“No rush. There are still too many people around. We need to wait a little longer. If Young Master Chen has other matters to attend to, feel free to see to them,” Liu Xue said.
Chen Ping nodded. “Alliance Leader Liu, then please wait here for me a while longer. I will go gather more information.”
“Young Master Chen, do be careful,” Liu Xue reminded him.
Chen Ping nodded and left the cave once more.
This time, he headed in the direction the middle-aged cultivator had pointed out.
After walking for about half an hour, Chen Ping arrived at an even more remote valley.
There were far fewer cultivators here, only a handful who appeared to possess considerable strength still searching.
Chen Ping spotted a white-haired elder. The old man carried an air of distinction and was clearly an elder from some major sect.
“Senior, a moment please,” Chen Ping stepped forward.
The white-haired elder turned and sized Chen Ping up. “What is it?”
“I wish to ask the senior about a few things.” As he spoke, Chen Ping produced a storage pouch containing a hundred pieces of top-grade immortal stones.
When the white-haired elder saw the pouch, surprise flickered in his eyes, but he quickly regained his composure. “What do you want to know?”
“I would like to ask whether the senior has seen the God King from the God King Palace of the Eighth Heaven in these parts,” Chen Ping asked directly.
The elder paused for a moment, then shook his head. “I am afraid I do not quite understand what you are talking about.”
He deliberately paused again and glanced at the storage pouch in Chen Ping’s hand.
Chen Ping understood the hint and immediately produced another hundred top-grade immortal stones. “As long as the senior can provide useful information, all of these are yours.”
A trace of greed flashed across the elder’s eyes, but he still said, “Very well, I can tell you something. That so-called God King has been placed under the control of his own two palace lords.”
“Controlled by someone?” Chen Ping’s heart tightened. “Are you certain?”
“Of course I am certain. I saw it with my own eyes. Those two palace lords looked extremely nervous, and the God King himself appeared very strange, as if he had lost consciousness,” the white-haired elder said.
“Which direction did they go?” Chen Ping asked urgently.
“Hmm…” The elder fell silent again, his greedy eyes fixed on Chen Ping’s storage pouch.
The meaning was obvious. To learn the direction, more immortal stones would be required.
Seeing this, Chen Ping did not hesitate. He tossed out five hundred immortal stones and said, “Tell me the direction…”
At the sight of five hundred top-grade immortal stones, the elder beamed with joy and immediately pointed in a direction. “They headed towards Death Valley over there. But that place is extremely dangerous. Powerful demon beasts roam there, and people from the Evil Path Palace have also been active in the area.”
“With only your third-grade Human Immortal cultivation, I fear you will not even reach Death Valley. If you need me to guide you, I can…”
“Thank you for the information, senior.” Without waiting for the elder to finish, Chen Ping threw out another five hundred top-grade immortal stones. “These are a token of my gratitude.”
To Chen Ping, these top-grade immortal stones were mere pocket change.
The white-haired elder was highly satisfied with Chen Ping’s generosity. “Young man, I advise you not to meddle in this affair. The people from the Evil Path Palace are not to be trifled with.”
“Thank you for the warning, senior. I know my own limits.”
With that, Chen Ping turned and walked towards Death Valley.
Although he was unfamiliar with the area, he would never allow a stranger to lead him. In this heavenly furnace realm, there were no truly good people, only interests.
Given how generously he had spent, who knew if the old man had already harboured ill intentions.
Death Valley lived up to its name. It was an extraordinarily perilous place.
Miasma filled the air, bleached bones lay scattered everywhere, and the atmosphere was thick with the aura of death.
It was said that of the cultivators who entered, very few ever made it out alive.
