168: Chapter 168 Underground Palace

"I originally intended to give you a quick death."

"Now, I will extract your Soul and refine your spirit!"

When dealing with such a devious and fickle enemy, Chu Feng could not afford to be soft-hearted.

He formed a hand seal, and a chain condensed from lightning shot out from his palm, tightly binding the Three-Headed Demon Turtle.

The chain was condensed from pure Five Elements Earth Thunder; lightning danced upon it like countless tiny snakes slithering about.

"No! No, no, no!!"

"I curse you! I curse you to never achieve the Great Dao!"

"I curse you to die a miserable death!"

"I curse you to go to Hell and suffer through the eighteen levels of Hell!"

"I curse you to never find reincarnation after death!"

"I curse you..."

After uttering its final, venomous curse, the Three-Headed Demon Turtle's body suddenly swelled up like a balloon blown to its limit!

Its body began to expand, its skin tightened, and its flesh started to tear—this was the precursor to self-detonation.

In its final madness, it intended to drag Chu Feng down with it.

"It’s going to self-detonate!"

Chu Feng immediately placed the five-finger mountain in front of him while simultaneously activating his Five Elements Shield with all his might.

As for running?

He could run, but he would definitely not be able to escape the blast radius in time.

Therefore, the best course of action was to focus entirely on defense.

"Rumble...!"

Amidst the massive explosion,

Cracks began to appear on the five-finger mountain—one, two, three... until it was covered in them and finally shattered into pieces.

"Cough, cough..." Chu Feng spat out a mouthful of blood.

With his Lifebound Treasure destroyed, his Soul suffered damage.

However, it wasn't a major issue.

"What a pity for the Divine Soul," Chu Feng said, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth.

"Brother Feng, you, you, you..." Tang An swallowed hard.

Tang An now seriously doubted whether his own Nascent Soul grandfather could actually defeat Chu Feng!

This guy was simply too monstrous!

As for his brother?

What kind of trash dared to even compare themselves to Brother Feng?

Chu Feng smiled without saying anything, his gaze shifting toward a deep, dark part of the lake bottom. "Let's go and see that palace the old turtle mentioned!"

That palace, which the Three-Headed Demon Turtle was still obsessed with even on the brink of death, was surely extraordinary.

Perhaps there were even more opportunities hidden inside.

"Alright!!!"

By this time, the lake water had long since evaporated, leaving what was once a deep lake as nothing more than a muddy bog.

The two of them headed down, reaching the deepest part of the silt.

There, as expected, was a cave hidden beneath a thick layer of mud.

The cave entrance wasn't large—only about as tall as a person—but it was bottomless, as if leading to the very depths of the earth.

The two exchanged a glance and flickered inside.

After walking a distance along the deep, dark passage, their vision suddenly opened up.

An ancient Formation, half-buried in silt, stood quietly in the center of the cavern.

In the center of the Formation were three Spirit Stones that had already lost their luster.

"Once we break this Formation, we'll be able to see the palace behind it!"

Confirming the news was true, Chu Feng finally relaxed his brow, a satisfied smile appearing on his face.

This trip wasn't in vain; not only had he killed the Three-Headed Demon Turtle, but he had also found this ancient ruin. The harvest far exceeded his expectations.

"Is it easy to break?" Tang An asked from the side.

He knew nothing about Formations and could only stare blankly.

"A mere Formation powered by three Top-Grade Spirit Stones?"

Chu Feng's tone was relaxed, but his eyes sparkled with confidence. "I'll study it for a bit and open it easily!"

With the boost from his 20x Comprehension Ability,

Before long, Chu Feng found the method to break it. His hands formed seals as he infused strands of spiritual power into the Formation patterns, causing them to flicker and begin operating.

Finally, with a soft "crack," the Formation opened, revealing a flight of stairs leading underground.

At the end of the stairs, a majestic palace was faintly visible, emitting a faint glow in the darkness.

The palace was entirely milky white, exuding an ancient and desolate Aura, like a giant beast that had been slumbering for ten thousand years.

Even from such a great distance, the two could still feel the overwhelming pressure washing over them.

It was the accumulation of ages, the weight of history, and the traces left behind by ancient powerhouses.

The silhouette of the palace loomed in the darkness, sometimes clear and sometimes blurred, like a mirage or a projection from another world.

"It really exists!!!"

Tang An whispered excitedly, a flash of irrepressible excitement in his eyes.

It was an instinctive desire for unknown treasures and the innate adventurous nature of a Cultivator.

His breathing became rapid, and he wished he could charge in immediately to see what world-shaking treasures were hidden inside.

"Let's go, let's take a look inside."

Chu Feng pointed inside, his tone calm yet carrying a hint of gravity. "But we must be careful."

"Since that old turtle used information about this palace as a bargaining chip, it's clearly no ordinary place. It likely won't be peaceful inside."

Tang An nodded, composed himself, took a deep breath, and stepped into the cave entrance with Chu Feng.

The moment they stepped inside, both felt a strange force brush over their bodies.

The force was gentle yet cold, like an ancient pool in deep mountains or a winter wind, carrying an indescribable sense of vicissitude.

Chu Feng knew this was the Aura of a Formation, a brand left by time.

The Formation patterns around the entrance flickered slightly, as if welcoming them yet also warning them, making it impossible to decipher.

The two moved slowly along the dark passage.

The passage sloped downward at a gentle angle, and the surrounding walls were covered with ancient carvings.

Although these lines had endured for ten thousand years, they were still clearly discernible without any sign of blurring.

Chu Feng reached out to touch them and felt a cold sensation; the texture of the stone wall was exceptionally hard, far beyond that of ordinary stone.

The drawings depicted various scenes from ancient times.

There were Vicious Beasts with wings that blotted out the sky, their spread wings capable of obscuring the sun and moon, with lightning interwoven between their feathers, leaving shattered mountains and rivers in their wake.

There were Divine Beasts that swallowed and spat out the sun and moon, capable of draining the four seas with a single breath and scattering the clouds of the Nine Heavens with an exhale.

There were giants that stood between heaven and earth, ten thousand feet tall, treading upon the ground with their heads touching the vault of heaven, capable of shattering mountains and severing peaks with a single palm strike.

There were Immortals who could fly and tunnel through the earth, riding auspicious clouds and wielding Magic Treasures, living as long as heaven and earth, and rivaling the radiance of the sun and moon.

Among these intricate drawings, Chu Feng looked closely and actually discovered the prototype of the Desolate Realm!

Chu Feng stared at one of the drawings.

It was a massive map depicting mountains, rivers, plains, hills, oceans, and lakes.

Among them was a winding mountain range with a peculiar shape, resembling a coiled dragon.

There was also a vast, boundless forest with towering trees that blotted out the sun.

And there was a vast ocean with surging waves that stretched boundlessly.

This was a memory from ancient times!

Someone had carved that long-extinguished era stroke by stroke onto the cold stone walls, leaving endless room for imagination for future generations.

These carvers might have long since turned to dust, their cultivation, their stories, and their joys and sorrows all swallowed by the river of history.

Yet the drawings they left behind had traveled through ten thousand years, quietly waiting for someone destined to find them.

"This mountain range is the Duobao Mountain Range!" Tang An's eyes widened, and his finger trembled as he pointed at the drawing.

"And this one! Look, doesn't it look like the Endless Mountains! That's the East Sea! That's the South Sea!"

His voice grew louder and louder as he became more astonished with every look, shouting repeatedly like a child of over two thousand months who had discovered a treasure.

Chu Feng quickly took out a Jade Slip and meticulously imprinted all the drawings into it.

Although this ancient map wasn't particularly detailed, it held extremely high reference value.

The drawing marked many place names that were now lost, recorded many ruins that had long since vanished, and depicted many unheard-of wonders.

These things held immeasurable value for exploring unknown regions, searching for ancient ruins, and understanding the world's Origin.

After all, Chu Feng hadn't even fully figured out the Desolate Realm, let alone other places.

Those unknown regions and mysterious locations all hid countless secrets.

With this map, he now had a direction, a goal, and a basis for exploration.

Once all the drawings had been completely imprinted, Chu Feng let out a long breath, his heart relaxing slightly.

He put the Jade Slip into his Storage Ring.

With these drawings, even if the so-called palace was empty, his trip would still be considered worthwhile.

To him, the map and the understanding of the world were actually more important than any Treasure Trove.

Those Magic Treasures and Medicinal Pills were, in the end, external items that could only assist in cultivation.

Knowledge and information, however, could change a person's perception and elevate their Realm, allowing them to see further and walk more steadily.

"Let's go! We'll continue heading down!"

Having finished his task, Chu Feng led Tang An deeper inside.

The sound of their footsteps echoed in the empty passage, making a "da-da" sound like an ancient bell tolling in the silent underground world.

Soon after, the area ahead opened up.

A magnificent white palace stood quietly in the center of a massive underground space.

The palace was about a hundred zhang tall, built entirely from some unknown white jade that emitted a faint halo.

The roof featured upturned eaves and bracket sets, with carved dragons and phoenixes; its Aura was grand to the extreme.

Even after being silent for endless ages, it still allowed one to feel the monumental handiwork of the builders from that time.

The eaves spread out like phoenix wings, the bracket sets were held tight like dragon claws, and the carvings were so lifelike they seemed as if they could come to life at any moment and soar into the sky.

The palace covered a vast area, likely several dozen li in circumference.

Surrounding it was a level plaza paved with the same white jade, as smooth as a mirror and capable of reflecting one's image.

At the edge of the plaza stood dozens of massive stone pillars, each a hundred zhang tall.

The pillars were also carved with various patterns: dragons and phoenixes bringing prosperity, Qilins presenting auspiciousness, cranes spreading their wings, and divine turtles carrying books. Each one was a masterpiece of exquisite craftsmanship.

On the plaza outside the palace stood dozens of statues in various forms.

These statues were lifelike, with every detail carved meticulously.

There were Vicious Birds about to take flight, their wings spread with each feather clearly defined, their eyes as sharp as knives.

There were fierce beasts crouching as if ready to pounce, their muscles bulging and fangs bared, brimming with Killing Intent.

There were alien races with human bodies and animal heads, wielding weapons with hideous and ferocious expressions.

There were demon gods with three heads and six arms, each hand holding a Magical Artifact, in various poses and with terrifying power.

Even after being settled there for countless millennia, they still radiated a staggering pressure that inspired awe and struck fear into the hearts of onlookers.

That pressure wasn't released intentionally but emanated naturally, much like how a sleeping beast can still make those who approach feel danger.

Standing at the edge of the plaza, Chu Feng and Tang An could both feel the oppressive force washing over them, as if dozens of fierce and evil deities were staring at them, ready to pounce at any moment.