162: Dark Thirteen, Mingchang Palace

Xiao Zhuo instantly understood that he was currently in the Inner Sect Palace City of the Blood God Continent, one of the Seven States of the Blood Palace.

Presumably, the palace he had just been in was the rumored Myriad Blood Hall, where the high-ranking officials of the Blood Palace held discussions.

Just as Xiao Zhuo was still recalling his conversation with Xue Qin, a shadow coalesced out of thin air. As the shadow writhed, a man dressed in a black robe with a silver half-mask covering the lower half of his face appeared beside Xiao Zhuo.

Xiao Zhuo raised an eyebrow, but before he could speak, the man knelt on one knee: "Your subordinate, Dark Thirteen, greets the Third Holy Son. By the Palace Master's order, your subordinate will henceforth be Your Highness's personal Shadow Guard."

This was within the Blood Palace, so it was impossible for outsiders to intrude. This must be the person Xue Qin had mentioned earlier.

Nodding slightly, Xiao Zhuo said indifferently, "Take me to my residence!"

"Yes, Your Highness!" Dark Thirteen, like a cold machine, rose upon hearing this and flew towards the west. "Please follow me, Your Highness!"

Xiao Zhuo said nothing, pushing off the ground and following closely behind him.

Two afterimages, one in front and one behind, swiftly and silently swept past majestic palace walls and deep corridors.

Dark Thirteen was like a true shadow, flying close to the ground. Every turn was incredibly precise, as if every inch of this vast palace city's path had been carved into his bones.

Xiao Zhuo followed closely, his movement erratic, but his gaze sharply scanned the scenery along the way.

The interior of the Blood God Continent's palace city was far grander and deeper than it appeared from the outside.

The towering palace walls were constructed from an unknown dark-red metal and giant beast bones, with faint blood-colored runes flowing upon them, exuding an ancient and majestic Aura.

Huge blood-colored glazed tiles glowed dimly under the dim sky, like a solidified sea of blood.

The air was filled with a faint scent of rust mixed with exotic spices—a unique Aura belonging to the Blood Palace.

Occasionally along the way, patrol teams in blood-colored armor with stern Auras could be seen. When they saw Dark Thirteen's unique black robe and silver mask, and Xiao Zhuo following closely behind, their eyes showed surprise, but they did not stop, continuing their patrol, clearly not unfamiliar with Shadow Guards.

Before long, Dark Thirteen's speed abruptly dropped, and he landed at the edge of an exceptionally open square.

The square's ground was paved with smoothly polished black profound stones, and in its center stood a magnificent hall.

The main body of the hall was a deep dark red, as if piled from countless blood jades. The roof was covered with darker glazed tiles, and the eaves were carved with various ferocious Vicious Beast heads roaring. A huge dark profound plaque hung above the main entrance, with three ancient, scarlet characters, as if written in fresh blood—Mingchang Hall.

In front of the hall entrance, two rows of eighteen fierce guards, clad in blood-colored elite armor and with clearly impressive Cultivation, stood like statues. Seeing Xiao Zhuo arrive, they knelt on one knee in unison, their voices like a resounding bell: "We respectfully welcome His Highness the Third Holy Son!"

The sound echoed across the square, adding to the majesty.

"Your Highness, this is Mingchang Hall, your future residence." Dark Thirteen's voice was still cold and unperturbed as he gestured the way.

Xiao Zhuo nodded slightly and stepped onto the nine blood-colored jade steps in front of the hall.

The hall doors silently slid open on their own, revealing the interior. Stepping inside, a rich and pure Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi, mixed with a faint scent of blood, rushed towards him.

The hall's interior was extremely vast, with luxurious yet eerie decorations.

Huge blood-colored crystal pillars supported the dome, the floor was covered with soft exotic beast fur, and the walls were inlaid with glowing gems, reflecting ancient murals depicting scenes of the Blood Palace ancestors' conquests.

Side halls, sleeping chambers, quiet rooms, alchemy rooms, and training grounds were all complete, and there was even a dedicated beast pen area for raising war beasts.

"Your Highness, this is your Saint's Token. The servants in the hall will arrive shortly to await your command. Your subordinate will hide within your shadow, ready to be summoned at any time." Dark Thirteen's voice, like a ghost, sounded behind Xiao Zhuo. A gold-veined blood jade tablet was lifted by his magical power and sent before Xiao Zhuo. Immediately, his figure, like ink dripping into water, rapidly faded and disappeared, as if he had never appeared, leaving only the empty echo within the hall and the omnipresent, faint scent of blood and oppressive Aura.

Xiao Zhuo's Divine Sense swept over his own shadow, yet he couldn't detect any abnormality, but he knew Dark Thirteen was inside.

This Shadow Guard, though ostensibly obeying him, also obeyed Xue Qin.

He was Xue Qin's informant placed by his side, and Xiao Zhuo was currently powerless to resist.

However, if he was given a little more time, the Blood Palace would tremble beneath his feet.

He took the Saint's Token, and as his Divine Sense entered it, a lot of information merged into his mind.

This token actually also functioned as a Jade Slip.

This information recorded details about Mingchang Hall, as well as information about his subordinates. It also included his treatment as the Third Holy Son in the Blood Palace and some introductions to the Blood Palace's Inner Sect.

The Holy Son of the Blood Palace's status was second only to the Blood Palace Master and the six Deputy Palace Masters who presided over the other six of the Seven States of the Blood Palace, making him a candidate for the next Palace Master.

Before Xiao Zhuo, the Blood Palace had already established two Saints. In the blood fiend stele, one ranked around 1,300, and the other around 1,800.

They were the First Holy Son, Ye Kongwu, and the Second Holy Son, Cao Yunqing.

Aside from existing subordinates, a Saint could recruit a thousand Inner Sect Disciples of the Blood Palace to form his personal guard.

At the same time, the Holy Son of the Blood Palace could freely enter the seven Cultivation Secret Realms within the Seven States of the Blood Palace.

However, these seven Secret Realms were of little use to powerful Cultivators like Xiao Zhuo, who had already reached the Body Integration Stage or above. But Saint-level existences had the authority to grant Secret Realm quotas to their subordinates.

However, the quota limit for each Secret Realm differed, and after granting, the Internal Affairs Hall needed to be notified for record-keeping.

This was also a method the Blood Palace used to allow Saints to win over subordinates.

Xiao Zhuo's fingertips brushed the cold Saint's Token. The touch of the gold-veined blood jade carried a strange warmth, as if responding to the surging blood Qi within his body.

The Spiritual Qi in the hall was so dense it almost solidified, mixed with the lingering faint scent of blood, creating a unique and unsettling atmosphere.

This Mingchang Hall was his new lair and starting point in the Blood Palace's center of power.

He slowly paced towards the main seat in the depths of the main hall.

It was carved from a single huge piece of dark-red blood marrow jade, shaped like the coiled spine of a Vicious Beast. The ends of the armrests were two ferocious beast heads, their hollow eye sockets inlaid with dark purple gems, exuding a cold majesty.

Xiao Zhuo did not sit down immediately. His finger traced the smooth, cold jade seat, feeling the immense energy and accumulated Evil Qi contained within it.

This was a symbol of power, and also the source of countless covetous desires and dangers.

The hall doors silently slid open, and a team of servants in dark-red palace dresses with restrained Auras filed in. Leading them were two stable-Aura, middle-aged Cultivators who had reached the Body Integration Stage, clearly the servant leaders.

They knelt in unison, their heads deeply bowed: "Your subordinate, Zhang Zhao, Chief Steward of Mingchang Hall, and your subordinate, Fan Mo, Deputy Chief Steward, along with eighteen Utility Disciples of the entire hall, greet His Highness the Third Holy Son and await Your Highness's command!"

Their voices were uniform and carried absolute deference, yet they were like precise machines, lacking genuine awe.

Xiao Zhuo understood that although these people were his subordinates, they could not be considered very loyal; they could only be driven.

But as long as the news of him taking first place on the blood fiend stele spread... Thinking of this, his gaze swept over the Utility Disciples, not lingering on them, but rather focusing on the two leaders. A terrifyingly immense oppressive Aura erupted from him.

Zhang Zhao and Fan Mo felt a giant mountain pressing down, making them unable to even think of moving or resisting. They were instantly terrified, while the Utility Disciples behind them showed no abnormality.

It was as if this oppressive Aura was only directed at the two of them.

The awe of the two for this Third Holy Son, who had only a Cultivation of the Integration Stage like them, instantly increased severalfold. Under the immense pressure, their heads were almost pressed to the ground.

After a long while, the oppressive Aura receded, and Xiao Zhuo spoke indifferently: "Withdraw. From now on, you may not enter the main hall without my summons."

"Yes, Your Highness!"

Zhang Zhao and Fan Mo quickly accepted the order, not bothering with the cold sweat that had soaked their backs, and hurriedly led the Utility Disciples out of the main hall.