Chapter 604 - 258: Grotto Heaven

Chapter 604: Chapter 258: Grotto Heaven

The verification process was swift.

The chosen disciples from each Sect stepped forward, standing on the devastated land. The Elders activated their Divine Sense with Investigation Leaf Skills. With a single sweep of their gaze, they could discern the disciples’ specific Cultivation and bone age.

...assuming the disciples weren’t using a Concealing Breath Leaf Skill.

Of course, when the difference in Cultivation was two major Realms, a Concealing Breath Leaf Skill had little effect. Still, with a Concealing Breath Leaf Skill active, the reading would not be completely clear.

Those who were selected were basically all at the Peak of the Fourth Realm, the Guizhen Realm.

Qin Fang spotted a familiar face among them... It was, of course, Liu Qingshuang.

Liu Qingshuang... also had a Guizhen Cultivation.

Liu Qingshuang noticed Qin Fang as well. She froze for a moment, a hint of surprise on her face.

But after a moment’s hesitation, she gave him a slight nod.

Qin Fang nodded back in acknowledgment.

"Eh? Your Heavenly Gang Wuji Sect intends to send a Divine Illumination disciple in there?"

An Elder from the Lingyun Sword Pavilion suddenly noticed something and asked Xuan Qiong in surprise.

This question drew the gazes of several Sects.

Qin Fang felt numerous gazes land upon him.

But his expression remained unchanged.

His Martial Uncle smiled faintly. "We have no choice. Our Sect only brought four Guizhen disciples this time, so we had to let a Divine Illumination disciple fill the spot... Is there some problem with that?"

His Martial Uncle asked with a casual smile.

The Elder was taken aback for a moment, then shook his head. "Of course not..."

’...Only five people, and one is just at Divine Illumination. It seems the Heavenly Gang Wuji Sect has given up on competing in this Secret Realm.’

’...Or could it be that the Heavenly Gang Wuji Sect also knows that the Fourth Realm disciples are likely only here to scout the way this time? The real competition will probably begin after the True Inheritance disciples from each Sect arrive?’

The minds of the various Sect Elders raced. A few gazes landed on Qin Fang, but they quickly moved on.

’He’s just a Divine Illumination Realm disciple, not worth paying attention to.’

"It’s just his bone age... I can’t get a clear read..."

an Elder said after a moment of hesitation.

Someone beside him said, "Forget it. He’s only at the Divine Illumination Realm anyway. His True Gang Cultivation can’t be faked, and he has no aura of Innate Spiritual Light... Besides, there’s no age restriction, so why bother with it?"

To them, Qin Fang’s bone age was strange, completely inscrutable. When they used their investigation techniques, all they could see were specks of dark light...

However, Qin Fang had no aura of Innate Spiritual Light, which meant he couldn’t be a Divine Martial Artist.

In that case, there was nothing to worry about.

Soon, all the disciples had been inspected. No one dared to cheat under these circumstances.

"Very well. You may enter the Grotto Heaven now... Remember, within the Grotto Heaven, killing disciples from other Sects is forbidden."

An Elder from the Golden Rainbow Sword Sect said coldly.

"Yes."

The disciples from every Sect respectfully accepted the command.

"Mm, go."

With that, the Fuling Hidden Dragon Hall disciples at the very front immediately shot into the air, flying straight for the deep cavernous entrance that was over a hundred feet in diameter, its edges swirling with chaotic, hazy energy.

The next moment, they plunged inside and vanished.

Qin Fang and the others also flew up.

"Junior Brother, let’s enter last."

His Senior Brother, Zhuang Yao, said to Qin Fang in a low voice.

Qin Fang raised an eyebrow and looked at Zhuang Yao. He was an Elder’s True Inheritance disciple from the Nine Hell Lineage.

He appeared to be a sturdy middle-aged man with thick brows and large eyes, but he was actually over seventy years old. He cultivated the Cyan Wood Root Technique and exuded a sense of closeness with nature.

’...I didn’t expect Senior Brother Zhuang Yao to have the same idea as me.’

Qin Fang nodded, and the few disciples from the Heavenly Gang Wuji Sect fell to the back of the group.

Only after the disciples from the other Sects had all entered did Qin Fang and his group fly toward the black vortex.

Behind the black vortex, fragments of a world with blue skies and white clouds could be faintly seen. As they flew closer, Qin Fang found that his entire view was gradually consumed by the black vortex.

But before he could process it, a wave of weightlessness hit him, and his speed suddenly accelerated.

When he came to his senses again, the world had opened up before him.

The disciples of the other Eight Sects were all here.

They were currently gazing at the world before them with solemn expressions.

...The world before them was a wasteland.

The ground was almost scorched black and riddled with cracks, as if it had been desiccated for millions of years.

Sparse vegetation dotted the landscape, including low, twisted shrubs that looked exceptionally hard, their branches reflecting a cold, metallic light.

In the far distance, the outlines of gently rolling hills were visible, equally barren and colored a somber, grayish-yellow.

The sky was a hazy gray, like smog, pressing down on everyone’s hearts with a heavy weight.

There was no Great Sun to be seen, yet light came from an unknown source, falling evenly and bathing the entire world in a dim twilight.

Across the wasteland, the wind whimpered, kicking up fine dust, creating a desolate and lonely scene.

Aside from the faint sounds made by the disciples who had just arrived, the surroundings were deathly silent.

The disciples of each Sect were carefully observing this world. They naturally knew this was a Grotto Heaven World with its own set of Rules, where the Sixth Realm was barred from entry and the Fifth Realm would be suppressed.

After a quick glance, Qin Fang secretly circulated his True Gang, wanting to get a feel for the place.

He found that his True Gang circulated freely, without any peculiarities.

Then, a thought occurred to him. With a mental command, he tried to connect to the Void Realm.

The Invisible Domain expanded with ease, meeting no resistance.

"Everyone, we will part ways here. The Golden Rainbow Sword Sect will be heading in this direction. To avoid any unnecessary misunderstandings, I ask that you all refrain from coming this way."

The people from the Golden Rainbow Sword Sect were the first to recover. A young man with sharp, sword-like eyebrows standing beside Liu Qingshuang suddenly spoke, his voice Ice Cold.