Nine mountain ranges rose and fell continuously, protecting Ziwei amidst a myriad of auras.
The place was originally unnamed, but an ancient Sealing Demon Cave was discovered here later. Subsequently, demonic Qi overflowed from it, causing continuous natural disasters and human calamities throughout Si Province, making life unbearable for the people.
Afterwards, the Supreme Dragon and Tiger Sect stationed a Primordial Spirit Ancestor here to guard the Demon Cave.
However, this attracted the forces of the six paths of the Demon Sect, led by the Evil Dao.
The two sides had already engaged in multiple fierce battles around Jiugong Mountain, with heavy casualties.
Even the Supreme Dragon and Tiger Sect had to call up a second batch of disciples.
As a First-class Divine Power and top-notch fighter, Su Daoshi was bound by duty.
Since leaving Baoguang Temple, Zhong Shenxiu had been strolling leisurely, carrying a white banner, stopping and walking along the way, enjoying the mountains and waters, until he finally reached the foot of Jiugong Mountain.
He stood on a cliff, shading his eyes with his hand, somewhat surprised.
"The mountains are clear and the waters are beautiful. There aren’t any signs of large-scale destruction from battles between cultivators... Is this place really a key node in the great battle between good and evil?"
He was puzzled but did not think too much about it.
He was just following orders, and as long as he could pass as Su Daoshi, that would be enough.
At that moment, he lit a stick of incense.
The Jade Talisman decree of that day had already shattered, and Chen Wenji had given him this item as a means of communication.
The blue smoke curled up and entered the void.
Zhong Shenxiu sat cross-legged, quietly waiting.
Before long, he heard a beastly roar.
In the sky, a massive beast, like an arrowhead, shattered cloud after cloud.
It resembled a golden-haired beast with two pairs of wings on its back.
One pair of wings manipulated the winds, stirring the clear spirit of the sky.
The other pair emitted thunder and lightning, giving off a faint sense of danger to Zhong Shenxiu.
’Among the Supreme Dragon and Tiger Sect, it seems they are famous for their Divine Thunder Skills... Alas, I have not had the chance to witness them, what a pity... This beast must be the ’Wind Thunder Beast’, it might have also cultivated some thunder techniques... It could leave Sima Shu’s golden-haired beast far behind.’
While he was immersed in thought, a fierce wind howled, and the Wind Thunder Beast landed on the cliff.
The huge and fierce head suddenly lowered and sniffed around.
Something seemed slightly off and it was about to bite down.
This kind of terror and danger could scare the bravest mortals to death.
But Zhong Shenxiu merely raised an eyebrow, feeling as if he was watching his own pet kitten pounce towards him.
What was there to fear from a pet that could easily be crushed by his hand?
After all, there was still a huge chasm between a Primordial Pill and Divine Skills.
At that moment, a voice came from the back of the Wind Thunder Beast.
A black-robed Daoist gracefully descended. He wore a Daoist hat, his large eyes sparkling with spirit, his face round-featured and full of smiles, giving off an air of wealth and prosperity.
He took the initiative to greet him, "Is this Su Junior Brother? I’ve heard about your reputation from Lan Ying’er back in the sect... To be able to match the Yellow Spring Prisoner, your skills must be no less inferior to a True Inheritor."
"Indeed, I am Su Daoshi. May I know Senior Brother’s surname?"
Zhong Shenxiu flashed a look of recognition and returned the greeting.
"My layman surname is Wang, but upon officially entering the Daoist sect, I took a Daoist name, which is Lu Qingzi!"
Lu Qingzi smiled, "I received the incense signal and came to guide Junior Brother into the Nine Palace Grotto Heaven!"
"Hmm? Grotto Heaven?"
Zhong Shenxiu was slightly surprised.
He, of course, knew about the concept of cave heavens, which was akin to the demi-plane concept in Western mysticism, rooted in this world yet somewhat independent.
If one could not open the gate, no matter how high their mana was, they could not gain entry.
Of course, if one’s cultivation reached the level of Dharma Body or even that of a corporeal-turned-immortal, unauthorized entry was not an issue.
"Without relying on the power of the grotto heaven, how can we suppress that great demon?"
Lu Qingzi sighed, "Alas... even after being suppressed for many years, the seal will loosen one day..."
"With the power of grotto heaven sealing a demon, its cultivation must be at least at the level of Dharma Body. Even if it has attained the status of Demon Immortal, it’s not impossible."
Zhong Shenxiu slowly ascended the back of the Thunder Roar Beast.
With his current disguise, even if the Primordial Spirit Ancestor were present, they might not see through his real cultivation level.
Both Lu Qingzi and the Thunder Roar Beast were merely at Divine Power Level; naturally, they couldn’t discern it either, letting Zhong Shenxiu walk over the beast’s vital spot.
"That’s right, thus we absolutely cannot give the Demon Sect a chance to release this demon."
Lu Qingzi patted his mount, the massive Thunder Roar Beast soared skyward; its two pairs of wings flapping alternately, manipulating the thunder and lightning, speeding with extreme agility.
"Truly a fine mount."
Zhong Shenxiu sat cross-legged, feeling the fierce wind facing him being automatically fended off by the Thunder Roar Beast.
Moreover, the force of the wind in the void was not obstructive but instead aided the creature’s flight, indeed as swift as lightning.
"Ha-ha, my skills may not be many, but in raising exotic beasts, I do have some understanding..."
Lu Qingzi laughed heartily, "That golden-haired roar that belongs to Sima Shu was also given by me."
Zhong Shenxiu gave a slight smile and fell silent.
Moments later, the Thunder Roar Beast reached a high altitude; Lu Qingzi took out a talisman, chanted under his breath, and struck out the talisman.
In the void, thunder and lightning converged, suddenly forming an archway enveloped by white light.
"The gate of Grotto Heaven?"
Zhong Shenxiu’s heart stirred; his Headless Earl also involved spatial manipulation, but only a tiny segment. To bind a vast space down, even extracting local terrain’s energy and the essence of the sun and moon, accommodating life, achieving a self-sufficient cycle, yet there still was a long way to go.
This kind of cave heaven had already achieved it.
The previous master of this grotto heaven, in terms of spatial cultivation, absolutely outstripped the Headless Earl by miles.
But the master of the grotto heaven was the master, and Lu Qingzi was merely a doorman; to clandestinely make some moves was very easy.
The Thunder Roar Beast roared, rushing into the semi-circular archway.
Heaven and earth shifted!
A feeling like a slight electric current prickled Zhong Shenxiu’s skin.
Soon after, he found himself in an entirely new world.
Mountains clear and waters exquisite, the sky did not have three suns, yet was filled with the brightness of the sun.
"In Nine Palace Cave Heaven, there are neither the external sun nor moon; it all relies on extracting the energy of external stars, forming white light in the heavens which is considered daylight. In the night, however, it is truly pitch-black."
Lu Qingzi explained to Zhong Shenxiu, "We generally agree that the daylight in the grotto heaven is the battlefield for cultivators below Primordial Pill level, while the night is for Primordial Pill Masters to patrol... Of course, this rule isn’t rigid. If one inadvertently bumps into an enemy Grandmaster, it’s just bad luck."
He looked around at the terrain, his expression becoming somewhat odd, "Why is the landing point so far off from the calculations? Could there have been an error during transmission? It shouldn’t be..."
Zhong Shenxiu’s mouth curled into a slight smile as he stepped forward.
With a casual wave of his hand, a line of Spiritual Fire appeared, turning into a Nine-headed Flame Dragon that opened its gaping jaws and swallowed Lu Qingzi whole!