Touring the Cave Abode, Secretly Probing the Truth

Outside the main assembly hall, the passageways of the Crimson Blood Cave Mansion were spacious, the light from night-luminescent pearls casting a grim, chilling glow upon the beast reliefs carved into the walls. Cha Po led the way, his steps steady. He occasionally turned to the side to offer brief introductions to Yun Ce, his tone respectful yet measured—though he felt a twinge of reluctance at losing his direct guards, Yun Ce's Void-Piercing Realm cultivation and his lavish generosity left him not daring to show the slightest neglect.

"Great Protector Yun Ce, our Crimson Blood Cave Mansion is built into the mountain, embedded deep within the core of the undersea reefs, and is divided into three levels. The top level houses my eldest brother's residence and the assembly hall; the middle level contains the cave dwellings for myself, my third brother, and the thirteen protectors; the bottom level is for the guard barracks, the storehouse, and the beast-taming grounds." As he walked, Cha Po spoke slowly, "I have arranged a cave dwelling for you on the east side of the middle level, right next to Protector Sang Mo's dwelling. The environment is quiet and the spiritual energy is a bit denser than elsewhere, making it suitable for cultivation."

Yun Ce nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping across the passageways with an air of casual indifference, while his divine sense quietly radiated outward like an invisible web, stealthily probing every movement within the mansion. His spiritual sense at the Void-Piercing Mid Stage was incredibly formidable; even though he deliberately restrained it, he could clearly perceive the auras of the patrolling guards on both sides of the passage, the fluctuations of the Demon Cultivators' strength within each dwelling, and could even vaguely detect the restrictions and hidden sentries buried deep within the mansion.

"Many thanks for your trouble, Vice Cave Master Cha Po." Yun Ce's tone was gentle as he asked, seemingly in passing, "I heard earlier that there are thirteen protectors in the mansion. I wonder where their dwellings are distributed on the middle level? And what duties are they usually responsible for?"

Cha Po did not think much of it and answered truthfully: "The thirteen protectors' dwellings are evenly distributed on both sides of the middle level. The Three Black Turtle Brothers, the brothers Wu Tong and Wu Feng, and Protector Teng Bi possess greater strength and are responsible for the patrols and defense of the outer perimeter of the Crimson Blood Territory; they are usually on duty outside and rarely in their dwellings. Protectors like Sang Mo, Yan Qing, and Xi Yan are responsible for order and guard coordination within the mansion. As for Bai Yin and the other three, they are in charge of managing the storehouse and the beast-taming grounds."

While they were talking, the group arrived in front of a cave dwelling on the east side of the middle level. The gate was crafted from pale red coral jade and carved with simple patterns. Two guards at the Xiantian Stage stood on either side of the entrance; upon seeing Cha Po and Yun Ce's party, they immediately bowed in salute: "Greetings, Vice Cave Master! Greetings, Great Protector!"

"This is the dwelling arranged for you. It is fully equipped and even has an independent cultivation room." Cha Po pushed open the gate and stepped aside, saying, "Please rest for now. I will go retrieve the guard roster and then take you to the guard barracks to meet those thousand guards, so they can get to know their new master."

Yun Ce nodded and led Qin Yu and the three divine beasts into the dwelling. The interior was indeed spacious and elegant. The front hall was furnished with stone tables and chairs, while the rear was divided into a bedroom and a cultivation room. The cultivation room was embedded with a Spirit Gathering Array, and the concentration of spiritual energy was several times higher than outside—it was truly an excellent place for cultivation.

"Master, the environment here is quite good." Qin Yu looked around and said softly, vigilantly probing the surroundings for any movement, fearful of hidden surveillance methods.

Black Feather spread his wings and circled the room slowly, transmitting through his spiritual sense: "Big Brother, Master, this dwelling is very safe. I haven't found any traces of surveillance. However, the guards outside have very ordinary auras; they are all at the Xiantian Stage or just at the Golden Core Early Stage."

Yun Ce waved his hand, his tone gentle but solemn: "Although this dwelling was arranged by Cha Po, we must not be careless. Maintain vigilance at all times and do not expose our true identities or cultivation levels." His divine sense continued to probe in secret. Having walked the path, he had already mapped out the layout of the middle level—Cha Hong's dwelling was in the very center, the most heavily guarded, and he could faintly sense the pressure of the Void-Piercing Realm. The dwellings of Cha Po and Cha Ge were on either side, closest to Cha Hong's. The thirteen protectors' dwellings were distributed around the perimeter, with Sang Mo's dwelling right next door. Yun Ce could clearly perceive the violent, slightly chaotic aura of the Nascent Soul Early Stage demon power within Sang Mo; he was clearly not someone to be trifled with.

Before long, Cha Po returned to the entrance with a beast-hide roster and said respectfully: "Great Protector Yun Ce, I have brought the roster. These thousand guards are the elite under my third brother and me. Among them are two hundred at the Golden Core Mid Stage and eight hundred at the Golden Core Early Stage. They are well-trained and follow orders. Shall we head to the guard barracks now?"

"Very well, thank you, Vice Cave Master." Yun Ce set aside his thoughts and followed Cha Po toward the guard barracks on the lower level, accompanied by Qin Yu and the three divine beasts.

The passageways on the lower level were narrower than those on the middle level, and the scent of blood in the air was increasingly thick. Along the way, they frequently saw guards in black armor patrolling in neat formations. Each one had a steady aura and synchronized steps; it was clear they were indeed well-trained. Yun Ce's divine sense swept over these guards, and he calculated silently—two hundred at the Golden Core Mid Stage and eight hundred at the Golden Core Early Stage. While this guard force was not top-tier, it was enough to support the foundation of a faction. If he could slowly win them over, they would become his bedrock within the Crimson Blood Cave Mansion.

Soon, the group arrived at the guard barracks. The barracks was a massive stone chamber containing hundreds of neatly arranged stone beds and a spacious training ground. At this moment, the thousand guards were standing in formation on the training ground, their expressions solemn as they awaited orders. Two guard commanders at the Golden Core Mid Stage stood at the front of the ranks. Seeing Cha Po and Yun Ce's party, they immediately stepped forward and bowed: "Greetings, Vice Cave Master!"

Cha Po nodded, stepped forward, and said in a booming voice: "Listen up, guards! This is the Great Protector personally appointed by the Cave Master, Senior Yun Ce! From this day forward, all one thousand of you are under the command of Great Protector Yun Ce. You will obey his orders without fail!"

"This subordinate greets the Great Protector!" The thousand guards bowed in unison, their voices loud enough to make the stone chamber tremble slightly. Their expressions were filled with awe—though they did not know Yun Ce's exact cultivation level, being appointed as Great Protector by the Cave Master and being accompanied by the Vice Cave Master clearly marked him as a significant figure.

Yun Ce stepped forward slowly, his gaze sweeping over the ranks. He quietly released a sliver of his Void-Piercing Early Stage aura; though not ostentatious, it carried an unquestionable pressure that instantly enveloped the entire barracks. The thousand guards stiffened, their awe deepening to the point where even their breathing became cautious.

"No need for formalities." Yun Ce's tone was gentle yet carried a hint of majesty, "From now on, you are the guards under my command. You need only follow my orders and strictly adhere to the rules of the Crimson Blood Cave Mansion. Do not act without authorization. Do you understand?"

"Understood!" The group responded in unison once more, their tones firm.

Cha Po stood to the side with a satisfied smile and said to Yun Ce: "Great Protector Yun Ce, these two are the guard commanders, Zhao Hu and Li Bao. Both are at the Golden Core Mid Stage and are among the strongest of these thousand men. They are usually responsible for the training and coordination of the guards. In the future, they will assist you in managing them."

The two commanders quickly stepped forward and bowed to Yun Ce: "Subordinate Zhao Hu (Li Bao) greets the Great Protector. We will certainly do our utmost to assist the Great Protector in managing the guard team!"

Yun Ce nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping over the two as his divine sense quietly probed them—Zhao Hu and Li Bao were indeed at the Golden Core Mid Stage, their auras steady. They appeared to be veteran guards loyal to the Crimson Blood Cave Mansion, and he detected no abnormalities for the time being. "Very well, I will be counting on you both."

Afterward, Cha Po led Yun Ce's party to visit the storehouse and the beast-taming grounds. The storehouse was piled with large quantities of ore, medicinal pills, low-grade spirit artifacts, and the furs and inner cores of various demon beasts. It was heavily guarded, with Bai Yin and the other three protectors taking turns on duty. The beast-taming grounds housed hundreds of low-level demon beasts used for guard training and transport, all managed by specialized beast tamers.

Throughout the journey, Yun Ce remained calm and composed, while his divine sense never stopped probing, committing the layout, power distribution, and guard strength of the Crimson Blood Cave Mansion to memory. He discovered that the core strength of the mansion was concentrated primarily in Cha Hong. While Cha Po and Cha Ge were Vice Cave Masters, their strength was limited. Among the thirteen protectors, only the Three Black Turtle Brothers, Teng Bi, and Sang Mo possessed significant strength; the rest were mostly at the Golden Core Late Stage and were not to be feared.

Furthermore, although the guards were well-trained, most were at the Golden Core Early or Mid Stage and lacked high-level combat power. As long as he controlled these thousand guards and slowly won over a few of the average protectors, he could gradually erode the power of the Crimson Blood Cave Mansion and eventually take complete control.

What concerned Yun Ce even more was that during his probing, he vaguely sensed a subtle, immortal-grade fluctuation deep within the mansion. The aura was powerful, as if from some formidable treasure, yet it was sealed by layers of restrictions. It seemed likely to be the box containing the eighth jade sword of the Nine Swords Immortal Mansion that Cha Hong had obtained.

"Great Protector Yun Ce, that is the general layout of the Crimson Blood Cave Mansion." Cha Po led everyone back to the middle level and said respectfully, "If you have any other needs, feel free to command me at any time; I will certainly do my best to see them done. I have left the guard roster with you so you can familiarize yourself with it at your leisure."

Yun Ce smiled faintly, his tone gentle: "Many thanks for your trouble, Vice Cave Master Cha Po. You have worked hard today. If I have further needs, I will seek you out."

"It is my duty. Then I shall not disturb the Great Protector's rest any longer. I take my leave." Cha Po bowed and turned to depart.

Watching Cha Po's retreating figure, the smile on Yun Ce's face gradually faded, his eyes becoming profound. Qin Yu stepped forward and asked softly: "Master, what should we do next?"

Yun Ce looked out the window, his divine sense radiating once more to confirm there were no traces of surveillance before transmitting through his spiritual sense: "Next, we will familiarize ourselves with these thousand guards, select those who are loyal and reliable, and slowly cultivate them into our own confidants. At the same time, we will secretly observe the movements of the thirteen protectors. Especially Sang Mo—this man appears cruel and possesses no small amount of strength; we must pay him extra attention."

He paused, then continued: "Additionally, I just sensed a powerful immortal-grade fluctuation deep within the mansion, sealed by restrictions. It is highly likely to be the clue to the Nine Swords Immortal Mansion. We must investigate in secret to uncover the truth. Also, although Cha Hong trusts me on the surface, he may still be on guard. We must act with caution and not be overly eager for success. We will slowly erode his power and turn the Crimson Blood Cave Mansion into a solid foundation for us in the Undersea Beast World."

Black Feather, the Dragon Rock Lion, and the Red Phoenix all nodded, responding through their spiritual sense. The Dragon Rock Lion rumbled in a muffled voice: "Don't worry, Master. We will help you keep an eye on those guards and protectors; we won't let them notice anything unusual!" The Red Phoenix chirped softly, her spiritual sense filled with obedience, while Black Feather's hawk-like eyes were sharp and vigilant, clearly prepared to handle any sudden situation.

Qin Yu nodded heavily, his tone firm: "This disciple understands! I will assist Master well, control the guards, investigate the reality of the mansion, and will never expose our identities!"

Yun Ce nodded with satisfaction, his tone gentle: "Good. Everyone perform your duties and act with caution. Rest for the night; starting tomorrow, we will officially take over the guards and begin our plan step by step."

As the night deepened, the Crimson Blood Cave Mansion gradually fell into silence, with only the sound of the patrolling guards' footsteps echoing slowly through the passageways. Inside Yun Ce's dwelling, Qin Yu and the three divine beasts were each meditating and cultivating. Yun Ce sat cross-legged on the stone bed, eyes closed in repose, yet his mind was constantly calculating the next step of his plan—taking the Crimson Blood Cave Mansion was only the first step; next, he might have to deal with the Nine Sha Hall...