Entering the Cave

The gorge ran deep, a sea of scorching heat.

The rocks between the cliffs were incomparably crimson. It was noon, and the stones seemed ready to burst into flame.

Even one with the physical body of the Embyronic Breath Perfected Realm would be drenched in sweat and find the heat unbearable while walking through this gorge.

Only after achieving Qi Refining could one use qi to ward it off and insulate against the heat.

At this moment, Lu Xuan and the other two were waiting within the blazing gorge, yet there was no ape in sight—not even a shadow.

"This Bright Ape Clan knows nothing but petty tricks. They have delayed this long; could they be trying to drain Junior Brother's spiritual qi and gain an advantage?"

Jiang Muying sat upright upon a cloud, condensing qi into a barrier to block the heat and protect Lu Xuan. Yet, seeing that no apes had arrived, she could not help giving a soft snort.

Lin Shuyun shook her head. "No. How much spiritual qi could such heat possibly consume? Besides, before entering the cave, one may take pills to restore spiritual qi and enter at full strength."

"The Bright Apes are likely trying to observe what sort of qi Junior Brother has refined, so they can prepare countermeasures."

"Once we enter the inner sect, we have Jade Discs to protect us. Divine abilities cannot trace our fates, and ordinary methods cannot discern what True Qi we have gathered. That is why they resorted to this inferior tactic. As long as Junior Brother uses spiritual qi, or is naturally drawn by the spiritual qi of the Heavenly Cycle, they can secretly deduce what sort of qi he has refined."

"Junior Brother, do not move. The two of us will use qi to shield you from the heat."

Lin Shuyun looked toward the depths of the gorge, having guessed the Bright Apes' little scheme.

The moment these words were spoken, a burst of laughter rang through the gorge.

"What a clever little girl. You, boy, truly have good fortune!"

Boom!

Along with the laughter, an enormous fireball descended from the sky behind the gorge, landing before the three and sending surging waves of heat rolling outward.

As the fireball dissipated, an Ape Demon more than ten feet tall appeared, covered in golden fur, its eyes blazing crimson and its aura deep and powerful.

"Ook ook ook!"

"Screech screech screech!"

The demon's appearance seemed to be a signal. Chattering cries immediately erupted from behind the gorge as golden apes several feet tall scrambled over cliffs and walls, swiftly gathering in the center of the gorge and surrounding the three.

The Bright Ape Clan!

These Bright Apes lacked the deep aura of the towering ape and could not speak human words, but their eyes were lively and intelligent, clearly showing spiritual wisdom.

"Sixth Layer of Qi Refining!"

Jiang Muying stared at the leading Bright Ape. A glimmer of blue light flashed through her eyes before she quietly spoke to Lu Xuan and the others.

Like Lin Shuyun, she had succeeded in a single Grand Rite. Thus, she had refined Spiritual Sense ahead of time and learned detection techniques, allowing her to see the cultivation of cultivators within the same major realm.

"Hehe, little girl, your eyesight is not bad either. The Heaven-Gazing Sect truly deserves to be called a great immortal sect." The ten-foot Bright Ape at the Sixth Layer of Qi Refining laughed heartily, his tone admiring. Yet in the next instant, crimson light flowed through his eyes as he looked toward Lu Xuan. "The Flowing-Roselight Token is on you? Why has the Xie Family boy not come this time? Which family's disciple are you? Do you have ties to any aristocratic clan?"

The Bright Ape spoke extremely quickly, firing off a string of questions in one breath.

"Greetings, Ape Warrior. This junior is Lu Xuan. This time, I have entered the cave in the Xie Family's stead to contend for it."

"As for ties to aristocratic clans, I have none."

Lu Xuan cupped his hands and took out the Flowing-Roselight Token, explaining each point.

For cave-entry quotas, they recognized the token, not the person.

Boom!

The moment the token appeared in this gorge, something wondrous occurred. Flames flickered atop it without wind, and it floated above Lu Xuan's head.

"The Xie Family did not come? Hehe, could they be afraid?"

The Bright Ape chuckled, but inwardly he let out a breath of relief.

None of the Heaven-Gazing Sect disciples who had gathered True Qi were easy to deal with, and the Xie Family, as an aristocratic clan, was even harder to provoke.

Even though his clan had made a few small arrangements this time, he had never been completely certain of victory.

Now that the Xie Family had not come, they had sent an obscure nobody instead!

Lu Xuan, the Lu Clan? Never heard of them!

That made their chances much greater.

"Since you possess the Flowing-Roselight Token, you may naturally enter the cave. But let me make this clear beforehand: no magical artifacts, armor, or pills may be brought into the cave. My clan is poor and cannot compare to the wealth of your Heaven-Gazing Sect!"

The Bright Ape issued another warning.

Yet inwardly, he found it a pity.

Within the Red Pine Fief, the demon races governed themselves. The Bright Ape Clan was not poor; they merely feared they could not match the Heaven-Gazing Sect's aristocratic disciples, which was why they had established this rule in the first place. Who could have expected a disciple without aristocratic backing to come today?

What a shame!

But the oath decree had been issued long ago and could not be changed.

This was an oath decree made in the name of the Immortal Cult. Those who violated it would face an unspeakable terror.

Lu Xuan knew this as well, and he immediately cupped his hands in acknowledgment.

"Since that is settled, prepare to enter the cave."

"The Sunfire Cave has northern and southern entrances. The Sunfire Branch lies in the center of the cave. You and my clan will enter from opposite directions, north and south. Whoever plucks the Sunfire Branch first will win."

"If you encounter danger within and cannot endure it, call out 'Flowing Roselight.' This token will protect you and take you out of the cave, but that will also count as admitting defeat."

"The northern and southern entrances will be determined by drawing lots. You are the guest, so you draw first!"

With a beckoning gesture from the Bright Ape, two bone dice appeared before Lu Xuan, placed face-down.

Lu Xuan looked at the bone dice but did not move at once.

"Relax, relax. I swear by the name Heaven-Gazing that these dice are fair, with absolutely no cheating."

"My nephew may not be here, but he too is absolutely fair. He has only just achieved Qi Refining and has not yet opened his orifices."

Seeing this, the Bright Ape snorted and gave Lu Xuan his assurance.

All demon races that had managed to survive under the Heaven-Gazing Sect understood two words: rules.

The Immortal Cult valued life, but it also valued rules. If anyone crossed the line, then once the Immortal Cult was enraged, any demon race would vanish into ashes in an instant.

How much effort had the Bright Ape Clan spent back then just to obtain a "Red Pine Fief quota," allowing them to move here and live in peace, free from fear of offering bones and blood?

How could such peace be ruined over a single Orifice-Opening Spirit Item?

He had only made a few small arrangements within the cave, all still within the rules. But if he deceived an inner sect disciple whose name was recorded on a Jade Disc, he would truly have gone mad.

Hearing this, Lu Xuan smiled apologetically, then turned over the bone die on the left.

On the bone die was a hastily scrawled character: "South."

"Southward, then this is the place. That means my nephew will not need to change directions either."

The Bright Ape waved his furry palm, turning over the other bone die marked "North." Then, with a flick of his finger, he sent a streak of spiritual light flying northward.

"Come. Wait briefly at the cave entrance. Once the Flowing-Roselight Token trembles, you may enter."

The Bright Ape led Lu Xuan and the other two to a deep cavern on the southern side of the gorge.

The cave was entirely crimson, with scorching firelight pouring from within, bright and resplendent. Were it not for the occasional echo of roars, one would never have guessed it was a stone cave leading underground.

Lu Xuan nodded to his two senior sisters, then waited before the cave.

Whoosh!

Before long, the [Flowing-Roselight Token] above Lu Xuan's head suddenly trembled, erupting with firelight.

Enter the cave!

The Bright Ape immediately shouted.

Lu Xuan did not hesitate. He leaped down at once, plunging into the Sunfire Cave.

At another cave entrance on the northern side, a seven-foot Bright Ape at Qi Refining, covered in dazzling golden fur and wearing a crafty look in its eyes, also leaped down and entered the Sunfire Cave.