The entire mountain peak, like an inverted sharp sword, pierced straight into the clouds, entirely composed of unknown black boulders, with not a trace of grass or trees. Only at key locations, forbidden symbols flashed with a chilling spiritual light.
Chen Ye was roughly dragged out of the confinement room by Wei Shu, pushed and shoved, onto the long steps leading to the mountain top.
On either side of the long steps, every ten steps, stood a grim-looking statue, each holding various torture implements.
"This place...is so eerie, it might as well be a place of the Demon Path."
Chen Ye mused in his heart, and soon, he frowned.
Wei Shu had not the slightest intention of taking him to the main hall for questioning; instead, under the lead of a hunched old woman, headed straight for a sinister cave entrance in the belly of the mountain.
Near the cave entrance stood a stone tablet with the words "Dungeon" carved on it.
"Without interrogation, directly detaining me in the dungeon, this, isn’t in line with the sect’s rules, is it?" Chen Ye sensed something was wrong.
"Rules? You don’t think the Bai Family will save you, do you?"
Wei Shu laughed maliciously, his tone sinister,
"Don’t think I don’t know, Wei Cheng’s death is certainly related to you! Unfortunately, that day the Bai Family protected you, but today..."
As he spoke, he glanced inadvertently at the hunched old woman.
The old woman interrupted at the right moment:
"Steward Wei, don’t speak out of turn. The Bai Family bears no ill will towards Steward Chen. Steward Chen, stay here for a few days with peace of mind, the Elders will have their public judgment."
...
Inner Sect, Bai Family territory.
"What? He’s already been imprisoned?" Bai Wuji furrowed his brows tightly, exclaiming angrily, "This... this is baseless, isn’t it? It was clearly the work of a Loose Cultivator, what does it have to do with him?"
Earlier, one of the guardians who detained Chen Ye, the hunched old woman, was here, she said plainly:
"Taoist Friend Bai, I am merely following the orders of the Second Elder... Besides, everything is to save the young lady."
"Damn it!" Bai Wuji cursed angrily.
He knew a bit about this, but was powerless to stop it.
Five days ago, in the Three Thousand Great Mountains, inside Songyang Cave Heaven.
There was a Loose Cultivator named Hee Qi, who secretly sided with the Demon Path, helping them to deceive and kill dozens of Loose Cultivators within the Lingyin Sect territory, as well as three disciples of Lingyin Sect.
This matter, in itself, was not surprising.
However, this person had a close relationship with Chen Ye, and even secretly visited Chen Ye before entering the Three Thousand Great Mountains.
Additionally, Chen Ye had once attempted to approach Bai Susu, and Bai Susu had also visited Chen Ye before her disappearance...
Coupled with the Wei Family’s constant claims that Chen Ye had long colluded with the Demon Path, and even Wei Cheng’s death was at Chen Ye’s behest using a Demon Cultivator.
Subsequently, the sect dispatched a steward to investigate Chen Ye.
Unexpectedly, in Luoli Courtyard, they found a Demon Path token—although, in Bai Wuji’s view, this was obviously a setup by the Wei Family to frame Chen Ye!
However, the evidence and witness testimony were all in place... Of course, this evidence was not important, what mattered was someone in the Bai Family was covertly pushing for it.
"Taoist Friend Bai, we also trust Steward Chen, if Steward Chen understands our painstaking efforts, he will surely understand us."
The old woman said quietly,
"He has received many benefits from our Bai Family, he should be willing to give his all for our Bai Family, what’s a bit of suffering?"
Bai Wuji snorted coldly, mocking, "Now that he is where he is, when has he ever sought help from the Bai Family? Wanting to make him risk his life just for some embellishment?"
The old woman remained indifferent, calmly responding:
"One Golden Core technique, enough to buy a Loose Cultivator’s life, is sufficient. This is also the Second Elder’s intention."
Hearing this, Bai Wuji was even more furious,
The Withering and Flourishing Profound Light Sutra, just to get started, requires five Second Tier Spiritual Objects!
The subsequent cultivation is even more difficult!
Such an empty Golden Core title, in reality, is nothing but a chicken rib...
He let out a heavy sigh.
The old woman asked curiously, "Just a small figure, why does Taoist Friend Bai worry so much?"
She shook her head.
In fact, the higher-ups were just doing it casually, not taking it to heart at all.
Besides,
Without the Bai Family, Chen Ye would still be struggling with Loose Cultivators in Yunxi District for a living, who knows in which corner he’d have already died.
Getting him to run some errands for the Bai Family, what’s wrong with that?
At worst, even if he unfortunately perishes, his apprentice, the Bai Family will take care of...
Bai Wuji snorted coldly, "Even the smallest person is still a person... Songyang Cave Heaven has just opened, and the dangers within are extraordinary. Moreover, some time ago, Demon Cultivators caused trouble, claiming dozens of lives!"
"Hmph! Taoist Friend Bai should also consider his own status. Only with them paving the way can we Family Cultivators ensure our safety."
Hearing this, the old woman was somewhat displeased.
These words made it sound like they were of the Demon Path.
If it were the Demon Path, they would have long since driven large numbers of Loose Cultivators to their deaths in the Grotto Heaven!
Seeing the conversation was going nowhere, the old woman finally left with a cold parting remark,
"Even if the Elders just mentioned it offhand, we still have to be foolproof! Remember... have someone humiliate him first, and when he’s in despair, Taoist Friend Bai should reach out to recruit him, since Taoist Friend Bai is familiar with him, it’s up to you. In this way, he’ll be grateful and come to rely on our Bai Family’s kindness!"
As the saying goes, strike with a large stick, then offer a sweet date; this is the way to manage subordinates.
If you always show kindness to this person, he might not appreciate it!
"..."
Bai Wuji gritted his teeth.
As the old woman said, even if he couldn’t bear it, he had no reason to stop it.
"Forget it, I can only give you a hint on his behalf..."
...
"Clang!"
The prison door, made of millennium Profound Iron, was heavily shut.
Completely isolating it from the outside.
Inside the dungeon, it was cold, damp, and pitch black.
The stench mixed with blood was nauseating.
The ground underfoot was slippery stone, covered with slimy moss, and cold droplets occasionally dripped from above, hitting the face and inducing a shiver.
In the distance, there were occasional muffled groans of pain, or the clattering sound of chains dragging on the ground.
Chen Ye leaned against the wall, calming his mind.
He didn’t attempt to operate the Evergreen Technique again, as any fluctuation of spiritual power here might attract unnecessary attention.
This cell wasn’t large, about ten feet square, with nothing but some damp, moldy straw scattered around.
And in the corner opposite him, there was a huddled figure.
That person was disheveled and motionless, like a corpse. If Chen Ye hadn’t felt his faint breathing, he would have thought it was indeed a dead body.
After an unknown amount of time, the huddled figure in the corner suddenly moved.
He slowly raised his head, and on that filthy-covered face, upon seeing Chen Ye clearly, he was instantly shocked:
"You are... Chen... Chen Ye?"
"Who might you be?" Chen Ye asked back without answering, his expression wary.
He had been specifically imprisoned here, and to encounter someone who recognized him... This was definitely no coincidence!
"It’s me... I am Bu Feifan!"
The man was overjoyed, crawling and stumbling to Chen Ye, lifting his long hair.
Beneath the long hair was a young face.
"Bu Feifan..."
Chen Ye didn’t initially have much impression of this person.
But upon hearing his words, his memories instantly returned to the Spirit Plant Competition more than six months ago.
At that time, this young man was indeed a formidable opponent of his.
Back then, Bu Feifan was young and vigorous, hailing from a Spirit Plant Family with high ambitions.
"Didn’t you join the Lingyin Sect? Why are you also imprisoned here?" Seeing Chen Ye stunned, Bu Feifan understood that Chen Ye recognized him, and quickly asked.
"Frankly... I don’t know either." Chen Ye slightly softened his tone.
"Then you must have offended someone. This place is no good," Bu Feifan said quietly.
Chen Ye detected something unusual in his words and couldn’t help asking further, "Taoist Friend Bu, could you shed some light for me?"
Bu Feifan crawled back to the straw mat, sitting limp on it, and said dejectedly:
"Once you are in such a dungeon, you become... a Death Warrior."
"Death Warrior?" Chen Ye was taken aback.
"Have you ever heard, Taoist Friend Chen, that a Grotto Heaven has appeared in the Three Thousand Great Mountains?"
Before Chen Ye could respond, Bu Feifan continued on his own,
"These so-called Grotto Heavens are without exception extremely dangerous, otherwise they wouldn’t appear."
Chen Ye understood this logic.
Why?
A Grotto Heaven is either a resting place of a Great Cultivator or a small world of a sect.
The resting place of a Great Cultivator is essentially their tomb, being a tomb, naturally, they wouldn’t want it to be plundered by grave robbers, so it would be heavily fortified with restrictions.
Additionally, there are sect small worlds. Some sects, when encountering certain dangers, would hide in their small world.
If all went well, they would naturally emerge from the small world...
If they didn’t come out, then something went awry.
For instance, there was once a sect called the Fangcun Sect. When besieged by a Demon Path sect, they were forced to hide in their small world.
But the Demon Path sect couldn’t breach it and laid down heavy evil formations near the small world to pollute it with Evil Qi.
Causing the cultivators of the Fangcun Sect to fall into demonic paths.
But ironically, soon after, the Demon Path sect was exterminated by others.
Leaving the small world unknown until a hundred years later, when someone inadvertently opened it, only to find it full of lunatics...
In summary, when discovering a suddenly emerging small world, one must be cautious—who knows what problems have arisen inside?