CHAPTER 91: CHAPTER 20: THE ULTIMATE LIMIT

"May I ask Mr. Cao, is the Dragon and Phoenix Grotto Heaven the one where people don’t feel like eating for years after entering?" A bald monk asked in a daze, looking terrified.

He said in horror, "I just saw other cultivators sending their juniors into the grotto heaven, and in my haste, I also kicked my son in... Only to realize it’s this grotto heaven."

Cao Zhiwei nodded and said, "Dragon and Phoenix Heaven is one of the thirty-six smaller grotto heavens among the top ten grotto heavens of the Immortal Palace."

"In this grotto heaven, there’s no competition among participants. They each enter different spaces, unaffected by each other. Everyone who enters has a chance to gain opportunities, but how much they gain and whether they can return safely depends on their own strength."

"It’s rumored that the Immortals of the Immortal Palace have a dish called ’Dragon Liver and Phoenix Marrow,’ made from pure-blooded dragons and phoenixes. It’s extremely nutritious and delicious, enhancing cultivation without any side effects. Thus, the Dragon and Phoenix Grotto Heaven got its name."

"Friend, this is indeed the grotto heaven you mentioned, where one doesn’t feel like eating for years after entering."

"Within the grotto heaven, there are projections of Phoenix Blood Demon Beasts and Dragon Blood Demon Beasts that are strong in bloodline and match the cultivation of those who enter. For every beast a cultivator kills, their cultivation increases significantly, as if tasting the true Immortal delicacy, Dragon Liver and Phoenix Marrow, making them unable to eat mundane food for a long time."

The bald monk held his head and shouted, "It’s over!"

"Friend? By now, they should have all entered different spaces. If they are strong enough, they can hunt dragons and phoenixes to gain opportunities. If they are not, hiding should not pose much danger," Cao Zhiwei said. "Although the Dragon Blood and Phoenix Blood Demon Beasts inside are strong, they are not necessarily deadly."

"It’s not that my son isn’t strong enough, but his sect mandates that he eat only vegetarian food since childhood, and now even a taste of meat would cause food poisoning. The flavor of Dragon Liver and Phoenix Marrow could poison him directly! He’s clueless about the situation in Dragon and Phoenix Grotto Heaven and will surely fall into a trap!" The monk looked utterly desperate.

Everyone: ???

You, a monk, even took a wife and had kids, yet still follow the sect’s rule of not giving your child meat?

"Killing Dragon and Phoenix projections to increase cultivation, everyone who enters at the ninth level of the Qi Cultivation Stage could quickly establish their Foundation after getting an opportunity in this grotto heaven, right?" An elder stroked his beard and said, "Establishing a Foundation amidst grotto heaven opportunities would form a foundation more perfect than most Foundation Establishment methods, wouldn’t it?"

Cao Zhiwei shook his head and said, "Unfortunately, feedback from the Dragon and Phoenix Grotto Heaven cannot let cultivators break through major realms. However, according to past records of the grotto heaven, if one reaches the peak of the Qi Cultivation Stage and slays a Dragon and Phoenix projection, it should help the cultivator refine true qi, purify its purity, and even break through the current realm limit to achieve the tenth layer of the Qi Cultivation Stage!"

"No matter what achievements the entrants attain, they will greatly benefit."

"Once their true qi is pure enough, compressing true qi to form true essence for Foundation Establishment becomes much easier, significantly increasing the success rate regardless of the Foundation Establishment method chosen."

"And breaking through the realm limit to achieve the tenth layer of the Qi Cultivation Stage is an unimaginable honor. The Ancient Immortal Palace set many ultimate rules, such as the maximum cultivation of nine layers in the Qi Cultivation Stage. Those who break this limit and cultivate beyond the ninth layer are recognized as geniuses by the Immortal Palace in the Immortal Realm. Throughout history, few cultivators have reached this level."

Upon hearing this, some cultivators showed surprise, realizing that the Dragon and Phoenix Grotto Heaven could help break through the realm limit.

They suddenly wished they were in the Qi Cultivation Stage to enter the grotto heaven too.

...

"What kind of grotto heaven is this?"

Meanwhile, Lin Jing and the Pine Leaf Mouse had already entered the grotto heaven, benefiting from Wang Xiao’s grotto heaven opportunity.

"No matter what kind of grotto heaven it is, we should thank Wang Divine Body. We won’t fight him anymore or use him for gain. From now on, he’s our good brother. What do you think?" Lin Jing summoned the Pine Leaf Mouse.

"Squeak!" The Pine Leaf Mouse nonchalantly nodded, only interested in battling that female Talisman Master again.

More talismans should explode into its storage bag...

"Squeak!" Alone in my pursuit, though I fight fellow cultivators!

"Here..." Having entered the grotto heaven before, Lin Jing deeply understood the strength of the grotto heaven’s opportunities, which could deceive even Nascent Soul Stage illusion techniques... The Pine Leaf Mouse’s spatial talent was entirely blessed by the Bodhi Grotto Heaven. He spread out his senses, observing the surrounding mountains and forests, enveloped in a mysterious light mist, unsure of their location.

Lin Jing could not immediately determine which grotto heaven this was, but in the next moment, an ancient and clear phoenix cry pierced the silence, echoing through the forest, followed by a deep and majestic dragon roar from the depths of the forest, resonating with the phoenix cry.

Hearing the harmonious dragon and phoenix cries, Lin Jing immediately spoke:

"Dragon and Phoenix Grotto Heaven?!"

The various rumors of the Dragon and Phoenix Grotto Heaven surfaced in Lin Jing’s mind: "Heaven is helping me. I’ve been stuck at the seventh layer of the Qi Cultivation Stage for long enough and now it seems I can finally break through."

As soon as he spoke, the surrounding air began to tremble, leaves rustling, as a colossal creature slowly emerged from the forest, its body covered in blue scales, each scale shimmering with a cold glow.

"Roar!!!" A flood dragon emerged, its eyes like the cold stars in an abyss, spewing chilling Dragon Breath as it opened its mouth.

The Pine Leaf Mouse launched nine red leaves, shooting in different directions, and as the Dragon Breath descended, a spatial fluctuation enveloped it and Lin Jing, instantly teleporting them into the air to evade the attack. This was the result of the Pine Leaf Mouse’s four months of cultivation; the red leaves can now teleport people.

"No need to rush," Lin Jing said upon seeing the Pine Leaf Mouse had already drawn the Mechanical Bamboo Spear. "Look at the protective evil aura on its scales; attacking from the outside might take forever to break through. Do you remember the Mechanical Bamboo Dragon?"

Then he took out a blood vial containing multiple spirit bean bombs soaking inside.

He picked one out and threw it from the sky. The next moment, the previously ferocious flood dragon immediately behaved as if being fed, its eyes turning red and mouth open wide to eat the blood-soaked spirit bean.

Bang!

The spirit bean bomb exploded inside the flood dragon’s defenseless mouth, blowing half its head off immediately.

A demonic flood dragon collapsed, and Lin Jing watched as it turned into two rays of light, one entering the Pine Leaf Mouse, the other into himself. Subsequently, Lin Jing’s cultivation was miraculously boosted, True Qi doubling as it rose to the eighth layer of the Qi Cultivation Stage!

Such wonder left Lin Jing breathing heavily.

Though the Pine Leaf Mouse hadn’t broken through, it too felt its True Qi more refined, comparable to secluded cultivation for a long while!

Breathing heavily, it opened its storage bag to gaze at its reserve of ten stores of Spirit Rice, more than a thousand Spirit Supplement Pills made from dragon carp... And the dozens of True Qi replenishing pills the academy sent to the instructors that morning.

"Squeak!!" It looked at the resources, eyes red as if making a difficult decision.

Trembling, the Pine Leaf Mouse tugged at Lin Jing, hoping he would advise it to calm down, fearing it’s impulsive enough to create more bombs to wipe out the dragons and phoenixes, a minor issue, but how much longevity blood would this accrue? Lin Jing would bleed out!

Who knew Lin Jing’s eyes were red too; such a pace of cultivation increase...

"Why did the Ice Soul Gu that’s parasitic on me come along as well? Should I unlock a trace of its seal, for us to act separately and kill to our heart’s content? This must be the special case Elder Mo Song mentioned where unlocking the seal to borrow power is acceptable, right?"