The Power of the Great Grotto-Heaven

Soon, the dramatic celestial phenomena accompanying Yan Yun’s breakthrough to the Cavern Heaven Realm began to recede.

“Is it over already?” Yan Yun questioned, a bewildered expression on her face, mirroring the confusion of those around her. “Can a complete breakthrough from the Spirit Gathering Realm to the Cavern Heaven Realm truly be this straightforward?”

In their collective understanding, achieving mastery in one realm only amplified the challenge of advancing to the next, a truth borne out by countless historical precedents.

Moments later, the grand doors of Yan Yun’s pavilion slowly swung open.

As the doors parted, a wave of purple energy unfurled, and Yan Yun emerged, her form seemingly weightless, drifting like a specter, her entire being radiating an oppressive spiritual aura.

Yet, a distinct cloud of vexation shadowed her features.

All the medicinal liquid within the vats in her room had been completely depleted, but despite this, she had failed to condense any additional Cavern Heaven vortexes.

The Cavern Heaven vortex within her felt peculiar, resembling a mythical beast that devoured gold—it expanded with every swallow, yet stubbornly refused to divide.

Upon consulting Yan Lingyun immediately, she found that even Yan Lingyun was at a loss, admitting she had never heard of or witnessed such a phenomenon.

“This is truly baffling,” Yan Yun muttered, her voice tinged with deep frustration. “It’s nothing like what I envisioned.”

The moment she stepped out, Wen Meng and the others swarmed around her, their faces alight with anticipation.

“Ziyun, congratulations!” Wen Meng exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. “To break through to the Cavern Heaven Realm—what does it feel like now?”

Yan Yun glanced at them, unsure how best to articulate her experience.

“Well, I’m not entirely sure myself,” Yan Yun admitted, a slight frown on her face. “All I know is that I’ve condensed an incredibly vast Cavern Heaven.”

At that very moment, Yunshuang and her entourage arrived, entering the Purple Abyss Pavilion and swiftly making their way to Yan Yun’s side.

“Little one, how do you feel?” Yunshuang pressed, her eagerness palpable. “What is it like to achieve a complete breakthrough from the Spirit Gathering Realm to the Cavern Heaven Realm? You are the very first inner Cavern Heaven cultivator in Yunhua Sect’s history! Quickly, show us what your inner Cavern Heaven looks like.”

Yan Yun, ever composed before the sect’s esteemed elders, paused in contemplation before abruptly accelerating the internal circulation of her Cavern Heaven.

In the next instant, her body transformed into a colossal vortex, greedily drawing in the spiritual energy from the surrounding heavens and earth.

The sheer force of this pull generated an incredibly powerful suction.

The onlookers were utterly astounded. While Cavern Heavens were inherently designed to absorb the power of heaven and earth, the immense might emanating from Yan Yun’s was unprecedented; it felt as though five ordinary Cavern Heavens combined wouldn’t possess such a formidable draw.

“Sect Master, Elders,” Yan Yun explained, her voice steady despite the phenomenon, “it seems my Cavern Heaven is quite unique. It functions as an extension of my body, constantly circulating without any conscious effort from my side. However, I can still exert control over its operational speed.”

Her words left Yunshuang and the others utterly stunned.

“It absorbs the spiritual energy of heaven and earth without requiring conscious control?” Yunshuang exclaimed, her voice laced with disbelief. “This is simply defying the natural order! Let me see the state of your inner self at once.”

With barely contained impatience, Yunshuang stepped forward, pressing a finger gently against Yan Yun’s glabella.

Her divine sense swiftly delved into Yan Yun’s being, eventually discovering an enormous Cavern Heaven vortex deep within. Its sheer size was astonishing, easily surpassing that of three or four ordinary Cavern Heavens combined.

“Such a colossal Cavern Heaven vortex… can this even be called a Cavern Heaven anymore?” Yunshuang gasped, a tremor of shock running through her.

Despite meticulously examining it multiple times, she could discern no fundamental difference between this extraordinary Cavern Heaven and those cultivated by other practitioners.

At its core, a Cavern Heaven was an energy vortex designed to accelerate the absorption of spiritual energy from the world.

With Yan Yun’s successful breakthrough confirmed, Lin Mo bowed his head in contemplation for a moment before turning and making his way back to his dwelling.

The remaining observers gradually dispersed.

Having completed their examination, Yunshuang and her group did not linger, choosing not to disturb Yan Yun further within the Purple Abyss Pavilion.

The moment they departed, Yan Yun beckoned Wen Meng and the others to join her at the training grounds.

“Come, Sister Wen Meng,” Yan Yun called out, “unleash your poison spell upon me.”

Wen Meng, assuming Yan Yun wished to test the capabilities of her new Cavern Heaven Realm, let out a light chuckle.

“Very well, then, pay close attention,” she announced. “My primary cultivation revolves around the Poison of Illusions. Those afflicted will experience myriad hallucinations, and in severe cases, they will be trapped in a dream-like stupor, unable to awaken. I call this technique ‘Ephemeral Dream Bubbles’.”

With that, Wen Meng promptly released her poison. A torrent of pink energy surged from her body, instantly transforming into countless shimmering pink bubbles that swelled and rushed towards Yan Yun.

Yan Yun, engaged in her experiment, remained perfectly still, allowing the toxic mist to envelop her without the slightest movement.

The Heavenly Poison Sutra detailed only the methods of releasing and attacking with poisons, outlining a few basic moves but offering no other advanced techniques.

Consequently, the techniques they currently employed were largely the imaginative creations of individual practitioners.

“Oh no, she’s completely enveloped by Senior Sister Wen Meng’s Poison of Illusions!” Mu Wenjie exclaimed, a hint of alarm in his voice. “Can the Pavilion Master truly withstand it? The last time I merely inhaled a whiff, I passed out instantly.”

“Ah, come on now!” Duan Ming interjected, a confident smirk on his face. “This is the Pavilion Master we’re talking about! Rest assured, nothing will happen to her.”

True to Duan Ming’s words, no sooner had she spoken than Wen Meng noticed something amiss. The poison she had unleashed appeared to be drawn away by an unseen force; the toxic mist rapidly diminished until the very last wisp was entirely absorbed by Yan Yun’s body.

“What?!” Every poison cultivator present gasped in utter astonishment.

Yan Yun merely smiled.

“So that’s it!” she exclaimed, a triumphant glint in her eyes. “I knew there had to be more to it than simply condensing a Cavern Heaven after expending such a tremendous cost. To think this colossal Cavern Heaven possesses such an incredible ability!”

Wen Meng and the others were utterly dumbfounded. Had Yan Yun truly devoured the poison?

“Ziyun, what—what just happened?” Wen Meng stammered, her face a mask of disbelief. “Did you just absorb my Ephemeral Dream Poison?”

Yan Yun chuckled playfully.

“Here, let me return it to you,” Yan Yun said, a mischievous glint in her eyes. “Catch!” With a reversal of her Cavern Heaven, the vast quantity of pink Ephemeral Dream Poison surged forth from her body once more, hurtling back towards Wen Meng with astonishing speed and ferocity.

Its speed and potency were undeniably greater, far more aggressive than when Wen Meng had initially unleashed it.

Wen Meng attempted to reclaim her poison, but the moment it touched her, she instantly felt her spiritual consciousness reel.

Not only her, but because Yan Yun’s counter-spray of poison was so swift and she was unfamiliar with using it in this manner for the first time, the toxic mist instantly spread outward in all directions.

Duan Ming and the others, who had been observing from the sidelines, had no time to react before they were completely engulfed by the swirling toxic fog.

Once the toxic mist finally dissipated, it revealed a scene of slumbering disciples scattered across the ground, Wen Meng among them.

“Oh?” Yan Yun chuckled, a gleeful sound escaping her lips. “Hahaha, it truly is different from their Cavern Heavens! If I combine this with the ‘backdoor’ I’ve left, I could absorb the power of countless cultivators in an instant, making it my own. Invincible! This is truly unstoppable!” she exclaimed, her voice brimming with exhilaration.

****

Meanwhile, after departing from the Purple Abyss Pavilion, Yunshuang summoned Jiang Yao to her personal residence.

“Master, did you wish to speak with me?” Jiang Yao inquired.

Yunshuang offered a faint smile.

“I should have called for you sooner,” she began. “Not long ago, King Jiang sent word that the Lin family might be planning a major move against both your Jiang family and the Yan family in the near future. I suspect it’s because I refused to grant them the agency rights, pushing them to desperate measures.”

Jiang Yao’s expression instantly shifted upon hearing this.

“They… they would dare to act personally?”

“That’s difficult to say,” Yunshuang replied calmly. “If the Lin family intends to deal a fatal blow to your two families, they wouldn’t necessarily need to act themselves. A simple expenditure of funds to hire a few experts would suffice.”

Jiang Yao’s face tightened with an uneasy expression.

“Master,” Jiang Yao pleaded, “can our Yunhua Sect truly not intervene in this matter?”

Yunshuang offered another gentle smile.

“There are certain situations, my dear, where even we face our own constraints,” she explained. “However, since I’ve brought this to your attention, rest assured I will help you find a solution. While our Yunhua Sect cannot directly interfere, the affairs of secular powers are another matter entirely. Among my current disciples, there is one from the Dai family named Dai Chunfeng. You should seek him out.” Yunshuang’s words served as a subtle but clear hint to Jiang Yao.

The mere mention of the ‘Dai family’ was enough for Jiang Yao to instantly grasp Yunshuang’s underlying message.

“I understand, Master. Thank you.” After expressing her gratitude, Jiang Yao hastily took her leave.

Her immediate priority was to inform Su Muyu and Yan Yun of this urgent development.

Elsewhere, Yan Yun, who had just managed to rouse Wen Meng and the others from their stupor, suddenly received a message from King Jiang. She immediately retrieved it and, upon reading its contents, watched her previously joyful demeanor instantly darken into a grim scowl.

“The Lin family again,” Yan Yun seethed, a dangerous glint entering her eyes. “They truly are like a persistent rash, impossible to shake off. It seems it’s high time we taught them a lesson they won’t soon forget.”