Bypassing the corner gate along the edge of the Inheritance Hall, they arrived at the rear side chambers.
The side chambers resembled carriage compartments, squeezed together one after another, with the two in the middle caved in as if someone had slapped them hard with a palm.
Le Qingping and Xie Linlang exchanged a tacit glance. Xie Linlang flung out the Lotus Root Rope and hurled Senior Ying’s Puppet into the first room.
Thud. The door was already half-broken; with this impact, it immediately shattered into fragments.
Senior Ying’s Puppet tumbled on the ground without any reaction.
Le Qingping’s strength was slightly higher than Xie Linlang’s. She approached the room door first, peered left and right to confirm no danger, then flashed inside.
Xie Linlang did not enter but stood guard at the doorway. He watched Le Qingping’s movements while keeping an eye on the surroundings.
Soon, Le Qingping finished searching the first room.
“This seems to be a rest chamber for menial disciples. There’s nothing usable inside.”
Xie Linlang nodded. “Then let’s check the next room.”
The two coordinated well and quickly searched the row of side chambers.
At the end of the side chambers, a massive black withered tree had smashed through, blocking the path. Thus, Xie Linlang continued to sacrifice the unlucky Senior Ying’s Puppet.
However, as soon as the puppet touched the black withered tree, the robes it wore emitted a ripping sound.
Le Qingping’s expression changed slightly. “The demonic fire on this withered tree hasn’t fully extinguished yet?”
How much time had passed? The flames released by the Palace Lord earlier were still burning? What grudge could be this deep?
Xie Linlang gravely observed the sudden wisps of black flames. These flames were clearly some kind of Hetero Fire from heaven and earth, fully refined and even possessing their own will.
The Silent Night Demon Lord of Silent Night Palace?
As expected of a Tribulation Transcendence Realm powerhouse.
But Xie Linlang was not afraid of Tribulation Transcendence Realm experts.
He had been just a step away from advancing to the Tribulation Transcendence Realm, and he had many clients at the Tribulation Transcendence Realm, even the Mahayana Stage.
Xie Linlang took out a jade bottle and tentatively tried to collect a bit of the black Hetero Fire.
Le Qingping said softly, “Can you collect it? That’s a flame used by a Tribulation Transcendence Realm powerhouse. Senior…”
She stopped midway and closed her mouth. The big shot before her was at least a Soul Transformation Stage expert undergoing Reincarnation Recultivation; perhaps he had the ability.
Xie Linlang tapped lightly, habitually twirling his fingers as he collected the black Hetero Fire.
The originally arrogant black Hetero Fire suddenly became docile, like a little black snake that whooshed into the jade bottle.
Xie Linlang paused, his expression peculiar. “This Hetero Fire… seems like that’s it?”
What to do? It felt very powerful before collecting it, but after, it seemed nothing special.
Le Qingping rolled up her sleeves eagerly. “Let me try.”
…Then she lost three jade bottles she carried.
She looked somewhat dejected. “Fine, this thing has no fate with me.”
Xie Linlang comforted her. “This is the Silent Night Demon Lord’s Hetero Fire. Once your cultivation deepens, perhaps you can meet him and directly request a clump from him.”
Le Qingping replied, “No way. Silent Night Palace likes making disciples owe debts backward. I’ve already owed thirty million Demonic Stones, selling off the next three hundred years of my life.”
Xie Linlang said, “Since you’ve already owed so much, owing a bit more won’t matter, right?”
Le Qingping sighed. “Alas, I’ve run out of credit.”
“How is credit calculated in Silent Night Palace?”
“Developing new runes, advancing cultivation, finding spiritual materials from outside, and completing sect tasks can all increase credit. Credit above twenty allows borrowing on debt.”
Xie Linlang was somewhat speechless. Only twenty?
Without much hope, he asked, “What’s your credit?”
Le Qingping looked innocent. “Negative twenty.”
If not for Senior Brother Zheng’s promise that completing this surveillance task on Junior Brother Shen would zero out her credit, she wouldn’t have come!
The two bantered without delaying their actions. Since Xie Linlang had collected the black Hetero Fire, the withered tree turned to ashes, and they slowly advanced through the passage burned out by the ashes.
Ahead lay a stretch of shattered building foundations, with scattered structural remnants standing here and there, like a single wall or a beam pillar.
But pulling back the view, it was clear that someone had swept through, smashing all structures above one meter into fine fragments, piling the ground with rubble and building debris.
Le Qingping could only sigh again. “The Palace Lord destroyed it too thoroughly.”
Xie Linlang looked down at the building debris and suddenly flung the glistening white Lotus Root Rope, which swept up the numerous fragments on the ground like rolling up a beaded curtain and tossed them into a corner.
Le Qingping was stunned, then noticed silvery patterns carved on the now-flat ground.
The patterns resembled wings, clustering and extending far into the distance.
Xie Linlang said softly, “This is the Nine Spirits Protection Grand Array of Nine Spirits Sect. They were always skilled at nurturing Spirit Beasts. Compared to surface buildings, they had vast underground palace complexes, as many demon beasts require constant temperature, humidity, and darkness to hatch.”
The last time he came, he had specifically investigated the underground nurturing palaces and gone down there, so he knew.
Le Qingping realized. “So there are still many good things underground?”
Xie Linlang replied, “We need to find the entrance.”
The layout of this palace complex had been deliberately destroyed, and Xie Linlang did not know where the original entrance had been moved.
Le Qingping smiled proudly. “Watch me.”
With a flick of her hand, the pink Embroidered Fan automatically unfurled, forming a circular plane connected at the edges.
Then a golden light rose from the circular plane, followed by a second, third… up to the ninth golden ring. The nine golden lights intertwined and overlapped, forming an exquisite and profound Array Disk.
Three circular light spots flashed on the Array Disk, currently rotating automatically.
“This is my Nine Evolutions Heavenly Star Disk.”
Le Qingping pinched a Magic Formula with one hand and gently rippled the nine entwined golden lights with the other. Somehow, golden light continuously fell into it, and soon the three circular light spots jumped rapidly before overlapping in one direction.