Starting as a Grandmaster, all of my cultivation techniques are at max level.

Xia Jin looked at Fan Wujiu, then asked, "This isn't the secret you came to tell me today, is it?"

Fan Wujiu nodded, his smile gradually fading, replaced by a very serious expression: "Indeed, no."

He took a deep breath and looked directly into Xia Jin's eyes: "I came to see you today to advise you that unless you are fully prepared, you should never venture into that den of demons."

As Fan Wujiu spoke, a deep sense of apprehension flashed in his eyes.

This was the first time Xia Jin had seen Fan Wujiu like this, and she couldn't help but frown: "What exactly is in that Demon Cave that makes you so wary?"

Fan Wujiu remained silent for a moment before slowly speaking: "Brother Xia, you must have heard that Jian Wuxin, who is ranked first among all the top disciples of my Second Heaven, once failed and was seriously injured in the Demon Cave."

Xia Jin nodded; he had heard Yin Shixuan mention this before.

"What you don't know is," Fan Wujiu took a deep breath, his voice low, "that he is not only severely injured, but his cultivation has been completely destroyed!"

"What?!"

Xia Jin's pupils constricted sharply, and his hands froze in front of him. He looked at Fan Wujiu in confusion, wondering if he had misheard.

His cultivation was completely destroyed? Jian Wuxin, who had held the top spot among the disciples for many years, was actually someone whose cultivation was completely destroyed?

Seeing Xia Jin's reaction, Fan Wujiu could only smile bitterly: "When Jian Wuxin returned from the Demon Cave, he warned Zhan Wuji and me that unless we were 100% sure, if we couldn't survive in the Demon Cave, at best our cultivation would be destroyed, and at worst we would lose our lives."

"For so many years, Zhan Wuji and I have firmly held the second and third positions, without challenging that demon cave. One reason is that we are not confident, and the other is that we do not want others to find out that Jian Wuxin's cultivation has been completely destroyed."

After a moment of silence, Xia Jin suddenly remembered a question and asked, "Wait, I have another question. Why is it necessary to pass the Demon Cave trial to be promoted to the 'Hun' rank disciple?"

Fan Wujiu looked at Xia Jin and sighed deeply. "Brother Xia, you must have heard of the cataclysmic calamity, right?"

Xia Jin nodded. He had heard this term more than once, but he had never thought about its deeper meaning.

"But do you know why the so-called cataclysmic calamity occurred?" Fan Wujiu continued to ask.

Xia Jin shook her head, her gaze fixed on Fan Wujiu, waiting for him to continue.

A trace of sorrow flashed in Fan Wujiu's eyes: "In fact, the so-called cataclysmic calamity is just a name given to the invasion of this world by that alien race."

"An alien race?"

Fan Wujiu nodded: "In the vast universe, whether we are human or demon, we all have a common enemy, which is the alien race."

"However, even now, with humans and demons joining forces across many worlds, their strength remains formidable. The alien race, lacking absolute certainty of victory, dares not launch a large-scale invasion. But small-scale invasions are unavoidable. Human leaders, for the sake of their own race's internal sense of crisis… will tacitly approve of such behavior."

"However, in my view, this so-called small-scale invasion is more like a trial, a trial prepared for these alien prodigies!!"

Fan Wujiu's words sent a chill down Xia Jin's spine. It was the first time he had ever known that such a crisis existed beyond this world.

"According to the message from the temple, there are less than two months left before our world faces a cataclysmic disaster, namely the invasion of those alien races."

"Fan Wujiu! You still haven't answered me. Even if the temple is trying to resist the invasion of those alien races into this world, why must we endure the trials of the Demon Cave?" Xia Jin stared intently at Fan Wujiu in front of her.

"This is what I'm about to say." Fan Wujiu took a deep breath and said slowly, "Based on previous experiences, such small-scale invasions by alien races usually involve fewer than ten people reaching our world. They are led by two alien elders, and the rest are all the geniuses of those alien races."

"The elders won't intervene, and the temple masters are also forbidden from doing so. Otherwise, it would attract even more alien races. However, their prodigies will fight against the temple's Hun-class disciples. If they win, the cataclysmic disaster will automatically dissipate. If they lose, this world will face annihilation."

"The method commonly used by those alien races is 'possession by demons.' When the two sides clash, the souls of our human cultivators will be unknowingly pulled into the demonic path, turning them into monsters who only know how to kill. If we can't withstand this move, it's almost impossible to win against them."

After saying all this in one breath, Fan Wujiu finally caught his breath.

After taking a sip of tea, he looked at Xia Jin again: "So, that's why the Grand Hall Master specially arranged for a Demon Cave to be placed in the Second Heaven, and required that anyone who wanted to be promoted to the Hun-class disciple must survive for ten days in the Demon Cave."

"Only by enduring ten days of relentless erosion in the demon cave can you prove that you have enough willpower to resist the alien race's 'possession' methods. Otherwise, no matter how strong you are, once you face those alien prodigies, you won't be able to unleash your full power. In the end, you'll just meet your demise."

After listening, Xia Jin fell into deep thought.

After a long while, he finally raised his head and looked at Fan Wujiu calmly: "How many days did Jian Wuxin endure in the Demon Cave?"

A complex look flashed in Fan Wujiu's eyes: "In fact, he only lasted for three days before falling into a coma. If the Third Palace Master hadn't personally intervened and pulled him out of that demon cave on the seventh day, he probably wouldn't have just lost all his cultivation, but would have perished inside."

"Three days? That Jian Wuxin only lasted three days." Xia Jin tightened her grip on the teacup slightly, and a white flame flashed, instantly evaporating the entire teacup on the spot.

With Jian Wuxin's strength, he only lasted three days?

Although he had never fought Jian Wuxin, judging from Fan Wujiu, who was ranked third, Jian Wuxin's strength, even if not as good as his own, wouldn't be too far behind.

Xia Jin was silent for a moment, then suddenly asked, "How many days did Zhan Wuji hold out?"

Fan Wujiu was taken aback, then smiled wryly: "He hasn't gone yet."

"You didn't go?" Xia Jin was somewhat surprised.

"That's right." Fan Wujiu nodded. "He, like me, has been waiting. Waiting until he's absolutely certain. After all, Jian Wuxin's fate is a stark warning; no one dares to gamble with their own life."

Xia Jin nodded thoughtfully.

Fan Wujiu stood up and patted Xia Jin on the shoulder: "Brother Xia, that's all I have to say. I hope you'll consider this carefully. I'm still looking forward to drinking with you again someday."