Chapter 641 - 260: The Woman (2)

Elder Xiang nodded and added a reminder, "Go on in. Remember to act within your limits. The Primordial Qi in the Grotto Heaven is good, but more isn’t always better. Don’t bite off more than you can chew."

"Thank you for the reminder, Elder Xiang. I understand," Chen Qing said, bowing again.

Elder Xiang said no more, simply waving a hand at what appeared to be an ordinary cliff face next to the wooden cabin.

Instantly, a halo of light on the cliff face rippled like water, revealing an entrance just large enough for one person to pass through.

A surge of vast Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi billowed out from within, instantly refreshing his spirit.

Chen Qing took a deep breath and, without further hesitation, stepped through the Grotto Heaven’s entrance.

The moment he stepped through, it was as if he had crossed some kind of boundary. The scene before him changed in an instant!

He felt as if he had been transported to another world.

Looking out, he could faintly see the silhouettes of endless mountain ranges in the distance. Clouds and mist coiled around the peaks, where phantoms of Spiritual Birds and Exotic Beasts seemed to flit by.

Closer by, the vegetation was lush and vibrant, but these were no ordinary plants. A lustrous, gem-like light flowed through their branches and leaves, and they emitted a soul-soothing, exotic fragrance.

But the most shocking thing was the Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi here!

It was so dense and pure that it had practically condensed into a fine mist that permeated the air.

He took a single, ordinary breath and felt a cool, rich energy surge down his throat and into his limbs. The pores all over his body opened involuntarily. The Primordial Five Elements True Astral, which had been circulating slowly on its own, suddenly seemed to be injected with vitality, its flow quickening by a fraction.

’Worthy of its name as a Grotto Heaven Blessed Land!’ Chen Qing thought in amazement.

He could feel that one day of Cultivation here was probably equivalent to several days of arduous training in the outside world!

Moreover, the Primordial Qi here was exceptionally dense, possessing an indescribable benefit for refining one’s True Astral and solidifying one’s foundation.

Faintly, he could see a few figures sitting cross-legged in the mists of Primordial Qi in the distance. Their auras were profound; they were likely the true masters from Within the Sect.

Chen Qing knew that True Disciples could enter the Grotto Heaven twice a month, while ordinary True Essence Realm Elders only had one chance. Someone like his Senior Brother Qu River, who was both a True Disciple and in the True Essence Realm, had even higher privileges and could enter three times a month.

His gaze was involuntarily drawn deeper into the realm, toward the Grotto Heaven Core. The clouds and mist there were not as peaceful as in the outer area; he could faintly see flashes of lightning and hear muffled thunder. Even from such a great distance, he could feel the heart-pounding pressure it contained.

Chen Qing focused his Heart and Spirit. Knowing this opportunity was precious, he wasted no more time. He found a secluded spot near a spring of Primordial Qi and sat down cross-legged.

Before he could even begin to carefully sense his surroundings, the cluster of Purple Light that had long been dormant in his mind suddenly jolted!

Unlike the faint tremors in the Celestial Treasure Tower, this jolt was exceptionally violent, as if it had been abruptly awakened.

The Purple Light pulsed ceaselessly in the depths of his consciousness, its every indication pointing with absolute clarity toward the deepest part of this Cave Heaven Secret Realm.

A strange feeling of ’homecoming’ welled up within him. It was as if something in the core region was silently calling to it—an attraction born from a shared origin.

’This Purple Light... it has such a strong reaction to the Grotto Heaven Core?’

A chill ran through Chen Qing’s heart, and his brow furrowed deeply. ’The Celestial Treasure Tower, the Cave Heaven Secret Realm... What is the origin of this Purple Light? Why is it connected to both of the Sect’s core locations? Could the Grotto Heaven Core also be hiding something of the same origin as the Purple Light, or... an even greater secret?’

His gaze pierced through the dense mist of Primordial Qi, staring at the core area that was faintly visible amidst the clouds.

Doubts swirled in his mind, and his vigilance rose sharply.

However, before he could sort through his chaotic thoughts, a sudden change occurred!

BOOM—!!!

The Primordial Qi throughout the entire Cave Heaven Secret Realm suddenly boiled over and went berserk!

An unimaginably immense aura erupted from the core region, sweeping out in all directions!

In an instant, the sky above the core region changed dramatically. The ethereal Spiritual Mist was torn apart by the violent aura, replaced by raging, pitch-black thunderclouds that filled the heavens!

Bolts of silver lightning, thick as a child’s arm and shaped like serpents and pythons, crazily shot down from the clouds, accompanied by deafening roars. The blinding flashes illuminated the area, making it flicker between light and dark, as if the apocalypse had arrived.

The very ground seemed to tremble slightly, and a heart-stopping, destructive aura filled the air.

Immediately after, several roars and shouts mixed with shock and anger boomed from the thunder-and-lightning-filled core region.

"What’s happening!?"

"Who trespassed into the depths of the forbidden area!?"

"What damned fool doesn’t know the rules?! You nearly got this old man killed! Get the hell out of here!"

....

The voices were tinged with fury. Clearly, this sudden turn of events had caused even the True Essence Realm Elders cultivating in the core region to suffer a considerable setback.

Chen Qing’s heart jolted. He immediately concealed his aura and hid his figure behind an ancient tree, his eyes fixed on the core region. He secretly gathered his True Astral in preparation for any unforeseen dangers.

Just then, a slender figure drifted into view, walking straight toward the heart-stopping core region.

Stirred, Chen Qing pulled a fraction of his attention from his deep Meditation and looked up.

He saw a woman dressed in black. Her figure was slender, her cloud-like hair was tied up lightly, and her face was exquisitely beautiful, her features as if painted. It was the very same woman he had briefly met on the third floor of the Scripture Repository at Ten Thousand Laws Peak, in front of the bookshelf for the *Ancient Explanation of Divine Origin*!

’Why is she here?’

’And she dares to walk toward the core region?’

Chen Qing was stunned.