Desolate Devouring Art-Chapter 956 - Painting the Eyes

Liu Wuxie failed to see through the stone gate with Ghost Eye, so he stepped forward to investigate it directly. He thoroughly examined the stone gate but found no mechanism to open it. Even after a long search, he still found nothing.

"Dragon aura!" Liu Wuxie murmured as his gaze fell on a narrow fissure on the gate. ƒгeeweɓn૦vel.com

Perhaps the gate needs to be opened with the dragon aura unique to the dragon clan.

He channeled his true essence and activated the True Dragon Physique as strands of dragon aura coiled around his finger. He injected the aura through the fissure, allowing it to seep into the gate.

Once done, he backed away and stood shoulder to shoulder with Gu Yu, waiting for any reaction.

About a minute later, crackling sounds echoed from the stone gate.

He had merely taken a gamble, never expecting the dragon aura to truly be the key. Instead of rising, however, the gate sank slowly into the ground.

The view ahead cleared, revealing a vast hall glowing with light.

When the gate opened, a powerful surge of dragon aura gushed out from the depths below.

Liu Wuxie and Gu Yu exchanged shocked glances.

The cultivators behind them could barely contain their excitement and surged forward in a frenzy. None of them had known this place housed the dragon clan's treasures previously. The moment the dragon aura erupted, they rushed over immediately.

"Let's go!" Liu Wuxie said. He darted into the vast hall with Gu Yu—this narrow passage was no place to fight. If there were treasures within, they could retrieve them before the others arrived.

Liu Wuxie and Gu Yu passed through the gate and entered the hall. The other cultivators arrived after Liu Wuxie and Gu Yu entered the hall.

There were three gates inside the hall, each inscribed with corresponding words.

"It's the Dragon Clan's three palaces!" Gu Yu said.

He knew the dragon clan was fond of building underground palaces, commonly known as dragon palaces. But there were many classifications of the palaces, and the term 'dragon palace' was more of a general name. Within the dragon clan, the palaces had different names.

"Retreat Palace!" Liu Wuxie looked at the center gate with two words etched on it. As the name implied, this was where the Dragon King's consorts resided.

The dragon clan upheld ancient traditions. The strongest dragon was known as the Dragon King, who owned three palaces and six courts, much like human emperors.

When he turned to the left, the gate had 'Punishment Palace' etched on it. This was built to punish disobedient or sinful dragons.

Liu Wuxie had even heard that the dragon clan possessed a powerful treasure known as the Eight Treasure Pagoda, which was used to imprison sinful dragons.

The original Eight Treasure Pagoda had vanished long ago, and the one in the Dragon Realm now was just a replica.

The authentic pagoda was said to be the bane of all dragons, capable of subduing any dragon. This was why the dragon clan wouldn't allow the Eight Treasure Pagoda or anyone to forge it. Moreover, it was impossible to forge it without the draconic laws.

The gate on the right had 'Dragon Palace' etched on it, where the dragon clan discussed matters of great importance.

The three gates loomed before the crowd, their mysteries sealed—even Liu Wuxie didn't know what lay behind them.

"Big Brother, which one should we enter first?" Gu Yu asked. There were likely treasures behind each gate, but they couldn't explore all three with only two of them.

"Do you remember the dragon palace we found back then?" Liu Wuxie asked.

"I do," Gu Yu replied with a nod.

They had been prepared to die back then—never expecting to stumble upon an underwater Dragon Palace.

Back then, an overwhelming pressure had erupted from the Dragon Palace, and they had only survived because they carried the dragon clan's bloodline. However, the others hadn't been so lucky and were crushed to death by the overwhelming pressure.

"If I'm not wrong, these three gates are likely connected. If we follow the sequence, we can visit all of them," Liu Wuxie continued.

The Dragon Palace was massive—more like a labyrinth than a palace. Yet beneath its complex layout lay a precise symmetry. If they chose the correct sequence, it could save them from countless detours and dangers.

"So, which one should we take first?" Gu Yu asked, puzzled. He knew what Liu Wuxie meant but didn't know which to pick first.

"We'll start with the Dragon Palace, then the Retreat Palace, and finish with the Punishment Palace," Liu Wuxie said after a brief consideration. He had his reasons for choosing this sequence.

Meanwhile, the other cultivators had flocked toward the three gates, trying to open them.

"Big Brother, aren't you worried they'll enter before us?" Gu Yu asked, frowning.

He could endure them claiming the treasures—but not seeing the ancient halls defiled or destroyed.

"Let them try if they wish to die faster," Liu Wuxie sneered.

The dragon palace wasn't that easy to venture into. Without the divine dragon's bloodline, they would only die for trespassing.

After all, each treasure radiated dragon aura potent enough to crush ordinary cultivators. Charging recklessly was nothing short of committing suicide.

That was especially the case with the Punishment Hall, where the resentment had festered throughout the years, left behind by sinful dragons who had died in agony. The resentment might have even given form to spirits wandering in the palace.

Even Liu Wuxie didn't dare to approach it carelessly. That was why he had chosen to leave the Punishment Hall for last. He knew what it represented—dungeons, prisons, the remnants of pain and punishment. It was a place steeped in filth, resentment, and crushing negativity.

Those who lacked a strong will would be overwhelmed by negative emotions, instantly losing consciousness.

However, a few watched Liu Wuxie closely, trying to discern his choice. They had seen him opening the gate by injecting a strand of the dragon aura.

No matter how the surrounding cultivators attacked, the other two entrances didn't budge. Feeling defeated, they had no choice but to fall in line behind Liu Wuxie.

The dragon aura was the key to this underground palace. Without any dragon aura, it was futile, even if they made it this far.

When the gate opened fully, an overwhelming outburst of dragon aura erupted, flooding the hall.

Liu Wuxie's skin tingled as the dragon aura surged over him, and his body instinctively absorbed its power. The dragon aura was unusually pure, perfect for strengthening his True Dragon Physique.

Gu Yu did the same, quietly summoning the Dragon Clan Scepter to draw in the dragon aura and restore its inner laws.

The other cultivators were doing the same, as the dragon aura was also beneficial to them in reshaping their constitution. Then again, the effects for them were minor and pale compared to Liu Wuxie and Gu Yu.

Upon stepping into the Dragon Palace, they were greeted by an enormous hall. The stone pillars supporting the ceiling were so thick that even ten people wouldn't be enough to embrace one, even if they formed a circle. These were the foundations that supported the entire mountain.

This mountain couldn't have formed naturally—only the dragon clan could have built such a colossal structure.

When the dragons lived there, this place had been a forbidden zone that no one dared to enter. No wonder this place was so well-preserved even after so many years. After all, who would have dared to provoke the dragon clan when this world was thriving?

But after this world had fallen into ruin, dragons and humans alike had disappeared. Some dragons had fled to the astral domain when the sky had ripped apart, and only a few had remained, choosing to stay in this world.

"How magnificent!" The hall still felt empty even after everyone had entered. It was so massive that walking around it would take more than a day.

The stone pillars were etched with countless intricate dragon runes. When Liu Wuxie touched them gently, he could feel that these pillars had long fused with the palace over the years, and removing one could trigger the collapse of the entire underground palace.

Those without the True Dragon Physique couldn't even dream of retrieving the pillars. But they weren't thinking that far ahead as most would be satisfied just to walk away with a few treasures belonging to the Dragon Clan.

More people continued to flock into the hall, and an exclamation came from the hall's depth. "Look over there!"

When Liu Wuxie turned in the direction of the voice, he saw an enormous dragon's head at the hall's depth.

Everyone rushed over immediately, curious to see if a divine dragon had left behind its head.

However, there wasn't any overwhelming dragon aura from that dragon's head. If it had been a divine dragon's skeleton, it would have emanated a dragon aura even after its death.

"It's just a sculpture..."

As everyone drew closer, they realized it was only an incredibly lifelike sculpture.

A wave of disappointment rippled through the crowd as they dispersed and continued their search.

However, Gu Yu and Liu Wuxie exchanged glances, their eyes revealing a hint of excitement and madness. They could sense the resonance emanating from the Heavenly Dragon Seal and the Dragon Clan Scepter, indicating that the sculpture held a secret.

They didn't know what secret the sculpture held, and they would have to open it to find out.

With a single leap, Liu Wuxie soared toward the sculpture while Gu Yu remained below to stand guard and fend off anyone who tried to snatch their find.

They moved with seamless coordination, just like how they had done in the Blood Sea Abyssal Island.

Liu Wuxie reached out and ran his fingers across the sculpture's surface, carefully studying every detail. The craftsmanship was exquisite, and each whisker looked vivid, almost indistinguishable from a real one.

Moreover, Liu Wuxie's attention was on the eyes. Just as in old legends, painting the eyes of a dragon was the most challenging task, as they were crucial to giving the painting life.

The dragon's eyes were empty, waiting to be brought to life—just as the old legends had said.

Liu Wuxie examined it for a long time but failed to find any clues. The sculpture was flawlessly sealed, as though it were carved from a single piece of stone. There were no hidden mechanisms or openings.

He couldn't bring himself to shatter such lifelike artistry—especially if it meant risking damaging whatever lay hidden inside.

Back at the entrance, he had already told Gu Yu not to damage anything unless necessary, and it would be a desecration for him to destroy such a masterpiece.

Without any Dragon Clan relics, they saw only an elaborate carving—nothing more.

But Liu Wuxie's gaze lingered on the eyes.

"Painting the eyes to bring it to life...could it be...?"