Chapter 336: Joining Forces

Knowing Celestial Sea was poisoned and his fate uncertain, Ming Chong’s brows immediately knitted together.

Without another word, he walked directly toward the gate of the Endless Immortal Palace.

Ming Chong had always had such a personality—brave and aggressive, always wanting to solve everything with absolute power.

As for fear, such an emotion was simply nonexistent for Ming Chong.

He was known as the Descent Vajra, and his character was just like a Vajra—fierce and fearless.

“Master Ming Chong, please wait.”

Qingchen suddenly said, “The dangers within the Endless Immortal Palace are unfathomable. Our purpose is not to seize treasures but to rescue people. Why don’t we team up and enter together?”

“And Brother Chen, the people we need to save are together. If we act jointly, our chances of success will be much greater.”

Ming Chong looked at Qingchen, then at Chen Yuan, his brow furrowing even deeper.

Although conflicts between Daoists and Buddhists were numerous, Qingchen had an otherworldly air about him, so Ming Chong bore him no ill will.

However, the thought of teaming up with Chen Yuan made him resistant.

But Qingchen had a point. Their goal was to rescue people, and there were numerous Exotic Beasts created by the Endless Immortal Palace inside. At a time like this, the more people, the better.

So, after a moment’s hesitation, Ming Chong nodded as well.

Chen Yuan also nodded, offering no objection.

Yellow Court Temple had a good reputation in the Jianghu, and Qingchen himself was low-key and mild-mannered, making a point not to offend anyone. So when he called for everyone to team up, no one was likely to object.

Then, Qingchen’s gaze swept over the surrounding Martial Artists. “If any of you also wish to explore the Endless Immortal Palace, you are welcome to enter with us.”

“After all, clearing out those Exotic Beasts isn’t just for the rescue mission; it’s also to enable exploration deeper into the Endless Immortal Palace.”

At his words, the spectating Martial Artists felt a stir of temptation.

The Endless Immortal Palace was right before them. The only reason they hadn’t entered was that a previous group had already gotten trapped inside. They didn’t dare rush to their deaths, but they were too unwilling to simply leave, so they had remained here.

Now that three prodigies from the top ten of the Hidden Dragon Rankings were leading the charge, they were naturally willing to follow them in.

Of course, Chen Yuan wasn’t in the top ten of the Hidden Dragon Rankings yet, but based on his combat record outside the Heaven-Reaching Tower, getting into the top ten would be effortless.

Just as everyone was preparing to enter, a voice suddenly came from behind. “Quite a lively gathering. How about I join in?”

Everyone looked back to see Han Chang approaching, his arm around a seductive woman and a wicked smile on his face.

The moment they saw Han Chang, Ming Chong’s brow furrowed, and even Qingchen frowned slightly.

Chen Yuan may have offended many people and attracted his fair share of enemies, but those grudges were all out in the open. No one had ever heard of him deliberately harming someone unprovoked.

But Han Chang was different. He came from the Demon Dao, and he was opportunistic and unscrupulous in his methods. His reputation in the Jianghu was far from good.

Ming Chong snorted. “Does your Original Demon Palace have people trapped inside, too? Or are you just plotting some other sinister scheme!”

Han Chang, however, didn’t get angry at these words. He just chuckled. “Master Ming Chong, why must you be so hostile toward me? We fought side-by-side outside the Heaven-Reaching Tower, did we not?”

As he spoke, Han Chang’s gaze turned to Chen Yuan, a cold glint appearing in his eyes.

This was not just about the previous time Han Chang had attacked Chen Yuan over Mei Niang. Before the incident at the Heaven-Reaching Tower, the Vice Palace Master of the Original Demon Palace, Shen Wuhen, had specifically instructed Han Chang to kill Chen Jiutian if the opportunity arose!

‘Since that woman Song Yanluo wants to protect Chen Jiutian, I’ll make sure to kill him!’

He was from the Demon Dao; even having reached the Ninth Realm Celestial Profound, he couldn’t change his obstinate nature.

“Bullshit! Who fought side-by-side with you?”

Ming Chong flew into a rage.

‘I am Chen Jiutian’s enemy, but that’s only because of the grudge between my Vajra Prajna Temple and him. What does that have to do with a Demon Child like you?’

Just as Han Chang was about to speak, Qingchen said calmly, “It’s fine if you wish to join us, Brother Han. However, our purpose is to rescue people. You may have your own agenda, but if you try to sabotage our efforts, don’t blame me for being discourteous.”

‘Anyone can enter the Endless Immortal Palace. There’s no point in stopping Han Chang now; letting him scheme from the shadows would only make things worse.’

‘It’s better to let him come with us. At least that way, we can keep an eye on him.’

Chen Yuan thought the same as Qingchen, but his gaze fell on the seductive woman beside Han Chang, and he frowned slightly.

He didn’t recognize the woman, but a moment ago, she had revealed a flash of malice toward him. Though she had hidden it quickly, Chen Yuan had still perceived it.

After cultivating the Emperor’s Qi Observation Skill, Chen Yuan’s senses had become incredibly sharp. He was certain that the person who had shown him malice outside the Heaven-Reaching Tower was one and the same as the woman now beside Han Chang!

‘In other words, this woman showed me malice outside the Heaven-Reaching Tower *before* Han Chang even made a move, yet I have no memory of her at all.’

However, Chen Yuan didn’t react, merely tucking the observation away in the back of his mind.

With four powerful prodigies—Chen Yuan, Ming Chong, Qingchen, and Han Chang—leading the way, the other Martial Artists instantly gained confidence and prepared to enter the Endless Immortal Palace with them.

Only a few Martial Artists and Wen Rou remained outside.

‘For Wen Rou, getting information was what mattered most. As long as Chen Yuan’s group made it out alive, they would surely tell her what they found inside. There was no need for her to risk going in herself.’

Chen Yuan and the other three led the way, stepping into the gateway of the Endless Immortal Palace together.

Instantly, Chen Yuan felt a pulling force envelop him. His feet hadn’t moved, but he felt as if he were being teleported.

‘This Endless Immortal Palace looks magnificent, but to think it has its own spatial Array inside.’

‘No wonder all the factions of the Human Race were so repulsed by the Endless Immortal Palace when the Heaven-Reaching Tower was built, yet they still had to swallow their pride and invite them to participate.’

‘Without the Endless Immortal Palace, the Heaven-Reaching Tower could never have been successfully constructed.’

A flash of white light blinded them for a moment, and then the scene came into view.

What greeted their eyes was a place resembling a vast Grassland. The ceiling soared a thousand zhang high, inscribed with glowing Array Patterns.

Just then, a sudden roar echoed through the space.

A giant python, over a hundred feet long, snaked toward them at high speed.

But the bizarre thing was that both sides of the giant python were lined with a dense thicket of human hands, making it look like a great centipede. The sight was enough to make one’s blood run cold.

“What the hell is this thing!?”

Ming Chong frowned instantly.

Qingchen sighed. “The Endless Immortal Palace became obsessed in its pursuit of eternal life. They were quite skilled in the art of Beast Taming, but in their quest for longevity, they combined Spirit Beasts with human bodies, creating all sorts of profane and monstrous creatures.”

“The lifespan of a Spirit Beast is naturally longer than that of the Human Race. In the Ancient Era, some exotic species had lifespans of up to ten thousand years. But once fused with a human, could the resulting creature even be considered human? Its Divine Soul would be consumed by animalistic instinct, transforming it into a monster like this.”

“Therefore, in using Beast Taming to pursue eternal life, the Endless Immortal Palace ultimately failed completely.”

By now, the hand-python had reached them. Ming Chong, who most despised such profane things, erupted in a brilliant Buddha Light. Forming a Buddha Seal with his hands, he was the first to strike, smashing his fist into the creature.

The hand-python roared in pain and tried to entangle Ming Chong, but he grabbed its tail and began to frantically slam it against the ground.

A moment later, the hand-python’s vertebrae were completely shattered and the hands on its body torn away. All signs of life vanished from it.

“Its physical strength is decent, but it has no real might. Nothing special.”

Ming Chong was slightly disdainful. ‘If all the Exotic Beasts in the Endless Immortal Palace are at this level, there’s no need for us to team up. I can handle them myself.’

Chen Yuan said coolly, “I can’t speak for everyone else trapped in this Endless Immortal Palace, but neither Luo the Thirteenth Lang nor Lu Chuanshan is weak.”

“If all these Exotic Beasts were at the level of this hand-python, they wouldn’t be trapped here.”

“Frankly, these are just beasts. After being trapped for ten thousand years, they must be desperate for Blood Food now that they’re unsealed.”

“And yet, this hand-python didn’t go after Luo the Thirteenth Lang’s group. It was loitering here at the entrance. That can only mean it’s the weakest of the bunch, ostracized by the other Exotic Beasts and not even qualified to approach the main pack.”

Ming Chong’s expression shifted. For one, he genuinely hadn’t considered that. For another, Chen Yuan’s tone carried a hint of mockery, as if calling him all brawn and no brains.

But before Ming Chong could erupt, Qingchen said in a deep voice, “Brother Chen is right. There’s no time to delay. Let’s find the trapped people quickly.”

With that, Qingchen led the group deeper into the palace.

Along the way, the group saw the remains of many Exotic Beasts, some reduced to nothing but dried bones.

Other Exotic Beasts were still trapped within Arrays, but they had long since lost all signs of life.

The Endless Immortal Palace had originally sealed these Exotic Beasts in Arrays after creating them.

But over the past ten thousand years, some of the Arrays had deteriorated, allowing the Exotic Beasts to break free. With no food, however, they had simply starved to death.

However, some Arrays were still perfectly intact. It was likely that when Luo Lie’s group entered, they somehow unsealed these Arrays on a massive scale, leading to them being besieged by a horde of Exotic Beasts.

These Exotic Beasts had been trapped for ten millennia. Though the Array Power had sealed away their Vitality, it also meant they hadn’t tasted Blood Food in over ten thousand years. They were bound to be exceptionally ferocious now.

Just then, a series of roars echoed from ahead, and the group hurried forward.

They saw hundreds of Exotic Beasts outside a half-collapsed palace up ahead, all of them attacking an Array that protected the interior.

These Exotic Beasts, much like the hand-python from before, were all bizarrely shaped.

There were some with the head of a human and the body of a snake, others with a human head and a bird’s body, three-headed tigers, nine-tailed giant serpents, enormous human-faced spiders—the bizarre forms were innumerable.

Most importantly, all these Exotic Beasts contained the Power of Heaven and Earth. For instance, the monster with the human head and snake body could breathe out an ultimate cold that contained the Ice Origin, its might no less than that of the Shangguan Family’s Beichen Ice Soul True Skill!