Chapter 1044: Appearance of the Truth Fall Palace

Ye Mo contemplated his options. If Yu Baisheng couldn't keep the bitter bamboo alive, he could. He possessed the necessary knowledge.

“Thank you, senior, for giving me another chance at life. I will never forget this kindness,” the female cultivator said, rising to collect her pill before retreating to a corner of the hall.

The following days passed uneventfully. Ye Mo remained in a corner, meditating and planning how to locate Fu Rong and place a spirit sense mark upon him.

Six days later, the ship docked atop a mountain. Ye Mo disembarked with the other cultivators and, like them, deployed his spirit sense. The landscape strongly resembled a peak in the Magical Continent.

The mountaintop was a vast, flat expanse, several hundred square kilometers in area. A massive, empty sacrificial altar stood at its center. Ye Mo found this peculiar; there was no teleportation formation, nor any sign of the Truth Fall Palace.

He chose not to inquire. He suspected many were as uninformed as he, and simply waited for news.

His wait was brief. A Disaster Transformation state tertiary stage cultivator materialized in mid-air, surveying the assembled cultivators. “The Truth Fall Palace is open. Theoretically, any cultivator under one hundred years of age from Luo Yue Continent may enter. However, due to limited space and inherent dangers, entry is restricted. South Peace State, as head of the four states, receives the most allocations.”

He paused. “Therefore, maximize your chances. Most entrants are elite sect members. While untold treasures lie within, life is paramount. Survival offers the path to the peak, even the immortal realm.”

His voice held a palpable excitement when mentioning the immortal realm, an excitement mirrored by the listening cultivators. Ascending to immortality was the ultimate ambition of all cultivators, a dream pursued by every powerful being. While Luo Yue Continent had once seen numerous ascents, inspiring countless legends, none had achieved immortality in the past millennium.

The cultivator continued, “The Truth Fall Palace comprises nine levels, each holding treasures of exceptional quality. Those surpassing level five will gain unimaginable rewards. But I urge caution: assess your capabilities before entering.”

He made no mention of restraint or mercy, implying that strength dictated actions within the palace.

However, the cultivator offered no instructions on accessing the palace, a silence that Ye Mo mirrored.

Several thousand cultivators awaited on the mountaintop. Many freely scanned their surroundings with their spirit sense, a practice Ye Mo readily joined. His spirit sense first located the Earth Demon Sect.

The female cultivator hadn't lied; Ye Mo quickly found Fu Rong, concealed by a stealth mask artifact. Without a deliberate search, he would have been invisible. Fu Rong's chi had shifted to Nascent Soul state level one, likely due to the Cao Huan pill. This rendered the spirit sense mark impossible.

The cultivators began discussing team formation, seemingly unconcerned about entry. They appeared knowledgeable, unlike Ye Mo. Six hours passed. As anxiety mounted, the sacrificial altar erupted in vibrant light.

A rumble followed, intensifying the radiance until visibility within was impossible. Ye Mo's spirit sense was equally blocked. Had the Truth Fall Palace materialized? All eyes turned toward the light.

The rumbling persisted for fifteen minutes before gradually subsiding, the light fading with it. The Disaster Transformation cultivator reappeared. “The Truth Fall Palace is open. Proceed in an orderly manner, beginning with the nine-star sects…”

Before Ye Mo stood a towering palace, ancient and unremarkable. A circular pillar of light stood before it, devoid of a door.

This was the Truth Fall Palace?

To his astonishment, Ye Mo's spirit sense could not penetrate the palace, unable to discern either its rear or its summit. Considering the continent-wide access, he wondered if the palace appeared similarly in other states.

Cultivators already approached the palace. Ye Mo observed that those entering the light pillar were instantly transported away.

This teleportation formation was exceptionally advanced.

Ye Mo, accompanying Gu Wei and the seven-star Green Pill Sect, entered when their turn arrived. Upon entering the light pillar, he experienced a strange lightness and disorientation, a sensation both fleeting and prolonged. He awoke in a vast square.

This was undeniably a long-distance teleportation of immense scale. Even traversing from North Far State to South Peace State wouldn't cause such dizziness with his current spirit sense.

A void seemed to encircle the square. His spirit sense was swallowed by it, like mud in the sea. Though more cultivators appeared, none ventured into the void.

Lacking comprehension of the palace's mechanisms, Ye Mo remained inert, mirroring the actions of others.

Shortly, the influx of cultivators ceased. Everyone had arrived. Ye Mo located Fu Rong among the Earth Demon Sect members. He deferred placing a spirit sense mark, resolving to find another method.

The void began to dissipate, allowing him to scan his spirit sense. The larger sects formed squads, as did the solo cultivators, grouping by power level, typically four to six members.

A squad of Hollow Spirit state cultivators departed. Numerous cultivators invited Ye Mo, a Nascent Soul state level one cultivator, to join their squads, but he refused; finding the bitter bamboo required solitude.

Gu Wei joined a squad of Golden Core state level eights. As the square emptied, Ye Mo considered waiting, but the presence of Wen Caiyi and Ling Xiaoshuang prompted his departure; remaining last would attract attention.

He dashed out, emerging onto a grassy plain. His spirit sense revealed the square had reverted to the void. Over time, the void itself dissipated.

"Incredible formation!" Ye Mo exclaimed.

The remaining cultivators noticed his departure.

"So introverted," someone commented.

Wen Caiyi frowned. She had been observing for unusual cultivators and recognized him. It was the one who had insulted her.