Chapter 79

Deep within the Nether Palace, the heavy bronze doors slowly swung open. The sound of flaking rust, like the grating of bones, echoed through the silent corridor and chilled the blood to the bone. The screech of the hinges turning was as if a giant beast that had slept for a thousand years were awakening. Holding the Jade Pendant, Gu Jinghong stepped into the hall. The spell curses upon his brow resonated with the star chart on the vault, and a ghostly blue light flashed, illuminating three hundred and sixty stone pillars engraved with the Nether Canon. The ancient script on the canon flickered in the light, as though countless eyes were peering at the newcomer. The characters squirmed like living things, occasionally forming ferocious faces before rapidly dissolving. The hall was filled with a heavy stench of blood—the lingering aura of years of sacrifices—mixed with the damp smell of mold, making breathing heavy. The dried bloodstains on the floor were a dark purple, piled layer upon layer across countless ages.