Lizhu Grotto-Heaven Arc

Overview

The Lizhu Grotto-Heaven Arc serves as the foundational narrative period of the world's modern history. Created approximately three thousand years ago following the Dragon Slaying Campaign, the Lizhu Grotto-Heaven was one of thirty-six small grotto-heavens in the Haoran World. It was constructed by ancient sages as a massive geographical suppression array over the corpse of the last true dragon. Because the dragon's immense, lingering fortunes seeped into the local population, the hidden town continually birthed extraordinarily talented youths, transforming it into a highly coveted cradle for cultivation geniuses.

As the pocket dimension approaches the end of its predetermined three-thousand-year lifespan, the protective heavenly laws maintaining the hidden town begin to fracture. Recognizing the impending collapse, numerous outside cultivation sects and major factions from the Haoran World gather at the borders, anticipating the dimension's fall to harvest the remaining dragon fortunes, uncover ancient treasures, and recruit the miraculously gifted children born within the town.

At the center of this localized but world-shaping crisis is Chen Ping'an, a destitute orphan in Mud Bottle Alley whose natal porcelain was maliciously shattered, severing his innate "Long-Life Bridge." Simultaneously, the town's sitting sage, Qi Jingchun, attempts to protect the innocent mortal inhabitants from being crushed by the Heavenly Dao's backlash. To do so, Qi Jingchun must navigate a deadly, overarching "Great Exam" orchestrated by his senior brother, Great Li National Master Cui Chan, a scheme designed to sever Qi Jingchun's cultural lineage and force his ultimate sacrifice.

Major Timeline Points

• Formation of the Dragon-Suppressing Town: Ancient sages construct the hidden town as an elaborate array to suppress the true dragon's corpse and slowly harvest its immense legacy.
• Shattering of Chen Ping’an’s Natal Porcelain: Chen Ping'an's father deliberately smashes his son's natal porcelain to save him from becoming a sect puppet, altering the boy's destiny and bringing tragedy to the family.
• Cui Chan’s Great Exam Scheme: Great Li National Master Cui Chan orchestrates a grand chess game and "exam" to force Qi Jingchun's sacrifice and prove his own "Merit" Dao philosophy.
• Qi Jingchun’s Night at the Covered Bridge: Knowing his end is near, Qi Jingchun sits alone on the covered bridge from night until dawn to persuade the ancient Sword Spirit to protect Chen Ping'an.
• The Fall of Lizhu Grotto-Heaven: The destruction of the hidden town's protective barrier and Qi Jingchun's ultimate sacrifice to shoulder the Heavenly Dao's backlash, saving the town's inhabitants.
• Ruan Qiong Establishes Dragon Quan Sword Sect: Military sage Ruan Qiong assumes control as the sitting sage of the newly formed Longquan County, establishing a powerful new sword sect and enforcing strict laws over outside cultivators.

Outcome / Consequences

The arc concludes with the physical fall of the Lizhu Grotto-Heaven into the Haoran World, officially transforming the isolated pocket dimension into Longquan County under the Great Li Dynasty's jurisdiction. This monumental shift ends the town's three-thousand-year isolation, drastically alters the balance of power within the Bao Ping Continent, and forces the orphaned Chen Ping'an to step out of his small hometown. Propelled by the legacies of those who protected him, Chen Ping'an begins his epic, continent-spanning journey of martial arts and cultivation.

References

• 剑来1：少年起微末，第七章 — 拳谱: Details the origins of the town following the Dragon Slaying Campaign and the sages' arrangement for the grotto-heaven.
• 剑来2：忽为远行客，第六章 — 梦想: Explains Cui Chan's overarching "Great Exam" scheme to force Qi Jingchun's death and sever his lineage.
• 剑来2：忽为远行客，第七章 — 大考落幕: Chronicles the conclusion of the exam, the physical fall of the Lizhu Grotto-Heaven, and its integration into the Great Li Dynasty.
• 剑来42：观书喜夜长，第六章 — 开战: Discusses the hidden town's geographical layout acting as a massive suppression array over the true dragon's remnants.