Chapter 291

Chapter 291: The Past Events of Thousand Layer Cave (Part 1)

These words from Wen Zhi Lao Ren caused Lou Yun to nearly leap up: "Gui You Quan isn’t dead? Then why hasn’t he appeared for so many years? Could he really be hiding somewhere in seclusion, diligently cultivating?"

"Whether he has been cultivating diligently I do not know, but I know where he is."

"Where?"

As Lou Yun spoke these two words, a sudden flash of insight struck him: "He isn’t inside Thousand Layer Cave, is he?"

Wen Zhi Lao Ren nodded and said: "Yes, he is within Thousand Layer Cave!"

This answer caused Lou Yun’s mind to momentarily go blank, but immediately after, his thoughts began to race. So, Gui You Quan hadn’t died but was hiding within Thousand Layer Cave. Then, had his second brother gone to Thousand Layer Cave specifically to confront Gui You Quan?

Although his second brother’s magical weapon realm had already reached emperor rank, judging by every description Lou Yun had ever seen about Gui You Quan, even back then, Gui You Quan was practically an invincible entity. Many people had wanted to eliminate this scourge for fame and slay Gui You Quan, and those who truly dared to try were naturally super masters who possessed immense confidence in themselves. However, none of these super masters survived; they all perished at the hands of Gui You Quan.

Having now spent another thirty years inside Thousand Layer Cave, regardless of whether Gui You Quan had been in seclusion or diligently cultivating, his present true strength was undoubtedly second to none, surpassing all imagination. Was his second brother, with an emperor rank cultivation base, genuinely capable of dealing with him?

Moreover, his second brother had already been gone for three months now, and still, there was no word!

Thinking this far, Lou Yun dared not continue his train of thought. He urgently asked: "Senior Wen, please, tell me exactly where Thousand Layer Cave is!"

"Young man, don’t be hasty. Since you’ve come to me today, naturally, I will tell you everything I know. I understand you fear for your second brother’s safety, but as you yourself pointed out, he left three months ago. If something were to happen, it would have happened by now. Even if you rushed immediately to Thousand Layer Cave, it would be in vain. If nothing has happened, then you going a few days later makes no difference."

Lou Yun said anxiously: "How can going a few days later make no difference? What if my second brother faces trouble during these very days?"

Wen Zhi Lao Ren smiled faintly, shook his head, and said: "Set your mind at ease, it won’t happen. Because you do not truly comprehend what sort of place Thousand Layer Cave is!"

Hearing this cryptic talk from Wen Zhi Lao Ren, Lou Yun truly felt the impulse to seize the old man, shake him upside down, and pour all the information about Thousand Layer Cave stored in his mind out onto the floor.

"Alright, listen to me now. The reason I said Thousand Layer Cave is both a place name and not exactly a place name is that in truth, Thousand Layer Cave is a prison!"

"A prison? Are you saying Gui You Quan was imprisoned inside? But who would possess such great capability, able to lock him up? If someone were truly so formidable, why not simply kill him outright? If he were only imprisoned, then what if he escaped someday? Wouldn’t that unleash a massive calamity once more, dooming who knows how many people to misery?"

Lou Yun fired off a rapid series of anxious questions. Similar questions had been posed by him not long ago at the Ancient Weapon Academy, though that time they were concerning the Illusory Wolf Heavenly Fire. It was impossible to kill that creature, so it could only be sealed away and imprisoned.

But Gui You Quan was a flesh-and-blood man; surely he wasn’t an immortal being who couldn’t be killed?

Wen Zhi Lao Ren couldn’t help but roll his eyes at Lou Yun, likely unable to bear his barrage of questions fired off in such rapid succession.

"Thirty years ago, Gui You Quan’s cultivation was profound beyond measure. If you said his power ranked second during that time, absolutely no one dared claim first place. Even the mightiest cultivator on Spirit Weapon Star today, Ao Wushen, was no match for him back then."

"However, the deeds committed by Gui You Quan were truly appalling to both humans and deities. Consequently, at that time, several of Spirit Weapon Star’s leading top masters briefly cast aside personal stature and solitary inclinations, uniting for the first time to discuss collaborating to oppose Gui You Quan."

"A total of five top-tier masters participated, and their final decision after deliberation was this: to combine the power of all five men and rid the world of Gui You Quan!"

"And so, according to plan, they initiated the operation, luring Gui You Quan to Thousand Layer Cave where the five joined forces to fiercely battle him!"

Reaching this point in his narration, Wen Zhi Lao Ren paused, a clear expression of longing momentarily appearing on his face. After a few moments, he shook his head and continued: "The sheer intensity of that battle simply shook heaven and earth. The sun and moon were dimmed, and the sky darkened. The combined might of those five top-tier masters was terrifying, yet Gui You Quan’s power proved even more formidable than they could have conceived."

"The conflict raged for five days and five nights, yet the five still could not slay Gui You Quan. Forced to alter their strategy on the spot, they abandoned the goal of killing him and instead devised a scheme to trap him within Thousand Layer Cave."

This account from Wen Zhi Lao Ren mentioned details absent from any recorded history surrounding Gui You Quan that Lou Yun was aware of. Consequently, he listened utterly dumbfounded. Hearing that even five elite masters of that era could not destroy Gui You Quan despite their combined might struck him as profoundly inconceivable.

At this moment, however, Chang Xiang suddenly let out a disdainful snort: "So five men couldn’t kill one. Why so astonished? Back in the day, nine supreme masters joined hands and paid the price of four deaths and five injuries just to kill your venerable ancestor!"

The tale Chang Xiang referred to occurred in another world altogether – the final instance when the nine clans united against Lou Yun’s ancestor’s generation.

Although what Chang Xiang claimed might very well be fact, Lou Yun always felt the events of that world, temporally and spatially, lay unfathomably distant from himself. Hearing them evoked only a sense of unreality.

By contrast, the story Wen Zhi Lao Ren told about those five great masters battling Gui You Quan had unfolded a mere thirty years prior. Moreover, Lou Yun could vaguely surmise that his second brother, Beichen Ming, would have been numbered among those five. This made the events feel considerably more real and immediate.

Unable to contain himself, Lou Yun pressed for more: "Then what kind of place is Thousand Layer Cave, precisely?"

"Thousand Layer Cave…well, its name was originally nothing of the sort. Locally, it was termed ‘Nether Cave’ or ‘Cave of No Return’. The appellation ‘Thousand Layer Cave’ was a spur-of-the-moment invention by those five masters, simply because they wished to conceal the location of Gui You Quan’s captivity. If you hadn’t encountered me, or one of those five, you could inquire to your dying breath and never discover where Thousand Layer Cave is located."

"Nether Cave? Cave of No Return?" These two names seemed quite self-explanatory.

"Hmm. Truthfully, Thousand Layer Cave is merely a cave within a great mountain. However, the interior of this cavity splits into countless offshoots, and these countless branches form innumerable chambers hollowed deep within the mountain mass – essentially creating a colossal labyrinth. Furthermore, the most perplexing and terrifying aspect is that these caverns seemed to periodically shift position, altering their formations. Thus, should anyone inadvertently stumble into Thousand Layer Cave, the chances of ever exiting again were vanishingly small. Consequently, local folk believed this cave tunnel connected to the underworld – that those who entered passed into the Netherworld, never to return – hence the names ‘Nether Cave’ or ‘Cave of No Return’!"

"Therefore, during their initial planning phase, those five masters had already decided the battleground would be Thousand Layer Cave. This decision stemmed from their dread: in the event they couldn’t slay him, they must ensure he was thrust into Thousand Layer Cave at all costs. That way, even if Gui You Quan managed to survive, he would forfeit any chance of escape!"

"I see!" Lou Yun nodded, finally comprehending the origin of the name Thousand Layer Cave. Yet one more question remained unanswered, so he looked steadily at Wen Zhi Lao Ren: "Since Thousand Layer Cave is known as the Cave of No Return, how do you know of events within its depths? Besides, the battle waged by the five masters against Gui You Quan must have been conducted in utmost secrecy. Even the name ‘Thousand Layer Cave’ was coined on the spot by them. How could you possibly recount it all so precisely? Don’t tell me… you were one of those five great masters?"

Wen Zhi Lao Ren couldn’t help but laugh heartily. "Young man, you flatter me far too much! For me, cultivation is my weakest point. Thirty years ago, I was just a little over fifty years old. Whatever minor skills this feeble body possessed couldn’t possibly rank among the Five Great Masters. Even within the top fifty, or the top five hundred, my name would find no place. Hahahaha!"

Lou Yun readily believed this last admission. It was precisely because he believed it, however, that he felt increasingly perplexed. Wen Zhi Lao Ren’s cultivation currently rested only at the Earth level. For an octogenarian, Earth level cultivation truly marked nothing exceptional. Thus, thirty years prior, he absolutely could NOT have been one of the five great masters. So how could he possibly possess such detailed knowledge?

Observing Lou Yun’s plainly visible confusion, Wen Zhi Lao Ren ceased withholding the explanation: "Young man, since you know me, you ought also to know my nature. Regarding any matter unknown to me, I always personally undertake its investigation. Call it extraordinary luck: I had first learned of the existence of this ‘Cave of No Return’ and had hastened there to unravel its mystery. Unexpectedly, just as I was exiting the cave mouth, I ran smack into those five great masters. Although they recognized me and immediately ordered me to depart, how could I possibly forgo a once-in-a-lifetime chance such as this?! I discreetly concealed myself nearby and witnessed the entire five-days-and-nights battle unfold – etching every moment permanently into my memory!"

Lou Yun unquestionably believed this version. Moreover, he felt profound respect and admiration for Wen Zhi Lao Ren’s relentlessly inquisitive spirit. Venturing deep into the fabled Cave of No Return, then lingering to observe five masters confront Gui You Quan—these feats amounted to sheer fearlessness! No wonder he became privy to so much obscure knowledge unknown to others!

"Senior Wen, having explained so much, surely it’s time you tell me precisely who those five great masters from thirty years ago actually were! Was my second brother among them?"

"Hah, of course he was! Although Beichen Ming’s lifelong dedication was mastering weapon forging skills, his true strength vastly exceeded his forging skills. Consequently, he was already reckoned among that generation’s finest masters three decades ago. Besides Beichen Ming, the other four were Ao Wushen, Yu Xiaozi, Wu Yang… and Drunken Madman!"