Chapter Twelve: Entering the Abyss of Demons

After the forces of Yan arrived in Qi, Li Ruoyu was still puzzled why the Demonfall Valley hadn't been opened. But soon after, he saw more people arriving in the sky, and he understood. There were seven groups in total, each with about a hundred people. They were from the Four Gates of Zhao, the royal family of Chu, the Monster Immortal Sect, and the Meng Family, renowned for medical arts.

"Fellow Daoist Lu, it's been a hundred years since we last met, and your cultivation has surpassed the past," said Master Kujie.

The person addressed as Fellow Daoist Lu was Lu Xing Shen, from the Corpse Sect of Zhao's Four Gates. The Corpse Sect was Zhao's notorious evil sect; its techniques were exceptionally sinister and hard to guard against, and it had deep enmity with the Putuo Temple.

"You too have made progress," Lu Xing Shen replied.

Just then, a burly man in gray said to Yan Madman, "Yan Madman, how about we spice things up?" As he spoke, the burly man took out a piece of purple metal. Li Ruoyu scrutinized it—it was none other than Heaven Severing Violet Gold, one of the nine divine metals.

"Heaven Severing Violet Gold? I suppose you're eyeing the divine essence in my hand, Brother Niu," Yan Madman said, looking rather dismayed.

"If there's anyone who can leave Yan Madman at a loss, it must be Brother Niu," commented Xia Qiudong of the Ancient Sect.

The burly man in gray was Niu Dashan from the Monster Immortal Forest's Monster Sect, of the Wild Bull clan, who had cultivated for five hundred years. He and Yan Madman were on good terms, but he often got the better of Yan Madman, making their relationship quite peculiar.

"I'm not taking advantage of you. Let's bet on how many disciples make it out of Demonfall Valley alive. If I win, I want four-fifths of your divine essence; if I lose, the Heaven Severing Violet Gold is yours," Niu Dashan declared.

At that moment, the mist at the mouth of Demonfall Valley began to thin, gradually revealing a narrow gap and glimpses of the valley's interior.

"Begin, everyone," Master Kujie called out.

He took the lead, raising his Zen staff and channeling divine power into the gap. Daoist White Brow of the Taiyi Sect, Miaohuiyu, Xia Qiudong of the Ancient Sect, Elder Sword Free of the Sword Sect, Elder Qiu Wutong of Tianyi Gate, Yan Madman, the Three Uncles of the Yan royal family, the Four Gates of Zhao, the Chu royal family, Niu Dashan of the Monster Immortal Sect, and the Meng Family leader all unleashed their artifacts at the gap, widening and stabilizing it.

"This passage will last only a short time. Pass through quickly. Afterward, it will remain as a narrow gap, and will open fully again in ten years," Miaohuiyu explained to Li Ruoyu and the others.

Li Ruoyu and Wang Bo entered the passage together.

Once inside Demonfall Valley, the disciples of the Nine Constant Sect split into several groups. One followed Ji Heng, numbering about thirty; another, led by Ling Wuchang, grandson of Fifth Peak Master Ling Qianyue, had about twenty-five. Yan Meng'er of the Yan royal family, Zhao Wang Linzi, Feng Ruoxian of a Yan cultivating family, the eighth-ranked black-clad man Cang Qiong, the pink-clad Ying Qinghuan, and the red-clad Jing Hong each led small groups in different directions.

A notable exception was Yu Qing, a cold and aloof woman who set out alone.

Li Ruoyu, naturally, went with Wang Bo.

Other sects and forces also formed small groups heading deeper into the valley. Demonfall Valley was vast—its area was equivalent to six or seven Yan kingdoms.

Inside, countless fierce beasts and exotic creatures roamed. Precious herbs, ancient medicines, and great medicines were everywhere. Techniques left by predecessors abounded.

After half an hour of walking, Li Ruoyu and Wang Bo had already collected several valuable herbs, decades old. Though not century-old ancient medicines or millennium-old great medicines, they were still quite precious.

"Fatty, look ahead," said Li Ruoyu.

There, before them, was a cold pond. Its waters were pitch-black, and above it bloomed a purple lotus with twelve petals.

"Cold Pond Purple Lotus," Wang Bo said. This lotus must grow in a cold pond, gaining one petal every hundred years. With twelve petals, it was obviously twelve hundred years old—a great medicine.

Wang Bo was about to approach the pond and pick the lotus when Li Ruoyu recalled the scene beside the Azurefruit tree in Wilderness Valley and hurriedly stopped him.

Li Ruoyu picked up a large stone and threw it into the cold pond. Instantly, a purple python shot out, shattering the stone. Its eyes fixed on Li Ruoyu and Wang Bo, tongue flickering, as if warning them.

The purple python was impressively thick, its body below the head nearly two feet wide, most of it submerged. Two small bumps grew atop its head, suggesting remarkable power.

Wang Bo was startled, fear trailing through him.

"This purple python is on the verge of entering the Dao Body realm, just a step away," Li Ruoyu thought, his heart sinking. Suddenly, he heard footsteps not far off.

He and Wang Bo slowly retreated, hiding at a distance.

Soon, four people arrived. Judging by their attire, Li Ruoyu recognized them as members of the Three Life Sect, one of Zhao's Four Gates—two men and two women, led by a man in dark robes.

"Brother Zhao, that's the Cold Pond Purple Lotus," said a young woman in green. As soon as she spoke, another woman in purple moved toward the pond. Brother Zhao examined the area and noticed the stones.

"Sister Wang, come back!" he called.

He picked up a stone and inspected it. "Hm? Just recently cracked," he observed, scanning the surroundings calmly. "We can't pick that lotus. Let's go."

"Decisive," Li Ruoyu thought, watching the group. He had intended to be the mantis behind the cicada, but since they had noticed the stone had just broken and the lotus remained untouched, they clearly sensed something was amiss and left. If Li Ruoyu tried for the Cold Pond Purple Lotus now, it would only give the four a chance to prey on him.

He recalled what Li Zhiheng had told him before he joined the Nine Constant Sect: "When you carve wood, to make something you're satisfied with, you must think carefully before you carve—what to make, how to make it, where to start and where to finish. Wood carving, unlike other crafts, allows no mistakes. One wrong cut, and it's ruined."

Life is the same. The path of cultivation is as deep as the sea; a single misstep, and there is no return. As a child, Li Ruoyu once saw elders in the town grieve as gray-haired mourned the black-haired. At the time, he didn't understand such sorrow. But as he grew older, especially after returning home two years ago, his father's many admonitions and his mother's constant reminders made him slowly comprehend the depth of that grief. Thus, Li Ruoyu always placed his own life first in the world of cultivation, determined not to let the tragedy of elders burying the young befall him.

So he left without hesitation. The four had already realized the stone had just cracked and the lotus remained, sensing something was wrong and departing. If Li Ruoyu went for the lotus now, he'd be giving them a chance to act against him.

He walked away, resolute.