Overhead within the grotto-heaven was not rock, but a real sky where the sun, moon, and stars appeared in turn. Yet those celestial bodies seemed to be condensed from the purest spiritual essence, and the radiance they shed carried a vitality that nourished all things.
Beneath his feet stretched rolling mountains and rivers. Upon sensing them carefully, he discovered that every mountain range was actually a living dragon vein, drawing in and releasing vast quantities of spiritual energy beneath the earth!
Winding rivers flowed through the land, their waters clear to the bottom and shimmering with a faint spiritual glow. They were formed from liquid spiritual energy mingled with the essence of countless rare mineral veins. Every drop was a treasure!
As far as the eye could see, immortal herbs and spirit flowers grew everywhere, flourishing to an astonishing degree.
Vermilion fruits over ten thousand years old hung thick on branches everywhere. Crystal-clear snow lotuses bloomed in swathes across glaciers, while reishi radiating seven-colored light clustered like mushrooms beneath ancient trees.
The concentration of spiritual essence in the air was more than a hundred times greater than outside. Every breath was equivalent to several hours of arduous cultivation in the outside world!
At the center of this small world stood a towering, majestic complex of ancient-style buildings, with sweeping eaves, interlocking brackets, carved beams, and painted pillars. Its scale rivaled the imperial palace of a mortal empire, and it was even more magnificent.
This was clearly where generations of Witch Ancestors had lived and cultivated. After countless years of expansion and development, it had long since become a complete domain of its own. Now, however, it stood empty and desolate, devoid of human presence.
Inside the Main Hall, Li Chen saw a statue of the first Witch Ancestor carved from