Chapter 350: 208: Orchid Valley

“Do you think I’m spouting nonsense?”

Mo Baiye trembled with rage, “Master Shi, you really should take this to heart…”

“Silence, how dare you insult Master Shi? Mo Baiye, do you really think that with the help of a Galaxy 7-dan, you can afford to burn bridges and act recklessly?”

As Zhang Xuan reproached him, he unleashed the Giant Wave Formation, exuding a sense of justice and indomitable spirit.

“Why else would you be so brazen as to borrow money without intending to pay it back, and even dare to argue with Master Shi? It turns out you had this support all along…”

Indeed, influenced by this momentum, a Vice Hall Master behind Shi Yunjing snorted coldly, his eyes resting on “Brother Du” for a while before he continued, “My guess is correct. You must be Du Xinyu of the Ten Thousand Sabers Alliance, right?”

“Do you know me?”

Brother Du, Du Xinyu, frowned.

He rarely showed his face, so it was surprising that someone had identified him by name.

“I saw you from a distance once before! Du Xinyu, you practice the Heavenly Destiny of the Simple Blade, a power branch of saber art. When you wield your saber, your strength is vigorous and unending, earning you the nickname ‘Tyrant Blade.'”

The Vice Hall Master gave a brief introduction before adding, “Your strength is indeed that of Galaxy 7-dan, but we have so many here. If we attack together, it shouldn’t be hard to kill you, right?”

Du Xinyu fell silent.

A lone Galaxy 7-dan could easily defeat a single Galaxy 6-dan Peak, but not when outnumbered. Even he could easily be killed.

This was also the main reason why, despite his high cultivation, he did not dare to slaughter indiscriminately.@@novelbin@@

“Mo Baiye, if he is your reliance, then let me tell you, you’ve miscalculated… Everyone, why don’t we join forces and kill this Du Xinyu first?”

Zhang Xuan looked around and spoke first, his voice carrying a hint of Fox Charm Destiny.

“Good!”

“This guy borrowed my money and didn’t pay back; he even mocked me. I’ve long found him intolerable!”

“Let’s eliminate his strongest support first, then watch him kneel and admit his wrongdoing!”

“Let’s do this together…”

Already on edge, when they heard his bewitching voice, immediately over a dozen Fate Masters responded in agreement, all visibly excited.

“You…”

Du Xinyu’s eyebrows jumped as he hastily retreated a few steps.

If these people really made a move, he might not last three strikes before being killed on the spot.

“Everyone, don’t be reckless… Our primary goal is to ascend the mountain…” Mo Baiye glared fiercely at Zhang Xuan.

“Indeed, climbing the mountain takes precedence. No one knows the specifics at the summit, and most importantly… the Heavenly Destiny of Ceremony demands adherence to ritual. If we fight here, who knows if we’ll break the rules. It’s better to be cautious!”

Prince Shen Ling stepped forward and acted as the peacemaker.

“Prince Shen Ling is correct… The current urgency is not to fight among ourselves, but to open the passage and enter the summit!”

Shi Yunjing frowned and glanced at the Vice Hall Master behind him, “Let’s deal with Mo Baiye’s issue after we leave this place.”

Having a Galaxy 7-dan expert on their side and several Galaxy 6-dan Peaks, should they fight now, even if they could win, they would suffer heavy losses. Having come this far, they couldn’t afford to lose the opportunity to inherit the Heavenly Destiny of “Ceremony” over a petty dispute.

“This…”

Seeing these two heavyweights speak, Zhang Xuan knew it was pointless to continue and fell silent.

Of course, this wasn’t entirely without effect. At least most people wouldn’t believe Mo Baiye if he called him a “Mandate Chaos Master” again.

“Who else found Ritual Artifacts? Please bring them forward. Rest assured, I, Shi Yunjing, guarantee that once the passage opens, you can take back your Ritual Artifacts. No one will dare to compete with you for them!”

Seeing he had stopped talking, Shi Yunjing nodded in satisfaction, looked around, and spoke.

“I found one…”

“I have also found one…”

Then two cautious voices sounded, and the Jade Zhang and Jade Hu were brought to the remaining two altars.

The Jade Zhang, flat and rectangular with an oblique edge, was typically used for southern soul rituals, while the Jade Hu, shaped like a tiger, was for western rites.

As with the previous Ritual Artifacts, after being placed on the altars, the jade wall in front vibrated even more violently. With a “boom!” it burst open, revealing a narrow mountain path that meandered upward, hanging in front of them like a jade ribbon, disappearing into the mists.

“Let’s go!”

Their eyes brightened, Prince Shen Ling casually removed his Jade Bi and tucked it into his arms, striding along the path.

Shi Yunjing and others also took down their respective Ritual Artifacts and closely followed suit.

Zhang Xuan gestured for Fu Qingyao to take the Jade Huang and, leading the others, ascended the path as the rest followed suit.

Although they could only use their physical bodies, nearly everyone present was a Galaxy Realm powerhouse who had undergone physical tempering. Their stamina and endurance were extraordinary, and in just a short hour, the summit was in sight.

The peak was high, but the top was surprisingly flat, spanning hundreds of acres, surrounded by massive rocks that formed a vast valley from a distance.

The valley was lush with verdant Zhilan Grass, and well before they arrived, they could smell the fragrance that seemed to purify the soul and relax their minds.

“Is this the so-called Zhilan Valley?”

“It must be, this place feels so comfortable. I’d love to live and practice here forever, never leaving!”

“Being here for a long time would definitely help break through to higher cultivation realms…”

Everyone’s eyes gleamed.

They had seen many secret realms and blessed lands, but never before had they witnessed a place so serene, as if entering it would allow one to forget all sorrows.

Knowing that no matter the danger ahead, since they had come this far, they could not shrink back, Prince Shen Ling walked into the valley without much ado.

Shi Yunjing and the others quickly followed suit.

There were no birdsong or breeze in the valley, as if one were in a place of absolute silence, hearing only the “shuffling” sound of footsteps.

Just as they entered, Zhang Xuan’s Eye of Insight activated, searching around and quickly frowning.

Wasn’t Empyrean Kong shi supposed to have arrived earlier and already forged to the core? Why was there no sign of anyone? Could this also not be the true heart of Zhilan Valley?

That should not be the case. All along the way, this place had the richest Origin qi and the most Heavenly Mandate Vitality. From any perspective, this was the core.

“What is that?”

While searching, someone shouted out.

Following the direction of the voice, everyone simultaneously lifted their heads and immediately spotted four dark objects standing at the four corners of the valley, merged with the rock over countless years, almost indistinguishable from them if not observed closely.