62: Chapter 62 The Ancient Cave Heaven and I Have a Fate

Currently, the Jiantian Bureau's database has six thousand three hundred and twenty-seven registered Rising Beingss.

This number is actually not particularly high; as time has passed since the spiritual energy recovery, the number of Rising Beingss actually existing within the borders of the Xia Kingdom has long since surpassed the fifty-thousand mark.

The reason only six thousand are recorded is that these six thousand all fall into the category of Level 3 (Demon) Rising Beingss.

The rest are merely underlings at Level 2 (Beast) or below.

If we were to go back ten years, a Level 2 Rising Beings could still count as a threat.

But in this current era of universal cultivation, with abundant spiritual energy and the official release of the "National Cultivation and Nourishment Plan," even a sixth-grade primary school student, as long as they cultivate diligently, can beat a Level 2 demonic beast with one hand.

Among those six thousand registered Rising Beingss, there are approximately 100 Level 4 (Spirit) Rising Beingss.

If this number were scattered without a clear leader, the Xia Kingdom wouldn't be too worried about them causing trouble, but now that Lord River God can even rally the Red-clothed Bird, it's hard to say what the rest might do.

Most importantly, this Red-clothed Bird had been very well-behaved before this.

This matter is of great importance.

Although Gu Xiao is still guarding Yunfeng Mountain, he spends most of his time attending Jiantian Bureau meetings.

Meanwhile, Li Xiuyuan took advantage of this time to find Qing'er and ask about the spiritual energy turbulence mentioned by the Red-clothed Bird.

"Spiritual energy turbulence?"

"I haven't heard of it, but the spiritual energy in this world is indeed not stable."

Qing'er sat atop the treetop, her bare feet swinging gently.

Although she had stayed in this place the whole time, she was perceiving this world every single moment.

"If it continues like this, after a period of time, spiritual energy will experience an explosive surge..."

Since even Qing'er said so, it seems that what the Red-clothed Bird said is indeed credible.

Spiritual energy will experience another eruption and turbulence, and all Rising Beingss will undergo evolution and transformation, but that also means there will be many unknown dangers.

A month passed in the blink of an eye.

Days on Yunfeng Mountain were as peaceful as ever.

White mist swirled around the mountain peak, and the silver-white Flood Dragon coiled on the highest rock, absorbing the essence of the sun and moon.

Occasionally, a bird would stray into the mist, only to fly out dizzy and confused, as if it had just had a big dream.

Li Xiuyuan had lived a very regular life this past month.

During the day, he patrolled the waters, and at night, he returned to Yunfeng Mountain to cultivate.

After swallowing the Red-clothed Bird's inner core, his spiritual energy value increased significantly, and his new ability, [Hibernation], gradually became more proficient through repeated practice.

Originally, it was only effective within a one-kilometer range, but after cultivation, it became five kilometers.

Within five kilometers, he was the absolute master, capable of making any intruder fall into a quagmire of sensory confusion.

Gu Xiao would come every few days, bringing the latest investigation progress from the Jiantian Bureau regarding Lord River God.

At first, there were few clues, but as the investigation deepened, the web hidden beneath the Yangtze River began to surface little by little.

That evening, Gu Xiao came again.

He sat on a rock next to Li Xiuyuan, a cigarette in his mouth, holding a tablet in his hand.

"Along that waterway of the Yangtze River, from upstream to downstream, there are a total of six Rising Beingss who have divided the territory among themselves."

"In recent days, the Jiantian Bureau conducted deep interviews with them, and eventually, two of them voluntarily confessed some things."

When Gu Xiao mentioned the "deep interviews," he emphasized his tone deliberately.

It was obvious that this so-called interview was not very friendly or harmonious.

"They said that Lord River God has indeed awakened."

Gu Xiao's voice sank.

After Lord River God awakened, he contacted the Rising Beingss in the water and promised them that as long as they surrendered and submitted, he would bestow upon them a stroke of good fortune to completely break free from the shackles of humanity.

All six Rising Beingss received contact from Lord River God, but only two chose to surrender.

The remaining four were not so keen on taking the risk.

Gu Xiao turned to a page on his tablet and handed it to Li Xiuyuan: "Those two both confessed the same piece of information."

On the screen was a satellite map where the outline of the Yangtze River was clearly visible, and near the middle reaches, there was a red marker point.

"During the Mid-Autumn Festival, when the bright moon is flawless, an Ancient Grotto-Heaven will appear in the Yangtze River waterway."

"Lord River God told them that there are many opportunities in that Ancient Grotto-Heaven, and if they go in, they can gain a lot, while also telling them to bring everything inside out."

"I suspect there is something inside that Lord River God needs, but he couldn't explain it in detail, so he could only fool those two Rising Beingss like that."

Li Xiuyuan looked at the red marker, the light of the screen reflected in his pale golden vertical pupils.

"An Ancient Grotto-Heaven... is it an independent small world?" Li Xiuyuan asked.

Gu Xiao took a deep drag on the cigarette in his mouth and then threw away the butt: "That's right. The people in the bureau analyzed and investigated various ancient books, and combined with the descriptions from those two Rising Beingss, they reached a preliminary conclusion."

"That so-called Ancient Grotto-Heaven might be a Dragon Pearl."

"According to legend, when a True Dragon cultivates to a certain realm, it can seal a portion of its own power and Spiritual Sense into a Dragon Pearl, turning it into an independent small world."

"And in some unknown ancient books, it is indeed recorded that Lord River God once refined nine Dragon Pearls, though their specific whereabouts cannot be found."

Li Xiuyuan's pupils constricted slightly.

He pieced all these clues together again: Lord River God gave the Rising Beingss empty promises, making them do things for him, entering the Ancient Grotto-Heaven to bring things out.

That thing must be very important to Lord River God, but as for what its function actually is, it is currently unknown.

"The night of the Mid-Autumn Festival will not be peaceful," Li Xiuyuan said.

Lord River God certainly didn't make such a promise to just one or two Rising Beingss; perhaps most of the Rising Beingss near the Yangtze River basin have received the empty promises he painted.

Strange, why didn't he receive one?

Was he not worthy?

Who is he looking down on?

"Yeah, on that night, the Jiantian Bureau will deploy surveillance along the Yangtze River, but we won't stop them."

"The higher-ups' intention is to let these Rising Beingss go in and scavenge, and then catch them all when they come out. At the same time, we will also send people in to follow them."

When Gu Xiao said this, a smile of relief appeared on his face.

His duty was to guard Li Xiuyuan, and as long as Li Xiuyuan didn't go, he could stay at Yunfeng Mountain and wouldn't have to go out and work overtime.

While the rest of his colleagues in the bureau would have to work overtime.

"Can humans go in too?" Li Xiuyuan asked.

Gu Xiao said: "The Ancient Grotto-Heaven is currently ownerless, so it shouldn't reject humans."

Lord River God has been in slumber for so many years, and with his physical body destroyed, the Dragon Pearl has long since lost its connection with him.

If the Jiantian Bureau just let it be, then quite a few Rising Beingss with rapidly improving strength would certainly appear out of thin air.

Li Xiuyuan thought about the Ancient Grotto-Heaven.

Suddenly he felt, that place seemed to be fated for him?

Besides, his own name contained the characters "Xiuyuan" (Cultivating Fate/Fated Connection).

"Xiuyuan, Xiuyuan," it should probably count as a fate he cultivated himself.