468: Chapter 468 Returning to the Cave Heaven

The Demon Abyss Pavilion is located in the southwestern corner of the vast West Profound Province; the terrain is steep and rugged, yet it is brimming with Spiritual Qi.

The Sect was built along the mountainside, with layers of halls appearing like heavy ink strokes cascading from the mountain peak all the way down to the depths of the secluded valley. The buildings were mostly constructed from profound iron and obsidian, carved and polished by skilled craftsmen to reveal a majestic and imposing atmosphere of profound strength.

Whenever night falls, ten thousand Soul Lamps light up in succession, making the entire Sect look like a galaxy hanging upside down, reflecting the full moon in the sky—a magnificent spectacle.

Five hundred years ago, this place was a situation where two powers, the Demon Abyss Pavilion and the Divine Puppet Sect, stood side by side.

However, since Divine Puppet Heavenly Venerable unexpectedly fell during the battle at Heavenly Demon Mountain, the Divine Puppet Sect collapsed like a falling tree with scattering monkeys, and West Profound Province completely became the sole domain of the Demon Abyss Pavilion.

At this moment, deep within the Demon Abyss Pavilion, inside a magnificent quiet room.

Yu Chen Celestial Venerable sat at a desk. He wore a moon-white brocade robe and possessed a refined temperament with a lean face; if not for the terrifying pressure faintly circulating around him, he would look more like a scholar well-versed in poetry and books.

He held a wolf-hair brush, its tip saturated with ink, and was focused on organizing intelligence from various parties on paper.

As the brush moved, codenames were clearly recorded one by one:

Number One: Silent for many years, whereabouts still unknown.

Number Two: Medicine Hut, disregarded for now.

Number Three: Suspected to be related to the Yao Race, or that newly risen Dao Seeking Sect.

Number Five: Tiangong Pavilion, disregarded for now.

Number Six and Number Seven: Whereabouts are a mystery.

Number Eight: Seventy percent probability of being from the Yao Race.

Just as Yu Chen Celestial Venerable's brow furrowed slightly, pondering how to obtain the remaining fragments of the hunxu jade, a streak of light burst into the room and flew straight into his palm.

It was a message talisman.

Yu Chen Celestial Venerable's Divine Thought swept over it, and his originally refined and peaceful face instantly turned ashen, his scholarly air vanishing completely.

"Good, good, good. What a Dao Seeking Sect."

"To think they dare to conduct business at my expense."

He stared intently at the Talisman in his hand, killing intent surging in his eyes: "I truly want to know where you get the confidence to dare touch the people of my Demon Abyss Pavilion."

A moment later, Yu Chen Celestial Venerable took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the anger in his chest.

"Such useless trash!"

He casually crushed the Talisman into powder and cursed with disappointment: "Four people, two of whom have already broken through to the Mahayana Stage, were actually taken out all at once by an obscure little power."

"You've completely humiliated your Revered Master!"

...

The Medicine Hut was located deep within the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains of the South Province.

Surrounded by mountains and shrouded in mist, it seemed like a peaceful place far from the world's conflicts.

Having returned to the Sect, Fang Yusheng did not stop for a moment, hurrying through layers of halls straight to the quiet room beside the Sect Main Hall.

Arriving at the door, she took a deep breath to calm her turbulent emotions, cupped her hands, and bowed.

"Reporting to Revered Master, your Disciple Fang Yusheng has important matters to report."

The room went silent for a moment.

Then, a steady, aged voice came from within, carrying a hint of irrepressible joy: "Come in."

Fang Yusheng pushed the door open and entered.

She saw an old man with frost-white temples sitting behind a desk, holding a message talisman in his hand, the smile on his face not yet fully faded.

Fang Yusheng didn't have time to wonder why her Revered Master looked this way.

As soon as she entered, she poured out everything like beans from a bamboo tube, recounting her experiences in the Secret Realm in full detail.

How Great Love Immortal Venerable had schemed and secretly joined forces with the Yao Race; how the Secret Realm's exit was forcibly moved to lead directly into the heart of the Yao Race's territory at Heavenly Demon Mountain; and how Han Chen of the Ten Thousand Formations Sect and Ruan Chuan of the Qingxiao Sword Sect, among others, had died tragically on the spot.

"That I was able to escape safely is also thanks to the help of the Cultivators from the Dao Seeking Sect."

After listening, the Medicine Venerable nodded slowly.

"In that case, I have ended up owing them another favor."

Fang Yusheng pursed her lips, a flash of embarrassment appearing on her beautiful face. But quickly, that bit of bashfulness was suppressed by worry.

"Revered Master, what should we do now?"

"Many powers of the Nine Provinces Continent were heavily damaged in this Secret Realm. I fear it won't be long before the Yao Race makes a major move."

As her voice fell, Fang Yusheng saw her Revered Master wave his hand, and a pebble-sized fragment of black jade floated out from his sleeve, slowly flying toward her.

What is this?

Fang Yusheng subconsciously sensed it but found nothing unusual.

"Go to the Dao Seeking Sect for me," the Medicine Venerable instructed. "Hand this item to the Sect Master of the Dao Seeking Sect and say that I have agreed to the deal."

Fang Yusheng was stunned.

"But Revered Master... regarding Heavenly Tribulation Continent..."

She clutched the jade fragment, hesitating to speak, her delicate brows slightly furrowed.

Did Revered Master intend to ignore everything again this time? But if the Yao Race attacked again, even the Medicine Hut could not remain uninvolved.

Furthermore, Senior Sister Yuchan's whereabouts were still unknown, her life or death uncertain.

If this matter could be resolved even one day earlier, her Senior Sister would have one more chance at survival.

The Medicine Venerable looked up at her, his expression indifferent: "I have my own plans."

Having said that, he waved his hand.

"Go now."

Fang Yusheng felt a lump in her throat; many words were stuck in her mouth, but she eventually swallowed them back.

She bowed in salutation, her stray hairs falling by her temples.

"Your Disciple obeys."

Turning to leave the quiet room, her skirt lightly brushed the floor. Just as she stepped over the threshold, she saw an Elder rushing over with a solemn expression.

"Reporting to the Sect Master, Heavenly Venerable Mogong of Tiangong Pavilion requests an audience."

Inside the room, the Medicine Venerable slowly stood up.

"I understand."

...

Behind the main hall of the Dao Seeking Sect, inside a secluded quiet room.

Chen Xuan led Qi Yue inside, his gaze falling on a Purple Sandalwood box placed on the altar ahead. With a light "click," the box opened.

A palm-sized inkstone lay quietly inside, pitch black with a fine stone texture.

Beside him, Qi Yue asked softly, "Does the Sect Master intend to go to the Lesser Exquisite Grotto-Heaven?"

Chen Xuan said with emotion, "As the saying goes, no matter how gold or silver the nest, it's not as good as one's own straw nest. Although the Spiritual Qi in the Lesser Exquisite Grotto-Heaven is far less dense than in this Profound Realm, and the Sect's scale is like a firefly compared to a bright moon, it is ultimately where we started—the root of the Dao Seeking Sect."

He paused and chuckled: "It's good to go back and look occasionally, to feel the differences between the two worlds."

Strangely enough, Chen Xuan felt a sense of having finished grinding levels outside and returning to the starter village for a look. Thinking back to before he transmigrated, he often did such things in games.

Sure enough, who wouldn't crave this pleasure of being able to control everything with a wave of the hand?

Although the entrance to the Lesser Exquisite Grotto-Heaven only opens once every thirty years, that was only for people like Qin Tianxing. With his current cultivation base at the second level of the Mahayana Stage, he could tear through the Void Realm with a simple gesture and step into the Void Shattering Abyss to return to that world.

The cultivation world is like this—rules are as numerous as cow hairs, one must be careful everywhere and weigh every step.

But once your Realm rises and you stand at the peak of this world, you will find fewer and fewer rules that can bind you. This is probably what is called the freedom of the Great Dao.

Thinking of this, Chen Xuan turned to look at the woman beside him: "What about you, Qi Yue? How do you feel about returning to that world? Is it a fear of returning home, or..."

Qi Yue was slightly startled upon hearing this, then her lips curved up into a gentle smile.

That smile was like a green lotus quietly blooming in a secluded valley, exceptionally moving.

"I have long been like a fallen leaf or floating duckweed," she said softly. "Whether it is that small, secluded Lesser Exquisite Grotto-Heaven or this vast and boundless Profound Realm, there is actually no difference to me."

As long as I can stay by the Sect Master's side.

Qi Yue kept these words silently in her heart.