Ning Wuhui moved forward slowly, stopping now and then as if searching for something. After crossing several mountain ranges in succession, his gaze swept across the distance and settled on a towering peak.

He observed for a moment, then a glint of joy crossed his face. "Found it!"

Qin Sang was slightly surprised. They had not reached the Spirit-Suppressing Domain yet.

He focused his eyes and saw that the mountain was tall, its summit brushing against the celestial barrier, shrouded in radiant clouds. Yet among the mountains encircling Yitian Peak, there were many that looked just as lofty and majestic. He could not tell what made this one special.

The two arrived at the foot of the mountain. The space within Dark Valley was more stable than elsewhere, though not without the occasional spatial rift. This particular mountain had one cutting across its midsection.

They were already accustomed to such sights. After confirming there was no other danger atop the mountain, they concealed their auras and flew upward.

It was obvious that a man-made stone path wound up the mountain, cutting through valleys and forests toward the summit.

Along the path lay dried streambeds, ruined pavilions, and collapsed ancient halls. But these sights were ordinary. There were no remaining barriers, no trace that hinted at a hidden realm.

Such a mountain had surely been explored long ago. Once its lack of value was confirmed, cultivators had gradually lost interest.

Qin Sang followed Ning Wuhui to the top, where they finally stopped. They now stood nearly beneath the celestial barrier itself. The glow of the clouds shimmered all around them. Feeling the pressure of the celestial barrier up close made one’s heart tremble.

At the summit stood the remnants of ancient halls, once splendid and exquisite. Without ancient cultivators to maintain them, the barriers had faded, and the structures had decayed over time.

Dust blanketed everything, and signs of collapse and ruin were everywhere. The main gate had long vanished.

The two stepped cautiously through the empty doorway, leaving not a single trace. After passing through several chambers, they emerged into a vast open space.

The space was circular, surrounded by broken stone pillars, some reduced to their bases. Even those still standing had lost their luster, returning to mundane stone.

Ning Wuhui walked to the center and tilted his head upward, staring at the celestial barrier above.

Qin Sang stayed silent, watching Ning Wuhui’s movements carefully. A flicker of realization crossed his eyes. He had faintly guessed where Ning Wuhui’s so-called Dao might be.

The radiance was dazzling. Ning Wuhui’s gaze gleamed like twin stars, piercing through the glow to glimpse the barrier’s true form.

After searching for a while, Ning Wuhui suddenly stepped forward, raised his hand like a blade, and slashed upward with force.

Whoosh! True essence condensed into a crescent blade of light, slicing into the depths of the glow.

Qin Sang’s heart tensed. He secretly circulated his true essence, fearing that the celestial barrier might retaliate. Even if they managed to escape, the disturbance would surely draw attention.

If a Spiritual Infant grandmaster arrived, things would become troublesome. However, the scene he dreaded did not occur.

Ning Wuhui continued striking upward, one palm after another, each wave of true essence disappearing into the light. His footwork shifted with precision. The glow rippled faintly but without violent reaction. Despite the repeated strikes, the celestial barrier did not strike back.

Suddenly, a deep and dreadful pulse emanated from within the barrier. Qin Sang’s expression changed instantly. Fortunately, the fluctuation vanished as quickly as it came. The light rippled gently like water, spreading only a short distance before subsiding.

"Go! And remember, do not release a single wisp of true essence or spiritual consciousness!" Ning Wuhui gave a low shout and soared upward.

Qin Sang clenched his jaw, cast aside all hesitation, and followed him into the square. With a flash, he too charged straight into the barrier.

He watched as the radiant light engulfed him completely. His vision went white, and he was instantly blinded. He dared not extend his spiritual consciousness to probe.

Every defensive measure he had was ready to activate at a moment’s notice. As he ascended, a powerful gust suddenly struck him, pressing against his body like an invisible mountain. He steadied himself and forced his way upward through the wind.

The good news was that aside from this gale, the celestial barrier’s backlash did not appear. Yet the wind only grew fiercer.

Just then, Qin Sang felt his body lighten. Ning Wuhui grabbed his arm, and suddenly his feet found solid ground.

Startled, Qin Sang opened his eyes, and what he saw left him breathless. He could not tell whether they were above the celestial barrier or within it. The sky was still filled with afterglow, but the scene was no longer monotonous.

An endless sea of clouds spread around them, interwoven with multicolored light, creating a breathtaking, dreamlike spectacle.

Qin Sang stared in awe, unable to imagine that such a world existed within the celestial barrier.

Looking down, he saw that he stood on a white jade corridor stretching out from the depths of the cloud sea, ending abruptly beneath his feet.

Even more astonishing, a flaw could be seen beneath the corridor, an opening in the celestial barrier itself. It was unclear whether it had been deliberately created or caused by some external force. The flaw could only be seen from above.

Each of Ning Wuhui’s palm strikes earlier had landed precisely upon that weak point, opening a small gap large enough for them to slip through.

"Are we really above the barrier? No, there are celestial barriers all around!" Qin Sang raised his head and looked around.

All around the white jade corridor, the glow pulsed with runes, emanating an aura of danger.

They stood amid clouds and radiance, surrounded by nothing tangible except for the white jade corridor beneath their feet. Everything else appeared illusory.

At the far end of the corridor loomed the faint outlines of celestial mansions and palaces.

To the north, west, and east, there were grand palaces and mountain ranges veiled in haze. The mountains bloomed with color, as if wrapped in flowers and light.

The clouds and radiance were not still. As they surged and shifted, those palaces and mountains appeared and vanished, sometimes whole, sometimes shattered.

It was impossible to tell whether this was some illusion born of a barrier or if the palaces were real, merely obscured by the celestial barrier. No one could tell which was true.

Beneath the celestial barrier, including the inner hall, lay nothing but desolation. Even the void there was fractured, spatial rifts scattered everywhere.

Some sites had clearly once been extraordinary, and their owners were beings of great power, yet even they had succumbed to time. All that remained was ruin, and not a single intact structure could be found.

But within the barrier, the celestial palaces were pristine, their former splendor perfectly preserved.

This must be what mortals imagined the celestial court to look like. Yet without a single immortal presence, the palaces, though beautiful, were utterly silent.

Qin Sang was overwhelmed by what he saw, turning slowly to gaze in every direction. Then his eyes narrowed as something caught his attention.

In one direction, where there were no palaces, only emptiness. There stood the faint shadow of a black tower. Its top was obscured by clouds, its height unfathomable.

"The Sky Tower!" Qin Sang’s heart trembled. He recognized it instantly as the upper half of the Sky Tower.

In that moment, countless realizations surged through his mind. When everyone had seen him fall from the tower’s summit, it must not have been from the outer hall at all, but from above the celestial barrier itself!