Chapter 371: Clear Skies
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Only after the black mist gathered once more did Dongfang Jue slowly descend. Yet now, she could no longer maintain her composure.
"Senior Sister, there seems to be a Main Hall up ahead…"
Ye Qinghan and Li Shiyao sensed something amiss just from Dongfang Jue's expression and hurriedly asked what she had seen.
"Jue'er, what did you see?"
The steep slope before them resembled the ruins of an ancient battlefield. It was not a small hill, but rather a celestial palace that had crashed down here. The collapsed palace was not an original structure, but fragments of that divine edifice.
The jet-black plates beneath their feet weren't floor tiles either, but shattered protective armor.
Of course…
"That deep ravine Second Senior Sister saw earlier wasn't some moat at all, but…"
Ye Qinghan was getting damn impatient: "Stop beating around the bush! Just spit it out already!"
Dongfang Jue didn't want to admit it, but there were over a dozen such "moats" surrounding them.
"It's likely the sword marks left behind by some great power's battle…"
Ye Qinghan and Li Shiyao exchanged glances, clearly taken aback by this possibility. It far exceeded their wildest expectations.
A celestial palace?
Like Lord Gu Ai's mansion?
Ye Qinghan had heard Amber mention that Lord Gu Ai's residence was a Leviathan-class aerial garden, several times larger than even the Lingxian Hall!
Capable of accommodating tens of thousands, equipped with Radiant-grade drive armor, it was a veritable aerial fortress.
With Xiao Ai in command, it could even perform spatial jumps and provide high-precision visual coverage within a certain range, ensuring battlefield visibility for combat units…
Ye Qinghan didn't understand all the technical details, but suffice it to say, it was incredibly impressive.
The "celestial palace" before them seemed far smaller than Lady Gu Ai's residence, and its owner was likely nowhere near as formidable as Lady Gu Ai.
"Let's go. Regardless, we should investigate. Didn't Jue'er mention another palace ahead?"
Dongfang Jue nodded, then paused before speaking.
"Senior Sister, there seems to be someone in that palace…"
"Someone? A living person?"
"I'm not sure, but I definitely saw someone lying inside that palace."
Ye Qinghan furrowed her brows slightly. This rhythm… damn it, something's seriously off!
Honestly, this smacked of a final boss encounter!
Given the circumstances, Ye Qinghan could accept the presence of monsters. But living people?
Wasn't that a bit strange?
Dongfang Jue had already investigated. That palace was one of the few structures still standing in the vicinity, and the person inside was the only living soul visible in the area.
Clawing over the house-sized structure, she climbed up the hunter's arm to its shoulder and gazed into the distance, following the direction Jue'er had indicated.
Ye Qinghan had a premonition—whatever they sought was most likely there.
A pale blue pillar of light shot straight into the sky, as if performing some mysterious summoning ritual. Even within the black fog, the pillar was strikingly visible.
"Shiyao, Juer, wait here for me. If Senior Sister doesn't return, go back immediately and find Master!"
"That won't do, Senior Sister! How could Shiyu let you go alone to such a dangerous place? Shiyu will go with you!"
"That's right, Senior Sister! Jue'er wants to go too! We'll all go together!"
Ye Qinghan couldn't help but think these two fools were utterly brainless!
"Then Shiyu will go. Senior Sister will wait here for Shiyu. If Shiyu doesn't return, I'll go back to find Master."
"Huh?"
"What? Isn't Shiyu fearless?"
"Um…"
Ye Qinghan stood before them with a stern expression, her lovely face radiating displeasure!
"Shiyao, do you think Senior Sister is competing with you for credit? This place is extremely dangerous. If Senior Sister doesn't return, someone must bring the news back to the Master!"
"If all three of us perish inside, who will deliver the message to our Master? Wouldn't our journey have been in vain?"
Li Shiyu knew full well what would happen if that were the case.
"In that case, Shiyu will go! Senior Sister, wait here for me. If I don't return, you must take Junior Sister back to inform the Master!"
Dongfang Jue thought, No, no—why are they treating me like useless trash again?
"Jue'er disagrees. If Jue'er says she should scout ahead, then both senior sisters should wait here for Jue'er!"
Ye Qinghan froze. Damn it, addicted, are you?
"No way! I'm the eldest senior sister—my orders stand!"
"No way! Shiyu doesn't care! Shiyu disagrees!"
"Right! Jue'er won't agree either!"
Under normal circumstances, Ye Qinghan would have had to set these two good junior sisters straight!
But right now, Ye Qinghan didn't have time to lecture them on discipline. Instead, she resorted to the smile tactic.
"Jue'er has a point, and Shiyu has a point too. How about this: Qinghan will wait here for you two. You can go together for mutual support. What do you say?"
Li Shiyu glanced at Dongfang Jue beside her, thinking to herself: Dongfang Jue is her junior sister!
She had worked so hard to become a senior sister!
"In that case, we'll heed our senior sister's advice!"
Dongfang Jue hadn't intended to agree either, but since Li Shiyu had acquiesced, she couldn't very well object alone.
But… Was it right for the senior sister to concede so easily?
Watching as Ye Qinghan smiled warmly, seeing her two junior sisters off toward the Main Hall shrouded in black mist, she added, "Be careful, both of you. Go quickly and return swiftly."
Ye Qinghan tilted her fox-like head, watching them turn and depart…
"Binding Rope! Restraining Spell!"
As the words fell, Ye Qinghan delivered a backstab to her two junior sisters.
"Senior Sister! Let go of Shiyu!" Li Shiyu was tightly bound by the Immortal-Binding Rope. No matter how hard she struggled, she couldn't break free at all!
"Mmmph! Waaah!"
Though bound by the Immortal-Binding Rope, Li Shiyu still managed to pout her lips. Dongfang Jue, however, was different—frozen solid by the Immobilization Technique, utterly unable to move a muscle!
Even her silver-tongued lips couldn't part an inch!
"Your senior sister will always be your senior sister~"
"Don't worry, it won't be for long."
What kind of divine artifact was the Immortal-Binding Rope? No matter how fiercely Li Shiyu struggled, she couldn't break free. Instead, it only tightened further!
"Senior Sister, let go of Shiyu! Shiyu is getting angry! Shiyu won't be friends with Senior Sister anymore!"
"Mmm hmm hmm, you scared your senior sister to death~"
"Senior Sister, take Shiyu with you! It's dangerous in there! Shiyu can help!"
"Mm-hmm, take you along… Senior Sister will take you…"
While speaking, Ye Qinghan turned her head to glare at Su Muchan, her voice cold.
"If you dare let them go, I won't let you walk out of here alive. Su Muchan, you'd better keep a close eye on them for me!"
"Uh…"
With that, Ye Qinghan flashed a mocking smile at her two junior sisters and waved her hand dismissively.
She then strode toward the center of the black mist. It wasn't far, and before long, Ye Qinghan stood before the entrance of the Main Hall.
Though called the last remaining palace, it was little more than three walls standing—most of it had been destroyed.
It resembled both a conference hall and a chapel, with pale blue beams of light emanating from behind the lectern.
From a distance, Ye Qinghan could see a weapon resembling a glass spear piercing through a man clinging to life, leaning against the platform.
Wait…
"Master!"
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