: The Six Caverns Sect Gate (Two-in-One)

2024-11-22 Author: Gu Zhenren

Sun Lingtong was shocked and uncertain.

In that moment, his thoughts raced as he quickly reviewed everything that had just happened.

"How exactly did I fall victim to this petrification spell?"

The skin on his hands was still turning to stone. Sun Lingtong hurriedly examined it closely, confirming that this petrification magic was incredibly profound; he couldn't discern its origins.

"This is a trap, deadly and unforgiving! Before me, there might have been many victims already."

"No, that seems unlikely."

"If that were the case, then that group of hooded black-robed figures wouldn't have so openly paid their respects at the mountain, performed sacrifices, and caused deaths."

"Moreover, they didn't even dare enter the cave, clearly assuming this Deity Transformation level existence was still alive."

"I used a magical tool to excavate the treasure materials. After the materials were transported into the Mechanical Roaming Dragon, I personally inspected them."

"It's these treasure materials that are the problem!"

As Sun Lingtong analyzed the situation, cold sweat broke out on his forehead.

The petrification spell continued to erode him, and suppressing it with magic power felt like quenching thirst with poison. The spell seemed to benefit from contact with his magic power, its potency beginning to increase.

"This won't do, I need to inform Xiao Zhuo immediately!"

"We can't lose track of those black-robed cultivators. We must confront them and see what information we can extract under torture."

Sun Lingtong urgently began rescuing himself.

On one hand, he controlled the Mechanical Roaming Dragon to immediately leave the cave and pursue the departing black-robed cultivators.

On the other hand, he wrote a flying letter and sent it directly to Ning Zhuo's room.

Meanwhile, after receiving Sun Lingtong's criticism, Ning Zhuo had returned to his living quarters.

At first, he was quite calm.

He instinctively wanted to sit in meditation and cultivate, but remembered Sun Lingtong had forbidden it.

So he lay down on the bed, deciding to sleep.

But after closing his eyes, he found he couldn't fall asleep at all.

Normally, since he wasn't fully recovered yet, with lingering aftereffects from his Qi deviation, both body and mind should be weary. Under such circumstances, falling asleep should be easy.

But reality was quite the opposite. Ning Zhuo tossed and turned, his eyeballs moving rapidly beneath his eyelids.

He took a light breath and suddenly opened his eyes.

He stared blankly at the ceiling for a while, then sat up irritably.

He didn't maintain this position for long before getting up and sitting on the edge of the bed.

After sitting for a dozen breaths, he felt as if sitting on needles and had to stand up.

Anxiety.

Frustration.

Various negative emotions rapidly sprouted.

"Brother Linghu endured so much confinement, he's truly remarkable to withstand it!"

"Boss Sun's lesson is absolutely right."

"I can't even endure this bit of idle time, feeling restless and thinking it's a waste."

"My mindset has subtly changed a lot compared to before."

"Sigh..."

Ning Zhuo was so uncomfortable. Reason told him that cultivation and work require a balance of tension and relaxation, but his turbulent emotions made him pace and wander around the room.

Just then, a knocking sound came from the cabin door.

Ning Zhuo opened the door to find a flying letter entering the cabin, unfolding naturally in the air.

"Why is the boss writing to me?"

Ning Zhuo found it quite strange and looked at the letter.

After reading it once, he understood the situation and his expression changed immediately: "The boss is in trouble!"

Ning Zhuo flicked his finger, sending out a small flame that floated up and burned the flying letter.

He immediately started writing a reply.

The Mechanical Roaming Dragon originally had a device allowing Sun Lingtong to transmit his voice to Ning Zhuo's living cabin. But Sun Lingtong, worried that the Ten-Thousand Li Roaming Dragon might also get petrified, had already started minimizing its usage range.

He was even more concerned about Ning Zhuo's safety, so he used a flying letter to inform Ning Zhuo of what happened. In the letter, he instructed Ning Zhuo to burn the letter promptly, avoid entering the storage cabin and the dragon head cabin, and keep as far away from Sun Lingtong as possible.

Ning Zhuo's flying letter soon reached Sun Lingtong.

"At least Xiao Zhuo knows now." Sun Lingtong sighed in relief and quickly read the letter's contents.

In the letter, Ning Zhuo inquired about Sun Lingtong's specific injuries and suggested deciphering the flying letter that the hooded black-robed figures had previously tried to send into the giant cave but were intercepted by Sun Lingtong.

But in fact, Sun Lingtong had already started doing that.

The flying letter was quickly deciphered; actually, the sender hadn't encrypted it at all.

To the Old Monster in the Stone:

We, cultivators of the Six Caverns Sect, respectfully following the orders of the Heart Devil Cave Master, hereby submit this letter, sincerely inviting the Old Monster to awaken.

Our Six Caverns Sect has long heard of the Old Monster's great reputation, always admiring your Earth Movement supernatural powers that awe all directions. Now, the imperial army is besieging the Thousand Peaks Forest, the situation is critical. We need the Old Monster's assistance to unleash heavenly might and share the joy of slaughter together.

If you agree, the Six Caverns Sect will surely repay you handsomely!

"So these people are from the Six Caverns Sect?" Sun Lingtong naturally already knew about the Ning family's grudge with the Six Caverns Sect.

Sun Lingtong fixed his gaze on a certain line: "As the Six Caverns Sect side, their tone treats the Old Monster in the Stone and the Heart Devil Cave Master as equals..."

"Could it be that the Old Monster in the Stone was originally a Nascent Soul cultivator, this time attempting to break through to the next major realm but failed, resulting in his death?"

Sun Lingtong had discovered some key intelligence, but it was far from enough.

Under his control, the Ten-Thousand Li Roaming Dragon easily caught up with the Six Caverns Sect envoys.

The envoys quickly descended the mountain. Standing at the foot, they each took out their mounts—all demon beasts like lions and tigers.

They looked anxious, brows deeply furrowed. When communicating with each other, they no longer used spiritual sense but spoke verbally.

Along the way, they collectively discussed how to report back.

Clearly, the failure of this diplomatic mission put immense pressure on them.

Thread of Human Life!

During this process, Ning Zhuo specifically used his supernatural ability to plant the Thread of Human Life on each of the four individuals.

The mounts of the black-robed cultivators were quite fast. Soon, they arrived at a base on a mountainside.

Using the teleportation array in the base, the four envoys completely departed.

Usually, tracking would end here, leaving cultivators to sigh helplessly at the sky. But Sun Lingtong, possessing the Ten-Thousand Li Roaming Dragon, was different.

This mechanical construct reached the Nascent Soul level, possessing the ability to traverse the void, a capability only Nascent Soul cultivators have.

All teleportation arrays operate on the principle of void traversal.

So, Sun Lingtong decisively controlled the Ten-Thousand Li Roaming Dragon to directly enter the void.

"Xiao Zhuo, it's up to you!" Sun Lingtong communicated via a magical tool.

Ning Zhuo grunted in affirmation and immediately activated his supernatural ability.

Upper Dantian — Bright Mirror Spiritual Light Dantian.

The complete supernatural ability, shaped like a white lotus root with green leaves and pink petals, immediately began to shine brilliantly.

Ning Zhuo couldn't help but open his mouth wide. Although he could sense the four targets, the sensation within the void was completely different from the real world.

Ning Zhuo felt disoriented—left and right reversed, distances distorted, even the heavens and earth spinning.

For a moment, he didn't know how to describe it.

This experience of traversing the void was still too profound for him, far beyond his current understanding.

Fortunately, he and Sun Lingtong had anticipated this. Ning Zhuo was only responsible for transmitting what he sensed into the Mechanical Roaming Dragon, letting the Ten-Thousand Li Roaming Dragon handle the rest itself.

After a moment, the dark curtain dissipated, and the silver light expanded, transforming into the real world.

Sun Lingtong, located in the dragon head cabin, took a look and cheered: "Success, haha, well done, Xiao Zhuo!"

Ning Zhuo had already collapsed to his knees on the ground, his whole body numb, the spiritual mirror in his mind almost completely shattered.

He gasped for breath, momentarily dizzy and unable to move.

The four black-robed cultivators stepped off the large teleportation array.

Sun Lingtong controlled the Ten-Thousand Li Roaming Dragon, carefully continuing to follow the four black-robed cultivators.

Exiting the hall housing the large teleportation array, Sun Lingtong arrived outdoors.

He saw stone buildings densely packed on this colossal pillar-like tree—tall towers and low houses, mostly in gray and black.

The sky was perpetually covered by a layer of purplish-black poisonous mist, blocking the sunlight.

The four black-robed cultivators didn't dare linger. They directly took the main road, quickly ascending towards the mountain peak.

On the road, they occasionally encountered other Six Caverns Sect cultivators. These cultivators almost all wore black or gray robes, with冷酷 or fierce expressions. Many had lions, tigers, or other vicious beasts accompanying them, while others played with scorpions, centipedes, or other gu insects.

On the mountainside, Sun Lingtong looked into the distance and saw a huge training ground.

Inside, a large group of cultivators were fighting each other, blood flying. Spectators excitedly roared, their voices spreading out in waves. From time to time, cultivators completely fell, losing their lives.

Clearly, the internal competition among Six Caverns Sect cultivators was far more brutal than in the Ten-Thousand Medicines Sect!

The four cultivators passed through the gate tower and stepped into the main hall at the mountain peak.

Guards intercepted them. One turned and entered the hall to report.

Shortly after, the guards let them pass.

The four black-robed cultivators exchanged glances, all steeling themselves as they walked up the main path and finally entered the grand hall.

The interior of the hall was immensely spacious, with a high suspended dome. The surrounding walls were painted with various murals. Some depicted fierce mountains, evil waters, and惨雾; others portrayed countless cultivators in fierce combat;还有一些 depicted bloody sacrificial scenes. The figures in the murals all shared a common characteristic: whether laughing, crying, or expressing other emotions, they all appeared extremely ferocious.

The hall's floor was paved with black mysterious iron, cold and hard.

The air was filled with a faint fragrance, mixed with a trace of a nauseating腥味.

In the central area of the hall stood six pitch-black stone pillars.

Each pillar's shape was quite different.

The upper-middle sections of the pillars were hollowed out, carved into seats or cloud beds.

The four cultivators walked to the center of the six pillars and prostrated themselves in worship.

On the pillars, three seats were empty. The remaining three were occupied by cultivators, either sitting or reclining.

These three all exuded powerful Nascent Soul auras, each with their own unique phenomena.

One sat upright on a throne. He was tall and burly, bare-chested, his body covered in black-purple scales. At the moment, his eyes were closed, motionless like a stone statue.

One sat cross-legged on a futon, but his entire body was enveloped in a bloody shimmer, his form blurry. His aura surged, like waves spreading out one after another.

The third lay on a bed, facing away from the outside. She wore a semi-transparent purple cloud gauze, her waist and back lines soft and alluring. But from her臀部, a huge scorpion tail grew. The tip of the tail, with its venomous stinger, gleamed coldly.

The four cultivators paid their respects with grand ceremony.

Through their words, Sun and Ning immediately understood the identities of the three Nascent Soul cultivators before them.

The tall, scale-covered man was the Heart Devil Cave Master.

The one shrouded in bloody light was the Blood Shadow Cave Master.

The alluring female cultivator lying with her back to everyone was the Venomous Scorpion Cave Master.

The Heart Devil Cave Master opened his eyes. His eyes were clearly cultivated through secret methods; they lacked normal pupils, containing only blood-red vortices that constantly rotated on their own.

Hearing his subordinates' report, the Heart Devil Cave Master slowly spoke, his voice低沉: "Hmph, you sacrificed over a dozen Qi Refining comrades, yet didn't even get to see the Old Monster in the Stone. Incompetent fools, go die."

The four cultivators knelt on the ground, just about to open their mouths to beg for mercy.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

A series of explosions sounded, and their chests all burst open, four hearts flying out.

The fresh hearts flew before the Heart Devil Cave Master. The scales at the center of the latter's chest suddenly split apart, revealing a vertical slit about a palm's length.

The slit opened, revealing a blood-red heart. Black veins, like coiling dragons or tree roots, densely entangled on it.

With each beat of the devil heart, one of the hearts before it exploded.

The essence from the shattered hearts successively poured into the chest slit, devoured by the devil heart.

Beside them, the Blood Shadow Cave Master on the black pillar let out a阴冷的 laugh.

The bloody light enveloping him also split off a strand, shining on the four corpses.

The four corpses with exploded chests rapidly withered at a visible rate, almost all their essence and blood being sucked out, finally merging into the Blood Shadow Cave Master's bloody light.

As for the Venomous Scorpion Cave Master, she slightly shook the scorpion tail on her back.

The cold light of the scorpion tail flashed briefly in mid-air.

Immediately, the withered corpses all turned into four puddles of purple poisonous liquid.

The poisonous liquid quickly vaporized into purple smoke, rising upwards and gathering on the scorpion tail.

The Venomous Scorpion Cave Master laughed: "With the great battle approaching, we're slaughtering sect members and cultivating demonic techniques. When the Great Cave Master returns and finds the sect's cultivators reduced by eighty or a hundred, he'll surely fly into a rage. Hehehe."

The Blood Shadow Cave Master snorted coldly: "Right now, the vanguard of the imperial punitive force is already approaching the Thousand Peaks Forest, with more troops continuously marching over. No matter how angry the Great Cave Master is, what can he do at this critical juncture? How can a mere few Foundation Building cultivators compare to our Nascent Soul level combat power?"

The Heart Devil Cave Master said in a low voice: "If they can't even invite the Old Monster in the Stone, what use are such trash? Their only use is as materials to help us increase our cultivation by a shred."

"With the great battle approaching, at the critical moment, it might be this tiny bit of cultivation difference that determines life and death!"

The Venomous Scorpion Cave Master laughed again: "Hehe, that Old Monster in the Stone originated from a ten-thousand-year earth essence, most fond of tranquility, its age堪称 the longest. Inviting it out of seclusion was always the most difficult task. Second Cave Master, you've used this method to eliminate quite a few of the sect's rising talents. I think we can slow down. After all, without these cannon fodder, would we have to take the field ourselves in the early stages of the battle?"

The Blood Shadow Cave Master snorted coldly: "Venomous Scorpion, you speak nicely. The real reason is that your Love Poison has reached a bottleneck and needs some time to refine before it can progress further."

"You're worried that if we continue cultivating like this, you'll miss out on your share, right?"

The Venomous Scorpion Cave Master, having her thoughts exposed, didn't care: "Hehehe, so what if you saw through me?"

"My Love Poison must collect the freshest emotions. The horror, fear, terror, and anger before death are excellent materials for refining poison."

"What harm is there if you two slow down a bit?"

"The hearts and essence blood of these Foundation Building cultivators are of little help to you two,可有可无."

The Blood Shadow Cave Master snorted coldly: "Since we are both leaders of the Six Caverns Sect, helping each other is naturally acceptable. So, what about the compensation?"

The Venomous Scorpion Cave Master swung her scorpion tail, tossing out two items.

One was a fist-sized Blood Fiend Demon Stone, the other was a section of a mechanical carriage.

"A Nascent Soul level Blood Fiend Demon Stone, good, good." The Blood Shadow Cave Master stored the demon stone, very satisfied.

The Heart Devil Cave Master, however, said displeased: "Venomous Scorpion, you think you can fob me off with just a mere magical tool level mechanical carriage? Do you know you're provoking me, insulting me?"

The Venomous Scorpion Cave Master giggled: "How would I dare, Elder Brother Heart Devil? Look carefully, this mechanical carriage appears to be a magical tool on the surface, but it's actually treasure-grade, just very cleverly disguised."

"Back then, when we plotted against the Ning family, we confiscated a large batch of their assets. We all misjudged; this mechanical carriage was mistaken for a magical tool and rewarded downwards."

"Once, I accidentally discovered the mystery of this mechanical carriage, so I schemed to harm that disciple and seized this item."

"Elder Brother Heart Devil, isn't your son Lin You always plotting for the Pale Savage Elephant?"

"That's not good."

"The new Elephant King is very protective. With a great enemy approaching, we need to unite with that herd of White Tusk Elephants."

"That kid Lin You loves to show off,无非 wanting a mount to flaunt his power. Using this mechanical carriage, with some modifications, will surely satisfy him."

Only then did the Heart Devil Cave Master show a slight smile, proactively reaching out to collect the mechanical carriage.

"Good, recently, You'er has indeed been quite noisy."

"Venomous Scorpion, you're very thoughtful."

The Venomous Scorpion Cave Master giggled: "As long as you're satisfied, Second Brother!"

The Blood Shadow Cave Master snorted: "Venomous Scorpion, you've accomplished a big thing with little cost,佩服佩服."

Inside the Mechanical Roaming Dragon, Ning Zhuo was trembling with rage!

He recognized that mechanical carriage; it was the one his mother had described to him, the one she rode in for ease during pregnancy.

"Could it be that mother's胎气 was disturbed precisely because this carriage was snatched, forcing her to travel long distances?"

"Venomous Scorpion, and Heart Devil!"

"Six Caverns Sect!"

"I swear I will reclaim that mechanical carriage