For the next period, Li Xiaotian was immersed in his contemplation of the Heavenly Stele, his strength steadily increasing.
In his mind, Li Xiaotian sometimes saw a gigantic palm descending from the heavens, other times there was only chaos, a beam of sword light cleaving through it, followed by vast expanses of thunder and lightning, countless scenes flashing rapidly through his consciousness.
Unknowingly, Li Xiaotian gradually became familiar with the techniques of the Emperor level, and various auras began to manifest from his person.
At times, he was incredibly sharp, radiating a chilling aura, while at others, he was gentle and refined, exuding a comforting warmth.
After an indeterminate amount of time, Li Xiaotian slowly opened his eyes, exhaling a long breath. His aura was now contained, but his strength had become even greater than before.
Furthermore, during this period of cultivation, he had gained many insights from the Heavenly Stele, finding a direction to counter the Blood Sea cultivation technique.
However, this was not an instantaneous process and would require his continuous experimentation.
"Peak early Emperor stage!" Li Xiaotian murmured, his eyes flashing with sharp brilliance. Could he now possess the strength to enter the palace?
It was important to note that Li Xiaotian's increase in strength during this time was not merely a matter of breaking through realms.
Even when he was at the peak of the King stage, his physical body was comparable to that of an Emperor. Now that he had broken through to the Emperor stage and consolidated his strength, his physical body had reached an even more terrifying level.
Li Xiaotian stood up and looked towards the direction of the palace, his gaze filled with fighting spirit. Simultaneously, Long Yi and the others also opened their eyes. Their strength had also improved during this period, and their cultivation seemed to progress without any bottlenecks or hindrances.
"Continue your cultivation here. I will try it alone again," Li Xiaotian said, interrupting Long Yi and the others' intention to follow.
He knew that Long Yi and the others were concerned about him and worried about accidents. However, with their current strength, they wouldn't be able to help him even if they went.
Moreover, he was not a reckless person. Although he was confident of entering the palace this time, he would retreat if he encountered unimaginable danger.
After all, he still had opportunities; he could simply improve his strength further.
This time, Li Xiaotian carried the Heavenly Stele. His control over it was now more refined than before. Holding the shrunken Heavenly Stele, a faint light enveloped his body.
Li Xiaotian walked towards the palace. This time, he proceeded smoothly, reaching within ten paces of the palace with almost no pause.
The pressure from the palace was still present, but he could now withstand it without being affected.
Li Xiaotian took a deep breath. The most difficult part was yet to come.
"Humph!" He controlled the Heavenly Stele's power to increase, while circulating the energy within his body, adjusting himself to his optimal state, and then, he took a step forward.
"Boom!" Terrifying pressure surged from all sides, but Li Xiaotian did not falter, taking another step forward.
After all, his current strength was no longer what it was last time.
It was only when he was three steps away from the palace that Li Xiaotian felt the horrifying pressure. Cold sweat beaded on his forehead, and that heart-palpitating sensation returned.
Li Xiaotian gritted his teeth, clutching the Heavenly Stele tightly. He took a deep breath, reached out, and stepped forward.
An incredibly terrifying aura suppressed Li Xiaotian's body from all sides. He endured it, taking a breath and arriving directly at the palace gates before pushing them open with force.
"Rumble!" An immense aura instantly erupted from the palace, but Li Xiaotian was prepared. He held the Heavenly Stele in front of him, blocking the direct impact.
The door opened!
At this moment, Li Xiaotian felt as though he was being locked onto by a terrifying existence, causing a stinging sensation all over his body.
It was the immense killing intent emanating from the headless corpse. It had perished, becoming a complete inanimate object, yet its killing intent from its living days persisted.
"Unh!" Li Xiaotian let out a muffled groan. He had entered the palace.
"Bang!" The massive door behind him instantly slammed shut.
At this moment, the terrifying killing intent within the palace instantly surged towards him. Li Xiaotian, being the first living being to enter the palace in countless ages, was met with the headless corpse's killing intent, which was directed at him instinctively.
"Pfft!" Li Xiaotian immediately vomited a mouthful of blood. Blood trickled from his facial orifices, his body trembled, and he felt a bone-chilling pain throughout.
"Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!" Many parts of Li Xiaotian's body split open, spewing blood. In an instant, he became a bloodied mess.
Li Xiaotian gritted his teeth, desperately circulating the energy within his body to resist the killing intent. At this moment, he felt an intense sense of crisis.
"I'll go all out!" Li Xiaotian roared, activating the Blood Sea cultivation technique, absorbing the blood flowing from his body, and simultaneously repairing himself.
"Humph!" The Heavenly Stele also automatically protected him, emitting dazzling light and aiding Li Xiaotian in resisting the terrifying killing intent.
At this point, Li Xiaotian could only lean against the wall. He couldn't move at all. He resisted desperately, wounds appearing on his body one after another, only to heal rapidly.
I was a bit impulsive, Li Xiaotian thought to himself. He hadn't expected the killing intent within the palace to be so terrifying, forcing him into a purely defensive state.
Li Xiaotian gritted his teeth and persevered, feeling a sense of unwillingness. The other party had died countless ages ago, yet their residual killing intent alone made him unable to resist.
However, he had no intention of leaving. After all, he was still capable of resisting, and the killing intent within the palace was merely a remnant of the headless corpse's life, it would not increase further.
Seizing the opportunity while resisting the killing intent, Li Xiaotian observed the situation within the palace. Everything inside was shattered, and even the throne where the headless corpse sat had a chipped corner.
Clearly, a great battle had occurred here in ancient times, and a powerful expert had killed the palace's master.
Li Xiaotian was not alarmed. Even without witnessing the battle firsthand, he was awestruck. He recalled the astonishing power that had changed the very heavens and earth when the bronze ancient coffin deterred the sea of blood.
And here, within this very palace, two peerless experts had engaged in a life-and-death battle. One could imagine how astonishing the situation must have been at that time.
Li Xiaotian remained in a stalemate with the headless corpse's killing intent. After an unknown period, his body gradually began to feel lighter.
He moved his fingers slightly. The killing intent was still present, but he could now withstand it. However, at this moment, he could only move his body within a small range. It would take some time before he could truly walk.
Li Xiaotian used the headless corpse's killing intent to temper his physical body. Under such pressure, one's limits would be pushed, and his strength rapidly increased.
Gradually, Li Xiaotian was able to move his feet. He slowly began to shift towards the side of the palace. At this moment, he could only walk along the edges of the palace; he was still unable to move further inward.
He meticulously observed the palace. The walls were covered in scratches, bearing the marks of sword strikes and fist imprints.
Li Xiaotian was slightly surprised. The fact that this palace could withstand the battle between two supreme experts without being destroyed demonstrated the incredible sturdiness of its material.