In front of the Sun and Moon Lake, a crowd of cultivators stood still.
Chen Yun was sizing up the surroundings. The Sun and Moon Lake, with a circumference of eight hundred li, was flanked on one side by the towering Yushan Mountain that pierced through the clouds, and on the other by the vast and boundless Mount Ailishe. Both mountains were home to an endless expanse of pristine forests with roots intertwined and gnarled branches. It was a place where tigers and bears roamed free, birds of prey darted through the air, beasts of all sorts ventured forth, and countless rare flowers and medicinal plants flourished in a secluded sanctuary of purity and beauty.
Although the Sun and Moon Lake appeared vast, Chen Yun still harbored some doubts.
Chen Yun had previously heard Qin Ming mention that there were two divine dragons in the heart of the Sun and Moon Lake, capable of swallowing the sun and moon.
Given the size of the Sun and Moon Lake, spanning eight hundred li, it seems unlikely to harbor colossal divine dragons capable of swallowing the sun and moon.
Chen Yun suddenly realized that the Cave of Celestial Happiness and Prosperity would not truly manifest in the mortal world. Only by entering it could one behold its true face.
As Chen Yun pondered over the matter, Wu Kejiu mumbled under his breath, and before him, the waters of the Sun and Moon Lake split into two enormous water curtains that rolled backward. A colossal stone gate of peculiar design emerged beneath it.
The stone gate was covered with densely packed charms and spells.
Wu Kejiu bellowed loudly, "Brothers and sisters, holding the green jade beads, follow me through the stone gate and enter the path leading to the Cave of Celestial Happiness."
"Good!"
"Master Wu, go first."
Kang Yuan, Qin Ming, and the other cultivators all answered in unison.
In a blink of an eye, the cultivators took out their green jade beads and fired them toward the stone gate in unison.
Chen Yun followed the crowd and collided with the stone gate as well.
This stone gate appeared to be solid, yet every time someone with a green jade bead struck it, their form was immediately absorbed.
Chen Yun was no exception. As soon as he touched the stone gate, a mysterious, irresistible pull enveloped him.
Then, he felt a sudden darkness before him, and his body shook uncontrollably.
This state lasted for approximately an incense stick's worth of time.
When he regained his vision, Chen Yun found himself outside a palace along with Wu Kejiu, Kang Yuan, Qin Ming, and the other cultivators.
This palace was towering high beyond calculation, and even more expansive than boundless.
In the center, there stood a magnificent gate of pure gold, with a jade plaque carved in its relief, engraved with the five strange patterns that were not characters but clearly conveyed meaning: "Holy Land of Sun and Moon Lake."
The pure gold gate now stood tightly shut.
In front of the gate, an endless sea of cultivators had already gathered.
There were blonds and blue-eyed foreigners, as well as black people who resembled the Kirghiz of Kunlun Mountain.
The number of these people was relatively small, totaling perhaps a thousand or so.
The vast majority were Chinese faces, including cultivators, monks, rogue cultivators, and even some shapeshifters.
This group constituted a significant majority, numbering approximately six to seven thousand altogether.
Among them, there were five individuals who stood out.
They were the one-eyed black-robed left Daoist, the bearded elderly man dressed in magic robes, the youthful woman dressed in a provocative manner and with revealing attire, the large demon with a cow head and human body, and an old monk clad in Buddhist robes.
Chen Yun felt an endless terror and pressure emanating from these five individuals.
It seemed as if the five individuals could become unbeatable wherever they stood.
What surprised him was that he seldom saw the powerful Daoists from the Mystic Dao Sect among them.
Wu Kejiu, Kang Yuan, and Qin Ming seemed to know the five individuals. They willingly led Chen Yun and hid him in a corner that was a bit further away.
"Mr. Chen," Qin Ming initiated the conversation, "Please remember these five people. If our goals clash with theirs, please avoid conflict at all costs."
Chen Yun sensed the danger and naturally would not provoke them.
"Just curious," he asked, "Who are these five people?"
Wu Kejiu explained, "I once heard that three of them are cultivators from other universes. For instance, that pale-skinned mage is said to be from a certain medium universe. He possesses the attainment of a Law God, which, if translated into the realm of a mage in our world, would equate to the level of a Demigod. The remaining four have similar attainments. The one with a cow head and human body is a great demon from the race of beasts, the old monk is an Arhat from Buddhism, and the black-robed Daoist is also an inter-universal visitor who practices demonic arts. As for that alluring concubine named Mei Nang, she is a succubus from another universe!"
Chen Yun had previously heard Qin Ming mention the existence of inter-universal visitors.
After personally witnessing these inter-universal visitors, Chen Yun couldn't help but feel a sense of awe at their incredible strength.
He chatted about the five strongest individuals on the scene for a while.
Wu Kejiu continued, "There's still one day until the formal opening of the Sun and Moon Lake Cave of Celestial Happiness. Let us rest here for a while. Once the golden gate opens tomorrow, we will enter with the green jade beads. Remember, the green jade beads must be carried on your person and cannot be placed in storage items. Regardless of how high your cultivation is, even if you have reached the level of a Demigod, you would be crushed by the powerful force of the Sun and Moon Lake Cave of Celestial Happiness unless you have cultivated to the level of a True God, at which point you can ignore its suppression."
Chen Yun memorized all these information.
Afterward, he sat on the ground alongside Wu Kejiu and the others, waiting for the dawn of the next day.
During this time, people kept arriving from outside.
Over the next ten or so hours, tens of thousands of cultivators had gathered in front of the palace.
Chen Yun had been cultivating and meditating.
The other cultivators seemed to have little interest in chatting with their peers.
For a while, it was incredibly silent.
Another four or five hours had passed.
Suddenly, a thunderclap echoed from the direction of the palace.
Immediately after, the golden gate emitted an eye-catching, blinding gold light, and slowly opened.
"Welcome to the Cave of Celestial Happiness!"
"Finally opened!"
The originally silent scene suddenly boiled over.
Countless cultivators excitedly ran towards the golden gate with their green jade beads in hand.
Chen Yun and the others did not rush, allowing the others to enter first.
Even as other cultivators swarmed into the golden gate, Chen Yun was still examining the gate's situation.
The golden gate had opened, but instead of clarity, it revealed streams of multicolored energies that prevented a clear view of the interior.
The crowd outside was thinning.
Wu Kejiu finally stood up and instructed the others, "Although we will be randomly teleported to different parts of the Lalu Island after passing through the golden gate, as long as we all enter at the same time, we will be teleported together. Therefore, everyone must not lose track of each other. Follow me through the golden gate."
"Alright."
"We go together."
Chen Yun and the other forty-odd people walked together, shoulder to shoulder, towards the golden gate.
Unlike the previous time he passed through the stone gate, Chen Yun did not lose his vision this time.
Even as he passed through the golden gate, Chen Yun had a sensation as if he were passing through a thin layer of water curtain, cool to the touch.
...
In the next second, the scenery suddenly changed.
Chen Yun saw himself standing atop a massive mountain peak.
Wu Kejiu, Kang Yuan, Qin Ming, and the other cultivators were all here.
The mountain was at least several thousand li in circumference. Looking far into the distance, numerous peaks stretched out and intersected.
Chen Yun gazed into the distance, seeing only endless mountains and plains, but he didn't see any sun or moon spring.
At this moment, Wu Kejiu discerned the direction and said, "We should now be in the southeastern Day and Moon Peak on Lalu Island. This place is about four to five million li away from the Day and Moon Spring. We must reach the area of the Spring within half a year, and then head to the 'Immortal's Cave' at the very center of Lalu Island within another six months to wait for the opening of a passage to the outside world. If we can successfully return through it, otherwise we won't be able to leave after a year, and even with the protection of our green jade beads, we will perish within it."
Chen Yun hadn't expected to have to stay in the Cave of Celestial Happiness for so long. However, upon thinking that the Lalu Island was so vast, it indeed made sense that a shorter time would not be enough to search for celestial spiritual roots.
Kang Yuan said, "Master Wu, I remember there are places near Day and Moon Peak where Zhū Guo grow. Since Mr. Chen needs Zhū Guo, we'll go first to accompany him to gather this celestial fruit."
"Good!" Wu Kejiu responded. "Ladies and gentlemen, let's go to the cold spring at the foot of the mountain to pick the Zhū Guo."
"Alright."
"Let's go right away to avoid wasting time."
The Dragon maiden Sanjiu, Qin Ming, and the rest of the cultivators responded in unison.
Chen Yun did not expect these evil and demonic cultivators to be so reliable in their promise, and they were eager to help him search for Zhū Guo, so they immediately set off to gather it.
Since the others were so sincere, he would not break his promise either.
He flew with the others towards the foot of the mountain.
Their flying speed was not particularly fast.
After all, the Lalu Island was filled with celestial herbs and roots.
If anyone saw something they desired, they would definitely stop to pick it.
As they flew further, they saw "Water-Fire Vine".
This is an excellent material for refining defensive Daoist artifacts.
It is said that once refined successfully, it can make one impervious to blades and spears, as well as fire and water.
Absolutely a treasure for cultivators who have not refined their bodies.
Chen Yun's own body was made of copper and iron, with water and fire not being able to harm him. Therefore, he naturally did not value the "Water-Fire Vine".
In the end, they gathered quite a bit of Water-Fire Vine.
Since Chen Yun did not want it, a cultivator named Gao Chen exchanged it with him for an "Essence Pill".
Essence Pills are a type of elixir that can restore one's essence, which may not be particularly valuable outside but are especially precious within the Cave of Celestial Happiness due to the lack of replenishment.
Although Chen Yun felt it was unnecessary, he still accepted it.
They flew further down, encountering some excellent celestial herbs, celestial fruits, and some materials that could be refined into Daoist artifacts.
As one of the group, Chen Yun naturally received his share of the accidental discoveries.
Chen Yun did not expect to have harvested three or four celestial herbs, two or three celestial fruits, and two pieces of refining materials in just a short while after entering the Cave of Celestial Happiness.
This made him feel even more satisfied with his trip to the Sun and Moon Lake Cave of Celestial Happiness.
"Haha, a good harvest."
"Hmm, the Qing Cloud Fruit can be refined into elixirs that can enhance cultivation and save us three or four years of hard training."
"And the Day and Moon Dragon Whisk Grass is a celestial herb that can cure all sorts of poisons. If we encounter celestial beasts that specialize in toxic attacks within the cave, we won't have to worry about dying from their poison."
The Dragon maiden Sanjiu, Gao Chen, and other cultivators with lower levels of cultivation were overjoyed.
Chen Yun, Wu Kejiu, Kang Yuan, and Qin Ming had little communication among themselves, focusing instead on vigilantly surveying their surroundings to avoid any potential ambushes by groups of cultivators.
Perhaps it was because they entered the Cave of Celestial Happiness at different times and were teleported to different locations.
When they arrived at the foot of the mountain, they didn't encounter a single cultivator.
Wu Kejiu, relying on his memory, led the group to a cold spring area.
The cold spring was about a hundred li in diameter, and the temperature around it was chillingly low.
Even though Chen Yun's physical body was as strong as it was, he couldn't help but shiver when getting close to the cold spring.
Despite the shivers, he immediately noticed that there were plants near the misty shore of the cold spring.
Each plant bore two fruits, some of which looked very unripe, as if they hadn't matured yet.
Of course, there are also plants that have fruit that is already very vibrant and ready to be picked!
Fuck!
So many Zhū fruits?
Looking from a distance, at least fifty or sixty Zhū fruits must be ripe!
Seeing this, Chen Yun's pupils dilated. If he could harvest all of these Zhū Guo and put them in his bag, he would have enough for not just the medium version of the Lixing Huaxi Tang, but even the high-level main ingredients for its future enhanced version!
(End of this chapter)
