The Expedition into the Fallen Devil Valley

Chapter 697: A Name Shakes the Region; The Perils of the Wasteland

The other cultivators, including Wang Tiangu, raised no objections to Nan Longhou’s conditions.

After all, given the duo’s cultivation and their role as the instigators of this venture, it was only natural they would claim a greater share of the spoils. Everyone silently acquiesced.

Fearing that delays would only invite complications, they agreed on the spot not to wait for the end of the trade meeting. After two days of preparation, they would set out immediately.

All present swore a Heart Demon Oath not to divulge the matter before they parted ways.

Han Li noted the supreme confidence exuded by Nan Longhou and the other man. They seemed utterly unafraid of any underhanded schemes.

Understandable, he supposed. The location and the method for breaking the seal were both in their hands. With their cunning and power, it would indeed be difficult for anyone else to entertain any treacherous thoughts.

As for Han Li’s own reasons for agreeing to this expedition, he had given them considerable thought.

Ever since reaching the Nascent Soul stage, his progress in the Azure Origin Sword Art had been grindingly slow, like a snail crawling forward. Without suitable pills to consume, this was the inevitable pace.

He estimated that if he relied solely on bitter cultivation in his cave, it would take at least two or three hundred years just to reach the pinnacle of the Early Nascent Soul stage. Whether he could then break through to the Mid-Nascent Soul stage would depend entirely on fate and opportunity. Aptitude was no longer the deciding factor.

After all, every Nascent Soul cultivator who reached this point was a person of exceptional talent.

His original plan, once this trade meeting was over, was to go into seclusion for a hundred years or so to master his secret arts and techniques. Once those were all at a proficient level, he would leave his cave and travel the world, seeking out ancient cultivator ruins and rare celestial treasures.

Only in this way did he have any hope of finding a fleeting chance to enter the next realm ahead of schedule.

Now that an opportunity had arisen to acquire the legendary treasures of the Fallen Devil Valley, how could he possibly let it slip by?

Perhaps this would be his karmic chance.

The thoughts of the others were likely much the same.

These Nascent Soul elders had been stuck at the early stage for countless years. They would not let slip any opportunity for a breakthrough.

The demonic cultivators who had perished together in the Fallen Devil Valley were no ordinary ancient cultivators. They were said to have been top-tier existences even among the ancient cultivators of that era. The techniques or pills they left behind would naturally be extraordinary.

That alone was enough to tempt Han Li and the others beyond measure.

There was, however, one other matter. Since the Young Master of the Ghost Spirit Sect would be accompanying them, Han Li would not hesitate to eliminate him if the opportunity presented itself on the road.

As long as he wasn't caught in the act by that Wang Tiangu, what could the man truly do to him? After all, the demonic path and his own Heavenly Dao Alliance were already mortal enemies.

Dwelling on these murderous thoughts, Han Li walked along a bluestone street toward his residence.

He did not know that in a small alley a few streets away, Wang Tiangu was walking slowly ahead, with Wang Chan and Yan Ruyan following silently behind.

"Once we return, tell me in detail about the grievances between you and that man. Judging by his demeanor, his hatred for you has not faded. For the time being, do not stray too far from my side, you and your wife. Be cautious against a sneak attack," Wang Tiangu said, his tone unhurried.

"Yes, Uncle. I never imagined that a single moment of leniency back then would have created such a formidable enemy. That he could break through the Core Formation and Nascent Soul bottlenecks in such a short time is truly beyond my expectations," Wang Chan replied respectfully, but his heart was heavy with frustration at the thought of Han Li being a Nascent Soul cultivator.

"Hmph, do not be too disheartened. With the supreme power of the Blood Spirit Grand Art, your combined strength may not necessarily lose to that brat. Once you break through to the seventh layer, both you and Ruyan can condense your Nascent Souls together. At that point, it remains to be seen who will be causing trouble for whom! However, you two must be extra careful on this trip to the Moulan plains. Even if I must leave you for a time, do not separate. Working together, you should be able to protect yourselves," Wang Tiangu said with a cold laugh.

"Thank you for your guidance, Uncle!" Wang Chan felt considerably more at ease upon hearing this and quickly expressed his gratitude.

"Heh. Among your brothers, I have the highest hopes for you. That is why I brought you along to this trade meeting alone. But… that boy was originally a disciple of the Yellow Maple Valley, and that old ghost Linghu seems to be attending this meeting in person as well. I wonder if that boy still has ties to that old ghost?" Wang Tiangu's voice dropped, and he began muttering to himself, appearing deeply wary of the Yellow Maple Valley's Ancestral Master Linghu.

Wang Chan and Yan Ruyan exchanged a look of surprise at this remark.

…

Han Li returned to his lodgings and slept for the night. The next day, he spent the entire day hastily purchasing all the remaining materials he needed. He then gave his instructions to Mu Peiling, entrusting Lu Luo with the task of taking her back with him.

Lu Luo was naturally astonished to hear that Han Li planned to leave abruptly before the trade meeting had even concluded. However, seeing that Han Li had no intention of explaining himself, he did not press the matter and readily agreed.

This greatly increased Han Li's favorable impression of this Senior Brother Lu.

On the final day, Han Li went nowhere. He simply sat in his pavilion, circulating his qi in meditation for the entire day.

At the appointed time, Han Li calmly left his pavilion and headed alone toward a small hill a thousand li south of Tiantian City.

When he arrived, Nan Longhou and the white-robed elder were already waiting there, unaccompanied by any disciples.

Nan Longhou, in particular, had shed his purple robe and jade crown, now dressed as a simple Confucian scholar in pale yellow.

Over the next two to three hours, the others arrived one by one. The last to appear were Wang Tiangu of the Ghost Spirit Sect and his two companions, who arrived together.

Han Li’s expression flickered slightly at this.

With a single command of "Let us depart" from Nan Longhou, the group of nine quietly slipped out of Tiantian City, heading south toward the Moulan plains.

…

Tiantian City was located in Yu State, which was not the country closest to the Moulan plains. The states of the Nine State Alliance did not actually share a direct border with the Moulan plains. Between them lay a vast expanse of yellow earth, stretching nearly ten thousand li.

This land was sparse in vegetation, perpetually choked with flying dust, and battered by unceasing gales. It had naturally become the battlefield where the Nine State Alliance and the Dharma Warriors clashed.

Over so many years, tens of thousands of cultivators had perished on this very soil.

Even in times of peace, this wasteland was an exceptionally dangerous place, not just during formal engagements.

For a multitude of reasons, countless cultivators and Dharma Warriors from both sides roamed this land.

Some came to commit open murder and seize treasures. Others sought to break through their cultivation bottlenecks at the razor's edge between life and death.

But regardless of their reasons, one thing was common: those who dared come here were cultivators with considerable confidence in their own power, far stronger than their ordinary peers. The vast majority were at the Foundation Establishment stage, though Core Formation-level duels occasionally occurred.

Whenever Core Formation existences appeared, the weaker cultivators would quickly flee, terrified of being caught in the crossfire.

As for Nascent Soul old monsters, they rarely deigned to show themselves in such skirmishes. So when Nan Longhou led Han Li and the others into this region, no one paid it any heed. They all treated the wasteland as if it were nothing at all!

A distance of ten thousand li was, for cultivators like Han Li at the Nascent Soul stage, an easy day's journey. They were in no hurry, flying forward at a leisurely pace.

Nan Longhou and the white-robed elder led the way, Wang Tiangu and his two companions brought up the rear, and Han Li and the others flew scattered in the middle.

Along the way, they spotted a few low-level cultivators. They paid them no attention, simply flying silently over their heads.

Whether by chance or design, they had been flying over the wilderness for barely half an hour when the white-robed elder, leading the way, suddenly halted.

"Brother Yun, what's the matter?" Nan Longhou asked, startled. The two of them had been taking turns sweeping the area with their spiritual sense, hence his question.

"It seems a gale has sprung up ahead. Something is not quite right," the elder surnamed Yun said, narrowing his eyes with a grave expression.

"A gale? A bit of wind is normal in a place like this, is it not?" Nan Longhou said, a little puzzled. He extended his own spiritual sense into the distance. He knew the white-robed elder would not say such a thing without reason.

Han Li and the old woman, who were behind them, had also heard the exchange. After exchanging a glance, they performed their own scans.

Although they had not yet truly entered the Moulan plains, it was better to be cautious. All of them possessed formidable spiritual sense. No matter how detailed another's report might be, nothing was as reassuring as checking for oneself.

But when Han Li and the others extended their spiritual sense ahead, their faces immediately showed signs of uncertainty and alarm.

"That wind is not just ‘not quite right.’ It is definitely a problem. It is no natural gale!" the old woman said, her face darkening as she withdrew her spiritual sense.

(This has reached a critical juncture. I need to carefully consider the outline details. So the next updates may be a little slower. I ask for your understanding. For now, this is the chapter.)