Chapter 598 - 256: Coercion

Chapter 598: Chapter 256: Coercion

"A miscalculation?"

Fan Zhengchu was a little confused, and Qin Fang listened with curiosity as his master continued.

"Yan Wufeng and his people wanted to enter the Grotto Heaven World to investigate right away, but they never expected that the Grotto Heaven World has its own set of rules, forbidding anyone at the Sixth Realm or above from entering. They tried everything they could think of, but nothing worked. The rules set by a Grotto Heaven Realm Martial Artist are not something they can break."

Yue Guiyuan said with a wry smile.

"It forbids all Martial Artists at the Sixth Realm and above? ...Then... what about the Fifth Realm?"

Fan Zhengchu asked after a moment of stunned silence.

"The Fifth Realm can enter." Yue Guiyuan smiled and nodded. "So the Golden Rainbow Sword Sect did indeed send in quite a few Fifth Realm masters."

"Then?"

Fan Zhengchu was confused. ’If they’ve already sent people in, and it’s been almost a month, wouldn’t the Golden Rainbow Sword Sect have already taken any treasure inside?’

"But even though they got in, they haven’t gained any advantage."

Yue Guiyuan narrowed his eyes. "The rules in the Grotto Heaven World are completely different from the outside. Only after entering did they discover that even Fifth Realm cultivators are severely suppressed. What’s more, there are large numbers of Exotic Species inside, and from the looks of it, they’ve all eaten people—they’re bona fide Demons. I have no idea who the original master of this place was."

"Severely suppressed? And they haven’t gained anything?"

Fan Zhengchu blinked.

"Perhaps they might have made progress if they advanced slowly, but unfortunately... the other Sects have no intention of giving the Golden Rainbow Sword Sect that kind of time."

"They’ve been raising a huge fuss about it these past two days."

"The Shadowless Sect and the Fuling Hidden Dragon Hall are leading the charge, pressuring Yan Wufeng to accept a proposal for joint development of the Grotto Heaven. The people from Bi Luo Cloud Palace are being rather ambiguous. Their words seem impartial, but it’s clear they have designs on the Grotto Heaven as well... always going on about ’fairness’..."

His master shook his head. "If they want fairness, then naturally the Golden Rainbow Sword Sect can’t be the only one to get a head start."

"Yan Wufeng is unwilling to develop it jointly, yet he doesn’t dare to face the other eight Sects alone... He’s still struggling to maintain control over the Grotto Heaven."

Master Xuan Qiong said gently, "That’s why I said just now that it’s a good thing we came. If it were just you here, I’m afraid you wouldn’t be able to contend in these muddy waters... The other Sects have all sent Hall Master-level figures. Now that Guiyuan and I are here, they’ll have to show some deference. As for the stew in this Grotto Heaven, our Heavenly Gang Wuji Sect will be having a share."

His voice was gentle, but his eyes narrowed slightly...

’Faced with a Grotto Heaven Secret Treasure from a Seventh Realm expert, even Master Xuan Qiong must be tempted.’

’It’s very likely an opportunity that could allow him to cross the Sixth Realm in a single step and tread into the Domain of a ’World’. How could he not be tempted?’

A glint appeared in Fan Zhengchu’s eyes as well.

"Alright, let’s go. We’ll head over and see what all the commotion is about."

His master said with a smile.

Everyone nodded. The Cloud Boat tore through the sky, flying toward the location.

Qin Fang stood on the deck, looking down at the scenery below. Soon, his eyes narrowed slightly.

Ahead, a vast, empty space had been temporarily cordoned off by various Profound Lights and Arrays.

Space here seemed abnormally twisted and folded. A deep, dark entrance, more than a hundred feet in diameter with chaotic, misty energy flowing around its edges, hung a few feet above the ground like a scar on the earth.

Within the entrance, Light and Shadow shifted and transformed, with occasional flashes of strange, fragmented scenes, as if it connected to another world...

’So this is the entrance to the Grotto Heaven?’

Qin Fang watched with curiosity.

A sharp glint flashed in his eyes. ’It truly is wondrous.’

Outside the entrance, however, the area was scarred by the aftermath of battle.

Scorched earth, shattered rock, splintered ancient trees, and the remnants of Exotic Species—though cleaned up, a heavy, foul stench still lingered—all spoke of the fierce conflict that had erupted here...

’The people from the Golden Rainbow Sword Sect mentioned before that Exotic Species have been pouring out of the Grotto Heaven from time to time.’

’It seems they probably weren’t lying.’

The Cloud Boat of the Heavenly Gang Wuji Sect eventually came to a stop in the sky several hundred meters from the entrance, allowing Qin Fang to see the scenes on the other Cloud Boats nearby.

Including the Heavenly Gang Wuji Sect’s, there were more than a dozen Cloud Boats here, none of them small. Onboard were members of various Sects in uniform attire, some of whom exuded incredibly intimidating auras.

Just as they arrived, Qin Fang heard a sinister voice echo through the air.

"...The Grotto Heaven has appeared, and Exotic Species are causing disaster. As fellow members of the Nine Orthodox Sects, we came at the invitation of your Golden Rainbow Sword Sect in the first place to eliminate Demons and defend the righteous path. Now that we’ve determined these heretical evils all originate from this mysterious Grotto Heaven, it is only natural that we should investigate it together and find out if it is related to the recently resurgent remnants of the Three Religions... Why does your Golden Rainbow Sword Sect insist on obstructing us?"

Qin Fang subconsciously looked toward the source of the voice and saw a black Cloud Boat. On it stood several people also dressed in black robes. The one speaking was a middle-aged man with such a plain face that he would be impossible to find again if lost in a crowd.

Although his features were ordinary, his eyes were as deep as an Ancient Well. When he blinked, a chilling light glinted within them, unnerving all who saw it.

As Qin Fang watched with curiosity, Fan Zhengchu’s voice sounded in his ear. "The one speaking is the Sect Leader of the Shadowless Sect, Ji Wuying... Don’t be fooled by his unremarkable appearance; he’s a veteran Sixth Realm master with immense strength."

"The Shadowless Sect is a Sect from Baimu Prefecture, famous for its Body Technique Leaf Skills. Their Shadowless Flowing Light Technique is bizarre and unpredictable. It’s said that when cultivated to a high level, one can truly dissolve into light and shadow, leaving no trace. The members of this Sect act in a morally ambiguous way and are quite difficult to deal with."

Only then did Qin Fang understand.

’Although he had some knowledge of the various Sects, Baimu Prefecture didn’t border Canglan Prefecture, so he hadn’t heard much about it.’

Master Fan knew he wouldn’t be familiar with them, so he was giving him an introduction.