Chapter 138: The Temple of Profound Desolation

After the mighty expert departed, many years passed before he assembled a massive army of cultivators to launch a crusade against the Nether Absolute Divine Palace. This eventually escalated into another great chaotic war within the Blue Ice World.

"Before that great war, the Sword Master once entered the Nether Absolute Divine Palace. So, if you want to find the entrance through the city walls, you’ll need to butter me up, Old Black," Little Black’s face, as elastic as rubber, kept shifting into various expressions within the Nine-Star Space.

"Butter you up, my foot. I’d rather slap your little egg-head," Lin Zhan stroked his chin, a wicked smirk on his face. "For all I know, you don't even have those parts. Little Black, are you a boy or a girl?"

"You wicked old man! As a sword spirit, I don't have a gender. If I ever get the chance to truly take on a human form, I’d want to be a towering, upright man just like the Sword Master, hmph!"

Lin Zhan knew that Little Black could never forget its Sword Master. He also believed that the Master had been a man of deep loyalty and integrity. Lin Zhan respected this sentiment and had no intention of changing it.

"Little Black, let's head into the Nether Absolute Divine Palace together and see what we can find."

"Are you sure, Old Black? If there’s danger inside, I’m afraid I can’t offer you much help for now."

Little Black’s words warmed Lin Zhan’s heart. He replied, "It's fine. If we run into danger, we’ll just run away. It's not like we haven't done that before, *ahem*."

At the mention of fleeing, Little Black began to dance excitedly within the Nine-Star Space, clearly quite proficient in the art of retreat.

"The Nether Absolute Divine Palace is skilled in all sorts of formations and restrictions. If it weren't for a genius in formations like me being here today, it would be impossible for you to get in, hee hee."

Lin Zhan thought to himself, *It’s precisely because I know you’re gifted with formations that I haven't smacked your egg-head yet, despite your insufferable smugness.*

Under Little Black’s guidance, Lin Zhan drifted along the magnificent, gargantuan city wall until they reached a section of ruins. A gnarled tree grew right out of the middle of the wall, its trunk having become part of the masonry. Nearby, the jagged, exposed roots could be seen spreading across a large area, a testament to their astonishing penetrating power.

Had no one pointed it out, one would surely have dismissed the tree as entirely ordinary.

"The Subterranean Divine Wood—this is a formation node for the Nether Absolute Divine Palace. It’s not a real tree; it’s just a clever illusion."

Following Little Black’s instructions, Lin Zhan put away the Thousand-Flower Sword beneath his feet and leaped easily into one of the tree hollows.

***

The gloom, combined with the slight feeling of disorientation caused by the environment, made Lin Zhan’s skin crawl.

A ripple of spatial light followed, causing Lin Zhan to squint. For that brief moment, his spiritual sense was constrained and unable to extend outward.

In the next instant, Lin Zhan opened his eyes to find himself beneath a massive city gate. The archway was hundreds of feet high and dozens of feet wide; standing there, he felt as small as a crawling insect.

Looking into the gate, he saw an incredibly wide stone avenue. On both sides stood colossal statues of human figures with beast heads, so vivid and lifelike that they seemed ready to move. What surprised Lin Zhan most was that as he walked forward, no matter where he went, the eyes of those dozens of statues seemed to follow his every move.

"Old Black, don't stare at the statues. The Sword Master warned me about this before. These statues seal the souls of powerful beasts; staring too long might invite a backlash, or worse, wake them up. That would be... well, you know."

Lin Zhan felt the eeriness of it all and averted his gaze, turning his attention to the complex of buildings at the end of the grand avenue.

A palace of the elite! This was truly the scale of a noble estate. As far as the eye could see, grand and imposing halls stood in an orderly, intricate arrangement.

The largest was the one directly ahead—presumably the main hall. It towered toward the sky, massive and majestic, faintly radiating a sense of authority that seemed to record a bygone era of glory.

Lin Zhan approached and stood before the hall's entrance, gazing up at the high-hanging plaque. Written in elegant, upright strokes were the golden characters: *Nether Absolute Divine Temple!*

Lin Zhan was drawn in by the characters. A strange sensation flooded his consciousness—a mix of inexplicable joy, a touch of panic, a sense of lingering attachment, and finally, a profound feeling of great antiquity.

"Huh, what a strange feeling," Lin Zhan muttered to himself.

As for the movement he had sensed outside, he realized now that he must have misheard. This place was so vast and isolated from the outside world; how could any sound possibly penetrate through?

Lin Zhan didn't dare rush into the building just yet, so he remained standing before the hall.

Given everything from the name to the architectural style, Lin Zhan couldn't determine the true nature of the Nether Absolute Divine Palace.

Whether in the world of cultivation or the ordinary world, history has always been a cycle of struggle between the Dao and the Demonic, between justice and evil.

Most factions and individuals tended to fall into two camps: the Dao is a foot tall and the Devil is a yard high, or the Dao rises while the Devil wanes, constantly keeping each other in check.

Of course, there were some factions that remained neutral, living in seclusion among the mountains or wandering the edges of the world, claiming to avoid conflict and seeking only inner peace and tranquility.

Then there were others who appeared both righteous and evil to the world, doing only what they believed to be right, according to their own code.

And what they deemed right was often not accepted by the masses.

"No need to dwell on that. None of the Eight Subterranean Palaces can be judged by conventional logic, and the Nether Absolute Divine Palace is hailed as the greatest of them all. But for all its power, how much of it remains? Look, Old Black, the entire palace is empty now." Little Black’s tone was uncharacteristically somber, and its balloon-like, lantern-shaped face even displayed a look of profound melancholy.

Lin Zhan remained silent.

"Let’s go! To the east!" Little Black prompted.

Lin Zhan was puzzled. "Aren't we going into the main hall?"

Little Black said with disdain, "It’s all empty. What’s there to see? Anything valuable can't be taken out anyway—the moment it hits the outside, it will turn to dust. Besides, Old Black, we’re in the same boat now. If there were any treasures, would I keep them from you?"

Lin Zhan’s face flushed. He did have a bit of a peasant’s mentality and a tendency to want to snag a bargain. Since there was no one around, wouldn't it be nice to take a few things back? Even ordinary tables and chairs here were older than the oldest antiques. Perhaps if he could return to the past, he’d become a wealthy tycoon!

Being called out by Little Black made him feel quite embarrassed. "Hey, how do you know what I'm thinking? Isn't that a violation of my personal privacy?"

Little Black didn't answer; it probably didn't understand what "privacy" meant.

"The east... the east is nothing but a thick mist!"