Chapter 189 – The Eighth Portrait Within the Pavilion (1/2)

The steps were level and wide, with small markings engraved upon them, these weren’t patterns, they were only for the purpose of avoiding slipping. Though the stone steps were long, the sides didn’t have any railings or ropes, akin to arriving at a deep abyss.

Yet walking upon them, it was very stable, as if one would never err in their steps, perhaps, this was intended as guidance and protection for later generations, from those who had constructed these stairs all those years ago.

Staring at the never-ending stone steps, they still had to have a moment of conclusion; Chen Chang Sheng quietly and calmly walked on, after a long period of time he finally arrived above the night sky.

At the end of the steps was a flat space, in the centre was a pavilion constructed of wooden beams and stone bricks. This building covered an extremely vast area and was also extremely tall, but due to being far away from the ground and humanity, it appeared extremely lonely.

Staring into the far away dusk; within what could be sighted, only the Platform of Sweetdew’s form could be seen; the legendary Luminous Pearls gave off a faint brilliance, looking as if they were lamps.

Within the entirety of the Imperial Palace, or even the entire Capital, apart from the Platform of Sweetdew, his current position was the highest, being able to see all the streets and alleys of the Capital; at times when the weather was good, it was even possible to see the faraway Ba Willow, but Chen Chang Sheng did not observe and appreciate the faraway surroundings, that’s because it was currently deep into the night and it was not possible to see features on the ground clearly, more importantly, he was currently not in the mood for appreciating the view.

After his gaze was retracted from the Platform of Sweetdew, it fell upon the solitary structure and didn’t shift, his expression didn’t change, yet the emotion in his heart had already started to become tumultuous.

From Xi Ning Village to the Capital; thousands upon thousands of storms.

He had finally arrived before the Pavilion of Ascending Mist.

The Pavilion of Ascending Mist didn’t have a name plate, didn’t have any lanterns, neither were there any splendid decorations. All it had were beams of wood alongside green stone walls that carried a natural sense of austerity. Not a single ray of light, making it appear all the more silent.

The entrance also did not have a lock, as if all one had to was to push and it would open.

Chen Chang Sheng stood before the doors, remaining quiet for a moment, settling his nerves and mood, it wasn’t until his breathing had become absolutely stable that he finally raised his hands and placed them upon the doors. He lightly pushed forwards.

There wasn’t any creaking, smooth to the point of resembling a leaf alighting upon water. The Pavilion of Ascending Mist’s doors slowly opened, a ray of light gushed out from the crevice between the doors. Following the gap’s widening, more light spilled out, falling upon his body and clearly illuminating his face that had been mildly startled.

The light that spilled out from the pavilion was white in colour, illuminating his still slightly young looking face to the point of making it resemble jade; due to this, his brows appeared all the darker, heavily resembling lines of ink drawn from a brush.

Chen Chang Sheng couldn’t understand. Why was it so bright within, with so many rays of light? Why couldn’t any of it be seen from outside previously? Could it be, that all those windows are fake?

While thinking of these things, he actions did not become slow; the doors were opened to about a foot wide, he raised his foot and crossed the doorsill, entering, entering the Pavilion of Ascending Mist.

As his left foot had just touched the floor, the doors once again closed behind him. He involuntarily turned his head around to look, after seeing the tightly closed doors he became momentarily silent. He could vaguely deduce that he was now the same as the blazing white light that was within the pavilion, in that it was also no longer possible for anyone outside to see him.

Looking at this from a different perspective, from the moment he pushed open those doors and entered the pavilion, he had been separated from the real world.

That thought only took a moment. He turned his head back around, looking forwards, all he saw was a glow of splendour.

Within the Pavilion of Ascending Mist, there were no lights, neither were there tallow candles or Luminous Pearls. If those doors and windows had some sort of array on them that could completely block out the sun, wind and sound, then at this very moment, it should be pitch black, and what of the light that had previously leaked out of the door, where had it come from?

He closed his eyes, heading towards that blazing white light, due to the light being too piercing, he couldn’t see clearly as to what was inside, neither could he see the much rumoured portraits of distinguished government ministers. He was just akin to a moth that was flying towards the flame of a light, only being able to rely upon the most instinctual, or perhaps basic of feelings, heading forwards.

Yet, he had only stepped forwards a single step, and was forced to stop.

This was because he felt an extremely terrifying presence, the presence came from every location in the pavilion, coming from every single ray of light; that presence was austere, holy, bloody and tyrannical, having countless different characteristics, yet they all had a common essence: that of being powerful, unimaginably powerful.