'This is the tragedy of the weak. If I were at the Great Divine Power Realm right now—no, even if I just had the strength of a Middle Stage Small Divine Ability Realm expert—I could contend with it. Even if I wasn't a match, I could at least escape. I wouldn't be like this, a fish on a chopping block.'
Yang Xiao was fuming internally.
But there was nothing he could do.
'Right now, I can only hope this palace before me isn't too dangerous.'
With that thought, Yang Xiao began to walk cautiously toward the palace.
He knew.
Within the entire Northern Wilderness Sword Mansion, aside from the Inheritance Tower, all other opportunities were found in valleys like this one. Some held palaces, others held cave abodes.
They were all strange and varied.
And they all came with a certain degree of danger.
It was said that they were left behind by the subordinates of the Northern Wilderness Sword God back in the day.
And it seemed that six thousand years ago, the ancestor of the Pure Yang Sword Sect had obtained a powerful expert's inheritance right here on the 1st Layer of the Northern Wilderness Sword Mansion.
That was what had established the foundation for the Pure Yang Sword Sect to stand strong for millennia, earning it the title of the number one Sect.
'Huh? There's someone in the palace?'
Just as he was on high alert,
Yang Xiao suddenly discovered something.
There were figures moving about inside the palace.
His heart skipped a beat.
One had to understand that although the Human Race was favored by the heavens and earth, their lifespans were far inferior to those of the Beast Type.
A Tier Four Barbaric Beast, for example, could live for a thousand years or even longer.
A Martial Saint, however, only had a mere three hundred years of life.
Even stepping into the Divine Power Realm only granted a thousand years of life.
Only by becoming a True God...
...could one shatter the shackles of mortality and gain an Immortal life, just like other races.
Right now, in this palace...
Could there still be a True God here?
'If there really is a True God here, they probably would have discovered me the moment I appeared!'
But after thinking it over, Yang Xiao felt it was unlikely.
The power of a True God was simply too immense.
If a True God still existed here, they would never live in such a small valley. They would have chosen to become the master of the entire Northern Wilderness Sword Mansion.
If that were the case,
there would be no place for Inheritors like them.
Would the Northern Wilderness Sword God do something like that?
'Probably not. But if it's not a True God, then what is it? A Puppet?'
A thought crossed Yang Xiao's mind.
He moved forward.
The palace seemed to be protected by some kind of restriction.
Although Yang Xiao's Void Observation Realm Spiritual Power was decent, it couldn't penetrate the restriction to sense what was inside. He could only rely on his eyes.
And so, he got closer and closer.
Just as he was about to approach the main gate,
he saw...
...that the gate, which should have been closed, had opened.
"Respected guest, since you have come, why not enter for a chat?"
A faint, somewhat ethereal voice drifted out from within.
Yang Xiao's heart tightened.
But he quickly relaxed.
"Since the master has extended an invitation, wouldn't I be disrespecting your kind intentions if I did not enter?"
Yang Xiao smiled slightly and, disregarding everything else, walked into the palace.
He stepped inside.
The moment he entered, his vision blurred. When it cleared, the scene was even more real than it had appeared from the outside. The furnishings were all exceptionally elegant.
Moreover, if Yang Xiao wasn't mistaken, all of these items were Semi-Divine Artifacts.
'It seems the master of this place really is a True God. A rather wealthy True God at that. Otherwise, how could there be so many Semi-Divine Artifacts?'
With that thought, Yang Xiao looked toward the person on the main seat.
It was a handsome young man in a white robe, who carried himself with a considerable air of grace. However, looking at his appearance, it seemed he wasn't a real person, but...
'A Soul Body?'
Yang Xiao raised an eyebrow.
"I am Hanx Ziye, the humble master of this place. May I ask for your name, and where you have come from?"
Seeing Yang Xiao look over, the man smiled faintly, appearing very polite.
He didn't seem to mind his status as a Soul Body in the slightest.
This surprised Yang Xiao a little.
It was the first time he had seen a Soul Body like this.
One must know, a Soul Body is a living being's most fragile form. A single misstep could lead to being captured, their soul refined into a Spirit Weapon to become its spirit.
Furthermore, it was nearly impossible for such an existence to cultivate.
Therefore, very few Soul Bodies would openly appear before others.
They usually hid whenever and wherever they could,
terrified of being discovered
by someone with malicious intent.
"Brother Hanx, you jest. I am Yang Xiao, merely a coarse rustic from the outside world. Please forgive me for any discourtesy."
"Yang Xiao? From the outside world? That is truly rare. I wonder how you entered this place? Have you met Lord Northern Wilderness Divine King?"
Hanx Ziye looked utterly confused.
Seeing his expression,
Yang Xiao was also taken aback. "Brother Hanx, you don't know?"
Hanx Ziye smiled in embarrassment and said somewhat sheepishly, "I have been trapped in this palace for I don't know how many years. I know nothing of the outside world. It is truly shameful."
Yang Xiao frowned and asked again, "Then, Brother Hanx, do you remember what era and what year it was in the outside world when you were trapped?"
"When I was trapped? That I do remember. It should have been the Human Emperor Era, the spring of Sword Emperor year 12,000."
"The Human Emperor Era, spring of Sword Emperor year 12,000? Doesn't that mean seven or eight hundred thousand years ago?"
Yang Xiao was stunned.
Ever since Celestial Emperor Yuan Shi established the Human Race as the children of fortune, he established a calendar.
It was divided into the Celestial Emperor Era, the Earth Emperor Era, and the Human Emperor Era.
The Celestial Emperor Era was during the late Ancient Era.
It lasted for a total of one hundred and twenty thousand years.
Yang Xiao's second life had been born in the sixteen-thousandth year of the Celestial Emperor Era.
The Earth Emperor Era that followed also lasted for one hundred and twenty thousand years.
By that calculation,
it had been about seven hundred and eighty thousand years.
Yang Xiao had never imagined...
...that he would actually see a Soul Body that had survived from the Early Middle Ages until now.
This was simply too astounding.
"Seven or eight hundred thousand years? Has it been that long?"
Hanx Ziye was also visibly astonished.
But soon, a trace of sorrow appeared on his face.
"So it's really been that long. It seems... my father the king has truly fallen."
'Father the king? Could it be... this guy is the son of the Northern Wilderness Divine King? But if he is the son of a Divine King, how did he end up as a Soul Body?'
Yang Xiao couldn't figure it out.
"Brother Yang, thank you for telling me this. The endless river of time... to think so much has passed. It truly makes one sigh..."
At this point, Hanx Ziye's expression suddenly turned serious. He stood up and looked at Yang Xiao gravely.
This made Yang Xiao feel inexplicably nervous.
"I wonder if Brother Yang would be willing to grant me a request?"
Hanx Ziye said solemnly.
"What request? If it is within my power, I will certainly do it for Brother Hanx."
Yang Xiao deliberately emphasized the phrase "within my power."
He didn't want this Soul Body, who was possibly a Divine King's son, to make some extraordinary request of him.
However, it wasn't clear if Hanx Ziye didn't catch the nuance or if his request was genuinely simple. He continued, "Then I must trouble Brother Yang. I hope you can take me away from this palace."
"Leave this palace? How?"
Yang Xiao asked.
"The reason I am trapped here is because my father refined me into this palace's Artifact Spirit. As long as you refine the palace, you can set me free. I wonder, Brother Yang, are you willing?"
As soon as these words were spoken,
a look of joy instantly appeared on Yang Xiao's face.
If that was true, then this was a tremendous stroke of good fortune.
To obtain a palace that was very likely a Divine Artifact for free.
It was an absolutely massive opportunity.
But, could such a good thing really exist?
Do pies just fall from the sky?