# Chapter 696: The Secret of the Sea Palace
Zi Ji watched Yun Che's reaction and continued slowly, "It's perfectly normal that you've never heard this name. Even among the other three Sacred Grounds outside the Supreme Sea Palace, very few know of its existence."
"Then where is it located? Senior Zi said earlier that it's not on the Tian Xuan Continent. What does that mean?" Yun Che asked with a slight frown.
Zi Ji extended his finger, pointing directly south. "It lies to the south of the Tian Xuan Continent, atop the boundless Southern Sea."
"The Southern Sea?" Yun Che looked bewildered.
"Have you ever been to the Supreme Sea Palace?" Zi Ji asked.
"No." Yun Che replied. "But I know that the Supreme Sea Palace is located on the Southern Sea, more than three thousand li south of the southern edge of the Tian Xuan Continent. That's where the name 'Sea Palace' comes from. Could it be that the Slay Moon Demon Cave Senior Zi mentioned is related to the Supreme Sea Palace?"
"Correct." Zi Ji nodded slightly. "The world knows that all four Sacred Grounds have their guardian missions, protecting the safety of the Tian Xuan Continent for generations, thus being honored with the sacred title of 'Sacred Grounds.' However, as of today, among the four Sacred Grounds, the only one that truly still upholds its guardian mission is the Supreme Sea Palace."
"That place called the 'Slay Moon Demon Cave' is what the Supreme Sea Palace has guarded for generations?" Yun Che spoke up.
Zi Ji nodded again. "The Supreme Sea Palace is three thousand li from the edge of the continent. Not only must it constantly guard against sudden sea disasters, but it also faces many inconveniences in ordinary times. Yet the Supreme Sea Palace has existed for ten thousand years and has never moved to the mainland. The Slay Moon Demon Cave is the sole reason."
"What exactly is the Slay Moon Demon Cave? Why would the Supreme Sea Palace go so far as to stay in the Southern Sea just to guard it? And that name..." Zi Ji's account planted more and more questions in Yun Che's mind.
Zi Ji closed his eyes slightly, organized his thoughts, and continued, "Regarding the Slay Moon Demon Cave, I can only give you the simplest description. About ten thousand years ago, seven ancestors of the Supreme Sea Palace were traveling across the Southern Sea when they suddenly discovered a vast expanse of seawater turned pitch black. This black sea area was quite extensive, floating with countless similarly blackened sea beast corpses. Later, they found the center of this black sea area—an island that had been completely dyed black."
"That island emitted an extremely dense Yin aura, and it was the culprit that turned the vast sea area into a dead zone. Subsequently, the Sea Palace ancestors reached that black island and discovered a huge cave within it. That terrifying Yin aura originated from this black cave. They entered the cave, and the deeper they went, the heavier the Yin aura became, greatly suppressing their profound energy. At the deepest part of the cave, they encountered a terrifyingly powerful dark profound beast."
"A dark profound beast?" The more Yun Che heard, the more bizarre it seemed.
"That dark profound beast called itself the Slay Moon Demon Lord. It hated light, especially feared moonlight. Beyond that, nothing else was known about it. The power aura of that dark profound beast was not too strong—roughly at the early Overlord Xuan Realm. The seven Supreme Sea Palace ancestors were all at the pinnacle of profound power, each at the late-stage Emperor Lord Realm, standing at the peak of their era. But in the depths of that cave, their profound power was suppressed to the King Xuan Realm. They were utterly helpless before the Slay Moon Demon Lord. Of the seven ancestors, only one escaped; the other six all perished in the Slay Moon Demon Cave."
The only Sea Palace ancestor who survived by the skin of his teeth, after leaving that cave, noticed that the Slay Moon Demon Lord did not chase after him. Afraid of light during the day and moonlight at night, the Slay Moon Demon Lord might never leave that demon cave. However, the dark Yin aura emanating from the demon cave was endless. Moreover, when the Sea Palace ancestor escaped the cave, he personally heard the Slay Moon Demon Lord's roar: When darkness drowns the entire world, that will be the day I return to the world.
"A monster like the Slay Moon Demon Lord actually exists?" The shock in Yun Che's heart grew. If this weren't told personally by Zi Ji, he would have dismissed it as some idle legend concocted by bored people. "After that, did that Sea Palace ancestor use some method to seal that demon cave and prevent the dark Yin aura from leaking out?"
"Heh, exactly so." Zi Ji gave Yun Che an appreciative glance. "It was unknown whether that dark Yin aura originated from the Slay Moon Demon Lord's body or from some unknown terrifying existence deep within the demon cave. But if it continued to flow endlessly, it would eventually spread to the Tian Xuan Continent, and the consequences would be unimaginable. Moreover, the Slay Moon Demon Lord's roar left the Sea Palace ancestor uneasy. So he united the strength of the Sea Palace's elites, spared no expense in sacrificing over a dozen of the Sea Palace's strongest profound artifacts and a vast amount of Purple Vein Divine Crystals, and constructed a massive isolation barrier to completely seal off the Slay Moon Demon Cave, fully blocking the continuously overflowing dark Yin aura."
"Because that barrier consumed enormous power, it required at least ten or more Emperor Lords to re-infuse it with profound energy every three years to maintain it. Thus, the Sea Palace ancestor relocated the entire sect to the Southern Sea and renamed it the 'Supreme Sea Palace.'"
"...So that's how it is."
Due to his hostility toward the Tian Wei Sword Domain and the despicable nature of the Sun Moon Divine Palace, Yun Che had long lost all goodwill toward the four Sacred Grounds, even feeling they were full of filth. But Zi Ji's description of the Supreme Sea Palace commanded his deep respect.
Compared to the Tian Wei Sword Domain and the Sun Moon Divine Palace, such a Supreme Sea Palace truly lived up to the name "Sacred Ground."
Thinking back to that Ji Qianrou of the Supreme Sea Palace—though eccentric and strange, his conduct was generally righteous. During the Seven Nations Ranking Battle, he spoke up for Yun Che, someone he had no prior connection with, harshly mocked the Phoenix Crown Prince Feng Ximing, and because of a small favor, he even attacked Ye Xinghan on the Primordial Mystic Ark, effectively saving the lives of Yun Che and Feng Xue'er.
"Senior Zi mentioned earlier that that place can only be entered once every five hundred years. The Netherworld Brahma Flower discovered thirteen hundred years ago was also found there... Could it be that the barrier deliberately left an entrance?" Yun Che asked.
"That is precisely what I'm about to discuss." Zi Ji smiled faintly. Since he had already laid everything out, there was no great concern in continuing. "The Sea Palace ancestors speculated back then that the dark Yin aura came from the Slay Moon Demon Lord's body. But no matter how powerful a profound beast, it would eventually die. So, by sealing the Slay Moon Demon Cave, once the Slay Moon Demon Lord died and perished, the dark Yin aura would naturally dissipate, and the guardian mission would be completed, allowing the Supreme Sea Palace to leave the Southern Sea."
"To make it convenient to confirm whether the Slay Moon Demon Lord had died, the Sea Palace ancestors left a gap in the barrier. However, they stipulated that it could only be opened once every five hundred years. To prevent a massive outflow of Yin aura when opened, they also limited the opening time: only one hundred breaths! Ever since, every five hundred years, the Supreme Sea Palace would send their least talented disciples into the cave to confirm the Slay Moon Demon Lord's life or death. Starting from sixty-five hundred years ago, all disciples who entered came out alive, meaning that by that time, the Slay Moon Demon Lord was already dead."
"If the Slay Moon Demon Lord is dead, then why does the Supreme Sea Palace still guard it? That means... though the Slay Moon Demon Lord is dead, the dark Yin aura still spreads... The dark Yin aura doesn't come from the Slay Moon Demon Lord?" Yun Che said with a furrowed brow.
"Correct." Zi Ji nodded solemnly. "If the Slay Moon Demon Lord left the Slay Moon Demon Cave, it would merely be an Overlord Xuan Realm profound beast, nothing to fear. What is truly fearsome is the Yin aura that comes from an unknown source, endlessly flowing. The Supreme Sea Palace had no choice but to continue guarding that place, still maintaining the barrier every three years. To this day, it has been a full ten thousand years."
"In the thousands of years after confirming the Slay Moon Demon Lord's death, the Supreme Sea Palace still sent their least talented disciples in every five hundred years to prevent unforeseen circumstances. Ultimately, all these disciples also came out alive, thereby fully confirming that the Slay Moon Demon Lord had indeed perished. Thereafter, the frequency of entries decreased, and those who entered were no longer the least talented disciples. Some elders, even the Sea Emperor himself, would go in together out of curiosity to explore the true depths. But the Yin aura inside was too heavy. Even as peerless experts, they could stay at most for a few dozen breaths before immediately coming out and resealing the barrier."
"As for the Netherworld Brahma Flower you're concerned about... thirteen hundred years ago, when the barrier was again due to open after five hundred years, several newly promoted elders who had never entered before went in together out of curiosity. They quickly reached the end when they suddenly heard a ghastly weeping sound."
"Ghostly weeping... That's right!" Yun Che's spirit shook. Though he had never seen the Netherworld Brahma Flower, when his master told him about it, he mentioned that it made sounds like a demon's laughter and cries.
"Heh. Following the ghostly weeping sound, they saw a demonic flower about one zhang tall. Its stem and leaves were purple-black, but the blooming flower was an enchantingly beautiful bright purple. Wisps of light purple mist that seemed to come from the underworld swirled around its petals. Without wind, the petals danced on their own, emitting terrifying sounds like a demon sometimes crying and sometimes laughing."
"According to those Sea Palace elders, the moment they saw that purple demonic flower, they felt as if their souls were being drawn out of their bodies. Alert, they fled far away at the first opportunity and resealed the barrier. But afterward, these elders, who possessed Emperor Lord-level power, all fell gravely ill and took several full months to fully recover. Later, through research, they learned that it was the legendary extreme demonic flower... the Netherworld Brahma Flower."
"Since then, for thirteen hundred years now, no one has entered the Slay Moon Demon Cave."
Yun Che's expression became slightly excited, because Zi Ji's description of the Netherworld Brahma Flower matched what his master had told him back in the Cang Yun Continent all those years ago without any difference!
"Exactly! That must be the Netherworld Brahma Flower without a doubt!" Yun Che nodded. "The Netherworld Brahma Flower grows in places with extremely heavy Yin aura. The Yin aura there is at its peak, making it quite suitable for the Netherworld Brahma Flower's growth. Moreover, because it's isolated by the barrier, the Yin aura there doesn't dissipate; it only becomes more concentrated. So the Netherworld Brahma Flower discovered thirteen hundred years ago should still exist. Perhaps there might even be more than one now."
Zi Ji shook his head with a bitter smile. "Though you say that, this old man mentioned earlier that the Netherworld Brahma Flower blooms once every twenty-four years, and withers in three days. The Slay Moon Demon Cave can only be entered once every five hundred years, and one can stay at most for a hundred breaths. The chance of encountering it in full bloom within those hundred breaths... is like searching for a needle in a vast sea."
"But I still have to try. After all, this is the only information I've obtained about the Netherworld Brahma Flower so far." Yun Che said without the slightest hesitation. "And... my luck has always been pretty good! What if it happens to be in bloom!"
Zi Ji shook his head again. "Several Supreme Sea Palace Emperor Lord-level elders nearly had their souls snatched just by looking at the Netherworld Brahma Flower. Getting close or touching it would be even more unimaginable. Even if you enter when it happens to be in bloom, how would you pick it?"
"As for that... this junior has his own methods." Yun Che said with considerable certainty. The reason for his certainty was naturally the Heavenly Poison Pearl.
Yun Che pulled ten Overlord Pills from the Heavenly Poison Pearl and placed them before Zi Ji, speaking sincerely, "Thank you, Senior Zi, for the detailed information. This matter is extremely important to this junior. According to our agreement, these ten pills will be sold to your esteemed chamber of commerce at the price of twenty jin of Purple Vein Divine Crystals. The pills entrusted to your chamber for auction will also be reduced to twenty pills, not one more."
Zi Ji put away the ten Overlord Pills and gave Yun Che a deep look. He knew that with this young man's wisdom and cunning, he had surely sensed something from his account just now. He did not expose it. His palm turned over, a profound formation appeared, and a deep purple space ring was pushed in front of Yun Che. "Inside this are twenty jin of Purple Vein Divine Crystals."
Yun Che picked up the purple crystal ring, swept his perception through it quickly, then stored it inside the Heavenly Poison Pearl. He exchanged a knowing smile with Zi Ji.
Twenty jin of Purple Vein Divine Crystals... Divine crystals, no less! Just like that, they were in his hands... This seemed way too damn easy!!
"Yun Che, after you settle the matter with the Fenghuang God Sect, do you plan to visit the Supreme Sea Palace?" Zi Ji asked, his gaze meaningful.
"Indeed, that's the plan." Yun Che nodded. "This junior also has a general idea of where the Supreme Sea Palace is located."
"Actually, there's no need for such haste." Zi Ji said with a faint smile. "In five months, the Supreme Sea Palace will hold a 'Demon Sword Assembly,' and coincidentally, you are on the invitation list. The relevant invitation letter will be delivered to you within two months."
"Oh? The Demon Sword Assembly? What is that?" Yun Che asked in surprise. "And why would they invite me?"
"Heh, this matter, without permission, this old man is not at liberty to disclose. However, when the time comes, you can ask the person delivering the invitation letter to you. He might be able to answer your questions."
"Oh..." Yun Che nodded slightly, full of doubts but not pressing further. "In that case, this junior will not take the initiative to visit. I will quietly await news from the Supreme Sea Palace."
At this point, although he still hadn't obtained any news about Chu Yuechan, all his other purposes for coming here had been fulfilled. He had also gained the pleasant surprise regarding the Netherworld Brahma Flower and the puzzle of the Demon Sword Assembly. Yun Che stood up, clasped his hands toward Zi Ji, and said, "This junior has imposed on Senior Zi's time for too long. It's time to take my leave... May I ask if my father-in-law, Xia Hongyi, is currently in the chamber of commerce?"
"Heh..." Zi Ji seemed to have anticipated his question about Xia Hongyi. With a faint smile, he flicked his finger, and two zhang away from him, a yellow teleportation profound formation silently appeared. "He is on the first floor of the chamber of commerce. He has been waiting for you for some time. Once you enter, you will see him."
"Thank you, Senior Zi." Yun Che inclined his head with a hint of gratitude, then gave a smile to the three young women at his side. He turned and stepped into the profound formation.
A flash of yellow light, and the profound formation carried Yun Che's figure away, disappearing from that spot.
Zi Ji was stunned for a moment before slowly sitting down, an extremely complex expression rippling across his face. After a while, he reached out his arm, carefully picked up an Overlord Pill, and his gaze once again filled with deep admiration. After examining it closely for quite some time, he murmured softly to himself, "Such a world-shaking precious pill, obtained so casually. It's truly astonishing... And it seems it doesn't even have a name."
"This pill's medicinal aura is divided into six strands, each with a different aura and varying intensity. It can achieve the Overlord Realm, aid the Emperor Lord, and has no risks or drawbacks. It can be called the emperor of pills in this era. Perhaps I should name it..."
"Six-Flavor Emperor Pill."