Chapter 767: Floating Sea Palace

⏱ ~11 min read

# Chapter 767: Floating Sea Palace

Yun Che and Feng Xue'er flew across the coastline, arriving above the South Sea. After flying for some time, a strange blue light finally appeared in their line of sight... The source of the blue light was a small, solitary island.

"That's the place. Let's go down."

Yun Che took Feng Xue'er's small hand and descended together with her toward the island. Feng Xue'er gently touched her face, and her breathtakingly beautiful countenance that could dim the heavens and earth was instantly concealed beneath a layer of snow-white gauze.

Yun Che took out the hexagonal jade stone that Ji Qianrou had given him from the Heavenly Poison Pearl. This jade stone was called Sea God Jade, and it contained the engraved invitation words, date, and the method to reach the Supreme Sea Palace for the Demon Sword Assembly. According to the information engraved in the Sea God Jade, those attending the Demon Sword Assembly would travel through a special teleportation array on this small island, crossing three thousand li of sea to be directly teleported to the Supreme Sea Palace.

Landing on the island, a cool sea breeze brushed against their faces. The entire island was empty and desolate. As Yun Che and Feng Xue'er landed, two figures appeared before them like ghosts.

"Are you two here for the Demon Sword Assembly? If so, show the Sea God Jade. If not, leave!"

Both men were dressed in blue robes, their faces stiff, exuding a barely concealed sense of authority and arrogance.

Because they were disciples of the Supreme Sea Palace! Although those who came this time were from the Tian Xuan Continent's most eminent sects and powers, the arrogant nature ingrained in the disciples of the Four Sacred Grounds still shone through, even if they had to restrain it a bit.

However, Yun Che had long seen through this kind of attitude. He didn't bother to argue and simply took out the Sea God Jade.

The two Sea Palace disciples glanced at the Sea God Jade, confirmed it was genuine, nodded, and said expressionlessly: "Go ahead. Stand on the array formation and wait. When there are enough people, the formation will activate on its own."

Yun Che frowned. "Enough people? The Demon Sword Assembly starts in four days. I may have come early, but logically, the teleportation array should activate as soon as a guest arrives."

"Hmph." A Sea Palace disciple sneered, "This teleportation array spans three thousand li. Do you think it's just some ordinary array? Every activation consumes a huge amount of profound crystals. If we send each person individually, we'll have wasted a massive fortune before the Demon Sword Assembly even starts. Ten people is the minimum to activate the formation. If you don't want to wait, you can fly over the sea yourself!"

"..." The arrogance of certain people was truly ingrained in their bones, no matter the place. However, Yun Che had long since learned not to care about such things. He pulled Feng Xue'er over to a rock not far away and sat down.

Looking at the two Sea Palace disciples' arrogant expressions, Feng Xue'er giggled quietly, took out a fruit from her space ring, and handed it to Yun Che: "Brother Yun, it's really quite a distance flying all the way here. Let's have something to eat first."

Yun Che took the fruit, smiling. Just as he was about to eat it, voices came from not far away. His gaze shifted, and he saw six or seven people approaching from the distance. Among them, one was an old man in gray robes with a majestic air, and beside him was a familiar, sturdy young man.

"Yuanba!" Yun Che was delighted, stood up, and called out to him.

"Hey? Brother-in-law?" Xia Yuanba was startled, his face immediately showing surprise and joy. He quickly walked over, and the gray-robed elder beside him also followed unhurriedly.

"Brother-in-law, senior sister Feng, you're both here!" Xia Yuanba said with a cheerful laugh. Until now, the day before yesterday, he hadn't seen his master show any sign of coming. But yesterday, his master suddenly told him they were heading to the Supreme Sea Palace. For him, seeing Yun Che was naturally an extremely happy thing.

"I see." Yun Che slowly nodded, thinking to himself: I arrived almost four days early, and the Huangji Sacred Domain came even earlier, led by the Holy Emperor himself. It seems even the Four Sacred Grounds are extremely interested in the Demon Sword Assembly.

After all, for those supreme experts who had been stuck at the peak of the Sovereign Xuan Realm for a hundred or even a thousand years without being able to break through, the words "Mystery of the Divine Xuan" held an irresistible, immense allure.

When the two Sea Palace disciples saw Gu Cang Zhenren, they could no longer care about Yun Che and Feng Xue'er. They quickly stepped forward, their arrogance vanishing without a trace as they bowed with extreme respect and humility: "We, Sea Palace disciples Du Changming (Gong Kaichuan), pay our respects to Gu Cang Zhenren."

Gu Cang Zhenren gently flicked his whisk, smiled, and nodded, then walked directly toward Yun Che, chuckling: "Young Friend Yun, when we met years ago, I was certain you would become a world-shaking dragon. Now, in just three short years, you have truly transformed from a golden-scale fish into a dragon, soaring above the nine heavens. Even I have been deeply amazed several times, heheheh."

"Junior Yun Che pays respects to Senior Gu Cang. Your praise is too great; I dare not accept it." Yun Che smiled and bowed.

When Gu Cang Zhenren spoke, he was looking at Yun Che, but his gaze tilted slightly, casually sweeping over Feng Xue'er beside Yun Che. His eyes and expression froze for a moment, and even his steps noticeably paused.

The higher one's profound strength, the longer their lifespan. Therefore, it was impossible to judge a powerful profound practitioner's age by appearance alone. However, although appearance could remain young, an experienced profound practitioner could still roughly determine a person's age from their aura.

The girl beside Yun Che—Gu Cang sensed that her age was only around twenty, at least younger than Xia Yuanba.

But her profound aura was actually...

Sovereign Xuan Realm... Level Eight!?

This shock was no small matter. Immediately, he thought of one person... and of a certain absurd rumor that had been circulating recently, which people would never believe upon hearing.

Could it be... that rumor was actually true?

Gu Cang Zhenren's gaze fell on Feng Xue'er and for a moment could not look away: "Could this young friend be the Snow Princess of the Fenghuang God Sect?"

Feng Xue'er stepped forward and bowed gracefully: "Junior Feng Xue'er pays respects to Senior Gu Cang."

"Hmm." Gu Cang Zhenren slowly nodded, but the turmoil in his heart could not be suppressed for a long time. He sighed heavily: "Ah, truly, the younger generation inspires awe. It seems this old immortal who has lived a thousand years has merely been looking at the sky from the bottom of a well, hehe."

When Yun Che announced his name, the two Sea Palace disciples' faces changed drastically, and a heavy panic mixed with their fluster. They exchanged glances, then hurried forward, bowing to Yun Che while hastily saying: "S-so... the esteemed guest is the Yun Palace Master of the Bing Yun Fairy Palace in the Cang Feng Empire. We were blind earlier and failed to recognize Mount Tai. We were negligent in our etiquette; we hope Palace Master Yun will forgive us."

The drastic change in attitude surprised Yun Che slightly. He waved his hand and said: "I am merely a junior, and I have come here with a request to the Supreme Sea Palace. There's no need for you to treat me with such courtesy."

"No, no," the Sea Palace disciples hurriedly shook their heads: "The Sea Emperor personally instructed that Palace Master Yun is an honored guest of our palace, and we must show proper respect. But we just now..."

"Oh, I understand, I understand." Yun Che waved his hand: "Let's skip these trivial matters. Just take us directly to the teleportation array."

"Very well... Please follow us, esteemed guests."

At the center of the small island was a spatial profound formation emitting a deep blue light. Among all types of profound formations, spatial formations consumed the most energy, and this one, which could directly span three thousand li of space, was no small feat. Across the entire Tian Xuan Continent, few could boast such a grand undertaking.

"Four esteemed guests, upon entering the formation, you will be teleported to an island called 'Haijing Island.' From Haijing Island, a hundred li south lies the Sea Palace. The Grand Elder is personally waiting to welcome all of you."

The two Sea Palace disciples activated the formation while speaking respectfully. However, their gazes were not primarily on Gu Cang Zhenren but kept stealing glances at Yun Che and Xia Yuanba.

Blue light flashed within the profound formation, and the scenery before Yun Che's eyes instantly turned pale white. In a moment, it transformed into another azure blue seascape.

"We're here. This is the Haijing Island those two just mentioned. A hundred li south of here lies the Sea Palace."

Gu Cang Zhenren stepped out of the formation first, speaking cheerfully. The gazes of Yun Che and the other two subconsciously looked southward. Immediately, their mouths opened simultaneously, and almost identical exclamations escaped their lips.

"Wow... ah!"

"That is... the Supreme Sea Palace?" Xia Yuanba's eyes went wide. It was also his first time at the Supreme Sea Palace.

In the sky directly to the south, one could immediately see a circular island shrouded in a pale blue light. But that island was not like ordinary islands exposed above the sea—it was floating... high in the air above the sea surface!!

Roughly estimated, it was about seven or eight li above the sea!

"My imperial father said that the Supreme Sea Palace floats in the air all year round... So it really is this miraculous." Feng Xue'er murmured softly.

"...Making such a large island float in the air all year round must be an enormous expense." Yun Che said, staring southward.

"Hehe, naturally," Gu Cang Zhenren nodded and said with a faint smile: "This floating island is ninety li from north to south and seventy li from east to west. In terms of scale, it ranks last among the Four Sacred Grounds, even smaller than the Shenhuang City of the Fenghuang God Sect. But in terms of grandeur, no force in the world can compare. Moreover, the profound crystals required to maintain its floatation each year amount to an astronomically huge figure."

"Brother Yun, let's go quickly. I really want to see what the Supreme Sea Palace looks like now. Just looking at it from afar, it feels even more miraculous than what my father described." Feng Xue'er naturally took Yun Che's arm, her cheeks flushing with excitement.

"I'm quite interested now too. Let's go!" Extending his arm to wrap around Feng Xue'er's slender waist, the two of them soared into the air simultaneously, heading straight for that miraculous floating island.

"Hey hey, brother-in-law, wait for me!" Xia Yuanba leaped several dozen zhang and soon caught up to ride alongside Yun Che.

"Hehe," Gu Cang Zhenren smiled warmly, following unhurriedly behind the three. Watching their backs, slowly, the smile on his face faded, replaced by an increasingly complex expression.

Because these three young people before him were the most top geniuses of this generation among the younger generation of the Tian Xuan Continent!

And each one was truly astonishing, shaking the ages.

Xia Yuanba possessed the Overlord Emperor Divine Meridian, and within that meridian was naturally hidden a power so immense that even he could not fathom it. Since Xia Yuanba's Overlord Emperor Divine Meridian awakened, the speed of his profound strength growth had shocked even the Huangji Sacred Domain's Holy Emperor... His Overlord Emperor Divine Meridian was far, far stronger than any recorded in the Tian Xuan Continent's history!

Now, at only twenty-two years old, Xia Yuanba was already at Sovereign Xuan Realm, Level Six, setting a record in the history of the Tian Xuan Continent.

If someone else could become Gu Cang's disciple, it would be the fortune of a lifetime. But Gu Cang Zhenren had always deeply felt that obtaining a gifted disciple like Xia Yuanba was the greatest luck of his own life.

But now, there was Feng Xue'er, who was not yet twenty years old but already at Sovereign Xuan Realm, Level Eight! She completely crushed Xia Yuanba.

At least for now.

But the most shocking among the younger generation was not the two of them... but Yun Che!

Xia Yuanba and Feng Xue'er's terrifying talents and profound strength had broken historical records. But as for Yun Che... with profound strength at the King Xuan Realm, he could unleash power comparable to the Sovereign Xuan Realm. This was something that even top-tier experts like them, despite their vast experience, could not understand.

If one had extremely high talent or profound arts, it was common and normal to dominate at the same level or challenge those above.

But throughout the history of the Tian Xuan Continent, not to mention a King Xuan matching a Sovereign Xuan, even an Overlord Xuan rivaling a Sovereign Xuan had never happened.

And what concerned Gu Cang Zhenren the most was that both Xia Yuanba and Feng Xue'er—these two who would surely become rulers of the continent in the future—had deep feelings for Yun Che. Xia Yuanba went without saying; Gu Cang was well aware that if he were asked to risk his life to save Yun Che, he wouldn't even frown.

As for Feng Xue'er, this young girl who had caused even him to be shaken for more than ten breaths of time, she intimately leaned against Yun Che, her gaze toward him full of a habitual attachment.

Was the history of the Four Sacred Grounds ruling the continent... about to be ended?

"Huff..." Gu Cang Zhenren let out a long breath, then spoke: "Young Friend Yun, might your esteemed master be interested in attending this Demon Sword Assembly?"

Yun Che's master, "Duotian Laoren," was undoubtedly the most shocking name to the Four Sacred Grounds in history.

Without a second thought, Yun Che directly replied: "My master has long been a man of the world beyond. He almost never sets foot in the mortal realm and is unwilling to be bound by anything. So even though I am his disciple, I have never known where my master is or where he wishes to go. Only when I have no choice but to seek his help does my master appear to meet me."

Yun Che's response was quite clever. He had thought it through long before arriving, because at the Supreme Sea Palace, someone would definitely ask this question.

"I see." Gu Cang Zhenren nodded.

"Senior Gu Cang, when the people of the Supreme Sea Palace travel to and from the continent, do they always use the teleportation formation we just used?" Yun Che, wanting to prevent Gu Cang from asking more questions and exposing flaws, took the initiative to ask a question he actually didn't care about.

"Not so." Gu Cang Zhenren replied: "The Sea Palace people rarely leave the sea. Even if they do, they travel by flying. As for the teleportation formation we just used, it was temporarily constructed for this Demon Sword Assembly. Spatial profound formations consume a great deal; even the Supreme Sea Palace likely cannot maintain it for long."

Seeming to see through Yun Che's intention, Gu Cang Zhenren still smiled calmly but did not press further about Yun Che's master.

"Those two Sea Palace disciples earlier mentioned that the person welcoming guests is their Grand Elder. It seems the Supreme Sea Palace places great importance on this Demon Sword Assembly, even having the Grand Elder personally receive guests. As the Grand Elder of a sacred ground, in the Supreme Sea Palace, his strength and status should be second only to the Sea Emperor, right?" Yun Che mused.

"The Grand Elder of the Supreme Sea Palace is called Mo Chenfeng." Xia Yuanba interjected. "But he is not second only to the Sea Emperor in the Supreme Sea Palace. Above the elders of the Supreme Sea Palace are the Seven Venerables. They are the seven most powerful people in the Supreme Sea Palace besides the Sea Emperor."

"Seven... Venerables?" Yun Che turned his head in surprise.

"In the Four Sacred Grounds, elders are not the highest level of power. Above the elders of the Supreme Sea Palace are the Seven Venerables; above the elders of the Sun Moon Divine Palace are the Five Divine Envoys; above the elders of the Tian Wei Sword Domain are the Three Sword Attendants. Same goes for our Huangji Sacred Domain—above the elders are the Twelve True Persons." Xia Yuanba explained in considerable detail.

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[It's said that there will be a 'very interesting' event at the top of the Tieba forum!?]