Chapter 594 - 326: Arriving in Droves

The turmoil raging outside had no effect on Ling Changqing and his party.

At this moment, his feet were already on a Celestial Ladder about ten zhang wide, shining with brilliant light, and appearing as if condensed from clouds.

Beyond the Celestial Ladder was a misty, dreamlike sea of clouds and the vast void of the Qingming Continent. Even with the Cultivation of Bai Qingyi and Luo Binghu, they could not see what was hidden behind the clouds.

The Celestial Ladder extended slowly upward, reaching into the depths of the clouds at the edge of the sky. The faint, magnificent silhouette of a palace complex flickered in and out of view within the sea of clouds.

"...Husband, don’t worry. Just keep walking forward."

Xue Qingtan, beside him, said in a soft, gentle voice, "As long as we don’t leave the bounds of the Celestial Ladder, nothing will happen to us."

"Alright then, let’s go."

Ling Changqing nodded and, together with his beautiful companions, walked toward the end of the Celestial Ladder.

As expected, the journey was calm and uneventful. There were no Restriction Traps on the Celestial Ladder.

However, within Ling Changqing’s Divine Thought, the sea of clouds beyond the Celestial Ladder was constantly shifting. Occasionally, a terrifying, heart-pounding aura would suddenly emerge, only to vanish without a trace, like a colossal beast diving into a bottomless abyss.

Ling Changqing didn’t know what those things were, but it went without saying what fate would befall any outside Cultivators who carelessly stepped into the sea of clouds.

Of course, Xue Qingtan was well aware of this. In her past life as the Goddess Empress, the opening of the Doumu Immortal Palace was not nearly as peaceful as it was now. Countless Cultivators and Great Powers had slaughtered each other outside until the sky grew dark and rivers of blood flowed.

In the end, fewer than ten percent of the Cultivators managed to successfully enter the depths of the Immortal Mansion Ruins.

Furthermore, to fight over the various opportunities that appeared inside, they inevitably came to blows, fighting to the death with abandon.

Scenes of fellow sect members turning on each other, fathers and sons, brothers, and even lovers and Dao Companions backstabbing one another for a rare Celestial Medicine or a rare scripture of Cultivation Technique Divine Techniques occurred repeatedly.

As a result, very few people were able to seize any opportunities and leave this place alive. Those who did were almost all renowned masters of great power in this world.

However, now, with her husband’s help, Xue Qingtan felt they could likely monopolize all the benefits within this ancient Immortal Palace. ’Others shouldn’t even dream of getting a single share.’

A moment later, the vast sea of clouds drew closer. Sensing no danger, Ling Changqing simply brought Bai Qingyi and the other women into the inner space of the Era Star Palace, leaving only Xue Qingtan to walk hand-in-hand with him.

After entering the area enveloped by the sea of clouds, the scene before Ling Changqing’s eyes silently changed. The majestic palace complex vanished, and in its place, magnificent stars of varying sizes and colors hung overhead, emitting a pressure so dense it felt tangible.

Ling Changqing probed slightly and was surprised to discover that these stars were all Illusions projected from rare Ancient Spiritual Treasures, numbering in the tens of thousands.

They hung quietly in the azure Celestial Vault, their serene and magnificent starlight carrying an unchanging ancient, mysterious, and desolate aura.

"These are just Illusions, Husband. Don’t be fooled by them."

Xue Qingtan, beside him, held his arm and whispered softly, "The core areas of the Immortal Palace do indeed hold many treasures, but not here. We’ll see them once we get inside."

Ling Changqing didn’t question her judgment, as it was not far off from the results of his own calculations.

A short while later, Ling Changqing and Xue Qingtan successfully reached the end of the Celestial Ladder.

Here, the Celestial Ladder split into nine forks. Each path was several thousand zhang long, and at the end of each was a massive, multicolored star, slowly rotating.

These multicolored stars were large-scale spatial teleportation Arrays formed from illusions. Stepping into one would transport a person deeper into the Immortal Mansion Ruins.

"Hmm? There are no Restriction Traps here. All nine paths should be passable, right?"

Ling Changqing glanced around and sensed no danger, which meant that no matter which path an outside Cultivator chose, they would eventually have a chance to enter the core area of the Immortal Mansion Ruins.

"That may be so, but the paths are not all equal in length."

Xue Qingtan squeezed his hand and said with a bright smile, "Husband, would you prefer to reach the depths of the Immortal Mansion Ruins in a few days? Or would you rather it take a month... or even a year?"

All these branching paths were safe, and they all led to the destination. The only difference was the time it would take to travel them.

Xue Qingtan remembered from her past life that some unlucky Cultivators had wandered for several years deep within the Immortal Mansion Ruins before finally reaching their destination. By then, of course, others had already beaten them to it, and they didn’t get a single benefit.

"Oh, is that how it is? My lady, you should know the shortest path, right?"

Ling Changqing asked.

"Yes, just take the third one on the right,"

Xue Qingtan said. "There will be more choices like this ahead. Most of them are safe, but whether you can pick the shortest path depends on your luck."

Ling Changqing nodded slightly. This was the first time he had faced such a test. It seemed simple, but in truth, just one mistake could lead to untold dangers.

’Thankfully, Xue Qingtan’s past life memories have all returned, and I can also use Celestial Secret Calculation to confirm things. Compared to other groups of Cultivators, we have a massive advantage.’

"However, after we pass through, we’ll need to find a way to erase all our traces so that the Cultivators who come after us can’t see anything amiss."

Ling Changqing added. He was not generous enough to share such a peerless opportunity with outsiders. ’It should be ours completely, just like the Hongmeng Divine Hall.’

"Don’t worry, Husband. I will handle it properly."

Xue Qingtan smiled. As long as they eliminated their auras and the disturbances to Celestial Secret and fate, even the Cultivators following behind them, with Cultivation at the Refining Void or even Unity Realm, would find it difficult to divine any useful information.

A moment later, after dealing with the loose ends, Xue Qingtan took Ling Changqing’s arm and stepped into the spatial teleportation Array. They then vanished in a flash of brilliant, dazzling light.

...

「Outside the Immortal Mansion Ruins.」

The first to arrive were three magnificent and imposing Tianzhou Skyboats, each a thousand zhang long.

These were elite Cultivators led personally by the Yu Family Patriarch. Their numbers exceeded ten thousand, including men and women, old and young, and they had arrived first only because their territory was the closest.

"...Patriarch, many Cultivators have already gone inside, and they all seem to be women. Could they be from the Xuannü Palace and the Ye Family?"

A family Cultivator, who had been monitoring from a distance, stepped forward, bowed, and reported in a low voice.

’It was obvious. The group of Cultivators who opened the Immortal Mansion Ruins certainly wouldn’t just wait around. They have probably already entered the depths of the ruins by now.’

"...There’s no time to lose! We’ll follow them in immediately!"

The Yu Family Patriarch frowned as he surveyed the area, then commanded in a deep voice.

On the Qingming Continent, the only major powers composed entirely of Female Cultivators were the Xuannü Palace and the Ye Family. If they had gotten a head start, it would be terrible news for the Yu Family.

As for the possibility of being ambushed inside, the Patriarch couldn’t be bothered to worry about that now. This Immortal Mansion Ruins was clearly extraordinary. They had to fight for it no matter what; there was no reason to simply hand it over to outsiders.

"Patriarch, a large number of family disciples are still gathering behind us. Shouldn’t we wait for them?"

An Elder asked.

"We can’t wait! Let them catch up on their own! We’ll go in first. Otherwise, people from the other powers will arrive soon."

The Patriarch commanded decisively. This was no time for hesitation. If they were even a step too late, they might not even get the scraps.

Thus, the numerous Yu Family Cultivators surged like a tide into the ring-shaped Light Gate and vanished.

Of course, a small number of family Cultivators remained hidden outside, ready to provide support at a moment’s notice should anything happen inside.

Half an hour later, hundreds of Cultivators in various attire and with varying levels of Cultivation rushed over in streaks of Escape Light.

They were all Loose Cultivators who happened to be passing through the nearby area. Having unexpectedly discovered the celestial phenomenon from the opening of the Immortal Mansion Ruins, they had all swarmed over.

Upon seeing the entrance to the ruins, they didn’t hesitate for long. They each summoned Magical Treasures and Talismans to protect themselves, then stepped inside without a second thought.

For the vast majority of Cultivators in this world, obtaining opportunities required taking risks, even if it meant laying down their lives.

Over the next several hours, more Loose Cultivators arrived one after another. They also didn’t linger for long, entering in groups of three to five.

Half a day later, an Embroidery Tower about a hundred zhang in diameter appeared in the sky. Shrouded in holy light and adorned with magnificent tassels, it seemed to move slowly but was actually quite fast, gradually descending near the Light Gate.

"...Patriach’s Sister, quite a few people have already gone inside!"

A voice as sweet as a singing oriole, cloying to the bone, rang out.

"Of course. A commotion this big could never be hidden from them. I wouldn’t be surprised if all those annoying pests are drawn here as well."

A voice that was both charming and majestic spoke, unhurried and calm.

The doors of the Embroidery Tower opened, and a large group of peerlessly beautiful women in magnificent silken robes emerged like a cloud. The air filled with the scent of perfume and the sight of their elegant figures, a dazzling display of vibrant greens and reds.

Leading them was a graceful and noble, mature beauty dressed in a palace gown of crimson cloud-brocade. Her black hair was tied up high, adorned with a fiery golden feather hairpin that swayed as she moved. Her lustrous, captivating eyes shone as brightly as stars.

Ye Xinglan, the current Patriarch of the Ye Family, one of the ten great powers of the Qingming Continent.