Chapter 562: Initial Exploration of the Cave Residence

Meng Chuan, with his mastery over time, could sense that this azure gate, hidden in the void, had existed for an immense period, having endured the passage of countless ages.

"This gate has been here for a very long time, at least tens of millions of years," Meng Chuan sensed. "In that case, its creator must have died long ago." He speculated, "Did Palace Lord Xueyu bring Emperor Peng and her other subordinates here for this mysterious grotto-heaven?"

With a thought, he immediately sent out a soul avatar, which flew towards the azure gate. The gate opened with a simple push. "Hmm?" Meng Chuan's eyes lit up slightly as his soul avatar investigated the situation behind the gate. His true body also flew inside. The ancient azure gate, adorned with numerous hidden runes, opened easily. After Meng Chuan flew in, he turned to see the gate close behind him. "What a grotto-heaven," he mused.

After retrieving his soul avatar, Meng Chuan observed the scene before him. Behind the gate was an incredibly vast, dark-red lair! This lair spanned approximately a million miles. At its entrance stood a stone monument inscribed with simple words: "He who reaches the end is the ultimate victor." The characters were winding, like tadpoles, and Meng Chuan had never seen them before. However, he could feel the will contained within the text and understood its meaning.

"Just a few characters, yet they exert such strong pressure on me," Meng Chuan thought to himself. "From the looks of it, this might be the work of someone on par with Ancestor Cang Yuan." In his home world of Cang Yuan, he had seen many of Ancestor Cang Yuan's arrangements. Now, just from the azure gate, the monument's inscription, and the lair itself, Meng Chuan felt that the creator must be on the same level as Ancestor Cang Yuan. The writing of a Sixth Tribulation Realm mighty figure would not exert such intense pressure on him. "Is this related to a Seventh Tribulation Realm mighty figure? Or an even stronger being?" Meng Chuan's heart stirred. "Let's go."

Meng Chuan walked directly towards the lair's entrance, simultaneously manifesting a projection of his Primeval Soul World around him. In terms of both investigation and power, the Primeval Soul World surpassed his Primal Domain. The lair had only one entrance, but the deeper one went, the more branching paths appeared.

"According to the Palace Lord, just keep moving forward; the deeper you can go, the greater the rewards," Emperor Peng advanced cautiously, waves of void ripples spreading around him. "If I can obtain what the Palace Lord needs, it will be a great merit." Emperor Peng was filled with anticipation.

Palace Lord Xueyu had some basic understanding of this grotto-heaven, which is why she brought some subordinates. She knew that as long as they entered the grotto-heaven and delved to a certain depth, they would all receive fortuitous opportunities and benefits. Once they exited, these subordinates would naturally have to obediently offer up everything they had gained! Although the subordinates were weaker, they were more numerous. It was possible that their combined gains might even surpass what Palace Lord Xueyu herself obtained. If the gains were substantial enough, Palace Lord Xueyu would not be stingy with rewards. These subordinates had also prepared themselves for the possibility of a true body dying in combat, so they hadn't carried anything too valuable.

"Hmm?" As Emperor Peng walked through the lair's passage, he suddenly saw a massive void ahead. This vast void was filled with countless rolling black mists below, and a bloody chain connected one end of the void to the other, with the path continuing beyond the far end. Emperor Peng paused slightly, then understood: "It must want me to cross to the other side by walking on this chain."

"This grotto-heaven is full of dangers, and it's extremely difficult to go deep enough. This intentionally placed chain must hide a danger," Emperor Peng thought, and immediately split off a soul avatar. He was at the seventh level of soul cultivation, capable of manifesting eight soul avatars in addition to his true body in his home world and his true body in the outer realms. However, his soul avatars were much weaker.

Emperor Peng tried to send out a soul avatar to fly across. But as soon as it flew out, the rolling black mist instantly enveloped the soul, and the avatar, frozen stiff, plummeted downwards, disappearing into the black mist. "Just as I thought," Emperor Peng said, unfazed. Losing a soul avatar meant it could be cultivated back relatively quickly. He immediately split off another soul avatar and stepped onto the chain. After stepping onto the chain, the black mist didn't attack, but the chain itself exerted an invisible force on the soul avatar.

"Since it didn't destroy my soul avatar, this chain is indeed the most suitable path," Emperor Peng thought, no longer hesitating as he stepped onto it. "I must hurry. According to the Palace Lord's instructions, the time suitable for exploring this grotto-heaven is only one year, and this lair is too complex. I've already been exploring for over half a year, and even killed two Tribulation Realm opponents along the way." Indeed, during his half-year exploration, Emperor Peng had encountered opponents: one was merely a Second Tribulation Realm being, and the other a Third Tribulation Realm being. They were likely subordinates of 'Old Demon Black Wind' or 'Tagu'. In the grotto-heaven, if two opponents met, only one could continue forward; the other either died or voluntarily gave up progressing.

"Rumble." As he walked on the bloody chain, Emperor Peng found it easy at first. But with each step, the force emanating from the chain grew more terrifying. Emperor Peng began to sway, even spreading his golden wings to desperately resist the impact. "This... the lair's own obstacles are so strong? Am I reaching my limit?" Emperor Peng grew anxious. "But I haven't obtained any treasures yet." He struggled to resist the impacts. As if caught in a horrifying void turbulence, Emperor Peng spread his wings, striving to stabilize himself. His hooves clutched the chain, his only anchor. If he fell, he would surely be swallowed by the black mist. Emperor Peng truly had great talent in void aspects; despite the difficulty, he managed to reach the other side. "Done," Emperor Peng finally reached the other end, feeling a sense of relief.

At that moment, a black lotus seed flew out from the vast black mist, heading towards Emperor Peng. "After exploring for over half a year, I've finally obtained a treasure from this grotto-heaven!" Emperor Peng was excited. He took the black lotus seed and noticed that its surface was covered with intricate, tiny golden runes, so minuscule they were barely noticeable.

Palace Lord Xueyu was also exploring the lair, but he was much deeper. "Gurgle gurgle." A rolling lake of magma spanning ten thousand miles. Palace Lord Xueyu was stepping on the surface of the magma lake, advancing step by step. "Palace Lord, I've obtained a black lotus seed," a message came from one of the soul avatars stored in the Grotto-Heaven within Palace Lord Xueyu's possession. Each subordinate had a soul avatar there, and all their experiences and gains within the grotto-heaven were reported one by one. These subordinates were all Tribulation Realm beings, capable of manifesting soul avatars with ease.

"A black lotus seed? What does it look like?" Palace Lord Xueyu transmitted his query. "I can't replicate the runes on its surface, only its general appearance," Emperor Peng's soul avatar immediately imitated the image of the black lotus seed for Palace Lord Xueyu to see. Palace Lord Xueyu was delighted at the sight: "Very good. Your priority now is to stay alive. If you encounter other Tribulation Realm beings, surrender rather than losing that lotus seed." "Yes," Emperor Peng's soul avatar replied instantly, feeling pleased. Obtaining this lotus seed was enough reward for Emperor Peng's journey into the grotto-heaven. Palace Lord Xueyu was in a good mood. He had brought nine subordinates, and although four had already failed, the remaining five were still exploring, and three of them had already gained something. "Golden Peng's luck is quite good; he actually obtained a 'Tribulation Fate Lotus Seed'," Palace Lord Xueyu mused as he continued to advance cautiously across the magma lake.

Meng Chuan advanced swiftly. The early dangers within the lair's passages posed no threat to him. He could break through them easily with his Primeval Soul World, sweeping forward relentlessly. "Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh." Dim annihilation winds blew from cracks beside the passage, but they encountered layers of obstruction within his Primeval Soul World, unable to touch Meng Chuan in the slightest. Moving at super high speed, Meng Chuan became a series of afterimages.

Suddenly, Meng Chuan stopped. Ahead, on the steps of an altar, sat a bored alien Tribulation Realm being. This alien expert, with a pair of snowy white wings, looked somewhat dejected. But upon seeing Meng Chuan, he was startled. The projection of Meng Chuan's Primeval Soul World enveloped the surroundings, preventing the alien expert from clearly seeing Meng Chuan's appearance. Yet, he felt an immense disparity in their life levels. The other party could crush him with just a finger. "I've already voluntarily given up," the alien expert said with a flattering smile. "I didn't bring any treasures for this grotto-heaven exploration, senior. You can ignore me and just go ahead."