"So this is the Mirage Dragon Grotto-Heaven?"
Standing among the crowd, Zhou Fuyou gazed out over the unfamiliar terrain.
To his disappointment, the premier grotto-heaven of the Dao Sect—recorded in the ancient scriptures as profoundly mysterious—did not seem particularly extraordinary. Even the most iconic "mirage beasts" were nowhere to be found.
As Core Formation cultivators participating in the tournament, practically all of them knew that finishing in the top ten granted them an opportunity to cultivate inside the Mirage Dragon Grotto-Heaven, so most had consulted relevant ancient texts in advance. Yet what lay before their eyes filled them with the exact same doubts Zhou Fuyou felt.
Aside from the ten Core Formation true disciples, thirty-six Nascent Soul True Masters had also entered.
Perhaps sensing the confusion among the Core Formation juniors, someone explained, "The grotto-heaven was opened this time using an unconventional method—a back door, so to speak. That is why the scenery inside is quite different. There is no need for alarm."
"Martial Uncle Li, is the absence of mirage beasts normal as well?" someone asked curiously.
Martial Uncle Li smiled. "Of course not. Mirage beasts are manifestations formed from mirage dragon clouds converging with spiritual opportunity. Unless the disciples from the previous tournament slaughtered every single one, how could they simply not exist? The reason you do not see them now is merely that this exit area has already been purged clean by Ancestor Liancheng."
At this point, his expression turned slightly solemn.
"You need not concern yourselves with such matters. You have been brought in purely to accelerate your growth. The Mirage Dragon Grotto-Heaven possesses a hundred-to-one time dilation compared to the outside world—a hundred years inside is but one year outside. You must make good use of this century to break through to the Nascent Soul stage if possible, so that upon emerging, you may become our Dao Sect's new generation of vanguard leaders!
"Take heed: do not venture too deep into the grotto-heaven. Densely populated with high-tier mirage beasts whose strength rivals Nascent Soul True Masters, that region is far beyond what you can handle at present."
The disciples voiced their solemn assent one after another.
Martial Uncle Li's gaze landed upon the somewhat aloof white-robed young man in the crowd.
"Zhou Fuyou!"
"This disciple is here."
"You took first place in this Jiazi Tournament. The other rewards have already been dispatched to Tiannan Dao Palace and your clan. As for your personal rewards, you should have received them by now?"
The names of a host of treasures drifted through Zhou Fuyou's mind: millennium thunder essence to incorporate into a lifebound magic treasure to boost its might, Xuanyuan Heavy Water best suited for water-attribute cultivators, and copious resources and secret arts to assist in forming a Nascent Soul.
He nodded slightly. "I received them yesterday."
Martial Uncle Li's eyes shone with expectation. "I hope that when the grotto-heaven reopens, you will have become one of our peers. Furthermore, another opportunity will present itself then, and I hope you seize it."
Zhou Fuyou froze for an instant. Another opportunity when the grotto-heaven reopened?
He intended to ask further, but Martial Uncle Li and the other thirty-six Nascent Soul True Masters were already too impatient to linger. Having briefed the group on the general situation, they hastily took to their escape lights and flew off.
They traveled in the same, unmistakable direction, looking very much as if they had entered with a specific mission from the start.
Recalling the name Ke Lianshan mentioned by Ancestor Liancheng before they entered, Zhou Fuyou grew pensive.
The name Ke Lianshan was virtually unknown among the current generation of the Tianyuan Dao Sect, but among the previous generation of elders, it had commanded tremendous renown—a figure once ranked alongside the Alchemy Saint, known throughout the Central Plains as the Chess Saint.
He had been the one most likely to achieve Soul Formation!
Yet after vanishing without a trace for over a century, who could have guessed that at some point, he had entered the Mirage Dragon Grotto-Heaven?
*Chess Saint Ke Lianshan, plus thirty-six Nascent Soul True Masters... what great undertaking are they planning?*
Zhou Fuyou pondered this, his thoughts briefly drifting.
When he gathered his wits, he noticed his nine peers watching him with peculiar expressions.
Was it because Martial Uncle Li had treated him with special regard just now?
Zhou Fuyou gave a faint huff and paid them no mind. As the champion who had crushed all peers in the tournament, he had every right to disregard the thoughts of others.
With a leap, he transformed into a streak of light and flew into the distance.
Seeing how obstinately independent he was, the others had little to say. An older disciple merely murmured, "Let each of us seek a blessed place to cultivate," and they dispersed.
Ten silhouettes transformed into ten streaks of light, heading off in different directions.
Compared to the five-hundred-year tournament of the past, this batch of Dao Sect true disciples had it considerably easier. Even their entry into the Mirage Dragon Grotto-Heaven carried no competitive tasks; it served purely as a reward for the Jiazi Tournament, granting them a quiet century to cultivate in peace.
Zhou Fuyou flew at the forefront and spent just two or three days before locating a spiritual ground that suited his tastes.
It was a picturesque spot where a three-tiered waterfall sent white waves surging toward the sky. Its sole defect was that the surrounding cliffs were scorched black, as though ravaged by a raging fire.
However, claiming it would prove troublesome.
A fourth-tier dragon mirage beast—comparable to a Nascent Soul cultivator—coiled within!
Zhou Fuyou showed no fear.
If he wished to break through to the Nascent Soul stage, he needed the aid of a fourth-tier spirit vein. With his prowess, he was fully qualified to slay a fourth-tier mirage beast above his cultivation rank.
Raising his hands, Zhou Fuyou unleashed a vast expanse of mist. A dense, pitch-black fog enveloped a radius of ten li, with the faint, rhythmic churning of crashing waves echoing from within.
Qi Sea Floating Heaven, Myriad Phenomena in Stern Array!
Moreover, Zhou Fuyou opened his mouth and spat out a bead that spun swiftly as it shot toward the draconic fourth-tier mirage beast.
The two clashed, sending violent ripples through the spiritual energy across tens of li.
In the distance, a woman looked upon the scene, visibly shaken.
She had believed that when Zhou Fuyou dominated his peers during the Jiazi Tournament, his displayed prowess was already the peak of his generation.
Yet she never imagined that had merely been the tip of the iceberg.
The might he unleashed at this moment was virtually indistinguishable from that of a true Nascent Soul Master.
*Forget it. Three-Tier Falls was never my goal anyway; I'll yield it to him!*
Seeing that the battle was nearing its conclusion, the woman quietly withdrew.
*Boom!*
Accompanied by a thunderous blast, the clouds filling the sky abruptly shattered.
The colossal mirage dragon let out a mournful wail and crashed downward.
Zhou Fuyou flashed forward, snatched a beast core, and beamed with delight.
*This must be the fabled mirage core!*
*Master mentioned that it contains an opportunity to seize heaven and earth's wondrous creations. Cultivating with a mirage core offers hope of comprehending the true meaning of the laws.*
*No rush. I have yet to reach the Nascent Soul stage; I should preserve it well for now.*
Zhou Fuyou carefully stowed the fourth-tier mirage core and cast a glance into the distance.
*Gu Muyu?*
She was one of the opponents he had vanquished in the Jiazi Tournament. To think she had disregarded Martial Uncle Li's warning and ventured this deep into the Mirage Dragon Grotto-Heaven as well.
Zhou Fuyou dared to venture so deep because, first, he sought a superior spirit vein for his century of cultivation, and second, he was confident in his martial prowess, having no fear of fourth-tier mirage beasts.
Gu Muyu, on the other hand, possessed no such ability.
Frowning slightly, Zhou Fuyou paid no further heed to her prying; after all, she had already retreated of her own accord.
With a flick of his hand, he tossed out several formation flags to lay down a rudimentary isolation barrier, then began carving out a new cave abode within Three-Tier Falls.
To his surprise, his flying sword had excavated for only a short while before breaking straight through.
A cave abode already existed within!
Walking inside, Zhou Fuyou detected faint traces of past activity, though they had faded considerably.
*Perhaps left by a Nascent Soul true disciple from Master's generation.*
Since a ready-made cave abode was available, Zhou Fuyou saw no need to insist on building from scratch. He retrieved a variety of items from his storage ring and arranged them around the chamber.
Once everything was in place, he sat down peacefully in the lotus position.
"My current cultivation is at the ninth layer of Core Formation. Next, I will make an all-out sprint toward the Core Formation Great Perfection, nurturing my Three Treasures of essence, qi, and spirit to prepare for the breakthrough to Nascent Soul."
Muttering softly to himself, Zhou Fuyou gradually settled into a serene state of non-action and began drawing in the outside spiritual energy.
His cultivation progressed swiftly upward at a visible pace.
***
Outside Tiandi Island.
Having witnessed the reopening of the Mirage Dragon Grotto-Heaven with his own eyes, Luo Chen's expression shifted slightly.
"What is it?" Li Canghai asked, puzzled, looking toward him.
Luo Chen shook his head. "I entered that secret realm once before. I did not expect Liancheng to open it before the designated time."
Li Canghai looked perplexed. "Is there something unusual about that secret realm?"
The Mirage Dragon Grotto-Heaven was renowned, but that fame was largely confined to Dao Sect disciples and the reputation of the grotto-heaven tournament. Outsiders rarely knew the specific details of the secret realm itself.
Luo Chen gave a brief, perfunctory answer, but suspicion and alarm still churned in his heart.
The Mirage Dragon Grotto-Heaven possessed two unique traits: one was its abundance of mirage beasts, and the other was its altered flow of time.
The mirage cores from the former aided newly advanced Nascent Soul cultivators in grasping the true meaning of the laws, which explained why that group of Nascent Soul cultivators had entered.
As for the latter...
*If Liancheng placed the Lanke Chessboard inside to nourish it, a century in the outside world would yield no less than ten thousand years of effect within! No matter how heavily damaged the Lanke Chessboard was during the battle of the Central Plains, it would surely have recovered by now!*
*Furthermore, Chess Saint Ke Lianshan is inside as well!*
*Rumor has it that while the Lanke Chessboard is under the sect master's control, its true master is Chess Saint Ke Lianshan. Could my suspicions be correct? Did the Tianyuan Dao Sect forcibly open the Mirage Dragon Grotto-Heaven to spend ten thousand years nourishing that spirit treasure?*
*If that is the case, then the coming battle...*
Luo Chen drew a deep breath, his eyes hardening with resolve.
The arrow was already nocked on the bowstring; he had no room left for hesitation. Nor could he share this insight with Li Canghai, lest the man get cold feet.
Turning around, he said, "Senior, I know not what agreement you made with the North Sea demon race, but I have already contacted the demons of the Eastern Desolation. The coming battle will see the human and demon races of the Eastern Desolation join forces in an unprecedented, peerless coalition. Failure will not be tolerated!"
Li Canghai withdrew his suspicious gaze and smiled. "You need not worry about my side. When the time comes, the North Sea demons will throw everything into attacking Libei Continent, ensuring no one can come reinforce Dongyuan Continent. As for Tiannan Continent, their strength is the weakest; even if they send reinforcements, they pose no threat."
Luo Chen nodded. "Very well. In that case, let us part ways and begin gathering our forces. I hope that when the time comes, you and I can stand together on Tiandi Island to battle Liancheng."
Cupping his hands, Luo Chen transformed into a streak of light and drifted away.
Li Canghai glanced back at the entrance to the Mirage Dragon Grotto-Heaven on Tiandi Island, his eyes carrying both suspicion and a glint of greed.
He wondered why Liancheng would dispatch thirty-six of his clan's Nascent Soul True Masters inside at such a crucial juncture. What stirred his greed, however, was the secret realm itself.
"Though I am a Soul Formation powerhouse revered by thousands, among those of the same realm, my foundation remains far too shallow—far inferior to the Soul Formation cultivators of these sacred grounds. If I could claim this secret realm for myself, it might make up for some of that deficiency."
Muttering to himself, Li Canghai's figure gradually faded into the void.
***
Eastern Desolation, Dongyang Region.
Along the coastline where land met ocean, the once bustling harbor was extraordinarily deserted today.
Only a sparse handful of figures, arriving by twos and threes, approached from every corner of the world.
Yet though few in number, the factions they represented and the personal strength they commanded far eclipsed the combined weight of every bustling port in the Eastern Desolation.
Looking across the assembly, every single one wore splendid robes and possessed an extraordinary bearing—they were all preeminent figures of the Eastern Desolation.
At the fore stood the Grand Elder of the Dongyang Sect, leading four of his sect's Nascent Soul True Masters. Among them was the Mount Shouyang Hermit, whose body had been reshaped, his face brimming with excitement and hope.
He had believed that when his physical body was destroyed and his Nascent Soul wounded during the human-demon war, all hope of the Great Dao was lost even after reshaping his vessel. Yet who could have guessed that Master Alchemist Luo Chen possessed Empowerment Pills capable of seizing heaven and earth's wondrous fortune?
Thus, when his senior brother returned with the news, the Mount Shouyang Hermit had agreed to this campaign without the slightest hesitation.
The hermit's gaze swept over the crowd: Sovereign Jiuling of the Nine Spirits Sect, Tianduzi of the Tiandu Sect, the Daoists of the White Deer Grotto...
Practically every renowned Nascent Soul True Master of the Eastern Desolation had gathered here.
"As expected of Master Alchemist Luo; such rallying power is truly terrifying!" the Mount Shouyang Hermit exclaimed in awe.
The Dongyang Grand Elder still felt lingering apprehension, yet he too sighed with emotion. "Setting aside his personal prowess, on his rallying power alone, no one in the Eastern Desolation dares cross him. With a single command, Nascent Soul True Masters flock to his banner, and countless Core Formation and Foundation Establishment cultivators hasten to do his bidding."
Their conversation was not shielded by soundproof barriers, allowing the Nascent Soul True Masters of other sects to hear every word.
Yet no one disputed their claims.
The feeling had not been quite as profound during the earlier discourse conference, but now that it was time to mobilize and they beheld such a lineup, they truly grasped the terrifying reach of Master Alchemist Luo's influence.
Seeing that most had arrived, someone asked True Master Taiyue when they would depart.
Deng Taiyue uttered only a single word: "Wait!"
Wait for whom?
The answer became self-evident shortly thereafter, as a boundless demonic aura swept across the horizon.
*Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!*
Silhouettes descended one after another, each radiating a surging, formidable demonic aura.
To the human Nascent Soul cultivators of the Eastern Desolation, these beings were anything but unfamiliar.
In the blink of an eye, they recognized most of them.
The Thunder Prison Divine Peng, Bi Zheng, Juan Kuang, Niugui, Daoist Blood Vulture, the White Bone Black Serpent, the White-Browed Immortal Ape...
Not a single weakling was among them; nearly all were figures who had carved out illustrious, terrifying names during the two-hundred-year human-demon war.
And beneath their illustrious reputations lay mountains of human bones.
The instant the two sides met, the atmosphere grew taut as a drawn bowstring.
Deng Taiyue took a step forward, placing himself between the two factions.
His intent was obvious.
On the demon side, the Thunder Prison Divine Peng gave orders on Luo Chen's behalf, restraining the demons of Duzhen Hall from clashing with the Eastern Desolation humans.
The two groups exchanged icy stares until waves rolled across the vast ocean in the distance, and a colossal figure resembling a floating continent slowly breached the surface.
A desolate beast, the Nether Black Turtle!
The experts of the Luotian Sect stood atop its back, their expressions utterly grave.
Canglong stepped forward and offered a graceful, distant bow to the crowd.
"This journey across the sea is vast and arduous. To prevent unnecessary depletion of your dharmic powers, this turtle shall serve as our mount.
"Fellow Daoists, please board!"
Sovereign Jiuling laughed heartily. "Since Fairy Canglong is so generous, I shall not refuse."
With that, he led the two Nascent Soul True Masters of the Nine Spirits Sect onto the back of the black turtle.
Seeing this, the others hesitated no longer and leaped aboard one after another.
Even the demon experts, led by the Thunder Prison Divine Peng, stepped onto the turtle's back, which was as solid and expansive as dry land.
Bearing nearly sixty Nascent Soul-level combatants at once, the honest, plodding Nether Black Turtle showed no sign of strain. It merely spouted jets of water from its nostrils, paddled its four limbs, and ferried the combined might of the Eastern Desolation across the vast ocean toward Dongyuan Continent.
Meanwhile, toward the North Sea.
A vast horde of low-tier demon beasts surged toward Libei Continent, igniting another grand human-demon war.
Inside Taohai Ruined City, the wooden fish in the hands of the Chanting Monk—who was reciting Buddhist scriptures—came to an abrupt halt.
He retrieved a jade pendant that pulsed with faint light.
His expression turned somewhat conflicted. In the end, he gritted his teeth and left the Buddhist hall that felt so like a pure land.
Shortly after his departure, a deafening explosion suddenly tore through Taohai Ruined City. Amidst the trembling of countless low-tier demon beasts, a pillar of blood-red light shot straight into the heavens.
Chapter 1072