Chapter 973: Black Fire

The sky was bright, but the mountain ranges remained dim.

A sheet of mist drifted by, with mountains piercing the heavens. Everything was bathed in golden light, as ten thousand strands of iridescent, golden mist descended like a rain of stars, illuminating the wide, glass-like platform until it glowed all around.

Li Zhouwei, bathed in this iridescent light, gently rested his long halberd. He looked up slightly, observing the colorful celestial light gradually receding and settling across the land. Wanling Heaven, silent for countless ages, was now bustling with life.

“What a carnival…”

As soon as he entered, Li Zhouwei clearly felt a difference. Certain formations and treasures within this Grotto-Heaven must still be active. Most notably, his connection to the Grand Void was severed—from his Ascendant Soul to his main body, everything was now confined within this Grotto-Heaven.

This situation was similar to the World of Sun and Moon Radiance. He was not surprised, however, and like all Nascent Soul cultivators newly arrived in Wanling Heaven, he immediately began contemplating his escape route.

“Unable to connect with the Grand Void,” he mused, “means one cannot enter or exit at will. It’s easy to get in, but there are probably only two ways out: first, the Grotto-Heaven’s external exit, and second, perhaps the Grand Void Traversing Art.”

He was raising his hand, preparing to test his divine abilities, when his gaze suddenly sharpened.

Wisps of golden magical energy, like smoke or mist, were drifting from his palm, attempting to float upwards towards the Grotto-Heaven’s ceiling. With a thought from Li Zhouwei, they were swiftly drawn back by his divine ability.

He closed his eyes and sensed carefully, and a conjecture immediately formed in his mind:

“The Grotto-Heaven contains a miraculous power of confinement and absorption. It seems to be the lingering effect of some formation or treasure, boundless and profound, constantly attempting to absorb the divine power and magical energy from my body. If a Foundation Establishment cultivator were to enter, they would likely die from magical energy depletion within three hours.”

Fortunately, this power of confinement and absorption was not very strong here. His Dharma Body was formidable, and even before he mastered his physical divine ability, such interference would not have been enough to impede him, let alone now. It merely made his movements less agile than outside, and his spiritual sense was confined to within three zhang.

However, being in his peak state now, there was naturally no problem. But if any Nascent Soul cultivator were to suffer severe injuries and also be continuously interfered with by this miraculous power of confinement and absorption, they would likely suffer a great loss of magical energy and divine abilities. What was even more terrifying was that for Nascent Soul cultivators within the Grotto-Heaven, their Ascendant Souls were entirely contained within their Dharma Bodies. Once the Dharma Body was broken, the Ascendant Soul would have nowhere to go, not even the Grand Void! They would then be exposed to this power of confinement and absorption, unable to use any escape methods they might possess.

‘While it undoubtedly offers boundless opportunities, it is also a disguised death trap,’ he thought. ‘Even if an opponent doesn’t relentlessly pursue, one could still very likely perish from injuries!’

‘As for spiritual consciousness… that’s not a big deal!’

He lowered his gaze and saw the ground scattered with the colorful lights of divine abilities.

The Grotto-Heaven was vast, and the Nascent Soul cultivators in the sky had a tacit understanding: upon landing, they would release the dazzling light of their divine abilities, shining brilliantly like blossoming lotus flowers on the earth. This signified that the place was occupied, preventing inconvenient collisions due to limited spiritual sense.

After all, at this point, opportunities were everywhere, and no one would intentionally land in the same place and suffer needless losses.

Li Zhouwei, however, did not choose randomly. Having just entered this realm, he casually swept his golden eyes, his Deep Sight ability quickly scanning. He chose the nearest mountain peak with the strongest formation aura, which shimmered with brilliant light—likely a grand palace of the Auspicious Qi lineage.

As various lights illuminated his face and he drew closer to the ground, he was not in a hurry to descend. Instead, he placed two fingers to his lips, blew gently, and a surge of intense celestial light emerged.

This celestial light split into three, descending from the sky. With a resounding boom, it precisely landed on the three mountain peaks surrounding the palace. He first occupied these three peaks, feigning presence, to prepare for later investigation. Only then did he leisurely descend towards the palace.

Thud.

He lightly stepped onto the vast platform at the mountain peak. Immediately, twelve lampstands lit up in unison, blocking the glazed light descending from the sky from reaching the platform. The palace before him was tall and magnificent, and water-like colors enveloped him.

Li Zhouwei raised an eyebrow and saw a stele standing on the platform with golden characters dancing upon it:

Xinhu Palace.

This palace possessed significant grandeur. The platform was vast, and on it stood a golden palace, dazzling and bright. Below this platform, nestled along the mountain slopes, were eight smaller palaces, all splendidly shimmering.

As Li Zhouwei took a step forward, a translucent white light barrier immediately sprang forth. Various auspicious qi swirled within it, continuously isolating the internal and external auras. He used his spiritual sense to quickly assess it, and secretly nodded:

“Indeed formidable!”

This formation originated from Auspicious Qi and far surpassed his own Zhaoguang Profound Purple Spirit Formation on the lake! Li Zhouwei had not seen the Black Tortoise Palace Suppressing Spirit Formation, so he couldn't compare. But if he were to dismantle this formation by himself, it would not only cause a huge commotion but also take an unknown amount of time to break through!

But Li Zhouwei had already investigated before descending. He was not troubled; instead, he lightly formed a hand seal and activated his divine ability.

Since it was within a Grotto-Heaven, the palace’s owner had not originally intended for it to defend against external enemies. The formation’s primary function was to aid cultivation, intended to separate the inside from the outside. Therefore, the core of this formation consisted of the eight small palaces in the mountains, which covered a larger area, enveloping the entire mountain range with more and better miraculous powers to assist disciples in their cultivation.

His eyes gradually turned golden, and the Upper Luminary’s Hidden Light at his brow surged forth. Like a golden pillar of light piercing through the mountains, it shattered the formation of the nearest small palace with a resounding crash.

Without hesitation, he slightly turned his head. The bright golden pillar of light swept across the mountains with cracking sounds, and his figure transformed into a streaking golden light, continuously darting and weaving through the mountain range. In just a moment, he reappeared at his original spot.

At this moment, all the small palaces in the mountains were shattered and thoroughly looted. In his hand, the Brilliant Sun Illusionary Radiance appeared, cradling eight long incense sticks with golden bases and silver patterns.

‘These eight small palaces seem to be places of worship,’ he mused. ‘Although the patterns and styles of each palace varied, they all contained a golden-patterned profound incense stick…’

Li Zhouwei didn’t know their purpose, but he observed them carefully. They appeared to be Nascent Soul-level profound incense, which he casually put into a golden box before turning his attention to the formation.

The formation’s light had greatly diminished, and its divine powers were no longer evident. However, it was still connected to divine powers deep underground, retaining some residual might, prompting him to estimate:

“When ancient cultivators constructed Grotto-Heavens,” he deduced, “they often used great divine abilities to carve formation foundations at the bottom of the Grotto-Heaven, which were called Profound Strategies. The formations on these later mountain peaks could directly connect to Wanling Heaven’s Profound Strategies, thereby gaining augmentation… This must be the case.”

“The foundation of Wanling Heaven is truly profound,” he continued. “Even if its original master had little intention of defending against external enemies, and its formation core was destroyed, merely by connecting to the Profound Strategies, it still retains Nascent Soul-level power…”

He had already stepped forward and subtly flicked his hand. He neither used his Dharma Body nor took out Da Sheng; instead, he took down the Huayang King’s Axe from his waist.

What spiritual artifact could be more suitable than the Huayang King’s Axe at this moment?

So he gripped it lightly, and the divine ability of Splitting Light immediately activated. All the light was confined within three feet by the Grotto-Heaven’s power, yet it crashed with a boom onto the white light, immediately causing the formation to glow faintly, and a white mark appeared where it struck.

This immediately made Li Zhouwei’s eyes light up:

‘It is indeed power borrowed from the Grotto-Heaven’s Profound Strategies,’ he realized. ‘In the altered state of the Grotto-Heaven, it is already like water without a source!’

Before the mark could disappear, the next axe strike had already landed in the same spot, and lights exploded continuously. While the Huayang King’s Axe was terrifyingly heavy, it was Li Zhouwei’s most powerful spiritual artifact. A cultivator who had achieved physical divine abilities would vomit blood from a single axe strike, let alone being chopped dozens of times while standing still.

The formation flickered faster and faster, finally emitting an unbearable creaking sound. Countless white fragments scattered down, transforming into streams of light across the ground.

“Good,” he murmured, “to think it was this solid, withstanding dozens of axe strikes without any replenishment!”

Li Zhouwei put away his spiritual artifact. The palace gate before him, however, began to shake precariously, unable to bear the strain. Affected by the divine energy, it collapsed with a crash, revealing the scene within the palace.

On both sides stood sixteen Profound Suppressing Spirit Statues, astonishingly tall, their heads touching the beams and their feet resting on the ground. They wielded shovels and yak-tail banners, held halberds and dangling swords. Further inside, sixteen massive pillars stood, wide enough for ten people to embrace, adorned with patterns of crimson flames consuming bodies and depictions of weak water drowning souls.

Carved on the beams were crimson-eyed, shaggy crows. Around the pillars rested thousands of birds with folded wings. The pillar bases featured feathered turtles with necks, and at the foot of the steps, three-eyed Mountain Roaming Beasts lay prostrate. All the spirit beasts lowered their brows and bowed their heads, not daring to look up. The main hall in the center was circular, exquisitely noble.

‘What magnificence!’

Li Zhouwei’s eyes gleamed with unusual brilliance:

‘The Deep Sight ability is truly reliable,’ he thought. ‘This place must be the most precious spot among the surrounding mountain ranges—even a site for ancestral worship and sacrifice! No wonder the formation was so robust!’

Moreover, under the observation of Deep Sight, these sixteen Profound Suppressing Spirit Statues had divine powers condensed upon them and were full of spirituality. They were also secretly connected to the Profound Strategies deep within the Grotto-Heaven; once activated, their power would certainly be extraordinary!

His golden eyes continuously scanned the sixteen Profound Suppressing Spirit Statues, but a doubt arose in his mind, and he secretly pondered:

“What kind of lineage is this? Why are the divine powers and magical energy appearing on these spirit statues so unfamiliar? They are undoubtedly ancient, yet I have never seen them before…”

He remained secretly vigilant. He took a step forward and entered the courtyard. His gaze sought to look directly at the main seat, but he saw a screen standing in the center, completely obscuring the view behind it.

The screen was painted with a crimson-eyed, shaggy crow. It had a small head, short neck, and a long, hooked beak. Its back was arched as if poised to strike, and its feathers were disheveled and faintly undulating, like flickering flames.

The crow’s long beak was raised high, its mouth wide open, pointing towards the highest point, where a blazing point of bright white flame burned fiercely.

‘A Junwu… at least a species or descendant of a Junwu,’ he recognized.

This bright white flame was extremely active, constantly flickering. It seemed to be struggling, yet also jumping with joyful exhilaration. An intense, awe-inspiring burning sensation assaulted him, making his entire body feel hot.

‘As expected of the Douxuan Dao Lineage! How magnificent!’

A joyful smile appeared on Li Zhouwei’s face, and he secretly chuckled:

‘Uncle-Grandmaster is truly blessed! A spirit fire is now within reach!’

This screen actually enshrined a Nascent Soul spirit fire!

He reached out and held the screen, examining it carefully, vaguely sensing something amiss.

This screen had three panels. The first panel depicted the Junwu with its head raised, its mouth open in a cry. The second panel, much lower, showed the crow with its beak tightly closed, in a mating posture. The last panel had its head tucked under its wing, seemingly asleep.

But each panel had a corresponding indentation, which made Li Zhouwei ponder:

“There should have been three spirit fires…”

But as he pondered, the crimson-eyed, shaggy crow on the screen suddenly turned its eyes and stared directly at him!

Instantly, the flame on the screen surged, and the white spirit fire poured down with murderous intent. Li Zhouwei, instead of being alarmed, chuckled, saying with amusement:

“Impudent beast!”

This shout was not loud, yet it was like a sudden clap of thunder striking with murderous intent, instantly scattering the white spirit fire. But it made all the sculptures in the grand hall come alive!

The thousands of birds with folded wings fluttered, the three-eyed Mountain Roaming Beasts turned their heads, the feathered turtles with necks roared, and the crimson-eyed, shaggy crows on the beams breathed fire, all rushing towards him. Li Zhouwei, not even bothering to take out Da Sheng, laughed:

“Begone!”

So he kicked down, shattering the stone turtle. Then he reached out and pulled down the crimson-eyed, shaggy crow from the beam, twisted its wing, and threw it aside, laughing and scolding:

“You merely possess a semblance of appearance, tainted with a bit of mystique, and have been nurtured in spiritual qi for a thousand years, gaining a bit of the spirit fire’s status,” he scoffed, “yet you refuse to see who has arrived!”

The three-eyed Mountain Roaming Beasts crouching at the foot of the steps stopped moving, as if they had turned back into stone statues. Li Zhouwei didn’t bother to act further; he plucked the Nascent Soul spirit fire from the painted screen. With a sweep of his spiritual sense, he understood.

This object was naturally a Merging Fire, but unlike common Merging Fires, this one, as it blazed fiercely, carried a hint of luminous aura. Having previously acquired a Solar spiritual item, Li Zhouwei was very familiar with this luminous aura, recognizing it as the power of the Solar Path. Joy immediately surged in his heart:

‘It must be a Merging Fire related to the sun!’ he thought. ‘Any spiritual item that touches upon the sun’s essence vastly increases in value, let alone a spirit fire!’

The spirit fire was scorching hot to the touch and immediately tried to escape. Although Li Zhouwei could not instantly refine it, his surging Brilliant Sun divine ability heavily suppressed it, immediately compressing it into a tiny point of light, held motionless in his hand.

Losing its source of power, the painted screen immediately collapsed with a crash, scattering golden stones across the floor and revealing the scene behind it.

He saw glazed light permeating the area. In the grand hall, a square azure cauldron was placed.

The cauldron had a sturdy, angular design; its corners were sharp and straight, and its size was not large. The profound patterns on its upper part were extremely complex, mostly depicting flying birds. Its belly was further adorned with turtle patterns, carved atop lake patterns.

The cauldron’s square lid, however, was subtly trembling as if placed on boiling water. Its edges and sides continuously swayed, emitting dazzling white light. Faintly, streaks of lightning patterns could be seen leaping out from the gaps, only to be swiftly pulled back by the divine energy. An irritating aura permeated the air.

With just one glance, Li Zhouwei’s heart brightened:

‘A Profound Thunder artifact of the Douxuan Dao Lineage!’

Yet he did not rashly step forward. His gaze gradually moved downwards, and he saw surging formation patterns subtly suppressed beneath the cauldron. His heart grew vigilant:

‘Having entered deep into this hall, the sixteen Profound Suppressing Spirit Statues have shown no reaction,’ he thought. ‘It seems their purpose must be related to this item! As soon as this cauldron is disturbed, the Profound Suppressing Spirit Statues that guard Xinhu Palace will most likely activate...’