Chapter 79: The Chief of the Dharma Transmission Pavilion

As the swirling cloud layer continuously rotated, an inexplicable suction force seemed to form. Clouds from across the entire Skysea of Cloud were gradually absorbed into it. Its scale grew increasingly vast, filling the entire field of vision, and merely gazing up at it invoked a suffocating sensation. Meanwhile, the frequency of the blue flashes in the center of the vortex also accelerated.

Finally, when everything reached a critical point, a blue light suddenly erupted from the center of the vortex. It formed a blue ring of light that continuously expanded outward from the vortex's core. The ring expanded with extreme speed. When people first saw it, it was still contained within the swirling cloud layer, but in the blink of an eye, it swept over all the cultivators present. Before they could even register expressions of astonishment, the cultivators swept by the blue light slowly vanished on the spot, as if mere phantoms.

The blue light continued its outward expansion. If one could observe from ten thousand meters above, it would be evident that this blue ring of light spread from the central sea area to the entire Skysea of Cloud in an extremely short time. It only stopped when it reached the very edge of the sea. Then, it suddenly began to contract inward, collapsing back to its origin point at several times the speed of its expansion. The blue light instantly became incredibly brilliant. The thunderstorms within the swirling cloud layer ceased. The thousands of meters thick, tens of thousands of li long cumulonimbus clouds seemed to be squeezed and kneaded by an invisible giant hand.

Simultaneously, in the Skysea of Cloud below, countless blue specks of light emerged from various parts of the sea surface, floating and converging. They rapidly ascended towards the clouds above. Gradually, the thick cumulonimbus clouds, through continuous silent movement, began to form the outlines of continuous architectural structures. Then, as the blue specks of light, carrying misty vapor, floated up from below and attached to them, the cloud layer gradually transformed into a clear, transparent azure. This anomaly lasted for a full quarter of an hour.

Finally, a majestic celestial palace, formed from the convergence of clouds and water, existing between reality and illusion, and entirely transparent blue, appeared above the Skysea of Cloud. The Cloudwater Celestial Palace, after being sealed for thousands of years, reappeared in the world!

"The war front is dire, and all major sects have suffered heavy losses. As the leader among the Skysea of Cloud's sects, our Cloudwater Celestial Palace has fared even worse. Who knows how many fellow disciples have died on the battlefield. Before departing, Martial Uncle Sect Leader ordered me to go out and recruit disciples. I must not fail his trust. Fortunately, this trip has been quite fruitful."

Li Fan gradually regained consciousness. He looked around to see hundreds of cultivators sprawled haphazardly across a plaza. However, all the cultivators' clothes had changed to blue and white, with the characters "Cloud Water" faintly visible on them. In front of the crowd, a tall, white-robed man with sharp, star-like brows and sword-like eyes was muttering to himself. The white-robed man appeared quite handsome, yet a subtle hint of cynicism could be discerned in his expression.

Li Fan observed the scene, recalling his experiences from his previous life, and knew that he had successfully entered the Cloudwater Celestial Palace. For now, he couldn't act rashly; he needed to quietly await the "plot" to unfold. So he concealed his aura and remained still.

Gradually, the cultivators on the plaza began to awaken. Upon realizing their predicament, several of them became agitated. "What's going on? Where is this? I remember us being next to that swirling cloud layer, didn't I?" someone exclaimed. "And what's with these clothes?"

They noticed that only the white-robed man in front stood out, his appearance clashing with everyone else's. Immediately, someone spoke up, asking, "Hey! You, the man in white robes, did you bring us here? Who are you? What's your purpose?"

The white-robed man then snapped out of his monologue. Looking at the group of cultivators before him, a delighted smile appeared on his face: "Ah, you've finally woken up. Now, please remain quiet. I need to explain some important things to you..."

He hadn't finished speaking when he was impatiently interrupted. "Stop rambling! Tell us, where is this?!"

A hint of a smile crept onto the white-robed man's lips, and he shook his head repeatedly: "It seems these new recruits aren't very obedient." He made no discernible movement, merely glancing sideways. A blue light flashed, and the head of the person who had just spoken dropped to the ground. The previously somewhat noisy plaza instantly became perfectly silent. Some of the cultivators present showed expressions of terror, while others had looks of sudden understanding.

The white-robed man observed the now silent group with satisfaction, then slowly stated, "My name is Qin Tang, Chief of the Cloudwater Celestial Palace's Transmission Hall. You are to address me as Senior Brother Qin. You are all outer disciples I recruited on this trip. Over the next few months, if you can pass my various trials, you will officially join our Cloudwater Celestial Palace. Of course, there are a few points you must remember. The first rule is to show me, Senior Brother Qin, sufficient respect. What I say, you must do. As for the consequences of defiance, you've already witnessed them. The second rule..." Qin Tang continued to explain volubly.

Although outwardly silent, the cultivators below were already communicating with each other through their divine senses. "Does anyone know what's going on here?" "This is an 'anomaly'! This Cloudwater Celestial Palace must be a sect ruin shrouded by an anomaly." "Is that Qin Tang a living person or something else?" "Definitely not alive! Didn't you notice he has no aura whatsoever?" "Everyone, don't panic. Anomalies have their own rules. As long as we do what Qin Tang says, there should be no immediate danger."

Li Fan subtly glanced at Sikong Yi and Baili Chen. Both of them looked unfazed, as if they had long known they would encounter an anomaly. Or perhaps, even in the face of an anomaly, they remained completely composed? Li Fan looked back at Qin Tang in his white robes. Based on the collective experience of exploring the Cloudwater Celestial Palace in his previous life, Qin Tang was the first entry checkpoint. He was not a living person, but an existence akin to an anomaly. His words were, in essence, the rules of the anomaly. To survive, one must obey them. And only by passing his trials could one gain the qualification to explore various parts of the Cloudwater Celestial Palace.

Qin Tang finally finished speaking. He clapped his hands: "It's getting late today, so I'll take you to rest first. Tomorrow morning, we'll officially begin the trials. Follow me." With that, he turned and walked out of the plaza.

The vast majority of cultivators, including Sikong Yi and Baili Chen, obediently followed the white-robed Qin Tang. Li Fan also kept close behind. Only a very small number of individuals exchanged glances and did not follow the group. Instead, they sped off in the opposite direction, attempting to escape.

Qin Tang seemed unaware of their subtle actions, showing no reaction whatsoever. These individuals, seeing their chance to escape, rapidly increased their flying speed. They did not notice that the further they got from Qin Tang, the more faint blue light emanated from their bodies. Finally, after flying a certain distance, all of them transformed into desiccated corpses and fell heavily to the ground.