Chapter 943 - 667: Foundation Elevation Ceremony

Above the celestial sky, the astral winds howl.

Two streams of light dart away like cold stars slicing through the long night.

By rights, a cultivator who has reached the Dao Foundation Realm has already mastered the art of void shuttling, crossing a thousand miles in a single step.

Yet, Red Wood and the others always travel only by the light stream and never touch on void shuttling.

Previously, Chen Sheng was puzzled by this, but now he has figured out the reason.

The reason is none other than this.

The inner world and inner void of this realm are no longer ownerless and pure lands; the entire void is enveloped in blazing flames.

The core of the fire is precisely where the Great Feather Grotto Heaven resides, occupying the entire inner world.

If anyone attempts to traverse the inner world, it will surely trigger overwhelming fire waves, instantly incinerating them, resulting in death and the dissolution of their Dao!

In the eyes of outsiders, the Great Feather Grotto Heaven is just a mountain and a cliff.

But that is merely the illusion of the outer world!

Only those who truly know the inside story understand the core of the Great Feather Grotto Heaven’s entire world!

The inner space of the grotto heaven is vast and boundless, far more expansive than the entire external world.

Before long, the two streams of light suddenly halted.

The two hovered in a desolate void, and below them lay a flat and boundless wasteland, devoid of vegetation.

Red Wood gazed at this familiar yet strange place, a complex rememberance flashing in his eyes.

"Father, when I left back then, I completely sealed the grotto heaven entrance, hiding it in the void crevice."

"Even if ordinary cultivators passed through here, they absolutely wouldn’t discover it."

As his words fell, Red Wood raised his hand and conjured a seal technique.

Spirit light swirled at his fingertips as golden runes danced in his palm, precisely the secret technique to open and close the grotto heaven personally handed down by Master Great Feather.

An almost inaudible hum echoed from the depths of the void.

The void before them suddenly twisted, like a still water surface disturbed by a pebble, rippling with layered spatial waves.

After but a moment.

Above the wasteland, a verdant mountain shrouded in dense clouds slowly emerged through the crevice in space.

The mountain exudes magnificence and the spiritual aura mists around it, starkly contrasting with the dead wasteland surrounding it.

The sealed wall of the grotto heaven gradually revealed its entirety.

On top of the wall, layers of fire rune floated and flashed unobtrusively, carrying an inviolable authority and order.

This is the barrier personally set up by Master Great Feather back in the day!

"I thought I wouldn’t have the opportunity to step back here again soon. Unexpectedly, so quickly, I could return."

Red Wood softly lamented, flicking his fingers and a lustrous jade talisman appeared out of thin air, which was his True Inheritance Order.

The jade talisman glimmered with spirit light, a stable spatial passage was reopened, leading directly into the grotto heaven.

Red Wood turned sideways and raised his hand, speaking respectfully, "Father, please enter."

Chen Sheng looked calm and unhurried, lifting his foot and stepping into the spatial passage.

The moment his figure merged into the grotto heaven barrier, the world suddenly transformed.

The clouds and mist of the external wasteland completely vanished, replaced by a suspended bright moon casting its clear glow, serene and sacred.

A long river converging with spiritual qi, like a silver ribbon, spanned across heaven and earth.

The river waters were cold and clear, reflecting the solitary moon in the sky, as the ripple of the waves made fragments of moonlight fall.

"The sun, moon, stars, and galaxy in this grotto heaven were all meticulously crafted by Master back in the day with endless effort."

"On the night of the eighth day each year, the galaxy goddess’ shadow would dance above the galaxy, and the spiritual qi on that night is the most abundant of the whole year."

Red Wood walked beside as he guided the way, softly introducing.

Chen Sheng listened quietly, understanding silently in his heart.

This Master Great Feather indeed has a taste for leisure, laying out such scenery within the grotto heaven.

As the thought flashed by, he composed his heart spirit and spoke solemnly, "No need to say more, take me to Moon Reflection Lake."

Red Wood immediately stopped his chatter, nodding respectfully, "Yes, Father."

"Tonight, the bright moon hangs high, the moonlight at its peak; Moon Reflection Lake will fully manifest. It’s at the end of the mountains. I will lead the way for you now."

Chen Sheng said no more, slowly proceeding forward.

Yet he was clear in his heart that only when the bright moon rose would Moon Reflection Lake appear, which is just an application of spatial techniques.

Judging from the layout and construction of this grotto heaven alone, it shows that Master Great Feather is highly skilled in the Dao of space.

Their figures moved, transforming into two streams of light, swiftly crossing the mountains.

Along the way, exotic flowers and strange herbs abounded, spirit trees towered, and spiritual birds and exotic beasts strolled leisurely through the woods, brimming with vitality, creating a world entirely separate from the external wilderness.

In no more than half the time incense burns, the mountain’s end was reached.

A deep pool lay quietly in the mountain nook.

Surrounded by ancient trees towering, entwined with green vines, a deep tranquility wrapped around the surroundings.

The pool water was as black as ink, yet not the least bit turbid; rather, it revealed extreme serenity, extreme silence, and an extreme coldness.

Tendrils of cold air rose from the pool surface, merging with the moonlight above, transforming into faint white mist lingering around the pool without dissipating.

The reflection of a crescent moon lay in the center of the pool’s heart.

Though merely a reflection of water light, it seemed to come to life, gently breathing along with the gentle ripple of the pool.

Moonlight constantly overflowed from the reflection, seeping into the pool water, nourishing the Taiyin earth veins deep within the pool.

"Father, here is Moon Reflection Lake."

"Back then, Master personally moved three innate Taiyin earth veins here, converging them at this spot, making the Taiyin qi within the pool pure to the extreme."

"This is the treasure ground within the entire grotto heaven most suitable for the Taiyin lineage cultivators to forge their Dao foundation."

Chen Sheng lifted his gaze toward the deep pool, his eyes profound.

He took a few steps forward, standing with hands behind his back at the pool’s edge, his garments lightly stirred by the moonlight and cold air.

The pure taiyin qi surging from the pool bottom continuously transmitted through the ground, every bit of it thoroughly perceived by him.

Chen Sheng slowly began to speak, his tone calm yet carrying an undeniable determination.

"You are to be my protector, do not allow anyone to approach."

Red Wood’s heart chilled; he deeply understood the importance of crafting the Dao foundation and instantly bowed in response:

"Understood!"

...

The grotto heaven fell completely silent.

Only the faint sounds of moonlight scattering, the ripples gently undulating in the pool, and the distant rustling of wind blowing through tree leaves remained.

Chen Sheng waved his hand.

Four streams of spirit light flew out from his sleeve robe, leisurely landing at the four corners of the pool, precisely the spiritual objects he had prepared in advance for the ceremony of forging the foundation.

Taiyin Cold Jade, Shadow Ink Lotus, Seven Aperture Ice Heart Stone, Three Yin Energy Introduction Vine.

Four spiritual objects, settled according to the positions of the Taiyin array.

On the east side was positioned Taiyin Cold Jade, its jade body gleaming with a ghostly light, serving as the ceremony’s foundation, activating the power of the earth veins beneath the pool.

Suspended directly above the pool’s heart was the Shadow Ink Lotus, serving as a medium, connecting the moonlight across the sky with the underground Taiyin power.

On the west side was placed the Seven Aperture Ice Heart Stone, its stone body clear and transparent, with seven holes corresponding to the seven apertures of the divine soul, ensuring the divine soul’s solidity during forging of the foundation.

Twined around the ancient trees on the south side was the Three Yin Energy Introduction Vine, drawing together the earth veins, moonlight, and yin qi of the heaven and earth into the ceremony.

The four spirits in position, the array naturally formed.

Spirit qi at the pool’s edge was slightly agitated, the taiyin power subtly rose, waiting for a command to utterly erupt.

Chen Sheng slowly closed his eyes.

His aura more and more condensed, as if merging with Moon Reflection Lake and the immense moonlight in the sky.

The mana at the pinnacle of the tenth level of energy cultivation surged like a river within his body, overwhelming and turbulent, yet tightly restrained by him, not a single leak, not the slightest exuberance, wholly gathered within the dantian.

After a moment, he slowly opened his eyes, his gaze a depthless void.

His hands formed seals, conjuring the seal technique for foundational crafting:

"Raise the Foundation."

Boom—

A muffled sound resonated throughout the grotto heaven.

The bright moon above the sky suddenly burst forth with an intense glow.

The endless moonlight poured down like a waterfall from the galaxy, encompassing Chen Sheng entirely, as well as enveloping the whole Moon Reflection Lake.

The four ceremonial offerings simultaneously illuminated with spirit light, shooting straight to the heavens.

All the surrounding yin cold power, earth vein spiritual qi, moonlight essence, gathered and converged entirely at the ceremony’s core...