79: The palace gates opened, and a hundred boats raced forward.

The Nether Rift Valley stretches for ten thousand miles.

The cliffs on both sides are as black as ink, bottomless, and shrouded year-round in grey-white Nether Death Qi that injures any ordinary Cultivator who touches it.

At this moment, above a gently sloping area in the middle of the rift, a grey-white vortex with a diameter exceeding a thousand zhang is expanding at a speed visible to the naked eye.

At the center of the vortex, the phantom image of the bronze immortal palace eaves becomes increasingly clear, and one can even see the mottled ancient patterns on the palace gates.

"The entrance has stabilized!"

"Charge! Whoever enters the palace first gains the Opportunity!"

Someone shouted, and the Cultivators, who had long been unable to restrain themselves, instantly turned into countless streams of light, scrambling to rush into the vortex.

"Hmph, a bunch of ants, are you worthy of coveting the Hall of Rebirth?"

High in the sky, on that pitch-black tower ship, the leading Black-Robed Figure snorted coldly.

The two people behind him formed seals simultaneously, and dense, eerie runes appeared on the surface of the tower ship, which then turned invisible and silently blended into the crowd, submerging into the vortex together.

Almost at the same time.

Three hundred miles east of the rift, a portal suddenly tore open in the Void Realm.

Lu Qingxuan, dressed in black robes, and Su Linger, fluttering in purple, stepped out.

Behind them, seven vague black shadows flashed and vanished, hiding in the surrounding shadows.

"So many people..." Su Linger looked at the streams of light pouring into the vortex like locusts in the distance, frowning slightly.

"A mob." Lu Qingxuan's gaze was calm as he swept over the entire rift area.

In his eyes, various tags appeared above the heads of those Cultivators, mostly blue or purple, with an occasional gold flash—those were the Prodigies or old monsters of various factions.

[Detected a large number of hostile units]

[Detected high concentration of Nether Death Qi and Reincarnation fluctuations]

[Detected hidden Void Abyss aura (faint) x3]

System prompts flashed in the corner of his eye.

Lu Qingxuan locked his gaze on the locations of the three "Void Abyss auras"—they had already mixed into the crowd and entered the vortex.

"Let's go in too." He stepped forward, appearing slow, but covering dozens of miles in one step, arriving directly at the edge of the vortex.

Su Linger hurriedly followed.

Their appearance immediately drew the attention of some Cultivators remaining on the perimeter.

"That is... Lu Qingxuan of the Grand Void Holy Land?!"

"Why is he here?! Isn't there a rumor that the Grand Void Holy Land has closed its gates?"

"The girl in purple next to him... such a strong Thunder aura!"

Amidst the exclamations, many Cultivators subconsciously stepped back, clearing a path.

A person's reputation is like the shadow of a tree.

The legend of him killing three Peak Body Integration experts from afar three years ago had long since spread throughout the Eastern Region. Even if they hadn't seen him in person, feeling that unfathomable, ordinary aura right now was enough to make anyone tremble with fear.

But there were also those who were blind.

"Lu Qingxuan?" A young man wearing Star Dao robes with a sword mark on his forehead stepped forward, blocking the entrance to the vortex, and sneered, "I heard you killed an Elder of my Star Sword Pavilion? Since we've met today, leave an explanation!"

Behind him stood a dozen or so Cultivators in similar attire, all with auras above the Nascent Soul Rank, and the two leading old men had even reached the Mid-stage Spirit Transformation Realm.

"It's 'Star Sword Child' of the Star Sword Pavilion! He was at the Early Soul Transformation Stage three years ago, now he's probably reached the Middle Stage!"

"The Star Sword Pavilion has sent two Soul Transformation Elders this time, it seems they are determined to take revenge..."

The onlookers whispered, but no one stepped forward to mediate; instead, they all wore expressions of watching a good show.

Lu Qingxuan did not stop, not even glancing at Star Sword Child.

"You're courting death!" A fierce look flashed in Star Sword Child's eyes. He pointed like a sword, and a cold star burst from his fingertip, turning into a hundred-zhang sword light, tearing through the air and piercing straight at Lu Qingxuan's face!

This sword contained the Law of Stars, fast as a streak of light, with terrifying might.

Many Nascent Soul Cultivators nearby turned pale, thinking they couldn't take it.

However—

"Noisy."

Two words were uttered.

Hum—!

Word Law Dao Ruling, activated!

That hundred-zhang sword light seemed to hit an invisible wall, instantly freezing in mid-air, then crumbling inch by inch, turning into starlight that dissipated across the sky.

Star Sword Child's face changed drastically. Before he could react, he felt an irresistible force of Law descend.

"Kneel."

Another two words.

Bang!

Star Sword Child's knees went soft, and he knelt heavily on the ground, the sound of his kneecaps shattering clearly audible.

"Ah—!" He let out a miserable howl, struggling desperately, but couldn't even move a finger.

Seeing this, the two Soul Transformation Elders changed color and attacked simultaneously!

"How dare you, junior!"

"Star Sword Formation, rise!"

The two led their sword arts, instantly setting up a sword formation covering a hundred zhang, and countless Star Sword Qi poured down like a rainstorm.

Lu Qingxuan finally gave them a look.

His gaze was calm, yet it made the two Soul Transformation Elders feel cold all over.

"Disperse."

One word fell.

Boom—!

The sky full of Sword Qi, along with the entire sword formation, dissipated into thin air as if it had never existed.

The two Elders were struck hard, coughing up blood and flying backward, their auras significantly withered.

The whole scene was dead silent.

All the onlookers, including the old monsters who had originally planned to fish in troubled waters, were now as silent as cicadas in winter.

Two words made a Mid-stage Soul Transformation Prodigy kneel. One word severely wounded two Soul Transformation Elders. What kind of method was this?!

"Get lost." Lu Qingxuan said indifferently.

The force of Law pressing on Star Sword Child dissipated. He collapsed on the ground, face full of terror, scrambling backward and never daring to look up again.

The two Elders also struggled to climb up, helped Star Sword Child, and fled into the distance without looking back.

Lu Qingxuan ignored them, took Su Linger, and stepped into the vortex.

It was only after the two figures disappeared that the perimeter exploded into noise.

"My God... is this the legendary Word Law Dao Ruling?!"

"Too terrifying... Soul Transformation experts are like children in front of him!"

"The Star Sword Pavilion kicked an iron plate this time... no, they kicked Immortal Gold!"

"Hurry in! Don't miss the Opportunity!"

The crowd surged again, but after that scene, everyone subconsciously lightened their steps when passing through the vortex entrance, afraid of disturbing something.

The moment they passed through the vortex, space shifted.

Before them was a grey world; the sky had no sun or moon, only a pale vortex slowly rotating—the projection of the entrance.

The earth was cracked, desolate and dead, with scattered broken stone tablets and withered bones.

At the end of the horizon, an endlessly towering ancient bronze palace stood silently.

The ancient palace was a thousand zhang high, its body mottled and covered in dark green verdigris, yet it still exuded a heart-palpitating ancient pressure.

The palace gates were tightly shut, carved with incomprehensible Reincarnation runes, which were currently flickering with a faint grey-white light.

"This is the Hall of Rebirth..." Su Linger murmured, and the Purple Firmament Dao Body within her body actually began to operate spontaneously at this moment, strands of purple Qi seeping out of her body and resonating faintly with the Reincarnation runes on the palace gates.

"Did you sense it?" Lu Qingxuan looked at her.

"Yes... it seems... the palace gates are calling me?" Su Linger was a little unsure.

"Then let's go over."

The two flew toward the ancient bronze palace.

At this moment, thousands of Cultivators had already gathered in front of the palace gates, a black mass of people, but no one dared to easily approach within a hundred zhang of the gates—a layer of grey-white light curtain permeated there, emitting rich Reincarnation Death Qi, and a few Cultivators who tried to force their way in had already turned into dry corpses in front of the light curtain.

"Damn it! This Reincarnation Restriction cannot be broken at all!"

"It requires a special method... or, wait for it to weaken on its own!"

"It is said that every time the Hall of Rebirth opens, the Restriction weakens over time, but it only lasts for one month at most!"

The Cultivators whispered, anxious and uneasy.

Lu Qingxuan landed in front of the palace gates with Su Linger, immediately attracting everyone's attention.

"Lu Qingxuan is here!"

"The woman beside him... it seems she can trigger a reaction from the palace gates?"

Under everyone's gaze, Su Linger walked slowly toward the grey-white light curtain.

As she approached, the purple Qi in her body became thicker, the thunder pattern on her forehead lit up, and the Reincarnation runes on the palace gates actually began to flicker along with it!

"It really works!" Someone exclaimed.

Su Linger reached out and gently touched the light curtain.

Hum—!

The grey-white light curtain rippled, not rejecting her, but instead splitting into a passage that could only accommodate one person!

"It opened!"

"Quick! Follow them in!"

The crowd was instantly agitated, and dozens of figures turned into streams of light, wanting to take the Opportunity to rush into the passage.

"Get lost."

Lu Qingxuan didn't look back, spitting out one word.

The dozen or so Cultivators rushing to the front seemed to hit an invisible barrier, all flying backward, falling into a disoriented mess.

The rest stopped instantly, their faces ugly, but they didn't dare to move again.

"Linger, go in." Lu Qingxuan said.

Su Linger nodded and stepped into the passage.

Lu Qingxuan followed closely.

Just as the two entered, the passage closed again.

"Damn it! They beat us to it!"

"Think of a way! When will this light curtain weaken?"

There was a chorus of curses outside the palace.

Passing through the light curtain, the view suddenly opened up.

Inside the ancient bronze palace, it was even more magnificent than it looked from the outside.

The dome was so high it couldn't be seen, and the palace roof was supported by bronze pillars that required ten people to embrace; the pillars were carved with scenes of the Reincarnation of countless living beings: birth, old age, sickness, death, separation from loved ones, meeting with enemies, unattained desires, the five aggregates of suffering... lifelike, making one feel dizzy if they looked for too long.

The space inside the palace was extremely large. Looking forward, there was a straight bronze avenue. On both sides of the avenue, every hundred zhang there was a side hall, with doors either open or closed, and treasures faintly visible.

And at the end of the avenue was an even more magnificent main hall, the doors tightly shut, with a bronze plaque hanging above, inscribed with three twisted ancient characters—

Hall of Rebirth.

"It's... so oppressive here." Su Linger said softly.

The air was filled with thick Reincarnation Death Qi and an indescribable sense of "fate," as if every step taken was walking toward a predetermined end.

"Stay close to me." Lu Qingxuan scanned the surroundings.

In his perception, the interior space of this ancient palace was extremely strange. The seemingly straight avenue actually contained space folding, and the positions of those side halls were also constantly changing subtly.

More importantly...

[Warning: Detected Void Abyss ambush point x3]

[Location: Third side hall on the left, seventh side hall on the right, side corridor of the main hall in front]

[Threat Level: High (Tribulation Transcendence Stage consciousness projection lurking)]

The System prompt flashed.

"Ambushed, indeed." Lu Qingxuan's eyes were slightly cold.

He didn't immediately deal with those ambushes, but looked at Su Linger: "Where is your Dao Body guiding you?"

Su Linger closed her eyes to sense for a moment, then pointed to the left: "Over there... it seems something is calling me."

"Let's go."

The two turned to the left and proceeded along a slightly narrower corridor.

The walls on both sides of the corridor were covered with murals, seemingly depicting the scene of some great power establishing the Hall of Rebirth and sorting out Reincarnation in ancient times.

After walking for about the time it takes to burn an incense stick, an inconspicuous small side hall appeared ahead.

The palace door was ajar, and a faint purple halo leaked from the crack.

"This is it." Su Linger's heart rate accelerated.

Pushing open the palace door, the interior was empty, save for a stone platform in the center, on which sat a purple jade pot the size of a palm.

The jade pot was crystal clear, the mouth of the pot steaming with purple rosy light, and one could vaguely see liquid sloshing inside, emitting an aura that made the Soul palpitate.

"This is... Reincarnation Spring?" Su Linger said uncertainly.

Lu Qingxuan glanced at the System prompt.

[Item: Purple Firmament Reincarnation Pot (Damaged Immortal Artifact)]

[Contains: Purple Firmament Reincarnation Spring (Three drops)]

[Effect: Washes away Karmic Obstruction, purifies Dao Body, enhances affinity with Reincarnation Law. Has miraculous effects on Thunder-attribute and Reincarnation-attribute Physiques.]

"It is your Opportunity." Lu Qingxuan nodded.

Su Linger stepped forward and carefully picked up the jade pot.

The moment she touched the jade pot, the pot shone brightly with purple light, and three crystal-clear purple liquid drops flew out automatically, submerging into her forehead!

Boom—!

Su Linger's whole body shook violently, purple Qi surged around her, and the thunder pattern on her forehead instantly spread to her entire forehead, turning into an arcane Purple Firmament Reincarnation Seal!

Her aura climbed step by step, surging from the Mid-stage Nascent Soul all the way to the Peak Nascent Soul, just a line away from Soul Transformation!

Meanwhile, outside the palace.

Three black shadows appeared silently at the end of the corridor.

"Do it!"

The leading Black-Robed Figure gave a low shout, and the three formed seals simultaneously!

Hum—!

A pitch-black cage instantly rose around the entire side hall, countless vengeful spirit phantoms wailing on the surface of the cage, emitting terrifying fluctuations that corroded the Divine Soul.

"Lu Qingxuan, I've waited for you for a long time!"

The Black-Robed Figure revealed his form; it was the one from the tower ship. At this moment, his eyes were pitch black, his aura had reached the Peak Body Integration, and it was mixed with a trace of heart-palpitating Tribulation Transcendence pressure—a sign of a consciousness projection possessing him.

"This 'Vengeful Spirit Soul-Devouring Array' is specifically set up to restrain your Word Law Dao Ruling! Here, your Law power will be interfered with by the vengeful spirits, and you won't have even a tenth of your power left!"

He sneered, looking into the palace: "Hand over the bronze immortal palace core fragment and the reincarnation sapling obediently, and this seat can let you die painlessly—"

Before he could finish speaking.

Lu Qingxuan's figure had appeared in front of him, who knows when.

"Are you finished?"

Three calm words.

The Black-Robed Figure's pupils shrank suddenly. Before he could react, he saw Lu Qingxuan raise his right hand and grip the air with five fingers.

"Reincarnation Prohibition."

Four words were uttered, but it wasn't Word Law Dao Ruling, but... a more profound Law power that seemed to touch the Origin of this palace!

Hum—!

The entire corridor was instantly filled with grey-white Reincarnation light.

The vengeful spirit cage around the Black-Robed Figure melted instantly like ice meeting the sun.

And that trace of Tribulation Transcendence Stage consciousness projection within his body let out a shrill scream:

"Impossible! How can you mobilize part of the authority of the Hall of Rebirth?! This is the power of Reincarnation Prohibition! Only those who hold the authority of Reincarnation—"

The voice stopped abruptly.

Because Lu Qingxuan's hand had pressed onto the top of his head.

[Abyss Overlord · Darkness Deprivation], activated!

"No—!!!"

Amidst the screams, black Qi surged wildly from the Black-Robed Figure, all of it swallowed and refined by Lu Qingxuan.

Seeing this, the other two ambushers were scared out of their wits and turned to flee.

Lu Qingxuan didn't even look, just spitting out two words:

"Return to Silence."

[Forced Return to Silence] tag, activated!

The fleeing figures of the two suddenly froze, then crumbled inch by inch like weathered sand sculptures, turning into flying ash and dissipating.

The whole process took less than three breaths.

Inside the side hall, Su Linger had just finished absorbing the Purple Firmament Reincarnation Spring and saw this scene as she opened her eyes.

She opened her mouth, but in the end, said nothing, only the worship in her eyes deepened.

Lu Qingxuan withdrew his hand, and his palm held a ball of pure Darkness Origin, and... a trace of a broken Tribulation Transcendence Stage consciousness fragment.

He looked toward the depths of the corridor, at that towering main hall.

"The real test is still inside."

"Let's go, let's see what exactly this Hall of Rebirth is hiding."