Xiang Shaoyun started searching all over the secret space, but he did not find anything too valuable. It seemed like the entire space had been scoured by the other disciples, leaving only corpses and evil spirits behind.

On the other hand, the ghostrunes had been able to feed incessantly on the evil spirits, growing stronger and stronger. Gui Qi was now a second-stage Devil Sovereign while the other ghostrunes had become Devil Sovereigns. With their talent to attack souls, they were now terrifying opponents to have.

One day, Xiang Shaoyun silently arrived near the massive palace. He was trying to see if he could find the Overlord Legion members and Xia Liuhui. He had to make sure they were well. When he arrived, a group approached him.

It was Jiang Qi and her companions from the Sacred Deer Academy. They were the same group Xiang Shaoyun had encountered at the beach when he was looking for directions to the island. He had a decent impression of Jiang Qi, but he had no idea why they were approaching him.

Jiang Qi cupped her hands at Xiang Shaoyun and said, "Greetings, Young Master Xiang."

Xiang Shaoyun returned the greeting and asked, "How may I help you, Senior Sister Jiang?"

Jiang Qi was the Sacred Deer Academy's number one genius. She was elegant and beautiful, and she did not have the air of arrogance all the other geniuses carry about them. In fact, she felt amiable and approachable.

She lightly nibbled on her lip and said, "I apologize for what happened earlier. I hope you won't keep that in your mind."

The people with her couldn't understand why she was apologizing. As far as they were concerned, they weren't at fault and there was no need to raise the topic at all.

Xiang Shaoyun waved his hands and said, "Don't worry, Senior Sister Jiang. I was the one who had intruded upon you."

"That incident ends here, then," said Jiang Qi with a smile. "What do you think about going into the massive palace with us?"

This was her actual goal. Xiang Shaoyun had an impressive combat strength, and if he went with them, he would be able to help them reach farther.

Xiang Shaoyun answered, "Sorry, but I don't intend to enter."

"Why so, Young Master Xiang? Have you not noticed that this whole surrounding area is actually the palace's outer perimeter? There must be some amazing treasures inside, or even some inheritance that can help us enter the next realm faster," said Jiang Qi. She was finding it hard to believe that Xiang Shaoyun didn't intend to enter.

Before Xiang Shaoyun could say anything, the man dressed in gold beside Jiang Qi said with derision, "The palace is filled with danger. He is smart enough to know he's not good enough to survive, and it is understandable that he doesn't dare to enter."

His words were definitely unkind, and even Jiang Qi frowned. However, Xiang Shaoyun acted like he didn't hear anything. He couldn't be bothered to get into an argument for something so petty.

"What if I tell you Xia Liuhui is inside?" Jiang Qi said.

"What? He entered?" Xiang Shaoyun exclaimed in alarm.

"That's right. It has been half a month, and nobody has seen him since. Those who entered with him have gone missing too," said Jiang Qi solemnly.

The news made Xiang Shaoyun nervous. Without any hesitation, he charged toward the gate, riding atop Money.

Several puppets under the evil spirits' control started throwing themselves at him. The puppets consisted of powerful zombies and demonic beasts, and their cultivation realms were not low. They could all attack with powerful corrosive energy, and they had killed dozens of disciples so far. This human and his mount were their new targets.

"He's being too reckless! Let's go!" Jiang Qi roared and charged over with her group, intending to join hands with Xiang Shaoyun.

What they saw next stunned all of them. They saw Xiang Shaoyun drawing his Shark Devourer Saber and swinging it at the puppets, destroying them with pure brute force. None of the puppets could stop him, and eventually, he alone was left standing before the gate.

The puppets were all sovereign grade. Perhaps they weren't comparable with actual mid-stage Sovereigns, but they were strong enough that fourth-stage Sovereigns couldn't defeat them easily. Xiang Shaoyun was only a Dragon Ascension Realm cultivator, yet he was able to cut his way through so easily, demonstrating an incredible combat strength.

The man in gold beside Jiang Qi gulped, and he started trembling. He knew that even if Jiang Qi herself fought, she would only be able to deal with one or two puppets. And yet Xiang Shaoyun was able to charge right through them easily. Wasn't he a tad bit too strong?

"Go with him!" Jiang Qi shouted and chased after Xiang Shaoyun.

As far as she was concerned, if she stayed with him, her safety would be guaranteed. Standing before the gate, Xiang Shaoyun stared at the human skin dripping with blood and frowned. Inwardly, he thought, This is a sign of great danger.

He activated the Nether Soul Domain and sent his senses into the palace. Unfortunately, his senses weren't able to enter. He grew even more cautious.

"This is a place even Zang Yuan feared. I need to be careful," muttered Xiang Shaoyun. With the power of Yun Flame wrapped around him and Money, they entered the palace.

As soon as they entered, something odd happened. Xiang Shaoyun felt like both he and Money had fallen into an illusion. He completely lost all sense of direction, and he couldn't see anything but a boundless expanse of mist. A chill started creeping up his spine.

"Money, can you see what's around us?" Xiang Shaoyun asked.

Money replied anxiously, "No."

"Come back inside the astral cosmos sea immediately," said Xiang Shaoyun.

"No, boss. I can sense an aura with the same origin as my race. I need to go take a look," said Money as he actually took the lead and left.

Xiang Shaoyun calmed down and tried figuring out what was going on with his gift of instincts. Unfortunately, the place was filled with a dense mist, and a formation seemed to be in place. He was unable to detect anything.

Suddenly, he smelled a corrosive stench. The stench was extremely faint, and if he hadn't cultivated the Limit Stimulation Technique, he wouldn't even notice it. Thankfully, the technique had also greatly enhanced his sense of smell. He could also smell that the source of the stench wasn't too far from him.

Suddenly, a rope shot out from the mist. The attack came too abruptly. Fortunately, Xiang Shaoyun had prepared himself. He instantly lowered his head before spinning around and swinging his saber backward.

Clank!