MTLNOVEL Chapter 123
Chapter 123:
The Ghost Mist Valley, also known as the Hundred Mile Ghost Mist Valley, stretches over a hundred miles.
Originally, if the Grand Elder and the others had chosen to fly with their swords along the sky route to Jiuxiao City, they wouldn’t have needed to traverse the Valley and take such a risk. However, their purpose for leaving the sect this time wasn’t for leisure. They aimed to gain combat experience before the Grand Competition.
Ghost Mist Valley was home to countless fierce beasts and poisonous creatures, making it the perfect training ground. Thus, going through the valley was inevitable for them. If they couldn’t even make it through Ghost Mist Valley, what right did they have to participate in the Grand Competition?
Having experienced the competition in his previous life, Xiao Yang was well aware of its brutal and deadly nature. The Grand Competition was far more dangerous than Ghost Mist Valley.
However, instead of seeing his fellow disciples arrive, Xiao Yang saw remnants of the Demonic Sect.
He had to admit that Qin Fei was quite capable.
Even after being utterly humiliated by him, Qin Fei still managed to connect with the remnants of the Demonic Sect and deploy them ahead of the Azure Sun Sword Sect to set up an ambush in the Valley.
From his point of view, Xiao Yang watched as more than a dozen mysterious figures entered the misty Valley, their movements shrouded by the thick fog.
Why was this Valley called Ghost Mist Valley?
Because it was perpetually enveloped in mist.
But this mist wasn’t ordinary—it was poisonous miasma. Some believed it was produced by the countless poisonous creatures inhabiting the valley, while others thought that the toxic mist resulted from the decomposition of countless dead creatures over time. Xiao Yang leaned toward the latter explanation.
After all, even if the creatures in the valley did emit poison, how many would it take to create a mist dense enough to blanket the entire area?
Looking at the swirling mist ahead, Xiao Yang knew that ordinary people stepping into it would face certain death. Even for cultivators, it was extremely perilous.
Once the figures of the Demonic Sect remnants disappeared into the mist, the Valley returned to silence. Xiao Yang sat cross-legged on a large rock atop the mountain ridge, patiently waiting.
Time passed.
The sun set in the west, and the evening glow stained the sky red. As dusk fell, the Azure Sun Sword Sect team finally appeared on the road leading to the Valley. They did not fly on their swords but instead walked on foot. Of course, as martial artists, their speed was still swift.
“Grand Elder, Ghost Mist Valley is just ahead,” Lei Renjie reported after scanning the area from above and descending.
“Everyone, take the detoxification pills. Once inside the Valley, stay alert. No one is allowed to act on their own. You must follow my orders. Anyone who disobeys will be punished according to sect rules!” The Grand Elder warned sternly.
The dangers ahead were real, and even with him personally leading the team, accidents could still happen.
“Master, is Ghost Mist Valley really that terrifying?” Fang Ritian asked cautiously.
Everyone looked toward the Grand Elder.
“This valley is filled with toxic mist, and fierce beasts lurk everywhere. Consider this a test. The dangers of the Grand Competition far exceed those of Ghost Mist Valley,” the elder said gravely, sweeping his gaze across the group.
“What?!” The disciples were taken aback.
Qin Fei, however, sneered inwardly.
Once they entered the valley, he planned to wipe them out completely. More importantly, he intended to use his junior sister to lure Xiao Yang into the trap. As long as he captured her, Xiao Yang would have no choice but to surrender.
‘Xiao Yang, just wait… I’ll make you suffer, unable to live or die!’
Qin Fei clenched his fists.
Thinking about how Xiao Yang had forced him to personally kill his uncle Li Kuang filled him with rage. He wished he could tear Xiao Yang to pieces, but he couldn’t act openly against him. It was suffocating.
He had already been forced to kill Shadow earlier, and now he had killed his own uncle. The frustration was driving him insane.
At that moment, everyone took out their detoxification pills and swallowed them.
“Junior brother, what are you thinking about?” Jiang Ting nudged the dazed Qin Fei.
Little did she know that her dear junior brother was secretly plotting to use her to deal with Xiao Yang.
“Ah, nothing,” Qin Fei hurriedly swallowed the detoxification pill.
Before leaving the sect, they had prepared all the necessary supplies. Their detoxification pills had been refined by the sect’s alchemists.
As one of the top ten forces in the Northern Territory, the Azure Sun Sword Sect had its own alchemists. However, being a sword-focused sect, they couldn’t compare to the Heavenly Medicine Sect or the Pill Pavilion of the Dan Ding Sect when it came to alchemy.
Moreover, the sect lacked a strong tradition in alchemy. Even Elder Qinglian, who managed the Spiritual Medicine Valley, had only basic knowledge of the craft. While she could refine common healing and detoxification pills, for more advanced elixirs that enhanced cultivation, they had to rely on external sources such as the Heavenly Medicine Sect or the Pill Pavilion.
For example, the Rebirth Pill they needed this time, even if it was available at the Pill Pavilion, would come at an exorbitant price.
“Alright, let’s head in!” the Grand Elder commanded, striding confidently toward the Valley.
A powerful surge of sword aura radiated from him, enveloping the entire group in its protective embrace.
“Hmm?”
On the mountain ridge, Xiao Yang sensed the Grand Elder’s sword aura and was surprised. Had the elder broken through to the Divine Martial Realm? How did this happen?
He hadn’t noticed before, but now it was clear. The elder had indeed reached the Divine Martial Realm.
This puzzled Xiao Yang. Both the Enforcement Elder and the Grand Elder had advanced to the Divine Martial Realm just before the Grand Competition.
Was it a coincidence? Or had they been suppressing their cultivation levels all along, waiting for the right moment?
It seemed that the elders, much like Sect Master Jiang Qitian, were far more cunning than they appeared.
“Wait a minute…”
Suddenly, Xiao Yang noticed a figure stealthily following the group from afar.
He immediately recognized him—it was Grand Uncle Long Chen.
Xiao Yang recalled the unsettling feeling he had back in Tianshui City, as if someone had been watching him from the shadows. Could it have been Long Chen all along?
…
Inside the massive canyon, dense mist swirled around, greatly reducing visibility.
Outside, the sky was clear and bright, but within, it was dark and ominous.
Xiao Yang watched as the group disappeared into the mist. Only then did he rise from the rock.
The show was about to begin, and how could he miss it?
Xiao Yang knew Qin Fei all too well.
In their past life, they had been rivals for a thousand years. Only he truly understood how despicable, sinister, and shameless Qin Fei was.
Only he knew Qin Fei’s true identity.
But in their previous life, no one had believed him—not his master Jiang Qitian, not his childhood friend Jiang Ting, nor even his closest family.
They had all chosen to believe in Qin Fei, the so-called chosen prodigy with an innate Dao physique.
This time, Xiao Yang didn’t care if they believed him or not.
All he wanted was to completely ruin Qin Fei and make everyone regret their choices.
With this thought, Xiao Yang silently descended from the ridge and slipped into Ghost Mist Valley without a trace.
The moment he stepped into the mist, an eerie chill enveloped him.
The inside of Ghost Mist Valley felt like an entirely different world compared to the outside.
Suddenly, he heard Jiang Ting’s startled scream and the panicked shouts of the disciples ahead.
“Hmm?” Xiao Yang’s eyes narrowed.
Had the Demonic Sect remnants already made their move?