Chapter 41

The Jade Cauldron Cave Heaven is magnificent inside. The verdant immortal mountains are like green jade, dotted with brilliance and wreathed in immortal mist. Waterfalls cascade down, the white ribbons of water appearing to be condensed from starlight.

On many of the misty mountain peaks, one can vaguely see palaces and pavilions, ethereal and possessing the charm of a fairyland.

What is most surprising is that in the center of the mountains stands a snow-white high mountain, solid as jade, devoid of grass, shimmering with a faint luster, shaped like a round cauldron.

Elder Ma Yun said proudly: "This is the immortal relic of my Jade Cauldron Cave Heaven, the foundation of our sect. I don't know how many Sect Masters have attained the great supernatural powers of the Palace Realm on that cauldron peak."

"Great supernatural powers of the Palace Realm?"

A strange smile appeared at the corner of Lin Xian's mouth. Legend has it that those who have crossed the Bitter Sea and transcended to the Dao Realm of the Other Shore are indeed worthy of being called masters of great supernatural powers.

If it is the Palace Realm, I fear it is on par with the reputation of my own Divine Bridge Immortal Venerable.

"I observe that you have extraordinary talent, Fellow Daoist. If you cultivate diligently, the Cave Heaven will certainly not be stingy with scriptures for the Other Shore or even the Palace Realm." Another Divine Bridge cultivator, having witnessed Lin Xian's strength, extinguished any thoughts of rivalry and, intending to resolve old grievances, said meaningfully: "It is even possible that you could be recommended to enter a Holy Land."

The six great Cave Heavens of the Yan Kingdom all have the backing of immortal Holy Lands. They can be said to be the peripheral forces of the Holy Lands, the eyes and ears and outposts placed near the Desolate Ancient Forbidden Land.

"Holy Land?"

Lin Xian's heart stirred, and he tentatively asked: "I have heard that the Spirit Ruins Cave Heaven is backed by the Yaoguang Holy Land. I wonder which immortal sect backs my Jade Cauldron Cave Heaven."

"It is the Purple Mansion Holy Land," Elder Ma Yun said proudly. The Purple Mansion is rumored to be the dwelling place of immortals. A sect that dares to take such a name naturally possesses immense strength.

Even the lowest-level Wheel and Sea cultivators in the branches of the Purple Mansion Holy Land cannot help but puff out their chests when thinking of the Holy Land's power and greatness.

"Purple Mansion Holy Land?"

Lin Xian spent a long time trying to remember which immortal sect the Purple Mansion Holy Land was. In the great age of competing on the Emperor's Path, the Purple Mansion Holy Land's presence was truly weak.

This is a lineage founded by a Great Sage. It is not as good as the top-tier Yaochi Holy Land, and it cannot even compare to the first-tier Yaoguang Holy Land. Its only hope is the Purple Mansion Saintess, who possesses the Innate Dao Fetus.

Now is the Dharma-Ending Age; everyone is on the same starting line. The aristocratic families and Holy Lands seem equal in strength. A Second Immortal Realm Great Power is a top-tier expert, and a single King can roam the Eastern Wilderness.

But only when the tide recedes do you know who is swimming naked.

Once the Dharma-Ending Age ends and the myriad Daos begin to recover, the Purple Mansion Holy Land's situation will be as awkward as it gets. Not to mention Emperor weapons, they don't even have an Emperor Scripture. The foundation of the guardians of the Desolate Ancient aristocratic families starts at the Great Sage level, the same level as the founding ancestor of the Purple Mansion Holy Land.

This is a second-tier Holy Land, only slightly stronger than some Holy Land lineages founded by Saint Kings or Sages.

Lin Xian evaluated it calmly in his heart, but his face was filled with reverence and longing. For a cultivator currently only in the Wheel and Sea Realm, the weakest Holy Land is an unreachable existence, like a giant peak waiting for him to explore.

"Sleeping at night in the Purple Mansion's cloud-mother tent, eating in the morning the Kunlun mushrooms of the Mysterious Garden." Lin Xian exclaimed in admiration and smiled: "To be able to join such a branch of immortals, I, Lin, also feel honored."

Everyone helps carry the sedan chair. Elder Ma Yun laughed loudly and then said: "Go quickly to pay your respects to the Sect Master; do not keep the old man waiting."

The Sect Master of the Jade Cauldron Cave Heaven is an old man wearing a white jade crown and a Daoist robe. His aura is vast, clearly exceeding the scope of the Divine Bridge.

He sat in the main hall, and seeing Lin Xian arrive, divine light suddenly burst from his eyes, transforming into two flood dragons that lunged forward.

Lin Xian did not show weakness. With a shout, the runes between his brows shone brilliantly, evolving into a Heavenly Sword. Where there were flood dragons, he slashed them, pushing the marvelous use of spiritual sense to the limit.

"Boom!"

The Heavenly Sword and the flood dragons perished together. The Jade Cauldron Sect Master nodded with satisfaction and said: "Your strength is indeed good. There have been unusual movements in the Primordial Ruins recently, and I fear a heavenly treasure has appeared. You can follow along next time."

"To divide the resources and opportunities within."

The three Divine Bridge cultivators in the hall immediately showed expressions of envy and jealousy. The Primordial Ruins are extremely vast and endless. In the vicinity of the Yan Kingdom, they have only explored a portion over these years, yet they have benefited greatly, using it to establish the six great Cave Heavens.

Even Divine Bridge cultivators dare not explore the deepest parts. Only ancestors at the Other Shore or even Palace level dare to peek inside.

"Exploring the Primordial Ruins? Don't drag me along if you're courting death. A Wheel and Sea cultivator going to raid the Green Emperor's Tomb? How is this any different from a Qi Refining stage character entering a Mahayana dungeon? Ignorance is fearless," Lin Xian complained in his heart, but his face was extremely sincere as he said loudly: "Thanks to the Sect Master's appreciation, this disciple is a person of Jade Cauldron in life and a ghost of Jade Cauldron in death. I will certainly strive for greater benefits for the Jade Cauldron Cave Heaven in the Primordial Ruins!"

"Good, very spirited!" The Jade Cauldron Sect Master nodded in approval. Regardless of whether Lin Xian was sincere or fake, what he wanted was an attitude.

If one doesn't even have an attitude, then one won't even be given the chance to be cannon fodder.

Lin Xian also knew that the Jade Cauldron Sect Master was using him, an outsider who had just joined, as a pawn. But in this world, one shouldn't fear being used; one should fear having no value to be used.

He took advantage of this opportunity to push his luck and requested: "This disciple wishes to contribute to the Cave Heaven, but I fear my cultivation is low and what I have learned is quite miscellaneous. I ask the Sect Master to bestow upon me an immortal scripture so that I may contemplate the Great Dao and cleanse my foundation."

"What scripture do you want?" the Jade Cauldron Sect Master asked expressionlessly.

"I ask the Sect Master to let me go to the Scripture Library to choose," Lin Xian said, cupping his hands in a salute. "Only by trying it myself will I know if it is useful."

"I fear you are greedy and cannot digest it; be careful of qi deviation," the old woman in the hall sneered. "Bestowing upon you an Other Shore scripture is already a heavenly favor; you still want to be extravagant with others."

"Perhaps some people are too stupid to even understand scriptures, so they think others cannot understand other scriptures," Lin Xian mocked.

"You..." the Divine Bridge old woman glared.

"Enough!" The Jade Cauldron Sect Master's cold voice rang out. He waved his hand and said: "Ma Yun, take him to the Scripture Library."

"Yes, Sect Master." Elder Ma Yun bowed and then led Lin Xian quickly out of the hall.

Once the two were far away, the Divine Bridge old woman said with dissatisfaction: "Sect Master, he is an outsider..."

"Enough." The Jade Cauldron Sect Master waved his hand, stopping the argument, and said indifferently: "What outsider, insider? There is no distinction between inside and outside. Since he has entered the Jade Cauldron Cave Heaven, he is a person of Jade Cauldron."

"You people, some are clouds, some are water; you just do different things."

"You may go."

The Divine Bridge old woman's heart trembled. She suddenly remembered that the Sect Master's lifespan was nearing its end. If he could not break through to the Palace Realm soon, he would likely not live for many more years.

He urgently needed a few helpers to guard his flanks and collect thousand-year-old precious herbs in the Primordial Ruins.

"For the sake of selfish desires, he doesn't even care about the sect's heritage!" The Divine Bridge old woman gritted her teeth and flew toward the retreat of several Supreme Elders.

Once Lin Xian entered the Scripture Library, it was like a fish returning to the sea or a tiger returning to the mountains; he was no longer bound. He had the System record all the divine arts and scriptures in the Scripture Library, pondering their divine forms without making them his primary cultivation.

The only ones he truly studied seriously were the initial chapters of the "Dao Scripture" and the few incomplete Sage chapters inherited by the Jade Cauldron Cave Heaven.

Comparing them with the few incomplete Sage chapters, Lin Xian felt more and more that the Tianxuan Holy Scripture was profound and mysterious. It was worthy of being a Holy Land that had attacked the Path to Immortality six thousand years ago; the inherited scriptures were far superior to ordinary Sage scriptures.

After contemplating in the Scripture Library for several days, Lin Xian's spiritual sense caught someone observing him in secret, so he hatched a plan.

One day, while contemplating a spell, Lin Xian suddenly vomited blood, his face turning pale as if he had suffered a backlash from the technique.

Elder Ma Yun was shocked when he heard this and came to advise Lin Xian not to contemplate too many scriptures to avoid conflicts.

Lin Xian agreed on the surface, yet every night he would sneak into the Scripture Library to view the scriptures. As time passed, although his aura became increasingly powerful, his expression became much paler.

Finally, one night, on his way to the Scripture Library, he accidentally tripped, and it took the dignified cultivator half a day of panting to recover.

After recovering, Lin Xian's expression changed drastically. He didn't care about going to the Scripture Library as usual, but instead leaped out of the Jade Cauldron Cave Heaven alone, found a stone chamber he had excavated beforehand, and hid inside.

Sitting cross-legged in the stone chamber, sensing the figure drawing ever closer, a smile suddenly curled at the corner of his mouth, his aura weak and his expression pale.

Question Ye Fan, understand Ye Zi, become Ye Hei, surpass Xiao Hei Zi.