The two found the cheapest inn to stay in and began selling their goods along the street: various leathers and herbs. In Baolian City, there were many such peddlers, and no one bothered them.

The biggest challenge of their mission lay in time. They didn't know when the Wu Sect would make a move. It was a secret that couldn't be uncovered, and perhaps even the Wu Sect itself wasn't sure. They, too, needed to find an opportunity, which could take months or even years. But for a sect, everything was worth it to acquire a Pocket World.

A few days later, the two circled Baolian City, but the Stone Fetus showed no reaction.

"The Wu Sect cultivators haven't arrived yet, otherwise the Stone Fetus wouldn't have no reaction at all."

Fang Yazi's expression remained unchanged. The mission entered the phase they least wished to see; they had come too early.

There was no other way. Besides waiting, it seemed there were no special methods available.

Slender Drum was incredibly meticulous, with her own unique way of thinking. She had only joined the Sword Sect not long ago, and she eagerly wished to contribute something significant to prove her value.

"We can't just wait here. I have some connections in Baolian City, and no one knows I've joined the Sword Sect. I've been practicing swordsmanship in Dushan all these years, so I want to give it a try."

This operation was undoubtedly led by Fang Yazi. He was stronger, with qualifications that went without saying, and he had the right to make slight adjustments to their actions.

"What's your suggestion?"

Slender Drum had clearly been considering this issue for a long time. "The so-called Grotto Heaven, its most important role is to help disciples comprehend various Dao Realms. If you don't use it, then the Grotto Heaven has no meaning in existing.

A hundred years ago, the Heartless Dao once stole two grotto heavens from the Wu Sect, one was the Great You Hua Miao Heaven, and the other was the Altar Grotto Heaven. The Great You Hua Miao Heaven is a natural and wondrous heaven. Similar grotto heavens on the continent have all fallen silent and are inaccessible, just like our Eocene Cave Heaven.

However, the Altar Grotto Heaven is a contemplative grotto heaven, unrelated to nature, just like the Sword Tomb Pocket World of the Sword Sect. This grotto heaven should definitely be accessible normally. I don't believe the Heartless Dao would leave it idle. It's been less than forty years since the unveiling of Jinxiu. It's a critical time to cultivate sect members, so how is it possible to leave it unused?"

Fang Yazi fell into deep thought.

The two of them had a lot of autonomy this time in Baolian City because this mission couldn't be planned in advance. The most important thing was to act according to circumstances, which is why it was entrusted to someone like him, who consistently performed stably in the Sword Sect and wasn't lacking in adventure spirit.

They had the authority to decide how to use the Stone Fetus. They could wait until the Wu Sect acted, and then secretly steal the Altar Grotto Heaven from the Otherworldly Space. This would be the best outcome, with little danger, like robbing a thief. But doing so also had many uncertainties.

The Stone Fetus could indeed steal the Grotto Heaven from the Otherworldly Space, but this was also what the Wu Sect cultivators excelled at. It was hard to say who would eventually succeed. Their advantage was that the Stone Fetus was originally matched, while the Wu Sect excelled in a deeper understanding of the Space Path. Who knew who would ultimately succeed?

But now, an additional issue arose. What if the Altar Grotto Heaven was already in use? How would they maneuver through the space artifact to approach? The theft at Dushan was an accident back then, mainly because of the Sword Sect's carelessness, but the Heartless Dao would certainly not make such a low-level mistake, as these two grotto heavens were originally stolen.

"Is there a method to increase our success rate?"

Slender Drum smiled, "There is, but it might require some risk…"

......

Huang Kexiu turned into an unassuming shop, greeted the shopkeeper, and headed straight for the secret room in the rear.

He was a newly advanced Golden Core in the Heartless Dao. In a few days, he was going to a sect's Grotto Heaven for a trial, and for this, he needed to prepare some useful artifacts.

What Grotto Heaven was it? A century hidden, yet its secret couldn't be concealed. It was said to be an extraordinary Grotto Heaven acquired from the Wu Sect, truly a superior Grotto Heaven, ranked first among several Wu Sect grotto heavens – the so-called Altar Grotto Heaven.

The name might sound plain, but as heaven and earth resemble an altar, its wonder appeared naturally. This was an extremely rare Grotto Heaven with a Cave Spirit, an ideal place for cultivating spiritual power of cultivators, ranking in the top three known grotto heavens of various Daoist sects on Jinxiu Continent.

Not everyone had the chance to enter and cultivate, needing certain qualifications. He waited several batches until, finally, it was his turn this time.

This was also a topic of much grumbling among the Heartless Dao cultivators. The sect never explained how many people the Altar Grotto Heaven could accommodate at once. Everyone felt there was improper use, but within the Heartless Dao, questioning the higher-ups wasn't possible.

They belonged to the Demon Sect, where respect, inferiors, and the hierarchy were strictly enforced.

Fortunately, this time it was finally his turn. He had heard from his senior brothers who had been inside that the Altar Space was embedded with Qian Kun and had unique uses, all under the control of the Cave Spirit, making them feel somewhat uncontrollable. This meant that cultivators found it impossible to control their movement post-entry, everything was subject to the whims of the Cave Spirit.

Without first-hand experience, one could only explore after entering. After all, it was once the treasure of the Wu Sect and could not be heavily publicized, only used quietly to gain wealth in silence.

However, one thing was for certain: experienced individuals all said that if one had a suitable space artifact, one could gain a certain degree of autonomy over one's actions. This was something any cultivator with a bit of talent sought after.

His time as a Golden Core was not long, just fifty years, and his means were limited. He could only sigh in dismay at those so-called space artifacts extortionately priced by greedy merchants, and sought others for help, eventually directing him to Baolian City's underground black market. Here, some confidential treasures were consigned, priced more affordably, under the condition that the origins were not probed.

For the black market, this is the rule, the same everywhere, and he understood this well.

In the secret room, an elder waited for him, the most seasoned appraiser of the shop, responsible for communication between buyer and seller while extracting a substantial commission. Both parties did not meet.

This was to ensure the security of both parties. The seller did not want to be exposed, nor did the buyer wish to reveal their intent. Thus, avoiding seeing was a rule of the black market; if unwilling to follow, one should not partake.

The two had little to say, unwilling to communicate excessively, as unnecessary words brought trouble. The elder took out a Stone Fetus and gently pushed it over. The moment Huang Kexiu touched it, he sensed its extraordinary nature.

Though at his level, the Space Path was foggy, he could still clearly feel if a treasure had space power. This treasure was likely to please the Altar Cave Spirit, wasn't it?

The elder named a high price, high relative to his means, yet still much less than if openly displayed at the marketplace.

After some haggling, they finally agreed on a price. Huang Kexiu invested nearly everything he had, but he believed it was worth it.

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