Daoist Master Houfu was a rising figure of the Great Xiukui Temple , a young and powerful cultivator with the potential to lead the temple in the future. Lin Chensheng's background was not insignificant. Li Xuanfeng nodded slightly as Lin Chensheng continued, "When we enter the grotto heaven, Daoist Ziyu and I will propose that we act separately. I suggest you do the same—it is better to proceed alone."
"Hm?" Li Xuanfeng frowned slightly.
Lin Chensheng elaborated through secret transmission, "In places like this, traveling with others is not ideal. You are more likely to become a stepping stone for others than to gain anything worthwhile."
Li Xuanfeng fell silent for a moment before replying, "Thank you for the warning."
Lin Chensheng smiled faintly, "No need to be overly polite. When we are in the grotto heaven, we can look out for each other if needed."
Li Xuanfeng nodded. By this time, the two below had finished their formation and ascended on the wind. Kan Ziyu said, "The great formation is ready. Everything is in place; we just need the grotto heaven to descend."
The four exchanged a few words before entering a meditative state. The light between heaven and earth shifted several times as the day turned to evening. Finally, Lin Chensheng spoke abruptly, "It is coming."
Li Xuanfeng exhaled and raised his gaze, spotting a brilliant light appearing above Green Pine Island.
The light took the shape of a shallow arc, purple at the top and white at the bottom, slowly emerging from the great void. Five colors shimmered across the arc, which descended gradually toward the earth.
As the arc drew closer to the ground, more of its form became visible. Vast mountain ranges rose and fell within the clouds, faintly visible amidst the mist. Streams of light flickered and roamed across the terrain, casting an ethereal glow.
Boom!
A deafening thunderclap echoed through the sky as ochre-colored gold and stone fragments rained down. Out of nowhere, waterfalls cascaded from the air, transforming from purple-gold hues into blue-gold streams before landing below and swirling into violent deep-blue winds. These winds grew dense, turning fiery red as flames erupted, coalescing into crystalline formations.
The elements of earth, water, wind, and fire cycled in succession, producing countless streaks of light that shot off in all directions. The sea churned violently, its waters responding in kind by surging upward with torrents of multicolored spirit water.
A swarm of rogue cultivators leaped into the air, engaging in chaotic battles overhead. Li Xuanfeng and his group ignored the fray, shielding Zhong Qian as their formation activated with a thunderous roar.
One by one, the formation's glowing lines lit up, and with a muffled blast, all color vanished from Li Xuanfeng's sight. Everything became stark black and white. His thoughts grew sluggish as the objects before him stretched endlessly, distorting until they resolved into streams of black-and-white lines converging at a distant point.
An electrifying jolt shot through his mind, followed by a sudden shift in vision. Darkness gave way to dazzling silver and white.
The ground beneath him disappeared, and Li Xuanfeng suddenly found himself standing above an endless sea of clouds. Overhead, a boundless starry sky stretched into the distance, its brilliance unmatched. Beyond the clouds, distant mountain ranges rose and fell, shrouded in an eerie silence.
The Green Pine Grotto Heaven? Li Xuanfeng immediately surveyed his surroundings and noticed Zhong Qian and the others standing nearby, their faces filled with awe.
Lin Chensheng whispered, "This should be Green Pine Temple."
He raised his head to gaze at the stars and said in amazement, "As expected, the stars within this grotto heaven do not move."
At this, the group instinctively lifted their heads to observe. Sure enough, every star appeared fixed in the heavens, glowing like immovable points of light. Unlike the stars of the outside world, which shifted, intersected, and realigned, these stars remained static.
Li Xuanfeng's gaze fell upon a cluster of seven bright stars resembling a ladle, and he said softly, "There are no sun or moon in this grotto heaven... only stars?"
"Correct," Lin Chensheng replied, his eyes scanning the sea of clouds as if searching for something.
He exchanged a glance with Kan Ziyu before the two cupped their fist respectfully and said, "Now that we have entered the grotto heaven, let us part ways and seek our fortunes independently."
Zhong Qian was slightly surprised by their words, as though he had more to say. However, seeing Li Xuanfeng also bid farewell with a cupped fist, Zhong Qian could only nod and say, "Take care, everyone!"
Parting ways with the others, Li Xuanfeng carried his golden bow and flew north for a while. After pausing in mid-air for several breaths, he glanced down at the endless sea of clouds below him.
"I wonder what lies beneath," he murmured.
Forming a hand seal, a golden protective shield flared around his body. He cautiously descended into the clouds. A pale, moonlit mist surrounded him, and after a single breath, the dense layers of clouds began to thin and disperse.
"It seems one enters this place at a high altitude," he observed. Breaking through the bottom of the cloud layer, Li Xuanfeng finally saw what lay ahead and froze in astonishment.
Beneath him stretched another vast sea of clouds, endless and boundless. Above him remained the same endless starry sky, brilliant and infinite. In the distance, the mountain ranges rose and fell, winding endlessly—the same scene he had just witnessed.
Li Xuanfeng looked up and noticed that the ladle-shaped cluster of seven bright stars had now flipped upside down. If there was any difference between this view and the one above the clouds, this was the only distinction.
For a moment, he stood bewildered before realization struck, "There is no land here at all. Beneath the clouds is another starry night."
He carefully summoned the wind, breaking through the sea of clouds as he moved forward, a growing question forming in his mind, If that's the case, then if there's a treasure above, might there also be one below?
Suppressing the thought, he focused on the surrounding emptiness of the sea of clouds. This wasn't a place to waste time wandering aimlessly. Fixing his eyes on a distant mountain range, he directed his windborne path toward it.
Boom!
After flying for nearly an hour, a thunderous explosion echoed from the distant horizon. Li Xuanfeng glanced toward the source of the sound and saw several figures locked in a fierce battle over the sea of clouds.
The combatants wore a mix of garments, some bearing traces of mainland sects. At the center of the group was a cultivator holding two large bronze bowls high above his head. Within the bowls, purple lightning swirled, releasing strikes of profound lightning that struck his opponents.
His attackers surrounded him, each wielding different weapons—long swords, hand seals, and spells. Their robes and garb revealed their diverse origins, yet they had formed a temporary alliance to besiege him. Among them, one man in a golden robe wielded twin blades, his expression fierce as he shouted, "Miao Ye! Hand over the Hidden Cloud Orb at once! Stop wasting everyone's time!"
The central figure, Miao Ye, showed no fear. Chuckling coldly, he continued to wield the bronze bowls, intensifying the surge of purple light. Meanwhile, his opponents, though cooperating, hesitated to reveal their own trump cards, resulting in a stalemate.
The dual-blade wielder's expression grew increasingly grim. He clearly didn't want to waste more time here, but he couldn't bring himself to abandon the treasure in the other's hands. His face shifted multiple times as he wavered between choices.
Li Xuanfeng had no intention of provoking trouble and didn't want to attract suspicion by passing directly through the area. He planned to dive into the surrounding mist and bypass the skirmish from another direction.
However, the lightning-wielding cultivator with the bronze bowls laughed and taunted, "Situ Chen, you better leave now. If you wait too long, everything will already have been divided up!"
Li Xuanfeng froze in midair, narrowing his eyes as he scrutinized the dual-blade wielder, Situ Chen. A thoughtful expression crossed his face as his hand slowly reached behind him to unfasten the longbow on his back.