324: shock

Time flowed silently, like sand slipping through fingers, and two days passed.

Inside the Central Army side tent of the Tianqi Dynasty, Wang Cheng had just finished listening to the latest round of scout reports. After waving his deputy general away, he walked to a window in the tent wall and gazed toward the Nether Crow Cave Mansion:

“Master... I wonder if he has obtained the Legacy yet...”

He murmured inwardly, worry coiling around his heart like a vine.

Over the past two days, sounds of fighting constantly echoed from the Immortal Cave's direction. Occasionally, Cultivators would desperately rush out, shouting phrases like “Treasure,” “Legacy,” and “Killing to seize treasures,” only to be slain by the Cultivators of various factions surrounding the area.

The conflict inside the Cave Mansion had already spread to the entrance area, triggering multiple collapses. Many passages were blocked by massive boulders, preventing even scouts from investigating further.

“Report—”

A personal Guard quickly entered the tent and knelt on one knee:

“City Lord, ten miles outside the Northwest Encirclement, a luxurious carriage has been spotted. The Guard lineup is powerful. Upon identification, it is suspected to be the carriage of the Xihua Sect's Quasi-Saint Son, Zhuang Xian, and has now reached the entrance of the Official Road!”

“Zhuang Xian?”

Wang Cheng’s brow furrowed sharply, and his heart skipped a beat as he continued:

“The Immortal Cave has been open for so many days; what is he planning by arriving only now?”

He was unaware that Zhuang Xian had long ago submitted to Situ Jun's methods. He merely assumed the other party was a core figure sent by the Xihua Sect to compete for the Legacy, and worry inevitably arose in his heart.

As a top power among the surrounding Dynasties, the identity of a Quasi-Saint Son of the Xihua Sect was immensely noble. They would not easily leave the core territory of their Sect. Their sudden appearance in the Southern Frontier now was certainly not as simple as sightseeing.

“Monitor their every move closely. Dispatch ten hidden sentries to take turns keeping watch, and make sure you figure out their intentions.” Wang Cheng ordered in a deep voice, adding with a hint of gravity:

“Remember, do not provoke them actively. The Xihua Sect's strength far surpasses ours; it is unwise to make enemies.”

“Understood!”

The personal Guard accepted the order and quickly withdrew.

No sooner had the personal Guard left than another soldier, responsible for relaying messages to the Azure Dragon Guard, hurried into the tent, whispering nervously:

“City Lord, Commander Lu has sent an urgent message!”

“Speak!”

Wang Cheng's frown deepened, and he felt an ominous premonition.

“The personal Guard Commander Lu sent to follow the Imperial Advisor returned this morning. According to his report, the secret tunnel the Imperial Advisor entered suffered a massive collapse suddenly yesterday at noon, trapping the Imperial Advisor deep inside!”

The soldier spoke extremely fast, his tone laced with fear.

Wang Cheng narrowed his eyes and said:

“The Imperial Advisor is a Nascent Soul Cultivator; his Physical Body is formidable. Even without food or drink, holding his breath for months is no issue. A mere cave-in cannot possibly trap His Excellency the Imperial Advisor. What else?”

“That personal Guard also said that the collapse covered an enormous area, trapping not only the Imperial Advisor, but also Xuan Yin Sect's Elder Yingu, Ten Thousand Gu Sect's Withered Bone Ascetic, Qingyun Chamber of Commerce's Mo Chenggui, and Xihua Sect's Elder Luo Yu... all the Mighty Experts who entered the secret tunnel are trapped inside!”

The soldier swallowed hard and continued:

“Their Sect members and Disciples are currently frantically digging at the entrance, trying to clear the collapsed passage. However, the scope of the cave-in is far too vast, and with residual Restrictions present, they cannot pinpoint the exact location of the secret tunnel. They have been digging all day with no progress.”

“All trapped together?”

Wang Cheng's pupils constricted, and turbulent waves crashed in his heart.

This was no small matter. Those trapped were the top figures of various powers. If they were to clash inside the secret tunnel, the consequences would be unimaginable.

More importantly... “Is there any news regarding the City Lord of the Northern Frontier, Situ Jun?”

Wang Cheng took a step forward, his tone extremely serious.

Seeing his solemn expression, the soldier quickly shook his head:

“The people we sent out did not see him. Presumably... presumably he is also trapped within the collapsed secret tunnel.”

Wang Cheng's eyes flickered intensely, and his fingers unconsciously clenched.

He pondered for a moment, waved the soldier away, turned, and quickly walked to the desk. He took two sound transmission talismans from his Storage Pouch, and Spiritual Qi surged from his fingertips. He transmitted the news of the collapse inside the Immortal Cave, the trapping of the Mighty Experts, and Zhuang Xian's arrival into the sound transmission talismans. Then, with a flick of his finger, the three sound transmission talismans transformed into three streaks of light, flying toward the Immortal Cave, the depths of the mountain forest—this was an emergency notification for Bai Yu and Nightingale... Ten miles outside the Mingya Mountain Range, at the entrance to the Official Road.

The Xihua Sect's luxurious carriage had stopped. Four Jade-Faced Spirit Deer obediently lowered their heads, chewing on the Spiritual Plants offered by the Guards.

Zhuang Xian lazily stepped out of the carriage compartment, dressed in a moonlight white brocade robe and wearing a jade belt inlaid with luminous pearls around his waist. A careless smile hung on his handsome face. He stretched, and the bones throughout his body emitted soft cracking sounds.

Twenty grey-robed Guards quickly spread out, forming a perimeter. Their gazes sharply scanned the surroundings; no disturbance could escape their eyes.

“Saint, three miles ahead is the Tianqi Dynasty's military camp defense line. Judging by their posture, they are monitoring all forces entering the Southern Frontier.”

Zhuang Lei walked up beside Zhuang Xian and reported in a low voice, his tone carrying a hint of vigilance.

“Let them watch. This Saint is upright and honest; I have no intention of engaging in petty theft.”

Zhuang Xian waved his hand indifferently, his gaze sweeping past the perimeter and landing on the Nether Crow Ridge, which was shrouded in miasma in the distance. The corner of his mouth curved into a smile full of interest:

“Tsk tsk, the energy here is so chaotic. Elder Luo Yu and Senior Sister Chi Yu must be having quite an exciting time inside.”

Zhuang Xian twirled his fingers, condensing a wisp of light cyan Spiritual Qi into a sound transmission talisman. It drew a graceful arc in the air and flew toward the Nether Crow Ridge:

“Let me first try to see if I can contact them.”

As soon as the sound transmission talisman flew into the murky miasma, it emitted a sizzling, corrosive sound. The spiritual light on its surface instantly dimmed, and in the blink of an eye, it turned into a wisp of green smoke and vanished without a trace, leaving no echo behind.

“Oh? The corrosiveness of this miasma is quite beyond this Saint's expectation.”

Zhuang Xian raised an eyebrow. Far from being annoyed, a stronger sense of interest ignited in his eyes. He stroked his chin, his smile playful:

“It seems the Nether Crow Cave Mansion is more interesting than imagined. Since Big Brother is trapped inside, he probably won't feel bored.”

Zhuang Lei, standing nearby, was filled with worry:

“Saint, we cannot contact the Elder and the Saintess now. If they encounter danger, what should we do?”

“Why the hurry?”

Zhuang Xian glanced sideways at him, continuing in a relaxed tone:

“Elder Luo is a Nascent Soul Cultivator. If she encounters danger, she will simply unlock her Cultivation Seal. There is no need to worry about them.”

He paused, a flicker of cunning passing through his eyes:

“We just need to wait here and observe the situation, waiting for them to come out. Since we can't help even if we went in, we might as well take the opportunity to enjoy the 'scenery' of the Southern Frontier.”

Having said that, he waved for the Guards to set up camp. He then took out a jar of aged fine wine from his storage ring, sat by the makeshift stone table, and poured drinks for himself. His gaze occasionally swept toward the Nether Crow Ridge, a confident smile perpetually plastered across his lips...