Chapter 266: The Untold History of the Doomsday Cave Heaven
Jiang Chen quickly absorbed the full scope of Liu Xiong's message, gaining considerable insight into the intriguing history of the Cave Heaven.
Indeed, the ancient venerable cultivators who once considered this Cave Heaven their sanctuary had bestowed upon it a prophetic name: 'Doomsday Cave Heaven.'
During those critical times, the Immortal Martial Continent faced a monumental crisis—the Nether Demon Invasion.
The struggle was an intense one for survival, with an outcome that would determine the fate of the entire continent.
The circumstances at that time genuinely resembled a doomsday scenario, placing the continent on the brink of an impending apocalypse!
The chain of events leading to this critical situation had its roots deeply entrenched in the Immortal Martial Continent's own history.
Being a part of the Profound Jade Immortal Domain, the Immortal Martial Continent was both conceived and sustained by the Prosperous Stone Immortal Star.
This landmass served a vital role, acting as a frontline stronghold in the unyielding war against the Nether Demon Clan.
As time passed, this stalwart warfront succeeded in securing numerous victories against the invasive Nether Demon Clan.
However, as epochs went by, the Spiritual Qi within the man-made Immortal Martial Continent started to diminish at an alarming rate.
Maintaining the Immortal Martial Continent required a substantial amount of resources from the Prosperous Stone Immortal Star, leading to increasing dissatisfaction and discontent.
As a result, the idea of abandoning the Immortal Martial Continent had been brewing within the Prosperous Stone Immortal Star for a considerable period.
Yet, the watchful eyes of several significant immortal star alliances in the Profound Jade Immortal Domain prevented them from taking such a reprehensible action.
Then, millions of years ago, the demon race launched a massive invasion against the Immortal Martial Continent.
Pretending to be defeated, the residents of the Prosperous Stone Immortal Star and their allies executed a calculated withdrawal.
Effectively, they sealed the passage linking them, severing all ties with the Immortal Martial Continent.
The result was catastrophic—the Immortal Martial Continent, left vulnerable to the demon race's invasion, fell completely, with no hope of mounting any resistance.
In executing this move, the Prosperous Stone Immortal Star successfully shed the significant burden that the Immortal Martial Continent had become.
The scheme of the Prosperous Stone Immortal Star had been executed with impeccable precision.
Under normal circumstances, the remaining cultivators on the Immortal Martial Continent would have faced certain annihilation.
Even the demonic beasts would be corrupted by the Nether Demon Spiritual Qi, losing their usual consciousness.
However, when faced with this grim reality, the abandoned cultivators of the Immortal Martial Continent were consumed by deep sorrow and rage.
Despite this, they adamantly refused to capitulate.
Led by the era's most formidable cultivator, they stumbled upon the largest sub-space existing within the Immortal Martial Continent.
Some influential figures even surmised that this Cave Heaven could be connected to the Nether Demon Clan's invasion route, known as the Bottomless Abyss.
In light of this revelation, a daring plan crystallized—to take control of the Nether Demon Clan's base!
Utilizing the Doomsday Cave Heaven, they succeeded in cutting through a spatial channel, establishing a direct link to what was then the demon race's primary stronghold.
Indeed, this path led directly into the deepest recesses of the Bottomless Abyss and served as the entryway to the spatial channel connecting to the Nether Demon Domain.
Their carefully planned ambush caught the demon race off guard, inflicting heavy casualties. The passage to the Bottomless Abyss was also severed, blocking any potential reinforcements from the Nether Demon Clan.
Finding themselves at a disadvantage, the Nether Demon Clan members already within the Immortal Martial Continent were forced onto the defensive, having to retreat.
Yet, these brave cultivators made the ultimate decision—to go down with the retreating demon race army, sealing a mutual fate.
As a result, the invading forces of the Nether Demon Clan were completely eradicated.
Regrettably, the cultivators involved in this battle either found sanctuary at the Prosperous Stone Immortal Star or made the ultimate sacrifice in the final apocalyptic clash, leaving none to survive.
Their heroic efforts ensured the Immortal Martial Continent's survival up to the present day.
Nonetheless, despite the demon race's rapid invasion and abrupt withdrawal, their brutality left the Immortal Martial Continent in a state of ruin.
Nearly all its mighty inhabitants were wiped out, and the weaker beings had little chance to fully grasp the magnitude of the events that had unfolded.
Those who did manage to grasp some understanding of the situation could only offer accounts that might lack credibility, given the chaotic and overwhelming nature of the invasion.
As time marched on, the intricate details of that devastating clash gradually faded into the annals of forgotten history.
In fact, when it came to the demon race, scant historical records existed on the Immortal Martial Continent.
Subsequent to these events, organizations like the Purple Heaven Holy Land, the Imperial Extreme Heavenly Palace, and the Jade Lake Heavenly Temple were established near the Bottomless Abyss.
Yet, they remained ignorant of the true nature of the Nether Demon Clan.
Even the residual Nether Demon Spiritual Qi within the Bottomless Abyss was misidentified as the spiritual energy originating from the Bottomless Abyss itself.
'So, this is the origin of the Doomsday Cave Heaven?' Jiang Chen pondered, his thoughts tinged with both awe and a tinge of melancholy.
'Abandoned by the Prosperous Stone Immortal Star for its own selfish reasons, the once-glorious Immortal Martial Continent narrowly avoided complete ruin.'
'These inheritances, scattered throughout the Doomsday Cave Heaven and evident at every turn, must be the remnants left by the final cultivators prior to their last stand.'
'Looking back on that situation, it was undoubtedly a poignant and heart-wrenching affair!'
'The leaders of the Prosperous Stone Immortal Star were thoroughly despicable back then. Clearly, they were intended to be a villainous force opposing the protagonist in the original storyline.'
'Without my intervention, Gu Ran would certainly have risen to prominence, and upon leaving the Immortal Martial Continent, the people of the Prosperous Stone Immortal Star would have become the next formidable adversary for him to confront.'
'Yet, with my involvement now, the likelihood of Gu Ran achieving that status is slim to none.' A subtle smile formed on Jiang Chen's face as he pondered over these thoughts.
Moreover, based on the information provided by Liu Xiong, Jiang Chen identified other crucial elements.
For example, within the Doomsday Cave Heaven lay a passage that plunged into the darkest depths of the Bottomless Abyss, even stretching directly to the spatial channel leading to the Nether Demon Domain.
This seemed an ideal path for a counter-offensive.
It could potentially set the stage for a significant storyline involving a large-scale invasion by the nether demons.
However, this remained speculative thinking on Jiang Chen's part, and the finer details of the situation were still unclear.
At this point, Jiang Chen's main goal was to curtail Gu Ran's advantages and opportunities.
Securing run-of-the-mill cultivation method inheritances was not his primary focus.
The focal point of his concerns centered on the advanced inheritances and the challenges Gu Ran would face—be it from demonic beasts or other adversaries within the Cave Heaven.
These advanced inheritances could offer more than just high-level martial techniques and secret arts.
Other priceless resources, such as alchemy manuals, artifact crafting guides, and array formation blueprints, could also be among them.
Equipped with such resources, Gu Ran could potentially evolve into a diverse and formidable force in a short period, given his already notable innate talents.
'Where could Gu Ran be hiding?' Jiang Chen thought, his eyes narrowing as he continuously extended his divine sense in search of Gu Ran's whereabouts.
Just as he was deeply engrossed in his quest, his transmission jade token vibrated once more.
Scanning the message with his divine sense, Jiang Chen saw it was not from Liu Xiong, but rather from Ji Mingxiu.
It appeared that Ji Mingxiu had already finalized the list of candidates. Leading Si Zhangjian, Yao Zong, seven Dao Comprehension realm Elders, and various other cultivators from the Inquiring Journey realm and lower, he had entered the spatial channel and arrived within the bounds of the Doomsday Cave Heaven.
'So they've already made it here? Excellent! This means we have more hands on deck!' Jiang Chen's face broke into a smile as he promptly reached out to Ji Mingxiu.
After a quick exchange of words, Jiang Chen learned that Ji Mingxiu and his team had not scattered; they had instead gathered into a unified force.
Shortly after receiving Jiang Chen's instruction, Ji Mingxiu and his team prepared themselves. They dispersed in multiple directions, initiating a thorough search for Gu Ran and Liu Xiong.
...
Meanwhile, in the Ninth Heaven Domain on the Immortal Martial Continent, Lu An scrutinized the kneeling cultivator before him.
A mixture of eagerness and disbelief colored his expression as he questioned, "Is this information trustworthy?"
"Did Ji Mingxiu and the others from the Purple Heaven Holy Land really enter the spatial channel?" Lu An's tone was tinged with skepticism as he awaited confirmation.
The messenger nodded emphatically, "The information is credible, sir!"
"Additionally, we have reason to believe that the spatial channel leads to a world resembling a Cave Heaven, connected to the Immortal Martial Continent."
"Given its vast scope, it likely originated from a Transcendence realm powerhouse many ages ago," he blurted out hurriedly.
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