Chapter 148: Sanli Grotto-Heaven

"What inheritance grotto-heaven?" Meng Jingzhou had been absent during the grueling interrogation.

Lu Yang explained, "The man we tortured goes by True Monarch Sanli. He left behind a grotto-heaven governed by a rule allowing only those at the Foundation Establishment stage or below to enter, and within it lies the accumulated wealth of his entire lifetime."

"The lifetime wealth of a Body Integration cultivator?" Meng Jingzhou sucked in a sharp breath. While Lu Yang lacked a clear concept of it, Meng Jingzhou knew exactly how staggering the wealth of a Body Integration expert could be, having seen the elders of his own clan. It was a fortune so immense it could not be squandered away in a lifetime, a treasury he had deeply envied since childhood.

If they could lay their hands on it, or even just obtain a fragment of it, they would strike it rich.

Even a monolithic entity like the Seeking Dao Sect could not afford to ignore the fortunes of a Body Integration cultivator!

"And only those at the Foundation Establishment stage can enter. Heh, isn't this the perfect opportunity for the two of us?" Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou exchanged knowing, mischievous grins. A secret realm with such boundary restrictions was the absolute ideal stage for them to display their talents.

The Eldest Senior Sister must have brought them along with their unique talents in mind, intending for the two of them to explore this inheritance grotto-heaven.

The auspicious cloud traveled at a blistering speed. People on the ground looking up at the sky would only see a cloud flash past in the blink of an eye, so fast it felt like a fleeting hallucination.

Before long, the trio arrived at the location described by True Monarch Sanli.

The geographical divisions of the Great Yu era differed from those of the present day. In modern terms, True Monarch Sanli's inheritance grotto-heaven was located in the eastern region of Jizhou, within Huayun Prefecture, beneath the sixteenth tree counting downward from the summit of Mount Dalang.

Yun Zhi caressed the tree trunk, sensing the spatial fluctuations, and confirmed that a grotto-heaven indeed existed here.

The entrance to the grotto-heaven was concealed and exceptionally difficult to detect; even someone as formidable as Yun Zhi needed to be at point-blank range to discern its presence.

True Monarch Sanli's grotto-heaven had not yet been discovered by anyone else.

Yun Zhi gently tapped the trunk with the back of her index and middle fingers, and with a sudden warp of space, a pitch-black portal manifested before the three of them.

The portal took the form of a black vortex, its dark space swirling continuously, while runes flashed within the depths of the void. This indicated that rules had been imposed upon it, making it a restricted grotto-heaven that could not be entered casually.

And the entry requirement for this particular realm was that only those under twenty years of age and at the Foundation Establishment stage could enter.

Just as Lu Yang and his companion assumed Eldest Senior Sister was about to send them inside, they watched as she gripped the edges of the black vortex with both hands and forcefully tore open a massive rift. Every single rule crumbled into dust at that exact moment, utterly incapable of restricting her.

Lu Yang fell silent.

Meng Jingzhou fell silent.

Logically speaking, wasn't this supposed to be their moment to shine? Why did reality differ so wildly from their expectations?

Did they even serve a purpose here? Then why had Eldest Senior Sister brought them along in the first place?

Lu Yang voiced his question aloud. Yun Zhi tilted her head, thinking for a moment before responding, "Didn't you two just board the cloud on your own when we left the Prisoner Peak? I never asked you to come."

Well, they truly were completely redundant.

Within the mental spiritual space, the Immortal Fairy was doubled over with laughter.

The three of them stepped into the inheritance grotto-heaven. Looking out, they beheld a vast, open savanna where elephants lazily munched on tree leaves, and lions chased after antelopes, biting through their necks in a single snap. On the far side of the savanna lay a lush, dense rainforest, within which giant, colossal silhouettes could faintly be seen moving through the trees.

Lu Yang distinctly felt his cultivation being suppressed; currently, he could only exert power equivalent to the late stage of Qi Refinement.

At that moment, clouds coalesced into striking, luminous characters floating right before their eyes.

This place is dangerous, leave immediately

This place is dangerous, leave immediately

This place is dangerous, leave immediately

If you insist on entering, please bear in mind the rules of Sanli Grotto-Heaven, for they can save your life

Rule One: Everyone's cultivation will be suppressed to the ninth layer of the Qi Refinement stage

Rule Two: You cannot establish contact with the outside world

Rule Three: Sanli Grotto-Heaven consists only of savanna and has no rainforest. If you see a rainforest, do not enter it

Rule Four: Lions are gentle. If a lion chases you, do not run away; it merely wishes to play with you

Rule Five: Antelopes are bipedal, upright-walking demonic beasts with spiraling horns on their heads. It is normal for an antelope to smile; do not be afraid

Rule Six: There are no elephants on the savanna. If you see an elephant, you must seek the protection of a lion, for the lion will protect you

Rule Seven: If you accidentally wander into the rainforest, do not panic. Maintaining composure is a vital requirement for surviving the rainforest

Rule Eight: The gorillas in the rainforest are humans in disguise, so it is normal for them to speak, but a gorilla will not take the initiative to speak to you

Rule Nine: The water in the rainforest is undrinkable

Rule Ten: If you encounter a Foundation Establishment stage demonic beast, mimic the cry of a gorilla, and the beast will leave of its own accord

Rule Eleven: All the above rules are true

Following that, Lu Yang noticed several lines of blood-written text beneath his feet. The characters were scribbled in a frantic, chaotic scrawl, as though left behind in a desperate rush.

Flee immediately, it is dangerous here!

An anomaly has occurred in this place!

Take note! What I am writing down are the true rules of Sanli Grotto-Heaven!

Sanli Grotto-Heaven contains both savanna and rainforest, and the rainforest is safer than the savanna!

Lions possess Core Formation stage cultivation and devour humans on sight!

Antelopes do not walk upright. If you hear an antelope laughing, leave immediately!

Elephants will protect you!

You must maintain composure within the rainforest!

Do not take the initiative to speak with a gorilla, otherwise you will turn into a gorilla!

If you feel anything wrong with your body, drink the water in the rainforest immediately to save your life!

Do not mimic the cry of a gorilla, as it will attract Core Formation stage demonic beasts!

The rules of Sanli Grotto-Heaven are all fa...

Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou felt a cold shiver run down their spines as they stared at the bloodstains.

The message in blood had not been finished. The final character was dragged out into a long, grim streak of blood, looking as if someone had crawled toward the exit of the grotto-heaven with the last of their strength, only to be seized by some unknown, terrifying entity and dragged violently back into the depths, leaving a stark, horrifying trail behind.

Their scalps tensed with dread. What kind of horrors lurked within this place?

"There are major issues with these rules. They conflict with each other at every turn. Is the first set of rules correct, or is the latter one?"

"Based on our experience in Buyi Town, the first set looks more formal, so shouldn't it be the correct one?"

"Not necessarily. Nothing states that a formal presentation guarantees truth. The second set seems written in extreme haste, but that in itself could be a valid form of warning."

The two found themselves paralyzed by the dilemma. They were currently restricted to the ninth layer of Qi Refinement, while the realm was filled with Foundation Establishment and Core Formation stage beasts. Brute force was out of the question; they could only rely on wits. Yet with two conflicting sets of rules, they could not separate truth from falsehood. A single wrong choice would mean a narrow escape from death, or worse, eternal damnation!

"Don't panic, there must be a solution. One says lions are gentle, the other says lions eat people. One says elephants kill, the other says elephants protect us. We can lure a lion and an elephant together and see which one acts as a protector, then we can deduce which set of rules is authentic..."

"Is it possible that both sets are half-truths and half-lies, written solely to trap and deceive intruders?"

"This is getting rather problematic."

Just as the two were racking their brains, desperately trying to formulate a path to survival, they witnessed Yun Zhi raise her arm, exposing her pale, delicate wrist, and deliver a gentle, casual palm strike forward.

This was clearly no ordinary strike of a Qi Refinement cultivator. The wind generated by her palm carried a terrifying, apocalyptic force that swept across the land with a deafening roar, scaring the lions, antelopes, elephants, and gorillas so badly that they bolted in all directions.

Whether they were man-eaters or protectors, they all reacted identically in the face of this absolute destruction—running for their dear lives.

The single palm strike tore completely through the savanna and blasted a massive trench straight through the rainforest, carving out a direct, unobstructed highway leading directly to the ultimate destination.

How could the petty rules of this realm ever hope to constrain Yun Zhi?

An anti-cliché light comedy, an alternative cultivation of eating, drinking, and merrymaking.

"My fellow fairy, do you not know that cultivation demands a balance of work and rest? Blind, bitter striving will only yield the opposite effect."

"And is that why you have been staring at me all this time?"

Liu Qing crossed over into the world of cultivation, discovering that as long as he pleased his mind and body, rewards would follow. From that moment on, the entire realm gained a man who truly understood the art of cultivation.

(End of this chapter)