96: The movements of all parties, the cave will fall

The members of the Great Love Alliance were stationed outside the Efeng Mountain Range.

After the Golden Core Tomb opened, the entire terrain of the Efeng Mountain Range was reshaped, making it difficult to discern the original mountain range. Inside, scorching magma and surging spiritual rivers constantly collided, creating a magnificent spectacle that deterred anyone from entering.

Old Potato, wearing a Daoist robe he had presumably pilfered from somewhere, looked like an Immortal with his appearance, but the moment his face moved, he instantly reverted to his lewd demeanor.

He stood on a high platform, gazing towards the Golden Core Tomb, and after a moment of contemplation, he asked Midnight Gao Sou:

"Gao Sou, I've always wanted to ask, what exactly is this Grotto-heaven?"

Everyone now knew that after the Golden Core Tomb opened, a Void Gazer Dao Lineage Grotto-heaven would descend, and the Three Great Sects were coveting the treasures within this Grotto-heaven.

But... what exactly was a Grotto-heaven?

"It should just be a cave."

Midnight Gao Sou thought for a moment and said, "The reason it's called a Grotto-heaven is probably just a Xuanhuan-style term. Essentially, it's similar to where the Golden Core Tomb is located, just a cave."

Feeling he hadn't explained it clearly, he added, "Didn't those three clubs find the Legacy Secret Manual before? That was a place similar to a cave, so it should also count as a Grotto-heaven, right?"

Old Potato also felt that this explanation made sense; this so-called Grotto-heaven should indeed be a cave.

"In that case, it seems the Efeng Mountain Range will be dug up thoroughly, probably with a Golden Core Expert taking action to directly unearth the Grotto-heaven from within."

Old Potato thought about it, then felt like something was amiss: "But didn't the Sect soul-transmigrated players say that the Grotto-heaven would descend? What's this 'descending' all about?"

Midnight Gao Sou pondered again and again: "It should be a Golden Core Expert taking action, digging out the Grotto-heaven from underground, then lifting it up and lowering it again, to make it convenient for everyone to enter, right?"

Old Potato also felt that this made sense, resolving the doubts in his mind.

It must be said that people truly cannot imagine things they have never seen.

Even though the Xuanhuan World had already showcased many unusual and unique settings, letting people know that this world was incredibly magical and possessed various incredible charms, they still remained unclear about many concepts that surpassed common sense.

It was precisely this conceptual misalignment that allowed players to be repeatedly awestruck by the Xuanhuan World, becoming increasingly engrossed in it.

One could imagine their astonished expressions when the Grotto-heaven descended... outside the Great Love Alliance.

On a Spirit Peak on the outskirts of Heshui Prefecture.

Shao Kaitian sat cross-legged on a Spirit Gathering Array, surrounded by other members of Red Rain, all separated by large wooden partitions, cultivating the Void Gazer Dao Lineage Cultivation Technique.

Shao Kaitian originally didn't want to Breakthrough to Foundation Establishment, but he had no choice. Heshui Prefecture gave him the corresponding Cultivation Technique, and then produced the Qi Gathering Method and corresponding Immortal Qi, forcing him to Breakthrough to Immortal Foundation.

Ordinary natives who wished to Breakthrough to Foundation Establishment would inevitably undergo a long period of secluded cultivation, taking anywhere from a few to over ten years.

As a player, or an Extraterrestrial Demon in the words of the natives, Shao Kaitian was able to use Lifespan to accelerate his secluded cultivation time. However, the stage from Qi Refining Ninth Level to Foundation Establishment still consumed seventeen years of his Lifespan.

The worst part was that Heshui Prefecture did not provide the most suitable environment for secluded cultivation, still making them gather together, which was too much of a disturbance for a Breakthrough.

Coupled with the intentional control of Immortal Qi, cultivation resources, and even the Immortal Foundation Method, Shao Kaitian's Immortal Foundation ultimately only formed halfway.

When a Breakthrough was successful, an anomaly should have appeared, but he did not trigger one. Instead, only a somewhat broken Immortal Foundation appeared within his body—

【Undetermined Root】

The Undetermined Root was a wood-attribute Immortal Foundation, part of the Void Gazer Dao Lineage. Its spiritual power was long-lasting yet flexible, excelling in protracted battles.

According to ancient records, when the Undetermined Root Immortal Foundation was within the body, it manifested as countless branches. When released, it was like a single tree forming a forest, quite astonishing.

However, within Shao Kaitian's body, there were only a sparse seven or eight branches, and when released, they merely drooped like willow branches.

"Sure enough, even if they want to use us to search for treasures in the Grotto-heaven, they won't give us the complete Immortal Foundation Method, but rather a reduced, low-spec version."

Shao Kaitian was a bit depressed. His character was essentially ruined, his Dao path severed. He could only try to extract as much value as possible, then look for an opportunity to restart.

Not only him, but other players who were taught the Immortal Foundation Method were also the same. Although they achieved an Immortal Foundation, it was a half-finished product, stronger than an ordinary Mortal Foundation, but significantly weaker than a true Immortal Foundation.

Regarding this, everyone could only lament how stringent the social system of the Xuanhuan World truly was. The Golden Core Cultivators at the top not only controlled the advancement routes but even subdivided them, making those below scramble awkwardly between Mortal Foundation, half-formed Immortal Foundation, and complete Immortal Foundation, preventing them from directly targeting the Golden Core Experts.

Shao Kaitian shook his head, and soon his characteristic smile reappeared on his face as he chatted casually with his teammates.

"Did everyone remember? After entering the Grotto-heaven, those treasures are not the top priority. What we should prioritize are Cultivation Techniques and Secret Manuals. Once we get them, we must upload them directly. That way, our deaths will have value! If we can find a complete set of Immortal Foundation Methods, such as Cultivation Techniques and Qi Gathering Methods, that would be a great service, and the bonus won't be small!"

Shao Kaitian gradually became serious.

The biggest difference between players and natives was the resources and mechanisms that Golden Core Experts could not control. This was their confidence in traversing the Xuanhuan World as players.

It was also an important reason why Shao Kaitian and others did not directly restart.

Just as they had agreed not to take treasures and only collect Secret Manuals, a Cultivator from Heshui Prefecture strode over, stimulating his spiritual power and startling all the meditating individuals awake.

He wore a blue Daoist robe with flowing water patterns, and as he walked, the surrounding spiritual power seemed to become gentler.

He scanned them, confirmed no one was missing, and then amplified his voice with spiritual power:

"I know you Extraterrestrial Demons have your methods and ideas, unwilling to be trapped here, and unwilling to work for the Old Ancestor."

"So, the Old Ancestor has shown mercy and promised to teach you the complete Immortal Foundation Method. Even Cultivators with a half-Immortal Foundation can use this to perfect their Immortal Foundation and resume their Dao path."

The blue-robed Cultivator looked at the players, whose expressions began to change, and added:

"The condition is also simple: you must bring out sufficiently precious treasures and spiritual resources from the Grotto-heaven."

With that, he left without looking back.

Shao Kaitian's mind froze for a moment. After some thought, he sent a message to his team leader: "Leader, this is the situation. What do we do now?"

After a while, he received a reply:

【Change of plan. Continue to collect Cultivation Techniques and Secret Manuals, but don't miss out on treasures either. We'll work for Heshui Prefecture first.】

It wasn't just Red Rain; the other two groups also made the same choice.

Ditu and Seiya, who had been watching the show, almost gnashed their teeth when they heard the news.

A complete Immortal Foundation Method, even if it was just a copied version uploaded after obtaining it, rather than a transmission Jade Slip, would be enough to revitalize a combat team or a club.

More importantly, the forum functions were constantly updated. After the Great Love Alliance appeared, Huan Meng's official team added more features, allowing players to establish out-of-game "factions" through the forum. This included a Scripture Pavilion function, where players within the faction were forbidden from arbitrarily spreading Scripture Pavilion Secret Manuals. Without Huan Meng's official hidden electronic watermark, even manual transcription of Cultivation Techniques was ineffective.

This allowed various clubs to keep the Cultivation Techniques and skills they collected confidential, preventing them from being entirely leaked by spies.

A complete Immortal Foundation Method, if sold, could easily fetch hundreds of thousands, even without a "no resale" clause. If an exclusive clause was added, it could sell for tens of millions.

But even now, not a single person had obtained a complete Immortal Foundation Method, or perhaps they had but did not intend to sell it, which showed how precious this item was.

As Ditu and Seiya envied and resented, time continued to pass.

Finally, the three Sects, accompanied by over a thousand Legacy holders of the Void Gazer Dao Lineage, headed towards the Efeng Mountain Range. Foundation Establishment Cultivators formed hand seals and cast spells, riding the wind and clouds, carrying everyone suspended in mid-air.

"The Grotto-heaven is about to open!"

The members of the Great Love Alliance saw the gradually appearing Sect disciples, their eyes lighting up with increasing excitement.