Chapter 202: Qixue Valley

Gu Yusheng reported, "The five nodes have been thoroughly purified and monitoring arrays set up. The hidden danger beneath Xiaqi Fang is eliminated, and the market order is recovering. The three captured Di E members knew little, but one mentioned that about half a month ago, several 'Upper Envoys' with extremely terrifying auras passed the outskirts of Xiaqi Fang and headed straight for Qixue Valley. One of them seemed to be carrying a heavily sealed 'ancient artifact,' its shape... like a cauldron yet not a cauldron, like a stele yet not a stele."

"Ancient artifact..." Ling Xiao frowned slightly. Combining this with what Minghe had said about the 'guide,' the ominous premonition in his heart grew stronger. "Any new movements on the Southern Wilderness border?"

"No large-scale movements for now. But the Patrol Heaven Division's internal monitoring shows that the yin-sha fluctuations in the direction of Qixue Valley, after falling into chaos, seem to be re-converging at a slow but steady pace. The source... is not from the five nodes we severed, but more like it is being guided from a broader, deeper layer of the earth veins." Gu Yusheng's expression was grave. "Moreover, based on the fragments of Minghe's confession brought by Ruoxue, and our analysis of scattered intelligence, the 'Suo Yue Festival' may not be the final goal, but more like a... 'prelude' or component of a 'summoning ritual.'"

"Summoning?" Shi Ran's heart shook.

"Correct. Summoning some slumbering or sealed 'ancient existence.' Di E calls it — the 'Lock-Breaking Key.'" Mei Ruoxue said in a deep voice. "Minghe screamed this phrase repeatedly in his madness."

The rock hollow fell into a brief silence, only the endless wailing of the gangfeng outside the pass.

"Lock-Breaking Key..." Ling Xiao repeated the phrase, the coldness in his eyes almost condensing into substance. "As expected. They want to borrow external force to forcibly shake, even destroy, the 'Order Shackles' maintained by the Patrol Heaven Division. As for what this external force is... I fear it shares the same source as the 'annihilation' power Master encountered back then, or is even a part of its main body."

He raised his head, his gaze seemingly piercing through the rock wall, looking toward Qixue Valley. "Time is pressing. Yusheng, Ruoxue, how are your conditions?"

"We have taken pills to regulate our breath and can fight at full strength." The two spoke in unison.

"Good." Ling Xiao no longer hesitated, issuing a decisive order. "Depart immediately, target the core area of Qixue Valley. Our mission: one, destroy or disrupt their blood sacrifice summoning ritual as much as possible; two, ascertain what the so-called 'Lock-Breaking Key' they are summoning actually is, and whether it has a direct connection to Master's fall; three, if the opportunity arises, capture or kill key figures, especially that 'Youquan Venerable.' All actions prioritize your own safety; act according to circumstances, do not be reckless."

"Yes!"

The four tidied up briefly, then turned into four blurry streaks of escaping light, plunging into the roaring gangfeng of Duan Yun Gorge. With Gu Yusheng and Mei Ruoxue joining, the team's strength increased greatly, and their travel speed became much faster.

After crossing Duan Yun Gorge, the terrain dropped sharply, as if entering a giant basin. The yin-sha qi in the air was more than several times denser, sticky to the point of near suffocation. Sporadic blood-colored moss began to appear on the dark red earth, along with twisted plants that fed on yin-sha. On the distant horizon, the faint outlines of continuous dark red mountain ranges emerged like giant scars, the fluctuations emanating from there filled with ominousness and palpitation.

Qixue Valley lay deep within that mountain range.

As they drew closer, the frequency of encountering Di E patrol teams also began to increase. The four had to be even more careful, detouring multiple times, and even Mei Ruoxue had to act, using thunderous methods to silently eliminate small groups of hidden sentries that could not be avoided.

Finally, at sunset (sunset in the Southern Wilderness merely meant the dark red clouds on the horizon becoming even deeper, like blood), they arrived at the outskirts of that dark red mountain range. Standing atop a bare rocky mountain, they gazed into the distance.

They saw, embraced by the mountains, an incomparably huge canyon. The cliff walls on both sides of the canyon were not rock, but a strange substance, dark red verging on black, like coagulated blood, gleaming with a heart-palpitating oily luster under the dim sky light. Above the canyon, a thick, ceaselessly churning blood-colored mist shrouded it year-round. Within the mist, shrill howls and wraith-like shadows occasionally flashed past. Even from far away, one could feel the surging yin-sha and blood qi soaring into the sky from within the canyon, as well as a kind of... indescribably ancient, chaotic, malice-filled pressure.

That was Qixue Valley. One of Di E's most important strongholds in the Southern Wilderness, and the core of this Suo Yue Festival.

And in the deepest part of that blood mist, several exceptionally dense dark red lights could be faintly seen, like the eyes of a giant beast, coldly watching inside and outside the canyon. A vast and bizarre ritual force field was slowly and steadily taking shape there, producing a faint, barely perceptible resonance with that Suo Yue high in the sky dome — though invisible, its power was quietly changing.

The night of Suo Yue was about to arrive.

Ling Xiao slowly tightened his grip on the sword hilt at his waist, the aura around him thoroughly transforming into a bone-chilling, soul-freezing killing intent.

"Enter the valley."

Upon entering Qixue Valley, it was as if stepping into another world.

The sky was completely obscured by the thick blood mist. The only light sources came from those few dark red lights deep in the valley bottom, and the strange moss on the rock walls that spontaneously fluoresced — those mosses were shaped like coagulated blood drops, cluster by cluster, patch by patch, illuminating the entire canyon like the innards of a giant beast. The ground was completely covered by that gelatinous dark red substance; stepping on it was soft and slippery, feet sinking in, leaving footprints that would then slowly "heal."

Even more terrifying was the sound. Howls, weeping, pleading voices from everywhere, layer upon layer, surging from all directions, directly assaulting the soul. If not for the four's firm Dao hearts, and their protective spiritual light and Clear Heart Mantras, they would likely have lost their minds in a moment.

"Stay close." Ling Xiao transmitted his voice. The path he chose was extremely tricky, sometimes clinging to protrusions on the rock wall, sometimes passing through the blind spots of two patrol teams' lines of sight. Shi Ran noticed that Master seemed not entirely unfamiliar with the layout inside the valley — he avoided three hidden monitoring arrays, and detoured around a blood stream that appeared calm but actually concealed devouring power.

The sights along the way were shocking.

Huge blood pools soaked with the remains of unknown creatures, white bones piled up by the pools; on the steep blood-colored cliffs, caves were excavated, each cave entrance hung with a pale lantern, the flames burning inside were actually condensed soul fire; occasionally one would see squads of black-robed cultivators escorting prisoner-like figures toward the depths of the valley. Those prisoners, some already numb, some still struggling, but without exception, all had dense blood-colored chains coiled around their bodies.

Shi Ran clenched her fist. The Patrol Heaven Token in her bosom grew hot; the compassion and resolve conveyed by that "Ancient God's Residual Will" became increasingly clear, as if responding to the boundless suffering in this place.

Half an hour later, the two reached a relatively hidden rock cave. Ling Xiao set up an isolation barrier, his expression grave. "The situation is worse than expected. Di E's operation here has lasted at least a hundred years. They are not simply preparing a sacrifice, but transforming the entire Qixue Valley, refining it into an 'anchor point' connecting to the Nine Nether Blood Lake."

"Master, I just sensed five exceptionally powerful auras at the deepest part of the valley. One... yin-cold and deep like a ten-thousand-zhang cold abyss, should be the Youquan Venerable. The other four are slightly inferior, but all have reached late Nascent Soul." Shi Ran reported.

Ling Xiao nodded. "Youquan is mine. The other four, if Yusheng and the others' reconnaissance goes smoothly, can be restrained by the three of you. But the key is not killing people, it's destroying the ritual core. According to the 'Yuanshi Tianzun Jidu Blood Lake True Scripture,' the Blood Lake Hell has a 'Blood Lake Great God' presiding. If Di E can truly summon its projection or even an avatar to descend, the consequences are unthinkable."

Just as he spoke, Ling Xiao's expression suddenly changed slightly. He looked toward the depths of the rock cave. "Someone's coming. Silence."

Footsteps approached from far to near, accompanied by the clatter of chains dragging on the ground and stifled sobs. Three people? No, four. Two black-robed stewards escorting two prisoners.

"... The Venerable said, on the night of Suo Yue at the hour of Zi, the first batch of 'sacrificial guides' must be in place. This batch of goods is a bit inferior, but enough to make up the numbers." A hoarse voice.

"Hmph, if those few strongholds in the north hadn't been taken out by the Patrol Heaven Division, why would we need these inferior goods? Heard the nodes at Xiaqi Fang were destroyed too, Lord Minghe failed and was captured... everything's been going wrong lately."

"Shut up! Lord Minghe's affair is something you can discuss too? Do your duty. After Suo Yue, the Venerable will naturally reward merit."

The voices drew near. Shi Ran peered through a rock crevice and saw two black-robed stewards, one in front, one behind, with two women bound by blood-colored chains in the middle. The women's clothes were tattered, faces haggard, but their eyes still held a trace of unyielding light. Their cultivation had been completely sealed, no different from mortals.

The moment the group passed the cave entrance, Ling Xiao moved.

No light, no sound. He was like a sharp blade melded into shadow, instantly appearing behind the group. Left hand fingers together like a sword, he tapped the back of the last steward's neck; sword qi pierced through, instantly sealing his meridians and soul. Right hand simultaneously reached out, gripping the front steward's shoulder; a surge of icy spiritual power poured in, freezing his dantien and consciousness sea simultaneously.

The whole process took less than a breath. The two early Golden Core stewards didn't even manage a grunt before collapsing softly to the ground.

The two women looked up in shock. Upon seeing Ling Xiao and the revealed Shi Ran, their eyes suddenly burst with the light of hope.

"Don't make a sound, follow me." Ling Xiao waved his hand, drawing the two unconscious bodies into the depths of the rock cave, and quickly set up a concealment illusion array. Shi Ran stepped forward, attempting to undo the blood-colored chains on the women — the chains seemed connected to some bloodline curse technique; forcibly breaking them would alert the caster.

"Try using the Patrol Heaven Token." Ling Xiao reminded.

Shi Ran's mind stirred. The Patrol Heaven Token floated from her bosom, emitting a warm, clear light. Under the clear light, the blood-colored chains melted like ice and snow meeting the sun, emitting a "sizzling" sound, their color rapidly dimming. In just a few breaths, the chains collapsed and dissipated.

"Thank you, Seniors, for saving us!" The two women knelt and kowtowed.

"Rise, time is pressing. Who are you? Why were you captured here?" Ling Xiao asked.

The older woman choked out, "This junior is Su Qing, this is my younger sister Su Yu. We were originally disciples of the Southern Wilderness 'Qixia Sect.' Three days ago, our sect was ambushed by Di E. Master, senior brothers all died in battle. We were captured... along this escort journey, we saw many fellow Daoists from other sects, all imprisoned in the blood prison at the valley bottom. We heard those demons say that on the night of Suo Yue, they will throw us all into the 'Blood Lake Heart Cauldron' as 'living sacrifices' for the summoning ritual..."

"Blood Lake Heart Cauldron?" Ling Xiao pressed.

"Yes... it is a huge three-legged cauldron, standing in the center of the blood lake at the deepest part of the valley. The cauldron body is engraved with strange runes, absorbing the blood lake's yin-sha and... and living people's blood qi day and night. When we were escorted past, we saw from afar that the cauldron already held half a pool of thick blood water, countless pained, twisted faces floating on the surface..." Su Yu added in a trembling voice.

Shi Ran and Ling Xiao exchanged a glance, their hearts sinking. It was indeed the most cruel blood sacrifice, using the flesh, blood, and souls of myriad living beings as the guide.

"How is the valley's defense arranged? Where does the Youquan Venerable usually stay?" Ling Xiao continued asking.

"The valley bottom has three layers. The outermost layer is where ordinary disciples and patrol teams are stationed; the middle layer is the cultivation area with blood pools, blood mountains, and the blood prison holding prisoners; the innermost layer is where the blood lake and heart cauldron are. Only the Venerable and the four Guardians can enter, surrounded by an extremely powerful 'Nine Nether Blood Sha Grand Array.' The Youquan Venerable usually sits in a black jade palace beside the heart cauldron, rarely leaving." Su Qing tried hard to recall.

Ling Xiao pondered briefly, taking out two jade talismans and two bottles of pills. "These are Concealment Talismans and Breath-Restraining Pills, lasting two hours. You two retreat along the path we came. If intercepted, crush the jade talisman to unleash a single strike of peak Golden Core sword qi. Once out, immediately head to the 'Hidden Mist Forest' three hundred li north of Duan Yun Gorge. There is a Patrol Heaven Division reception point there."

"Seniors' great kindness, unforgettable!" The two women bowed again, swallowed the pills, activated the jade talismans, their figures gradually fading, carefully retreating from the rock cave.

After they left, Ling Xiao looked at Shi Ran. "The plan changes. Di E uses living sacrifices to activate the heart cauldron. We must destroy the blood prison ahead of time and rescue the prisoners. Even if we cannot completely stop the ritual, we can greatly weaken its power."

"But the blood prison is heavily guarded. Once we act, it will surely alert Youquan."

"So we need a feint." A cold light flashed in Ling Xiao's eyes. "You meet up with Yusheng and Ruoxue, follow the original plan to investigate and try to sabotage the ritual core. I'll go to the blood prison — the bigger the commotion I make, the more attention I draw, creating opportunities for you."

"Master, it's too dangerous!" Shi Ran urged anxiously.

"Rest assured, I have my measure. Remember, the hour of Zi on the night of Suo Yue is when the ritual formally begins. You must complete the task and withdraw before then. If things become impossible, preserving yourself is the top priority." Ling Xiao patted her shoulder, his tone brooking no refusal. "Now, go to the rendezvous point. Be careful."

Shi Ran gritted her teeth and nodded; she knew her Master's decision was the most reasonable. Casting a deep look at Ling Xiao, she turned and melted into the shadows, slipping toward the agreed position at the valley's heart.

Ling Xiao watched Shi Ran disappear, then slowly drew the long sword at his waist. The Dragon Chant Sword reflected a ghostly cold gleam under the blood-colored light, the patterns flowing on its scabbard seeming to come alive.

"Venerable Youquan... Earth Erosion... Blood Lake Heart Cauldron..." he murmured to himself. The aura around him began to climb, that deliberately suppressed, piercing sword intent spreading quietly like an unsealed glacier.

"Master, the truth of the 'Shackles' you investigated back then... perhaps it lies tonight."

He strode out of the rock cave, heading toward the Blood Prison, his steps firm as iron.

Above the Weeping Blood Valley, the blood mist grew ever thicker. In the depths of the heavens, that unseen dark moon was silently sliding toward the celestial meridian.

Midnight was approaching.