Liu Wenyuan dared not ask further questions. He quickly replied, “Yes! This subordinate will notify them at once.”
The Poison Heart Elder gazed at the flickering candle flame in the secret chamber. A cruel arc curved his lips.
“Chen Ping… This elder wants to see how many breaths you can last under the Netherworld Triple Kill Array. After you die, even your soul will become nourishment for this elder… Heh heh heh…”
The sinister laughter echoed in the chamber, like the hiss of a venomous snake.
Three days passed in an instant.
When Chen Ping and the Red Cloud Demon Lord stood once more outside the eastern gate of Sand Rock City, both had made the most thorough preparations.
Chen Ping had changed into a cyan outfit suited for mobility, with several storage bags and small array discs hanging at his waist.
On the surface, his aura remained first-rank Heavenly Immortal, but chaotic immortal power circulated slowly within him, ready to erupt in a thunderous strike at any moment.
The Red Cloud Demon Lord wore a dark red robe patterned with demonic runes. His demonic essence was restrained, yet his eyes were sharp as an eagle’s. Tucked in his bosom were several vials of secret medicines to stimulate life potential, his trump cards for the worst-case scenario.
The little fire qilin had been stored in Chen Ping’s storage ring, lest it draw too much attention.
“Let us go.” Chen Ping looked eastward, toward Black Wind Valley.
The two rose into the air, turning into streaks of light as they flew toward the valley three hundred li away.
The space in the Eleventh Heaven was more stable, and the resistance during flight was greater.
Chen Ping estimated that his maximum speed had dropped by about forty percent compared to the Tenth Heaven.
This meant that escaping from powerful enemies would be far more difficult.
After roughly half an hour, a stretch of black canyon terrain appeared ahead.
Steep black rock walls rose on either side of the canyon. Within the valley, strange black astral winds blew year-round, whipping up sand and stones, reducing visibility to almost nothing.
This was the origin of the name “Black Wind Valley”.
Following the instructions in the jade slip, the two landed at the valley entrance.
More than twenty people had already gathered there, their cultivations ranging from fourth- to sixth-rank Heavenly Immortal.
Liu Wenyuan was indeed among them. Seeing Chen Ping and his companion, he immediately approached with a smile.
“You two fellow daoists are truly punctual.”
Liu Wenyuan introduced them enthusiastically. “This is Brother Mad Blade, peak sixth-rank Heavenly Immortal, and the leader of this operation. This is…”
He introduced all the main figures present.
Chen Ping observed them calmly. Most appeared to be experienced loose cultivators or members of small forces, their eyes wary, keeping distance from one another.
Mad Blade indeed carried a fierce presence, a ghost-headed sabre the size of a door panel strapped to his back. His gaze toward Chen Ping held a trace of scrutiny and disdain.
Clearly, Chen Ping’s apparent first-rank Heavenly Immortal cultivation did not impress him.
“Everyone is here. Let us set off.”
Mad Blade spoke gruffly and took the lead into the valley.
The others followed closely.
Upon entering Black Wind Valley, the eerie black astral winds immediately assaulted them.
Fine grains of sand within the winds struck their protective spiritual light, producing rustling sounds.
More troublesome was that the winds seemed to erode divine sense. Chen Ping found his divine sense range compressed to less than a hundred zhang.
“Everyone, be careful. The astral winds here interfere with divine sense. Stay close and do not fall behind.”
Liu Wenyuan warned, walking in the middle of the group with evident caution.
The party advanced deeper along the canyon. The terrain was complex, with numerous branching paths, but Mad Blade seemed familiar with the route. He led them through the maze-like canyon, occasionally pausing to examine special markings on the rock walls.
Chen Ping’s wariness grew.
The environment of Black Wind Valley was perfect for an ambush. If someone had set a trap here, it would be like catching turtles in a jar.
After travelling for about the time it takes an incense stick to burn, a concealed cave entrance appeared ahead, half-hidden by several massive black boulders.
“This is it.”
Mad Blade pointed at the entrance. “According to intelligence, the cave abode has restrictions at the entrance that require combined effort to break. Everyone, prepare yourselves.”
The group summoned their magical treasures and gathered immortal power.
Mad Blade gave a low shout. His ghost-headed sabre erupted in dazzling blood light as he struck the entrance first.
“Boom!”
The boulders at the entrance exploded, revealing a transparent barrier flickering with faint light.
The other cultivators attacked as well. Various strikes landed on the barrier, stirring ripples.
Chen Ping did not exert full strength, merely sending out a few symbolic sword qi strikes.
He noticed that Liu Wenyuan also attacked, but likewise held back.
After about a quarter of an hour, the barrier shattered with a “pop” under the combined assault, exposing a pitch-black cave mouth.
“Go!” Mad Blade charged in first.
The others filed in one after another.
The interior of the cave abode was more spacious than expected. The passage wound downward, with blurred ancient murals carved on the walls, depicting flames, lava, and strange creatures.
The air carried a scorching heat, starkly contrasting the chill of Black Wind Valley.
“The owner of this cave abode was likely an ancient cultivator who practised fire-based techniques.” Someone speculated.
Yet a strange feeling rose in Chen Ping’s heart.
The flame and lava patterns on the murals reminded him of the “Flame Domain” and “Lava Demon Abyss” that Liu Wenyuan had mentioned.
It was too much of a coincidence.
After continuing downward for another quarter of an hour, the passage suddenly opened up into a vast underground cavern.
At the centre stood a three-zhang-high crimson stone platform. Upon it rested an exquisite jade box, its surface shimmering with flowing light and emanating tempting spiritual fluctuations.
Scattered around the platform were several withered skeletons and fragments of shattered magical treasures, clearly ancient.
“Treasure!” Someone’s eyes lit up and rushed forward.
“Wait!” Mad Blade shouted. “Beware of restrictions!”
But his warning came too late.
The two who charged first had barely stepped within ten zhang of the platform when countless eerie blood-coloured patterns suddenly lit up on the ground.
“Boom!”
A blood-coloured light curtain over twenty zhang in diameter surged upward, completely enveloping the pair.
Harrowing screams echoed from within the curtain. The two cultivators’ bodies melted and vaporised at a visible speed. Even their divine souls could not escape. They perished utterly, body and soul extinguished.
