Myth Beyond Heaven

Yun Lintian ignored its pleas. He focused his will, tightening the spatial spheres further. With a final, agonizing shriek, the Mark of Law shattered into a million glittering fragments that faded away into nothingness.

Silence descended upon the group once more, broken only by Yun Lintian's ragged breaths. He lowered his hands, his face etched with exertion. The ordeal had taken its toll, but he had successfully neutralized the threat posed by the Mark of Law.

Tang Wei and Tang Yumei stared at him in awe.

"That was incredible, Brother Yun," Tang Wei finally managed, his voice filled with admiration. "You wielded the Law of Space with such mastery!"

Yun Lintian let out a long breath. "It wasn't easy," he admitted. "But these Marks of Law are very dangerous. We need to be cautious as we continue our journey."

Yun Qianxue looked at Yun Meilan. "Do you have any idea where we might find more information about these Marks of Law?"

Yun Meilan pondered for a moment. "There might be some references in the ancient texts stored within the Yellow Emperor's treasury. I didn't take a good look at them," she suggested.

Yun Lintian looked at Tang Wei and Tang Yumei. "How did you pass this region last time?"

"We were lucky, I guess." Tang Wei replied honestly. "We didn't encounter any marks."

"Indeed. There were not many people at that time. We could proceed to the fourth region very quickly." Tang Yumei added.

"I see," Yun Lintian nodded slightly. "Let's move on."

Their journey through the third region turned treacherous. What began as a single anomaly soon became a haunting pattern. Strange formations, radiating an unnatural glow, sprouted from the barren landscape with alarming frequency. Each one, upon contact with Yun Lintian's aura, triggered the awakening of another fragment of a fallen god's power.

The first few encounters were manageable. Yun Lintian's mastery of the Law of Space proved invaluable in neutralizing the threats. However, with each successive Mark of Law, the battles grew more intense, draining his energy reserves with alarming speed.

"This is strange," Lin Xinyao furrowed her brow. "It seems as if these marks were specially appeared for you."

Yun Lintian frowned deeply. He shared the same idea with her. The marks seemed to target him intentionally.

Despite the unsettling feeling, they pressed on, finally reaching the border between the third and fourth regions. Relief washed over them tinged with a cautious optimism.

The desolate landscape of the third region had been a constant reminder of the dangers they faced, and the sheer number of Marks of Law they'd encountered had taken a toll on their morale.

Looking at the vast land ahead, Yun Lintian and his companions fell silent.

The landscape stretched out before them like a desolate wasteland. Jagged black rock formations speared the sky, their jagged edges casting long, menacing shadows across the cracked and barren earth. The air hung heavy with an oppressive silence, broken only by the mournful wail of a spectral wind.

"This place… something is not right." Tang Wei's voice laced with uncertainly.

"What is it?" Yun Lintian asked.

"The energy flow here is several times worse. It has become more chaotic than the last time we were here." Tang Yumei explained with a frown.

Yun Lintian scanned the desolate expanse, a frown creasing his brow. Through his Eyes of Heaven, the energy flow was indeed several times more violent compared to the third region. He could even see a space distortion from time to time.

"Do you want to continue?" Yun Lintian looked at the Tang siblings.

"Of course," Tang Wei hurriedly replied. "It's not safe here anyway."

He didn't care about his mission anymore. Tang Wei's first priority was to stay alive and the Illusion Palace was the safest place here.

"Alright. Stay close to me." Yun Lintian said gently and proceeded to move forward.

As they ventured deeper, the landscape grew even more foreboding. Skeletal trees, devoid of leaves and twisted into unnatural shapes, clawed at the sky. The air grew thick with a clinging, sulfurous mist that stung their eyes and scraped their lungs.

Then, in the distance, a towering structure pierced through the gloom. It was a temple, its once-grand architecture shattered and crumbling. Yet, even in ruin, an aura of immense power emanated from it, a swirling vortex of dark energy that pulsed with a malignant heartbeat.

Tang Wei pointed to the collapsing structure with a gloved hand. "It's the Illusion Palace… But why it has become like this?"

This ruined temple, pulsating with darkness, felt wrong on a fundamental level. It felt like a gateway to a place they weren't meant to see.

Yun Lintian's eyes narrowed as he stared at the corrupted Illusion Palace. "We need to be careful."

He cautiously approached the ruined temple. The others followed closely behind, their expressions grim.

As they drew closer, a cacophony of sounds reached their ears. It was the sounds of people talking.

"There should be many people inside." Tang Yumei made a guess.

Yun Lintian nodded and said. "Let's see what's inside. Stay close to me."

Yun Lintian stepped through the threshold, his companions following close behind. As they passed through the swirling vortex, the world around them dissolved into darkness.

As their vision cleared, they found themselves standing in a vast chamber. The air hung heavy with the stench of blood and sweat.

Thousands of practitioners filled the chamber, apparently waiting for something.

Yun Lintian spotted numerous wounded people scattered on the ground. Some had missing limbs, while others lay in pools of blood. However, the surrounding practitioners seemed utterly indifferent to their suffering.

Yun Lintian's group attracted immediate attention, primarily due to the beauty of the women among them.

Tang Wei surveyed the crowd and murmured, "They're queuing for the trial... Strange. I don't see any tomb protectors present."

Yun Lintian scanned the chamber again, confirming the absence of these so-called tomb protectors.

Before coming here, Lan Qinghe had repeatedly warned him to avoid conflict with the Tomb Keeper Clan. Curiosity gnawed at him – just how formidable were they?

Suddenly, A hulking figure pushed through the crowd towards Yun Lintian's group. A cruel smile stretched across his scarred face, revealing a gold tooth glinting in the dim light.

"Well, well, well," he boomed in a voice that resonated with power, "Look what we have here. Fresh meat for the trials, I presume?" His gaze lingered on Lin Xinyao and Yun Qianxue, a predatory glint flickering in his eyes.