Outside the main hall, the passages of Crimson Blood Cave Mansion were wide and spacious. The glow of night pearls fell across the beast carvings on the walls, making them look even more imposing. Cha Po walked ahead to lead the way, his steps steady. Every so often, he turned to give Yun Ce a brief introduction. His tone was respectful but measured. Though he was somewhat reluctant to lose his personal guards, Yun Ce's Void-Piercing Realm cultivation and lavish generosity left him not daring to show the slightest neglect.
"Great Guardian Yun Ce, our Crimson Blood Cave Mansion was built into the mountainside, with its core embedded in the deep-sea reefs. It has three levels. The top level holds Big Brother's residence and the main hall. The middle level is where I, Third Brother, and the thirteen guardians have our caves. The bottom level contains the guard barracks, storeroom, and beast-taming grounds." As they walked, Cha Po continued, "The cave I've arranged for you is on the eastern side of the middle level, right next to Guardian Sang Mo's. It's quiet and secluded, and the spiritual energy is a little denser than elsewhere, making it ideal for cultivation."
Yun Ce nodded slightly. His gaze seemed to drift casually over the sides of the passage, but his spiritual sense was quietly spreading outward like an invisible net, probing every corner of the cave mansion. A mid-stage Void-Piercing Realm cultivator's spiritual sense was extremely powerful. Even while deliberately keeping it restrained, he could clearly sense the guards patrolling the passages, the fluctuations in the cultivators' strength within each cave, and even the restrictions and hidden sentries deep within the mansion.
"Thank you for your trouble, Deputy Cave Master Cha Po." Yun Ce's tone was mild as he asked, as if in passing, "I heard earlier that there are thirteen guardians in the mansion. Where are their caves located on the middle level? And what duties do they handle?"
Cha Po didn't think much of the questions and answered honestly. "The thirteen guardians' caves are evenly distributed along both sides of the middle level. The Three Black Turtle Brothers, the Wu Tong and Wu Feng brothers, and Guardian Teng Bi are relatively powerful. They're responsible for patrols and defenses around Crimson Blood Territory, so they're usually stationed outside and rarely stay in their caves. Guardians Sang Mo, Yan Qing, and Xi Yan oversee order within the mansion and coordinate the guards. Bai Yin and the other three handle the storeroom and beast-taming grounds."
As they spoke, they arrived at a cave on the eastern side of the middle level. Its entrance was made of pale red coral jade and carved with simple patterns. A guard at the Golden Core Early Stage stood on either side of the door. Seeing Cha Po and Yun Ce's group, they immediately bowed. "Greetings, Deputy Cave Master! Greetings, Great Guardian!"
"This is the cave I arranged for you. It's fully furnished and has a private cultivation chamber." Cha Po pushed open the entrance and stepped aside. "Please rest for now. I'll fetch the guard roster, then take you to the barracks to meet the thousand guards, so they can get to know their new master."
Yun Ce nodded and entered the cave with Qin Yu and the three divine beasts. The interior was indeed spacious and elegant. The front hall held a stone table and chairs, while the rooms beyond were divided into a bedroom and a cultivation chamber. A Spirit Gathering Array was embedded in the chamber, where the spiritual energy was several times denser than outside. It was truly an excellent place to cultivate.
"Master, this place is quite nice," Qin Yu said softly as he looked around, warily checking the cave for any hidden surveillance.
Black Feather spread his wings and slowly circled the cave once. He sent his voice through his spiritual sense. "Big Brother, Master, this cave is safe. I haven't found any signs of surveillance. But the guards outside are all ordinary. They're at the Golden Core Early Stage, or even just the Xiantian Stage."
Yun Ce waved his hand. His tone was mild but serious. "Though Cha Po arranged this cave for us, we must not let our guard down. Stay vigilant at all times, and don't reveal our true identities or cultivation." His spiritual sense continued probing in secret. During the walk, he had already mapped out the middle level. Cha Hong's cave was right in the center, with the tightest defenses; he could faintly sense the pressure of a Void-Piercing Realm cultivator. Cha Po and Cha Ge's caves stood on either side, closest to Cha Hong's. The thirteen guardians' caves were scattered around them. Sang Mo's was right next door, and Yun Ce could clearly sense the early-stage Nascent Soul demonic power within him. Its aura was somewhat savage, making it clear that he was no easy opponent.
Before long, Cha Po returned to the entrance carrying a hide-bound roster. He said respectfully, "Great Guardian Yun Ce, I've brought the roster. These thousand guards are elite troops under Third Brother and me. Two hundred are at the Golden Core Mid Stage, and eight hundred are at the Golden Core Early Stage. They're well trained and follow orders. Shall we go to the guard barracks now?"
"Very well. Thank you for your help, Deputy Cave Master." Yun Ce gathered his thoughts and followed Cha Po toward the lower level with Qin Yu and the three divine beasts.
The passages on the lower level were a little narrower than those on the middle level, and the smell of blood grew stronger. Along the way, they occasionally passed guards clad in black armor, patrolling in orderly ranks. Their auras were steady and their steps uniform; they were clearly well trained. Yun Ce's spiritual sense swept over them as he silently considered the situation. Two hundred at the Golden Core Mid Stage and eight hundred at the Golden Core Early Stage—though not a top-tier force, they were enough to form the foundation of a faction. If he could slowly win them over, they would become his base within Crimson Blood Cave Mansion.
Before long, they arrived at the guard barracks. It was a vast stone chamber lined with hundreds of stone beds and a spacious training ground. At that moment, a thousand guards stood in orderly formation on the ground, their expressions solemn as they awaited orders. Two Golden Core Mid Stage guard commanders stood at the head of the formation. Seeing Cha Po and Yun Ce's group, they immediately stepped forward and bowed. "Greetings, Deputy Cave Master!"
Cha Po nodded and stepped forward, his voice ringing out. "Listen up! This is Senior Yun Ce, personally appointed Great Guardian by the Cave Master! From now on, all one thousand of you are under Great Guardian Yun Ce's command. You will follow his orders without fail!"
"This subordinate greets the Great Guardian!" the thousand guards chorused, bowing in unison. Their voices shook the stone chamber, and their faces were filled with awe. Though they didn't know Yun Ce's exact cultivation, anyone appointed Great Guardian by the Cave Master—and accompanied in person by the Deputy Cave Master—was clearly an important figure.
Yun Ce walked forward slowly and surveyed the guards in formation. A trace of his Void-Piercing Realm Early Stage aura quietly spread from him. It wasn't ostentatious, but its unquestionable pressure instantly enveloped the entire barracks. The thousand guards stiffened, their awe deepening until they hardly dared to breathe.
"There's no need for such formalities." Yun Ce's tone was mild, yet carried a hint of authority. "From now on, you are my guards. You need only follow my orders, abide by the rules of Crimson Blood Cave Mansion, and refrain from acting on your own. Understood?"
"Understood!" the guards answered in unison, their voices firm.
Cha Po stood to one side, smiling with satisfaction. "Great Guardian Yun Ce, these two are the guard commanders, Zhao Hu and Li Bao. Both are at the Golden Core Mid Stage and rank among the strongest of the thousand. They're usually responsible for training and assigning the guards. From now on, they'll help you manage them."
The two commanders hurried forward and bowed to Yun Ce. "This subordinate Zhao Hu (Li Bao) greets the Great Guardian. We'll do everything we can to help you manage the guard unit!"
Yun Ce nodded slightly and looked them over, quietly probing them with his spiritual sense. Zhao Hu and Li Bao were indeed at the Golden Core Mid Stage. Their auras were steady, and they seemed to be veteran guards loyal to Crimson Blood Cave Mansion. He hadn't sensed anything unusual for now. "Good. I'll be counting on you both."
Afterward, Cha Po led Yun Ce's group on a tour of the storeroom and beast-taming grounds. The storeroom held large quantities of ore, pills, and low-grade spiritual weapons, as well as the pelts and cores of various demon beasts. It was heavily guarded, with Bai Yin and the other three guardians taking turns on duty. The beast-taming grounds housed several hundred low-tier demon beasts used to train the guards and provide mounts. Dedicated beast tamers looked after them.
Throughout the tour, Yun Ce remained composed, all the while probing with his spiritual sense and committing the layout of Crimson Blood Cave Mansion, the distribution of its forces, and the strength of its guards to memory. He found that the mansion's strength was concentrated mainly in Cha Hong. Cha Po and Cha Ge were Deputy Cave Masters, but their strength was limited. Of the thirteen guardians, only the Three Black Turtle Brothers, Teng Bi, Sang Mo, and a few others were powerful. Most of the rest were at the Golden Core Late Stage and posed little threat.
Moreover, though the guards within the mansion were well trained, most were at the Golden Core Early or Mid Stage and lacked high-level fighters. If he could take control of the thousand guards and gradually win over a few of the less powerful guardians, he could steadily eat away at Crimson Blood Cave Mansion's influence and eventually take it over completely.
What concerned Yun Ce more was the faint trace of an immortal aura he had sensed deep within the mansion. It was powerful, seemingly coming from some kind of potent treasure, yet sealed away beneath layers of restrictions. It appeared to be the box containing the eighth Jade Sword of the Nine Swords Immortal Mansion, which Cha Hong had obtained.
"Great Guardian Yun Ce, that's more or less the layout of Crimson Blood Cave Mansion," Cha Po said respectfully as he led the group back to the middle level. "If there's anything else you need, just let me know. I'll do my best to take care of it. I've left the guard roster with you, so you can familiarize yourself with it at your leisure."
Yun Ce smiled faintly, his tone warm. "Thank you for your trouble, Deputy Cave Master Cha Po. You've worked hard today. If I need anything later, I'll come to you."
"It's only right. I won't disturb your rest, then. I'll take my leave." Cha Po bowed, then turned and left.
As Yun Ce watched Cha Po's retreating figure, the smile gradually faded from his face, and his eyes grew thoughtful. Qin Yu stepped forward and asked quietly, "Master, what should we do next?"
Yun Ce looked out the window and quietly spread his spiritual sense again. Only after confirming there were no signs of surveillance nearby did he speak through his spiritual sense. "First, we'll get to know the thousand guards and pick out those who are loyal and reliable, then gradually train them into our own trusted subordinates. At the same time, we'll secretly watch the thirteen guardians' movements. Sang Mo in particular seems cruel, and he's powerful. We need to keep a close eye on him."
He paused, then continued transmitting. "Also, I sensed a powerful immortal aura deep within the mansion. It's sealed by restrictions and is most likely a clue to the Nine Swords Immortal Mansion. We need to investigate it in secret and learn what it is. Cha Hong may seem to trust me, but he may still be on guard. We must act cautiously and not rush. We'll slowly eat away at his influence and turn Crimson Blood Cave Mansion into a secure base for us in the Undersea Beast World."
Black Feather, Dragon Rock Lion, and Red Phoenix all nodded and responded through their spiritual senses. Dragon Rock Lion rumbled, "Don't worry, my lord. We'll keep an eye on those guards and guardians. We won't let them notice anything unusual!" Red Phoenix gave a soft cry, her spiritual sense filled with obedience. Black Feather's keen eyes held a trace of wariness; he was clearly ready to deal with any sudden trouble.
Qin Yu nodded firmly. "Understood, Master! I'll help you take control of the guards and investigate the cave mansion. I won't let our identities be exposed!"
Yun Ce nodded in satisfaction, his tone warm. "Good. Everyone, do your part and act with caution. We'll rest for tonight. Tomorrow, we'll formally take charge of the guards and begin carrying out our plan."
Night deepened, and Crimson Blood Cave Mansion gradually fell silent. Only the footsteps of patrolling guards echoed through the passages. Inside Yun Ce's cave, Qin Yu and the three divine beasts each meditated and cultivated, while Yun Ce sat cross-legged on the stone bed with his eyes closed. Though he appeared to be resting, he kept calculating his next move. Taking Crimson Blood Cave Mansion was only the first step. After that, they might still have to deal with Nine Sha Hall...
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