Chapter 72: Seeking the Grotto-Heaven and Blessed Land

The so-called Grotto-Heaven and Blessed Land, generally speaking, refers to famous mountain abodes where immortals reside. But when Li Ru said it, there was another layer of meaning.

According to the deductions of their small group of cultivators, the path of cultivation in this world had not necessarily withered away entirely. Perhaps in the distant past, Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy was not as sparse as it is today, and many astonishing cultivators were born. When the energy began to decline and thin out, some mighty cultivators should have taken action to seal the energy within certain areas, preventing leakage and forming a healthy cycle within—that would be the Grotto-Heaven and Blessed Land.

If they could find such a Grotto-Heaven and Blessed Land, they might encounter more cultivators. These Qi Refining 2nd Layer and Qi Refining Third Layer cultivators would then have a chance to step into higher realms, pursuing what no longer seemed like an illusory immortality.

Su Xiaoyu contemplated the information she had gleaned from Li Ru.

The knowledge Li Ru possessed was truly too little. It still did not give her a direct understanding of the real state of cultivation in the real world.

Perhaps that person called Wang Ye might know more?

Su Xiaoyu asked, “Do you know where Wang Ye is?”

Li Ru replied, “I don’t. Wang Ye has no fixed residence. He spends his entire life searching for Grotto-Heaven and Blessed Lands, traveling all over the world. We can only communicate when he takes the initiative to contact me; I have no way to reach him on my own. However, during our last communication, we agreed to explore the clue to the Grotto-Heaven and Blessed Land together.”

“Do you believe Wang Ye can truly find a Grotto-Heaven and Blessed Land?”

“I’m not certain, but this is our only hope. We have reason to try.”

“When exactly do you set out?”

“Three days from now.”

Su Xiaoyu asked a few final questions, then left.

Using the Soul-Shaking Bell to confuse a person’s mind and question them: after the questioning, all the target would think was that they had zoned out for a moment; they would never realize what had happened during that time.

Not long after Su Xiaoyu left, Li Ru came back to his senses.

He raised his head to look at the temple before him, sighed, and muttered, “You brought me plenty of prosperity, but if I had the choice, I’d rather be a true cultivator, without lingering in this mortal world. The red dust to me is nothing but shackles.”

He was unaware of what had happened beside him earlier, only thinking he had spaced out a bit.

After his lament, he got up and headed back to the temple.

Since Cloud Clarity Temple wasn’t too far from the residential complex, after returning, Su Xiaoyu could still monitor Li Ru’s situation via Heavenly Vision.

Although the increased distance made the images under Heavenly Vision blurry and the sounds intermittently unclear, it was still enough to let Su Xiaoyu determine what was happening on Li Ru’s side. If Li Ru made contact with Wang Ye to seek the clue, she’d know immediately.

“What is the true face of cultivation in reality like?”

Su Xiaoyu was still quite looking forward to it.

Of course, no matter what shape cultivation in reality took, she didn’t need to be overly nervous. Unlike other cultivators, she possessed the Diorama Box, allowing her to endlessly obtain resources from the cultivation world.

From an ordinary person, she had cultivated to the Qi Refining Seventh Layer in no time at all. She believed that reaching Foundation Establishment was just around the corner.

There was even a possibility that she was already the strongest cultivator in reality!

Regardless, she could not afford to miss what was happening on Li Ru’s side.

Under the vast night, the expansive Magpie Mountain appeared extremely dark.

But the Golden Dragon Market, here, shone bright as day. The light from various spells, magical artifacts, formations, and other objects flickered throughout the market, illuminating one cultivator after another.

For cultivators, they didn’t need to follow the rule of rising at sunrise and resting at sunset. They could do other things during the day and cultivate at night, or vice versa. So the Golden Dragon Market at night was a city that never slept.

At the heart of this sleepless city was Golden Dragon’s residence, surrounded by gardens and dotted with many pavilions.

Inside a grand hall, Golden Dragon, with her golden long hair and golden eyes, her aura almost demonic, sat in a chair with a composed expression.

Beside her, the charming and alluring Xiao Hongyi was also seated in another chair.

“So you’re saying Cloud Net Sect has been destroyed?”

The speaker was a third person.

It was a woman in a purple dress, with skin like congealed cream and gorgeous features.

Xiao Hongyi looked at the purple-dressed woman and said, “Yes, Cloud Net Sect is destroyed. While this may come as a bit of a shock to you, Envoy Jiang, it’s all too normal in the cultivation world for there to be fights and killings. There’s no need for you to take it too much to heart, Envoy Jiang.”

At that moment, Xiao Hongyi was somewhat curious why Jiang Hanyue had come here.

In Alkaid Province, many immortal cultivation sects had formed an alliance—the Alkaid Alliance. Many sect members also took up positions within the alliance to keep it running.

Jiang Hanyue was one of the many messengers currently serving the Alkaid Alliance, responsible for conveying its messages to various places.

“How could I not take it to heart? Cloud Net Sect—a sect with several Nascent Soul True Monarchs—gone, just like that? How could I not take it to heart? And it was destroyed by you?”

Jiang Hanyue’s eyes went wide as she stared at Xiao Hongyi and Golden Dragon, completely unable to maintain her composure.

Xiao Hongyi spoke unhurriedly, “Cloud Net Sect brought about its own destruction; it cannot blame us. Disputes between member sects of the alliance have happened before, haven’t they? Such private matters only require a report, correct?”

Although the many immortal cultivation sects in Alkaid Province had formed an alliance, they had done so to oppose evil cultivators. The alliance was actually quite loose, and generally did not interfere much in private grudges among member sects. The destruction of a sect, while not a small matter, wasn’t terribly serious either.

Hearing Xiao Hongyi say this, Jiang Hanyue rubbed her temples. “No matter what, you must report this matter to the alliance and properly explain the situation.”

Xiao Hongyi smiled. “We will naturally submit a report.”

Jiang Hanyue took a deep breath and said, “There’s another matter I’m very curious about. Even if your Blazing Heaven Sect and Golden Dragon joined hands against Cloud Net Sect, it shouldn’t have been so easy to destroy them, right? Not to mention Cloud Net Sect’s Sect Master, a certain elder named Duan Sha of theirs had formidable abilities—wasn’t he not much weaker than you, Xiao Hongyi?”

Hearing Jiang Hanyue say this, Xiao Hongyi and Golden Dragon’s expressions became somewhat strange.

The two exchanged a glance, and then Xiao Hongyi spread her hands. “I didn’t get the chance to experience Duan Sha’s abilities, for he was flicked to death by the Heavenly Maiden with a snap of her finger.”

Jiang Hanyue: “???”