King of Creation Chapter 1781 - 1766: Dark Palace Stabilized

Within the Barbarian Spirit Hall, Princess Changle stood resolutely before the chamber where Ye Zhen was in secluded cultivation, her delicate fingers tightly clasped until they reddened, a reflection of her deep anxiety and pressing concern.

Unable to make contact with Ye Zhen, Liuu Feng from North Sea County had reached out to Princess Changle, the only one aware of Ye Zhen’s current location.

Urgent missives detailing critical matters unfolding in the Luoyi court were perused by Princess Changle, who keenly grasped the dire nature of the situation.

With her sharp discernment, Princess Changle naturally perceived the significant ramifications at play.

The potential repercussions were, quite frankly, as severe as they could possibly achieve.

However, the crux of the issue lay in the Ten Thousand Bones Reincarnation Seal, which was actively suppressing Ye Zhen’s soul, thereby preventing him from receiving any external communications unless he voluntarily emerged from his seclusion.

Alternatively, he could be roused forcefully.

Yet, at such a pivotal juncture in Ye Zhen’s cultivation breakthrough, an abrupt awakening could precipitate exceedingly serious adverse outcomes.

At minimum, it risked a decline in his cultivation level, and in the worst-case scenario, could incite a deviation or even inflict irreparable damage upon his Divine Soul Origin.

Consequently, despite Princess Changle’s acute awareness of the gravity of the circumstances, she refrained from, and was unable to, compel Ye Zhen’s awakening.

This predicament formed the core of Princess Changle’s profound internal struggle.

The repercussions of forcibly rousing Ye Zhen were simply too formidable to contemplate.

Conversely, if Ye Zhen remained undisturbed, the consequences were equally dire; the Grand Celestial Official’s command carried the weight of lives.

At times, the burden of making such critical decisions weighs the heaviest.

Amidst her intense deliberation, Lou Han, another trusted confidant of Princess Changle and the appointed Right Chief Priest of the Barbarian Spirit Hall, materialized behind her.

"Your Highness, a communication has arrived from the palace."

Moments later, a eunuch of considerable standing, after offering profound deference to Princess Changle, first presented a Jade Scroll and then conveyed a hushed message in private.

"Even Father cannot..." Princess Changle’s expression shifted to one of profound astonishment and shock.

The eunuch, clearly discomfited by the sensitive nature of the topic, stated, "My sole purpose is to relay a message to Your Highness from the Patriarch, who indicates this is His Majesty’s decree.

Furthermore, the Patriarch specifically tasked me with impressing upon Your Highness the absolute necessity, once Lord Ye concludes his seclusion, to persuade him to submit a self-defense plea and ideally extend his period of seclusion.

This, he advised, is currently the sole viable recourse for Lord Ye."

"The sole viable recourse..."

Princess Changle appeared somewhat adrift, her mind grappling with the implications.

Princess Changle was privy to the uncontrollable chaos unfolding in the West Patrol but had never anticipated it would press Ren Venerate Emperor Ji Long to such an extent that he could no longer shield his subordinates, resorting to such a desperate stratagem.

Meanwhile, within the tranquil chamber, in the vast sea of consciousness belonging to Ye Zhen, a Seven Mysterious Spirit Palace resided, emanating a resplendent seven-colored radiance, unwavering and dynamic.

At the heart of Ye Zhen’s Seven Mysterious Spirit Palace floated an avatar of the Ten Thousand Bones Reincarnation Seal, exuding an icy aura and exerting a steadfast suppression upon Ye Zhen’s Divine Soul Power.

Ye Zhen had been immersed in cultivation within the Mirage Dragon Pearl for a span of two days, which, within the confines of the pearl, translated to twenty days of dedicated practice.

During this extended period, Ye Zhen meticulously adjusted his internal state to its absolute peak condition before gradually activating the Ten Thousand Bones Reincarnation Seal to impose its suppression upon his Divine Soul.

Ye Zhen successfully reduced his Primordial Spirit Divine Soul Power by a significant forty percent prior to initiating the crucial breakthrough.

With forty percent of his soul power under suppression, the pace at which Ye Zhen could erect his Dark Palace consequently diminished.

It must be acknowledged that the profound insights and guidance provided by the Grand Venerable of the Five Immortals Heavenly Destiny Hall proved remarkably efficacious.

Indeed, the Ten Thousand Bones Reincarnation Seal effectively resolved Ye Zhen’s persistent obstacle in achieving the breakthrough to the Dark Palace Realm.

Subsequent to suppressing forty percent of his soul power, Ye Zhen found the construction of the Seven Mysterious Spirit Palace to be a relatively straightforward endeavor.

However, the mere act of erecting the Dark Palace did not signify the attainment of a successful breakthrough.

Only upon Ye Zhen’s complete cessation of the Ten Thousand Bones Reincarnation Seal’s suppression over his soul, and if the newly formed Seven Mysterious Spirit Palace could withstand the formidable impact of Ye Zhen’s Primordial Spirit Power without succumbing, would Ye Zhen be definitively recognized as having broken through to the Dark Palace Realm.

Should the Dark Palace falter and collapse after the suppression was lifted, the breakthrough would unequivocally be deemed a failure.

In such an event, not only would the breakthrough prove abortive, but Ye Zhen would also endure substantial detriment to his Primordial Energy.

However, during a previous consultation, Mountain God Yi Xun had casually imparted a piece of information.

Following the construction of the Dark Palace, Ye Zhen decided it was prudent not to immediately lift the suppression imposed by the Ten Thousand Bones Reincarnation Seal upon his soul. Instead, he resolved to maintain the suppression for a period, allowing him to cultivate and fortify the Dark Palace. When the moment arrived to remove the avatar's restraint from his soul, he planned a gradual easing of the pressure. This approach would enable careful observation, and should any instability manifest within the Dark Palace, he would promptly re-impose the soul's suppression. Cultivating under this controlled repression would further enhance his overall power, strengthening the Dark Palace until it could fully withstand the soul's inherent pressure.

It was precisely this strategy Ye Zhen was currently implementing. Having successfully erected the Seven Mysterious Spirit Palace, he had yet to dismantle the Ten Thousand Bones Reincarnation Seal avatar's hold on his Primordial Spirit, choosing instead to train beneath its influence. In truth, the Seven Mysterious Spirit Palace had been completed five days after Ye Zhen entered the Mirage Dragon Pearl. From that fifth day until the present, Ye Zhen had dedicated a full fifteen days to cultivation. This intensive period not only rendered his newly formed Seven Mysterious Spirit Palace exceptionally stable but also saw his cultivation solidify at the Early-stage Dark Palace Realm First Stage, with progress commencing towards the Mid-stage Dark Palace Realm First Stage.

Nevertheless, with forty percent of his Primordial Spirit Power under suppression, the rate at which Ye Zhen could refine the High Grade Thought Spirit Pill was practically reduced by half. Consequently, throughout these cultivation days, Ye Zhen meticulously reduced the Primordial Spirit suppression by one percent every five days by activating the Ten Thousand Bones Reincarnation Seal Avatar. This deliberate pacing served a dual purpose: accelerating his cultivation speed and ensuring a complete breakthrough to the Dark Palace Realm. Pleasingly, over the past fifteen days, the inhibition of Primordial Spirit Power by the Ten Thousand Bones Reincarnation Seal Avatar had been lessened to a mere one percent, while the Dark Palace remained remarkably steadfast.

Having encountered several setbacks when attempting to break through to the Dark Palace Realm previously, Ye Zhen adopted an exceedingly cautious approach this time. For the final one percent of Primordial Spirit Power suppression by the Ten Thousand Bones Reincarnation Seal Avatar, Ye Zhen intended to continue cultivating for an extended period before its removal. His plan was to dedicate at least ten more days to cultivation.

Given his Four-colored Primordial Spirit and the use of the High Grade Thought Spirit Pill for his cultivation, Ye Zhen's intrinsic rate of progress was already more than five times that of other martial artists. Furthermore, benefiting from a daily Five Elements Refining God Pill, specially concocted by the Shuili Dan King for him, refining one pill took merely two to three hours, yet yielded the equivalent of two days of diligent cultivation for others. This meant that a single day of Ye Zhen's cultivation efforts was comparable to at least seven days for fellow cultivators.

Therefore, although Ye Zhen's immediate plan involved ten days of cultivation, this translated to over two months of rigorous training for any other martial artist. It is important to note that this computation did not even factor in the amplified effect of cultivating within the Mirage Dragon Pearl. For every ten days Ye Zhen spent cultivating inside the Mirage Dragon Pearl, only a single day elapsed in the outside world. Put another way, one day of cultivation for Ye Zhen within the Mirage Dragon Pearl was equivalent to seventy days of cultivation for ordinary martial artists. This seventyfold increase in cultivation effect was directly attributable to the temporal influence of the Mirage Dragon Pearl; without it, such an exaggerated disparity would not be possible.

As the saying goes, 'Cultivating in Timeless Mountain, a thousand years pass in a flash.' Ten days of strenuous cultivation felt like mere moments. In what seemed like the blink of an eye, Ye Zhen perceived his Seven Mysterious Spirit Palace to have grown over ten percent stronger than when it was first established, achieving an exceptional level of stability. Ye Zhen felt that if he were to continue his intensive cultivation for another month, his advancement would be substantial, bringing him close to breaking through to the Early-stage Dark Palace Realm Mid-stage.

However, Ye Zhen harbored concerns regarding the situation in North Sea County. He could not be certain when Xio Qiangu might instigate further trouble. While one cannot remain perpetually vigilant against every potential threat, Ye Zhen's current location for arduous cultivation within the Barbarian Spirit Hall was regrettably too distant from North Sea County. Should any emergency arise, he would be unable to respond with the necessary swiftness.

Thus, according to Ye Zhen’s meticulous strategy, only after the complete cessation of the Ten Thousand Bones Reincarnation Seal Avatar’s suppression over his Primordial Spirit Power, and when the Seven Mysterious Spirit Palace could sustain such immense power, would a true breakthrough occur.

Immediately following this, Ye Zhen intended to return to North Sea County with utmost haste.

Even during his rigorous cultivation, Ye Zhen’s preference was to remain within North Sea County. This would ensure that any unforeseen circumstances, whether in the Dulong Island Market, North Sea County itself, or even the Three Great Water Palaces, could be addressed swiftly.

Consequently, at this very moment, Ye Zhen commenced the slow activation of the Ten Thousand Bones Reincarnation Seal Avatar, precisely to lift the ongoing suppression upon his Primordial Spirit Power.

The final sliver of suppressed Primordial Spirit Power was gradually released. As this formidable aura intertwined with the Dark Palace, it surged like tempestuous waves against Ye Zhen’s Seven Mysterious Spirit Palace.

Yet, Ye Zhen’s Seven Mysterious Spirit Palace stood like an unyielding monolith, steadfast against the onslaught of wind and rain, utterly unmoved.

Once the Ten Thousand Bones Reincarnation Seal Avatar’s suppression fully dissipated, Ye Zhen’s completely unleashed Primordial Spirit, with innumerable, unseen tendrils of the Divine Soul, integrated seamlessly with the spiritual liquid residing within the Seven Mysterious Spirit Palace.

An unparalleled sensation of burgeoning strength flooded Ye Zhen’s very being.

This! This was the Dark Palace Realm!

The Divine Soul, or more accurately, the Primordial Spirit and Spiritual Power, had achieved complete union.

The mobilization of spiritual power became significantly more rapid, even allowing for the complete infusion of spiritual power into a Suppressing Device or an Acquired Spirit Treasure in one fluid motion, unleashing a devastating full-powered strike.

In essence, having ascended to the Dark Palace Realm, Ye Zhen’s capacity and alacrity in commanding the spiritual power within his body had been amplified manifold, naturally bolstering his combat prowess.

Even when Ye Zhen, post-Dark Palace Realm breakthrough, employed the Wind Flash technique derived from the Strong Wind Spirit Essence Pearl once more, the upper echelons of his ultimate speed would invariably expand and elevate.

"Phew, finally… I’ve broken through!"

Exhaling a prolonged breath, imbued with an unprecedented sense of liberation, Ye Zhen shifted his Divine Sense, departing the Mirage Dragon Pearl. With a subtle maneuver of his Divine Sense, Ye Zhen’s true form seamlessly merged with his illusory counterpart.

Subsequently, Ye Zhen slowly rose to his feet, preparing to dismantle the Guardian Formation he had previously erected.

However, at that precise instant, Ye Zhen’s expression underwent a dramatic shift; his Divine Sense had detected the presence of Princess Changle.

Just beyond the Silent Chamber, Princess Changle remained, her demeanor etched with profound anxiety!

A full day had elapsed since Grand Celestial Official Wu Yu had issued his stern military directive.

Though merely a single day, the external landscape had transformed drastically. The officials within North Sea County, upon receiving the Grand Celestial Official’s decree, were like men possessed, relentlessly hunting for any traces of the Demon Clan and incessantly urging Princess Changle to establish contact with Ye Zhen.

Even without Princess Changle’s direct involvement, the pressure exerted was immense.

Sensing a palpable shift in the aura emanating from within the Silent Chamber, Princess Changle’s expression altered. It was at this very moment that she beheld Ye Zhen emerging from the Silent Chamber.

"Brother Ye, you’ve achieved a breakthrough?"

"What has transpired?" The voices of Princess Changle and Ye Zhen echoed simultaneously.