Even Su Qingyu had thought Gongsun Xiang was behind this, but when she saw his bewildered expression, she knew something was wrong.

In truth, it couldn’t have been Gongsun Xiang causing trouble. After all, Su Qingyu had come to the Forbidden City to fight him; she would have been prepared for this sort of thing.

As the crowd watched in utter confusion, a corner of a massive palace began to materialize in the sky.

Though the palace was still just a phantom image, its form grew more and more distinct. It seemed it wouldn’t be long before it manifested for real...

"This is..."

The same thing had appeared when the Immortal Treasure emerged. Zou Feng had seen it before.

The Glazed Immortal Palace!

"This is bad! Run!"

Zou Feng acted decisively, pulling out the Poison Gathering Bottle and Blood Jade Bowl and hurling them into the distance with all his might.

Then he grabbed Teng County and took off running.

He didn’t know the specifics of what was happening, but Zou Feng was certain the Glazed Immortal Palace was planning something big. Now, it seemed, their true intentions were about to be revealed.

Only True Qi Realm Martial Artists could use the Immortal Treasures. In other words, the Glazed Immortal Palace was using the guise of an Immortal’s legacy and priceless treasures awaiting a "fated one" to lure True Qi Realm Martial Artists to its doorstep.

However, these temptations held little appeal for other True Qi Realm Martial Artists, aside from desperate cases like Leng Jing, whose cultivation had gone terribly wrong and who would try anything.

Take Su Qingyu, for example. She placed no importance on Immortal Treasures and had even less interest in the Glazed Immortal Palace.

This was perfectly normal. After all, anyone who thought about it rationally could guess the whole thing was likely a trap.

That was why the higher-ups of Biyou Palace and the other major Sects never took the Glazed Immortal Palace seriously.

At most, people like Zou Feng, who had stumbled upon a clever use for an Immortal Treasure, would keep it on hand to put it to good use.

As for using the Immortal Treasure to actually find the Glazed Immortal Palace, they steered well clear of that idea.

But Zou Feng had never expected this. ’The Glazed Immortal Palace’s method isn’t to exploit human greed and lure people into a trap... but to just forcibly drag them inside!?’

’Come to think of it, the battle between Su Qingyu and Gongsun Xiang has gathered most of the True Qi Realm Martial Artists from every Sect.’

’This is the perfect opportunity for the Glazed Immortal Palace to catch them all in one fell swoop...’

’No time to overthink it. Just ditch the Immortal Treasures and run.’

As he fled, Zou Feng saw many other True Qi Realm Martial Artists who also carried Immortal Treasures. They were noticing their treasures reacting strangely to the Glazed Immortal Palace.

As a result, some of them tossed their Immortal Treasures away like hot potatoes.

But others, reluctant to part with their treasures, held on and waited to see what would happen.

Seeing this, Zou Feng started to believe his theory. ’The Immortal Treasures are probably what the Glazed Immortal Palace uses for targeting.’

’In other words, even if I hadn’t brought my Immortal Treasures, the Glazed Immortal Palace would have appeared anyway. After all, plenty of others did.’

’Now the only question is whether I can escape...’

Meanwhile, the Glazed Immortal Palace now hung distinctly in the sky above the Forbidden City.

It didn’t look as if a physical palace had flown over. Rather, it seemed to exist in another dimension and had temporarily opened a spatial passage to the Forbidden City.

As the silhouette of the Glazed Immortal Palace became perfectly clear, every True Qi Realm Martial Artist in the Forbidden City simultaneously felt an irresistible pulling force.

Zou Feng was no exception.

Even though he had been among the first to flee and was already very close to the Forbidden City’s walls, it was still too late.

The sudden pulling force instantly froze Zou Feng in place.

Zou Feng tried to resist the force, but after a moment, he knew it was utterly futile.

The Glazed Immortal Palace was clearly wielding a higher order of power.

Looking up, he saw that even Su Qingyu was unable to resist the pull, held firmly in place just like everyone else.

"Brother Feng... what is..." Teng County, who had been running with Zou Feng, stammered, her face pale with horror.

Zou Feng replied with a helpless sigh, "Looks like we’re all going to pay a visit to the Glazed Immortal Palace..."

Teng County clearly knew that being forcibly dragged into an Immortal Palace meant their chances of survival were slim. Her face fell. "What are we going to do? Tsk. If the Glazed Immortal Palace has such miraculous powers, what does it want with us True Qi Realm Martial Artists for...?"

Before she could finish, the color drained even further from her face.

She had just realized it herself. One True Qi Realm Martial Artist might be useless to the Glazed Immortal Palace, but with so many of them gathered here—so much raw talent—it was impossible that they had no use for them...

As a high-ranking member of Biyou Palace, Teng County’s mind immediately jumped to horrific fates, like being used for Cultivation Gu or refined into a Great Medicine.

Seeing her panic, Zou Feng reassured her, "Don’t worry, it’s not that big a deal. With so many of us going in, we might just be able to put up a fight against the Glazed Immortal Palace!"

These weren’t just empty words meant to soothe Teng County; he genuinely felt confident.

The source of his confidence wasn’t his ability to defeat First Grade experts as a Second Grade cultivator. It was an unfamiliar name that had just appeared on the List of Gods.

Gu Yunzi!

This name was different from any of the other big shots who had ever appeared on the list.

His name on the list was suffused with golden light, shimmering with a dazzling, special effect.

This was treatment not even a First Grade Expert received when they appeared on the list.

Therefore, Zou Feng concluded that Gu Yunzi must be some entity within the Glazed Immortal Palace.

’As for why Gu Yunzi wants me dead already?’

’It’s not personal. This guy probably wants to kill every single True Qi Realm cultivator being dragged into the Glazed Immortal Palace.’

’And judging by the special effects on his name, his power is likely above the First Grade...’

’Fortunately, since Gu Yunzi is on the list, the situation isn’t hopeless.’

’Besides, there are so many True Qi Realm experts here. I even glimpsed the Sword Saint, Jing Huaisong. No need to be too pessimistic.’

"The Glazed Immortal Palace? We have never heard of such a power existing in the Eastern Land..." Gongsun Jinghong, who had been keeping a low profile, finally spoke again.

Zou Feng felt no strain at all carrying a person, and with the recent series of chaotic events, he had almost forgotten Gongsun Jinghong was still on his shoulder.

’So it’s not from the Eastern Land?’

’That’s good news.’

By now, Zou Feng had a rough understanding of the "Eastern Land," the place one could reach by crossing the Fallen Immortal Sea.

That place was essentially a land more suitable for Immortal Cultivation, and the scale of its various Sects was immeasurably vast.

Moreover, powerful entities from some of its factions would occasionally make contact with this side, in Great Yan.

Gongsun Jinghong had mentioned before that the Great Yan Royal Family had backing in the Eastern Land. That was why, even if Gongsun Xiang were to fall, the throne could only be inherited by another member of the Royal Family.

It was why she was certain that even if the throne were placed right in front of the Southern Prince, he wouldn’t dare to actually take it.

In short, since Gongsun Jinghong said the Glazed Immortal Palace wasn’t a power from the Eastern Land, the trouble they were about to face would be significantly less severe.

’This Gu Yunzi character is most likely just some desperate Loose Cultivator who ran out of options for one reason or another.’

’Otherwise, if these True Qi Realm Martial Artists were really so valuable, would the Evil Sects of the Eastern Land just let someone else have them for cheap?’

As he mulled this over, some of the True Qi Realm Martial Artists in the distance began to vanish from where they stood, as if they were being teleported.

They were clearly being pulled completely into the Glazed Immortal Palace.

Also unable to move, Zou Feng and Teng County could only watch helplessly as the others vanished one by one.

A profound and irresistible power swept over him, and Zou Feng’s vision abruptly went black.

He then found himself in what felt like a chaotic void.

Within this space, he couldn’t feel the passage of time at all.

After an unknown amount of time, his vision returned. Zou Feng found himself transported to a pleasant, scenic grassland.

In the distance, about ten li away, stood the sprawling complex of the Glazed Immortal Palace.

Gongsun Jinghong, who had been on his shoulder, and Teng County, who had been beside him, were both nowhere to be seen.

He couldn’t see any other True Qi Realm Martial Artists around either.

After briefly surveying his surroundings, Zou Feng tried to circulate his energy.

His True Qi flowed without issue, and he could still use all his Poison Skills.

’Good. So, should I find a place and just start hammering away at Gu Yunzi, regardless of anything else?’

As he was pondering this, two familiar objects in the distance came flying straight toward him.

With his keen eyesight, Zou Feng quickly made them out. They were the very same Poison Gathering Bottle and Blood Jade Bowl he had thrown away.