Back then, Senior Sister mentioned that Immortal Monarch elder who crossed the seas, and also described his tragic end. If I remember correctly, she said his skin peeled off.

In his understanding, such a bizarre illness only occurs when a strong enough radiation damages the chromosomes, leading to a defect in bodily functions, hindering normal metabolism and causing such a tragic state.

"It seems Xiao Liuer indeed mentioned quite a lot to you."

"...How did I forget again."

Sudden cardiac arrest.

He suddenly remembered that this was the touch between Divine Souls, and any fleeting thoughts in his mind couldn't escape the old man's eyes. Even now, he wasn't adept at restraining his mind, not well-versed in Divine Soul cultivation. However, the old man turned around and waved his hand.

"Rest assured, I don't intend to hold you accountable. You're the future heir of Swordmaster Peak, so it doesn't matter what she tells you. Moreover, Xiao Liuer isn't someone who abides by the rules."

He gave an embarrassed and awkward smile, remembering Senior Sister's investigation of the entire Cultivation World's truth, traveling herself to the East Sea, almost getting into a brawl with the island's guardian.

Quickly, he steadied his mind, ensuring no further flaws appeared in his Divine Soul.

"Six thousand years ago, the five Great Emperors of the Central Plains completely sealed this place. They each wielded the power of heaven and earth, which included Immortal Monarchs of the Human Clan and Demon Lords of the Demon Race."

"After sealing it, the abyss under Heaven was turned into a Cave Heaven by the Five Emperors using their powers. The Five Emperors perished from exhaustion, but the abyss was entirely sealed within the Cave Heaven, theoretically never to see daylight again."

"But... this abyss is an ancient relic, having existed for unknown ages. Even a few pages of remnants and shards from a building within it were enough to drive the entire Cultivation World mad."

"You should be able to guess the final outcome."

Nodding.

This time, he didn't have any strange thoughts passing through his mind. Clearly, once a threat was removed, everyone would start fighting over the benefits.

Most likely the patriarch won the battle.

"Yes, you guessed correctly. It can't be considered a victory. After all, a complete Cave Heaven was shattered from the dispute, scattered in pieces, and the patriarch managed to seize a fragment, which is now the Yuanyuan Tower."

Just as he predicted.

The old man's tone was neither hurried nor slow. Somehow, when Jiang Feng heard the old man's words, he felt no impatience, even in a phase of receiving rewards. He preferred to linger and chat with the old man in front of him.

"The abyss underground is filled with countless demons. Even though it's now sealed and sunk into the earth, never to see daylight again, disciples from various sects still send people to investigate periodically."

"Your Senior Sister and Master both ventured to the extreme south to confront the extraterrestrial Heavenly Demons. I also went there back in the day. Though the abyss is sealed, the Heavenly Demons attracted still nearly took my life several times, not to mention the numerous experts of the Central Plains who also fell there."

"Yet, despite this, many cultivators still eagerly go there themselves. Do you know why?"

The young man's reply was very decisive.

"Because of the treasures and legacies within the ancient relics."

"Most items needed for cultivation are non-renewable. Each time you pick an Immortal Herb, there's one less; break a Divine Weapon, there's one less; lose a Magic Treasure, there's one less."

"The cultivation resources of this Divine Land may not be sufficient to satiate the entire Cultivation World. Instead of being forever ordinary and continuously assimilated by others, one might as well take risks to explore ancient relics."

"High risk brings high reward. Without it, Purple Cloud Palace might not have maintained its position in the Cultivation World for thousands of years, and wouldn't be able to support so many disciples under its wings."

A perfect answer.

The old man couldn't help but smile upon hearing this.

"Very good, very good."

"You're right. To maintain our sect's position in the Cultivation World and provide better cultivation techniques for our disciples, to give the children more opportunities, we have no choice but to act this way."

"The Phoenix Heavenly Cave, where you will soon go, is an ancient relic."

"You might wonder why it's not us, who still have some residual heat, personally going. Both in sentiment and logic, it should be us elders taking action, while letting young disciples risk their lives makes no sense."

"But..."

"You cannot break through; you can't get in. What's stuck is the Divine Soul, not the body. Only a child can squeeze through a dog hole; adults can't fit. And even if they could force their way in, they couldn't get back out."

The old man's voice suddenly halted.

His mouth opened.

Large eyes stared at smaller eyes, an odd atmosphere prevailing momentarily.

Looking at Jiang Feng's expression, it clearly carried some astonishment, and he instinctively asked, "Did Xiao Liuer tell you this as well? It shouldn't be. According to sect rules, this matter should only be communicated by the Sect Master and elders before the contests. Xiao Liuer is mischievous by nature but wouldn't overstep boundaries."

"Uh."

A vibrant figure flashed in his mind.

Yes, it was Cen Yueyue.

When this thought crossed his mind, even Zhang Shanyuan found it amusing, unable to hold back a laugh. Judging Jiang Feng's thoughts was easy from his cultivation, and he hadn't intentionally pried, as he had no such malicious interest at his age.

Yet the disturbance in his mind was significant, and with just a glance, even he was shocked.

"The inheritor of the Flame? The current Southern Border Saintess? The sole descendant of Cen Family Village? Did you win her over? She even told you this?"

"..."

An awkward cough.

"Um, senior, let's get back to our previous topic. I'm looking forward to the trip to the Phoenix Heavenly Cave."

"Haha, hahaha."

He laughed.

He laughed wildly.

Looking at the tall and handsome young man before him, especially the uncontrollable images passing through his mind, this old man couldn't help but laugh. It turned out this kid was the most capable one in Swordmaster Peak.

Someone remained silent.

His face suddenly fell. Anyone exposed to their private life would likely show an unpleasant expression. Though the old man in front wasn't as mischievous as Yu Ying, since their Divines Souls connected directly, any uncontrolled thought turned into a shared projection.

If he were a trained Soul Cultivator, he could likely overcome this, but he wasn't.

At least, not yet; he couldn't control his mind at all.

The old man laughed for a while, seemingly on the verge of tears from laughter. Among the third-generation disciples across the Cultivation World, the Southern Border Saintess ranked among the top three as most challenging, and the Cen Family Village was extraordinarily powerful.

At the time, he had considered sending someone to propose an alliance, hoping the Saintess might take a liking to one of their disciples and forge a strong relationship.

Well.

Turns out he was the one mistaken.

"No wonder you wouldn't surrender when fighting Mi Yun that day. I thought you had a grudge between you two, but it turns out it was my fault, a lousy suggestion I made, hahaha."

...

The face seemed to start turning beet red.

Noticing Jiang Feng's increasingly red face, the old man finally restrained his laughter and said lightly, "Rest assured, with your capability, the sect will naturally support you fully. Perhaps this trip to Phoenix Heavenly Cave will see you as the key determining factor."

"Handle this matter yourself; we elders will not interfere. Let's not talk about this anymore. Tell me about yourself."

"It's clear you aren't a novice to Cave Heaven Secret Realms. Otherwise, your reaction wouldn't be so intense. Yet, in the recent century, I've never heard of new Cave Heaven Secret Realms appearing."

"Even if there were, with your cultivation, you wouldn't have been able to enter. So, was someone that trapped you inside?"

A glance saw through everything.

From this, one could discern how formidable Zhang Shanyuan's experience in cultivation was. With minimal reactions, he could deduce most of the situation.

Still, the old man's voice remained gentle, exerting no pressure.

"If you don't mind, would you share the details? I'm quite curious. If not, I can take you to acquire the Heavenly Clarity and Serenity True Technique."

The choice was left to Jiang Feng.

Without much hesitation, after omitting the affairs with Demon Night True Monarch, Jiang Feng straightforwardly began recounting their journey of the four southward...

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