Chapter 2: Demon Empress Frost North Snow (2)
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The cold stone steps still held a layer of rainwater, with some corners even hiding slippery moss, so the crowd walked at a leisurely pace—definitely not in a hurry.
After about the time it takes to burn a stick of incense, White Peach was the first to step onto solid ground.
Just as Lin Nan had mentioned earlier, what appeared above the ocean was merely an entrance connected to the outside world; the real grandeur and shock were lurking in the vast Underground Palace below.
Although this wasn’t Ren Dan’s first time seeing it, when her eyes landed on the massive white palace stretching as far as the eye could see, the emotion and awe in her heart were no less than that of the four who saw this underground marvel for the first time.
Luo Ying exclaimed in admiration, “Incredible, incredible! The scale of this underground palace could almost rival the Small Thousand World of Heavenly Sword Sect!”
White Peach was equally dazzled, her mind so blown that she momentarily forgot the presence of others.
“Holy moly… this place feels like the Forbidden City after closing time! It’s beautiful and grand, but the emptiness gives me the creeps,” Fatty whispered to Lin Nan, practically levitating with paranoia.
Lin Nan nodded, “This place must’ve been abandoned for ages, or perhaps it was built as a grand burial site—definitely not meant for the living.”
Ren Dan gently clapped her hands, “Second Palace Master, along with the three from Heavenly Sword Sect, the Great Palace Master is inside the main hall. If you have any questions, you can ask the Great Palace Master directly.”
White Peach pulled her gaze back from the horizon, nodding, “Lead the way, please.”
“At your service,” Ren Dan said, seemingly more polite, perhaps due to the stunningly sculpted architecture of the Underground Palace impacting everyone’s mood.
Unbeknownst to them, even the sound of their chatter had dropped—everyone was trying not to disturb the souls who lay asleep within the palace.
As they walked along a wide path made entirely of white marble, the streets flanked by shops with half-open doors, it became clear that there were no living beings inside.
In fact, all the goods in those shops were carved from stone.
From a distance, even the candied hawthorns poking out of the haystacks looked lifelike—if you didn’t take a bite, you couldn’t tell what was real.
“Who spent so much to create all this?” Fatty was thoroughly amazed; he realized the stone-carved hawthorns were also propped up by stone haystacks. He was utterly out of luck here.
“Maybe it was some emperor from ages past?” Lin Nan shrugged, helpless to answer Fatty’s question.
On the surface, he seemed calm, but inside, a storm was brewing.
No doubt about it—Frost North Snow had the Nightmare Beasts guarding this Underground Palace!
The mere fact that the Nightmare Beasts left Nightmare Island shortly before Flowerless Palace found this place indicated that Flowerless Palace had been eyeing this location for quite some time.
Regardless of whether the Great Palace Master was aligned with Ji Shen, one thing was clear—they had reached an agreement long ago.
Flowerless Palace turned a blind eye to Ji Shen as he came to capture the Nightmare Beasts, even blocking Luo Ying’s investigation efforts to prevent Heavenly Sword Sect from ruining their plans.
Later, Ji Shen successfully took away the Nightmare Beasts, and the long-anticipated mysterious waters of Flowerless Palace finally revealed their true face at the same time.
Thus, the subsequent maneuvers by Flowerless Palace were all geared towards preparing to enter the Underground Palace.
What was even more terrifying was that finding the Underground Palace might just be the first step; how many fishermen had been lured here, and what would Flowerless Palace demand in return for their lives?
The more Lin Nan thought about it, the more his heart raced.
But at this point, worrying was futile; perhaps he could learn everything once they met the Great Palace Master.
“The main hall is just ahead,” Ren Dan said as they walked past that grand pathway, pointing at the towering thirty-meter steps. There stood an enormous archway inscribed with the words “Ling You Palace.”
“In the Underground Palace, you cannot fly on swords; if you ascend, you will instantly fall,” Ren Dan explained.
People began to understand why the area above the Underground Palace felt so spacious—their route was purposefully kept grounded instead of flying directly to the main hall.
What they initially thought was Ren Dan wanting them to closely appreciate the palace’s architecture turned out to be a necessary precaution.
Though they weren’t entirely sure of the implication behind “Ling You Palace,” the sight of the stone-carved architecture and lifelike objects along the way made everyone increasingly cautious.
Ling You Palace was the highest point in the entire Underground Palace.
When they finally climbed the last step, their hearts raced, breaths quickening.
But when they turned to look back, they could see all the buildings within the Underground Palace, big and small, laid out before them. That overwhelming view made them reflect on the sheer size of the palace, far beyond their wildest imaginations.
“You’re here,” a voice suddenly echoed in their ears.
Soft and gentle, yet incredibly clear, it was as if someone was whispering directly in their ear.
White Peach cupped her hands toward a white figure in the distance, “White Peach greets the Great Palace Master.”
The others followed suit, bowing respectfully.
Fatty, despite having seen the Great Palace Master before, had only caught a glimpse while running for his life; he hadn’t paid close attention.
Now, his jaw dropped—she looked like a goddess!
Dressed in a light, elegant white gown that trailed behind her with a soft rustling sound as she walked, her face was nothing like the old hag they had in mind. Instead, she looked fresh and vibrant, like a girl who had just come into her maturity, trying to act like an adult but still carrying a hint of youthful innocence.
Lin Nan knew all too well—that was merely the surface.
Especially for female cultivators, beauty-preserving techniques were crucial, even more so than other techniques and skills’ cultivation.
While he had no idea how old the Great Palace Master really was, the young, beautiful, and warm smile she wore could still give anyone a gentle spring breeze kind of feeling.
In front of the Great Palace Master, White Peach felt like the older sister.
“Great Palace Master, I need an explanation!” White Peach quipped after bowing, her tone far from friendly.
The Great Palace Master raised her hand with a smile, and Ren Dan gracefully stepped forward, bowing her head.
“It seems you didn’t explain things clearly on the way, did you?”
“Yes,” Ren Dan replied, head down.
“In that case, follow me, and you will soon understand,” the Great Palace Master said, turning elegantly as if she were a queen.
Fatty’s eyes nearly popped out.
He muttered, “Holy cow, the last time I saw her, she definitely didn’t look this young! The wrinkles on her face looked like dried kiwi! What happened today…”
Lin Nan pinched his arm, whispering, “Stop drooling over the Great Palace Master, remember—when the time comes, don’t be embarrassed, just run for your life!”
Fatty took a deep breath and nodded vigorously.
The group followed the Great Palace Master, making their way to the end of the grand hall.
Everyone stopped in their tracks.
At that moment, Lin Nan was shocked to discover a massive stone wall directly facing them, adorned with a detailed sea map.
The palace was in the center of the map, surrounded by seven islands evenly spaced in a circular pattern.
Weren’t those the islands where the fishermen had sought shelter from the rain?
……
ps: Another energetic morning! Bring on the tickets!
