144: By Jiantian Lake

Cloud Top Heavenly Palace, the Forbidden Ground of Yaoguang Holy Land.

This place had no earthy smell; the ground beneath his feet was a single piece of white marble. The air wasn't clouds, but Immortal Qi so thick it seemed about to drip.

The Immortal Qi gathered into a pool of water, so clear one could see to the bottom, yet it was also dark and deep, with no end in sight.

No lotus flowers grew on the surface; only specks of light, like shattered stars, floated, gathering and dispersing.

This was the Jiantian Pool.

Zou Feng passed through layers of invisible barriers; with each step, runes beneath his feet would flash then extinguish.

The female Disciple leading the way in front of him kept a straight face, not daring to breathe loudly.

The two finally reached the edge of the pool.

A figure stood by the pool's edge.

Clad in a moon-white long dress, her figure was so exquisite it didn't seem real, but rather sculpted from moonlight and fine jade.

She simply stood there, yet it seemed as if the entire Heavenly Palace revolved around her.

"You are more punctual than I estimated."

Yao Xi slowly turned around.

Her voice was ethereal and gave no hint of emotion, yet it carried an innate, detached loftiness.

Her gaze fell upon Zou Feng.

What kind of eyes were those?

Cold and profound, as if the origins and outcomes of all worldly affairs were clearly reflected within them, hiding no secrets.

Under such scrutiny, an ordinary Golden Core Cultivator would likely have trembling legs, their petty schemes seen through with a single glance.

Yet, Zou Feng merely looked back at her calmly, his face betraying no emotion.

"The Saintess has an appointment; I wouldn't dare be late."

Yao Xi nodded, uninterested in his composure.

She skipped the pleasantries and went straight to the point.

"You should be aware of what the Feng family and the Imperial Family are doing."

"You are in great danger now."

Her words were not a warning or a threat, but merely a statement of a cold, hard fact she had long since seen through.

An event she had completely under her control.

"Hand over the token for the Ancient Prodigy Battlefield."

Yao Xi extended a hand, palm facing upwards.

There wasn't a single flaw to be found on that hand; her fingers were long and slender, like a precious treasure.

"My Holy Land is opening the battlefield. I can make the decision to grant you a good position and ensure your safety within."

She paused, her voice still calm, yet carrying an air of absolute finality.

"This is the most 'fair' option for you, and your only path."

As her words fell.

The female Disciple leading the way beside them was so frightened she held her breath.

As expected of Your Highness the Saintess!

In just a few words, she had sealed the fate of the "curse sword" who had turned Zhongzhou upside down.

It sounded like a reward, but in reality, it was seizing his greatest asset without drawing a blade, turning a tiger into a domesticated cat.

As long as Zou Feng handed over the token, he would immediately transform from a "player" capable of contending with various factions into a lackey dependent on the Holy Land for sustenance.

This was blatant bullying.

It relied on the fact that no one dared to provoke Yaoguang Holy Land.

No one could, and no one dared to refuse.

However.

After listening, Zou Feng showed neither the anger others expected, nor did he rush to argue, nor did he display any fear.

Instead, he smiled.

A somewhat playful, slightly mocking smile.

He took two steps forward, stood by the pool, and looked down at his reflection in the water.

Then, he leisurely asked a question, a question that even Yao Xi's all-seeing eyes reacted to.

"Has the Saintess ever considered why Tianji Pavilion would give both of these tokens, with completely opposite attributes, to me alone?"

Zou Feng's voice was not loud, yet it carried clearly across the quiet pool.

Upon hearing this, Yao Xi's brows moved almost imperceptibly.

She had indeed considered this matter.

But in the end, she merely thought Tianji Pavilion intended to create some balance, or that it was a special "reward" for a prodigy like Zou Feng.

In her view, this did not affect the overall situation.

Regardless of Tianji Pavilion's intentions, any conspiracy or trickery would be crushed into dust before the absolute power of Yaoguang Holy Land.

Before she could answer, Zou Feng spread his hands.

Buzz!

Two tokens, one left and one right, floated quietly in his palms.

One was the black token of the Ancient Prodigy Battlefield, cold to the touch, exuding a chaotic, bloody Killing Intent.

The other was the jade token of the Jiantian Pool, warm and smooth to the touch, emanating a stable, peaceful, and clean Qi.

"Because they were originally a set."

As soon as Zou Feng finished speaking, a burst of vital energy erupted from his eyes!

He fiercely activated his Golden Core, and all the spiritual energy in his body, like a flood with opened gates, surged into both tokens simultaneously, leaving nothing behind!

Boom—!

The two tokens erupted with an extremely dazzling light!

One black!

One white!

Two pillars of light pierced through the Immortal Qi clouds above the Heavenly Palace!

The Holy Land female Disciple was forced back by this sudden, terrifying aura, her face paling, her eyes filled with disbelief!

She had never seen anyone dare to act so brazenly by the Jiantian Pool!

Black and white colors furiously intertwined in the sky, like two perfectly meshing gears, locking tightly together!

The Void Realm emitted strange "cracking" sounds, as if it were about to shatter!

Immediately after, a rift was forcibly torn open!

It wasn't a teleportation gate; it was more like a key, unlocking an old lock that had been sealed for ten thousand years!

A grand light screen, composed of countless incomprehensible ancient runes, slowly unfolded from the rift!

The light screen exuded an aura of ancient rules from the Heavenly Dao, allowing no defiance, no disobedience!

Yao Xi's perpetually unchanging icy face finally changed completely!

Her eyes suddenly narrowed to a pinpoint, fixed intently on the lines of text at the very top of the light screen!

The words on the light screen seemed to come alive, transforming into a stream of information that automatically translated in her mind:

"Tianji Pavilion Ancient Secret Pact: The union of both tokens is the only key to opening the Golden Passage."

"Only when the controllers of Order (Jiantian Pool) and Chaos (Battlefield Token) must cooperate can the path to the 'Ultimate Secret' be opened."

"Control of the passage belongs jointly to the two people holding the tokens!"

Jointly!

These two words exploded in Yao Xi's mind like bolts of heavenly thunder!

Her composure and calculations, which she had always prided herself on, shattered instantly!

She had calculated everything.

She had calculated the Feng family's desperation, the Imperial Family's greed.

She even calculated Zou Feng's only way out was to seek protection from her.

She had paved a path for him, a "way out" with chains attached.

But she had failed to calculate one thing.

Tianji Pavilion, from the very beginning, had not considered her Yaoguang Holy Land as the sole "dealer"!

The Jiantian Pool token in her hand was just one of the keys!

The other was in Zou Feng's hand!

Most critically, the origin of this contract was frighteningly ancient, possibly even connected to the Heavenly Dao!

Yaoguang Holy Land was powerful, but not so powerful as to disregard such ancient rules!

What did this mean?

It meant that her previous high-and-mighty, seemingly benevolent "fair" transaction had become a colossal joke!

She could no longer call all the shots alone.

From now on, this Golden Core Cultivator, whom she had initially thought she could easily manipulate, had gained the qualification to sit at the same table with her and set the rules together!

The roles of hunter and prey had been completely reversed!

The light dissipated.

The two tokens slowly returned to Zou Feng's hands, falling silent.

The massive contract light screen also vanished, as if it had never appeared.

But the shock it brought caused this Yaoguang Saintess, this top figure of Zhongzhou's younger generation, to lose her composure for the first time.

Her breathing was erratic.

Zou Feng put away the tokens, observing Yao Xi's alternating pale and green face, and his playful expression also vanished, leaving only an inscrutable calmness.

He took a step forward, his voice clearly reaching Yao Xi's ears.

"Your Highness the Saintess."

"Now, we can discuss the 'rules' for entering the battlefield again."

"The allocation of spots, you and I, will decide."