603 Stone Tablet! (2/2)
Having located the secret passage, Wang Baole continued to tease Little Missy while he sped down the pathway, deep into the Vast Expanse Dao Palace's mountain gates.
The secret passage was extremely well-hidden. It was filled with dust and dirt, and some segments had caved in. That didn't pose a problem to Wang Baole, though. He advanced steadily. Two hours later, Wang Baole appeared inside the Vast Expanse Dao Palace's mountain gates, within the mountain itself!
The mountain had been sliced into two, and an enormous Dharmic Artifact continuously extracted its galactic source. That resulted in multiple cracks and crevices in the mountain body—obstacles in Wang Baole's path.
This wasn't something that was completely insurmountable. It was merely time-consuming. Several hours later, with Little Missy's guidance, Wang Baole finally made his way deep into the mountain and arrived outside a secret chamber!
The walls surrounding the chamber were lined with cracks, and there were remnant energies from a hex in place. The cracks in the walls might have damaged the hex and weakened the latter's power, but it was still powerful enough that Wang Baole's spirit was almost torn apart when he first experienced it. His spirit quaked, and his mind turned blank. His body swayed unsteadily and was on the verge of collapse.
Fortunately, at that critical moment, the disguise cloaking Wang Baole's actual form began to exude a gentle force that brought Wang Baole's back to his senses. Face pale and spirit shaken, he retreated hastily. Even with the protection of the Vast Expanse Laws, he could still sense the immense danger before him.
”Little Missy, are you trying to get me killed…” Wang Baole grimaced. The alarming sense of danger he could feel now was far greater than that given off by a Soul Conduit realm cultivator. His experience in the Dark Dream allowed him to conclude, with some measure of certainty, that this hex had been set up by someone who was as powerful as his master in the Dark Sect.
Besides, it was incomplete and damaged. If it had been kept intact, he might not even have been able to enter these grounds. His soul would have been ripped apart while he was still a distance away.
”The hex's core function is to hide this place… Don't worry, the fact that the hex is still here means that the Never-Ending Clan hasn't yet discovered this place. Get in, quick. The stone tablet I'm looking for is inside!” Little Missy coughed to hide her embarrassment, then spoke hastily.
Wang Baole hesitated for a long moment before approaching cautiously. Little Missy did her best to wield the Vast Expanse Laws around Wang Baole and fight the hex. As Wang Baole shuffled his feet forward, he finally reached the chamber's stone doors. He gave them a push, and the doors opened slowly. Wang Baole took a deep breath, gritted his teeth, and stepped in.
As soon as he entered the chamber, the hex began to give off a blinding light. Strands of light appeared before Wang Baole. Any single one of those strands of light would have sent Wang Baole leaping out of his skin. Fortunately, he had the protection of the Vast Expanse Laws, so the light couldn't cause him any harm.
The approach of each strand of light brought with it the shrieking sound of sharp slicing, which sent shivers traveling down Wang Baole's spine. He could see the nexus of these strands of light in the room. Within the nexus floated something palm-sized, halved… the stone tablet!
It seemed as if it wasn't real at all. It was translucent and covered with lines of inscriptions incomprehensible to Wang Baole. It seemed to be pulsating slowly with light, in accordance to some kind of rhythm. An indescribable, ancient aura surrounded the stone tablet.
As Wang Baole's eyes fell on it, they seem to see the deaths of many, the destruction of stars, the collapse of the sun, and the withering away of the entire universe. At the same time… they also saw the source of everything, new life, new stars, a new sun, and the birth of a new universe!
It was as if the entire universe was housed inside the stone tablet. It wasn't whole and appeared incomplete…
”What… is this…” Wang Baole's breathing paused as he murmured.
”I have no idea either. But when I was a kid, my father once told me that this is the Dao that the supreme cultivator in another Dao Domain had discerned in six steps!” Little Missy muttered. Wang Baole's bewilderment grew. After a long moment, as piercing shrills continued to attack his eardrums, Wang Baole finally came to his senses.
”How do we grab it? Let's make a move soon. I have a feeling my clothes aren't going to stay in one piece for much longer!”
”Don't panic. I wasn't stringing you along. Here, you will be able to draw the surrounding power, the power from the hex as well as that of the stone tablet. It'll not only ensure your success in refining your scabbard, but your scabbard will also be able to absorb a sliver of power from this land, creating a foundation for it to evolve and transform into a supreme artifact!”