Chapter 564 - 488: The Grotto Heaven’s Advent, Qixia

Chapter 564: Chapter 488: The Grotto Heaven’s Advent, Qixia

’I suppose... when things get critical, the Dream-Guardian will be a little more generous, right?’

Su Ye’s eyes flickered as he thought to himself.

Then, he rode his Escape Light, spiraling away and vanishing into the wilds of Volcano State.

Su Ye was quite casual about it. After flying for over a thousand li, he found a desolate spot in the wilderness. With a flash of thought, he activated his Earth Escape Skill. His figure seemed to turn transparent as he sank into the ground.

He used his Magical Power to move the earth and stone, widening the space. In no time at all, he had carved out an underground grotto.

The grotto was simple and square. He embedded a Luminous Pearl for faint illumination and set up a Fourth-tier Concealing Breath Array on the surrounding walls.

Then, Su Ye took out a blanket and sat down cross-legged. "For the foreseeable future, this grotto will be my hiding place."

The Volcano Grotto Heaven was descending, and Nascent Soul True Monarchs were entering the fray.

The two Nascent Soul cultivators from the Sword Sect would also be arriving here.

’According to the standard practice of the righteous path, Golden Core cultivators like us are expected to act as pawns for the Nascent Soul True Monarchs.’

’I’m not particularly worried about the dangers within the Grotto Heaven.’ With Su Ye’s strength, he could easily fish in troubled waters among a group of Golden Core cultivators with no real danger to himself.

’But...’

’I really don’t want to be hanging around in front of Fuyunzi and Shishanzi...’

Su Ye wasn’t entirely confident in his own concealment techniques.

He wasn’t afraid of the Detection Stone, but coming face-to-face with a Nascent Soul cultivator still made him a bit nervous.

So, he decided to just ’go missing’ for a while.

As for the True Treasure Pavilion?

Li Jinhua would forgive him.

Su Ye shrugged.

’How things develop from here... we’ll just have to wait and see...’

’All I can do is wait...’

’Oh, that’s not right.’

A glint appeared in Su Ye’s eyes.

He still had a chess piece active in the outside world.

Right now, it could serve as his eyes and ears!

SNAP.

He snapped his fingers.

The next moment.

「Somewhere in Volcano State, in an abandoned town.」

Shadow Power surged. Inside a collapsed, dark mansion, a monster—pitch-black, covered in spikes, with sharp fangs and a long tail—slowly rose to its feet.

Its appearance could have been a cosplay of ’Venom.’

The Shadow Fiend.

A life form of shadow, nurtured using Chi Weixuan’s soul as sustenance!

The Divine Soul of a Late-stage Golden Core cultivator was excellent raw material. Plus, Su Ye had provided a method based on fundamental laws and a high ’mystery’ attribute.

It was worth mentioning that the Ghostly Flood Dragon had also participated in this process, using the power of its divine kingdom to shape the Shadow Fiend.

In the end, a terrifying monster was created!

This thing could at least be considered a divine creature, or perhaps a deific abomination!

The Shadow Fiend possessed the combat power of a Late-stage Golden Core, along with outstanding concealment abilities. Driven by a frenzied and twisted will, it had an extremely strong desire to attack any living being!

During this time, its roaming through Volcano State had already resulted in nearly a thousand deaths!

VMMM.

The Shadow Fiend’s eyes lit up with a red glow.

It lowered its center of gravity, its body crawling close to the ground like a Xenomorph, and vanished into the shadows at an incredible speed.

It would act as Su Ye’s eyes and ears, monitoring the battlefield and providing information.

...

「Meanwhile.」

Outside Volcano State.

Fuyunzi and Shishanzi stood upon the wind.

Shishanzi’s gaze was grave as he stared at the Grotto Heaven materializing above Volcano State.

"The Volcano Grotto Heaven has descended... It’s too fast. This shouldn’t be happening!"

As a Grandmaster of divination, his predictions regarding the Volcano Grotto Heaven were more precise than Su Ye’s.

According to his calculations, the Volcano Grotto Heaven was supposed to descend in two and a half months.

But it had descended now!

Fuyunzi frowned slightly, also aware that something was wrong. "Senior Brother, could this be a trap?"

Shishanzi shook his head without answering.

His fingers moved rapidly, performing a divination calculation.

VMMM.

A spiritual light flickered in his eyes.

It was as if the secrets of heaven were surging, like a stream of data flowing.

"I can’t calculate it..."

"Someone has obscured the heavenly secrets... But I’m certain that a third party has interfered in the matter of the Volcano Grotto Heaven!"

"It’s highly likely to be the remnants of the Blood Moon Demon Palace!"

Shishanzi said coldly.

When it came to the remnants of the Demon Palace, the Sword Sect cultivators had only one response: Kill!

"However... the defenses of the Volcano Grotto Heaven really have crumbled..."

Shishanzi continued his divination, hesitated for a moment, and then added this.

He was very sure of this point: the Volcano Grotto Heaven’s defenses had been dismantled.

HISS.

The two Sword Sect Nascent Soul cultivators exchanged a look, an inscrutable expression appearing in their eyes.

An open gambit!

The skulking fiends hiding in the shadows wanted to lure them into the Volcano Grotto Heaven!

But the defenses of the Grotto Heaven were indeed gone.

In that case, this wasn’t a conspiracy, but an open gambit!

"This is an opportunity!"

"It means we can march straight in and seize this Grotto Heaven!"

Fuyunzi’s sword-like brows shot up, his eyes flashing, eager to make a move.

As a Sword Sect Nascent Soul, his combat power was exceptional, and he had no fear of battle. He was eager to use the sword in his hand to carve a path through the Grotto Heaven and slay the demons and goblins hiding in the dark!

Sword Cultivators never fear a fight!

"Junior Brother, don’t be hasty."

"Let’s wait for our allies."

Shishanzi raised a hand to stop Fuyunzi.

And just then.

Beside them.

The void.

VMMM.

A magnificent, seven-colored rainbow bridge suddenly bloomed!

The Seven-Colored Bridge of Reincarnation.

Li Jinhua’s Daoist artifact.

This fifth-tier Daoist artifact, besides being integrated for both offense and defense, also possessed an astonishing ability to traverse the void.

As the seven-colored light blazed, two figures with profound auras emerged!

They were two Nascent Soul cultivators.

One of them, with black hair and golden eyes, had clear draconic features and a cold arrogance that seemed to look down on the world. It was none other than Li Jinhua.

The other was a woman of stunning beauty, with a jade-like complexion, crimson lips, and pearly teeth. She wore a Five-Colored Peach Blossom Feather Robe, and her long hair was loosely tied up and adorned with pearled flowers, exuding an air of noble, languid charm.

"Fellow Daoists, I have returned."

"This is True Monarch Qixia of Profound Light Cave." 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ

Li Jinhua introduced her with a dignified bearing.

This True Monarch Qixia had arrived in the Day Flame Sea Region at almost the same time as the two Sword Sect Nascent Soul cultivators.

But she had a lazy disposition and knew that the power of Profound Light Cave could never compete with the True Treasure Pavilion and the Sword Sect for the Volcano Grotto Heaven.

Whether she put in any effort or not, the share Profound Light Cave would receive would be more or less the same.

Therefore, she had little interest in the matter.

She was just slacking off.

So, this True Monarch Qixia had been wandering around the Day Flame Sea Region, sightseeing and enjoying the mortal world.

She was purely treating it as a vacation; even the cultivators from Profound Light Cave had a hard time contacting her.

True Monarch Qixia had only left a single Communication Talisman with Li Jinhua, so that the cultivators of the three sects could find her at the most critical moment.

Earlier, when the Grotto Heaven descended, Li Jinhua had used the Communication Talisman to contact True Monarch Qixia.

He then used the Seven-Colored Bridge of Reincarnation to teleport her across the void, bringing the Nascent Soul cultivator from Profound Light Cave to Volcano State.

Shishanzi nodded slightly as a sign of respect. "Fellow Daoist Qixia, thank you for coming... After we conquer the Grotto Heaven, you and Profound Light Cave will receive your due reward."

True Monarch Qixia, like him, was a Mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator.

With such a True Monarch joining them, their confidence grew!

"Mm."

"Got it."

True Monarch Qixia nodded, seemingly unconcerned.

Her slender, jade-like hands were still holding a stick of tanghulu, looking completely at ease.

"Er..."

Shishanzi’s face twitched slightly, but he didn’t say anything.

He knew True Monarch Qixia; this was just her personality.

Besides, having lived for so long and grown so powerful, the personalities of most Nascent Soul True Monarchs were a bit strange.

Someone like True Monarch Qixia, who simply enjoyed having fun and had a lazy disposition, was actually considered one of the more normal ones.

Just then.

"Someone is spying on us!"

Fuyunzi’s brow furrowed, and his Spirit Sword left its sheath.

A flash of sword light, and countless streams of Sword Qi erupted, resembling a roaring Flood Dragon as they slashed toward a distant white cloud!

"Hmph."

"Fuyunzi, must you be so aggressive?"

A cold snort echoed from the void. An invisible ripple spread out, clashing violently with the Sword Qi and neutralizing it.

Three figures appeared upon the white cloud, their bodies radiating powerful fluctuations of Magical Power!

"People from the Star Casting Hall..."

Shishanzi’s pupils contracted.