was one or two days, or three or five—he couldn't touch the stars. Each one seemed even more distant than a dream, and no matter how high he went, the distance never closed.

Ye Chen was frustrated. He ended up descending the same way he had gone up.

When he landed again, his expression was one of amazement. This strange starry sky was a first for him. It wasn't that he hadn't flown high enough; it was restricted by laws. That so-called starry sky wasn't supported by secret techniques—it formed its own complete universe.

"Truly eye-opening," Ye Chen said, giving a thumbs-up to the stars.

Buzz!

As he sighed, the broken Di Jian in his hand vibrated inexplicably.

Ye Chen glanced down at it and could faintly sense the sword spirit's confusion, as if it recognized this place.

Unfortunately, the Di Jian was damaged, and so was its spirit, with many ancient memories lost. After vibrating once, it fell silent again.

This piqued Ye Chen's interest even more. He was certain the broken Di Jian had some connection to the Lingxiao Baodian—perhaps they were even related.

"How can I restore your memories?" Ye Chen stroked his chin, pondering quietly. If the broken Di Jian regained its full memories, it would surely reveal some ancient secrets. At the very least, he could figure out the palace's origins.

With the Di Jian silent, Ye Chen stopped dwelling on it and headed straight for the end of the court—or more precisely, for the white jade dragon throne. The strange fluctuation he had felt earlier came from there; it had to be the treasure.

To study the dragon throne, he needed to climb the ninety-nine stone steps.

These steps were no simple matter. Ye Chen had intended to leap over them in one go but was surprised to find he couldn't fly or even use techniques like shrinking the ground into inches.

"How interesting," Ye Chen chuckled. Clearly, to sit on the dragon throne, one had to ascend step by step. Only its true owner could bypass them.

It was a symbol of authority—the ruler's subjects could not reach the heavenly treasure.

As he spoke, Ye Chen stepped onto the first stone step, feeling an unexpected pressure that made him raise an eyebrow. On the second step, the pressure intensified, and by the third, it grew even stronger. This situation reminded him of the Heavenly Road during the Three Sects Grand Competition, where the higher the level, the greater the pressure.

As the tenth emperor of Great Chu, Ye Chen was not one to back down. He climbed one step at a time, each one heavier than the last, the thuds echoing through the hall as the pressure forced his footsteps to grow ponderous.

By the forty-second step, he paused for the first time, his face slightly pale. The pressure was stronger than he had imagined, even making him struggle.

Immediately, he surged his sacred body blood energy and pushed onward, climbing eighteen steps in one go.

At the sixtieth step, he stopped again, his legs bending under the weight, and even the Hundun Ding above his head began to hum. If its owner couldn't bear the pressure, neither could it.

Ye Chen gritted his teeth, expanding his Chaos Realm to resist, and forced his way up another eighteen steps.

At the seventy-eighth step, he activated his external domineering body.

At the eighty-sixth, he burned his sacred blood.

At the ninety-fourth, he sacrificed his lifespan.

At the ninety-eighth, he collapsed onto it—or rather, was crushed down by the pressure. Even his powerful ancient sacred body cracked, golden blood flowing out.

He crawled up the final step, his sacred body nearly ground into a puddle of blood mud.

If anyone else were there, they would surely admire him. To study that dragon throne, you're really going all out.

"For you, I almost lost my life," Ye Chen grumbled to himself as he healed his sacred body. He took one more step and plopped down on the dragon throne. He'd worked so hard to get here—he had to sit on it.

"Young one, you've got quite the nerve!" the Ming Emperor of Jieming Mountain exclaimed, taking a deep breath.

"From what you're saying, it seems you know about that Lingxiao Baodian," Di Huang said casually.

"It is the first hall of the Heavenly Court."