Ling Tian Sword God

Chapter 163: Chapter 162: Black Dragon Rift Valley_1

This situation kept happening, which, of course, annoyed Ling Chen immensely.

Moreover, the news of his fortuitous survival in Ghost Fog Mountain had likely spread. Although most people would dismiss reports of the Ghost Fog Mountain incident as false, those truly in the know understood that Ling Chen had indeed been poisoned with the Heavenly Shadow Poison.

Surviving the Heavenly Shadow Poison was undoubtedly bewildering. He feared that by now, experts from the Demon Way would want to capture and study him thoroughly.

For safety, Ling Chen decided to temporarily hide his identity to avoid being in the eye of the storm.

”Then I’ll be your female guard, Little Rain.”

A mischievous expression touched Xiao Muyu’s pretty face. She took out a bronze mask, put it on, and changed into black clothes. This way, most people would likely mistake them for eccentric Jianghu figures and not suspect their true identities.

”Alright, but we must be extremely careful. Unless absolutely necessary, we mustn’t reveal our true identities, or this disguise will be pointless.”

Ling Chen was still uneasy and specifically reminded Xiao Muyu.

”Okay, Young Master Wu Chen.” Xiao Muyu curtsied slightly, bowing her head respectfully towards Ling Chen.

”Hmm, very good, Little Rain. Let’s go.” Ling Chen nodded, a satisfied expression on his face. He then stood up, and the two left the tavern’s private room one after the other.

「...」

The Black Dragon Rift Valley lay on the northeastern border of the Fire Country, not far from Ghost Fog Mountain. However, while Ghost Fog Mountain was merely a place filled with poisonous miasma, the Black Dragon Rift Valley was far more perilous.

Viewed from the sky, the entire rift valley resembled a colossal ancient black dragon that had plummeted from the heavens, its sunken body forming the chasm.

Of course, this was merely an ancient myth and not necessarily true.

Ling Chen and Xiao Muyu had already ridden to the vicinity of the rift valley.

Looking down into the rift valley from above, it was unfathomably deep. Faint, semi-transparent black mists rose from its depths.

This was the ultimate Yin cold air of heaven and earth, a phenomenon that formed only in places with unique terrain like the Black Dragon Rift Valley.

”Could there really be Tienzong Ruins in a place like this?” Xiao Muyu voiced her doubts, gazing down into the dark, deep rift valley.

”Three hundred years ago, the Tienzong sect was the preeminent sect in the Martial World; it surely wouldn’t have been situated in such a place. However, it’s hard to say. The rumors couldn’t have arisen from nothing. Perhaps Tienzong truly suffered some cataclysm, like a shift in the earth’s ley lines, causing it to end up beneath this rift valley.”

”Hmm, the entrance discovered by the Sect Alliance should be to the south. Our Divine Intent Sect members should also be there,” Xiao Muyu said, pointing southward.

”Let’s go. It’s not safe here; we should rendezvous with the others as soon as possible.” Ling Chen nodded, then, with a flick of his horse whip, galloped towards the southern part of the Black Dragon Rift Valley.

The Sect Alliance camp was situated in the southern part of the rift valley.

When Ling Chen and Xiao Muyu arrived, the camp was already teeming with martial artists from all the major sects. Top experts had congregated, especially the younger generation. Indeed, nearly all the most outstanding young talents from the Five Kingdoms were gathered here.

Among the hundreds of young disciples from the major sects were numerous renowned figures from Jianghu. At least twenty or more experts from the Heavenly List were present.

Not to mention, there were many outstanding young experts who hadn’t been included in the Heavenly List.

For instance, the Black Market secretly trained many young talents who hadn’t made it to the Heavenly List.

Xiao Muyu’s expression turned solemn. ”So many talents from the Righteous Path have come this time, to say nothing of those from the Demon Way. If there truly is a sect’s legacy within the Tienzong Ruins, I fear a great many people will perish here. We must be cautious.”

”It was challenging enough dealing with Yu Qingxuan, ranked thirty-third on the Heavenly List, let alone all these other Heavenly List experts. If we’re not careful, we’ll die without a burial place.”

Ling Chen didn’t believe that just because he was on the Heavenly List, he could look down on everyone in the younger generation. Even the top-ranked individual on the list wouldn’t have that kind of audacity.

However, Ling Chen was confident that no one on the Heavenly List was younger than him. Given time, he would eventually surpass them all.

Just six months ago, Heavenly List experts were still far beyond his reach. Even the lowest-ranked person on that list was someone he had to look up to. Yet now, those he once revered were beneath his feet.

”Great Elder.” Upon reaching the Divine Intent Sect’s designated area, Ling Chen and Xiao Muyu spotted Great Elder Shangguan Hong on an open patch of ground ahead and quickly went forward to pay their respects.

”You two are also disciples of our Divine Intent Sect?” The Great Elder scrutinized Ling Chen and Xiao Muyu with a puzzled expression.

”It’s me, Great Elder.” Xiao Muyu removed her mask, revealing her lovely face.

Ling Chen also took off his mask, but once the Great Elder had recognized him, he promptly put it back on.

”Why are you two dressed in such a peculiar fashion? I initially thought you were spies from the Demonic Sect.” The Great Elder was exasperatedly amused upon seeing Ling Chen and Xiao Muyu’s true faces.

Ling Chen shrugged. ”Recently, too many people have been looking for trouble with me. I had no choice but to do this. Please don’t take offense, Great Elder.”

”By the way, I heard you were poisoned with Liu Xiling’s Heavenly Shadow Poison on Ghost Fog Mountain. Is that true?” The Great Elder’s expression immediately turned grave.

”If I had truly been poisoned by the Heavenly Shadow Poison, could I still be standing here before you, unharmed?” Ling Chen had already decided he couldn’t tell the truth about this; the secret of the Blood Jade must not be revealed.

”That can’t be right. Master Lu of the Myriad Dao Sect told me himself. He said you’d rather die than join the Demonic Sect, so that witch injected the Heavenly Shadow Poison into your body, and you unfortunately perished. He even suggested our Divine Intent Sect give you a grand burial and announce it to our fellow martial artists, so the entire Martial World could mourn your passing.”

”Why would a leader of a prominent Righteous Sect come to me and spread such falsehoods?”

The Great Elder found this hard to believe. He might have dismissed it if someone else had said it, but this was the Myriad Dao Sect Master, a titan of the Martial World, who wouldn’t just fabricate stories.

Ling Chen inwardly cursed Lu Youzhen. What a meddler! If he had truly died from the Heavenly Shadow Poison, what good was a grand funeral?

And ’the entire Martial World mourning’? How utterly pedantic!

”I’m not entirely sure about that. Is it possible I wasn’t poisoned with the Heavenly Shadow Poison at all? Think about it, I am her son. Even a vicious tiger doesn’t eat its own cubs. Perhaps she used a different poison on me to deceive everyone.”

”Alright. If that’s the case, it means that witch still possesses a shred of humanity.” The Great Elder nodded, seemingly accepting this explanation.

If only that were true, Ling Chen thought with a bitter, inward smile. When Liu Xiling injected the Heavenly Shadow Poison into his body, she hadn’t shown the slightest mercy. She had genuinely intended to kill him, offering him no chance of survival whatsoever.