“What use is this key?” Lin Xiao opened his storage ring and retrieved the jade-like key. Faced with the current situation, he had no idea where to begin, so he turned to the key, hoping to discern some mystery from it.
“Whoosh!” Suddenly, the key shot from his hand, hovering in mid-air.
“Hiss!” Abruptly, the jade-green key emitted a dazzling, radiant cyan light, its brilliance illuminating the entire landscape, nearly blinding Lin Xiao.
Then, a terrifying fluctuation surged from the key, stirring the heavens and earth into upheaval.
“Rumble!”
The void quaked, the ground trembled— as if a massive earthquake had struck the region. The shaking was relentless. Ahead, enormous fissures split the earth, spidering outward in all directions.
The sky shifted hues, clouds churned, and deafening booms resounded ceaselessly. From the shuddering ground, a vast, ocean-like energy wave erupted. A beam of light, like a jade pillar piercing the sky, burst from the soil, soaring into the boundless void.
The setting sun was engulfed in blinding radiance, as if ten suns blazed overhead. All things in the world lost their colour beneath this glow.
The ground’s tremors intensified, endless dust surging outward like a roiling sea.
A colossal stone gate slowly rose from the earth, breaking through the surface.
Lin Xiao and Hu Yue, retreating rapidly, wore expressions of sheer shock.
The commotion was immense— likely noticeable for a thousand miles around. It wouldn’t take long for hordes to arrive.
At this rate, the key was no different from a public signal, merely triggering the palace’s emergence. Was it worth their desperate scramble?
Lin Xiao felt a pang of frustration— their cautious, covert journey here seemed wasted, ending in this spectacle.
“Rumble!”…
Time crept by. After about half an hour, a stone gate dozens of metres wide fully emerged on the surface.
Adorned with carved beams and painted rafters, it resembled dragons and phoenixes in flight, seemingly crafted entirely of white jade. Every inch radiated white mist, exuding an ancient aura as if from primordial times, its terrifying majesty sweeping across the land.
Lin Xiao was stunned speechless. This wasn’t a tomb— it was a gate! A grand, ancient, solemn stone gate!
Could Junzang lie beyond it?
Was there another realm within?
Another half-hour passed before the gate’s shaking ceased, its oppressive pressure waning, the surrounding dust settling.
By then, figures had begun gathering, drawn to the spectacle.
“Good heavens, what happened here to cause such a ruckus and raise a giant gate?”
“Could it be the Junzang everyone’s been buzzing about?”
“It must be— Junzang’s inside that gate!”
Shocked voices echoed from beyond Lin Xiao’s line of sight. Already, dozens had gathered on his side.
There were Origin Martial and Heavenly Martial realm warriors— so many in such a short time.
Stronger experts would likely arrive soon.
“Whoosh!” “Whoosh!” “Whoosh!”
As the ground stilled, impatience took hold. Figures lunged at the white jade gate, slashing with dazzling sword and sabre strikes.
But the next moment, a blinding white light flared, enveloping the charging crowd.
“Bang!” “Bang!” “Bang!”…
Those touched by the light were blasted into blood mist, dying instantly without even a scream.
“Hiss!”
The onlookers gasped, reeling with belated fear. Thankfully, they’d held back— rushing in would’ve meant clueless deaths.
“No surprise it’s not a friendly place!” Hu Yue’s pretty face showed shock as she exclaimed.
Lin Xiao nodded. He’d suspected this place wasn’t simple, or he’d have charged in first instead of watching others test it.
“Now what?” Hu Yue asked, growing anxious as more people arrived.
“No rush— let’s wait and see. Since the key was sent, it should open!” Lin Xiao remained composed. Treasures required survival to claim— he wouldn’t foolishly attack the gate.
He also believed that if this was Junzang, the key’s sender intended it to open— a peak Martial Lord wouldn’t just prank posterity, right?
Others calmed too, chastened by the lesson. No one dared act rashly.
Over time, Lin Xiao noticed the gate’s light mist fading. It seemed that once it dissipated fully, the gate would open.
Seeing this, hope gleamed on every face. Once it opened, they could enter.
Fortune depended on ability— perhaps they’d snag a mighty inheritance or peerless treasure, soaring to greatness… imaginations ran wild.
But waiting dragged on— the crowd stood vigil all night!
By dawn, the glow finally began to recede, soon to vanish.
Overnight, a throng had arrived, including twenty or thirty Martial Kings.
Some couldn’t resist, attacking the gate from afar, only to be obliterated by its white light— even a Martial King fell. After that, no one dared try.
The next morning, as mist cleared, thousands of warriors packed the area before the gate— a chaotic mix of local factions, bustling with excitement.
Lin Xiao and Hu Yue blended into the crowd, unremarkable. To avoid recognition, Lin Xiao reused his leftover aura-mixing powder, altering his presence, and donned a black mask. Hu Yue applied the powder too, veiling her face with a scarf.
Among thousands, even Liu or Gong family Martial Venerables would struggle to spot them— and per Lin Xiao’s intel, those clans were embroiled in fierce conflict, unlikely to arrive.
“Whoosh!” “Whoosh!” Just then, two familiar figures entered Lin Xiao’s view.
One was a woman in her twenties, brows like autumn water, stunningly beautiful. Her curvaceous figure, draped in a thin white gown, radiated allure, captivating onlookers— a true femme fatale.
Beside her was a girl of seventeen or eighteen, exquisitely lovely in a vivid green dress. Though less mature, her aura was extraordinary.
Their arrival drew countless eyes, especially from young men, whose gazes lit up.
These were none other than Huandie and Yunlian, outer disciples of Shengyuan Academy’s Moon Gate.
