Fire Cloud Grotto-Heaven

"Great Luo forges the Great Dao Foundation. Once one breaks through to the Great Luo Realm, one's Great Dao is set in stone and cannot be altered; one can only continue down that path unless one is reincarnated and cultivates anew."

"What is my Great Dao, then?

"It is the Literary Dao!"

Red Cloud's gaze was unwavering. When he created his cultivation method, he had already comprehended his Great Dao—it was the Literary Dao.

The Heaven-Measuring Ruler of Primordial Chaos and the Illustrated Record of Literary Fortune, two merit-based spiritual treasures of enlightenment and instruction, were both connected to the Literary Dao. One ruler, one book—they had chosen him. This was his destiny.

The Red Cloud Dao Scripture began circulating instinctively.

Next, Red Cloud cultivated while refining the Pangu Heartblood Origin and contemplating the Literary Dao.

The surrounding spiritual energy surged toward him madly, while Red Cloud's physical body, Primordial Spirit, and magical power grew ever stronger.

"Merely cultivating bitterly here—how could I ever succeed in seeking the Dao? It is time for me to go out and take a look."

Red Cloud began considering leaving to investigate the Primordial World. This was the final stage of the Dragon-Han Calamity, when opportunities were countless. He could gather some for himself, lest they all be destroyed by the Three Clans in the end.

"But how am I supposed to get out?"

The Pangu Heartblood Origin was immensely abundant. If Red Cloud were to be born naturally, he would have to cultivate to the Great Luo Realm first. If he forced his birth, he would undoubtedly damage his foundation.

"Right, I can create an incarnation!"

Red Cloud thought of his incarnation divine ability. He could create an incarnation and have it explore in his stead.

Red Cloud's divine sense swept across this Boundless Cloud Sea.

The three clusters of origin, primarily composed of the origins of water, fire, and wind, had already nurtured rudimentary forms. Three figures cultivated within them, their auras linked and harmonized with Red Cloud's.

Red Cloud swept his gaze over the three, then looked elsewhere before finally selecting a Blood Cloud.

The Blood Cloud had been transformed from a strand of origin that had overflowed from the Pangu Heartblood Origin, though it contained only a small amount of that origin.

Yet the Blood Cloud had ultimately been formed from the Pangu Heartblood Origin. An incarnation made from it would be at least Golden Immortal level.

Next, Red Cloud inscribed all manner of restriction divine patterns into the Blood Cloud. It gradually took human form, and its aura began to swell, rising from Human Immortal to Golden Immortal.

When the final restriction fell, the Blood Cloud incarnation Red Cloud had created had already reached the Early-Stage Golden Immortal realm.

Looking at the incarnation before him, Red Cloud willed it into motion, and it immediately left the grand formation and flew toward the earth.

During this era, the Three Clans consciously restrained themselves. Before the final battle erupted, the Primordial World was still relatively safe, making it ideal for the incarnation to explore.

The incarnation left the Innate Formation protecting Red Cloud. Since Red Cloud had yet to be born, the Heavenly Dao concealed it; not even a Primordial Golden Immortal could find him.

Red Cloud poured his consciousness into the incarnation while his true body remained within the Innate Formation, comprehending the Dao and cultivating.

Endless Innate Spiritual Energy rushed toward him, forming a spiritual-energy vortex that poured into Red Cloud's body.

Red Cloud refined it all. The Innate Spiritual Energy became pure energy, continuously washing over his Dao Fruit.

Red Cloud controlled his incarnation and left the Innate Formation.

This formation had long since been refined by Red Cloud. He easily slipped through it and entered the Boundless Cloud Sea.

After leaving the formation, Red Cloud looked back toward where he had emerged, but there was no trace of the formation at all.

If not for the connection to his true body, Red Cloud would not have been able to tell that an Innate Formation existed here.

Red Cloud transformed into a streak of crimson light and descended toward the earth, beginning his first journey of exploration and treasure-seeking.

Red Cloud had already made plans for this.

Whether spiritual ginseng and precious herbs, refined gold and jade, or stones—so long as they contained Innate spiritual essence, he would not let any of them go.

If he discovered an Innate Formation, he would first comprehend it. Every Innate Formation was unique, and sometimes the formation was even more valuable than the treasures within.

Once he thoroughly understood the formation, he could enter silently and collect the treasures without anyone discovering him.

He would proceed in secret—no shooting, no noise.

If he could not break the formation, he would record its location and retrieve its treasures after his true body was born.

After giving it some thought, Red Cloud headed toward Buzhou Mountain. The treasures nurtured there were undoubtedly the most numerous.

Speaking of which, this Boundless Cloud Sea where Red Cloud was being nurtured lay within the range of Buzhou Mountain.

Buzhou Mountain was vast beyond measure. Centered on the Buzhou Heavenly Pillar, countless mountain ranges and Spiritual Veins stretched around it.

As the saying went, gazing at a mountain could run a horse to death.

After flying for tens of thousands of years, the Buzhou Heavenly Pillar was still there, as though Red Cloud had not moved at all.

Seeing this, Red Cloud stopped rushing toward the Buzhou Heavenly Pillar and instead descended to investigate the land.

One day, Red Cloud felt a faint stir, as though something were drawing him toward it.

"Could it be a spiritual treasure?"

A trace of excitement flashed through Red Cloud's eyes.

Red Cloud followed the sensation and arrived at a majestic, striking mountain range.

This was merely one of Buzhou Mountain's ranges.

Red Cloud landed directly upon the range. Following the sensation, he arrived at a peak surrounded by layers of Fire Clouds. It did not appear unusual in any way.

Upon arriving here, the sensation from the treasure vanished, but Red Cloud became even more excited.

Red Cloud knew there was an Innate Formation here.

Using his divine sense, Red Cloud carefully captured the unusual aura in the area, searching for the hidden Innate Formation.

Because he had an affinity with this place, Red Cloud captured the formation's aura in less than a hundred years.

He then followed that aura to comprehend the formation, and several thousand years passed in this way.

Red Cloud also comprehended this Innate Formation. Its name was the Innate Fire Cloud Grand Formation, and upon seeing that name, Red Cloud suddenly understood.

Within this Fire Cloud Grand Formation should be his future abode, Fire Cloud Cave, also known as Fire Cloud Grotto-Heaven.

The Primordial World contained ten great grotto-heavens, thirty-six lesser grotto-heavens, seventy-two blessed lands, as well as Dimensional Worlds of all sizes, such as Fire Cloud Grotto-Heaven.

Each of the ten great grotto-heavens was as vast as a Great Chiliocosm. Each of the thirty-six lesser grotto-heavens was as vast as a Middle Chiliocosm, while the seventy-two blessed lands were no smaller than a Minor Chiliocosm.

Fire Cloud Grotto-Heaven was neither one of the ten great grotto-heavens, nor one of the thirty-six lesser grotto-heavens, nor one of the seventy-two blessed lands. Fire Cloud Cave was merely a Dimensional World.

"Enough. Let's go in and have a look. Fire Cloud Cave has an Innate Formation, so perhaps spiritual treasures or spiritual roots are still being nurtured inside. The opportunity may not have been taken yet."

Red Cloud passed directly through the formation and entered Fire Cloud Cave, immediately drawn in by the sight within.

Within Fire Cloud Cave, spiritual streams converged, spiritual liquid fell like rain, crimson cliffs and strange rocks rose amid sheer walls and extraordinary peaks.

In the forest were long-lived deer and immortal foxes, spiritual birds and dark cranes. Jade grasses and wondrous flowers never withered, while green pines and emerald cypresses remained forever verdant.

Immortal peaches bore fruit constantly, cultivated bamboo often held lingering clouds. Vines and creepers densely draped a ravine, while fresh green grass covered the embankments on all sides.

Within the grotto-heaven were countless strange flowers and exotic herbs. Ginseng and lingzhi could be found everywhere, and even hundred-thousand-year Scarlet Fruits and spiritual materials were beyond counting. Spiritual birds and strange beasts also appeared from time to time, all of exceptional aptitude and brimming with intelligence.

Red Cloud praised, "Hahaha, excellent! Such an opportunity—this place is destined to be my Dao field!"

Though Fire Cloud Grotto-Heaven was merely a Dimensional World, it was indeed extraordinary, more mysterious than ordinary immortal mountains. Otherwise, it would not have had an Innate Formation guarding it.

After marveling at it, Red Cloud began searching for the origin of Fire Cloud Grotto-Heaven. Only by refining its origin could he truly control Fire Cloud Cave.

Fire Cloud Cave was a Dimensional World, so the origin of Fire Cloud Grotto-Heaven was not easy to find.

Yet heaven rewarded the diligent. After a thousand years, Red Cloud finally found the origin of Fire Cloud Cave and left his mark upon it.