The Cave Within the Cave

However, Liu Ding had barely been happy for long before he felt something was strange. He asked, "General Jiang, how is it that you know everything I experience so well? That's not right."

General Jiang did not even dare enter Everlasting Cave, so how could he know what had happened inside? Thinking back on everything before, Liu Ding found it increasingly strange.

"There is some connection between us that you could never imagine. As for you now, you truly are not yet at the point where you should know. The same words as before: when you are strong enough in the future, find the answer yourself."

General Jiang had revealed a tiny bit of information, then added, "You needn't worry. I require no repayment from you. I told you before, once you completely defeat Liu Ji, I will vanish from this world for good."

"Hmph, if you won't tell me, then don't. I'll drag out your fox tail sooner or later." Seeing General Jiang conceal things so evasively, Liu Ding was extremely displeased and said bitterly.

"I would welcome it." General Jiang smiled. "Now that you have fused with the Yin Soul Qi of the various ancestors in Everlasting Cave, they have acknowledged you and will no longer make things difficult for you. Tonight, you only need to bring candles and sandalwood incense, light them in the depths of the cave residence, soothe these hungry Yin souls, refine your divine soul, and open the cave within the cave. Then you will be able to enter the family's forbidden ground, Everlasting Valley."

That night, Liu Ding did not go to Everlasting Cave. Instead, he recuperated for two or three days. For one, Zhi'er and the others watched him too closely; for another, he did not want them to worry.

On the third night, after Zhi'er and the others had let down their guard, Liu Ding left behind a letter and slipped out through the window in the middle of the night.

This time, entering Everlasting Cave really was different. He was no longer greeted along the way by all sorts of horrifying heads. Once he reached the depths of the cave residence, he took out the candles and sandalwood incense, lit them, and filled the altar within the cave with them.

Candlelight and incense smoke filled the air, drifting through the Everlasting Cave residence. The heads that had faintly appeared atop every coffin sank one after another, returning to their coffins. The entire Everlasting Cave fell silent.

Liu Ding felt as though he could hear the contented sighs of those Yin souls. No wonder all kinds of rituals required candles and sandalwood incense—they truly nourished souls.

Once everything was ready, Liu Ding followed General Jiang's instructions. Facing the mottled rock wall in the depths of the cave residence, he sat cross-legged and began refining his divine soul.

Silently, with a stir of his soul consciousness, Liu Ding felt his divine soul leave his body. Standing before the rock wall, he leaned forward and inserted his entire divine soul into the mottled wall.

After scanning his surroundings, he finally found the mechanism hidden inside the rock wall. It was a button concealed deep within an extremely narrow crack. If not for refining his divine soul to investigate it, he could never have discovered it.

Liu Ding was very pleased. His divine soul returned to his body, and his gaze fell upon the invisible crack.

He took out a long, thin needle and inserted it until it went as deep as the length of a middle finger before it touched the hidden mechanism button. With a thread of Soul Power, he heard a click as the mechanism activated.

He swiftly withdrew the needle. Amid a grating sound, the smooth rock wall before him began to turn around a sturdy axle in its center, transforming into an irregular stone door.

Once the stone door had turned ninety degrees, a pitch-black deep hole appeared before him.

Liu Ding did not hesitate and quickly entered. After the stone door paused for only a moment, it began turning back. With a crack, it closed again, as though there had never been a door there at all.

Since he was here, he might as well make the best of it.

Liu Ding silently encouraged himself and began feeling his way forward. After countless twists and turns, he had no idea how far he had walked when the deep tunnel suddenly widened. A spacious cave residence appeared before him. Hanging from its ceiling was a Night-Luminescent Pearl, casting a hazy glow over this cave within a cave.

It seemed no one had visited this place for countless years. The Night-Luminescent Pearl on the ceiling

was covered in thick dust, making the light it cast dim and murky.

Liu Ding had seen the brightness of the Night-Luminescent Pearl in Zhi'er's little storeroom. He knew that once the dust was wiped away, this cave within a cave would immediately be filled with light.

Sure enough, when the light returned and the entire cave residence appeared before Liu Ding's eyes, he was utterly stunned. Stone tables, stone chairs, carved railings, and stone hills made it look like a little fairyland.

Unfortunately, it was already a desolate fairyland. Aside from the withered vines and grass on the stone hills, there was no trace of its former vitality.

Liu Ding felt deeply regretful. He had arrived too late.

After making a large circuit, he suddenly discovered a study cave. Entering it, he saw stone-carved bookshelves, row upon row of books arranged upon them. Overjoyed, Liu Ding hurried forward and reached out to take one.

Unexpectedly, what he lifted in his hand was nothing but a cloud of dust.

The book that had looked perfectly intact turned to nothing the moment he touched it.

Liu Ding froze. Refusing to believe it, he tried to take other books. Without exception, every book that had appeared intact turned to dust at a touch. No matter how careful he was, it was of no use.

How many years had passed here?

Liu Ding no longer dared touch anything carelessly. Walking before the bookshelves, he looked over them one by one. There were all kinds of cultivation insights, secret martial technique manuals, and pill formulas. Not only were there ones for the Soul Forging Realm, there were also manuals for the Law Soul Realm, the Beast Soul Realm, and even higher realms. His eyes turned red just looking at them.

What a pity, such a terrible pity.

Liu Ding shook his head. Who would have thought that this single shake would make his nose itch? With a sneeze, several books on the shelf before him instantly vanished into nothing.

What a waste. This was practically a crime.

Liu Ding could not forgive himself. He hurriedly found a handkerchief and covered his mouth and nose.

He moved with extreme caution and no longer dared get too close to the bookshelves. He could not learn the contents of these manuals now, but who was to say he would not be able to in the future?

Just as Liu Ding no longer dared act rashly and decided to leave this study cave, he saw a stone table behind the last stone-carved bookshelf. An unfurled scroll lay upon it, and the writing on it could faintly be seen.

Liu Ding could not suppress the violent pounding in his chest. Carefully, he edged forward step by step until he finally stood before the stone table and could clearly see the unfurled scroll.

A jade ruler pressed down its upper edge. It appeared completely undamaged, but Liu Ding knew the scroll could not be touched. Even a sneeze would turn it to nothing at once.

He did not even dare breathe. His eyes widened, afraid of missing a single word:

Du Ling Juice can cleanse the marrow and purge the body, suppress the violent aura of the Qilin at the Five Soulforging Cauldrons stage, and allow Soul Qi to settle into calmness. Only then should one break through into the Six Soulforging Cauldrons stage. Like a phoenix soaring through heaven and earth, one should roam freely between heaven and earth, unfolding gradually.

The scroll used many words to explain that breaking through from the Five Soulforging Cauldrons to the Six Soulforging Cauldrons was not about forcibly piling strength upon strength. Instead, one had to return to ease, return to nature, and merge with heaven and earth in order to open up a vast path for future realms.

So that was how it was. Liu Ding secretly nodded. In that case, although Liu Ji had used the Suanni Soulforging Pill of an outside clan to break through into the Six Soulforging Cauldrons, even if he was unmatched in power at the beginning, it would instead be equivalent to shutting the door on his cultivation in greater realms later on.

Fortunately, he had General Jiang's guidance. Otherwise, he too would have set foot on that path of cultivation with no way forward. Liu Ding felt immensely fortunate.

Next, Liu Ding continued reading the scroll. What followed was the formula for refining Du Ling Juice, as well as the refining method and more. He remained motionless, silently reciting the words on the scroll over and over, engraving them deeply into his mind.