Chapter 100: Before the Valley
Chapter 100: Before the Valley
The Wraith Sect faced a crucial choice. The elders recalled that within the Wheel of Life and Death, there were only ever two intersecting paths at any given time. Considering the Wraith Sect's unpredictable and mysterious methods, it wasn’t entirely impossible for them to emerge victorious.
They had also deduced the enemy’s intention, to sever the Wraith Sect’s future by targeting its most talented lower-rank disciples. If successful, the sect would face a shortage of successors for decades, leading to a complete break in its Foundation Establishment phase.
The gray-robed, linen-clothed Nascent Soul cultivator atop the mountain had a keen eye. Elder Peng and the others had already seen through the opponent’s plan. Now, even knowing it was a trap, the only question was whether they would step into it or not.
In the tense silence, Foundation Establishment cultivators Baili Yuan, Wang Tian, Gan Shi, Yun Chunque, the Chu brothers, and others exchanged glances. Then, in unison, they shouted in a low but firm voice:
"Fight!"
Though Zhao Min, Li Changting, and Gong Chenying remained silent, their eyes burned with determination as they looked toward the Qi Condensation disciples behind them. These Foundation Establishment cultivators, despite not knowing who among them would survive the next month to lead the younger disciples, all chose to fight without hesitation.
Elder Peng and the others turned their gazes toward the group of Qi Condensation disciples. A few elders even lingered their eyes on Li Yan for a moment, he had made a strong impression.
At the entrance of the passage earlier, although Foundation Establishment disciples were expected to notice such things, it had been Li Yan, still at the Qi Condensation stage, who had first sensed something amiss with the Grand Profound Sect.
The Qi Condensation disciples remained silent for a moment, causing some Foundation Establishment cultivators to frown. Elder Peng finally broke the silence.
“You can wait until you've met disciples from the other two sects before making your decision. If their situation is different from ours, it might mean our guess is off, and our chances in the Wheel of Life and Death are higher then participation will be mandatory.
Otherwise, I want to see a calm and deliberate choice, not a reckless one born of hot blood. The strength of the Wraith Sect lies not in fearing death, but in never rushing blindly toward it.”
“I choose to fight!”
A voice suddenly rose from among the Qi Condensation disciples. Everyone turned to see a calm-faced Du Sanjiang.
“I’m in too!”
Lu Qiutong shrugged, then unexpectedly turned to glance at Li Yan in the corner.
“Fight!”
“I choose to fight!”
“…”
Before Li Yan could react, two to three dozen disciples had already shouted their support.
Li Yan looked around, somewhat helpless. These disciples were all at the late tenth level of Qi Condensation or higher. Once the first person stepped up, more than half followed in agreement.
Li Yan remained expressionless and didn’t voice his stance. He had a vague sense that something wasn’t right, though he couldn't pinpoint what it was.
Still, a part of him wanted to fight. As Elder Peng had said, only two paths intersect at a time in the Wheel of Life and Death. Since when did the Wraith Sect depend solely on cultivation level to win battles? As long as the enemy had a physical body, poisons and Gu insects would still be effective.
Opportunities weren’t for everyone. If this Wheel of Life and Death event had been presented to a second or third-rank sect, even knowing it was dangerous, they would still sacrifice countless disciples just to secure a spot.
Seeing so many favoring battle, Elder Peng simply nodded. Deep down, he hoped they would enter the Wheel of Life and Death. What safety is there for cultivators anyway? If one desired a peaceful life, they might as well remain a mortal.
He was the head of the Wraith Sect’s Law Enforcement Hall, ruthlessness was in his bones.
Some Foundation Establishment cultivators, however, frowned upon the Qi Condensation disciples’ lack of unity. Every single one of them had undergone life-and-death trials, with most having taken part in bloody the secret realm harvest. Death no longer fazed them.
But among Li Yan’s group, only a few had trained outside the sect. Their means of self-protection was still weak.
In more remote sects, even disciples at the fourth or fifth level or as low as the first or second might venture outside. But in the Four Great Sects, disciples below the ninth level of Qi Condensation were generally prohibited from leaving.
If they did, they were easy prey. The Four Great Sects were in constant conflict, and assassinating enemy disciples was a routine tactic. Weak Qi Condensation cultivators made for the easiest targets, cutting off the roots was an effective strategy.
That was the same logic behind Elder Peng's suspicion that the other sects intended to use the Wheel of Life and Death to eliminate the Wraith Sect’s Qi Condensation disciples.
Li Yan stood in the corner, head bowed in thought. He was pondering the strange feeling he had gotten from those Grand Profound Sect disciples, a sense of familiarity he couldn’t quite place.
After entering the secret realm, that sensation only intensified. It was as if he had been here before. A strange, inexplicable feeling.
“Martial Uncle Li, you didn’t say anything just now. Don’t plan on participating?”
As Li Yan was lost in thought, a voice sounded beside him. He turned his head and saw a tenth level Qi Condensation disciple from the Boundless Peak.
Li Yan didn’t recognize this cultivator and had never fought him before, but based on his tone, he could guess this person was either a friend of someone he had defeated from Boundless Peak, or somehow connected to Zhou Guan'er or Wang Tian.
Regardless, the tone was clearly unfriendly. Though not loud, many nearby heard it. Their gazes turned toward Li Yan, some filled with disdain, some with pity, and others with schadenfreude.
To be questioned so directly by a junior in name, it was obviously meant to put Li Yan on the spot.
“You think you’re qualified to question your Martial Uncle?”
Li Yan’s face remained blank as he turned to the speaker, responding in a flat voice.
“You…”
The disciple was momentarily speechless. The hierarchy in the cultivation world was strict. If Li Yan decided to press the issue, he would surely be at a disadvantage.
Having spoken, Li Yan indifferently turned his head away and shut his eyes. His mind was filled with suspicions, not something he wished to waste on trivial provocations.
The others nearby, seeing Li Yan speak so uncharacteristically, didn’t dare provoke him further, afraid of being embarrassed themselves.
Though five or six of these Qi Condensation disciples were registered disciples of Core Formation elders from various peaks, and thus had lofty pride, none of them were willing to involve themselves in such a petty matter.
“A sharp-tongued little one. Pity I was in seclusion last time and missed the competition. I hear his Fractured Poison Body is quite interesting,”
The beautiful woman at the front, Master of the Boundless Peak, chuckled. Her laughter bloomed like a thousand flowers, enchanting and graceful. Though none of the Core Formation cultivators turned to look, their divine senses were so sharp that they’d heard everything clearly without even trying.
“Junior Sister Li missed out indeed. The boy’s techniques are quite impressive. A few of his poisons gave even us some trouble to cleanse.
And just before entering the passage earlier, he was the first among the Qi Condensation disciples to sense something off about the Grand Profound Sect. That kind of perception is exceptional. If he can reach the Foundation Establishment stage, he’s worth watching.”
The scholarly peak master Feng spoke with a smile.
"Oh? Then let’s see if he survives after entering the Wheel of Life and Death! But from what Changting says, that brat seems to be involved with Zhao Min too. He’s only been on the peak for a few years… That’s why I say, nothing good ever comes out of Little Bamboo Peak. Hmph!"
A collective headache swept through the surrounding Core Formation elders. How did the conversation veer to Little Bamboo Peak again? There was simply no reasoning with this madwoman, her words were always all over the place.
As a result, the Core Formation cultivators all turned their gazes forward, ignoring anything else the Mistress of Boundless Peak said, sitting upright in perfect silence.
Thus, two beams of light streaked across the skies above the grasslands, disappearing again into the distant heavens...
After nearly half a day of travel, the light from the two sects began to slow. Sensing the change, Li Yan opened his eyes and, like the others, focused his gaze beyond the protective barrier.
Before them rose several towering mountains, their peaks vanishing into the clouds. Verdant foliage blanketed their slopes and waterfalls cascaded down from high cliffs, plummeting in silver arcs…
As they drew closer, the mountains loomed larger and grander like mighty rivers of starlight flowing endlessly, majestic and unyielding.
When they were still several hundred zhang away from one such mountain, the two sects began to descend. The spiritual light around them gradually dissipated. When they were about three to four zhang from the ground, Elder Peng called out sharply:
“We’re landing!”
As he spoke, he led the descent. The other elders, Foundation Establishment cultivators, and Li Yan along with the group of Qi Condensation disciples followed in an orderly fashion.
Likewise, on the massive spirit ship across the way, a voice rang out from Immortal Hang Wu, prompting his group to descend as well.
During the descent, Li Yan noticed that they were landing in an open field in front of the mountain range, roughly five to six hundred zhang in length and width, covered in green grass. Ahead, a narrow path led straight into the mountains, threading into a gorge formed by two adjoining peaks.
At that moment, there were already several hundred figures gathered at the entrance to the valley. They stood scattered about, a raucous clamor echoing through the area. These figures completely blocked the view into the valley, preventing anyone from seeing what lay beyond.
Li Yan blinked in surprise as he got a better look. More accurately, what he saw wasn’t several hundred humans but several hundred demonic beasts, loosely grouped into three clusters.
Though disorderly, their arrangement faintly indicated a structure, each group seemingly led by one of the three figures standing at the front, undeniably human in appearance. The beasts behind them, however, came in all shapes and sizes.
As the cultivators from the two sects touched down, one of the three men stepped forward and spoke:
“So it’s fellow Daoists from the Grand Profound Sect and the Wraith Sect. Looks like Immortal Hang Wu and Elder Peng are leading this time?”
All eyes turned toward the speaker, a middle-aged man with a sinister face, sunken eyes, a hooked nose, and a lean frame. He wore a long black robe and clasped his hands lightly in greeting as he addressed the leaders.
From the moment the cultivators had landed, the trio had already identified the two leading elders. As soon as the man spoke, the several hundred beasts behind him immediately fell silent, the chaotic noise vanishing into stillness.
“Hehe, this humble Daoist greets Brother Yin, Brother Lin, and Brother Yan! It’s been more than ten years, and your powers seem even greater than before.”
Immortal Hang Wu offered a respectful bow after landing.
The man in black, addressed as Brother Yin, gave a faint smile but didn’t respond further. The other two men also stood smiling wordlessly.
One of them was tall and refined, with jade-like features and flawless, crystalline skin. Dressed in flowing white robes, he looked every bit the charming noble scion from a mortal fairy tale.
The third was a towering man over two zhang tall, with a face carved like stone and skin of a strange bronze hue. His bulging muscles stretched his purple robe to its limits. Compared to him, even someone like Wei Chituo looked like a half-grown child.
“Looks like we arrived a bit earlier,” Elder Peng said, clasping his hands and speaking with ambiguous meaning. Judging from the reactions on the other side, they clearly understood him.
The purple-robed giant rumbled in a deep, gravelly voice:
“Pure Land Sect and Ten-Step Court should be here soon. You humans are always so slow, every time we have to wait for you!”
“Hehe, that’s not entirely fair,” the handsome man with the fan chimed in, smiling as he swayed it gently. “We do have to study your kind’s strict rules and group slaughter tactics, after all. Those are quite effective.”
Elder Peng narrowed his eyes at their words but said nothing. Immortal Hang Wu simply maintained a polite smile.
Seeing this, the trio shifted their attention to the other Core Formation elders. The fan-wielding man swept his gaze across the Grand Profound Sect’s ranks and quickly spotted two stunning young female Daoists. Their radiant beauty and shapely figures were barely hidden by their loose robes. His eyes lit up instantly.
But then, as his gaze fell on the Mistress of Boundless Peak, his pupils flashed with unmistakable desire, utterly unabashed by the intensity of his gaze. He turned and said to the two leaders:
“Fellow Daoists, although we recognize a few familiar faces, many others here are strangers. Won’t you introduce them to us?”
His eyes lingered only on the Core Formation cultivators up front. The Foundation Establishment and Qi Condensation disciples behind were beneath his notice.
Naturally, Elder Peng and Immortal Hang Wu nodded and began introductions one by one. The atmosphere briefly turned lively.
Behind the three men, the hundreds of demonic beasts turned their lustful eyes toward the female disciples among the Foundation and Qi Condensation ranks. Their expressions were lewd, their stares unrestrained.
Not only did they gawk openly, but they also began discussing certain disciples’ figures in crude, unfiltered tones, bursting into loud, lascivious laughter.
The female cultivators gradually wore expressions of icy disdain, many frowning as anger flared in their eyes. The male disciples responded with either burning fury or cold, murderous glares toward the beasts.
However, with the Core Formation elders standing at the front, there was no way to retaliate now. They could only memorize the appearances of these monsters and wait for the trials ahead when the Wheel of Life and Death or the treasure hunt began before seizing the chance to take vengeance.
(Chapter End)
We've reached a hundred chaps in no time!