37: Chapter 37: The Crimson Trial Begins, Peril Lurks Everywhere

[The moment you passed through the crimson vortex, you felt a wave of dizziness, as if your entire body was being pulled and torn by an invisible force.]

[This sensation lasted for only a fleeting moment.]

[The next instant, your feet stepped onto solid ground.]

["Ugh..."]

[You shook your still-dizzy head and began to survey the surrounding environment.]

[The sky was an eerie dark red; there was no sun, nor moon, only a few wisps of blood-colored clouds emitting an ominous aura, drifting slowly in the air.]

[The air was filled with a thick scent of blood and decay, enough to make one want to vomit. The ground beneath your feet was dark brown and barren, while in the distance lay rolling, desolate mountains that looked bald and completely lifeless.]

["Tsk, the environment of this place is quite something."]

[You silently complained to yourself. This damn place, let alone Heaven And Earth Treasure, you couldn't even see a single hair; it felt like arriving at some abandoned dump.]

[You swept your Divine Sense and discovered that the hundreds of fellow Disciples who had been teleported in with you had already been randomly scattered to various locations; there was not a soul within a ten-mile radius of you.]

["Very good, acting alone is exactly what I wanted."]

[From your Storage Pouch, you took out the map Jade Slip that Senior Brother Shi Jian had given you and probed it with your Divine Sense.]

[Inside the Jade Slip was a map that wasn't very detailed, but it marked some important areas discovered by Disciples of previous generations. For example, "Ten Thousand Beast Valley," "Corpse Rot Forest," "Soul Severing Cliff," and so on; just hearing the names told you they weren't good places.]

[The map also used red dots to mark some extremely dangerous forbidden zones where even a Core Formation Stage Cultivator could potentially perish if they entered.]

[Your gaze swept quickly across the map, finally resting on a place called "Great Earth Rift Valley."]

[According to the records in the Jade Slip, this "Great Earth Rift Valley" was a highly unique terrain within the Crimson Trial; it was bottomless, filled with extremely dense Earth-elemental Spiritual Qi, and often produced precious Earth-attribute Heaven And Earth Treasure.]

["nine heavens breathing soil... If it really exists in this place, then the most likely location for it to appear is this Great Earth Rift Valley."]

[You made up your mind, identified the direction, and began to sneak towards the Great Earth Rift Valley at a leisurely pace.]

[You did not fly on your sword, as that would make your target too large—you would basically be a living target.]

[You just hugged the ground, utilizing the complex terrain to advance cautiously. Your powerful Divine Sense, enhanced by Divine Sense Double, acted like an invisible radar, keeping every rustle and movement in the surroundings under your control.]

[After walking for about half an hour, you suddenly stopped your footsteps, your body instantly crouching low, hiding behind a huge rock.]

[Your Divine Sense perceived that in a mountain col not far ahead, two groups of people were confronting each other.]

[You crept over quietly, poked half your head out, and looked into the mountain col.]

[You saw that in the col, one side consisted of seven or eight Disciples wearing the clothing of the Azure Cloud Sect, who were forming a defensive formation and watching the opposite side with nervous expressions.]

[Opposite them were over a dozen Cultivators dressed in black martial attire, their bodies exuding an evil and strange aura. Each of their faces carried a cruel and bloodthirsty smile.]

[People from the Heavenly Demon Valley!]

[You recognized their origin at a glance.]

["Hehehe... You geniuses of the Azure Cloud Sect, stop struggling. Be obedient and hand over all your Storage Pouches, then cut off one of your own arms, and perhaps your grandfathers here might show some mercy and leave your corpses intact."]

[Leading the Heavenly Demon Valley group was a burly man with a scar on his face, whose cultivation was at the Middle Foundation Establishment Stage. He carried a large ghost-headed blade on his shoulder and spoke with extreme arrogance.]

["Don't even think about it!" on the Azure Cloud Sect side, a leading young Disciple shouted angrily, "Disciples of my Azure Cloud Sect only die standing; we never live kneeling! You bunch of Demonic Path monsters, everyone has the right to kill you!"]

["Well said! You've got guts!" Scarface sneered, "I like chewing on hard bones like you the most! Brothers, attack! Kill the men, and as for the women... hehe, keep them alive!"]

[Following his order, the dozen or so Heavenly Demon Valley Disciples let out strange cries, transformed into trails of black Qi, and pounced towards the Azure Cloud Sect Disciples.]

["The gap in strength is too great; the Azure Cloud Sect won't last thirty breaths."]

[You did not act immediately.]

[This was not cold-bloodedness, but the most basic quality of a hunter.]

[Your gaze had already locked onto that most arrogant Scarface.]

[To capture the bandits, first capture their king.]

[As long as you kill this person in one strike, the remaining rabble would be nothing to fear.]

[You were waiting for an opportunity, an opportunity to cause maximum damage with minimal cost.]

[The battle situation took a sharp turn for the worse.]

[The leading youth was struck on the shoulder by Scarface's blade, blood spraying on the spot; he was on the verge of being beheaded.]

["That's it, now!"]

[Your pupils constricted slightly; the spiritual power within your body had already begun to surge, and you were about to erupt into action.]

[Just at this moment, an unexpected change occurred!]

[A fierce and unparalleled white sword light, like a shooting star from beyond the Nine Heavens, descended from the sky without warning, aiming straight for Scarface's heart from behind!]

["Who!?"]

[Scarface sensed the fatal crisis behind him and was terrified; he wanted to dodge, but it was already too late.]

["Pfft!"]

[The sword light pierced through his heart, bringing up a spray of blood.]

[The sneer on Scarface's face froze. He looked down in disbelief at the bowl-sized blood hole in his chest, then fell straight down.]

[This sudden scene left both sides who were fighting stunned.]

[A white figure descended from the sky and landed in the middle of the scene.]

[It was a woman dressed in white, with a stunningly beautiful appearance and a cold and aloof temperament. She held a long sword that resembled autumn water, and blood was still dripping from the tip of the sword.]

[Su Qinghan!]

[You were also stunned when you saw who had arrived.]

["Damn it, why is this woman here too?"]

[You muttered to yourself.]

[Su Qinghan's appearance instantly turned the tide of the battle.]

[She was now at the Middle Foundation Establishment Stage, and her strength was incomparably formidable. Like a tiger among a flock of sheep, the long sword in her hand transformed into trails of lethal cold light; with every swing, a Heavenly Demon Valley Disciple would scream and fall to the ground.]

[The remaining Heavenly Demon Valley Disciples, seeing their leader killed, were scared to the point of Soul Flying Away and Spirit Scattering. With no heart left to fight, they let out strange cries and scattered in all directions to flee.]

[Su Qinghan did not pursue them, just watching them flee coldly.]

[The crisis was thus resolved.]

["Many thanks to Senior Sister Su for saving our lives!"]

[The remaining few Azure Cloud Sect Disciples, each acting like they had just survived a disaster, hurriedly stepped forward and bowed to Su Qinghan with tears of gratitude.]

[Su Qinghan just nodded indifferently, her gaze, however, scanning the surroundings vigilantly.]

["Come out." She suddenly said coldly, addressing the direction where you were hiding.]

[You were startled: "Damn, I was discovered even here? This woman's Divine Sense is impressive."]

[You knew it was pointless to keep hiding, so you walked out from behind the rock openly, with that harmless smile on your face.]

["Senior Sister Su, what a coincidence, are you also here for a walk?"]

[As soon as you spoke, everyone was left speechless.]

[Those few Disciples who had just been saved all looked at you with expressions as if they were looking at an idiot.]

[A walk? Big brother, you call this a walk? We were almost wiped out just now! You hid there watching the show for half a day, and now you come out and say you're taking a walk?]

[Su Qinghan was also stunned when she saw you, and immediately her beautiful eyebrows knitted together.]

["Tang Xun? Why are you here?"]

[Her tone carried a trace of confusion and... a trace of imperceptible complexity.]

["I'm just passing by." You spread your hands and said with an innocent face, "As soon as I arrived, I saw you, Senior Sister, displaying your Divine Might, and in a few quick moves, you dealt with that bunch of demon brats. Senior Sister, you are truly amazing; you are practically my idol!"]

[Your words were spoken with such sincerity that you were only a step away from kowtowing to her on the spot.]

[Su Qinghan was also left somewhat speechless by your maneuver. The bellyful of questions she had prepared, such as "Why didn't you help when you saw us in danger" or "Were you trying to reap the benefits," were all blocked by your words.]

[Looking at your sincere eyes, for a moment, she actually didn't know what to say.]

["You... you were hiding there the whole time?" One of the saved Disciples finally couldn't help it, pointed at you, and asked indignantly.]

["Yeah." You nodded righteously.]

["Then why didn't you step in to help!?" The Disciple's face turned red with anger.]

["Why should I have stepped in?" You looked at him strangely, "My cultivation is so low, only at the Early Stage Foundation Establishment, wouldn't rushing up be just feeding them kills? I hid, preserved my strength, and planned to come out to collect your corpses after you finished fighting; that is the most rational choice."]

["You...!" The Disciple was so angered by your twisted logic that he almost spat out a mouthful of blood.]

["Pfft..."]

[A female Disciple nearby couldn't help but laugh out loud. She felt that although you were shameless, you also seemed... quite interesting.]

[Su Qinghan also looked at you with a speechless expression. She realized that she seemed to have never truly understood this man.]

[He was sometimes arrogant and unbridled, daring to provoke her in front of the entire outer Sect. At other times, like now, he was shamelessly righteous, leaving one unable to laugh or cry.]

["Alright, stop arguing." Su Qinghan stopped the Disciple who still wanted to argue with you.]

[She looked at you and said indifferently: "Since we've met, let's travel together. In this place, acting alone is too dangerous."]

["Sure, sure." You agreed without hesitation.]

[Just kidding, with such a free fighter and bodyguard by your side, wouldn't your safety factor be directly maxed out? Only a fool would refuse.]

[Just like that, you successfully mingled into Su Qinghan's team.]

[As you walked, you chatted and joked with those fellow Disciples, quickly getting familiar with them. Your Affable and Amiable temperament, combined with a mouth that could talk a dead person back to life, soon made you the comic relief of the group.]

[Only Su Qinghan remained in that cold state, leading the way in front without saying a word.]

[But you always felt that she seemed to be secretly observing you from the corner of her eye.]

[You were overjoyed in your heart.]

["Little girl, curiosity is piqued, right? Don't rush, take it slow; your brother here has plenty more flashy moves."]

[You followed the team, heading all the way towards the Great Earth Rift Valley.]

[On the way, you encountered a few more waves of Yao Beast and other Sect Disciples who didn't know better, but they were all cleanly and neatly dealt with by Su Qinghan.]

[You coasted the whole time; apart from moving your lips to shout a few "Senior Sister is mighty," you didn't even lift a finger.]

[Your behavior made the other few male Disciples in the team despise you, thinking you were just a soft-eating pretty boy. But those few female Disciples thought you were quite cute.]

[Finally, after walking for most of the day, you arrived in front of a huge cliff.]

[A bottomless, huge rift valley, as if split open by a giant axe from a deity, lay across in front of you.]

[Great Earth Rift Valley, arrived.]

[You stood at the edge of the cliff and looked down, seeing only pitch black below, bottomless, with only gusts of eerie wind howling up from below, making one's hair stand on end.]

["Everyone be careful, it's very dangerous down there." Su Qinghan said with a serious expression.]

[Just at this moment, your Divine Sense suddenly captured a trace of extremely faint, yet incomparably pure Earth-elemental spiritual power fluctuation, which flashed and disappeared from somewhere deep in the rift valley.]

[Your heart skipped a beat.]

["It's here!"]