Follow the choice of one's true heart.
Jiang Chen smiled faintly. His true heart had never wavered — he would press forward and challenge every obstacle to the very end. As for the Ninth Cavern, if its difficulty far exceeded what he could endure, he would naturally step aside on his own.
If there was still a fighting chance at the Ninth Cavern, Jiang Chen had made up his mind to give it his all.
What he needed most right now was momentum.
Breaking through the Eighth Cavern of the Nine-Turn Cloud Caverns was certain to stir up a wave of excitement in the Eternal Sacred Land. It sounded wonderful, but Jiang Chen wanted even more of a sensation.
If he could break through the Ninth Cavern, he would become the first genius in the history of the Eternal Sacred Land to accomplish such a feat.
All men had ambition, and Jiang Chen was no exception.
Right now, he was building momentum for himself, making sure the Sacred Land knew the name Shao Yuan.
Jiang Chen had not forgotten the advice Ziche Min had given him. If he could make himself so invaluable that the Sacred Land could not bear to let him go, then even if he proposed to marry Huang'er, the Sacred Land would throw its full support behind him.
In short, the goal was to make the Sacred Land feel that offending the Xiahou family for his sake was a price well worth paying. That would be Jiang Chen's success.
In theory, if the Eternal Sacred Land spoke up, the Xiahou family would not dare act arrogantly.
But under normal circumstances, the Eternal Sacred Land operated by its own principles. They might use rules and various means to restrain other factions and keep them in check.
But they would never openly tear off the mask and make a scene.
Many matters were one thing on the surface and something else entirely behind the scenes.
Take Huang'er's situation, for example. If Jiang Chen could truly make the Eternal Sacred Land support him without reservation, then the Sacred Land could easily find a pretext to back him.
Put simply, it all came down to Jiang Chen demonstrating enough potential.
With this thought, Jiang Chen drew a deep breath and declared in a clear voice, "Esteemed seniors, Shao Yuan has decided to attempt the Ninth Cavern."
Hearing Jiang Chen announce this decision himself, Ziche Min was not the least bit surprised. He sighed softly, "I knew you wouldn't give up. Since you've made your decision, give it everything you've got. If you can break through the Ninth Cavern, your name will be recorded in the annals of history. You will leave an indelible mark on the pages of the Eternal Sacred Land!"
The Three Sacred Masters smiled and nodded as well. They were finding this young man increasingly interesting.
It seemed that this young man had not even broken through to the Heaven Rank, yet he had surged forward like an unstoppable force, arriving at this point where he now challenged the Ninth Cavern.
They had to admit, they greatly admired this young man's ability — and admired his boldness even more.
"Tsk, tsk — where on earth did this Shao Yuan come from? He cleared the Eighth Cavern and now he's challenging the Ninth? Has... has this ever happened before?"
"It happened once before. Is Shao Yuan merely following in someone's footsteps, or is he about to shatter the established order of the Nine-Turn Cloud Caverns? Why do I find myself desperately hoping he breaks through?"
"Friend Ziche, this time you really brought back a supreme treasure for the Sacred Land. Such extraordinary martial talent, and powerful alchemy talent on top of it. Heavens — in the future, won't this Shao Yuan drive every young female cultivator in the Eternal Divine Kingdom absolutely mad?"
Everyone burst into laughter.
Jiang Chen, meanwhile, strode forward with firm steps toward the area of the Ninth Cavern.
The region of the Ninth Cavern was visibly more grand and more expansive than anything before it.
"Ninth Cavern — either I make my name in one battle, or I endure the bitterness and bide my time. Here goes!"
A surge of bold resolve welled up in Jiang Chen's heart.
The Ninth Cavern, as the final cavern of the Nine-Turn Cloud Caverns, was certain to be the grand finale. Jiang Chen had long steeled himself for its staggering difficulty.
The moment Jiang Chen stepped through the entrance, a teleportation formation activated with a flash, transporting him straight into the core region of the Ninth Cavern.
His feet had barely touched the ground when a brilliant beam of light hurtled straight toward him.