Yan Zhen naturally understood the harm of soul-searching, but he had the Evil Spirit Dragon Breath Flame, so it wasn’t a major issue. Right now, there was no need for it anyway. With his Divine Soul True Realm cultivation, he could simply use the Evil Spirit Dragon Breath Flame to delude the dying Shimmering Mirage Pavilion Master and make him spit out the location of the Thousand Illusions Grotto-Heaven.
“About three thousand li north of the Shimmering Mirage Dragon Archipelago. Dive down to the Undersea Coral Mountain, and you’ll find the entrance to the Thousand Illusions Grotto-Heaven.”
After obtaining the information, the group left the area and headed toward the Thousand Illusions Grotto-Heaven as the Shimmering Mirage Pavilion Master had described. As for the Mirage Pavilion itself, it had suddenly lost so many high-level members that it would surely descend into chaos on its own. They could return later to suppress it once the dust settled.
When they arrived at the coordinates, Yan Zhen switched the luxury speedboat to dive mode and began descending.
Yu Shizun sat in the rear cabin, along with Cai Lian, Long Ying, Yi Xian’er, and Jiu Youyue.
Yan Zhen had forbidden them from sitting on either side of him, lest they start getting handsy again and ruin his shining image in Yu Shizun’s eyes.
The four women shot him sidelong glances, their expressions full of disdain.
Yan Zhen paid it no mind and maintained his calm demeanor as he piloted the submersible downward.
As the water pressure around them intensified, the speedboat had to activate its protective barrier. Along the way, they encountered quite a few sea beasts, but Yan Zhen scared them off with the hallucinatory power of the Evil Spirit Dragon Breath Flame.
The Azure Sky Bihai Sea was extraordinarily deep, and the pressure grew more absurd the further down they went. The protective barrier had to be pushed to its maximum—the space barrier—and the Mystic Crystals serving as fuel were depleting rapidly.
After a full day of descent, Yan Zhen finally spotted the seafloor. Below them loomed a massive Coral Mountain, which had to be the entrance the Shimmering Mirage Pavilion Master had mentioned.
Yan Zhen maneuvered their vessel around the Coral Mountain once. With the aid of his spiritual sense, he quickly located a cave opening. He probed it with the Rootless Earth Spirit Fire to confirm there was no danger, then prepared to enter.
The cave mouth was extremely narrow at first—barely wide enough for a person—and they had to abandon the boat.
The group erected Mystic Power shields and exited the cabin one by one, crawling inside.
After advancing for dozens of breaths, the passage suddenly opened up into a vast cavern. A space portal hung in midair, sealed by a restraint.
Yan Zhen took out the “key” he had obtained from the Shimmering Mirage Pavilion Master, dispelled the restraint, and was the first to step through the Mystic Power membrane into the Thousand Illusions Grotto-Heaven.
Below stretched a massive depression filled with scattered ruins of buildings. Countless small islands floated in the air, and from the clouds above dangled thick branches.
That had to be the Mirage Tree.
After confirming it was safe, Yan Zhen relayed the all-clear to Cai Lian and the others via the Evil Spirit Dragon Breath Flame. The five women entered one after another, their reactions to the Grotto-Heaven’s interior utterly flat.
Truth be told, for a One-Star Mystic Saint like the Thousand Illusions Saint Lord, this Grotto-Heaven was rather mediocre in its construction—far inferior to what Jialan Fairy or the Evil Consort could manage nowadays, let alone Cai Lian and her group from their previous lives.
The only thing worth noting was the Mirage Tree rooted in the void.
A Ninth-Order Holy Medicine with its own intelligence and no small amount of power. Transplanting it wouldn’t be easy.
A few young elites from the Mirage Pavilion lingered inside the Grotto-Heaven, their cultivations around the Mystic Lord Realm. Sensing intruders, they flew up warily.
“Who are you people? This is Mirage Pavilion territory—leave at once!”
Yan Zhen slapped out with his palm. A tremendous force sent over a dozen Mystic Lords flying, knocking them unconscious on the ground. Moments later, they rose again, the flames of the Evil Spirit Dragon Breath Flame burning at their brow centers. They knelt before Yan Zhen.
“Return to the Mirage Pavilion,” Yan Zhen said with a wave of his hand. “They need you there.”
The group acknowledged in unison and silently departed the Thousand Illusions Grotto-Heaven.
Yan Zhen turned to the five women.
“Next, we proceed according to plan. Find the Grotto-Heaven core, then I’ll decompose it with the Xuan Huang Dual Qi Flame. That’ll leak the Mirage Tree’s aura and lure out the Azure Sea Tide Birth Fire. Let them tear into each other.”
The Grotto-Heaven core was the Domain Heart transformed. Without it, the Cave Heaven World would become extremely fragile.
The Thousand Illusions Grotto-Heaven was already on the verge of collapse. Lose the core, and it would disintegrate immediately.
But Yu Shizun spoke up.
“The Grotto-Heaven core is extraordinarily precious. Even if damaged and aged, it’s still a priceless treasure for a Supreme Half-Saint. Decomposing it like this would be a shame.”
Yan Zhen caught the longing in Yu Shizun’s tone. She clearly wanted the core to elevate her own Domain—this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
“But if the Thousand Illusions Grotto-Heaven doesn’t disintegrate, the Mirage Tree’s aura won’t leak out, and the Azure Sea Tide Birth Fire won’t appear.”
The Azure Sea Tide Birth Fire had developed spiritual awareness, manifesting as a translucent great whale. It usually lurked deep in the Azure Sky Bihai Sea and could merge into the ocean to flee thousands of li when threatened. Pinpointing it in this vast sea would be no easy task.
To capture the Azure Sea Tide Birth Fire, the Mirage Tree’s lure was essential.
Yu Shizun thought for a moment before replying.
“We could cooperate with the Mirage Tree—lure the Azure Sea Tide Birth Fire here and trap it inside the Grotto-Heaven like fish in a barrel.”
Yan Zhen pretended to mull it over.
“But will the Mirage Tree cooperate with us? We’re not exactly on friendly terms.”
“The Mirage Tree lacks any powerful offensive methods. It only releases Mirage Mist to plunge those who approach into illusions, turning them into its slaves. Resist the mist’s corrosion, and it’s harmless. A simple threat should convince it to cooperate.”
“…The problem is resisting it. The medicinal power of a Ninth-Order Holy Medicine—even ordinary Mystic Saints might not endure it.”
“We can try. If we fail, Lady Chen Xi can wake us.”
Yan Zhen rubbed his chin, striking the pose of a pint-sized detective deep in thought. Cai Lian, Long Ying, Xian’er, and Jiu Youyue also fell into contemplation, some frowning, others nodding.
“The method is feasible, but isn’t it too risky?”
“A bit, yes. That’s why I’ll go alone.” Yu Shizun’s voice was calm. “You all wait here. If I fail and become a slave to the tree, drag me into the Fire Refining Starry Sky. With Lady Chen Xi’s methods, dispelling the Mirage Mist’s corrosion will be simple.”
Yan Zhen immediately bristled.
“How could I let that happen? Yu Shizun, we’ll go together. My Divine Soul True Realm gives me some resistance to the mist—Cai Lian, Long Ying, Xian’er, Jiu Youyue, head into the Fire Refining Starry Sky first. If Yu Shizun and I can’t hold out, we’ll teleport in right after.”
The four women exchanged glances and nodded.
After sending them into the Fire Refining Starry Sky, Yan Zhen said to Yu Shizun,
“Let’s go, Yu Shizun. Time to meet that Mirage Tree and see if it’s as formidable as they say.”
“Don’t get careless.” Even with opportunity within reach, Yu Shizun remained cool-headed. “If you can’t hold out, teleport into the Fire Refining Starry Sky immediately. Understood?”
“What about you, Yu Shizun?”
“I’ll last longer than you.”
“That’s not necessarily true. Yu Shizun, your Mystic Power cultivation is higher, but my Divine Soul is stronger.”
“A Supreme powerhouse’s Divine Soul intensity isn’t inferior to the Divine Soul True Realm—it simply lacks those flashy abilities. Enough. Focus your mind and prepare to ascend.”
“Mm.”
Yan Zhen extended his hand to Yu Shizun, who gave him a puzzled look.
He explained,
“To avoid getting separated by the Mirage Mist, I think we should hold hands.”
Yu Shizun hesitated, then reached out her slender, lily-white hand and gripped his wrist firmly.
“Grabbing you like this is fine.”
Yan Zhen: “…”
Yu Shizun: “…”
