The moment Tang Xiaoqi's body touched that thousand-zhang light gate flowing with golden runes, he felt as if he had crashed into something intangible yet infinitely viscous, like gelatin. All external clamor---spell explosions, weapon clashes, dying screams---were instantly and completely cut off, as if gripped by an invisible giant hand, plunging into a startling absolute silence.
What followed was a complete chaos of senses.
Vision lost its meaning. Before his eyes was not darkness but an indescribable, continuously changing and distorting chaotic color. Sometimes like an overturned palette, bright and dazzling. Sometimes turning into nothingness that devoured everything, causing fear. Spiritual sense also lost direction here, like a tiny boat caught in a violent whirlpool, being torn, stretched, compressed, completely unable to leave the body. Even internal vision of oneself became blurred.
Physical sensation was even stranger. Sometimes light as nothing, as if turning into a wisp of blue smoke, about to merge into this chaos. Sometimes heavy as a mountain, every inch of flesh and every thread of spiritual power bearing unimaginable pressure, bones making sounds of distress. Even more terrible was the distortion of time perception. One instant seemed stretched into eternity, able to clearly "hear" each slow throb of his own heartbeat. The next moment felt thousands of years passed like sand through fingertips, bringing ainexplicable sorrow and panic ofseas change into mulberry fields, the world changed beyond recognition.
Space here lost its inherent rules. Up, down, left, right, front, back, these basic concepts became blurred. The body involuntarily tumbled and rotated, completely losing balance. Occasionally broken images like meteors passed through perception: perhaps the roar of a primordial beast gazing at the sky, perhaps gorgeous spectacles of stars birthing and annihilating, perhaps fragments of the rise and fall of an unknown civilization... These fragmented pieces of information carried powerful spiritual impacts. If Xiao Qi's dao heart were not firm and the jade pendant's warm aura not protecting his sea of consciousness, he would likely instantly have his divine soul in chaos, lost in this time-space torrent.
He could even vaguely sense that other alliance members were nearby. Each other's auras were like a candle flame in the wind, flickering, caught in this macro-scale time-space force, being carried along helplessly forward. Ao Qin'svast dragon qi was sometimes like a scorching sun, sometimes faint as a firefly. Mu Xue'scold icy intent seemed able to freeze time-space, yet the next instant was scattered by more violent torrents. Everyone was like a drowning person struggling in turbulent waves, only able to tightly guard a spark of clarity in their spiritual platform, opposing this transcendental time-space transformation.
This state lasted an unknown duration. Perhaps an instant, perhaps ten thousand years. Just as Xiao Qi felt his consciousness was about to be devoured by this endless chaos and solitude, generating doubts about his own existence, at the deepest point of that eternal chaotic color, a stable, warm, soft-callingly luminous dot suddenly appeared.
That dot rapidly expanded,dispelled the chaos and distortion around, like emerging from an endless dark tunnel into dawn. Brilliant light rushed toward him, seemingly warm, full of vitality, and a welcoming embrace.
This was the exit, the true entrance to the Heavenly Palace!
Xiao Qi gritted his teeth, no longer resisting the time-space torrent but following that call, rushing toward the dot of light with all his might. At the same moment, he sensed that his companions Ao Qin and Mu Xue were also like him, somehow sensing this turning point, each bursting out with remaining strength to charge toward the light!
"Boom!"
Like being vomited, Xiao Qi's body was expelled from that chaotic tunnel. He staggered, barely maintaining balance. His vision gradually cleared, and the surroundings came into focus.
He found himself standing on a ground paved with enormous white jade tiles. Each tile was carved with ancient star patterns, glowing faintly with serene starlight. The air was fresh, filled with a pure spiritual energy many times denser than the outside world. Most importantly, there was an indescribably profound, vast, supreme dao rhyme permeating everything, seeming to originate from the very laws of heaven and earth, causing one's soul to tremble involuntarily upon contact.
Before him, a grand palace complex built on this jade ground stretched across his line of sight. The palace walls were not made of ordinary stone or metal but of some unknown material, as if condensing primordial chaos itself. The entire structure was grand beyond description, elegant and profound, its eaves and pillars seemingly forged from starlight and dao principles, emanating a dignity that commanded awe.
And above the palace's highest point, two enormous ancient characters glowed brilliantly, filled with supreme dao rhyme---"Heavenly Dao" (Heavenly Principle)!
The Heavenly Palace had truly appeared before them!
Behind Xiao Qi, Ao Qin and Mu Xue also staggered out from the chaotic tunnel one after another. Ao Qin immediately scanned the surroundings vigilantly. Mu Xue's cold gaze swept around before settling on Xiao Qi with a trace of relief. The demon clan talents behind them also gradually arrived, though some looked pale, obviously shaken by thejust now time-space crossing.
"We succeeded in entering." Ao Qin let out a long breath, his dragon eyes filled with excitement and anticipation.
Mu Xue slightly nodded, her gaze turning to that grand palace and the two ancient characters. "But this seems to be merely the outermost area. The true opportunity of the Heavenly Palace... should be deeper inside."
Xiao Qi also stared at the enormous characters. The jade pendant in his chest pulsed warmly, seemingly resonating with something within that palace. He could feel that countless opportunities and enormous unknown dangers lay ahead.
At this moment, a sound suddenly echoed in everyone's mind, vast, ancient, and impartial:
"All who have entered the palace, heed this. The true inheritance lies ahead. But before it, you must pass through the Gate of Dao, walk the Avenue of Principles, and have your dao heart and foundation tested. Only those whose dao heart is pure and whose foundation is solid may gain the true legacy. The rest... will return empty-handed or be lost forever in the void."
This voice faded as quickly as it came, but its meaning was clear. The Heavenly Palace's final test had begun!
Xiao Qi and his allies exchanged glances, all seeing determination in each other's eyes. No matter what tests lay ahead, they would face them together!