Chapter 343: Red Valley

The valley before them could hardly be called a magnificent gorge; nestled between mountains, it resembled a wide corridor. The withered grass of spring carpeted the entire valley, but as they looked into the distance, they could see it extending into the heart of the mountains, where, deep in the valley, all vegetation vanished beyond an invisible line.

This place was surrounded by the most majestic snow-capped mountains on the planet, with blade-like ridges crisscrossing here; one could not help but feel a faint sense of holiness just by standing here. Yet, in the distance where there was no ice or snow, the exposed rock took on an unusual crimson hue.

This valley was, in fact, rather strange.

"I can sense some peculiar Energy Field, but I don't know how to categorize this energy. In other words, I don't know what exactly is in here," Zhou Quan complained.

Luo Qi did not speak; he was concentrating, his eyes open, but he was looking into the Yajian.

Luo Qi carefully observed and evaluated in the Yajian, assessing every consciousness he could perceive. Fortunately, this was a rarely visited Highland, almost a forbidden zone for life, and the number of consciousnesses he needed to detect and distinguish here was very small.

Therefore, in this situation, it was not difficult to lock onto a target.

"There is a highly complex consciousness here," Luo Qi made his judgment, then switched out of the Yajian.

Zhou Quan stared at him, "What does that mean?"

"It means there might be a person here, or something similar to a person, something just as intelligent," Luo Qi said.

"What are you talking about with these layers of progression? What is something as intelligent as a person? A ghost? A gorilla? You're making me a little scared," Zhou Quan said, looking around with his hair standing on end.

The surroundings remained the usual Highland scenery, but a strong wind had quietly picked up. As they looked up, they could see snow mist drifting like flags over the majestic snow-capped mountains, like a world of yin and yang separated by the ridges. The temperature was dropping rapidly; there might be bad weather tonight.

Luo Qi did not truly explain it to him. For Luo Qi, after that previous experience, he was a bit afraid to say that in this world, only humans possessed such a high level of intelligence. However, he might also have been scared by the Alien, and he himself could not be sure.

"Let's just assume it's a person," Luo Qi said.

"There is a person in this valley?" Zhou Quan asked nervously. He hesitated and said, "Do you think it's possible that he is the person you mentioned?"

"Who?" Luo Qi asked casually, but in his heart, he had already guessed who Zhou Quan was talking about.

"Is it possible that he is the person you said had the ability to break into the Highland Mage Territory?" Zhou Quan asked.

"Maybe," Luo Qi said.

"It must be him. In this no-man's-land, how could there easily be some random passerby in the valley?" Zhou Quan said with concern, "What is he planning to do by staying here? Luo Qi, I think we need to hurry back and tell the Highland Mage."

Luo Qi lowered his head and thought for a while, then said, "Do you think the Highland Mage will come here to check after receiving our report?"

"They would definitely come, right? There's a thief lurking at their doorstep; how big-hearted would they have to be not to even come and look?" Zhou Quan said, but the more he spoke, the less confident he became, his voice growing quieter.

Luo Qi shrugged.

"Fine, what you said makes sense," Zhou Quan said, crossing his arms. Although Luo Qi had actually said nothing, the facts were right before them. "With this ethereal air the Highland Mage have, they are completely different from us. Whether they care or not is really hard to say."

"Discussing karma while tigers and wolves are at the doorstep—this situation is quite normal among people with faith," Luo Qi said in a low voice.

"They must be brainless."

"You can't say it like that; existence has its own rationality," Luo Qi was unwilling to question the lifestyle others chose. "In the current reality where Mages are regressing, the Highland Mage are generally powerful, basically maintaining the level of first-rate Mages, so the Highland Mage as a collective are almost invincible. Plus, they never participate in other people's wars and have always been a neutral ground, maintaining a balance."

"That's true, they could completely shut us out. As long as they open the door, it increases this kind of risk." Zhou Quan sighed, rubbed his face, cast aside his emotions, and thought seriously for a while. "We can't just leave it alone. We are the guests here. Although the Highland Mage are indifferent, once something really happens, they will definitely suspect us. The people here are basically Pei Shu's direct subordinates. The situation in the Qionglin is still unclear, and we have already made enemies. If we develop a rift with the Highland Mage now, it could evolve into trouble later."

Luo Qi nodded. Everything he said made sense; he hadn't expected Zhou Quan to be such a serious and responsible person.

Zhou Quan continued, "We'll go back now and gather our own people, and have Du Zhengyi come over to take a look first."

"What?" Luo Qi snapped out of it, startled.

"Only Du Zhengyi can handle this right now," Zhou Quan said, pondering, as if reviewing the resumes of those people in his mind. "The other parts are Laboratory Mages who can't handle sudden situations. There are a few Battle Mage candidates; they could also be used. But they lack the qualifications, so Du Zhengyi still needs to lead the team."

"Wait," Luo Qi said hurriedly. "There's no need for Du Zhengyi. I'll go ahead and see first. If this person can evade the Highland Mage's detection Magic and also has the possibility of Invisibility, then I don't think Du Zhengyi would be of any use even if he came. After all, I am a Mind Mage; I might be more suitable for this kind of occasion."

Zhou Quan hesitated. Luo Qi was glad he didn't expose that he was just an Apprentice Mind Mage. Luo Qi didn't want to give him time to think too much. "You can follow me and give me a hand."

Whether he agreed or not, Luo Qi would go forward. He wouldn't let Du Zhengyi go; Du Zhengyi should avoid all occasions involving the use of Magic right now. Besides, he couldn't stand the behavior of these people; they usually ignored Du Zhengyi, but when it came time for someone to step on a landmine, they were the first to think of him.

"Alright," Zhou Quan finally nodded.

Luo Qi was actually a bit surprised that he was so courageous. He had originally expected at most that Zhou Quan would go back to report the news and notify the Highland Mage that he had entered the valley. He knew that no matter how little the Highland Mage valued his opinion, if he were in trouble, he still trusted the morality of the Highland Mage.

"You're coming with me?" Luo Qi couldn't help but confirm again.

"Yeah," Zhou Quan said, looking at him curiously. "You're still a child; how could I let you go by yourself?"

"I'm not a child," Luo Qi said, stunned. "My actual age is already over a hundred."

"If you're not a child, then you must be a girl," Zhou Quan seized the opportunity to interject, still not forgetting his bet.

Luo Qi decided to send him fifteen nightmares.