Chapter 688  : The Will of Heaven and Earth

Many people participated in the trials of the Dream Shadow Cave, even martial artists who usually avoided such challenges actively sought to join.

Aside from testing their luck and discovering if they possessed innate talents in this regard, another significant reason was that the trials in the Dream Shadow Cave generally did not pose a life-threatening danger.

Failing the trial immediately resulted in being transferred out of the cave, a practice that had been upheld for thousands of years.

Alternatively, if one sensed imminent danger, they could choose to abandon the trial and would also be relocated outside the cave.

Thus, the dozens of Combined Aperture Tempering realm cultivators on the battlefield initially had an exit strategy, which was to concede and leave the Dream Shadow Cave.

However, initially, none of these Combined Aperture Tempering realm cultivators opted for this choice because they believed victory was within their grasp; it seemed impossible for dozens of Combined Aperture Tempering realm cultivators to lose against an opponent of the same level.

What needed consideration instead was how to obtain the Soul Heartstone.

Yet, in less than a quarter of an hour, the situation on the battlefield underwent a dramatic reversal.

Chen Fei alone unexpectedly broke through the encirclement of dozens of Combined Aperture Tempering realm cultivators, facing no worthy opponents and granting no opportunity for anyone to besiege him.

Everything was within Chen Fei’s control until every method had been exhausted and there seemed to be no way out. At that moment, the dozens of Combined Aperture Tempering realm cultivators finally collapsed and chose to leave the Dream Shadow Cave.

These Combined Aperture Tempering realm cultivators were lured by the Dream Shadow Cave on one hand, while on the other hand, it was their arrogance and greed that ultimately led to this situation.

As Chen Fei watched these Combined Aperture Tempering realm cultivators disappear one by one, the aura he had displayed just now had already been concealed by the imprint on the back of his hand, giving off a completely different aura.

When venturing outside, especially in unfamiliar surroundings, Chen Fei had the habit of hiding his true self.

That’s why the item Chen Fei had just taken out was the Broken Ruler, not the Qianyuan Sword.

Guiding the spiritual essence into the Qianyuan Sword stored in the Qjankun bag, a stone appeared in front of Chen Fei.

The stone emitted a hazy light, and a peculiar power intertwined with the surrounding spiritual energy, which was precisely the Soul Heartstone.

Chen Fei had come across information about the Soul Heartstone in some ancient texts, and it matched the stone in front of him perfectly.

Encountering but not seeking, this kind of top-tier spiritual treasure had never appeared in the Thousand Feathers Alliance. Perhaps a few experts in the Mountain Sea Realm like Min Yanlu possessed it, but they would never allow such a high-level spiritual material to circulate within the Thousand Feathers Alliance.

Abeam of light from Chen Fei’s brow enveloped the Soul Heartstone, without sensing anything unusual, he stored it inside the Qjankun bag.

Chen Fei turned his head and looked into the air, where his gaze collided with a subtle one.

The spirit of the Dream Shadow Cave was ultimately still constrained by some of the rules set by Master Dream Shadow.

Resistance was mutual; those Combined Aperture Tempering realm cultivators could obtain the Soul Heartstone by either killing or expelling Chen Fei, and since Chen Fei had expelled all of them, the Soul Heartstone naturally belonged to him.

From this, it could be seen that although the spirit of the Dream Shadow Cave had gained some autonomy, at its core, it still adhered to the original set of rules.

In other words, if Chen Fei truly passed the tests set by the spirit of the Dream Shadow Cave, even if the spirit of the Dream Shadow Cave was unwilling, it might ultimately have to acknowledge Chen Fei as its master. It was precisely because of this that the spirit of the Dream Shadow Cave set up such a battlefield, allowing dozens of Combined Aperture Tempering realm cultivators to besiege Chen Fei.

This method was crude but effective, yet unfortunately, the spirit of the Dream Shadow Cave underestimated Chen Fei’s strength.

Outside the cave, dozens of Combined Aperture Tempering realm cultivators appeared one by one.

As these Combined Aperture Tempering realm cultivators finally found themselves free from the Dream Shadow Cave, they couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief.

The pressure exerted on them by the individual on the battlefield was simply too immense. Especially for those peak Combined Aperture Tempering realm cultivators, they had never imagined they would feel such terror from someone of the same level.

Taking down opponents with a single move, facing no worthy adversaries, such peak Combined Aperture Tempering realm cultivators defied common sense.

No, it should be said that there were already too many unreasonable aspects about that Combined Aperture Tempering realm cultivator. The culmination of these irrationalities concentrated in a single person was simply absurd.

Inside the cave, Chen Fei watched the battlefield, surrounded by unchanging silence. At the same time, a tremendous force of repulsion weighed down on him, attempting to forcibly remove him from the cave.

As long as Chen Fei was expelled from the Dream Shadow Cave, even if he failed the trial, there would be no issue of acknowledging mastery.

This force of repulsion was strong, but Chen Fei’s figure seemed to be nailed in place, completely unaffected by the force.

After a moment, this force of repulsion disappeared, yet the surroundings remained unchanged.

Unable to remove him, they might as well prevent him from continuing to explore the mountain path. When the time came, the Dream Shadow Cave would automatically dissipate, still counting as a failed trial.

Chen Fei’s gaze flickered as he infused his spiritual and soul power into the Heavenly Eye. In the monochromatic world composed of countless lines and dots, a world unfolded before Chen Fei’s eyes.

The core of the Dream Shadow Cave, the Dream Shadow Stone, was a spiritual treasure. Normally, without the power of the Mountain Sea Realm, it would be impossible to affect a spiritual treasure.

However, in order to ensure the long-term existence of the Dream Shadow Cave while keeping the Dream Shadow Stone safe, Master Dream Shadow had greatly influenced the power of the Dream Shadow Cave.

After all, being so far apart and with the core of the Dream Shadow Cave not within the cave itself, the power of the Dream Shadow Cave could be said to be between a top-tier magical treasure and a spiritual treasure.

Stronger than a top-tier magical treasure, yet slightly weaker than a spiritual treasure, it hovered around a critical point.

Such power was naturally impossible for the Mountain Sea Realm to contend with, but it posed no problem against Combined Aperture Tempering realm cultivators.

However, Chen Fei’s current strength happened to be hovering around the critical point of the Mountain Sea Realm, making him a weakened version of a Mountain Sea Realm cultivator taking shortcuts.

Chen Fei looked at the thin line ahead and thrust the Broken Ruler in his hand forward.

A seemingly ordinary move, much weaker compared to the momentum of decimating those Combined Aperture Tempering realm cultivators just now.

But as the Broken Ruler continued forward, the entire battlefield began to tremble violently, as if a calm surface of water suddenly rippled.

The Dream Shadow Cave sensed the change and continuously adjusted the environment around the battlefield. However, regardless of how the spirit of the Dream Shadow Cave adjusted, the amplitude of the tremors in the entire battlefield became increasingly intense.

“Crack! Crack! Crack!”

The battlefield emitted distorted sounds like a mirror, and in the next moment, the entire battlefield suddenly shattered. But instead of the previous mountain path, a void of darkness appeared around.

It was as if after the space shattered, there was a crack behind the space.

In such cracks, there was no spiritual energy of heaven and earth, no living beings, no wind—everything would vanish.

With a single strike, Chen Fei seemed to not only have failed to find an exit but also plunged himself into a true dilemma.

Exile, being exiled by the entire world!

Suffocation, oppression, and even the occasional flashes of space cracks in the darkness, all evoked a chilling sensation in one’s mind. A sense of despair involuntarily spread in the depths of his heart, almost devouring his entire consciousness.

“Your Dream Realm is useless against me.”

Chen Fei opened his mouth, clearly speaking, yet no sound came out. But Chen Fei knew that his words could be heard by the spirit of the Dream Shadow Cave.

Because this wasn’t really a void crack where the Mountain Sea Realm was powerful but unable to break through the spatial barrier of this world. Even the peak of the Mountain Sea Realm couldn’t achieve that.

If the Mountain Sea Realm couldn’t do it, then the Dream Shadow Cave, with only a fraction of the power of a spiritual treasure, naturally couldn’t do it either.

Thus, this was still an Dream Realm, a more realistic one, realistic enough to deceive.

However, Chen Fei’s soul was keen, and the Suppressing Dragon Elephant was specifically designed to deal with all anomalies, so with just one glance, Chen Fei saw through it all.

The unknown easily breeds fear, but understanding the cause and effect naturally removes any worries.

With Chen Fei’s words, the previously boundless darkness began to ripple, and with a strike, Chen Fei cut open a seam in the darkness.

Chen Fei stepped forward with his right foot, and the scenery before him changed drastically. Chen Fei found himself standing back on the mountain path.

From start to finish, it seemed as though Chen Fei hadn’t moved at all; everything that had just happened felt like a fleeting dream.

The vague silhouette of the grand hall ahead was gradually becoming clearer, shrouded mist dissipating around it.

With the Broken Ruler in hand, Chen Fei began to move forward step by step.

The repelling pressure once again acted upon Chen Fei, but it wasn’t just pressure; the entire cave was now showing blatant malice towards him, with no attempt to conceal its hostility.

From the heavens to the earth, every blade of grass and every tree, even the wind within the cave, all bore ill will towards Chen Fei.

In the Dream Shadow Cave, the spirit was akin to the will of this world. If the will of the world despised you, terrifying things could happen.

With negative luck, every action would face immense resistance. Even something as simple as drinking water could potentially choke you to death.

However, all of this was only when your strength was insufficient. When your strength was enough to overcome all obstacles and defiance, even if the will of the world opposed you, it couldn’t harm you.

Just like Chen Fei at this moment, even if the Dream Shadow Cave forcibly targeted him, what could it do against him?

The power of the Dream Realm continued to forcefully penetrate Chen Fei, yet no matter how hard it tried, it couldn’t break through. One Dream Realm after another appeared before Chen Fei’s eyes, only to be shattered by Chen Fei’s power.

As Chen Fei drew closer to the grand hall, the tremors throughout the Dream Shadow Cave grew stronger.

“Human, do not push your luck!”

A thunderous voice echoed within the Dream Shadow Cave, shaking not only the cave but also resonating within Chen Fei’s mind. With the appearance of the voice, the hostile forces surrounding Chen Fei gradually subsided.

Chen Fei’s steps paused slightly as he lifted his head, meeting the gaze in the void.

“lam merely undergoing the trial according to the rules. How can that be considered pushing my luck?” Chen Fei replied calmly.

“Leave this place, and lean give you what you need.”

The indifferent voice paused for a moment before continuing, “Like the Soul Heartstone you just encountered, I can offer you another piece. How about it?”

The Soul Heartstone could only be used once by the same cultivator, but even so, it was invaluable.

“I have passed the trial. Isn’t the Soul Heartstone mine to begin with?” Chen Fei raised his head slightly, his tone plain.