Just think about it, with over one hundred Foundation Establishment cultivators present, even if it were by turn... it wouldn't be my turn

Su Ji wasn’t the least bit flustered.

He had the Encyclopedia of the Cultivation World at his disposal.

Scratching his head with a carefree expression, Su Ji asked, "Junior Sister, what’s the deal with that illusion just now?"

As expected.

Su Jiu stared at the fading blood-red runes beneath her feet, her voice trembling in a way even she hadn’t noticed.

"This is no Nascent Soul cultivator’s cave!"

She took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down.

"This place… is a fragment left behind from an ancient battlefield."

"What we just witnessed was something that once happened on this very land…"

Su Ji’s eyes lit up. "An ancient battlefield? Then… there must be tons of treasures here, right?"

Su Jiu nearly laughed in exasperation.

Even at a time like this, all this guy could think about was treasure?

"Those who took part in that war—even the weakest among them—could crush every Golden Core cultivator in Great Xia with a single finger."

"As for treasures… maybe there are some. Or maybe they’ve long been eroded by time. But the more likely scenario is that what remains are the lingering grudges of the dead."

"Just a touch of those things…"

"At best, your Dao Heart shatters, turning you into a mindless killing machine. At worst, your soul is obliterated on the spot!"

A trace of dread flickered across Su Jiu’s face. "If that bell hadn’t rung earlier, the killing intent alone would have torn all our souls apart."

Su Ji nodded thoughtfully.

"Oh, I see. So, Junior Sister, what do we do now?"

"Run."

Su Jiu’s answer was absolute.

Yet, the moment she spoke, the massive gate before them began to close—without warning, without sound.

The light faded, and the gate vanished without a trace.

The exit was gone.

A deathly silence fell over the gathered cultivators.

Su Jiu’s expression darkened instantly.

She regretted coming here, risking her life like this.

All she’d wanted was to uncover the secret to breaking through to the Nascent Soul realm in Great Xia.

Instead, she’d walked straight into disaster.

"What now?"

Su Ji asked again, this time with a hint of "just the right amount" of panic in his voice.

Su Jiu didn’t answer immediately.

She scanned their surroundings. The space was vast, yet barren—nothing but stone pillars as far as the eye could see.

"Special plotline, already starting?"

Su Ji muttered to himself.

Things were moving even faster than he’d anticipated.

Just as he was lost in thought, Su Jiu suddenly turned to him, her clear eyes locking onto his.

"Su Ji, be honest with me. What’s really going on with your ‘fortune sense’?"

"Can you… see things the rest of us can’t?"

"You wouldn’t have come all this way for no reason."

Su Ji naturally played dumb. "I’m not a dog—why would I see things you can’t?"

Su Jiu eyed him suspiciously, clearly unconvinced.

"Stay close to me, and be careful—"

Before she could finish, an ethereal woman’s voice echoed through the air.

"How… has Great Xia fallen so far? Not a single Golden Core in sight?"

The voice was soft, yet it pierced the ears of every cultivator present.

No one could see the speaker.

It was as if an invisible gaze was watching them—mere ants in her eyes.

The entire space fell into silence.

Hundreds of Foundation Establishment cultivators stood frozen, not daring to even breathe too loudly.

Great Xia’s population numbered in the billions.

Yet, the known Golden Core experts barely numbered ten thousand.

One in tens of thousands!

Those beings were overlords in their own right, elusive and untouchable.

How could they possibly rush around like juniors, scrambling to be the first to discover this cave?

And the owner of this voice… was likely the master of this very cave.

A genuine Nascent Soul powerhouse!

Their presence here was no different from grave-robbing.

Who would dare respond?

One wrong word, and death could follow.

The silence stretched on.

Finally, someone cracked under the pressure—or perhaps, their greed for opportunity outweighed their fear.

After all, risk and reward went hand in hand.

From the ranks of the Blazing Sun Sect, a young cultivator in crimson robes stepped forward.

He took a deep breath and bowed respectfully to the empty air.

"Greetings, Senior. This humble one is Lin Bufan of the Blazing Sun Sect."

"My father, the peerless Golden Core Perfection expert, Lin Wudi of the Nine Flames Whip… has received my message and is on his way. Might this Senior have any instructions or unresolved wishes?"

His words were carefully crafted—asserting his status, invoking his father’s might as backing, yet maintaining utmost humility.

"Golden Core Perfection?"

The woman’s voice carried a hint of interest.

"Why not break through to Nascent Soul?"

"Is it that you don’t want to…?"

A bitter smile tugged at Lin Bufan’s lips.

"Senior, you may not know this, but ten thousand years ago, the heavenly laws of Great Xia underwent a strange shift. Since then… no Nascent Soul Heavenly Tribulation has descended."

"Without the tribulation, how can one ascend to Nascent Soul…?"

Many of the cultivators exchanged knowing glances.

This wasn’t exactly a secret, but hearing it from a sect disciple still cast a shadow over their hearts.

The woman fell silent.

After a long pause, she spoke again.

"So… you’ve all come for my inheritance?"

This question was far more dangerous than the last.

Admit it? That would brand them as greedy, coveting a senior’s legacy.

Deny it? Then why were they here? Sightseeing?

Beads of sweat formed on Lin Bufan’s forehead. His lips moved, but no words came out.

Just as the tension reached its peak, a voice rang out—earnest, even a little naive.

"This junior wouldn’t dare!"

"I merely passed by this place, having heard rumors of a Nascent Soul Senior’s cave appearing."

"Knowing that Golden Core is the limit in Great Xia, who could imagine a peerless genius like Senior breaking through?"

"I came only to witness the unparalleled majesty of a Nascent Soul powerhouse!"

Su Jiu: ???

She whipped her head around, staring at Su Ji in disbelief.

The man wore an expression of pure reverence, so sincere it looked like he might drop to his knees and kowtow at any moment.

This guy…

Back in the secret realm, he’d killed and looted with such smooth, ruthless efficiency it had sent chills down her spine.

Now, here he was, brown-nosing like his life depended on it.

When it came to groveling to the strong and bullying the weak, Su Ji truly had no equal.

But the absurdity didn’t end there.

The moment Su Ji finished speaking, Lin Bufan’s eyes lit up as if grasping a lifeline. He quickly echoed,

"Yes, yes! This junior also happened to pass by, solely to admire a Nascent Soul Senior’s grandeur!"

One led, and others followed.

"I, too, came only to witness Senior’s majesty!"

"We are all here for the same reason!"

"Majesty! We’re just here for the majesty!"

In no time, the space was filled with a chorus of flattery.

Over a hundred Foundation Establishment prodigies, who usually carried themselves with lofty arrogance, now resembled students flipping to the last few pages of an answer key. They scrambled to parrot Su Ji's words, creating a scene so absurd it bordered on farce.

Su Jiu was at a loss for words.

As she stared at the instigator of this chaos, a sense of absurdity welled up in her heart.

Just how did this guy manage to blend shamelessness and cunning so seamlessly?

And… are you seriously corrupting the ethos of the cultivation world?

The cultivation world’s vibe wasn’t like this before.

We cultivators fear no battle!

Heads may shatter, bones may break, but our Dao hearts remain unshaken!

Lives may be forsaken, souls may disperse, yet our sword intent shall never waver!

Even if heavenly tributions refuse to descend, we shall cleave the skies ourselves!

Even if the Great Dao binds us, we will trample the cycle of reincarnation underfoot!

Before Su Jiu could continue her internal rant—

Su Ji, ever the maestro of chaos, doubled down: "Elder! They’re lying through their teeth!"

"They’re here to dig up your grave!"

"I’m the only one who genuinely admires you!"

"Look at me—just a measly Qi Refining fifth-layer cultivator. I can barely even step through the door!"

"What ill intentions could I possibly have?"

"Think about it—even if there were treasures or legacies here, with over a hundred Foundation Establishment cultivators around, I’d be dead last in line for anything!"

The crowd of cultivators: ???