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“How did you escape from the Mortal Dust Palace?” the monk Great Wisdom asked in confusion.
“My mother sent me out,” the woman replied.
“She told me to stay away and live on my own. But shortly after I left the Mortal Dust Palace, I was captured by those people.”
“Do you still know the way back to the Mortal Dust Palace?” Xu Zimo asked.
“Yes,” the woman nodded weakly.
“Then come with us,” the monk said.
“After all, we saved you, think of it as repaying the favor.”
“Why are you going to the Mortal Dust Palace? My mother told me never to return,” the woman asked.
“You just need to show us the way. We don’t need to go inside,” Xu Zimo replied.
“Alright then,” the woman thought for a moment and then nodded.
“My name is Gu Yue,” she said.
After exchanging names, the three of them headed south of the village.
On the southern side of the village near the river, there were several large ships docked.
But since it was just the three of them, Xu Zimo chose a small flat boat.
The three sat in the boat and used their spiritforce to propel it toward the distant Endless Sky Sea.
...
The sea was usually murky, but this river branch was quite clear.
The water sparkled, and because of the snow and ice, a thin layer of ice covered the surface.
As the boat glided forward, the ice cracked and slowly melted into the water.
“Can you tell us about the Mortal Dust Palace?” Xu Zimo asked.
“I don’t know much,” Gu Yue shook her head. “Though I grew up in the Mortal Dust Palace, I lived alone since childhood, sealed off and unable to leave.”
“I see,” Xu Zimo nodded slightly.
“I can only take you there. My mother always said it was dangerous inside and never let me wander,” Gu Yue said.
“Monk, how much do you know about the Mortal Dust Palace?” Xu Zimo asked Great Wisdom.
“There are Dust Envoys in the Mortal Dust Palace who are in charge there. That’s something my grandmaster mentioned,” the monk replied. “I don’t know anything else. I’ve never been there myself.”
As the three continued their conversation, more than three days passed.
Thanks to Gu Yue’s guidance, they avoided many wrong turns and finally arrived at the Endless Sky Sea.
As one of the ten forbidden grounds, the Mortal Dust Palace covered a vast area, almost half of the Endless Sky Sea.
No matter which continent you started from, you could enter the Endless Sky Sea.
Standing before the vast sea, the cold wind blew across the surface, turning everything white.
“Let’s dive,” Gu Yue said.
The Mortal Dust Palace was located in another world beneath the sea, so the three of them jumped straight from the boat into the water.
The winter sea was piercingly cold, enough to make anyone shiver.
They swam downward along the water.
To enter the Mortal Dust Palace, a formation was needed. It wasn’t particularly rare and was widely known on the continent.
But no one willingly used it, because once you entered, you could never leave.
As the three reached the seafloor of the Endless Sky Sea, the pressure was overwhelming.
Anyone with a weak cultivation might have their blood vessels burst and die instantly.
“Look for Dust Stones,” Gu Yue said.
The three nodded and began searching the seafloor for Dust Stones.
The formation to enter the Mortal Dust Palace required these specific stones.
The seafloor of the Endless Sky Sea was filled with Dust Stones, left behind for those seeking to enter.
After a while of searching, the three gathered several hundred stones.
Spiritforce surged around Xu Zimo. With a wave of his hands, all the Dust Stones began to circle around him.
Xu Zimo had seen the formation for the Mortal Dust Palace in the True Martial Sacred Ground’s library, so it wasn’t too difficult.
He formed hand seals with his right hand, each seal embedding a Dust Stone into the void.
Once all the stones disappeared into the void, Xu Zimo summoned them with a gesture.
A brilliant light burst from around him.
The Dust Stones connected and formed a complete formation.
“Are you going in?” Xu Zimo asked Gu Yue.
“Even though my mother told me not to return, I still want to see them,” Gu Yue hesitated but eventually replied.
“Then let’s go together,” Xu Zimo said and stepped into the formation. The other two followed closely behind.
...
As the world around them spun, Xu Zimo felt his body being sucked into something.
He couldn’t resist at all.
After passing through layer upon layer of spatial barriers, the space around him eventually calmed.
Xu Zimo found himself inside a city.
Around him were others just like him, one by one emerging from the teleportation array.
There were burly men, lifeless-eyed women, and swordsmen with long blades hanging from their sleeves.
...
Among the crowd, Xu Zimo spotted Great Wisdom and Gu Yue.
He waved at them, and they quickly walked over.
“So many people come to the Mortal Dust Palace. Have they all truly renounced the mortal world?” the monk said in surprise.
“Who knows,” Xu Zimo smiled.
He looked around. The city wasn’t very large. After fewer than a hundred people came through the formation, the flow slowed.
Then, two men in bright red robes and wearing masks stepped in front of the crowd.
“We are Dust Envoys, here to guide newcomers to the Mortal Dust Palace,” the one on the left announced.
“Follow us. The Mortal Dust Palace has no strict rules, but there are some things you must understand.”
The three followed the crowd and the two Dust Envoys to a large open plaza.
“Find a place to sit,” the envoys said as they took seats at the front and looked at the crowd.
Once everyone settled down, the Dust Envoy began to speak.
Xu Zimo listened for a while. The message was clear, no evil acts were allowed here.
Within the Mortal Dust Palace, greed, obsession, lust, and malice were forbidden.
People here lived self-sufficient and independent lives.
When the Dust Envoy finished, he waved his hand and said, “You’re free to go now. Just remember: do not violate what I just said. The World-Weary Goddess is watching you.”
After the envoys left, the monk muttered, “Living like this... what’s the difference from being a living corpse?”
“You don’t understand. Some people prefer this way of life, otherwise, why come to the Mortal Dust Palace at all?” Xu Zimo said with a smile.
“I’m a bit hungry,” Gu Yue said softly, touching her stomach with slight embarrassment.
“Let’s find an inn,” Xu Zimo suggested.
“There are no inns here. Since there's no currency exchange, everyone lives on their own,” Gu Yue reminded him.