Chapter 516: The Mountain Valley

“However, all of this pales in comparison to the token I eventually saw. What exactly was that token, to make Heavenly Fate Child, Ling Tianhou, and others change color… Alas, there are too many secrets on Tian Yun Star, secrets I cannot guess out of thin air…” Wang Lin sighed softly, remaining silent.

“Forget it. These matters can only be tackled step by step; there is no rush whatsoever. Currently, my true body is hidden within that concealed planet, unlikely to be discovered easily. Moreover, the Ancient God Tu Si only locked onto me within the Vermilion Bird Tomb and is unaware of the distinction of my true body. I should use these five hundred years to quickly improve it, making thorough preparations for my future endeavors!”

Wang Lin withdrew his thoughts. Lost in contemplation during his journey, he had unconsciously flown countless miles. Scanning with his Divine Sense now, he still found nothing unusual; the entire landscape was still a desolate plain.

The plain was too quiet; there was no sound whatsoever. Within the range of Wang Lin’s Divine Sense, there was no life other than himself.

Wang Lin’s expression remained normal as he continued flying.

Time slowly passed. Ten days later, as Wang Lin was flying, his expression suddenly shifted. His gaze, sharp as lightning, shot toward the distance. With a single glance, he immediately took a step forward, and his entire being, like a shooting star, instantly teleported out at a speed countless times faster than before.

Beyond the desolate plain was a stretch of dense mountains, filled with thick jungles and a sea of green.

At this moment, a person was lying prone within the jungle. Most of this person's body was bare, smeared with plant sap to display a faint green layer.

He lay there motionless, his breathing extremely shallow, almost imperceptible. After a short while, this person seemed to have completely vanished, making it impossible for ordinary people to discover him.

Not long after, sounds of running suddenly emerged from the distant jungle. Immediately afterward, a beast, about the size of a calf and sporting sharp barbs at the corners of its mouth, roared out.

This beast looked similar to a wild boar, but it carried an aura of ferocity, clearly a savage and violent creature. Despite this, there were no spiritual energy fluctuations within its body.

As the beast roared, it leaped out of the jungle. However, the moment it charged out, the person who had been lying motionless on the ground suddenly sprang up. In his hand, he had somehow grasped a black long rod, and at the tip of this rod was a Rusted Knife emitting a faint, eerie glow!

This person was extremely fast. Almost the instant the beast charged out, the long rod in his hand fiercely stabbed toward it. The beast clearly hadn't noticed anyone there and was visibly startled, but its primary reaction was anger. It roared, not dodging, and slammed its head into the long rod in the person's hand.

With several cracking sounds, the long rod shattered in the middle. The person covered in green liquid twisted his body, immediately grabbed the Rusted Knife attached to the rod, and, without hesitation, flashed onto the beast's back. His left hand gripped the beast's mane tightly, and his right hand plunged the Rusted Knife fiercely, actually stabbing directly into the beast's neck.

The beast cried out in pain, letting loose an even more agonizing roar and struggle, immediately tearing wildly through the area with the person on its back.

Wang Lin’s figure appeared in mid-air. His eyes shone with a strange light as he stared at the person and the beast below!

This person and this beast were the only living creatures he had seen in ten days!

The beast's eyes were bloodshot, emitting waves of mournful cries, yet the person on its back maintained a calm gaze. His left hand gripped the mane fiercely, his body pressed tightly against the beast's back, maintaining perfect balance and stillness. His right hand, steady as Mount Tai, kept the Rusted Knife firmly embedded in the beast's neck.

After a short while, the beast’s eyes dimmed. The blood flowing from the wound in its neck was no longer red, but glowed faintly. Finally, the beast collapsed onto the ground with a thud, motionless.

The person atop the beast also sighed in relief and pulled out the Rusted Knife. But just then, his expression suddenly changed. He abruptly turned and looked up at the sky, confusion showing in his eyes.

Wang Lin frowned and looked at the person. He was quite surprised internally; although this person had no spiritual energy in his body, he possessed astonishing spiritual awareness, enough to faintly sense someone nearby.

With a thought, Wang Lin gradually solidified his form in the Void Realm, his gaze cold as he watched the person from afar.

The person covered in green liquid was startled by Wang Lin’s sudden appearance in mid-air, and a strange light flashed in his eyes. He instantly leaped up, standing atop the beast’s corpse, gripping the Rusted Knife in his right hand. Staring at Wang Lin, he quickly spoke in a hoarse voice: “Beast, mine!”

Wang Lin focused his gaze and gave a faint smile, saying, “I won’t fight you for it!”

The person watched Wang Lin, and after a moment, nodded. He slowly squatted down, grabbed the beast’s mane with some effort, and started dragging it toward the jungle. As he dragged it, he kept staring at Wang Lin, his eyes filled with deep vigilance.

Wang Lin remained still until the person had gone far away from the jungle. He found this person quite interesting.

The person covered in green liquid dragged the beast a long distance. When he realized Wang Lin hadn't followed, he finally relaxed, gripped the beast's mane, and continued dragging it away.

He wandered around until the sun was about to set. He dragged the beast into a mountain valley within a section of the jungle.

The moment his figure entered this mountain valley, a faint ripple subtly passed through the air. However, the ripple was extremely subtle and vanished instantly, making it not easy to detect.

The instant that person entered the valley, Wang Lin’s body flickered, and he slowly stepped out of the Void Realm. His eyes flashed as he carefully examined the surroundings, a strange light appearing in his gaze.

“Outside this valley, someone used a Great Divine Ability to set up a strange Formation that can conceal all signs of life. Unless one is extremely close, it would be impossible to discover that people exist here… Judging by the traces of the Formation, it has clearly been here for countless years. Some of the arrangement techniques used on it are distinctly different from those of the Cultivators of the Cultivation Alliance; it should have been set up by Cultivators from the Ancient Era…”

Wang Lin’s gaze was like a torch. He did not rush into the valley but carefully inspected the periphery, finally arriving at this conclusion.

“This place is interesting. The Gate of the Eastern Sea Demon Spirit is clearly different from the places I’ve searched for treasure before.” Wang Lin’s eyes showed a strange light as he looked at the mountain valley protected by the Formation.

After observing for a moment, Wang Lin pointed his right hand into the Void Realm. Immediately, a spiritual light flashed on his fingertip. With a flick, it shot out of his hand and rapidly flew into the mountain valley.

However, the instant the spiritual light entered the valley, the Formation outside the valley immediately emitted rumbling sounds. A burst of Azure Qi suddenly surged within the Formation, seemingly swallowing the spiritual light Wang Lin had thrown, consuming it completely.

Immediately afterward, a burst of noise came from within the mountain valley.

Wang Lin’s eyes flashed, and he retreated several steps, his body instantly vanishing from the spot.

Inside the mountain valley, bright lights flashed, and three people walked out!

All three were half-naked, their bodies covered in green liquid, and they carried rusty weapons in their hands. The moment they stepped out of the valley, all three immediately showed vigilance, cautiously surveying their surroundings.

After a moment, a trace of confusion appeared in the eyes of the three. They looked at each other, turned around, and walked back into the mountain valley.

The instant their figures disappeared into the valley, Wang Lin’s figure transformed into a wisp of azure smoke and followed closely. However, the moment he touched the Formation protecting the mountain valley, the Formation immediately started spinning again, and the azure light on it flashed once more.

A strong sense of crisis immediately permeated the surroundings. Wang Lin frowned and retreated several steps. As he withdrew, the azure light on the Formation slowly dissipated.

“Interesting!” Wang Lin’s eyes turned cold.

The purpose of this Formation was clearly protection—to safeguard everything within the valley and prevent outsiders from entering. If anyone tried to force their way in, the Formation would unleash its full power and kill all intruders!

This Formation was extremely ingenious. After studying it, Wang Lin realized it was impossible to break in a short time. His gaze sank, and he simply sat down cross-legged outside the mountain valley, quietly observing the Formation without saying a word.

His appearance this time immediately drew the attention of the people inside the valley. Almost immediately after Wang Lin sat down cross-legged, bright lights flashed inside the mountain valley, and then four people walked out!

Three of these four people were the same three from before. The fourth person had a face full of Evil Qi and held a black long rod that also shimmered with an eerie glow.

The moment he stepped out, he threw the long rod in his hand fiercely forward without a word, aiming it directly at Wang Lin. At the same time, a bloodthirsty smile appeared on the corner of his mouth, and he stepped forward, ready to charge.

The three people behind him also roared and charged toward Wang Lin, wielding their rusty weapons.

Wang Lin’s gaze was calm. With a sweep of his eyes, the thrown long rod instantly disintegrated.

The person with the bloodthirsty smile was immediately stunned. He stared blankly at the disintegrating long rod in mid-air, opening his mouth but unable to speak. The three people behind him also paused their steps.

Wang Lin didn't waste words with them. He simply made a grab with his right hand. The four people immediately cried out in alarm. Their bodies were instantly trapped by an invisible force, lifted up, and tossed aside, where they were immobilized by Wang Lin.

Given Wang Lin’s status, he ordinarily wouldn't deal with people who lacked spiritual energy. However, this place was too bizarre; a mere mountain valley contained such an Ancient Era Formation. To understand the reason behind all this, Wang Lin could only seek clues from the people inside the valley.

Casually immobilizing the four people, Wang Lin maintained his normal expression and continued meditating.

Not long after, bursts of noise came from within the mountain valley. Immediately following, several more lights flashed. This time, two people walked out of the valley!

—

I woke up at 6 AM and returned at 8 PM. What a tiring day! The altitude sickness here in Kunming is quite severe for Er Gen. My head is constantly dizzy and I get fatigued very easily. In the morning, it was the World Expo Garden, and in the afternoon, the Ethnic Village. We kept walking and walking. I chatted with Great Gods along the way—these guys are all perverts… That day, the Mongolian girl at the Ethnic Village left a deep impression on me. She was so lively! You wouldn't believe it. Mao Ni, Bai He, Ni Cangtian, and I were all fighting to take pictures with her. At first, the girl completely ignored us. Luckily, I pointed at something and told Mao Ni and the others it was a toilet, which finally caught her attention. She came over to say it wasn't a toilet… This afternoon, we played Pao (don't misunderstand, sweat!), shot arrows, tossed embroidered balls, and wandered through various ethnic villages. I'm so tired. Three thousand characters is my limit. Please forgive Er Gen; this is truly unavoidable…