"These present-day grotto heavens are both great opportunities and deathly omens. Those lofty figures in the sects covet the treasures within, while fearing the dangers inside. Guess, what do you think they will do?"
Bu Feifan suddenly looked up at Chen Ye,
"Taoist Friend Chen, you forged a bloody path from the loose cultivators in the past. You wouldn’t think these people would foolishly enter by themselves and then go through countless hardships just to seek opportunities, would you?"
Chen Ye understood in his heart.
If a grotto heaven truly appears,
these sects, or major powers, certainly wouldn’t be foolish enough to directly send their elite disciples inside.
While disciples need trials, entering such dangerously high-risk grotto heavens for trials would lead to unacceptable casualties.
Not to mention, these disciples, though called disciples, are actually the descendants of the sect’s various prominent figures... How could they bear to let their offspring take such risks?
"So, Taoist Friend Bu means... the sect intends to send me to Songyang Cave Heaven?" Chen Ye felt a chill in his heart.
He preferred to stay far away from such perilous secret realms.
Moreover, even if there is a certain opportunity in Songyang Cave Heaven and he luckily obtains it, how can he keep it after leaving the cave heaven?
Besides, Chen Ye has a proficiency panel. He just needs to progress steadily.
"Exactly... But since Taoist Friend Chen is the Lisong superintendent, by rights, they wouldn’t use you as mere fodder."
Bu Feifan’s expression was haggard, and his lifeless face now showed a hint of doubt,
"This doesn’t make sense... General death warriors are mostly cultivators who committed capital crimes. If there aren’t enough of them, a batch of rootless yet skilled loose cultivators are secretly sentenced. As for me... it was because when tending to the spirit plant of a guardian of the sect, I inadvertently damaged his second-tier spirit plant, which led me to be caught and repay with my life. I reckon... it was just because Songyang Cave Heaven lacked a spirit plant cultivator to identify spirit plants, which led them to conveniently use me as a death warrior."
Bu Feifan claimed to be from a Spirit Plant Family, but it was merely because his ancestors were spirit plant cultivators, actually without any power.
And his words made Chen Ye’s eyes flicker:
"Lacking a spirit plant cultivator, so they grabbed you... In that case, if they send me as a death warrior, it’s likely someone specifically wants to use me."
Chen Ye is different from Bu Feifan; Lingyin Sect wouldn’t grab him just because of a lack of a spirit plant cultivator, that would be a great waste of talent.
Unless, there are other considerations.
Referring to the Bai Susu incident...
In no time, Chen Ye vaguely guessed something and asked, "How many times has the sect organized expeditions to Songyang Cave Heaven?"
"Only the second time. The first time, three disciples led dozens of loose cultivators inside to scout the way. It’s said, this group was entirely annihilated."
Bu Feifan explained.
Though it’s perilous inside, there must be leaders among the loose cultivators, and a major sect doesn’t lack disciples willing to seek opportunities in such life-and-death realms.
Chen Ye pondered silently.
Firstly, he wasn’t considering whether the Bai Family or other high-levels of Lingyin Sect deliberately plotted against him.
There’s no need... An overseeing steward at the Ninth Layer of Qi Cultivation isn’t worth such elaborate scheming.
NOR does the Wei Family have the capacity to directly frame him—if they did, Wei Cheng wouldn’t have needed to secretly plot against him back then.
Chen Ye’s expression grew more troubled the more he thought about it.
He realized he might just be like an ant, arranged casually by some significant figure, which brought him to this point.
For instance, a Bai Family high-level, upon hearing Bai Susu was trapped in the Cave Heaven Secret Realm, became anxious.
While investigating those who had contact with Bai Susu, they noticed him.
Seeing his cultivation was already top-notch among loose cultivators, and happened to have some unclear ties with Bai Susu, they might casually mention in a meeting among subordinates: "Isn’t that Chen Ye from Lisong Valley close to Susu? Let him go to Songyang Cave Heaven too, maybe he can discover some clues."
It seemed to be mere rumor, but for those truly holding power, what did Chen Ye’s life or death matter?
Just a pawn placed without conscious thought, a discarded piece used to scout the way.
If he’s lucky enough to survive and bring back some useful information, it would be a happy accident.
If he dies... then he dies. A steward from a loose cultivator background dying is trivial to the sect.
And the Wei Family merely caught onto this trend, conveniently avenging past grievances.
"I fear that... the Wei Family is ’saving the nation by a roundabout route,’ using some method to draw me into this significant figure’s view."
Chen Ye suddenly understood.
Absurd... utterly absurd.
Within the cultivation realm, human life is as insignificant as weeds, something Chen Ye had already comprehended back when the Jade Lizard Association was capturing medicinal farmers.
But... this time is different from before; it turned out to be just a casual remark from a major figure! Where once he could resist the Jade Lizard Association, now he lacks the means to resist!
"Hey, newcomer, you’ve arrived here and still have the leisure to chatter away?"
A rough voice disrupted Chen Ye’s thoughts.
Chen Ye raised his eyes, only to see in the opposite cell.
A giant silhouette like an iron tower was slowly standing up, flexing his muscles.
That person’s physique was extraordinarily tall, even in prison clothes it couldn’t mask the bulging muscles beneath, the scars crisscrossing his face appeared more sinister in the dim light.
Chen Ye’s gaze landed on his ankle, where a chain was locked, meant to restrict his movement. But oddly, the chain’s length allowed the man to easily walk to the door of his cell. Furthermore, the bars of his cell were made of common iron, trivial for a cultivator of such a physique.