Emperor realm powerhouses—especially a peak Grand Emperor like Danji—possessed extraordinarily sharp instincts for sensing danger.
The restrictions inside this cave abode, in particular, were not the product of an ambush laid by someone hiding in the shadows. They hadn't been concealed all that well, making them relatively easier to detect.
Two or three dozen Emperor realm cultivators halted in their tracks, their expressions grim.
Out in the wider world, any one among them could shake the entire Human Domain by stomping his foot. But once they had entered this palace cave abode, it felt as though a blade hung suspended above every one of their heads.
That blade could fall at any moment. That sensation kept each of them on high alert, none daring to let their guard slip.
"Your Majesty, have you noticed anything?" Grand Emperor Gaocen asked in a low voice.
Grand Emperor Danji's face was taut with concentration, his divine sense still probing the restrictions ahead.
"We cannot go any farther." Grand Emperor Danji let out a soft sigh, a deep look of wariness flashing in his eyes.
"What's up ahead?" Gaocen asked, startled.
Grand Emperor Danji's face was dark as he cast his gaze around the cave palace once more, his jaw tight with frustration. He could now all but confirm that this entire cave abode was
And Grand Emperor Xinyun had most likely already fallen.
But even knowing that didn't help him in the slightest. Those terrifying restrictions blocked the path ahead, and had it not been for Grand Emperor Danji's caution, rashly charging into their attack range would have led to consequences too horrible to contemplate.
Grand Emperor Danji searched in every direction, looking for a way around the restrictions. But this cave palace was like a labyrinth—no detour could be found.
"Your Majesty, what do we do?" Gaocen asked again in a hushed tone.
Grand Emperor Danji deliberated for a long while before finally waving his hand. "We stay here. No farther."
"All of you, wait in place."
Once Grand Emperor Danji gave the order, the other Emperor realm cultivators, though somewhat puzzled, obeyed without protest. None dared defy him.
After all, they knew that Grand Emperor Danji was a man of vast experience. If he believed the cave abode was problematic, then it certainly was.
Grand Emperor Xinyun's failure to return only served to confirm this.
Still, some of them harbored lingering doubts. Was
……
Inside the secret realm of the cave abode,
"This Danji—stubborn as a wolf, cunning as a fox. He really is a tough one to deal with."
He had already been prepared to use up his final restriction. Take out Grand Emperor Danji, and the Fire Dan City would cease to be a mortal threat for good.
Unfortunately, the man was far too crafty. He seemed to have sniffed out the danger and simply refused to advance.
It looked as though Grand Emperor Danji intended to hold his position here and wait—like a fool sitting beside a tree stump, hoping a rabbit would come crashing into it.
That kind of clumsy stratagem posed no threat to
"Hmph. Trying to guard the entrance to my cave abede? Of all the stupid ideas."
Besides, if these people were willing to sit here and waste their time,
Even if he stayed here for ten or twenty years, even several decades, it would hardly stress him.
Still,
Time slipped by in this silent standoff, day after day.
Half a month passed in the blink of an eye.
Among Grand Emperor Danji's forces, quite a few were growing restless. Had it not been for the Grand Emperor's overwhelming prestige and imposing authority, some of them would have already voiced their displeasure.
Once they were back within the Glazed King City's borders, safely inside the Young Master's Manor, even if Grand Emperor Danji himself rode to the city, he would be powerless to touch them.
With that burden lifted from his mind,
As time went on, at the peak of the second stage of the Sovereign realm, he accumulated a little more with each passing day, inching forward bit by bit. He had a premonition that the third stage of the Sovereign realm was drawing closer and closer.
"Am I going to break through to the third stage of the Sovereign realm inside this cave abode?"
Long Baxiang's tone was sharp with agitation. "Grand Emperor Danji, this little game of waiting by a stump for a rabbit—when does it end? What exactly lies ahead that has you so spooked, so frozen in place?"
Of all the eight great first-tier sects across the Upper Eight Domains, only the
Grand Emperor Danji's brow furrowed. Clearly, Long Baxiang's tone grated on him enormously.
"Daoist Baxiang, if you don't trust this Emperor's judgment, you're welcome to go and test it yourself," Grand Emperor Danji replied, his voice cool and indifferent.