Chapter 499: Chapter 283: Arrogant Title Reveals Ambition (Part 2)

Then what about Tier Four Sorcerers? In fact, they can also use the Artifact Control Technique to attempt to communicate with the Array Core, but they can only manage to open and close the gate, without controlling the Grotto Heaven or performing long-distance spellcasting.

But in this state, they can faintly glimpse a mysterious realm where form and spirit merge with the world, which is very helpful for breaking through to Tier Five. Therefore, each time, three High-tier Sorcerers assist the Steward in managing the gate in turns, with the Steward allocating time.

It’s a tedious task, yet also a rare opportunity. Those who haven’t contributed enough to the Sect or don’t have a good relationship with the Steward won’t even be considered.

In two months, it’s impossible for the Steward to continuously manage the Array Core himself. There are usually three assistants who rotate, and during this time, one should cherish the opportunity to delve and comprehend deeply.

In theory, when cultivation breaks through to Tier Six Pharmacist, one can start to control the entire Grotto Heaven. Using the Array Core, mountains and rivers can appear in the Primordial Spirit in an instant, and long-distance spellcasting is unhindered.

Geng Yanxin brought over three Tier Four Sorcerers who were certainly his trusted aides and assigned tasks after taking over the Grotto Heaven: one went to guard the storeroom, another to the library, and the remaining trusted disciple guarded the gate.

This wasn’t the first time Geng Yanxin made up the numbers in the Grotto Heaven. Remember, when Wan Zhongle was punished and sealed for a year, he once acted temporarily as Steward here twice, but at that time Mei Guyu was still cultivating in the Immortal Pot Grotto Heaven.

In the afternoon, the distant Immortal Bottle Village was peaceful, with two people walking down from the mountains, looking like villagers of Immortal Bottle Village, one of them was a Tier Two Sorcerer from the Alchemy Sect.

The Grotto Heaven Gate was in the mountain behind the village, in a very secluded place, but it was normal for villagers to gather herbs or collect various mountain goods, occasionally passing by.

But these two seemed absent-minded, forgetting to turn on the mountain road, and knowingly walked straight into the roadside mountain wall, strangely passing through and disappearing.

The Grotto Heaven Gate was open, and these two turned out to be a Tier Six Pharmacist and a Tier Five Medicine Gatherer, yet they had hidden their aura so well that it was almost seamless, disguised as nearby villagers.

No matter how well they were disguised, as long as Steward Geng was in the Grotto Heaven managing the Array Core, he could immediately detect and uncover them, but Steward Geng had no reaction, just letting them in.

After entering the gate, the view suddenly opened up wide, with the endless mountain range in the distance, right in front was a winding valley path between two mountain branches, looking just like the scene of the Flower Shocking Grotto Heaven of the Lingxi Sect.

The difference lies in the courtyard beside the valley entrance, in the typical farmhouse style next to several rows of vegetable gardens fenced with bamboo for the chicken coop.

The chickens in the coop are of a breed unseen elsewhere, blue feathers with brown wings and white spots, actually a Spiritual Bird named pheasant, whose eggs are delicious and have nourishing effects.

This place serves as the gatehouse, also the residence of the disciple guarding the gate entrance, everyone entering and exiting the Grotto Heaven must register and confirm. Steward Geng had just sent a trusted disciple here, yet he remained silent in the house, not even showing up.

Among the two intruders, the one appearing as a pharmacist looked about in his forties, a square-faced man; the other medicine gatherer seemed very young, pale-skinned, appearing to be a young man under thirty.

However, given their cultivation levels and disguise, it’s not easy to judge their real age by appearance alone.

Suddenly they heard a voice asking, “Who goes there?”

This was Geng Yanxin speaking, who can directly transmit voice to any part within the Grotto Heaven through the Array Core. The middle-aged pharmacist replied, “My apprentice and I felt the Grotto Heaven Summon, tracing it to here.”

Geng Yanxin: “Follow the valley path ahead, there is a stone square and a bridge at the end. Cross the bridge and you will see the Sect Ancestral Hall. I await you there.”

This conversation seems normal, just two Independent Cultivators breaking through High-tier Cultivation, summoned by the Grotto Heaven, seeking here, if bumped into others, it would still have a plausible explanation.

However, the situation felt increasingly not right, and it did not follow procedure. First, Steward Geng should not have let people in directly like that; second, even if their identities had been verified by the Sect, those entering the Grotto Heaven for the first time should be guided by the disciple guarding the gate.

The two traversed the winding road through the valley, arriving at a stone bridge, beyond the bridge was a stone square with the words ’Dan Hill’ etched on the square’s sign.

Passing through the stone square was a basin in the mountain, scattered with some buildings, where disciples from the Alchemy Sect settled while cultivating in the Grotto Heaven, but currently, there wasn’t anyone.

At the basin’s end, the most prominent building cluster on the mountain was where the Ancestral Hall of the Alchemy Sect was located. The two could not help but express their excitement, quickening their pace towards the Ancestral Hall.

Just then, not far from the roadside on the left, an old thatched cottage emerged someone, an old man with silver hair wearing a teal long coat, with a headscarf and hairpin, an attire only seen in ancient dramas.

He asked loudly, “Where are you two coming from in such a hurry, and where are you heading?”

The two unexpected guests stopped, the middle-aged man asked, “Who are you?”

The old man in the teal coat said, “I am Guo Qianhuai!”

Geng Yanxin’s surprised voice came out of nowhere, “Master Gu, how come you are here?”

Guo Qianhuai is the former Sect Leader of the Micro Realm Sect, now the Supreme Elder. He had long passed the Sect Leader position to Kang Rulin, reportedly living in seclusion in the Book Observation Grotto Heaven, no longer concerned with Sect affairs.

The pendant He Kao wore since childhood was crafted by him. He has a direct disciple, Zou Tianjin, who is currently a Steward in the Micro Realm Sect.

Guo Qianhuai laughed, “I came to visit, is that not allowed?”

Geng Yanxin: “Forgive my negligence for not knowing, nor informing the transfer disciples. I shall properly entertain Master Gu later. These two were summoned by the Grotto Heaven; their identities and past actions have been verified, please allow me to attend to them first.”

Guo Qianhuai: “But I find their behavior suspicious, resembling stealthy intruders. They ought to be properly questioned.”

Geng Yanxin: “Master Gu has long retired, moreover, this is an internal affair of our Alchemy Sect, please do not interfere.”

“What about me, may I inquire?” Suddenly another voice was heard, looking towards the source, there was another person on the right side of the road, appearing out of nowhere, sitting on a small stool like an ordinary country old man.

The middle-aged man’s gaze instantly became extremely sharp, showcasing his strong cultivation aura, he said in a low voice, “Jiang Daozhen?”

The little old man was indeed Elder Jiang, he spoke slowly, “We probably have never met, yet you immediately recognized me. You are definitely not ordinary Independent Cultivators; your background is indeed suspicious!”

Geng Yanxin again spoke, his voice clearly full of surprise and tension, “Elder Jiang, why are you here without prior notice? These two have no issues, Alchemy Sect had investigated thoroughly, please do not block them.”

Jiang Daozhen: “Steward Geng, I represent the Ancestral Hall, ordering you to come at once, and explain clearly in person, consider it giving you a chance.”

Geng Yanxin: “I am currently in charge of the Array Core overseeing the Grotto Heaven, I apologize but cannot comply! The Ancestral Hall is not yours alone. At this moment, the gate in the Immortal Pot Grotto Heaven is closed. This is an Alchemy Sect internal matter; please do not intervene!”

Jiang Daozhen did not get angry but sighed, “Geng Yanxin, secretly allowing a pharmacist in here, you mean for him to take the Grotto Heaven quietly without anyone knowing?”

He then turned to the middle-aged man, “I heard a prodigy practicing Alchemy Cauldron Skill emerged in the Xiao Alliance some years ago, reaching the breakthrough of Tier Six Pharmacist cultivation; I don’t know his real name, only know he’s self-titled as Master Dan Qiu, is that you?”

“What if it is me?” The middle-aged man’s voice was very calm, revealing no panic or tension, seeming confident and unafraid.

As he spoke, he swiped his hand across his cheeks and hair, instantly removing the disguise revealing his true appearance. Light-colored irises and straw-yellow hair gave away his Western identity rather than being from the Eastern Country.

No wonder he disguised himself as a local villager, his actual appearance was a dead giveaway, and it was no surprise his Eastern Country words were fluent, yet his accent always had an odd feel.

Jiang Daozhen’s pupils narrowed slightly, yet he chuckled, “Master Dan Qiu, when I heard someone choosing such a half-baked self-titled name, I guessed your grand ambition and knew what you wanted to do.

I’ve awaited you for a long while, and you only arrived today, but you picked a poor timing for your visit!”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep