Chapter 99: You Are Stronger, I Am Even Stronger

"How could this be?" Li Fan paused, asking with a hint of surprise. "Wasn't it said to be just a Golden Core cultivator's grotto-heaven? How could even a Nascent Soul Grand Cultivator perish?"

Yuwen Xing shook his head. "No one knows the exact situation right now. The grotto-heaven entrance has been temporarily sealed off, precisely to prevent more uninformed individuals from stumbling in and dying." He then sighed, "There are only a dozen or so Nascent Soul cultivators on the entire Myriad Immortals Island. To suddenly lose one now is a considerable blow. Not to mention the four Golden Core and thirteen Foundation Establishment cultivators who died during the two previous expeditions."

"The island is quite turbulent now. With so many cultivators deceased, their positions on the island are all vacant. Various factions have begun to secretly contend for these lucrative roles. The Myriad Immortals Alliance has also reopened the investigation into Zheng Xiaoyun. This time, Elder Gongsun of the Heaven's Secrets Hall is personally leading it. It’s uncertain if he’ll uncover the full truth. It’s a time of many troubles…"

Li Fan perceived that Yuwen Xing's worries seemed to have other underlying reasons, but since Yuwen Xing hadn't elaborated, Li Fan didn't press him. After exchanging a few more polite words, Li Fan returned to Myriad Immortals Island via the teleportation array.

The atmosphere on the island had grown much more somber; the cultivators moving about no longer wore their usual relaxed expressions. After some inquiries, Li Fan learned the reason for Yuwen Xing’s troubled look. It turned out that Yuwen Xing's patron was none other than the fallen True Monarch Gou Xuan. It was precisely through this connection that he had managed to defeat numerous competitors and become the guardian of Glazed Island. Now, before he could even settle into his position, his patron had perished. No wonder he appeared so worried.

"Even a powerful Nascent Soul cultivator has fallen; that grotto-heaven must be incredibly dangerous. It seems Daoist He’s remains won't be recoverable anytime soon." This was Li Fan’s initial thought.

However, a few days later, things seemed to take a turn. The Myriad Immortals Alliance’s investigation results were released. The Golden Core cultivator named Zheng Xiaoyun was cleared of any wrongdoing. The reason he, despite being only a Golden Core cultivator, managed to escape during the first expedition, while a Nascent Soul Grand Cultivator perished in the second, was due to a peculiar characteristic of the mechanical puppets within True Monarch Tianyang’s grotto-heaven: they grow weaker against the weak and stronger against the strong.

When Zheng Xiaoyun led the first team, the mechanical puppets only displayed Golden Core level combat power. Zheng Xiaoyun’s own strength was decent, and with five other Foundation Establishment cultivators drawing their fire, he barely managed to survive. However, when True Monarch Gou Xuan led the second team, the combat power of those mechanical puppets unexpectedly swelled to the Nascent Soul stage. With over a dozen Nascent Soul level attacks erupting instantaneously and catching them off guard, the second expedition team was wiped out in an instant.

Of course, the mechanical puppets’ ability to grow stronger against the strong must have an upper limit. However, it's truly hard to say what that upper limit of their power is now.

Although True Monarch Tianyang was only a Golden Core cultivator during his lifetime, he established his grotto-heaven inside an underwater volcano before his demise. For thousands of years, the mechanical puppets continuously absorbed the energy of the earth-fire, directly causing the active underwater volcano to become dormant. Now, with the earth-fire reactivating, it likely means that after all these years, the mechanical puppets have reached their maximum growth potential. Ancient mechanical arts have been lost for a long time, so it's unknown how strong these puppets become when they reach their limit. However, considering that mechanical arts held a significant place in the era before the great calamity, when Nascent Soul cultivators were common, these puppets certainly wouldn't be weak. At minimum, they are Nascent Soul level; reaching Spirit Transformation is not impossible.

Therefore… True Monarch Gou Xuan’s death was certainly not in vain. After all, no one would have imagined that such terrifying combat power would be lurking within a mere Golden Core cultivator’s grotto-heaven.

As soon as the Myriad Immortals Alliance’s official announcement was made, the gloom shrouding Myriad Immortals Island immediately lifted. Everyone was quite convinced by the investigation results, as Elder Gongsun of the Heaven's Secrets Hall was renowned for his skill in divining heavenly secrets and discerning karma. His conclusions, based on his investigations, were generally very close to the truth.

Consequently, the numerous Qi Condensation cultivators in the Cloudsea became utterly excited. Over a dozen Nascent Soul level mechanical puppets were indeed terrifying. But over a dozen Qi Condensation level puppets… they posed virtually no threat at all.

If even one puppet could be brought back… Countless Qi Condensation cultivators instantly began to fantasize, their hearts stirring with desire. They eagerly called for teams to be formed for a third exploration of True Monarch Tianyang’s grotto-heaven.

Upon hearing this news, even Li Fan couldn't help but feel tempted. Within the Qi Condensation stage, wasn’t he practically invincible? Those with lower cultivation than him could be directly subdued by his Insect Binding divine ability. As for those at the same late Qi Condensation stage, he possessed numerous techniques like Formless Killing Intent, Cloud-Water Illusion Dream, and Azure Flame Spirit Illusion. Li Fan didn't believe there was anyone stronger than him in this Cloudsea.

Perhaps he should explore this grotto-heaven? Li Fan was tempted for a moment, but then a thought struck him, making him realize something was amiss. If these mechanical puppets truly only grew weaker against the weak and stronger against the strong, then the Myriad Immortals Alliance could simply secretly gather a group of late Qi Condensation cultivators, breach the grotto-heaven, and retrieve all these puppets. How could the Myriad Immortals Alliance possibly forgo such a beneficial opportunity—gaining over a dozen puppets, each with at least Nascent Soul level combat power—and instead foolishly publicize this information?

The only explanation was that there must be other strange properties about the puppets within the grotto-heaven that the Myriad Immortals Alliance was unsure about. Therefore, they chose to let these numerous Qi Condensation cultivators risk their lives to scout it out.

Li Fan had heard of Elder Gongsun. When Li Fan completed the bounty for the strange beast, the dragon whale, Elder Gongsun had investigated. He only uncovered the direct cause of the dragon whale’s death: being besieged by several deep-sea beasts until its life force was depleted. He failed to discover the fundamental cause: the Formless Killing Intent unleashed by Li Fan.

Therefore, Li Fan believed that while Elder Gongsun could indeed divine heavenly secrets, he was like a blind man touching an elephant—able to grasp a part, but not the whole. Li Fan wasn't the only one who understood this principle.

After the initial surge of excitement passed, everyone calmed down in time. However, there were always some cultivators who held onto a glimmer of hope, believing themselves to be destined. About thirty of them banded together for the third exploration of True Monarch Tianyang’s grotto-heaven. Li Fan, meanwhile, simply reposted the bounty for He Zhenghao’s remains and patiently waited to see what would unfold.

Ten days later, the expedition team returned in disarray. More than half of the thirty-odd members managed to escape back. Through their tearful accounts, the onlookers learned what had transpired inside the grotto-heaven. All seventeen puppets were simply too powerful! Their bodies, crafted from an unknown material, were incredibly sturdy. No spell cast upon them had any effect whatsoever; they couldn't even leave a scratch.