Chapter 341: Chapter 317: Finding the Imperial Crown (Part 2)
The Imperial Palace was densely packed with all sorts of Arrays. Anyone unfamiliar with them would trigger powerful Primordial Qi fluctuations the moment they touched one, making escape nearly impossible.
Although Nie Yun knew a great deal about Arrays, he still found them incredibly bothersome. After all, Arrays remained hidden until they were touched. Even an Array Master could, at best, determine the presence of an Array from the general layout. It was impossible to spot the mechanisms and flaws of every hidden Array with a single glance and thus avoid them all.
’The entire Imperial Palace is laid out in a strange pentagonal formation. This seems to be an Array Formation method unique to the Demon Race. How odd!’
As he made his way deeper into the palace, its overall layout gradually became clear in his mind.
He had previously felt that the Imperial Palace was built to embrace the mountain and command its power, undoubtedly the work of someone proficient in Arrays. Now, thinking back carefully, he realized the palace wasn’t square but pentagonal. It was a strange, five-pointed layout, with five long corridors extending to its five corners, connecting to the Earth Qi and gathering the Spiritual Qi from the sky’s Circulation.
This method of Array Formation was unique to the Demon Race. He never expected that whoever designed the Imperial Palace had somehow obtained it and created such a place.
The last time he entered the Imperial Palace, he had only been to its outer edges. This time, the Imperial Crown was in the palace’s depths, and only by coming here did he discover this difference.
RUSTLE!
’This is the Demon Race’s Illusionary Cage Array... the Red Jade Demon Heart Formation... the Broken Soul Glaze Array... the Demon Spirit Devouring Heart Formation... Why are there so many Demon Race Arrays...’
The farther he went, the stranger Nie Yun found it. Fortunately, he had specifically studied the Demon Race’s Arrays in his past life in order to infiltrate their territory. Otherwise, even if he could have bypassed so many Arrays, he had no idea how long it would take. A single night certainly wouldn’t be enough!
Proceeding with extreme caution and relying on his vast knowledge of various Arrays, Nie Yun successfully bypassed one after another, soon arriving in the depths of the Imperial Palace.
’It’s just ahead!’
Through his senses, the Tracking Qi on the Imperial Crown was as bright and dazzling as the full moon. Nie Yun didn’t hesitate, his figure flickering as he entered a massive courtyard.
The center of the courtyard was planted with all kinds of flowers, complete with rockeries and a lake. The grounds were magnificent, clearly the resting place of an important figure in the Imperial Palace.
’Could this be Huangg Ling’s residence? Hmm, it’s very likely, but I still need to be careful...’
Looking from afar, he saw a small palace in the depths of the courtyard. Voices could be heard from inside, and the Imperial Crown, with its unique aura, was in there.
Even though he was disguised as Huangg Chen, Nie Yun proceeded with caution. After all, if the person inside the room wasn’t Huangg Ling but Huangg Chen, he would be seriously screwed.
If that were the case, not only would he fail to steal anything, but he would also be finished right here!
’Suppress my aura, hide it completely!’
His Great Perfection Peak Soul Power completely suppressed the True Qi fluctuations within his body. In an instant, Nie Yun became devoid of all presence, like a faint spring breeze without a trace of life, drifting toward the palace.
This palace also had quite a few Arrays, but they weren’t the type triggered by touch. Instead, they were manually controlled. This made them more powerful against invaders, but it was perfect for a stealthy infiltrator like Nie Yun. As long as he was careful, he wouldn’t trigger any reaction.
’Light, nimble steps... move forward slowly...’
Concealing his aura, Nie Yun also completely quieted his soul. He became like a slowly moving stone, using the natural breeze in the courtyard to inch forward.
’This is it. I can’t go any closer...’
After inching forward bit by bit for over ten minutes, Nie Yun stopped behind a rock.
Although he was still over a hundred meters from the main hall, he really couldn’t go any farther.
Huangg Ling’s Soul Power was at the Qi Sea Level Great Perfection, while Huangg Chen’s was at the Half-Step Spirit Level. No matter who was inside the hall, they were extremely powerful. If he went any closer, he would be discovered, no matter how brilliant his concealment methods were.
Of course, if he had the talent of a Concealment Master, he wouldn’t have to worry. Even against someone with such formidable Soul Power, as long as he didn’t make any major movements, he could probably walk right up to them without being seen.
The Concealment Master was one of the special talents and was extremely rare. The only Concealment Master he knew was his good friend from his past life, the Divine Thief Qian Huan.
Divine Thief Qian Huan was an incredible figure. Not only was he a Concealment Master, but also a Divine Thief Master and a Disguise Master... just like Nie Yun himself now, possessing several talents at once.
In his past life, he had been extremely envious of Qian Huan for possessing so many talents. He never imagined that after his rebirth, the Nameless Technique would grant him the same kind of treatment. It seemed fate worked in mysterious ways that no one could predict.
’Focus my Spirit, let’s hear what they’re saying inside...’
Shaking the stray thoughts from his mind, Nie Yun focused his Spirit intently, intending to listen to the conversation in the hall and determine who was inside.
"...Of course we know you didn’t do it. Although we normally compete, we are both under Lord Hua’s command. We wouldn’t do something so ruthless!" a vicious voice rang out.
The voice was sinister and violent, sharp and harsh to the ears.
’How could it be him? What is he doing here? Aren’t the Demon Race and the Human Race mortal enemies?’
Hearing this voice, Nie Yun was deeply shaken.
He knew exactly who that voice belonged to: the second-in-command of the Zi Qiong Mountain Range, Qi Emperor, whom he had tormented to the point of wishing for death!
Qi Emperor was a Demon, a being who held a great enmity with the Divine Holy Empire. For him to now appear in the Human Race’s Imperial Palace was, to say the least, incredibly bizarre.
Judging by the Vitality in Qi Emperor’s voice, it seemed that even though the Zi Qiong Emperor had been furious that day, he hadn’t killed him after all.
"It’s good that you understand. If I’m not mistaken, the theft from your Treasure Vault is likely also related to that Nie Yun. He has the ability to instantly break through a Secret Realm, and he has a Secret Realm Attendant. The timing also fits perfectly!"
The voice of the Empire’s Emperor, Huangg Ling, rang out.
"Hmph, he dared to plot against me, against our Zi Qiong Mountain Range, and got me beaten by that old bastard Zi Qiong Emperor for an entire night! I was beaten beyond recognition; even my favorite concubine couldn’t recognize me... This Nie Yun must die!" A furious roar from Qi Emperor erupted from the room, and waves of scorching Demon Qi slammed against the windows, making them rattle.
"Rest assured, he has also offended our Divine Holy Empire. I won’t let him live," Huangg Ling said, changing the subject with a wave of his hand. "Now, tell me, you didn’t come here today just for this trivial matter, did you?"
"Of course not!" Having vented his anger, Qi Emperor gave a sinister laugh and flopped into a seat. "Lord Hua is very displeased with your recent actions. He has issued a special decree for us. See for yourself!"
With a flick of his wrist, a Jade Scroll flew smoothly toward Huangg Ling.
"A decree?" Huangg Ling took the Jade Scroll and gave Qi Emperor a questioning look. After sweeping it with his Spirit, his expression immediately turned ugly.
"Lord Hua wants me to take you to the Zihua Cave Mansion?"
"That’s right. Lord Hua said that the Zihua Cave Mansion is considered a supreme Cave Mansion even on the Floating Heaven Continent. We must obtain it this time, no matter what. He ordered me to assist you in acquiring this treasure! It’s a chance to earn great merit!" Qi Emperor sneered.
"Assist me? More like supervise me!" Huangg Ling took a deep breath to suppress his agitation. "The people we’re going with this time are all humans. If a Demon like you comes along and gets discovered, it will put me in a very difficult position!"
"Don’t worry, Lord Hua already considered that. He sent over an Incarnation Talisman. As long as I carry this Talisman, although my aura won’t completely transform into a human’s, I can disguise myself as a Demon Pet without any problem. All I’ll have to do is dress up a bit, and you can just say I’m your Demon Pet. No one will suspect a thing!"
Qi Emperor chuckled slyly.
"You... Since Lord Hua has made this arrangement, I can’t refuse. You can stay here and prepare tonight. I still need to pack what I’ll need for tomorrow, so I’ll be taking my leave!"
Huangg Ling seemed to be terrified of this Lord Hua. Upon hearing that it was his decision, he stopped arguing, agreed, and stood up.
"Go on then. I’ll find you tomorrow."
Qi Emperor’s voice grew deep, and he said no more.
"Mm."
CREAK!
The voices stopped. The door slowly opened, and Huangg Ling, wearing the Imperial Crown, strode out with a dark and unhappy expression.
After exiting the room, Huangg Ling strode out of the courtyard, his figure receding into the distance.
Seeing the Imperial Crown on Huangg Ling’s head, Nie Yun couldn’t help but give a wry smile. ’If he had put it down, I could have stolen it. But how am I supposed to steal it off his head? Am I just going to snatch it off him? Divine Thief Qian Huan might have that kind of skill, but I don’t... yet.’
Still, he couldn’t give up. ’I’ll follow him and see what happens,’ he thought. With a flicker, Nie Yun began to tail him stealthily.
His Soul Power was now stronger than Huangg Ling’s, and he had the special abilities of a Disguise Master. As long as he kept a distance of one to two hundred meters, it wouldn’t be easy for him to be discovered.
"Your Majesty, how did it go?"
Huangg Ling had just left the courtyard and hadn’t gone far when a figure suddenly darted out from the side. Peeking through the shadows, Nie Yun saw that it was Tuxin.
Tuxin had apparently received some great benefit; his aura was faint, and his soul felt complete and perfected. His Soul Power had grown tremendously, now comparable to that of a Potential List Powerhouse.
"Hmph. Lord Hua has grown suspicious of us. He sent Qi Emperor to supervise us, and he’s going to the Zihua Cave Mansion as well!" Huangg Ling grunted.
"Qi Emperor is also going to the Zihua Cave Mansion? What do we do?" Tuxin was stunned.
"He’ll have to disguise himself, just like you!" Huangg Ling waved his hand dismissively. "Enough. This matter is getting more and more complicated. I have to go to the Treasure Vault now to store the Imperial Crown. Then I’ll put on the Celestial Spirit Soldier that the Ancestor refined. I have to be fully prepared before I go, or I won’t even know how I died!"
"Yes, you go and prepare. I need to work on my disguise as well. That Nie Yun knows what I look like. If I don’t do this right and he recognizes me, it will cause a great deal of trouble. It could ruin our entire plan. It’s best to be fully prepared!"
After speaking, Tuxin’s figure flickered, and he headed off down another path.
’Tuxin? Qi Emperor? Heh, now things are getting interesting!’
Nie Yun, who was tailing Huangg Ling, saw all of this. The corners of his lips curled up, and he couldn’t help but sneer inwardly.
If he hadn’t known Qi Emperor was coming, it would have been one thing. But now that he knew, he would make sure to put Qi Emperor in a situation so hopeless he wouldn’t know what hit him!
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