229: Chapter 229 This isn't a cemetery, it's an underground palace!

Deep within the Ancient Battlefield, that massive fissure stretching across the Void Realm was like an open Heavenly Eye, spewing forth an ancient and vicissitudinous aura.

This aura was not the stench of decay or Death Qi; instead, it was mingled with a heart-palpitating Imperial majesty, as if the other side of the fissure was not a netherworld burying dry bones, but a pure land untouched by time.

Xu Chen stood with his hands behind his back, his robes fluttering in the howling gale. He looked at the fissure, a playful curve tugging at the corner of his lips.

"Young Lord, shall we go in?"

Mo Han stood by Xu Chen's side, her short blade slightly unsheathed, her cold, clear eyes full of vigilance. As a top-tier assassin, she possessed an instinctive wariness toward unknown environments.

"Since we're already here, we naturally have to go in and take a look. Inside, there is an extraordinary figure waiting for us."

Xu Chen said in a relaxed tone, his gaze sweeping over the two stunning beauties beside him.

Mo Han was dressed in black, fitted attire that outlined her capable and taut Physique, like a sheathed blade; Hua Jieyu was dressed in sheer pink gauze, her skin faintly visible, her peach-blossom eyes always containing three parts of spring and seven parts of seduction.

"Hold on to me." Xu Chen stretched out both hands.

Mo Han hesitated for a moment, then obediently extended her left hand, the one not holding the blade, which was enveloped by Xu Chen's broad palm. The warmth of his palm made her perpetually cold fingertips tremble slightly.

Hua Jieyu was much more proactive; she giggled, leaned in, and tightly wrapped her arms around Xu Chen's right arm, that astonishing softness pressing against his arm without any inhibition.

"Young Lord, you must protect This servant well; This servant is timid." Hua Jieyu's voice was soft and sweet, with a hook to it.

Feeling the wonderful sensation from his arm, Xu Chen secretly thought that this Saintess of the Hehuan Sect was indeed a tormenting enchantress, but he said with a straight face: "Rest assured, This Young Master has always been protective of his own. Let's go!"

Before his words had even faded, golden light erupted around Xu Chen, the aura of his Hongmeng Creation Origin Body exploding forth to form a golden light shield, protecting the two women within.

The three transformed into streaks of light, charging straight into the pitch-black space fissure.

A slight sense of dizziness washed over them, as if passing through layers of water curtains. The Law of Space fluctuated violently around them, but for Xu Chen, who was already at the Saint realm, it was no more than a gentle breeze.

When the light and shadows before their eyes stabilized again, all the clamor and gales vanished instantly.

In their place was a deathly silence, and before them lay a shocking sight sufficient to make any Mortal kneel.

"This... this is a graveyard?"

Even Mo Han, who was accustomed to scenes of slaughter, could not help but slightly open her red lips at this moment, her eyes filled with disbelief.

What appeared before the three was not a gloomy and terrifying underground tomb, nor was there any dark or damp musty smell.

This was an independently carved-out sub-space; overhead was a brilliant artificial starry sky, with countless luminous pearls embedded in the dome, arranged according to the Zhou Tian Star Formation, casting a soft and bright radiance.

In the center of the Void Realm, a magnificent palace complex floated silently.

The palace was crafted entirely from Taiyi Essence Gold and ten-thousand-year warm jade, magnificent and imposing. Nine huge golden dragon sculptures coiled around the palace, their heads held high; although they were inanimate objects, they exuded the suffocating pressure of a True Dragon, as if they might come to life at any moment and soar into the sky.

Beneath the palace was not soil, but flowing liquid Spiritual Qi, gathered into a river that supported this massive architectural complex.

This is no tomb; this is clearly a Celestial Palace lost underground!

"Tsk tsk, how truly extravagant."

Xu Chen looked at the scene before him and couldn't help but sigh, "The founding Empress of the Great Xia Dynasty really knew how to enjoy herself. To build her own resting place like this—anyone who didn't know better would think she came here on vacation."

Only a Young Master of the Imperial Clan like Xu Chen, who had seen countless divine materials and treasures, could remain so calm. If it were an ordinary Cultivator, they would likely go mad on the spot just seeing the warm jade paving the floor.

"Young Lord, it's so quiet here, so quiet that it makes one's heart panic."

Hua Jieyu's voice suddenly sounded in his ear, carrying a hint of trembling and softness.

She pressed her body even tighter, almost hanging entirely onto Xu Chen. That faint scent of her body, mixed with her unique seductive aura, kept drifting into Xu Chen's nostrils.

Xu Chen looked down and saw Hua Jieyu tilting her pretty face up, her large, watery eyes seemingly filled with genuine fear; her pitiful appearance made one want to pull her into their arms and cherish her well.

Such acting skills—it would be a waste not to win an Oscar for this.

Xu Chen knew exactly what was going on. As the Saintess of the Hehuan Sect, what kind of storms had she not seen? This was clearly an opportunity to take advantage of him, and at the same time, make her presence felt.

However, he did not reject this kind of "taking advantage".

"This place is indeed a bit oppressive." Xu Chen took the opportunity to put his arm around her slender waist, his palm gently stroking her waist, and smiled, "But with me here, even if it were the Palace of Hell, you could walk sideways."

Feeling the warmth of the large hand on her waist, Hua Jieyu's body softened slightly, the allure in her eyes deepening, her breath like orchids: "Young Lord is so good; This servant knew that following the Young Lord is the most secure."

Mo Han, on the side, silently glanced at the two; although she was expressionless, her fingers holding the short blade tightened slightly.

She pursed her lips, and without a sound, moved half a step closer to Xu Chen, her shoulder gently pressing against his left arm.

Although she didn't speak, and didn't have the bold actions of Hua Jieyu, this silent reliance warmed Xu Chen's heart.

"Alright, don't just stand there staring; let's go see that host."

Xu Chen smiled and led the two women, walking through the air toward the floating golden palace.

Beneath their feet was the Void Realm, and all around was a tranquil river of Spiritual Qi.

As they got closer, the pressure originating from deep within the palace became heavier. It was a supreme Imperial majesty that transcended all living beings, as if warning intruders: Imperial Bedchamber, no unauthorized entry.

If it were an ordinary Saint, they would likely have found it difficult to take a step in the face of this pressure, perhaps even wanting to prostrate themselves in worship.

But who was Xu Chen?

The Young Master of the Xu Family Imperial Clan, bearing the Hongmeng Creation Origin Body—that was the origin of all Daos, the ancestor of all Physiques.

This bit of Imperial majesty was like a grandson meeting his grandfather in front of him; not only did it not cause the slightest obstruction, but it actually made the Bloodline within him faintly excited.

"Hmph."

Xu Chen gave a light hum, and the Saint power within him circulated, a more tyrannical and noble aura diffusing from his body.

The Imperial majesty that had originally pressed down on them instantly receded like the tide, and even the surrounding flowing Spiritual Qi became joyful, as if welcoming a true Dominator.

Mo Han and Hua Jieyu felt a weight lift from their bodies, and the oppressive feeling that had made it difficult to breathe vanished completely. The look of adoration in the two women's eyes as they gazed at Xu Chen grew even stronger.

Soon, the three landed on the plaza in front of the palace.

The ground was not paved with ordinary stone slabs, but with solid blocks of top-grade white jade, each one priceless.

On both sides of the plaza stood dozens of huge dragon-coiled golden pillars, each one engraved with complex Formation patterns; despite the passage of time, they still shimmered with a faint divine light.

Xu Chen did not rush to enter the grand hall, but stopped and spread his Divine Thought out like a tide.

His Divine Thought swept over, but he discovered no mechanisms or traps, nor any tomb-guarding Puppet beasts. The entire underground palace was excessively clean; apart from the vast Spiritual Qi and pressure, there was nothing else.

It seemed this Empress was very confident in herself, feeling that no one could break through to this place.

Xu Chen withdrew his Divine Thought and cast his gaze toward the tightly closed vermilion gate ahead.

The gate was a hundred zhang high; there were no door knockers on it, only a massive carving of the Map of Mountains, Rivers, and the Nation. In the picture, mountains rose and fell, rivers surged, exuding an aura of devouring the world.

"Young Lord, there are Formation fluctuations on this gate." Mo Han reminded him in a low voice, her sharp gaze catching the faint light flowing between the gaps of the door.

"No matter."

Xu Chen smiled faintly, not resorting to brute force.

He stepped forward, stretched out his palm, and pressed it gently onto the center of the Map of Mountains, Rivers, and the Nation.

Primordial Qi surged out from his palm.

Grandmist is the Qi from before the heavens and earth were opened; it can evolve all things, and it can also dissolve all Laws.

"Click—"

A crisp mechanical sound was exceptionally clear in the deathly silent underground palace.

The Formation light that had originally flowed on the gate, the moment it touched the Primordial Qi, rapidly receded like melting ice and snow. That defensive Formation, which could withstand the full-force strike of a Great Saint, was like a decoration in front of Xu Chen.

"This... it opened just like that?" Hua Jieyu blinked, feeling somewhat incredulous. She had expected to go through a bitter battle or a complex breaking process, but she hadn't expected the Young Lord to just touch it.

"This is Bloodline suppression."

Xu Chen smiled mysteriously and didn't explain too much.

As the Formation dissipated, the two immensely heavy doors emitted a low rumble and slowly slid open to the sides.

Rumbling—

The underground palace gate, sealed for who knows how many years, was finally opened again at this moment.

A more dense, purely ultimate Spiritual Qi, mixed with a refreshing, heart-soothing fragrance, surged out from the gaps in the gate.

"This fragrance..."

Xu Chen's nostrils twitched slightly. This was not a floral scent, nor was it incense, but a kind of scent similar to a maiden's body fragrance, yet more noble and colder than that.

It was the scent of Imperial Qi mixed with a woman's body fragrance.

Just taking a single breath made one feel comfortable throughout, as if one's Divine Soul had been cleansed.

"It seems the main character is inside."

Xu Chen took a deep breath, calming the ripples in his heart.

He turned to look at the two women beside him, only to see them also wearing intoxicated expressions, evidently quite nourished by this Spiritual Qi.

"Let's go, let's go and see this Empress Your Majesty who caused us so much trouble."

Xu Chen took a step and was the first to cross the high threshold.

Mo Han and Hua Jieyu followed closely behind.

As the three figures disappeared into the shadows of the grand hall, the huge plaza behind them remained silent, with only the luminous pearls on the dome unwearyingly casting their cold radiance, witnessing the only visitors in tens of thousands of years.

Inside the grand hall, it was not as dark as imagined.

Instead, it was even brighter than outside.

Because all around the grand hall were piled countless Heaven And Earth Treasures, various divine sources and exotic crystals piled casually in the corners, emitting colorful light, illuminating the entire hall until it looked like a dream.

But Xu Chen's gaze did not linger for even a second on these treasures that were enough to make the Holy Lands of the outside world fight to the death.

His gaze passed through layers of light gauze curtains, through the empty grand hall, and fell straight onto the deepest part of the hall, upon the nine-level dais.

There, placed was a pure gold Dragon Throne symbolizing supreme power.

And upon the Dragon Throne sat a figure.

At that moment, Xu Chen's breath involuntarily stopped for an instant.