Is it [Phoenix Roost Gorge] Or [Dragon's Chain Abyss]

The flying vessel carried dozens of female cultivators clad in sheer gauze robes.

"They're here! The Joyful Union Sect has arrived!"

The crowd erupted in excitement.

The vessel slowly came to a halt above the town, and a luminous staircase descended, connecting directly to the ground.

The first to step down were two rows of handmaidens carrying baskets of flowers, scattering vibrant petals along the streets, leaving a fragrant trail wherever they passed.

Then, surrounded by a retinue of female cultivators, a figure appeared at the top of the staircase.

It was a woman dressed in a fiery red gown.

Her skin was fairer than snow, her brows and eyes like a painted masterpiece, her lips as red as flame.

Despite her bewitching attire, her expression was icy, exuding an air of aloofness that kept others at bay.

These two contrasting auras melded seamlessly within her, creating an irresistible allure.

The entire street fell into stunned silence.

Every breath in the crowd quickened at that moment.

Su Ji narrowed his eyes.

Something was off.

This woman’s demeanor… was nothing like the female cultivator he had seen last time.

A coincidence?

Just as the crowd was entranced by her breathtaking beauty, the woman in red parted her lips. Her voice, though cool, carried an uncanny magnetism that reached every ear clearly.

"Fellow cultivators, this humble one is Gu Ranran of the Joyful Union Sect. Greetings to all."

Though soft-spoken, her words silenced the clamor of Wutong Town in an instant.

"You must have heard—deep within Qihuang Gorge, the earth’s veins stir. It is likely that an ancient relic is about to emerge."

A single sentence ignited the greed in the eyes of every rogue cultivator present.

Ancient.

That word alone was the greatest temptation for these mercenaries who lived by the blade.

"However," Gu Ranran’s tone shifted, her voice now laced with solemnity, "where there is opportunity, there is also great peril."

"The underground lava caves are treacherous, inhabited by unknown creatures."

"Though our Joyful Union Sect wishes to investigate, our numbers are limited. We cannot shoulder this burden alone."

Her gaze swept across the crowd, lingering briefly on each face.

"Thus, I, Ranran, sincerely invite all fellow cultivators to join us in this expedition."

"Of the treasures we uncover, the Joyful Union Sect will take only seventy percent. The remaining thirty shall be distributed among you. How does that sound?"

The crowd exploded into chatter.

"Only seventy percent? Is she serious?"

"Sounds like a good deal! With the Joyful Union Sect leading, we can follow and scoop up the scraps—much less risk!"

"Hmph, easy for her to say. Who knows if they’re just using us as cannon fodder?"

"Exactly! What if we never come back?"

Whispers and debates rose like waves, greed and caution warring in the hearts of the rogue cultivators.

Though thirty percent was tempting, no one wanted to be the first to charge to their deaths.

For a moment, no one responded.

The scene was eerily still.

Gu Ranran seemed unfazed by the hesitation, her expression as cool as ever, making no move to rush them.

Watching the standoff, Su Ji smirked. These rogue cultivators were all too shrewd—no one wanted to take the first step.

An idea struck him.

He pinched his throat and shouted in a disguised voice, "I’ll go!"

"Saintess, a fairy descended to the mortal realm! Even if it means walking through fire, this Wang San wouldn’t hesitate!"

"My cultivation is weak, and my life worthless. To serve a phoenix among mortals like you—even death would be worth it!"

Having said that, Su Ji immediately dashed away, changing positions before anyone could trace the voice.

The surrounding cultivators were stunned.

Who was this reckless fool?

Seizing the momentum, Su Ji moved again and adopted another voice: "This brother speaks wisely!"

"Fortune favors the bold! If you don’t even have the guts for this, why cultivate? Go home and farm instead!"

His words, half-taunting, struck a nerve with many.

"Damn right! What’s there to fear?"

"Let’s do it!"

"Count me in!"

The crowd’s hesitation shattered, replaced by feverish greed.

In no time, volunteers surged forward.

Gu Ranran watched the scene unfold, the faintest hint of a smile curling at the corner of her lips.

...

Half an hour later.

A massive procession trailed behind the Joyful Union Sect’s resplendent flying vessel, marching toward Qihuang Gorge.

The rogue cultivators were fired up, their eyes gleaming with avarice as they chattered about ancient relics.

Su Ji lingered in the middle-rear of the crowd.

Unremarkable. Unnoticed.

Close enough to observe the group’s movements, but not enough to draw attention.

Watching these men and women gamble their lives for a vague promise of "thirty percent," he could only think of one word.

Cannon fodder.

But that wasn’t his concern.

His goal here was simple—to find a deep enough "basement" to safely endure his heavenly tribulation.

Of course, whether this plan would work might require consulting [Fate’s Gaze].

But checking its cooldown… that was a matter for tomorrow.

...

Eventually, the flying vessel halted before a waterfall.

Yet, contrary to Su Ji’s expectations, no scorching heat waves greeted them.

Instead, a damp, bone-chilling cold seeped into the air.

A hundred-meter-wide cascade poured from the cliff above, its waters not particularly turbulent, splashing against the rocks below in white foam.

Beneath the waterfall lay a deep, unfathomable pool.

Su Ji frowned.

This place had nothing to do with "phoenixes" or "lava caves."

If anything, it reeked of yin energy—a place of sinister aura.

Just as the crowd hesitated, Gu Ranran stepped gracefully from the vessel to the pool’s edge.

Without a word of explanation, her profile as cold and unreadable as ever, she leaped.

"Plunk—"

A soft splash, and the crimson figure vanished into the ink-green depths, leaving barely a ripple.

One by one, the Joyful Union Sect’s female cultivators followed, their faces blank as they plunged in.

"Screw it! The bold eat, the timid starve!"

A scar-faced brute roared and jumped in after them.

With someone leading the charge, the rest hesitated no longer, diving in like dumplings into boiling water.

Su Ji stood at the very back, brows furrowed.

This was all wrong.

The place reeked of danger. He wasn’t foolish enough to follow blindly.

As the crowd by the pool thinned, Su Ji didn’t join them. Instead, he retreated silently, slipping into the dense forest nearby.

He intended to circle around and climb the cliff to inspect the waterfall’s source—the so-called Qihuang Gorge.

The gorge wasn’t particularly steep. With his cultivation at the ninth layer of Qi Refining, scaling it was effortless.

Standing at the waterfall’s origin, he gazed down at the abysmal pool below, the sinister aura even more palpable from this height.

Not lingering, Su Ji began scouting the surroundings.

Soon, he noticed something unusual—a section of the cliff face concealed by thick vines and weeds.

Drawing the spear from his back, he swiftly slashed through the foliage.

Behind the tangled greenery was not solid rock, but a partially broken stone stele.

The stone stele had stood there for countless years, its surface weathered by wind and rain.

Su Ji swept his palm across it, and spiritual energy transformed into flames that scorched away the moss clinging to the surface.

Three bold, crimson Chinese characters came into view, carved with fierce intensity.

Though the strokes had faded slightly with time, an aura of chilling slaughter—one that had endured across millennia—pierced straight into Su Ji’s mind.

[Dragon’s Rest Abyss]