Exploring the cave abode

After leaving the Pingrong County, Kang Dabao did not rush back to the market, but instead returned to his clan village first.

He had some connections with the leader of the Hemu Dao lineage and the chief deacon of the Fellow Cultivators Association, so he learned some relatively confidential information that he needed to tell his fellow disciples as soon as possible.

"A nobleman from the Immortal Dynasty Clan has arrived from the Capital Circuit and thoroughly dealt with the two major powers in Cloud Horn Prefecture. The Dingnan Niu Household has been exiled to Liangxi, and the Han City Yue Household has been forced into submission. They've even assigned over a dozen Foundation Establishment to the prefectural court, yet the Liangyi Two Instruments Sect hasn't stepped in to intervene. It seems the Cloud Horn Prefecture will truly be in charge of the Immortal Dynasty from now on!"

Kang Dabao first shared the news with his fellow disciples, who were all astonished.

It should be noted that even when Shen Lingfeng, the governor of Shannan Circuit, had the advantage of timing and location and used the pretext of pacifying the barbarians to launch a powerful attack on Cloud Horn Prefecture with a large army, the Two Instruments Sect did not remain inactive.

But looking at it this time, it really seems like this powerful dragon from outside has directly crushed the Two Instruments Sect, this local tyrant.

For the young cultivators of the Chongming Sect who were born and raised here, what they had heard since childhood was how powerful Two Instruments Sect was, how it dominated several states, and how it acted with impunity.

But now it is known that the Two Instruments Sect has been subdued by the powerful entry of the Immortal Dynasty, and it seems that Cloud Horn Prefecture will once again be under the direct control of the Immortal Dynasty.

The impact of such a change on them is unimaginable.

"Don't go out these days, and try to avoid going to the market for now. Things aren't looking good, and I don't believe the Two Instruments Sect will just sit idly by and do nothing," Kang Dabao said after a moment of thought.

Kang Dabao now holds absolute power in the Chongming Sect, and with this decision, the Chongming Sect is effectively closed to the public for the time being.

During this period, apart from Sect Leader Kang Da occasionally being able to go to the market to replenish supplies and check accounts, everyone else was ordered by him not to leave the house.

Meanwhile, rumors began to circulate that a magistrate, assistant magistrate, registrar, and lieutenant from a neighboring county had acted too aggressively, forcing a powerful local clan to massacre them all. The state court was furious upon hearing this and was about to conscript cultivators from various counties to quell the rebellion. It seemed that another bloodbath was about to erupt in Cloud Horn Prefecture.

As soon as this news spread, even Kang Dabao himself rushed back, not daring to linger outside.

Once back in the sect, Sect Leader Kang Da spent his time cultivating, forcing Yuan Jin to refine weapons, and forcing Jiang Qing to Qi Refinement. In his spare time, he would scold his disciples, and then go out with Pei Yi to drink tea and play chess. He was living a rather pleasant life.

This is what cultivation is all about! What is the point of Daoist priests cultivating immortality? Is it just to spend their days getting their brains splattered? No matter how many times you lick the blood from a knife wound, you'll never get used to it; it's awful.

Pei Yi, who had been playing chess with Kang Dabao for several days, was really getting tired of it.

Even with his good temper, after drinking several cups of chrysanthemum tea that day, seeing Kang Dabao staring at the chessboard with a furrowed brow, he almost couldn't suppress the anger that was about to burst from his forehead.

"Senior brother, do you still remember the cave abode that Lü Wen mentioned before?" Pei Yi suddenly spoke, breaking the tranquility of the courtyard.

"Ah? Oh, I remember now, junior brother, don't talk about him when you're playing chess. I just came up with a brilliant move and was about to place it, and look, it's already gone! Your sportsmanship is terrible. When the old man was alive, he probably would have hit you with the sole of his shoe." Kang Dabao's face was not good, and he muttered to himself.

Pei Yi was speechless after hearing this. He recalled that although his Senior Martial Uncle He was a good chess player, his character was terrible. Whenever he lost a game, he would chase after his uncle or master who had won by swinging his shoe soles all over the yard.

Otherwise, how could it have been Second Sister Song's father, a mere ordinary county magistrate, who became her chess partner?

Upon hearing Sect Leader Kang Da's shameless words, Pei Yi nearly choked back the words he had prepared to say.

Pei Yi paused for a long time before speaking, "Senior Brother, have you forgotten that there might still be Second Tier Lion Insect in that cave abode? If that's true, there might also be some other treasures. We've already wasted a lot of time; if someone gets there first, wouldn't our Chongming Sect suffer a huge loss?"

"Snap." Kang Dabao placed a piece with a smile on his face, seemingly pleased with himself for making a brilliant move.

Hearing Pei Yi's words again, he felt they made sense, but the thought of potentially fighting to the death on the way out made him suppress his impulse. "The world is in such a mess right now, it doesn't seem like there's any rush. Should we go later? But what if someone else gets there first?"

Just as Sect Leader Kang Da had come up with a reason to convince himself, he reconsidered. What if someone else got the fortuitous opportunity that was practically his? Wouldn't that be even worse? He was now caught in a dilemma.

"Let's play chess first, let's play chess first. There's no such thing as a coincidence. As for what happened with Lü Wen, I was just joking back then, my purpose was to lure you and your nephew back to the sect. Since even someone like Lü Wen could easily enter that cave abode, it probably doesn't have anything of any substance, let alone any Second Tier Lion Insect! Let's wait until we have some free time."

After thinking it over for a long time, the principle of "stability" finally prevailed, and Kang Dabao finally made up his mind not to go out for the time being.

He pointed at the chessboard and placed another piece.

The game was in such a terrible state that Pei Yi turned his head away, unable to bear to look at it. He casually placed a piece, which caused his senior brother, the sect leader, to look worried and fall into deep thought.

"Even Lü Wen could get in easily, so there's definitely no risk for us fellow disciples. It's just a matter of going out for a stroll." Pei Yi felt uneasy whenever he saw Kang Dabao deep in thought, so he continued to encourage him, following his lead.

"Tsk." Kang Dabao clicked his tongue and frowned after hearing Pei Yi's words.

Sect Leader Kang Da, is easily swayed and has a soft heart; these are his flaws. After hearing what Pei Yi said, he began to hesitate again.

"Over the years, I've grown tired of traveling all over the country as a merchant. Now I prefer to stay at home, do some business, and teach some apprentices. Besides, it's better to be safe than sorry. Let's wait a while. Our Third is breaking through a bottleneck. Once he reaches the Eighth Layer of Qi Refining, we can go on a trip together. It's always safer that way."

Seeing that he couldn't persuade Kang Dabao today, Pei Yi could only sigh halfway through his anger. He was thinking about how to come up with another excuse to get away from the chessboard.

"Alchemy? No way. I just told my senior brother yesterday that we're out of spiritual herbs and wanted to ask for leave to go to the market to buy some, but he refused. Tsk, life is really tough. I'd rather go out and find an Evil Cultivator to fight."

Pei Yi was still filled with resentment.

Suddenly, a man pushed open the door of his dormitory and stepped into the courtyard. This man had a handsome face and bright eyes. Upon seeing Kang Dabao, he bowed and said, "Senior Brother, you've reached the Eighth Layer of Qi Refining! You've succeeded!"

"Whoosh!" Pei Yi stood up happily, patted Jiang Qing on the shoulder, and in doing so, overturned the chess table in front of him, scattering chess pieces all over the yard.

Jiang Qing was slightly surprised to see Pei Yi so happy. "I didn't expect Senior Brother Pei to care about me so much."

At this moment, besides the joy rising in his heart, Sect Leader Kang Da also looked at the chess pieces scattered all over the courtyard with slight surprise, "How did Junior Brother Pei manage to overturn that stone table that weighs at least a thousand pounds?"

Three days later

"Kang Dabao, how can you be the sect leader? Why can't you treat everyone equally? Why did you leave me to guard the house again!"

In the small courtyard of the Chongming Sect, Yuan Jin tugged at Kang Dabao's sleeve, looking just like a little child who had been abandoned by his mother and not taken to the market.

Pei Yi, Jiang Qing, and the Dong Sisters were all smiling, while several younger members of the family stood in the farewell procession, looking exhausted.

"How dare you call me by my given name? Haven't you had enough of the beating? I am the sect leader, and I make the decisions. Just listen to me!" Kang Dabao ignored him completely, turned his head without looking back, shook off Yuan Jin, and pulled Pei Yi and Jiang Qing away.

Yuan Jin ultimately didn't have the courage to chase after them, so he could only suppress his dissatisfaction and berate the group of juniors for their cultivation.

He turned and went back into the still-unfinished weapon-refining room, venting his anger on the silent baskets of spirit ore.

On the road, Kang Dabao noticed that Pei Yi was not in good spirits, so he gave Pei Yi the Black Blood Colt to ride, while he continued to ride the old donkey as usual.

This time, there was no need to bring a cart. Zongli was quite wealthy in terms of pack animals, and Jiang Qing also chose a strong Desolate Ox for transportation.

Pei Yi thanked the "culprit" that had caused his mental distress.

This senior brother, fearing he wouldn't have any more games to play, dragged Pei Yi into two nights of intense practice. Perhaps the skill Pei Yi most regretted learning in his life was playing chess.

"It's still easier to fight bandits and cultivators." Pei Yi sighed inwardly, then heard Kang Dabao ask from the side, "Junior brother, you said you went to the Buddhist gate with Lü Wen last time. I found it quite strange. There might be something fishy going on."

"Or perhaps the timing is wrong. If there's a natural illusion array outside that cave abode, the cave abode could hide depending on the seasons and weather, which wouldn't be surprising," Pei Yi replied, stroking his chin as he stopped his wild thoughts.

"It's not impossible," Kang Dabao nodded his big head. "Let's take a look first; we can't be rash." But deep down, he didn't have high hopes for this exploration of the cave abode.

The story of a down-on-his-luck cultivator visiting a powerful cultivator's cave abode, having a miraculous encounter, defying fate, and then ascending to heaven in broad daylight with seventy-two holy maidens, a demon queen, and enchantresses is a tale that has been written to death in cultivation novels.

This is a common problem among novelists: the more they lack something, the more they imagine it.

Most cultivators, even if they are not utterly wicked, are still selfish and self-serving.

Throughout history, how many truly benevolent people have left behind a legacy of kindness and blessings for their descendants before their death? Haven't all their disciples and descendants perished? How could it possibly be your turn, a peasant?

Let alone the cave abode of high-level cultivators, which are beyond the reach of ants like myself, even the cave abode of Foundation Establishment or Qi Refinement cultivators are not so easy to enter.

They might leave some hidden tricks; if something goes wrong, then this Daoist priest's nearly two hundred pounds of flesh and blood will just be left there to rot and become fertilizer for the spiritual flowers and herbs.

Therefore, exploring cave abode is actually quite dangerous.

Don't be fooled by the fact that Lü Wen has retreated unscathed. If he were allowed to go in again, perhaps he would only be a moment slower than the first time he entered, or his footing might be an inch too far to the side. In the next instant, he would be sliced into a human pig by the carefully laid out flying swords.

Kang Dabao was somewhat content with his modest wealth at this point. He had made several risk-free deals in previous years, built up his sect, acquired spirit fields, and established a market town. As a result, he had lost interest in adventurous ventures.

He even started to consider that if the next round of spiritual dew wasn't very effective, and he could cultivate steadily until he was sixty without breaking through to the ninth Qi Refinement Ninth Layer, then he could basically give up on the idea of Foundation Establishment and focus on training his disciples and managing the sect.

Before he closes his head, if a few of his disciples are capable of Foundation Establishment, then even if Kang Dabao is not the best, he can still earn a memorial tablet as the ancestor of a restoration after a hundred years, and then marry a dozen or so mortal women.

Just kidding, the Double Brightness of Chongming Sect, isn't that someone I can choose freely? I also need to work harder to address the issue of the Kang Household's small size, otherwise, what if the smaller branches of the clan accuse me of favoritism?

Having children isn't that hard. As long as you're diligent, you'll probably have at least a hundred sons in your lifetime, right?

Kang Dabao felt that he had done enough for his life, so what more could he ask for?

So what if you're a time traveler? What makes you so special just because you time-traveled? Do you think you're some kind of chosen one? Which chosen one with Four Spirit Roots is almost forty years old and still hasn't Late Qi Refinement Refining?

If it weren't for a bit of luck, the flowers around the Daoist priest's grave would have bloomed several times over; it might still be just a cenotaph.

Don't be fooled by the fact that there's still a piece of Black Bone left. Sect Leader Kang Da has been holding it in his hands for years, almost polishing it to a pulp, but it still doesn't react at all. Without the right method, there's no way to get anywhere.

The three brothers traveled for ten days and arrived at Shandu Ridge in Ji County, Feng Prefecture. Years ago, after Martial Uncle Li separated from Kang Dabao, he brought Pei Yi and the two families of ordinary people to settle here.

Martial Uncle Li was a man of high aspirations, and his original plan was to start anew here. Therefore, during this period, Martial Uncle Li guided many Rogue Cultivators from humble backgrounds, and would preach and teach in the mountains on the fifth and tenth of each month.

The purpose was to recruit these cultivators into the Ji County Chongming Sect after he achieved Foundation Establishment, thereby bolstering its prestige. It was also during this time that Lü Wen met Pei Yi; the two had maintained a close friendship for over a decade and had almost sworn brotherhood.

"Unfortunately, both things are regrettable," Pei Yi said, letting out a sigh.

"A loss may turn out to be a blessing in disguise." Kang Dabao felt a little uncomfortable after hearing this. Did this old man really look down on me so much that he would rather rebuild the stage than help me? That was what he was thinking, but he politely comforted him aloud.

"There must be quite a few cultivators near that Shandu Ridge who were taught by Martial Uncle Li, right?" Kang Dabao had some ideas in his mind. These people had some connection with the Chongming Sect, which was much better than ordinary Rogue Cultivator. He could recruit some of the promising talents.

"Not many of them are truly capable, and since I, your junior brother, feel I lack the ability to judge character, it's not appropriate for me to recommend them to you again, senior brother," Pei Yi said after a moment's thought.

Upon hearing this Kang Dabao knew that Pei Yi had been deeply hurt by Lü Wen, and since it wasn't something to rush into, he remained silent.

The three of them walked in silence until they reached the cave abode dwelling he had visited with Lü Wen the last time.

This is a small, unremarkable canyon with very little Spiritual Qi. Ordinary cultivators would not usually come to such a place, and it is unknown why Lü Wen came here.

"Then let's split up and search to see if we can find it. Remember, if you find the entrance, don't go in alone. Wait until we all meet up before going in." Kang Dabao carefully instructed his two junior brothers.

The two junior brothers responded in unison and each began searching the area separately.

Kang Dabao also found a direction and urged the old donkey to run quickly for a while. The old donkey felt that Kang Dabao was urging it on its back, and although it was a little out of breath, it dared not disobey the command.

Just as it was about to take a step and run faster, it suddenly felt a tightness in its mouth as Kang Dabao abruptly pulled on the reins, stopping it in its tracks.

As if he had spotted someone, Sect Leader Kang Da quickly dismounted from the donkey and first covered the old donkey's mouth and nose to prevent it from making any more noise.

He then took out the concealment array plate he had received from Bai Bian and put it away. To his surprise, he saw an unexpected person there.

Thanks to TKehc for the Extended Net Moon, and thanks to readers 20210301106567274110 and Little Tiger 0001 for their Extended Net Moon.