The Great Ruler

Chapter 1163 - Inevitable Clash Between Enemies

When Mu Chen left the Second Hall, he did not make any midway stops and flew towards the First Hall. At this moment, everyone was split up amongst the Five Halls, so he had to reach the First Hall as soon as possible. He wasn't worried about the hall where Mandala's main body was in, but if someone had messed with the protective Spiritual Array and took Mandala's main body, it would be troublesome then.

Therefore, Mu Chen had not stopped even after seeing those damaged halls along the way.

He knew that he didn't have the luxury of time to search for the treasures left in the Ancient Haven Palace. His main priority was to take Mandala's main body away swiftly.

Otherwise, when the Xia Emperor descends in the Ancient Haven Palace and knew that he had killed Xia Yu, the Xia Emperor would definitely come and look for him.

The Xia Emperor and the Saint Demonic Emperor, whom had enmity with Mandala to begin with; so no matter what, he had to get Mandala's main body for her and allow her to break through to the Perfected Earth Sovereign Realm.

Otherwise, even with his Spirit-Slaughtering Army, it would be impossible for him to confront a Greater Earth Sovereign.

"Time is pressing…" Mu Chen uttered as he turned into a streak of light. His eyes suddenly narrowed when an azure ocean appeared at the end of his view.

The ocean was rippling with myriads of waves.

"This truly is the direction to the First Hall. Could it be that the First Hall is on the ocean?" Mu Chen was startled by this view before he briefly pondered and decisively pressed on, travelling at a swift speed, which caused waves on the ocean.

Mu Chen travelled for ten-odd minutes and, thereafter, he could see islands appearing with towering palaces on them, illustrating how majestic and flourishing they once were.

He could occasionally see streaks of light on those islands. They must be those searching for treasures. However, Mu Chen paid no attention to them and continued to swiftly travel.

As he travelled, Mu Chen could sense the traces of Spiritual Arrays in this region with fluctuations that left him startled. Fortunately, those Spiritual Arrays had been destroyed or it would definitely cost him some time to get through them.

Mu Chen's silhouette streaked across the horizon as he looked at the palaces on the islands, making confirmation in an attempt to search for the one with Mandala's main body.

Thus, his search took nearly an hour.

As time passed, Mu Chen knitted his brows. He had practically searched most of the islands, but despite the peculiar fluctuation coming from them, he couldn't match them with his memory.

"Search again…" Mu Chen clenched his teeth before going deeper.

Half an hour later, Mu Chen's face turned unsightly, since he had practically searched the whole ocean but he still couldn't find the one that matched his memory.

"The hall that I have previously seen shouldn't be false." Mu Chen's face was stern, akin to still water. He suppressed the anxiety in his heart and calmed himself down.

"Why can't I find it on the ocean? Furthermore… I couldn't find the First Hall Master's mansion, either."

Mu Chen pulsed his lips as he looked around and muttered, "Could it be that it's not on the ocean?"

If it's not on the ocean, where could it be?

Mu Chen lowered his head to the ocean and briefly pondered before squinting his eyes. "Could it be deep in the ocean?"

Mu Chen's silhouette had practically turned into a streak of light and charged into the ocean. Mu Chen spread his Spiritual Energy perception out and discovered majestic palaces, akin to beasts that crept deep in the ocean.

Mu Chen felt heavily relieved at this scene. So it turned out that the First Hall was located deep in the ocean and not the surface. The First Hall Master was truly mysterious.

Mu Chen was akin to a fish as he travelled underwater, spreading out his Spiritual Energy perception and this time, he had a result.

"Found it!" Mu Chen's silhouette appeared before a ruin with a tattered and ancient palace that was still standing. It looked similar to Mu Chen's memory.

There was also a peculiar fragrance being emitted, the fragrance of the Mandala Flower!

Mu Chen looked at the tattered palace and felt heavily relieved before approaching with caution. He stood before the palace and briefly hesitated before entering.

The interior of the palace had kept the water out. The interior was exceptionally majestic and vast. This must be an important location in the ancient times.

Evidently, the reason for the damages must have been from the intense battle that took place, since skeletons were lying around.

Mu Chen swept his gaze over in the hall and in the next moment, his face suddenly changed when he raised his head towards the end of the hall. There was a door. Mandala's main body should be behind that door.

However, Mu Chen paid no attention to that, since he had noticed two silhouettes standing before that door.

Mu Chen was familiar with one of them, Garuda of the Saint Demonic Palace. At this moment, the latter was also looking at him with a ridiculing expression and his arms folded.

Why is Garuda here?

Mu Chen's face turned ugly. Looking at Garuda's posture, he must have been waiting here.

"Haha, looks like the Palace Master has guessed correctly. That person will definitely get someone to bring her main body back in this trip to the Ancient Haven Palace. I just that never expected for it to be you."

Garuda looked at Mu Chen and smiled with his eyes narrowed. "Looks like the Domain Ruler of that Great Havenlaw Domain should be the enemy of the Palace Master. Heh, how deeply hidden."

Mandala split herself with her bud so it would be different from her main body. Thus, even the Saint Demonic Palace couldn't find her. So when Garuda saw Mu Chen there, he understood the matters behind it all.

Mu Chen stared at Garuda and his unsightly face gradually turned gentle. The Saint Demonic Emperor must have known of this location, since he was the one that forced Mandala to split her body. Thus, he naturally wouldn't be willing to let Mandala search for her main body back to gain a breakthrough in her strength. Thus, Lu Heng would definitely do many things to stop Mandala from regaining her main body.

Right now, Garuda should be here under his order.

However, if it was just Garuda alone, Mu Chen wouldn't have anything to fear; but evidently, the case wasn't that simple.

Mu Chen's gaze shifted beside Garuda, there was a figure in black and white robes that looked a little aged without any Spiritual Energy fluctuations around him.

However, it was precisely this reason why Mu Chen felt threatened. He did not think that such a weakling could get through all the heavy traps and arrive here.

Sensing Mu Chen's gaze, Garuda gently smiled. "I initially wanted a fight between you and me to see whose Great Solar Undying Body was stronger. But right now, it looks like you no longer have this opportunity."

He then turned towards the silhouette in black and white robes and respectfully bowed. "Elder Zuo, I'll have to trouble you here. The Palace Master has said that he doesn't wish to see anyone entering this hall."

"Elder Zuo?" Seeing Garuda's respectful posture, Mu Chen's pupils narrowed. Shortly after, he looked at the silhouette in black and white robes with disbelief. That person was actually an Elder of the Saint Demonic Palace?

He's to the point that even Garuda was so respectful, so the strength of that Elder must be in the Earth Sovereign Realm!

Weren't Earth Sovereigns not allowed in the Ancient Haven Palace? So how did an Earth Sovereign come here? Why was this Elder of the Saint Demonic Palace here?

Furthermore, he had not shown himself right from the start, even in the Heavenly Lake.

"Haha, very curious?" Seeing Mu Chen's shock, Garuda laughed, "Truly, the current Ancient Haven Palace is unable to contain any Earth Sovereigns. Therefore, our Saint Demonic Palace paid a great price to sneak Elder Zuo here. This way, he would have a chance to make a move and his strength would also be greatly affected. In the future, if he wants to recover, he would definitely need dozens of years."

He was happy to see Mu Chen's shock; and thus, he spoke more words.

Hearing his words, Mu Chen's eyelids twitched. The Saint Demonic Emperor was truly vicious and even allowed his subordinate, an Earth Sovereign to pay such price just to hinder Mandala from retrieving her main body.

Even with his strength greatly lowered, an Earth Sovereign was not something that a Perfected Ninth Grade Sovereign could confront. Thus, when Mu Chen entered this place, he was already a dead man in the eyes of Garuda.

However, he never imagined that Mu Chen could no longer be considered as someone from the Perfected Ninth Grade Sovereign Realm.

Thus, just as Garuda was about to take joy in Mu Chen's fearful and shocked expression, he squinted his eyes to discover that there was a slight arc rising on Mu Chen's face with a peal of gentle laughter that resounded in the hall.

"So it's a half-crippled Lesser Earth Sovereign?"