Chapter 388 - 62: Grotto-heaven 2

"This..."

"I can’t accept this!"

She said, raising a hand to return the storage bag.

"I told you to take it, so take it." Zhu Ju’s expression darkened slightly.

"As for returning the gift..."

"We’re not that hard-pressed. We just traded a portion of them for the Spirit Fruits."

This was the idea he had come up with after discussing it with Pei Jingque—to use the gifts from the Golden Core celebration to explain the origin of the Spirit Fruits.

This way, they could keep it a secret for three to five years.

As for the future...

’We’ll deal with that when the time comes!’

Shui Qianning hesitated for a moment but ultimately put the storage bag away.

"Yes!"

"How is Junior Sister Liuu doing?" Zhu Ju nodded in satisfaction and changed the subject.

"It should be soon, right?"

"Soon." Shui Qianning’s eyes lit up.

"In about ten more days, Elder Zhai and Martial Uncle Liuu will welcome their precious child. It might even have an Innate Dao Body."

There would be signs before birth if a child had an Innate Dao Body.

Zhu Ju frowned, his face devoid of any happiness.

"When Dao Foundation Cultivators become partners, the chance of their offspring having an Innate Dao Body is higher than that of ordinary people, but it’s still less than one in a hundred."

"Unless..."

"The parents are willing to sacrifice their own Primordial Energy to enhance their child’s foundation. But doing so would cut short the parents’ own cultivation paths, making it impossible for their Cultivation to ever advance again."

"Junior Sister Liuu’s Qi Blood has been declining severely lately. It’s nothing like a normal pregnancy for a Dao Foundation Cultivator. I’m afraid she has used such a Secret Technique."

Hm?

Shui Qianning froze.

She hadn’t known about this.

"Elder Zhai was gravely injured and his Cultivation was destroyed. Martial Uncle Liuu is deeply devoted to him, so she’s destroying her own cultivation path. This way, they can be together for a long time, and it also gives their child a solid foundation for seeking the Dao. I suppose..."

"...it’s a resolution for all involved."

*

*

*

Hong Kan was a Golden Core from the Profound Clarity Sect.

Unlike his fellow disciples and Daoists who lived in seclusion to pursue the Great Dao, he was widely connected.

He had close friends not only within his Sect.

He even knew people among the Loose Cultivators of the Ten Thousand Mountains and the Six Demonic Sects.

SWISH!

A golden light streaked across the void. It paused slightly above the clouds, and he looked down toward the mountain peak below.

"The Bright Void Sect’s residence is down there."

A tattered-robed old man holding a strange Snake Staff appeared beside him and chuckled in a low voice,

"The Bright Void Sect’s Leader, Pei Jingque, achieved the Golden Core at a young age through a fortunate turn of events. Given time, she might even reach the Nascent Soul realm."

"Fellow Daoist Hong."

"I hear you have some history with Sect Leader Pei. Should we go down for a visit?"

"No need." Hong Kan withdrew his gaze and spoke slowly.

"We haven’t deliberately concealed our auras. If Sect Leader Pei were present, she would have certainly sensed us. Since there’s no reaction, she must be in seclusion stabilizing her Cultivation. We shouldn’t disturb her."

"Brother Miao!"

"Let’s keep moving!"

"Alright." Miao Yang nodded, a faint, unreadable smile on his face.

"Brother Hong, you don’t seem to have a high opinion of the Bright Void Sect?"

"Hmph!" Hong Kan snorted.

"A good-for-nothing Sect that was lucky enough to produce one Golden Core. It’s uncertain if it can even survive."

"Is that so?" Miao Yang, a Loose Cultivator from the Ten Thousand Mountains, said as he stroked his beard.

"But the Bright Void Sect is a branch of the Jade Void Sect. Its foundation should be quite deep. In its heyday, it was hardly any weaker than the Profound Clarity Sect."

"There’s something you don’t know, Brother Miao," Hong Kan said, glancing sideways as they flew.

"The Bright Void Sect is indeed a branch of the Jade Void Sect, but it only inherited three traditions. Now, the Celestial Sword and Flying Phoenix techniques are lost. All that’s left is an incomplete version of the Primordial Heart Technique. It’s a far cry from its former glory."

"Besides..."

"Although Pei Jingque has reached the Golden Core realm, her foundation is unstable. I’m afraid she’ll never have any hope of advancing to the Mid-Stage Golden Core in her lifetime."

His words were filled with disdain for the Bright Void Sect.

"Heh..." Miao Yang chuckled lightly.

"Isn’t it because that Xi Chen stole your favorite female disciple?"

Hong Kan’s expression darkened.

"I heard that when Xi Chen of the Bright Void Sect advanced to the Dao Foundation realm, there was a suspected celestial phenomenon, marking him as a Golden Core Seed. After you brought him to the Profound Clarity Sect, he had a series of fortuitous encounters in that Secret Realm, outshining all the Profound Clarity Sect disciples. He even privately pledged his life to your female disciple..." Miao Yang said with a smile.

"If you ask me, this is a good thing!"

"Once Xi Chen advances to the Golden Core realm, you, Brother Hong, will have a powerful ally outside the Profound Clarity Sect."

"Hmph!" Hong Kan snorted coldly, his face like ice.

Before,

He had thought the Bright Void Sect’s destruction was certain, which was why he had brought Xi Chen and nine others back to his Sect.

He had even instructed his Disciples to treat them with warm hospitality.

He never expected it.

His sixth disciple, who was originally betrothed to the heir of another good friend, had privately pledged her life to Xi Chen.

During the expedition to the Secret Realm,

Xi Chen had thrown the Profound Clarity Sect’s plans into complete disarray.

This made Hong Kan dislike Xi Chen even more, and by extension, he developed a deep malice toward the Bright Void Sect.

"Let’s go!"

"Let’s go see that place you mentioned."

"Heh heh..." Miao Yang chuckled softly. With a light wave of his Snake Staff, a stream of black Qi wrapped around his body and shot forward.

...

SWISH!

A streak of golden light and a stream of black Qi appeared not far from the Earth Abyss.

The profound, vast, and seemingly all-devouring aura of the Earth Abyss surged ahead, making the two Golden Core Grandmasters’ expressions turn solemn.

"Brother Hong."

Miao Yang narrowed his eyes and pointed forward with his Snake Staff.

"It’s just ahead."

"Mm."

Hong Kan nodded. Spiritual Light bloomed in his eyes, and spatial rifts that were originally imperceptible to the naked eye became clearly visible to him.

"Let’s go!"

SWISH!

The golden light shot forward.

The black Qi followed close behind, passing through the dense web of spatial rifts before finally landing on a mountain peak.

"This is the place?"

"Yes."

Miao Yang nodded, but his expression suddenly changed.

"Who’s there?"

With a slight shake of his Snake Staff, a thousand-foot-long plume of black smoke shot out and slammed into a nearby cliff.

BOOM!

The black smoke exploded.

Rocks on the cliff face collapsed and shattered, breaking away from the mountain, and a phantom-like figure flickered into view.

"Fellow Daoist Miao, we haven’t seen each other in years. Are you trying to intimidate me the moment we meet?"

"Ma Yu!" Miao Yang’s pupils contracted as he said in a low voice,

"Like me, he is also a Golden Core Independent Cultivator from the Ten Thousand Mountains. He obtained an Immortal’s legacy from somewhere. Although he’s only at the Early-Stage Golden Core, he possesses the ability of Transforming Illusion into Reality and Space Shifting. Even Mid-Stage or Late-Stage Golden Core experts are helpless against him."

"It’s him." Hong Kan’s pupils also contracted.

’It seems this discovery is truly extraordinary.’

"Is that Fellow Daoist Hong from the Profound Clarity Sect before me?" Ma Yu clasped his hands in a salute from a distance.

"Over a month ago, a celestial phenomenon occurred here. A few of my juniors informed me, and I have been guarding this place ever since."

"I have long heard that the Profound Clarity Sect is experienced and knowledgeable. I wonder if you could enlighten me?"

"Indeed."

A deafening roar echoed from the void, and a colossal giant nearly three meters tall appeared on a distant mountain peak.

This person was dozens of miles away, yet he had heard the conversation between the three of them with perfect clarity.

"I am also very curious if this is the place from the rumors."

"Giant Spirit Mu Guichen!" Miao Yang’s expression sank.

A Mid-Stage Golden Core Cultivator!

Moreover, his Talent was exceptional. His Physical Body was terrifyingly powerful, to the point where he could, to some extent, fight a Late-Stage Golden Core head-on.

’He came too.’

"Whether it is or not, we have to see it first before we can say for sure."

Hong Kan’s eyes flickered.

"There’s nothing here right now."

The Method he cultivated was special, granting him perception far beyond that of an ordinary person. He was therefore well aware that there were several other auras nearby.

In fact,

There were even Demonic Golden Cores lurking in the vicinity.

"Simple!"

Mu Guichen snorted, clenched one hand into a fist, and punched violently at the empty space before him.

BOOM!

His flesh-and-blood fists actually blasted out a Qi wave several miles long, causing a furious gale to howl.

It even caused the space itself to ripple.

A Golden Core might be powerful, but without the aid of a Secret Technique, pure strength could not cause spatial turbulence.

’So...’

"An Array?"

Hong Kan’s expression grew tense.

He saw the void ahead tremble, and an Immortal Realm filled with dazzling, iridescent light appeared before their eyes.

And in front of this Immortal Realm was a giant bell.

"The Celestial Bell!"

Hong Kan’s pupils contracted.

"A Grotto Heaven Blessed Land!"

"It seems the rumors were true." Mu Guichen laughed heartily.

"This is the Jade Void Sect’s grotto-heaven."

"Over a month ago, a bell suddenly rang out from this place for some unknown reason. The sound was immense, audible for hundreds of miles. Someone followed the sound and discovered this grotto-heaven," Miao Yang explained.

"Brother Hong, it is said that wherever the Celestial Bell is found, there must be a Grotto Heaven Blessed Land, and not just an ordinary one."