The small are called clams; the great are called mirages.
They exhale mist and swallow clouds, stir winds and summon rain.
Gathered, they loom tall as mountains; dispersed, they flow like ocean currents.
In that formless shift between gathering and dispersing, they hold Mount Sumeru within a mustard seed inside their very flesh, forging a world of their own.
This beast was known as the Mirage Dragon!
Legend had it that in primordial antiquity, numerous desolate beasts roamed the Central Plains continent, and foremost among them in fame was the Great Desolate Mirage Dragon.
It possessed neither fixed form nor constant substance, shifting and scattering unpredictably.
At times, it manifested in the world as beasts and birds; at other times, it blanketed the entire Central Plains like mist and clouds.
Because of its presence, the Tianyuan Dao Sect had suffered immense hardship when carving out the Central Plains, paying with countless lives and rivers of blood.
And now, thousands of years after its death, it opened its maw once more.
Gazing at the profound, gaping maw opening beside the Shi River, the crowd that had been immersed in the Alchemy Saint's magnificent ascension instantly had their attention pulled away.
A clamor of voices erupted on the spot.
"So the entrance to the Mirage Dragon Grotto-Heaven was beneath our Heaven and Earth Peak all along!"
"Makes sense. How could such a supreme desolate beast be annihilated so easily? Given a mirage dragon's nature, the slightest carelessness could allow it to revive from the dead. Only a blessed land and precious mountain as rare as Heaven and Earth Peak could suppress it generation after generation, leaving it with no hope of ever turning over!"
"In that case, the disciples of the Tianyuan Dao Sect are about to enter it for that once-in-five-centuries grand tournament?"
"That must be it."
"I’m actually quite curious. Why must the eligibility of Nascent Soul cultivators entering the grotto-heaven be limited to those who formed their souls within a century? If there really are good things inside, wouldn’t it be better to send older Nascent Soul True Persons with longer cultivation and greater prowess to retrieve them?"
"Who knows? Either way, the Tianyuan Dao Sect's official stance is to grant opportunities to the younger generation and bring a few more glimmers of hope to the sect's future."
"What a pity. We True Persons of the Star Gate are all old and frail, with no chance to glimpse the true countenance of the grotto-heaven."
"Who says there's no chance? Hasn't that person become a Dao Protector for the Fu family?"
The murmured discussions of the neighboring Star Gate guest elders drifted continuously into his ears.
Luo Chen's expression shifted slightly.
In particular, he could feel their gazes lingering faintly and repeatedly on the orb of light in his hand.
The Heavenly Mechanism Pill?
Luo Chen let out a quiet chuckle and subtly tucked it away into his pouch.
He raised his head and looked across the distance toward the aristocratic clans.
As if feeling a mutual connection, Fu Chaosheng nodded toward him.
Yet an instant before that nod, Luo Chen had clearly caught a flicker of disappointment in the other man's eyes.
*Is he coveting the Heavenly Mechanism Pill in my hand as well?*
Keeping his expression impassive, Luo Chen stepped out from the crowd.
He was not the only one making such a move.
Under the expectant gazes of the multitudes, figures emerged one by one.
At the head stood thirteen individuals—the most outstanding generation of the Tianyuan Dao Sect in the past century!
Behind each of the thirteen stood a Nascent Soul True Person of distinct temperament and vastly different style. These were their Dao Protectors.
Luo Chen looked over them one by one.
Among the scions of the three Great Houses, behind Gu Yuan stood a man in golden robes named Gu Chen, a loyal servant specially groomed for him by the Gu family, even bestowed with the Gu surname.
Gu Daosu, the younger brother of Celebrity Dao Yin, stood there silently. Beside him was a graceful young matron. If memory served, she was also surnamed Gu and hailed from the same clan as Gu Daosu. She had married out in her early years and returned to the Gu family after her husband passed away, yet unexpectedly, she had become Gu Daosu's Dao Protector.
Shi Ju...
Luo Chen frowned slightly. He remembered this person was not planning to bring a Dao Protector.
Yet at this moment, Qi Xiongcheng, with whom he had crossed paths once before, stood behind Shi Ju with a hunched back.
When Luo Chen looked over, the other man met his gaze frankly.
Pursing his lips, Luo Chen let his eyes wander on.
Xiang Qi, the prodigy of the Xiang clan, the foremost of the thirty-six aristocratic families. His Dao Protector was the Wrathful Vajra, hailing from the Buddhist sects of the Western Desert.
Yu Xu. Her Dao Protector was a Nascent Soul True Person similarly shrouded in black robes, titled True Person Tianshan, rumored to be the last sect master of a declining grand sect in the Southern Border.
Lin Bufan, whose Dao Protector was named Lin Jingtang.
...
True Person Longyuan Liu Yuan, whose Dao Protector was Mingyan.
When Mingyan stepped out from behind the Tianyuan Sect Master and took her place behind Liu Yuan, the roster was finally complete.
Luo Chen withdrew his gaze, matching these people one by one to the intelligence reports in his mind, gradually gaining a clear picture.
As for the other three hundred-odd Foundation Establishment and Core Formation disciples, he did not care much about them.
The two groups were not even running on the same track.
Everyone stood together in silence, seemingly waiting for something.
They were not kept waiting long.
The fingers of Tianyuan Sect Master Mo Shouzhuo, which had rested on the chessboard the entire time, slowly loosened.
With a flick of his wrist, specks of white starlight materialized in the air. Upon closer inspection, they were chess pieces condensed from pure dharmic powers.
With a flick of his fingers, the pieces floated before each person.
"These are illusory chess pieces, formed by combining my dharmic powers with the might of the Mirage Dragon. One for each of you."
"They will allow you to act normally within the Mirage Dragon Grotto-Heaven."
"Even if you perish inside, you may use these illusory chess pieces to revive in the outside world."
"However, remember that you only have one chance. Once revived, you forfeit all eligibility to re-enter the grotto-heaven. Furthermore, while the illusory chess piece can preserve your life, resurrection will leave you in a prolonged state of weakness and may even damage your cultivation."
"If you encounter a force you truly cannot overcome, I advise you to proactively trigger the piece and depart the grotto-heaven on your own, rather than letting matters fall to an irrecoverable state."
The Tianyuan Sect Master's weathered voice fell into everyone's ears like a gentle spring rain.
Luo Chen caught the white chess piece.
To the touch, it felt incomparably soft and lacked any sense of solid reality.
Yet he knew that this was the very guarantee Fu Chaosheng had spoken of, the assurance that his life would not be in danger during this expedition!
Something combining the might of a Soul Formation grandmaster and the power of the Mirage Dragon?
It was likely more than just that!
Luo Chen could faintly sense far more complex nuances within it.
For instance, there was a trace of the spiritual opportunities that had converged from all directions earlier, though it was only the faintest wisp.
"The Mirage Dragon has awakened. Go forth, and seek your fortunes!"
After closing the chessboard and handing it to Chess Saint Ke Lianshan, the Tianyuan Sect Master uttered his final words.
Luo Chen and the others hesitated no longer. Transforming into streaks of escape light, they plummeted down the mountain, plunging resolutely into that profound, gaping maw.
After their departure, diverse thoughts ran through the minds of those on Cloud Sea Plaza.
Some wore expressions of anticipation, while others remained utterly indifferent.
Some paced about, while others stayed seated in place.
The opening of the Mirage Dragon Grotto-Heaven could last anywhere from several months to over a year. An accurate estimate was impossible, as it depended entirely on how long the final cultivator stayed inside.
Not everyone was willing to wait so long for the outcome.
This was especially true for the True Persons of the Star Gate and the visiting cultivators from other continents.
The young man from the Mingyuan Sect was the first to take his leave.
The Tianyuan Sect Master made no effort to detain him, allowing him to depart freely.
The mysterious black-robed cultivator from the Southern Border did the same, though before leaving, he cast a few curious glances at the deep maw exhaling clouds and mist.
The bald Buddhist monks from the Western Desert, paying no heed to the strange looks from others, approached the Tianyuan Sect Master with bitter expressions.
"The Western Desert demon wilds have joined hands and are stirring with unrest, yet the sacred ground of Hanging Temple has shut its mountain gates, ignoring worldly affairs. We lack a Soul Formation grandmaster to hold down the front. We implore your esteemed sect to lend a helping hand!"
At these words, a smile appeared on Mo Shouzhuo's calm, aged face.
"There is no rush. Let us wait until our sect's centennial tournament concludes before discussing the dispatch of troops."
The Tianyuan Dao Sect held the absolute leadership of the world!
Among the five sacred grounds, it had always possessed the most profound foundation.
Having recuperated and built up its strength for over three millennia, mastering the finest resources of an entire continent, its present might was immeasurable.
The fact that in a Mountain Sea Realm where no one had ascended for centuries, a mere outsider like the Alchemy Saint could cultivate all the way to ascension was proof enough.
Now, the other continents were all in turmoil and weathering storms.
It was precisely the time for the Tianyuan Dao Sect to make its move.
Mo Shouzhuo gave a slight nod to the Chess Saint behind him. The latter returned the nod and poured dharmic powers into the chessboard.
An inexplicable space materialized instantly.
In the next moment, figures manifested within it one after another.
Patriarchs of aristocratic clans, humble clans, and Great Houses.
The nineteen elders of the Star Gate, with alternate elder Hui Yuanhong also among them, feeling uneasy and apprehensive.
Not only them, but high-ranking members of the Tianyuan Dao Sect also appeared in immediate succession.
Everyone raised their heads to look.
At the highest point of that space, five mysterious and noble figures loomed faintly, with Mo Shouzhuo seated right at the center.
He spoke in a resonant voice brimming with boundless, soaring confidence, bearing none of his former aged and weathered demeanor.
"The layout of a thousand years has reached its endgame. Are you all prepared?"
***
Muddled and dazed, with no sense of where he was.
Luo Chen woke amid waves of throbbing pain in his head.
As far as the eye could see, birds sang, flowers bloomed, and lush mountains framed clear waters. There was none of the expected barren terrain, bone-scraping astral winds, or pervasive five turbidities.
"Is this... the Mirage Dragon Grotto-Heaven?"
"Fellow Daoist, you're awake!"
Luo Chen instinctively turned to the side. Fu Qinglan stood beside him, looking at him with concern.
Seeing her state, Luo Chen could not help but frown.
It was not because of her concern, but because of her condition.
Even he had fallen into brief unconsciousness the moment he entered the Mirage Dragon Grotto-Heaven, his divine soul searing with shock and pain. Her cultivation was inferior to his, so how could she look as if nothing had happened at all?
Perhaps discerning his confusion, Fu Qinglan hurriedly explained, "Every cultivator who enters the Mirage Dragon Grotto-Heaven is washed over by the lingering consciousness of the Mirage Dragon. If not for the protection of the illusory chess piece, one would sink into an endless illusion. I am different; I underwent the baptism of the Mirage Dragon's qi in advance within the sect, so I was prepared."
Luo Chen stood up from the blue stone and said with displeasure,
"Why didn't you say so earlier?"
He had indeed encountered numerous illusions earlier, leaving him in a daze.
If not for having experienced similar things many times during his past cultivation, he likely would have remained unconscious for far longer.
Fu Qinglan offered a faint smile. "This sort of thing isn't easy to explain beforehand. Once your mind is on guard, you instinctively resist those illusions, which would only make you sink into them longer. Conversely, with the help of the illusory chess piece made by the Sect Master, you awaken even faster."
Luo Chen subconsciously raised his hand, and the soft white chess piece came into view.
Indeed!
What she said was true. Although he had felt somewhat helpless within the illusion earlier, this piece had continuously radiated a gentle light, protecting him the entire way.
That scene was even somewhat reminiscent of his experience in Liwang Heaven within the Land of the Fallen Demon.
Except back then, the refined Lanke Black Chess Piece had shattered silently, far less effective than this white piece.
"Huh?"
Luo Chen let out a soft exclamation. He noticed a faint black speck on the piece.
Seeing this, Fu Qinglan was also taken aback.
"Within the Mirage Dragon Grotto-Heaven, there are countless illusory beasts, each extraordinary and endowed with boundless might. If one is tainted too deeply by them, the illusory chess piece protecting us will slowly turn black. Once it shifts completely from white to black, it signifies that our permitted stay in the grotto-heaven has reached its limit. At that point, one must activate the piece and teleport outside. Otherwise, it is all too easy to be assimilated into an illusory beast, trapped within the grotto-heaven for a lifetime."
"Fellow Daoist, you have already been corroded!"
Luo Chen silently regarded the white piece in his hand. The black speck accounted for only about one or two percent.
It was not a major issue.
Now that he had caught his breath, his mind filled with the myriad doubts from outside.
Why had Alchemy Saint Chu Yan given one of the five pills to him before leaving?
Merely because they were both alchemists?
Unlikely. In a domain as vast as the Tianyuan Dao Sect, formidable alchemists were certainly not few in number!
Furthermore, the refining method and alchemical arts she had displayed when forming that Heavenly Mechanism Pill—even though it had merely been a casual gesture by the Alchemy Saint—felt remarkably familiar to him.
*It's the Tier 5 Law Deduction Pill!*
Luo Chen remembered completely.
When he had refined the Tier 5 Law Deduction Pill in the Alchemy Realm within the Land of the Fallen Demon, the techniques he used were exceedingly similar to those the Alchemy Saint had displayed.
Combining the names of the pills—Heavenly Mechanism... Law Deduction...
Luo Chen fell into deep thought.
Yet this contemplation did not last long, for there were still more puzzles.
He had seen very clearly that the Alchemy Saint's ascension was by no means an ordinary one!
And the place the Star Gate above the nine heavens led to was definitely not the legendary Immortal Realm!
Where had she gone?
And why had she relinquished the vast spiritual opportunities of this realm, leaving them to be intercepted by the Tianyuan Sect Master?
Where had those intercepted spiritual opportunities gone?
Question after question crowded Luo Chen's mind like an impenetrable fog, leaving him utterly baffled.
Seeing Luo Chen remain silent, Fu Qinglan assumed he was worried about being corroded by the Mirage Dragon's qi.
"Fellow Daoist, there is no need to worry. In our subsequent hunting of illusory beasts, I will be the one to absorb all the harvested illusory cores. As long as you remain cautious, you will not be further corroded."
"In any case, we Tianyuan disciples usually reach our limits before you Dao Protectors."
"When the time comes, we will simply depart together."
Luo Chen glanced at her and nodded.
Hunting illusory beasts was the sole content of the tournament.
Singular and monotonous.
For low-tier disciples below Nascent Soul, the more illusory beasts they hunted and the more illusory cores they obtained, the higher their ranking, and the greater the sect rewards upon exiting.
Yet among the Nascent Soul true disciples, victory and defeat were not decided by the number of illusory cores.
In fact, there was no concept of victory or ranking at all.
The true contest lay in who could take a step further within the Mirage Dragon Grotto-Heaven!
Nascent Soul true disciples like Fu Qinglan would refine and absorb the illusory cores hunted by their Dao Protectors, using the Mirage Dragon's power to comprehend the true intent of laws.
Once they gained enlightenment, they would become so-called Soul Formation seeds.
That was where the true contest lay!
As for what Dao Protectors like Luo Chen had to do, the first task was to help hunt illusory beasts, and the second was to stand guard while the true disciples refined and absorbed them, protecting them from the disruption of illusory beasts and other competitors.
Nothing more!
"Let's go," Luo Chen said calmly. "I'd like to see what an illusory beast actually looks like."
Chapter 750