Within the Cave Heaven, There Were Not Only Ants, but True Dragons!

Chen Lingxi stood atop a mountain, surrounded by swirling mist that enveloped the distant and nearby mountains in a hazy, gray chaos.

In his eyes, the method of Qi Observation had reached its limit. Spiritual Qi emerged from the Qi Sea, traveled upwards along the meridians, and entered his eyes, piercing through layers of thick fog, looking towards the distant direction of Nanche Province.

At that very moment, his pupils suddenly contracted.

An indescribable, terrifying aura was rising into the sky from the direction of Nanche Province.

Its majestic and domineering aura was like a blazing sun shining high in the sky, interspersed with unimaginable fluctuations of Dao Origin.

Chen Lingxi sensed this overwhelming Dao Origin aura and felt his breath catch in his throat.

"This aura... it's like that of Emperor Daye," Chen Lingxi murmured to himself.

He had spied on Emperor Daye Ying Xian of the Daye Dynasty countless times during his Sight-Roaming.

Ying Xian!

--An emperor who, as a mere mortal, cultivated to the Dao Foundation Realm in this Qi-Less Grotto-Heaven!

--That ruthless man who used mountains and rivers as his battleground and seized the life essence of countless living beings for his own use!

"This person has made even more progress than when I last Sight-Roaming!"

Chen Lingxi carefully observed the method of Qi Observation.

He felt that the aura of Emperor Daye emanating from the direction of Nanche Prefectural City today was more profound, more vast, and more... complete than any he had ever sensed during his Sight-Roaming before.

"He has entered the Dao Foundation Middle Stage," Chen Lingxi thought to himself.

Just then, Lin Suri, who was also gazing at Nanche Province from afar, turned his head.

He gazed towards the direction of Nanche Province using the method of Qi Observation, remained silent for a moment, and then slowly spoke, "This aura... is it that of the Emperor Daye?"

Chen Lingxi nodded, her gaze still fixed on the distant sky that had been dyed golden.

"Dao Foundation Middle Stage," Lin Suri said in a low voice, his tone carrying a hint of solemnity. "In this Qi-Less Grotto-Heaven, there is actually someone who has cultivated to the Dao Foundation Middle Stage... Even among the noble sects and immortal clans of the Great Xuanzhuo Realm, they can be considered exceptionally talented."

Chen Lingxi did not respond.

He gazed towards Nanche Province, at the ever-increasingly intense golden sky, then suddenly turned to Lin Suri, his expression solemn, and said, "Please, fellow Daoist, convey my message to Senior Chi, and ask her to retreat as soon as possible."

Upon hearing this, Lin Suri flipped his palm and took out a Jade Slip.

He infused the Jade Slip with his spiritual energy, closed his eyes, concentrated, and sent out a Divine Sense message.

--

Over the Nanche Prefectural City!

A rainbow of seven colors stretched across the horizon.

Where the rainbow passed, the clouds retreated on their own, revealing a straight path.

Above the rainbow light, a chariot could be vaguely seen approaching.

The chariot was radiant with golden light, and nine Flood Dragon were pulling it from the front.

Although it was an illusory image, it still possessed an imposing aura as it descended from the sky.

Nine dragons soared together, pulling the golden chariot along the rainbow streak that stretched across the sky, speeding towards Nanche Province.

The chariot was incredibly fast. One moment it was at the edge of the sky, and the next it had transformed into a golden meteor, leaving a long trail as it crashed straight into the Void that was already shrouded in the aura of numerous Dao Origin spirits!

Meanwhile, the struggle between several Dao Foundation Realm experts continues.

Yu Jiangwei's two Dao Substitute Body against three opponents and were not at a disadvantage at all.

The Dao Substitute Body on the left wielded a long sword shrouded in mist, its swordplay incredibly fierce. Each strike unleashed a sword beam of mist tens of feet long that traversed the sky, causing the illusory river beneath Luan Shu's seat to surge and the Dao Origin of the Calamity Sea to scatter like rain.

The Dao Substitute Body as a shield to block all of Daoist Shurong's fierce attacks from the Big Dipper Seven-Star Sword Formation from three zhang away.

Daoist Shurong Chi Jianshu had barely recovered from the impact of the deity on the Spirit-Consulting Altar.

Within his Consciousness Sea, the illusory figure formed from the aura of a Daoist master had already suppressed the deity of the Spirit-Consulting Altar, causing it to crumble inch by inch.

Daoist Zhuxu sat cross-legged before the nine-tiered altar, his face ashen.

His failure to utilize his Gingshen Platform Divine Art had instilled in him a deep sense of apprehension towards Yu Jiangwei.

His body circulated Dao Origin, which then transformed into various Divine Ability powers and techniques, suppressing Yu Jiangwei.

As for Bai Lingze, who had not interfered in the battle between the several Dao Foundation Realm experts, he had just broken free from the golden cage that had imprisoned him. His white clothes were slightly disheveled, and a rare gloomy expression appeared on his handsome, jade-like face.

He stood at the edge of the churning mist, the sound waves of Divine Hymn emanating from him spreading outwards like ripples, dispersing all the mist that tried to approach him.

Chen Lingxi had already retreated, and Bai Lingze naturally knew what was more important. He turned to look at the Dao Foundation Realm battlefield, about to make a move...

This person, whose combat power was of unknown strength, suddenly changed color and looked up into the distance.

But then a rainbow of light suddenly appeared on the distant horizon.

Nine dragons pull the carriage, rainbows pave the road!

On the chariot, another person slowly stood up!

Suddenly, a strange movement occurred in the Void where numerous Divine Ability powers and spells were being unleashed one after another.

Many Divine Sense swept across the area and landed in the Void where the chariot had arrived.

Then these Dao Foundation Realm experts all saw the figure on the chariot!

He was a man in the prime of his life.

He was dressed in a black dragon robe, on which nine five-clawed golden dragons were embroidered with gold thread, their heads held high and their eyes wide open, lifelike.

He stood with his hands behind his back on the chariot, his robes fluttering wildly in the wind, and the deep and vast Dao Origin emanating from his body was like ocean waves, like a tornado, beyond imagination.

He was exceptionally handsome, with sword-like eyebrows that reached his temples, eyes like stars, a high and straight nose, and lips with distinct lines as if cut by a knife. His face was sharply defined, like a statue carved from ten thousand years of cold jade, possessing a majestic aura that looked down upon the world and suppressed all ages!

What's most unsettling is the aura he exudes.

That spirit was too profound, too vast, and too domineering.

Even more bizarrely, with his arrival, the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi surrounding Nanche Province began to become denser at an extremely terrifying speed.

The Spiritual Qi, which was originally so thin that it was almost imperceptible, began to converge wildly from all directions as if it had been summoned.

In just a few breaths, the concentration of Spiritual Qi around Nanche Prefectural City had increased several times over, and it was still rising at a visible rate.

It was as if the figures on the chariot were the masters of this world.

His arrival here will be greeted with the most solemn ceremony by this land!

At the same time, muffled thunderous sounds began to emerge from the mountains and rivers surrounding Nanche Province.

The thunderous sound did not come from the sky, but rather from the depths of those mountains, from the source of those rivers, and from the crevices of those canyons.

It was as if hundreds of giant drums were simultaneously beating from the ground, the muffled thunderous sound converging into an invisible wave of sound that rolled out in all directions.

The thunderous sound contained an indescribable power of heaven and earth, and these great mountains, rivers and streams were humming in submission in anticipation of his arrival!

Above the city, the several Dao Foundation Realm experts who were engaged in fierce combat stopped their attacks almost simultaneously.

Yu Jiangwei's two Dao Substitute Body simultaneously sheathed their swords, raised their heads, and looked at the golden chariot and the heroic man in a black dragon robe on it.

Her face, veiled by mist, revealed no expression, but a hint of surprise flashed in her deep eyes.

"Who is this person? Such terrifying Dao Origin fluctuations..." Daoist Zhuxu stood up from the altar and gazed into the Void.

"Fifth on the Immortal Ranking... Dao Foundation Middle Stage."

"Such a figure could actually be born in this Qi-Less Grotto-Heaven."

Luan Shu sat cross-legged on the black lotus platform, holding his whisk horizontally in front of his knees.

His ordinary face revealed no emotion, but his deep, abyss-like eyes reflected the golden chariot and the figure in the black dragon robe, a deep sense of apprehension flashing across his pupils.

Daoist Zhuxu was even more straightforward.

Almost at the same instant the golden chariot appeared, he silently moved the nine-tiered altar back several hundred feet.

He sat cross-legged before the altar, his face grim, his eyes flashing with uncertainty, clearly calculating the situation rapidly.

Bai Lingze stood at the edge of the churning mist, gazing at the golden chariot and the figure in the black dragon robe atop it, his brow furrowing even more deeply.

Chi Jianshu Daoist Shurong Rong raised his head and looked at the golden chariot.

She had once fought against Emperor Daye and knew how terrifying he was.

At that time, Emperor Daye was only at the Dao Foundation Early Stage, yet he was able to fight her, who was at the Perfected Dao Foundation Early Stage, to a standstill, and even subtly gained the upper hand.

Now that this person has entered the Dao Foundation Middle Stage, his combat power has probably skyrocketed to an extremely terrifying level.

Just then, the Jade Slip at her waist suddenly lit up slightly, and a Divine Sense message entered her Consciousness Sea.

It was Lin Suri's voice.

"Uncle-Master, Brother Chen asked me to send you a telepathic message, requesting that you leave as soon as possible."

Daoist Shurong was slightly taken aback, then a look of understanding flashed in his eyes.

She raised her head, glanced at the golden chariot again, then at the figure in the black dragon robe on the chariot, and then... turned away without hesitation.

With a flick of her sleeve, the phantom image of the Big Dipper above her head suddenly lit up, and seven beams of starlight poured down, transforming into a dazzling rainbow of starlight beneath her feet, carrying her into the sky and flying swiftly into the distance.

Chi Jianshu retreated with extreme decisiveness, without the slightest hesitation.

Yu Jiangwei, Luan Shu, Daoist Zhuxu, and Bai Lingze naturally noticed Daoist Shurong's retreat.

At this moment, their attention was completely drawn to the figure on the golden chariot, and they had no time to pay attention to Chi Jianshu, who was retreating.

Emperor Daye Ying Xian, stood with his hands behind his back on the golden chariot, his gaze sweeping over the four Dao Foundation Realm experts present, a smile appearing on his face.

Looking down from a high vantage point!

It was as if an emperor were scrutinizing his ministers, or as if a deity were looking down upon ants in the mortal world.

"It's quite lively," he said softly. "The gathering of so many Dao Foundation Realm Establishment incarnations here is rather unexpected, and also quite... satisfactory."

He paused, his gaze falling on Yu Jiangwei, then on the two identical Dao Substitute Body, a hint of interest flashing in his eyes.

"Such Divine Ability is truly inconceivable." He spoke slowly, his tone filled with admiration. "The Great Xuanzhuo Realm indeed holds countless fortuitous opportunity!"

Yu Jiangwei's two Dao Substitute Body simultaneously raised their heads to meet the gaze of Emperor Daye.

Right at this moment!

Bai Lingze arrived through the air and chuckled softly, "So what if you're in the Dao Foundation Middle Stage... Fellow Daoists, we are all avatars of the Great Xuanzhuo Realm, projected here for that Immortal Husk!"

The Cave Heaven possesses a spirit, and we cannot come in our true forms. Instead, we project our avatars, creating a Perfected Dao Foundation Early Stage, which is already extremely difficult.

Since Ying Xian has the cultivation of the Dao Foundation Middle Stage... I'm afraid we really can't obtain that Immortal Husk."

As he spoke, murderous intent flashed in his eyes. "Now that Daoist Shurong has retreated, there are still four of us left."

Candleflame Star Zhu Ranxing Substitute Dao Body Grand Divine Ability is incredibly strong, and my Way of Great Bright Jade Perfection [Xianchan Dao] supernatural Divine Ability also has its own mysteries.

"Since that's the case... why don't we join forces? What is there to fear from someone who has just advanced to the Dao Foundation Middle Stage?"

Yu Jiangwei, Daoist Zhuxu, and Luan Shu were too busy to respond.

But then, a smile appeared on the lips of Emperor Daye, who was standing on the chariot, and he suddenly raised his hand...

Then, press it down!

In an instant! The world changed color!

Within a radius of a hundred miles, the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi, which had become richer because of his arrival, gathered madly towards his palm as if it had been summoned by some irresistible force.

The Spiritual Qi flowed so fast that it formed a huge, visible vortex in the Void.

The vortex spun wildly, swallowing up all the surrounding clouds, water vapor, fog, and even the smoke and dust rising from the ruins.

Immediately afterwards, mist began to spread from the very center of the vortex.

The mist was grayish-white, just like the deep and vast Dao Origin emanating from Emperor Daye.

The fog appeared and spread wildly in all directions at an extremely terrifying speed.

In just a few breaths, the fog had already enveloped an area of a hundred miles, completely enveloping the entire Nanche Prefectural City, along with the surrounding mountains and rivers.

The mist appeared ordinary, but the power it contained was chilling.

It contains an extremely strange power of decay, like the desolation that permeates the world when all things wither in late autumn, or the decaying atmosphere that has settled in an ancient tomb for thousands of years.

It is indeed the [Heavenly Decline Method]!

Yu Jiangwei's two Dao Substitute Body sensed something was wrong the instant the mist spread.

She made a vague slash with the misty longsword in front of her, and a streak of misty sword light shot out like a bolt of lightning towards the spreading gray-white mist.

As the sword flashed, a slit was cut open in the gray-white mist, but the slit only lasted for less than a breath before being filled again by more mist surging in from all directions.

Luan Shu's reaction was equally swift.

He flicked his whisk in the Void, and the phantom of the great river that stretched across the sky beneath him surged up, transforming into a thick curtain of water that protected him within it.

But the moment the grayish-white mist touched the water curtain, a strange scene unfolded.

The water curtain began to become murky and dim at a visible speed, and then began to evaporate inch by inch.

The originally highly refined Calamity Sea Dao Origin became extremely fragile under the erosion of the mist. In just a few breaths, the water curtain protecting Luan Shu was riddled with holes and was about to completely collapse.

Daoist Zhuxu then activated the nine-tiered altar, causing the dark red runes on it to light up simultaneously, setting up a blood-red defensive barrier around him.

But the moment the grayish-white mist touched the restriction, the runes on it began to disintegrate in a strange way.

The dark red runes that had been flowing endlessly were thus peeled off from the restriction and disappeared into the mist one by one.

Bai Lingze pushed the sonic waves of the Divine Hymn surrounding him to their limit.

The golden sound waves, like tangible ripples, spread outwards from him in all directions, shattering all the gray-white mist that tried to approach him.

To his alarm, the dispersed mist did not disappear; instead, it recoiled several feet away and then surged towards him with even greater force.

Moreover, each time the mist collided with the sound waves around him, the spiritual energy contained in the sound waves would silently dissolve a portion, as if it were swallowed up by the mist.

"The Heavenly Decline Method... is it really that terrifying?" Bai Lingze frowned.

At that moment, Emperor Daye slowly stepped down from the golden chariot.

And so we stepped into that gray-white mist that stretched for miles!

He strolled leisurely into the encirclement of the four Dao Foundation Realm cultivators, and the deep and vast Dao Origin fluctuations around him pressed down in all directions like an invisible mountain.

"You come from the Great Xuanzhuo Realm, thinking that this Weiji Grotto-Heaven is nothing but a desolate wasteland devoid of spiritual energy, and that the creatures of this realm are nothing but ants to be slaughtered by you."

He spoke slowly, his voice echoing. "But you never imagined that this Cave Heaven contains not only ants, but also a true dragon like myself!"