Outside the city.
“Captain Lin Yun, I’m heading back to the Heavenly Fire Temple now. Your mission to seize it will surely be fraught with danger. You must prioritise your life above all,” Old Black instructed.
“Rest assured,” Lin Yun said with a smile, nodding.
Then the two parted ways, Old Black heading straight for the Heavenly Fire Temple.
Lin Yun took to the air, his destination, Barren Valley.
With the map of Beiyan Territory in his possession, Lin Yun knew the direction of Barren Valley.
After flying for several hours.
“That should be Barren Valley ahead,” Lin Yun said, checking the map again.
On the map, Barren Valley was merely a small dot, with no additional markings.
Yet, standing here and looking out, Barren Valley stretched endlessly, its expanse boundless.
With such complex terrain and lush vegetation, finding the Mysterious Heaven Tree in Barren Valley would not be easy. Old Black had mentioned that the Mysterious Heaven Tree typically grew in extremely remote places, making it hard to locate.
However, that group was coming today, suggesting the Mysterious Heaven Fruit would ripen within a day or two.
Lin Yun descended, landing at the edge of Barren Valley. He found a towering tree and leaned against its trunk.
After waiting there for about an hour, there was finally movement.
It was the group from the inn. They appeared at Barren Valley, landing at its edge.
Clearly, they planned to enter Barren Valley on foot.
Lin Yun quietly followed, letting them serve as his guides.
Once inside Barren Valley, dense vegetation surrounded them.
Lin Yun kept a safe distance, following their trail and using his divine sense to assist in tracking.
The group moved slowly, and Lin Yun followed from afternoon into the evening.
At night, a bright moon hung high, its light bathing the land.
Barren Valley was quiet, with only occasional sounds from insects or beasts.
The group set up camp.
Lin Yun, a kilometre away, hid in a patch of grass.
At that moment, a ripple of divine sense spread out.
It was the white-robed man, scanning the surroundings with his divine sense.
The divine sense passed over Lin Yun.
Inside the camp.
“Anything unusual, Senior Brother?” the woman called Fifth Sister asked.
“Nothing unusual,” the white-robed man replied, retracting his divine sense.
In the grass where Lin Yun hid.
Lin Yun breathed a sigh of relief, secretly rejoicing. Fortunately, he had the Shadowless Jade Pendant, which concealed him, leaving the man’s divine sense unable to detect anything.
If he had been discovered early, it would have been far more troublesome.
Lin Yun had trailed them this long without being noticed, thanks to his caution and, most importantly, the Shadowless Jade Pendant.
Day and night passed.
Morning light bathed the land, heralding a vibrant new day.
The group set off again, heading deeper into the valley.
The terrain in the valley’s depths was complex.
The group’s vigilance was higher than the previous day, constantly using divine sense to scan their surroundings while travelling.
Thanks to the Shadowless Jade Pendant, Lin Yun remained undetected.
In the afternoon, the group reached a massive cliff in the valley.
At the base of the cliff grew a tree, about three metres tall, seemingly unremarkable.
This was the Mysterious Heaven Tree.
A golden fruit hung on its branches.
“Senior Brother, the Mysterious Heaven Fruit is there!” Fifth Sister said, pointing at the cliff.
Their eyes gleamed at the sight of the fruit.
A single Mysterious Heaven Fruit could fetch an astonishing price if sold.
“It seems the fruit isn’t fully ripe yet, but it’s in its final stages,” the white-robed man said.
“We need to stay alert and guard against others coming to compete for it,” the chubby cultivator in the group added.
The group chose a concealed spot outside the cliff, waiting for the fruit to ripen while continuously scanning the area with divine sense.
Lin Yun, too, hid in a concealed spot behind them, also waiting.
From afternoon to evening, the fruit visibly underwent its final changes.
“Is this the only group here to compete for the Mysterious Heaven Fruit?” Lin Yun wondered, surprised.
“Hm? More people are coming!”
Just as Lin Yun pondered this, he noticed another group descending from the sky.
This group, ten in total, all wore purple robes, led by a white-haired old man in purple.
“Senior Brother, another group has arrived!” Fifth Sister urgently called to the white-robed man.
After the purple-robed group landed at the cliff, they faced off directly with Fifth Sister’s group.
“Don’t panic, Junior Sister. I’m here,” the white-robed man said, patting her delicate hand.
He stepped forward and said, “May I ask who you all are?”
“I am the lord of Fengsha Fortress. I’m here today to take the Mysterious Heaven Fruit beneath that cliff,” the purple-robed old man said, hands behind his back.
“Fortress Lord, I am a protector of Thunder Manor. My junior sister discovered this Mysterious Heaven Fruit long ago and has been waiting for it to ripen. I hope you will show some courtesy,” the white-robed man said.
“So, you’re a protector of Thunder Manor. A pleasure. However, I, too, discovered this fruit long ago and cannot yield it,” the old man replied.
The white-robed man’s brow furrowed. “What, Fortress Lord, do you dare oppose Thunder Manor? Surely you’re aware of Thunder Manor’s reputation near Tao’an. Even in all of Beiyan County, among countless forces, Thunder Manor ranks in the top thirty!”
The purple-robed old man showed no fear, instead laughing. “Haha, Thunder Manor is indeed formidable, but you’re merely a protector. If your elders or manor lord were here, I’d be wary. But you, a mere protector, think you can intimidate me with your manor’s name?”
The white-robed man grew visibly displeased.
“I may be just a protector, not a high-ranking member of Thunder Manor, but I am a core force. If you offend me and I report this to Thunder Manor, your little Fengsha Fortress won’t bear the consequences. Fortress Lord, you’d best weigh your options carefully to avoid your fortress’s ruin,” the white-robed man said, his tone growing colder.
