Chapter 551: The Heavenly Cave Is About to Open

On a high cliff of Saint Genesis Peak, Shen Taiyuan stood with his hands clasped behind his back. His gaze was fixed on the training grounds nestled among the mountains below, where a clamor of voices could be heard from numerous young disciples. Saint Genesis Peak was gradually regaining its vitality.

"Zhou Yuan, thanks to your timely arrival for this new disciple selection, Saint Genesis Peak wouldn't have been able to recruit so many promising talents," Shen Taiyuan said with a smile, turning to look at Zhou Yuan, who was by his side.

Zhou Yuan shook his head. "As the chief disciple of Saint Genesis Peak, it's my duty to recruit disciples and strengthen our peak." He paused briefly, then asked, "Elder Shen, do you know when the Profound Origin Heavenly Grotto will open?"

After his conversation with Yaoyao yesterday, Zhou Yuan had become genuinely interested in the Profound Origin Heavenly Grotto. According to Yaoyao, he would need to open at least seven Divine Dwellings when breaking through to the Divine Dwelling stage. Otherwise, his Ancestral Dragon Scripture would be stuck at the second layer in the future. The Ancestral Dragon Scripture was a peerless cultivation technique. Since Zhou Yuan was fated to obtain it, he naturally couldn't let its progression stop at the seventh rank.

However, Zhou Yuan also understood that opening seven Divine Dwellings was not easy; it required an unimaginable depth of Genesis Qi. Among the ten sacred disciples of the Cangxuan Sect, Zhou Yuan estimated that none of them could confidently guarantee opening seven Divine Dwellings when they broke through to the Divine Dwelling stage. If they couldn't achieve it yet, then Zhou Yuan was even further from it. He was still a great distance from accumulating that level of Genesis Qi foundation, a gap that would likely be impossible to bridge through normal cultivation. This was precisely why the ten sacred disciples frequently left the sect to seek fortuitous encounters. Only through repeated opportunities could they continuously enhance their Genesis Qi foundation. The Profound Origin Heavenly Grotto, which was about to open, was one of the most significant opportunities in the entire Cangxuan Heaven. It was likely that prodigies from various forces across Cangxuan Heaven were already eagerly preparing. To Zhou Yuan's knowledge, even someone as naturally lazy as Chu Qing had recently been forced by Sect Master Qing Yang to begin intense cultivation and adjustment in preparation for the Heavenly Grotto's opening.

Hearing this, Shen Taiyuan mused, "Prodigies from various forces across the Sacred Continent are stirring. As expected, the Profound Origin Heavenly Grotto is likely not far from opening. However, as for the exact time, I cannot say." Zhou Yuan nodded, suppressing his anticipation.

"Speaking of the Profound Origin Heavenly Grotto, because you led Saint Genesis Peak to first place in the Genesis Pond Grand Ceremony, we received the most quotas. However, I ultimately kept only ten slots for us and distributed the rest among the other six peaks." Shen Taiyuan sighed, "I also wanted to give opportunities to Saint Genesis Peak's disciples, but the Profound Origin Heavenly Grotto is full of dangers. Even sacred disciples face constant peril there. You know our peak's situation; if our disciples' strength is insufficient, they would only be a hindrance. Rather than that, it's better to give away some quotas and have the other peaks owe Saint Genesis Peak a favor."

Zhou Yuan felt no dissatisfaction; on the contrary, he strongly agreed. This was a shrewd move by Shen Taiyuan. He hadn't lost his composure just because they had received numerous quotas. After all, Saint Genesis Peak's strength was insufficient to send so many qualified disciples. Forcing them to go would only lead to heavy losses. It would also displease the other peaks, who might feel Saint Genesis Peak was wasting the quotas. "Elder Shen should decide on this matter," Zhou Yuan said.

Shen Taiyuan nodded with a smile. Given his status, he didn't really need to explain these things to Zhou Yuan, but he held Zhou Yuan in exceptionally high regard and thus didn't treat him merely as a disciple.

Dong! Dong!

Just as the two were speaking, ancient bell chimes suddenly resonated through the air, echoing melodiously among the mountains.

"Oh? This is the hall bell... Sect Master must be summoning us to the Council Hall. It must be something important," Shen Taiyuan said, a hint of surprise in his voice after hearing the chimes. "You should come with me too," he said, looking at Zhou Yuan. Zhou Yuan readily agreed.

With a flick of his sleeve, Shen Taiyuan's Genesis Qi surged from beneath his feet, carrying him and Zhou Yuan directly into the air, soaring towards the Council Hall atop Cangxuan Peak. When they landed before the grand hall, they found that the other peak masters had also arrived, accompanied by their respective sacred disciples. As they met, Zhou Yuan noticed that several peak masters smiled at Shen Taiyuan, and the sacred disciples behind them nodded towards Zhou Yuan in a gesture of goodwill. Zhou Yuan understood that this was likely the effect of the quotas Shen Taiyuan had distributed.

Everyone entered the Council Hall and took their seats, with Zhou Yuan and the other sacred disciples standing behind their respective peak masters. At the head of the hall, Sect Master Qing Yang looked at the assembled group, his expression slightly solemn. "Earlier, news arrived that there were unusual fluctuations in the world's Genesis Qi in the South Sea of the Sacred Continent. If our predictions are correct, the Profound Origin Heavenly Grotto will open there." The Profound Origin Heavenly Grotto was an independent space, not fixed to any specific location, so no one could detect it before its unusual phenomena appeared.

Upon hearing this, eager expressions appeared on the faces of all the sacred disciples in the Council Hall. The Profound Origin Heavenly Grotto was indeed about to manifest! If there was anyone who most eagerly anticipated the Profound Origin Heavenly Grotto, it was undoubtedly these sacred disciples. They possessed both talent and ambition; they would not be content with low-grade Divine Dwellings, hence their need for fortuitous encounters to enhance their Genesis Qi foundation. For those at their level, the Profound Origin Heavenly Grotto represented the greatest opportunity. Although there had been preliminary news before, they could only truly relax once it was definitively confirmed.

Zhou Yuan, standing behind Shen Taiyuan, also felt a sense of relief at this moment. Without the Profound Origin Heavenly Grotto, he would likely have to venture out for trials, searching far and wide for opportunities to strengthen his foundation. Otherwise, opening seven Divine Dwellings would be impossible through systematic cultivation alone, even within a major sect like the Cangxuan Sect. However, such aimless searching for opportunities would undoubtedly consume immense time and energy, proving far less efficient than the Heavenly Grotto. Of course, the intensity of competition within the latter would also be unprecedented.

"If our predictions are correct," Sect Master Qing Yang's gaze swept over the crowd, "the Profound Origin Heavenly Grotto will fully open within five days. All peaks should seize this time to finalize their quotas. Two days from now, we will depart for the South Sea." All the peak masters nodded in affirmation.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Yuan hesitated slightly. Sect Master Qing Yang, observing keenly, smiled and asked, "Zhou Yuan, do you have a question?" Zhou Yuan clasped his hands and bowed, then softly asked, "This disciple does not have a deep understanding of the Profound Origin Heavenly Grotto. May I ask what unique features it possesses that can provide the fortuitous encounters we need?"