Chapter Eighty-Seven: Entering the Valley

When Wang Ran and his junior sister arrived at the Burial Vale, Xu Ke, Zhao Xiaobai, and the other disciples had already been waiting for quite some time.

As soon as they saw Wang Ran, everyone greeted him. Xu Ke stepped forward and clasped his fists. “Senior Brother Wang, the Burial Vale lies ahead.”

Wang Ran nodded and swept his gaze across the group. Seeing that everyone was safe and sound, he finally relaxed.

“Xiaobai, how did things go on your side?” Wang Ran then asked Zhao Xiaobai.

Zhao Xiaobai gave a faint smile, licked his lips, and said with a hint of unfinished satisfaction, “It felt amazing to kill.”

Wang Ran was stunned. The disciples who had traveled with Zhao Xiaobai immediately began talking over one another, telling him how Zhao Xiaobai had turned into a blood-soaked Shura. It turned out that after a path of relentless slaughter, Zhao Xiaobai had led the disciples safely to the end of the road, where they encountered a demonic beast with perfect Foundation Establishment cultivation, terrifying beyond measure.

In the end, however, that beast was still slain by Zhao Xiaobai alone. He even skinned it and stripped it to the bone, so that the other beasts did not dare come near them.

Upon hearing this, Wang Ran suddenly understood. It seemed that of the three paths, only Xu Ke’s had been safe; the other two both led to the lair of a perfect Foundation Establishment beast.

Thinking of this, he could not help turning back to look at the safe road behind them, only to discover in astonishment that the path that had existed moments ago had now vanished.

“This forest really is cursed,” Wang Ran murmured to himself.

The other disciples also grew alarmed upon seeing this, feeling that the forest was full of mystery.

But after all, they were disciples of a major sect, and they soon calmed down. Wang Ran’s curiosity was also piqued, for this was clearly no ordinary forest. Its many strange features resembled some kind of formation, much like the grand protective array of their own sect.

If the outer forest was indeed a formation, then what exactly was the Burial Vale enclosed within it? Was it truly only a simple gathering place for beasts?

Shaking his head, he suppressed the questions in his heart. He knew the answers would naturally reveal themselves once they entered the vale.

He looked up at the valley ahead in the distance, thought for a moment, and then arranged, “Xu Ke, the disciples carrying the Black Tortoise tokens, and I will take the lead. My junior sister and the female disciples will follow behind. Zhao Xiaobai will bring up the rear and guard the formation. That way, if anything happens, we will have a chance to react.”

“Understood.” Everyone nodded excitedly, their eyes shining with eager anticipation.

They were all talented disciples of the My Way Sect, each with his or her own pride and ambition. They wanted to achieve something of note, and the task before them was a Heaven-rank mission that the sect regarded as one from which few returned. Even though it held danger, they were willing to take the risk.

Because a Heaven-rank mission was Heaven-rank not only because of its difficulty, but also because it represented opportunity.

Almost all cultivators knew that beyond cultivation, the greatest shortcut to growing stronger was probably battle. Only by being tempered in struggles of life and death could one’s cultivation advance by leaps and bounds.

Such insight at the brink between life and death was the sort of thing one might encounter by chance but could not seek.

A Heaven-rank mission, then, was the most fitting trial. If one truly succeeded, it would not only greatly benefit one’s cultivation, but upon returning to the sect, one would also be rewarded with a large amount of contribution points. How could these geniuses not be excited?

Wang Ran understood this as well, and he too felt a measure of anticipation. Without further delay, he led the group directly into the valley.

Following the planned formation, the twenty of them advanced in an orderly fashion into the Burial Vale. The instant they entered, they felt demonic energy surging all around them, and beastly roars echoed endlessly from some unseen place.

“Senior Brother, what is that?”

At that moment, a disciple suddenly pointed toward the sky ahead. Everyone looked up and saw a mass of purple miasma drifting toward the mouth of the valley.

“It seems that if we want to enter the valley, we’ll have to get through that poison miasma first,” Zhao Xiaobai said, stroking his chin. Then, somewhat regretfully, he added, “I have a spell that can release blood energy to disperse the poison, but it can only let me through alone. I’m afraid I can’t make it so that everyone passes safely together.”

Wang Ran also fell into thought. He felt that if he used the Blaze-Flame Heaven-Burning Armor, he should be able to force his way through as well. But what about the other disciples? That was the real problem.

“Senior Brother, I have a solution!”

Just then, the junior sister suddenly spoke. Everyone turned to look at her and saw her step forward. With a pat of her small hand on her storage bag, a shimmering bead immediately flew out, glowing with blue light.

“Is that the Azure Cloud Pearl?” Xu Ke’s eyes revealed a trace of surprise as he said in his deep, booming voice, “I never would have thought Junior Sister Yan had such a treasure.”

The other disciples also showed envy. The Azure Cloud Pearl was an extremely rare treasure used to aid cultivation, with many effects. One of them was driving away poison.

At this, the junior sister’s little face filled with pride. She clasped her hands behind her back and strode ahead with great assurance, leading the way. Her adorable manner made everyone unable to suppress a smile.

Indeed, with the Azure Cloud Pearl in hand, they finally entered the valley safely, the poison miasma dispersing naturally the moment it encountered the bead.

As Wang Ran and the others entered the valley, far beyond the forest, somewhere on the northern plains, a vast sect lay prostrate upon the land.

At that moment, in the grand hall within the sect, an old man dressed in black was sitting cross-legged in cultivation. Behind him, a wooden name tablet floated in midair.

Suddenly, with a crack, a fissure appeared in the tablet. In the next instant, the crack widened and widened until the tablet shattered.

The old man, who had been cultivating, abruptly opened his eyes. With a grasp into empty space, he seized the tablet in his hand. Staring at the fractures upon it, he stood frozen in disbelief for a very long time.

Gradually, the astonishment in his eyes turned into fury and killing intent. Scarlet blood vessels could be seen gathering within his gaze, and his grief was almost unbearable.

“Who was it… who killed my son!!” he roared in a low voice. Spiritual power surged around him, and his robe billowed without wind, causing the entire great hall to tremble beneath that overwhelming force.

The commotion was so intense that many disciples passing outside the hall sensed it and looked over in surprise.

Yet the old man was oblivious. Suddenly, he viciously bit the tip of his tongue and spat a drop of blood onto the tablet. As if some hidden mechanism had been triggered, a blurred image appeared in the void before him. Within it, a youth in white was pressing a palm onto the crown of a young man’s head, the latter half-kneeling on the ground.

“So it was you who killed the prodigy of my Liu family?” the old man said, his gaze fixed fiercely on the white-clad youth in the image, murderous intent boiling in his eyes.

“Very well. No matter where you are, no matter who you are, I will tear you to pieces and offer your corpse to my son’s spirit in heaven!” As soon as the words fell, the old man let out a crazed laugh. Then he shot into the sky, the wooden tablet clutched in his hand, standing in midair as he began to divine something.

A few moments later, he suddenly opened his eyes and, with hatred burning within them, turned his gaze toward the direction of the Burial Vale.