"That is..."

The moment the barrier broke, the thick clouds in the sky automatically dispersed without Lin Yi’s intervention.

And as the clouds dispersed, the sky above seemed to hang a dazzling sun.

Only, the light emitted by this sun was a kaleidoscope of colors, looking dreamlike and illusory.

But at this moment, what Lin Yi was most concerned about was the mysterious altar at the peak of the mountain below.

It was unknown what changes the runes on the altar would undergo under the radiance of this magnificent light.

It was uncertain whether it sealed an unrivaled divine weapon or an unmatched fierce beast.

But considering it was sealed on the 70th floor of the Endless Tower, even if it wasn’t either of these, the result surely wouldn’t be too different.

Lin Yi even wondered if it would trigger any epic-level missions.

Previously, Lin Yi had already received missions like [Unsealing·Floating City], [Rescue·Winged Race], [Unlocking: Paradise Island].

Each of these tasks played a crucial role in the game’s progress and impact.

As Lin Yi descended with anticipation, approaching the altar, an unimaginable scene unfolded before him:

"This..."

The mysterious runes on the altar indeed underwent immense changes under the radiance.

Yet it was these changes that nearly led Lin Yi to doubt what he saw with his eyes.

Ultimately, Lin Yi hovered less than a hundred meters above the altar, shock evident as he gazed at it...

The entire altar appeared like a gigantic picture frame, displaying a vivid portrait in the center.

Yes, under the glow of the radiance, the runes displayed an exquisitely beautiful portrait of a person.

Lin Yi vividly remembered the beginning when the radiance shone down, transforming the runes into two uneven lines.

This position sketched a lock of Xiu’s hair at the tip of an ear,

But what shocked Lin Yi wasn’t the transformation of the runes into a portrait.

Instead, it was the owner of the portrait that brought tremors to Lin Yi’s heart...

Zhang Xinying!!!

At that moment, she seemed to be gazing at Lin Yi, flashing a radiant smile:

"Why is this happening?"

Filled with confusion and disbelief, Lin Yi, like a light feather, slowly landed on the altar.

Then Lin Yi observed the altar radiating a scintillating glow, and the shock in his heart was hard to quell.

Why did the changes in these runes result in Zhang Xinying’s appearance?

Could the runes reflect the most significant person in one’s heart?

Clearly, Lin Yi had no chance to verify this speculation.

When Lin Yi returned to the air, he suddenly noticed a circular hole in the center of the altar.

And this vacant circular hole was positioned right at Zhang Xinying’s forehead.

This discovery made Lin Yi frown.

Lin Yi could not believe that such a grand engineering feat of an altar would culminate in this.

Obviously, there must be some significance to that position.

As he pondered, Lin Yi looked skyward.

Staring at the radiant spherical light source, he wondered if it held the answers he sought.

Lin Yi flapped his feather wings and soared into the sky once more.

After glancing at Zhang Xinying’s smiling face bathed in the glow, Lin Yi turned and flew upwards.

Braving the intense airflow, Lin Yi, upon reaching the barrier’s former location, suddenly stagnated in mid-air.

He then tentatively extended his hand outwards.

Watching as his hand passed through, indeed, the barrier had vanished.

Thus, Lin Yi hesitated no more.

For as Lin Yi approached, the architectural complex had already become vividly clear.

Initially, Lin Yi thought the complex was not far above.

But soon after, Lin Yi experienced the "mountains appear closer than they are" feeling.

The cluster of red-tile, white-wall buildings seemed close, yet Lin Yi had continuously flown upward for over ten minutes without nearing it.

Clenching his teeth, Lin Yi shouted in anger:

"I don’t believe this!"

Lin Yi then maximized his speed, but suddenly, a sharp pain pierced his eyes.

This unexpected pain nearly destabilized Lin Yi, causing him to plummet.

Fortunately, the pain was fleeting, lasting just a moment.

But during that moment of distraction, as Lin Yi reopened his eyes, the once distant buildings had vanished.

The sky was now dominated by a grand, regal, suspended jade gate.

This gate stood nearly ten meters high, flanked by jade columns carved with a dragon and a phoenix.

The lifelike designs seemed poised to soar from the columns at any moment.

This was Lin Yi’s first glimpse in this world of the phoenix solely within the legends of Hua Country.

Some might say: the divine beast Vermilion Bird is the phoenix.

Lin Yi had no rebuttal.

The [Four Divine Seals] Vermilion Bird’s image closely resembled this figure, but upon close inspection, they were fundamentally different.

Without debating whether the Vermilion Bird is a phoenix.

In the heart of Hua Country, when both appear, people prefer to call them Hua Country’s auspicious beasts: Dragon and Phoenix.

Upon sight, Lin Yi felt a captivating urge of awe, a strong compulsion to worship.

Yet, Lin Yi restrained this impulse, landing with a turbulent heart before the grand gate.

Next to the platform stood a colossal blue stone inscribed with three gold-gleaming characters:

[Outer Heaven].

Overwhelmed with emotion, Lin Yi read aloud those three characters:

"Outer Heaven!"

Confronting the solitary, suspended jade gate, Lin Yi couldn’t help but exclaim in awe:

"What an Outer Heaven."

In Lin Yi’s perspective, this ’Outer Heaven’ was part of the Hua Country’s mythical system, located far beyond the Thirty-Three Heavens, above the Celestial Court.

Calming his racing heart, Lin Yi reached for the tightly closed White Jade Gate.

As Lin Yi’s palm contacted the gate, a refreshing power swept over him, flowing through his body.

The comfort nearly made Lin Yi moan in pleasure.

But relying on immense willpower, Lin Yi applied a gentle force with his hand...

The Jade Gate wasn’t as heavy as expected and easily swung open under Lin Yi’s push.

At the moment the gate opened, a blinding white light surged forward.

Lin Yi instinctively shut his eyes, and as the intense light faded, he slowly reopened them.

Seeing the scene before him, Lin Yi’s expression turned dumbfounded, and he involuntarily exclaimed:

"What the hell!"