Chapter 573: Grotto Heaven

Chapter 573 -247: Grotto Heaven

Qin Fang nodded in acknowledgment.

At some point, Xile had run over. Seeing the scene, it didn’t charge in recklessly but simply wagged its tail at Qin Fang from a distance.

…After consuming thirty-one Blood Amber Essence Pills, Xile’s aura had changed dramatically.

It was far more formidable than before.

It was even stronger than the fierce tiger and the giant python.

Its Demon Essence was dense and powerful.

At the same time, it seemed to have grown a size larger… its body now stretched to about eleven meters long!

It was a frightening sight.

Of course, Qin Fang still had no intention of taking it with him this time.

Just then, his Master walked out of the main hall. Upon seeing him, Qin Fang bowed. “Master.”

“Mm. Ready?”

“Ready.”

His Master nodded and walked to the front of the main hall.

The disciples below immediately bowed. “Greetings, Master.”

“Greetings, Martial Uncle.”

“Greetings, Senior Martial Uncle.”

Inner Sect Disciples were typically Registered Disciples under the various lineage Elders.

Therefore, many of these disciples were Master Fan’s own, and they addressed him as Master.

Master Fan nodded. His usual gentle demeanor was gone, replaced by a calm command. “Let’s move out.”

With that, he shot through the air, heading straight for Baichuan Plaza.

Qin Fang also shot into the air, following close behind.

The fifty to sixty disciples at the Second Realm or higher who were part of the escort also took to the air, following suit.

…Of course, they could only keep up because his Master and Qin Fang had both slowed their pace.

They soon arrived at Baichuan Plaza, only to find a large crowd already gathered.

Disciples from the Nine Hell, Wuhui, Luzhan, and Jinghong Lineages were all waiting.

…There were no disciples from the Celestial Martial Hall.

It was a clear sign of how much the Celestial Martial Hall had declined.

The “Master Li” that Master Fan had mentioned earlier was, in fact, the Hall Master of the Celestial Martial Hall.

However, ever since the “Dao Body” incident over a decade ago, he had been severely wounded by a single glance from a Supreme Elder of the Celestial Martial Lineage and had yet to recover.

…He was also the only Hall Master in the Sect that Qin Fang had never met.

At this thought, Qin Fang blinked…

…’They’re always talking about Supreme Elders.’

‘But I’ve been in the Sect for over a decade, and I’ve never even seen a single one.’

‘I don’t even know where they’re cultivating in seclusion.’

‘They’re probably in one of the forbidden zones the Sect mentions.’

Qin Fang mused.

‘Master Fan once said there isn’t a single Seventh Realm Martial Artist in the entire Sect… Could it be that the Supreme Elders are all just at the Sixth Realm and haven’t broken through to the Seventh?’

‘Then how was Master Li so grievously injured by a single glance from that Supreme Elder? If they’re both at the Sixth Realm, can the difference in power really be that vast?’

Qin Fang wondered.

He was still pondering this as he and his Master landed in Baichuan Plaza.

It seemed the Guiyuan Lineage was the last to arrive, as the Elders from the other lineages all turned to look.

Qin Fang gave the assembled Elders a slight bow but didn’t speak.

The Elders all smiled and nodded slightly in return.

As it happened… Qin Fang actually recognized all of these Elders.

Or rather… they were the very same ones he had met on the day he joined the Sect.

…From the Nine Hell Lineage, for instance, was Elder Lei Lie, the very man who had overseen his entry into the Sect.

From the Luzhan Lineage was the Elder who had once claimed to see the ruthless streak in Qin Fang’s heart… Qin Fang now knew his name: Elder Yin Jian.

The Elder from the Wuhui Lineage was the same one who had sought him out that day, the one with the piercingly sharp aura, Elder Ling Juefeng.

And from the Jinghong Lineage, of course, was Elder Lu Wuya—the one who had visited Guiyuan Valley to recruit him on behalf of the Jinghong Hall Master.

…’But on second thought, it makes sense.’

‘The current situation with the Golden Rainbow Sword Sect isn’t a massive crisis, but it’s not a trivial matter either.’

‘These Elders are clearly important figures in their respective lineages, the ones who handle affairs. Their status is likely second only to their Hall Masters.’

‘After all, the Golden Rainbow Sword Sect and the Heavenly Gang Wuji Sect have a Covenant. They’re supposed to be facing the Three Religions together.’

‘Now that something so major has happened to the Golden Rainbow Sword Sect, none of the Hall Masters from our Sect can go for one reason or another.’

‘It’s only natural that they’d send top-ranking Elders.’

‘Otherwise, wouldn’t it look like the Heavenly Gang Wuji Sect is completely ignoring its ally?’

‘So, sending figures just below the rank of Hall Master from each lineage is a way of showing the Golden Rainbow Sword Sect they’re being taken seriously.’

…’This way, it doesn’t seem like the Heavenly Gang Wuji Sect is slighting them.’

‘And the contingent the Heavenly Gang Wuji Sect is sending this time is certainly not small. Besides these five Elders, there’s me—a Hall Master’s True Inheritance—and the other lineages have sent their Elder’s True Inheritances as well.’

‘Each lineage has contributed at least fifty disciples with cultivation at the Second Realm or higher.’

‘In total, that’s nearly three hundred people.’

…’The delegation the Golden Rainbow Sword Sect sent to us last time wasn’t even this large.’

‘No matter how you look at it, we’re giving the Golden Rainbow Sword Sect plenty of face.’

As he was thinking, the Elders exchanged a few words, and then Elder Yin Jian of the Luzhan Lineage spoke up. “Prepare to board the Cloud Boat.”

‘A Cloud Boat?’

Qin Fang and many other disciples were confused. In the next instant, they heard a deep rumbling. They instinctively turned to look and saw a colossal ship rising out of the mist beside Baichuan Plaza.

The colossal ship was immense, nearly half the size of Baichuan Plaza itself. Its deck was a vast, flat expanse, easily large enough to hold several hundred people!

And this colossal ship was actually floating in mid-air.

Lights from an array flickered around its hull like a nebula, securely enveloping the Cloud Boat.

The sight left Qin Fang dumbfounded…

“Board!”

Elder Yin shouted, leaping onto the deck first.

The other disciples snapped out of their stupor, their eyes filled with awe. One by one, they flew up and landed on the Cloud Boat.

Qin Fang came to his senses as well and boarded the Cloud Boat.

The deck felt incredibly solid under his feet, just like standing on solid ground.

Once all the disciples were aboard, Elder Yin spoke with a detached air. “Depart.”

The Cloud Boat slowly rose, climbing higher and higher. It then changed direction, gradually accelerating south until it shot through the sky and vanished.