Five Heavenly Caves

The next realm is called the "Heavenly Cave," which is of vital importance to any practitioner. The deeper the foundation laid during the Blood-Moving Realm, the more terrifying the eruption of power will be in this stage.

Little One has been accumulating strength, hoping to soar to great heights and achieve astonishing results once he reaches this realm.

At dusk, the sunset glow was like blood, dyeing half the sky red. The fiery clouds surged, edged with golden linings, and even Stone Village seemed to be shrouded in a layer of mysterious radiance.

Er Meng let out a loud wail, drawing the gazes of the clansmen toward the lakeside. He was seen riding atop a Unicorn, racing wildly. The speed was so intense that his face had turned pale, and he dared not climb down.

"That's not Little White, the one Little One tamed; it's a different Unicorn. That kid Er Meng has really grown some guts—he actually tried to subdue a precious steed!" A group of adults exclaimed, amazed, as even they hadn't managed to do such a thing.

Hearing these words, Er Meng was on the verge of tears. Perched on the back of the silver-shimmering Unicorn, he cried out, "Who wanted to tame it? I was feeding Little White some berries, and this one came over, wanting some too. It wasn't afraid of me, and then... I got itchy for a ride, so I climbed on. Then, it just went crazy!"

The clansmen burst into laughter upon hearing this.

Recently, Little White had returned to the herd along with White Cloud, and it moved in and out of the village without restriction. The villagers would occasionally feed them berries and the like. This greatly reduced the wariness of the Unicorn herd, and one or two would occasionally wander over to beg for food.

Just as Little One had said, the Unicorns were gradually accepting the villagers and would eventually become steeds that could be ridden.

"Er Meng, put in some effort! It isn't attacking you, which means it's quite friendly toward you. Don't fall off and embarrass yourself—hold on!" Shi Linhu shouted.

And so, the Unicorn galloped around the great lake for dozens of laps. It showed no signs of fatigue, but Er Meng was nearly vomiting, feeling as if he were riding the clouds and mist.

Finally, the Unicorn came to a halt, reared up on its hind legs to toss him to the ground, and then trotted leisurely back toward the herd.

"A good sign. This Unicorn is clearly just playing with the children. Sooner or later, it will integrate into our Stone Village." The Chief, Shi Yunfeng, watched from the side with a smile.

As for the grown men, their breathing had long since grown heavy; they were itching to get their hands on a precious steed of their own. Sure enough, in the following days, the Unicorns became even more relaxed and grew closer to the children, allowing them to climb onto their backs and carry them as they ran along the lakeside.

This left the strong men feeling both envious and jealous, but there was nothing they could do. Their frames were too large, making it difficult to gain the Unicorns' trust, as the beasts remained wary of them.

The elders all smiled. Stone Village was truly becoming stronger by the day. In the near future, they would surely tame dozens of Unicorns—the mere thought made them beam.

Such spirit beasts were incredibly difficult to capture. Not to mention a single village, even a powerful tribe would struggle to possess even a few, yet they were on the verge of having dozens!

Half a month later, a group of children cheered loudly. Over a dozen of them had managed to mount the Unicorns and could now control them, provided they offered plenty of berries to keep them well-fed.

"Haha, great! Little One, how about a race? Let's see whose Unicorn is faster." Pi Hou and the others winked, looking quite smug.

"I still want to go practice," Little One said.

"Come on! Practicing every day is so dull. Let's go relax, and while we're at it, hunt some fierce beasts in the mountains. Isn't that practice too? We can roast something delicious when we get back, how about that?" a big kid urged.

"Alright then," Little One thought for a moment and nodded.

The adults were green with envy once again. None of them had managed to ride a Unicorn, yet these little brats were all mounting them one by one, and many of the children now had their own steeds.

"Dazhuang, hurry up and tame one for me too, so your old man can ride it for a couple of days! Otherwise, I'll tan your hide later," Shi Dazhuang's father said indignantly.

Nearby, Shi Linhu also roared, "Huzi, did you hear that? You hurry up and tame one too! Don't just show off for yourself. If you don't let me ride one soon, I'll deal with you later!"

"Hahaha..." The group burst into laughter. It was truly speechless to see fathers feeling jealous of their own sons.

The elders, meanwhile, couldn't stop grinning. The best-case scenario they had envisioned was finally coming to pass. Stone Village was recovering and growing strong; perhaps one day, it could truly recreate the glory of the ancient times.

The villagers were also at ease. Little One had even traversed the three-hundred-thousand-li Great Wilderness; with him leading the way, there shouldn't be any danger in the nearby areas.

"Let's go!" Er Meng shouted, charging out in the lead.

"Slow down, wait for me!" Snotty Kid lagged behind, wiping his nose as he chased after them. Even he had gained the trust of a Unicorn, leaving the older kids who currently lacked mounts speechless.

Over a dozen Unicorns galloped with silver hooves, darting away like sacred arrows, carving streaks of silver light as they vanished into the mountain range.

"Little One, come and race!" Pi Hou started showing off again.

"Your Unicorns can't outrun Little White," Little One said. Little White was the strongest Unicorn he had selected, and after consuming the Five-Colored Peacock egg and drinking the blood of the Zhu Yan, it had become even more robust. Its entire body shimmered with silver light, possessing extraordinary spirit.

The Unicorns ran with incredible speed. The children shouted and hollered, charging hundreds of li away in an instant. Sure enough, Little White was far in the lead, waiting at the very front.

"Let's go hunting. It's time to show what we're made of," Huzi suggested.

"Swish," "Swish"...

Iron arrows whistled through the mountain forest, startling a chorus of beast roars. A moment later, the group of children came fleeing back in a panic on their Unicorns, having encountered a massive beast they couldn't handle.

Even someone as powerful as Little One was driving Little White to flee wildly. Behind them, a Spine Beast had charged out. Its entire body was black, covered in sky-piercing bone spikes that shimmered with dark, razor-sharp light.

This Spine Beast had the head of a dragon, a body somewhat like a hedgehog, and a crocodile tail. It was massive, reaching seventy or eighty meters in length. It opened its mouth to spew fire, instantly melting a mountain peak and leaving magma rolling in its wake.

The faces of the children turned green. They whipped their steeds and fled, no longer daring to show off.

Little One stayed at the back, looking after Snotty Kid and the others. Fortunately, the Spine Beast was not fast, and they managed to shake it off after a short while.

"Oh my god, that was terrifying! When I rode the Unicorn out of the village, I thought I was a great hero. Now it seems I'm still just a little cub who needs more tempering."

After fleeing for over a hundred li, they finally stopped to catch their breath, still feeling a lingering fear.

"Little One, you're really something. To traverse such a terrifying mountain range alone for three hundred thousand li—that's truly horrifying!"

They had only been out for a few hundred li and had already encountered such a behemoth. If they had been a step slower, they would have been swallowed whole, leaving no place for their bones to rest.

"That's nothing. When Big Brother was escorting me back, I even saw a beast as large as a giant mountain. With one swipe of its claw, it crushed a mountain peak," Qingfeng said.

The children gasped, filled with admiration.

"No, I must train hard. I must practice my Bone Text until it reaches perfection and become a great expert soon," Pi Hou vowed.

Dazhuang, Er Meng, Huzi, Snotty Kid, and the others all nodded. This brief brush with danger made them realize the importance of strength, and that they needed to strive and struggle in their daily lives.

A location within the Great Wilderness mountain range.

Shi Lin had been battling in these mountains for the past few days, striving to elevate his strength.

A fine drizzle drifted down, rustling as it landed on the leaves. He sat cross-legged upon a mountain rock, unmoved, listening to the natural sounds of this world; his entire being was strangely tranquil.

"Crack."

A streak of light slashed across the gray sky, followed by the sound of thunder. Bolts of lightning danced through the air like silver snakes, brilliant and startling, emitting deafening roars.

Within the mountain range, various beasts bellowed and raptors shrieked, creating a scene of clamor.

He remained peaceful, sitting there, letting the thunder roar without being stirred. He felt neither joy nor anger, nor any emotional fluctuation; his gaze was incredibly calm. He was contemplating the Dharma, comprehending the various fruits of the Dao and the mysteries of the Heavenly Cave realm, ready to break through at any moment and ascend to a brand-new level of life.

He forgot the passage of time, remaining motionless for several consecutive days. Sitting in the mountain forest, watching the sun, moon, and stars, and listening to the roars of ancient beasts, his entire spirit became attached to the mountains and rivers.

Shi Lin seemed entranced, casting everything aside, immersing himself heart and soul into his own realm of transformation, constantly comprehending the Dharma and studying the mysteries of the runes.

In the blink of an eye, over ten days passed. Regardless of wind or rain, Shi Lin remained as tranquil as before, undisturbed by the outside world, immersed in a world of cultivation, with runes flickering even as his eyes opened and closed.

Fortunately, he had already notified Shi Linhu, otherwise, the people of Stone Village would have been searching the world for Shi Lin by now.

On the fifteenth day, he awoke. He opened his eyes and stood up. Runes flowed in his hands, golden light surged behind him, the sound of the Great Dao resonated, and the mysterious little figure appeared once again within Shi Lin's abdomen.

As the golden light surged into the sky, a scene of battle manifested.

Above, there was a Chi Dragon locked in combat with a Suanni, a Five-Colored Peacock God King dueling a Taotie, a bloody scene of a True Hou slaughtering gods, a Heavenly Horned Ant lifting an Immortal King, a Kunpeng soaring through the nine heavens with flapping wings, and a Nine-Star Leaf Grass whose sword light severed the stars.

Shimmering with golden light, Shi Lin was, for once, so peaceful and serene, completely absorbed within it.

At the moment of his impending breakthrough, he grasped a portion of the true meaning within the battle map. His entire being sublimated; his body became crystalline, his heart pure and devoid of any impurities, and he was enveloped by the runes.

At this moment, his skin was radiant, as if cast from seven-colored divine gold. Precious light circulated, and one by one, immortal furnaces evolved from runes flickered within his flesh and blood, tempering the wonders of heaven and earth, making final preparations for his advancement.

The Heavenly Cave is a realm, but also a means of cultivation—to absorb the essence of the great heaven and earth, to realize the true meaning of the Dao runes, and to understand the order and rule changes of this world, as if re-enacting a small world of one's own.

This is the Heavenly Cave realm: to open an immortal passage, a pure land, or even a world, either within or outside the human body.

"Boom!"

Suddenly, a grand sound erupted, shaking the Great Wilderness. The mountains trembled, the peaks resonated, as if the heavens had collapsed and the halls of the gods had fallen.

A sea of runes appeared, dense and dazzling, appearing as if cast from immortal gold, branded into the heavens and earth, completely submerging Wang Quan.

A surge of blood energy shot into the sky like waves crashing against the shore, shattering the clouds in the firmament. Finally, a cavern appeared above Shi Lin's head, resembling a volcano.

It was so realistic, as if truly carved from rock, gray-brown in color, grand and archaic, suspended three inches above the crown of Shi Lin's head.

Within this crater-like cave, there was a vigorous, vibrant life force, bright red and brilliant, dazzling to the eye, yet truly resembling magma.

Shi Lin had broken into the Heavenly Cave realm. His life had sublimated, completing a transformation; his strength had surged forward, far exceeding what it was before, and the heavens and earth resonated in tandem.

Above his head, the gray-brown volcanic crater bubbled with bright red essence. This communicated with the power of the natural order of heaven and earth, absorbing it from the outside and melting it with his own essence.

Opening a Heavenly Cave and entering this realm is equivalent to seizing the fortune of heaven and earth, directly and continuously absorbing the divine essence of the boundless outside world to replenish oneself.

By this point, having communicated with the boundless void and tempering the divine marrow of heaven and earth from within it, his internal runic divine power surged, far surpassing the past, naturally becoming extremely powerful.

From now on, it would be an inexhaustible, continuous stream, always extracting essence to keep the human body's vitality vigorous. As long as he did not engage in overly brutal battles, it would be difficult to exhaust his own strength, allowing him to maintain a peak state.

"Boom."

Above Shi Lin's head, that heavy, solid, and ancient volcanic crater continuously surged with bright red essence, which then flowed downward, cascading down.

After this manifestation occurred, the essence in the depths of the Great Wilderness suddenly thinned, all of it plundered by the volcanic crater. The bright red essence, resembling magma, poured into the top of Shi Lin's head, all of it submerging within.

This was a direct, rapid, and nearly violent plundering from the outside world to replenish his own needs, maintaining him at the peak state of this realm.

"So this is the Heavenly Cave realm. So this is what it feels like." Shi Lin murmured, eyes closed, immersed in this realm, feeling incomparably wonderful.

It was a powerful sensation, as if he were about to ascend to immortality. His whole body felt comfortable and filled with an explosive power; he felt as if he were about to fly.

The Heavenly Cave realm is far more than this; opening heavens and earths within or outside the human body holds various mysteries, such as: nourishing precious artifacts within the Heavenly Cave, or refining the most powerful runes.

Before Shi Lin could explore further, his body trembled violently, emitting a roaring sound once more. Rays of light shone in their thousands, and auspicious colors streaked across the sky with a deafening rumble.

On the left side of his body, another gray-brown volcanic crater appeared, extremely realistic, manifesting in the void. Within the crater, essence boiled, silver and rolling, also like strange magma.

Shi Lin transformed, and another "Heavenly Cave" appeared, manifesting at his side, making his body radiant. Light rained down, the scene beautiful, as if endless crystalline and holy petals were dancing.

"Eh, another one!" Shi Lin was surprised. Was this what the Willow Deity meant by "accumulating and waiting for the right moment"? He had thought it meant the "Heavenly Cave" would be deep and its essence as vast as the sea, but it turned out to reach a higher level.

Under normal circumstances, being able to break into this realm is a stroke of great fortune; many cultivators cannot enter it in their entire lives, yet Shi Lin had opened two Heavenly Caves the moment he broke through.

"Boom!"

However, things did not stop there. Runes filled the sky, surging like a vast ocean, forming a boundless realm of order here, spraying out auspicious light.

Another Heavenly Cave formed!

It took shape on the right side of Shi Lin's body, the volcanic crater rumbling and trembling, with a purple "magma" spraying outward from within.

Subsequently, two more volcanoes appeared.

By now, three inches above Shi Lin's head and around his body, five gray-brown volcanic craters had formed, continuously absorbing power from the void. Red, silver, purple, blue, and golden "magma" surged, submerging into his body.

"I didn't break through immediately, but kept accumulating, and now I have actually reached five Heavenly Caves!"

Shi Lin was overjoyed; he had suddenly ascended to the level of a mid-stage Heavenly Cave expert.

If this were to spread, it would surely cause a massive sensation, dropping jaws to the floor across the land. Breaking into this realm is already difficult enough; it is rare to hear of anyone breaking through consecutive realms, and opening two Heavenly Caves in a single instant is extremely uncommon. It is a feat only possible for those with heaven-defying talent, and if the outside world were to know, they would be left utterly dumbfounded.

Yet, Shi Lin had opened five Heavenly Caves in this very instant—it was an absolute anomaly, and one that few would believe even if told!

This was a marvelous sensation. Shi Lin felt light and nimble, yet the slightest movement would generate explosive power, as if his entire being were about to take flight. The three volcano-like "Heavenly Caves" surged with essence, "magma" flowing downward and submerging into Shi Lin's body, keeping him full of vitality and in a constant state of peak performance.

A beast's roar echoed out, and a behemoth appeared in the mountain range. It was over thirty meters long, its silver fur shimmering like silk. On its head grew a pair of Qilin horns, and its eyes, as large as basins, were blood-red and stared coldly ahead.

Its form resembled a white tiger, yet it possessed a pair of Qilin horns, and along its spine grew dozens of bone spikes reaching toward the sky. They were snow-white and crystalline, each a zhang long, like battle spears.

This was a true vicious beast that understood the profound mysteries of runes. It had occupied this mountain range, and who knows how many fierce birds and savage beasts it had slaughtered to consolidate its position as an overlord. Disturbed by the massive commotion, it felt its dignity offended and had come to kill.

Initially, the beast's killing intent was surging, but after a brief standoff, it suddenly let out a roar and turned to flee, its claw pulverizing a boulder weighing tens of thousands of jin. Then, it leaped into the air, its body flowing with multicolored light like a silver Chi Dragon, crossing the mountainside. Filled with fury, it opened its mouth and spat out a spray of white light, leveling the entire forest before its silver form vanished into the depths of the mountains.

In the distant sky, several small black dots approached rapidly. A few raptors appeared, their bodies flickering with runes and emitting blinding light. A powerful aura descended, terrifying the myriad beasts and causing them to tremble.

They were brimming with killing intent, ready to dive down at any moment.

Shi Lin looked up, two astonishing beams of light shooting from his eyes. Two runes manifested in his pupils, appearing incredibly oppressive.

The fierce birds let out long cries and instantly flapped their wings, soaring into the clouds. They were startled, angry, and even fearful. After lingering for only a moment, they flew rapidly toward the horizon and vanished from the area.

In the nearby mountains, the powerful entities at the very top of the food chain did not dare to challenge Shi Lin; they all retreated.

Without even making a move, Shi Lin had frightened away several terrifying overlords of the mountains.

He sat down to quietly contemplate the sensations of the Heavenly Cave Realm, immersing himself within it. "Magma" surged forth, engulfing him in a shroud of steaming light that appeared incredibly mysterious.

For an entire day and night, Shi Lin remained still. Only then did he stop, stand up, and face the morning glow, inhaling and exhaling the dawn light. Feeling that he had finally consolidated his progress, the five volcanic craters retracted and gradually vanished, and he strode toward Stone Village.

"Wow, Shi Lin is back, and he actually hunted a Dragon Leopard!"

The children cried out in surprise. Shi Lin was carrying a giant beast over ten meters long; it had the body of a leopard but possessed a terrifying dragon head, and even in death, it still radiated a fierce aura.

"Child, has your strength increased again?" the village chief asked, pleasantly surprised.

Otherwise, this Dragon Leopard could not have been hunted so easily. It was extremely powerful, and the fact that Shi Lin had returned so effortlessly was proof enough.

"Mm-hmm!" Shi Lin laughed.

Many people struggle their entire lives to cross into this realm, yet he had reached such heights in just a few short years. Even when viewed with the most stringent standards, one could only marvel.

For the next few days, Shi Lin played with Little One and the others to release some of the pressure.

A few days later, Shi Lin sat on a giant rock in Stone Village, his entire body radiating intense blood energy. A layer of golden light covered his skin—it was the Undying Golden Light.

Above his head, a Suanni appeared out of thin air, swimming through nine days of thunder and lightning, its roar shaking the mountains and rivers.

A Purple-Feathered Immortal Bird whistled past on the wind, racing through the mountain range, stirring up wild gusts wherever it passed.

Within Shi Lin's abdomen, the mysterious little figure appeared once more, the golden light still enveloping him.

The sound of the Great Dao knocked, and the mysterious little figure picked up a bell and drum from thin air, beginning to strike them.

As the bell tolled, several runes followed the sound into Shi Lin's sea of consciousness.

Shi Lin's brows tightened, and the mysterious little figure and the bell sounds vanished, the golden light dissipating.

Shi Lin opened his eyes abruptly.

"As expected, my guess was correct. Every time I enter a new stage, I awaken some abilities! Let me see what it is this time."

Having said this, Shi Lin closed his eyes and entered his own spiritual sea of consciousness...