I want to tread the heavens

The rustling sound grew closer and louder, like the whisper of death echoing through the empty cave. The stench was almost tangible, making one dizzy.

Behind the stalactites, Ling Xiao held his breath, his fingers gripping the cold jade pendant in his robes tightly, his other hand already subtly grasping the hilt of the broken sword. Uncle Rong leaned against him, his chest barely rising and falling, his entire being seemingly blending into the darkness, only his eyes flashing with a cold, predatory light in the dimness. Fa Cai pressed close to Ling Xiao's calf, his body trembling slightly, not from fear, but from extreme excitement and the tremor before battle, his amber pupils narrowed to slits, fixed intently on the entrance to the passage.

coming!

First to emerge from the shadows of the passage was a blackish-red, constantly writhing and churning "tide"! Upon closer inspection, it was thousands upon thousands of fist-sized, spider-like, but with dark red carapaces, eight compound eyes flashing with greedy green light, and mouthparts opening and closing with a "clicking" sound! Wherever they passed, even hard rocks were corroded into fine pits, leaving behind sticky, foul-smelling traces.

It's a "Spirit-Eating Demon Beetle"! A low-level demon that feeds on spiritual energy and flesh, and is often associated with yin and demonic energy! Although a single one is weak, their numbers are so terrifying that they can devour a giant elephant into bones in a short time!

"It's a filthy thing born from demonic energy! We can't fight it head-on!" Uncle Rong hissed, his gaze quickly sweeping across the surroundings. The cave was empty, with nowhere to hide, only the eerie deep pool in the center and the massive bronze gate high above opposite.

"Go to the gate!" Ling Xiao decided immediately. Since these demonic insects were attracted by the chaotic yin and filthy spiritual energy and demonic energy of this place, perhaps the area near the bronze giant gate that exudes the aura of meteorites could restrain them.

"Go!" Uncle Rong scooped up Ling Xiao, who was still somewhat unsteady on his feet, and with a burst of speed, he dashed toward the edge of the pool like an arrow! Fa Cai roared and followed closely behind, his speed not much slower than Uncle Rong's.

The swarm of demonic insects immediately spotted the moving "blood prey" and emitted an even sharper, more piercing hiss. Like a school of sharks that have smelled blood, they turned around and surged forward in a dark, overwhelming mass!

"Step across the rocks! Don't touch the water!" Uncle Rong's eyes flashed like lightning as he spotted several protruding rocks scattered along the edge of the pool. Though slippery, they were the only path. He leaped, landing precisely on a rock, and using the momentum, he leaped again, like a nimble ape. In a few bounds, he was almost on the other side. Ling Xiao, being pulled along, felt the wind whistling past his ears. The dark green and red water below emitted a nauseating stench, and the muffled pounding of his heart was so close, it sent shivers down his spine.

Fa Cai is even more agile, using all four limbs to leap among the rocks as if walking on flat ground.

However, the demonic insects were no slouch either! The vanguard swarmed to the edge of the pool and plunged into the water without hesitation! Strangely, the viscous water seemed to have no effect on them; instead, it made the dark red of their carapaces appear even more eerie. They could even float on the surface of the water, moving their intricate segments like bloodthirsty rafts, swiftly pursuing the attackers! Some even took flight directly, gliding short distances to strike, though they didn't fly very high or very far!

"Get rich! Stop them!" Ling Xiao shouted urgently.

"Woo—Awooo!" Fa Cai whirled around, facing the flying insects chasing after him, letting out a short, strangely trembling wolf howl! The pale silver sound waves spread again, though weaker than on a moonlit night, they still struck the first few dozen flying insects as if they had been struck hard, causing them to fall into the pool. But even more demonic insects surged forward fearlessly!

Uncle Rong had already stepped onto the other side, put Ling Xiao down, and with a backhand slash, the rusty blade drew a tragic arc, cutting several demonic insects that pounced on him in two. Dark green sap splattered everywhere, carrying a strong corrosive effect, and sizzled as it landed on the rocks.

"Quick! Get to the door!" Uncle Rong stood in front of Ling Xiao, wielding his broken sword to slash away the approaching demonic insects. Fa Cai also retreated to the doorway, clawing and biting, guarding the flank.

Ling Xiao stood with his back against the cold, massive bronze door, the star-like runes on it flickering and seemingly breathing. He could feel the resonance of the jade pendant reaching its peak, almost detaching from his body! The massive bronze door behind him also emitted a heavy, ancient summons.

Without further hesitation, he used all his strength to remove the warm and hot jade pendant from his neck, aimed at the perfectly fitting indentation on the door, and pressed it in hard!

"Click—Buzz!!!"

A crisp click of a mechanism engaging was followed by a deep, resounding roar, as if from the depths of the starry sky! The entire cavern, no, it seemed as if the entire underground space itself, trembled!

Centered on the jade pendant, all the star-like runes on the bronze gate, which had been slowly flickering, suddenly burst forth with dazzling silver-white light! The light flowed like mercury across the ground, instantly illuminating every pattern and every star! The giant gate, sealed for countless years, slowly opened a crack inward amidst a thunderous roar!

A pure, vast, ancient, and infinitely mysterious starlight, filled with the aura of the stars, poured out from the crack in the door like a flood! Instantly, it dispelled most of the cold, chaos, and demonic energy in the cave! The dark green and red pool water seemed to be stimulated, churning violently, and its dull heartbeat became disordered and rapid.

The surging, spirit-corroding beetles, illuminated by this vast and pure starlight, shrieked like ice and snow under the blazing sun, their shells billowing black smoke. Their movements instantly became sluggish and stiff, and many curled up into a ball, falling into the pool and disappearing without a trace.

"Now! Go in!" Uncle Rong grabbed Ling Xiao, who was exhausted from opening the giant door, and squeezed through the crack in the door. Fa Cai also turned into a gray shadow and followed closely behind.

The moment they entered, a tremendous, teeth-grinding "crack" sound came from behind them, followed by a furious and resentful roar from the depths of the pool—a roar that was neither human nor beast! The massive bronze gate began to slowly close automatically after they entered!

With his last glance, Ling Xiao saw a huge whirlpool forming in the center of the pool outside the crack in the door. A giant tentacle covered in dark green scales and suckers suddenly emerged from the water, bringing with it a stench and an aura of destruction, and slammed into the closing giant door!

"boom--!!!"

Just before the giant gate was about to strike, it slammed shut! Completely isolating the madness, chaos, and danger of the outside world. Only the dull thud echoed across the heavy gate, gradually fading until it fell silent.

Inside the door lies another world.

The first thing they felt was the unimaginably pure yet incredibly gentle power of the stars, enveloping them instantly like a mother's embrace. Their severely injured bodies and exhausted spirits felt a sense of relief under the nourishment of this power.

Suddenly, everything became clear.

They stood at the entrance to a magnificent, ancient, and eerily silent colossal palace. The palace was made of a silvery-white stone that shimmered with a soft starlight, neither gold nor jade. Although many parts were dilapidated and covered with cracks and dust from the passage of time, its former grandeur and solemnity were still evident. Towering stone pillars, each requiring several people to encircle, supported a dome tens of meters high, their surfaces carved with lifelike patterns of the sun, moon, stars, the Milky Way, and nebulae.

The most breathtaking feature is the palace's dome.

That was not rock, but a boundless, slowly rotating, and dazzling starry sky! Countless stars, some bright and some dim, twinkled and moved within it, forming a magnificent and mysterious star map. You could even see nebulae flowing and comets streaking across the sky. The soft, cool starlight shone down, illuminating the entire underground palace as if it were daytime, yet it also carried a dreamlike, unreal quality.

"This...is this an illusion array? Or...the real space?" Ling Xiao looked up at the starry sky, feeling as insignificant as a speck of dust, his mind involuntarily drawn in. The jade pendant around his neck (which had automatically flown back) subtly echoed the starry sky, conveying a complex emotion of longing and sorrow.

"It's a formation simulation, but it has already touched upon the wonders of spatial creation." Uncle Rong's voice was filled with undisguised amazement and solemnity. "This place... is definitely not an ordinary ruin. The scale and the atmosphere are probably an extremely important stronghold of the Starfall Clan, or even... part of a palace or temple."

Fa Cai also tilted his head back, the starry sky reflected in his amber eyes, and a low "woo-woo" sound came from his throat, as if he felt both awe and a sense of familiarity.

They stood in what appeared to be the forecourt of a palace, utterly empty. Beneath their feet lay a silvery-white floor carved with intricate star trail patterns, stretching into the depths. As far as the eye could see, there were many collapsed side halls and corridors, scattered fragments of starstone, and even some strangely shaped puppet remains—like a combination of some kind of metal and stone, but completely destroyed and dulled. The dust of time had covered everything, only the starlight remained eternal.

An ancient silence filled the air, with only their soft breathing and footsteps echoing clearly.

"Be careful, this place is anything but peaceful," Uncle Rong warned, gripping his broken sword tightly. Such an important location couldn't possibly be undefended. The wrecked remains of those puppets were proof of that.

They walked carefully along the main path deeper into the palace. Along the way, they occasionally saw some relatively well-preserved murals or reliefs, mostly depicting scenes of celestial movements, tribal sacrifices, and battles with some kind of ferocious creature (suspected to be a demon). The style was ancient and vigorous, full of epic grandeur and tragedy.

As they ventured deeper, they could sense that in addition to the pure power of the stars, the air was also beginning to contain faint, discordant fluctuations, like energy leaking from a broken array node, or like a premonition of something dormant about to awaken.

Fa Cai's ears perked up again, his nose twitched incessantly, and he suddenly stopped, blocking Ling Xiao's path. Facing the ruins of the collapsed side hall ahead, he let out a low growl full of warning.