211: Chapter 210 The Truth Behind the Cataclysmic Calamity!

Xia Jin looked at Fan Wujiu and asked, "The matter you mentioned earlier shouldn't be the secret you came to tell me today, right?"

Fan Wujiu nodded. The smile on his face gradually faded, replaced by a very grave expression. "Indeed, it is not."

He took a deep breath and looked directly into Xia Jin's eyes. "I came to see you today to advise you: unless you have absolute preparation, you must not rashly enter that Demon Cave."

As Fan Wujiu spoke, a trace of deep apprehension flashed in his eyes.

This was the first time Xia Jin had seen Fan Wujiu like this, and he couldn't help but frown. "What exactly is in that Demon Cave that makes you so apprehensive?"

Fan Wujiu was silent for a moment before slowly speaking. "Brother Xia, you must have heard the news about Jian Wuxin, the number one among all the Heaven-Class Disciples in our Second Heaven, who returned from the Demon Cave defeated and severely injured."

Xia Jin nodded. He had heard about this from Yin Shixuan.

"Actually, what you don't know," Fan Wujiu said, taking a deep breath, his voice somewhat low, "is that he wasn't just severely injured; his cultivation was completely crippled!"

"What?!"

Xia Jin's pupils constricted sharply, and his hand froze in mid-air. He looked at Fan Wujiu in confusion, doubting whether he had heard correctly.

Cultivation completely crippled? Was Jian Wuxin, who had firmly held the top seat of the Heaven-Class Disciples for many years, actually someone whose cultivation had been completely destroyed?

Observing Xia Jin's reaction, Fan Wujiu could only offer a bitter smile. "After Jian Wuxin returned from the Demon Cave, he once warned Zhan Wuji and me: unless you have one hundred percent certainty, once you fail to endure within the Demon Cave, the best outcome is the total destruction of your cultivation, and the worst is the loss of your life."

"For all these years, Zhan Wuji and I have firmly held the second and third positions without challenging the Demon Cave. One reason is that we lack the certainty, and the other is that we don't want others to discover that Jian Wuxin's cultivation has been crippled."

After a moment of silence, Xia Jin suddenly thought of a question and asked, "Wait, I have another question. Why must one pass the trial of the Demon Cave to be promoted to a Hun-class Disciple?"

Fan Wujiu looked at Xia Jin and let out a deep sigh. "Brother Xia, I presume you have heard of the World-Ending Calamity?"

Xia Jin nodded. He had heard this term more than once, but he had never considered the deeper implications behind it.

"But do you know why this so-called World-Ending Calamity occurs?" Fan Wujiu continued to ask.

Xia Jin shook his head, his gaze fixed intently on Fan Wujiu, waiting for him to continue.

A trace of sorrow flashed in Fan Wujiu's eyes. "Actually, the so-called World-Ending Calamity is merely a term for the invasion of this world by that Foreign Race."

"Foreign Race?"

Fan Wujiu nodded. "In the entire vast Universe, whether it is the Human Race or the Yao Race, we all have a common enemy, and that is the Foreign Race."

"However, the Human Race and the Yao Race from many worlds have joined forces, and their strength remains formidable. The Foreign Race lacks the certainty of a one-hundred-percent victory, so they dare not invade on a massive scale. Yet, small-scale invasions cannot be prevented. The high-level leadership of the humans, driven by a sense of crisis within their own clans... implicitly allows this behavior."

"However, in my view, this so-called small-scale invasion is more like a trial—a trial prepared for their Foreign Race Prodigies!!"

This passage from Fan Wujiu made Xia Jin's heart race with fear. It was the first time he learned that there was such a crisis beyond this world.

"According to news from the Divine Temple, there should be less than two months left before the world we reside in faces the World-Ending Calamity, which is the invasion by those of the Foreign Race."

"Fan Wujiu! You still haven't answered me. Even if the Divine Temple intends to resist the Foreign Race's invasion of this world, why must we endure the trial of the Demon Cave?" Xia Jin stared intensely at Fan Wujiu before him.

"That is exactly what I am about to explain." Fan Wujiu took a deep breath and said slowly, "Based on past experiences, the number of Foreign Race members who arrive in our world during these small-scale invasions is likely fewer than ten. They are led by two Foreign Race Elders, and the rest are all Prodigies of the Foreign Race."

"Those Elders will not make a move, and the Palace Masters of the Divine Temple are likewise not allowed to intervene. Otherwise, it would attract the descent of even more of the Foreign Race. However, those Prodigies under their command will battle the Divine Temple's Hun-class Disciples. If we win, it's fine; the World-Ending Calamity will automatically dissipate. If we lose, this world will face the disaster of extinction."

"And the common tactic used by the Foreign Race is 'Enchantment'. When both sides engage, the Divine Soul of our Human Race Cultivators will unknowingly be dragged into the Demonic Path, becoming monsters that only know how to slaughter. If you cannot withstand this move, winning against them is almost impossible."

Having said all this in one breath, Fan Wujiu took a moment to catch his breath.

After taking a sip of tea, his gaze shifted back to Xia Jin. "Therefore, this is why the Great Hall Master specifically brought over a Demon Cave and placed it in the Second Heaven, requiring that anyone who wishes to be promoted to a Hun-class Disciple must endure ten days inside the Demon Cave."

"Only by enduring the constant erosion within the Demon Cave for ten days can you prove that you have enough willpower to resist the Foreign Race's 'Enchantment' tactic. Otherwise, no matter how strong you are, once you face those Foreign Race Prodigies, you will not be able to unleash your full strength. You will ultimately end up dead."

After listening, Xia Jin fell into deep thought.

A long while later, he raised his head and looked at Fan Wujiu with a calm expression. "Then, how many days did Jian Wuxin endure in the Demon Cave?"

A complicated look flashed in Fan Wujiu's eyes. "In reality, he only endured for three days before passing out. If the Third Palace Master hadn't personally intervened and fished him out of that Demon Cave on the seventh day, he likely wouldn't just have lost his cultivation, but would have completely perished inside."

"Three days? Jian Wuxin actually only endured for three days." Xia Jin applied a slight force to the teacup he was holding, and a burst of white flames flashed, causing the entire teacup to evaporate on the spot.

With Jian Wuxin's strength, he only managed to endure for three days?

Although he had never fought Jian Wuxin, judging by Fan Wujiu, who was ranked third, this Jian Wuxin, even if not as strong as him, would not be too far behind.

Xia Jin was silent for a moment before suddenly asking, "How many days did Zhan Wuji endure?"

Fan Wujiu was stunned, then offered a bitter smile. "He hasn't gone yet."

"He hasn't gone?" Xia Jin was somewhat surprised.

"That's right." Fan Wujiu nodded. "He is just like me, waiting. Waiting until he has absolute certainty. After all, with Jian Wuxin's cautionary tale right before our eyes, no one dares to gamble with their own life."

Xia Jin nodded thoughtfully.

Fan Wujiu stood up and patted Xia Jin's shoulder. "Brother Xia, I have said all I can. I hope you will consider this carefully. I am still waiting to drink with you in the future."