Chapter 624: Little Marten's Trouble and Entering the Heaven Cave
In a quiet courtyard, Lin Langtian and his two companions slowly walked in, faintly spotting a familiar figure deeper inside.
As they entered, they saw a slender silhouette seated cross-legged in a stone pavilion. Incense drifted lazily through the air, giving the place a serene atmosphere.
When the trio approached, the figure opened his eyes. Seeing Lin Langtian and Lin Dong, a trace of helplessness flashed across his handsome face. "Never thought I'd actually have to call you two over," he said.
"We're brothers. When there's trouble, of course you call us," Lin Langtian and Lin Dong replied, smiling as they sat comfortably in the pavilion.
Little Marten curled his lips but felt a warm surge in his chest.
"Brother Langtian and I already know most of the situation. Looks like your Young Patriarch position is about to be stolen?" Lin Dong said first.
At that, Little Marten's expression turned grim, his voice cold. "Just a flunky who used to trail behind me. While I was gone, his ambition ballooned."
"But…I'll admit, he does have some skill."
His tone dipped slightly—clearly things were not going well for him in the clan. Otherwise, with his pride, he would never speak so begrudgingly.
"You once said you were ambushed because you held the Ancestral Stone," Lin Dong said, eyes sharp. "Could that have something to do with Hao Jiuyou?"
"The number of people who knew my travel route back then was very small. Hao Jiuyou was one of them." Little Marten's face darkened as he nodded.
"I knew that bastard wasn't any good," Wu Zhong growled.
Lin Langtian's gaze narrowed. "Hao Jiuyou definitely stinks of conspiracy…"
"Unfortunately, there's no hard evidence. Even if I told the elders, it'd be useless. Hao Jiuyou has become quite trusted. If I accuse him, they'll just think I'm looking for excuses to bring him down," Little Marten said.
Lin Langtian and Lin Dong understood. Little Marten had been missing for a hundred years—his prestige was nothing like it used to be. Worse, his father—the current patriarch—remained deep in closed-door seclusion.
"What can we do to help?" Lin Dong asked with a small grin. "I'm now a Punishment Elder of the Dragon Tribe. That identity isn't trivial in the eyes of the Heavenly Demon Marten Clan. I can't mobilize their power, but it's still a decent boost to your momentum."
"Punishment Elder of the Dragon Tribe?"
Little Marten and Wu Zhong froze, staring at Lin Dong in shock. They knew well what such a position meant among the Dragons—one of the four hegemon tribes.
"Some things happened in the Dragon Tribe," Lin Dong said with a shrug, downplaying the details. "In the end, they insisted on making me a Punishment Elder."
"Hehe, I'm also now acting as Law Enforcement Elder of the Kunpeng Clan," Lin Langtian added mildly. "If you need support on the reputation front, I can lend a hand too."
"Law Enforcement Elder…of the Kunpeng Clan?"
Little Marten and Wu Zhong were stunned all over again as they looked at Lin Langtian.
High-ranking positions in two hegemon clans, one each held by Lin Dong and Lin Langtian—when had such titles become so commonplace?
Lin Langtian just laughed. "Same as Lin Dong. Some things happened at the Kunpeng Clan, and they insisted on giving me the Law Enforcement role."
Lin Dong blinked, looking at him curiously. He had earned his position after obtaining the Dragon's Primordial Dragon Bone. Without such a treasure, no outsider would ever have been given that rank.
Could it be that Brother Langtian had obtained something similar from the Kunpeng?
"The Dragon Punishment Elder and Kunpeng Law Enforcement Elder truly aren't lowly titles," Little Marten admitted, his surprise receding. "But that's not actually the help I need."
He waved his sleeve, forming a sound-blocking barrier around the pavilion before speaking in a low voice.
"I want you to go to my father's closed-door cultivation site—the Heaven Cave.
"It's been a hundred years, and not a word has come out. Even communication talismans get no response.
"So…I suspect that he may be in trouble inside—or trapped."
"What?!"
Wu Zhong shot to his feet, face pale with shock.
"Some of our tribe's old monsters often stay in seclusion for centuries," Little Marten continued. "So on the surface, my father's situation doesn't seem unusual. Even the elders aren't suspicious.
"But half a month ago, I tried to approach the Heaven Cave and was blocked by two elders—both from Hao Jiuyou's faction."
"The Heaven Cave is a sacred site. Maybe they were just trying to avoid disturbing the patriarch during his breakthrough," Wu Zhong offered weakly.
"That's the official reason, and it sounds plausible," Little Marten said quietly. "But there's more. The Life Blood Feather my father left me…has begun to change."
He raised his palm, revealing a feather of blood-red hue—once vibrant, but now dim, its life force rapidly waning.
"This…"
Wu Zhong stared, horrified. "Then why not tell the elders?!"
In response, Little Marten gently stroked the feather. A faint crimson glow pulsed from it, forming two tiny, ominous characters.
"Demon Prison."
Lin Dong's face sank immediately. Lin Langtian, though prepared for something like this, still felt a surge of grim understanding. The alien demons had extended their claws deeper than expected—into both the human and beast worlds.
"To break my father's seclusion would be difficult even for the Demon Prison alone," Little Marten said, his hand trembling slightly. "Not without help from within."
"Unless they had an insider," Lin Langtian and Lin Dong said together.
"Hao Jiuyou?!" Wu Zhong roared. Killing intent surged wildly from his body. "I'll kill that scum right now!"
Little Marten snapped at him. "We still only have speculation. How are you going to justify killing him?"
Teeth grinding, Wu Zhong spat, "Then what do we do? If he gains full control of the clan, we're finished!"
Little Marten fell silent a moment, then looked at Lin Langtian and Lin Dong with a troubled expression.
"Right now…everything depends on you two."
To him, Lin Dong was the one he admired most, and Lin Langtian the one he couldn't see through. Together, they were his greatest hope.
Lin Dong nodded slightly. "Get us into the Heaven Cave. Brother Langtian and I will scout inside.
"If your father really is trapped, only by rescuing him can we turn things around. Otherwise, no one will believe you."
Little Marten nodded. "Come with me."
…
Deep within the Ten-Thousand Beast Mountain Range lay the restricted zone of the Heavenly Demon Marten Tribe. Only those of the highest rank could enter for seclusion.
At the very heart, countless colossal peaks rose, converging around a vast black chasm—the Heaven Cave.
Ancient glowing runes drifted around its circumference, forming a radiant seal that barred entry.
Around it, atop the surrounding mountains, several aged guardians sat cross-legged—protectors of the Heaven Cave.
A whistling sound broke the silence as a streak of light raced toward the cave.
The guardians opened their eyes at once, frowning as they recognized the newcomer.
"Little Marten, the Heaven Cave is forbidden. Leave now before the elders hear of this," said a white-browed elder.
"My father has been in seclusion for a hundred years. I must check on him!" Little Marten replied, eyes fixed on the void below.
"A hundred years is nothing to our old patriarch," the white-browed elder replied. "He may be at a critical moment in his cultivation. Any disturbance could be disastrous. Don't be rash."
"But I can feel that something is wrong," Little Marten said coldly. "I'm going in today, no matter what."
Without further warning, he shot forward in a streak of light toward the cave.
"Stop him!" the elder barked.
Five figures burst forth from the mountains, Yuan Power surging like tidal waves as they swept toward Little Marten.
"Hmph!"
Little Marten's eyes flashed. A purple-black crescent moon formed in his palm, expanding to a length of a thousand feet before cutting cleanly through the oncoming power and dispersing it.
The guardians were startled, secretly impressed by his strength. Still, they quickly repositioned, forming a formation before the cave, weaving their energies into a light array that enclosed him.
Little Marten unleashed a barrage of fierce attacks that rattled the array and shook the mountains, but the guardians held firm.
"Enough, Little Marten," the white-browed elder called. "If the elder council hears of this, they'll reprimand you harshly. Recklessness only makes you look unfit for leadership."
"Uncle Bai, my father is in danger!" Little Marten shouted, eyes burning.
The elder wavered for a moment at the conviction in his gaze but eventually shook his head.
"Many elders are in seclusion inside—not just your father. We can't risk disturbing them. Calm down, and we won't report this incident."
With that, the guardians sat cross-legged again, maintaining the array, trapping Little Marten within.
He let his fierce aura gradually fade and sat down as though resigned—yet fire still flickered behind his lowered eyes.
None of them noticed that along the sealed edge of the Heaven Cave, a single rune flickered.
For a brief instant, the barrier opened a tiny crack—just enough for two shadowy figures to slip inside.
The moment Lin Langtian and Lin Dong entered, Little Marten's tense shoulders relaxed. His Yuan Power drew back into his body as he closed his eyes.
Seeing his calm, the guardians eased their guard and dissolved the array.
"Return for now, Little Marten," the white-browed elder said with a wave.
Little Marten took one last look at the deep black hole, then turned and vanished into the mountains.
…
Inside the Heaven Cave.
Lin Langtian and Lin Dong floated, taking in their surroundings with curiosity.
Contrary to their expectations, the interior was not a rocky cave but an endless, lightless realm.
The darkness was so deep that even their powerful senses struggled to find direction. Silence pressed in on them like a weight, lifeless and cold.
Lin Dong flicked his wrist, and the dim blood feather belonging to Little Marten's father appeared in his hand.
"Brother Langtian, this way," he said after focusing on its faint guidance.
They flew through the dark for nearly half an hour before slowing.
Ahead, a figure sat cross-legged in midair, clearly a powerful Heavenly Demon Marten expert.
Near him grew a strange black flower with eight petals, shaped like a star. A faint, elusive fragrance wafted from it—barely noticeable, yet oddly unsettling.
"That is…" Lin Langtian narrowed his eyes.
"An Eternal Illusory Demon Flower," Lin Dong said grimly.
(END CHAPTER)
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