Chapter 289: Target: Death Valley!

"So, where are we going?"

"Hm?"

Jiang Mingzhi's originally smiling expression froze, as if he hadn't heard Ren Yidao's words clearly.

What did he just say?

Was he asking me... where we are going?

"Daoist, what did you just say?"

That shouldn't be possible, right?

It must be that I didn't hear him clearly; he was the one who invited me, how could he not even know the destination...

"I asked you, where are we going next?" Ren Yidao asked again with a beaming smile.

You really are asking that!

Jiang Mingzhi's eyes widened, his mouth hung open, and he nearly blurted out a curse.

Y-y-you... you must be joking with me, right?

But opposite Jiang Mingzhi, the young man's expression was calm—looking even calmer than his own—not feeling that there was anything strange about the question he had asked at all.

In any case, I'll just get him onto the pirate ship first.

Now that you've boarded the pirate ship, whether you can get off is no longer up to you~

As long as I'm not embarrassed, the one who is embarrassed is someone else.

After a difficult silence, Jiang Mingzhi had no choice but to bow to reality, coughing twice before saying:

"... Ahem, Daoist, do you really not have a destination in mind?"

"Yeah, I'm new here, so of course I'm not clear on the situation around here."

Ren Yidao waved his hand grandly and chuckled: "It's fine, you just arrange it! We'll follow you, right, Da Huang?"

"... Hmph."

The yellow cat let out a snort through its nose, originally not intending to pay any mind to Ren Yidao.

But when it felt a chill approach its fur Bell, it shuddered and immediately responded:

"Meow!"

"Good, very spirited!"

Although Jiang Mingzhi had many things he wanted to say, seeing this, he could only swallow his words and say helplessly:

"I don't mind making the arrangements, but does the Daoist have a final destination? That way I can plan accordingly."

Ren Yidao thought for a moment, decided to reveal some of his plan, shrugged, and said easily:

"That works too. Our final destination is Death Valley. We aren't in a rush to get there, as long as we arrive within two months."

"Death Valley!?"

Upon hearing this location, Jiang Mingzhi subconsciously asked back loudly.

"That's right, Death Valley. Is there something wrong with going there?"

Something wrong?

It's more than just something wrong; it's a disaster!

Jiang Mingzhi frowned, feeling more and more that traveling with this guy was a terrible choice.

"Does the Daoist have business in Death Valley? If it's not absolutely necessary, I would still suggest that the Daoist not go there and risk danger."

"Oh?"

Ren Yidao watched Jiang Mingzhi's reaction, his heart stirred slightly, and he raised his eyebrows, smiling:

"How so? Is it very dangerous there?"

Death Valley was the most promising lead among the clues provided by Li Fengyao.

That person not only claimed to be Luoyue Shangren and fought others for treasure, but the Dao Technique used was also similar to the Taiyin Divine Dao of Luoyue Peak.

This place was the biggest reason Ren Yidao came to the Eastern Wasteland; logically and emotionally, there was no reason to avoid it.

Seeing that Ren Yidao was not giving up, Jiang Mingzhi's mouth twitched, and he patiently explained:

"First of all, Death Valley is located at the easternmost end of the Eastern Wasteland. This journey will span the entire Eastern Wasteland Divine Continent. Who knows how many difficulties we will encounter along the way, but that is not the main problem."

Jiang Mingzhi was not the type to be scared off by a long journey; there was another reason that truly made him hesitate.

"Is Death Valley dangerous? Daoist, that is an understatement. It is more than just dangerous; it is a famous place of great misfortune in the Eastern Wasteland!"

Jiang Mingzhi shook his head helplessly, "There, let alone the fact that you, Daoist, are not well-known in the Eastern Wasteland, even my status would be of no use there."

Seeing Jiang Mingzhi so resistant, Ren Yidao was actually a bit curious, blinking as he asked:

"Hm? Isn't there only the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect there?"

"Is that Ten Thousand Beasts Sect really so overbearing? They don't even care about the face of you, the future Jiang King?"

Before coming to the Eastern Wasteland, Ren Yidao hadn't failed to do his homework; he had conducted quite a bit of investigation.

According to the information provided by Li Fengyao and what Ren Yidao found within the Divine Path Sect, Death Valley had fallen into the hands of the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect a hundred years ago and was no longer open to the public.

Although the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect was slightly inferior to super sects like the Divine Path Sect and did not have many experts in the Heaven Realm, they could not be underestimated.

Due to the unique nature of their cultivation methods, the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect was able to control Demon Beasts half a level higher than themselves.

There was once a Sect Master of the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect who controlled a Great Demon at the early Heaven Realm, ranking among the very top tier of people in the Eastern Wasteland.

Moreover, the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect raised a large number of Demon Beasts as battle pets, never fearing the number of their enemies, and their style had always been overbearing and arrogant.

If Ren Yidao wanted to go to Death Valley to investigate, he would inevitably have to bypass the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect, the local tyrant, and he really did not want to deal with them.

The other party was a sect specialized in targeting Demon Beasts. Although he was confident he wouldn't be controlled, if he were to capsize in the gutter, that would be a huge problem.

To be safe, he hoped to use the influence of Jiang Mingzhi and his group, letting them step forward to negotiate, which could save a lot of unnecessary trouble.

But looking at how resistant Jiang Mingzhi was now, the situation seemed to be quite different from what he had imagined...

Could it be that the Jiang Kingdom and the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect have a grudge? But these two are located at the eastern and western ends of the Eastern Wasteland; what kind of irreconcilable grudge could they have?

"You said the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect? Oh! So that's how it is."

Jiang Mingzhi suddenly realized, finally grasping where the biggest problem in their conversation lay, and explained:

"Daoist, you come from the Beiming Divine Continent and are not very familiar with the news of the Eastern Wasteland Divine Continent."

"The information in your hands is probably from several decades ago."

"Hm?"

"Because the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect was already destroyed fifty years ago."

"Eh???"

It is no exaggeration to say that Ren Yidao was truly shocked this time.

Wait!

Isn't the information I found the latest?

Outdated?

And it's damn well outdated by decades?

"Destroyed? Destroyed by whom? Whose hands has Death Valley fallen into now?"

How could such a big thing happen without a word!

Tsk, if that's the case, then the plan will have to be completely changed...

"The Ten Thousand Beasts Sect was not destroyed by outsiders, but perished at the hands of its own people." Jiang Mingzhi's addition made Ren Yidao's brow twitch.

"Hm? What do you mean by that?"

There was actually a master?

"It was a backlash."

When speaking of the end of the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect, Jiang Mingzhi could not help but sigh with emotion:

"The Ten Thousand Beasts Sect not only collected powerful Demon Beasts from all over the Eastern Wasteland to be battle pets, but also raised them themselves, selecting the most excellent offspring to cultivate."

Selective breeding, this is very normal, there is no problem with it; all the families in the Eastern Wasteland are doing it.

Ren Yidao knew that the real main event had not yet been mentioned.

Sure enough, Jiang Mingzhi's expression sank, and he lowered his voice:

"And when they were cultivating a Fox Demon, an accident happened."

"From the information we collected later, that Fox Demon's talent was extremely powerful; it was personally cultivated by the Sect Master of the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect over a hundred years ago, and it reached the strength of the Earth Realm in less than a hundred years."

"And it was that Fox Demon, with only Earth Realm strength, that actually devoured its master!"

When he said this, Jiang Mingzhi's expression revealed worry; he thought of the dangerous scene when that kind of thing happened.

Their Jiang Family also raises Demon Beasts!

To them, a Demon Beast that can backfire is simply a bomb sitting under their butts that could explode at any time!

"That Fox Demon not only broke free from the control of the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect Master, but also ambushed and killed him while he was cultivating, liberating the Heaven Realm Great Demon he had been controlling!"

"The Ten Thousand Beasts Sect fell into chaos and resisted in a hurry, but that Fox Demon could not only break free from control itself, but could also make other Demon Beasts devour their masters!"

"The members of the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect lost their combat power, and in just over a month, they completely collapsed; from then on, the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect was completely removed from the Eastern Wasteland."

Jiang Mingzhi shook his head with a bitter smile and sighed:

"That was fifty years ago, and today's Death Valley has completely and thoroughly become a paradise for Demon Beasts, turning into the largest Ten Thousand Demon Cave in the Eastern Wasteland."

"So, that is why I said that over there, let alone looking at my name, even my father the King's face is of no use."

After Jiang Mingzhi finished speaking, he glanced at Ren Yidao; sure enough, just as he thought, the young man's brows were tightly furrowed.

"Did the others in the Eastern Wasteland just leave the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect alone and not intervene?"

Did they just let those Great Demons develop on their own in Death Valley?

Jiang Mingzhi sneered, and said with a tone of mockery:

"Intervene, that was naturally intervened, but it wasn't to clear out those rebel demons."

"Under the leadership of the Chu Family, a total of eleven kingdoms took action together to rescue the surviving members of the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect and gather them together, asking them for the Secret Technique of the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect for controlling Demon Beasts, which can be considered as taking the reward they deserved."

"Then they settled them in a small town a hundred miles away from the ruins of the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect, letting them serve as an outpost to resist the Demon Race of Death Valley, which can also be considered as giving them a chance to avenge their sect."

Ren Yidao: "..."

After a period of silence, Ren Yidao asked incomprehensibly:

"And then? What about the sect of the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect? Just leave it like that and let those Demon Races occupy it?"

Ah?

But compared to Ren Yidao's confusion, Jiang Mingzhi's reaction was very calm.

"Daoist, you still don't understand the thinking of the people of the Eastern Wasteland."

Jiang Mingzhi shook his head and explained:

"That place is just a spiritual land with fairly abundant Spirit Qi; other than that, it has no other value."

"And there are many, many such places in the Eastern Wasteland; it is simply not worth fighting over."

"For us, it is a good thing that the Demon Beasts in the east have a gathering point, as it is convenient for regular suppression, which is much better than them being scattered all over the mountains and plains."

Ren Yidao was speechless.

Very speechless.

The way these Eastern Wasteland people do things left him with no idea what to complain about.

Actually, after listening to Jiang Mingzhi's analysis, it was actually quite reasonable...

Their land is vast and rich in resources, so they really don't care about that little bit of space from the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect.

They...

Look! Down! On!

This reason is truly enough to leave one speechless.

Then, Jiang Mingzhi thought of another point and added:

"Oh right, Daoist, you might not know yet, but if I haven't guessed wrong, the small city you won in this Two Domains Conflict should be near Death Valley, that small city with only a few thousand residents."

"Wanshou City, most of the people inside are descendants of the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect."

Fine.

Very good.

It is truly too good.

Ren Yidao smacked his lips, feeling as if he had bitten into a string of Sichuan peppercorns.

Numb.

Huhu is numb.

"Today's Death Valley has already become a hiding place for some outlaws, and it is also a forbidden zone where some cultivators who feel their strength is extraordinary go to hone themselves."

After saying so much, Jiang Mingzhi felt that Ren Yidao understood the danger of this matter, and finally deliberated before saying:

"So, if it is not absolutely necessary for you to go, Daoist, I still suggest changing to another place. After all, one can gain experience anywhere; there is no need to pick the most dangerous one..."

"No, I am going there."

Ren Yidao, who had just had a speechless expression, suddenly changed his expression, and said in a calm yet firm tone:

"The destination will not change; I am going there."

"Daoist, you..."

Why must you be so stubborn?

Ren Yidao saw what Jiang Mingzhi had left unsaid, but he did not explain.

Is there anything that needs explaining?

Jiang Mingzhi had been wrong about one thing from the very beginning.

Going to Death Valley is a set goal, not a choice.

There was never any room for negotiation.

Besides...

"Just because it is a dragon's den and a tiger's lair, must I bow my head and retreat?"

Ridiculous.

"Heh, if I were to do that, would I still be me?"

Ren Yidao laughed freely and strode forward.

Besides, a dangerous place is not a death trap.

Since dangerous people dare to hide there and others dare to seek experience there, what am I lacking?

Jiang Mingzhi looked at the back striding forward and suddenly felt that he had not truly seen this Daoist clearly before.

His arrogance was hidden extremely, extremely deep.

Moreover, at this moment, in Jiang Mingzhi's eyes, the youth's not-so-broad back actually seemed taller than when he had intimidated him earlier.

A scorching sun?

No, it was like a bright, clear moon, hanging high in Heaven yet not scorching.

At the same time, the divination image that had been somewhat blurry became clear at this moment.

For an instant, he seemed to see the future indicated by the divination image.

This person is not only the one to face the tribulation, but also... the Destined Person!

But the next instant, the divination image returned to its previous blurry state, as if a mass of clouds and mist were shrouding him.

"This..."

Jiang Mingzhi's pupils shook violently, and his raised hand could not help but tremble.

What did I just see?

And while Jiang Mingzhi was doubting himself, Ren Yidao in front turned his head and asked with a light laugh:

"Then, this trip is dangerous; are you willing to go with me?"

Jiang Mingzhi was stunned for a moment, but he quickly reacted and nodded immediately:

"... Mingzhi is naturally willing to accompany the Daoist."

Jiang Mingzhi realized one thing.

Regardless of who Ren Yidao actually is, what lies before him is his own life tribulation.

If it is a blessing, it is not a disaster; if it is a disaster, it cannot be avoided.

He could not survive this tribulation on his own no matter what, so he could only pin his hopes on Ren Yidao's sturdy thigh.

"Also, Daoist, you cannot keep walking forward?"

"Why?"

"That way is North; you are going the wrong way."

Jiang Mingzhi smiled, turned around, and pointed toward the East.

"That is the direction to Death Valley. We need to go to Hu Kingdom first, then transfer to Chu Kingdom, and use the teleportation array to get near Wanshou City."

Ren Yidao was silent for a moment, then continued forward.

"Daoist! That is not the way!"

"I know, but I am going this way..."

Jiang Mingzhi:???

"Daoist—"

Asking for the guaranteed Monthly Ticket at the start of the month—

A lot has happened this month, mostly unpleasant things, and everything has been chaotic in various ways.

I still owe the bonus chapter for exceeding one thousand Monthly Tickets last month; I remember, I will make it up next month, I won't forget.

I have to go out to move things tomorrow, so I'm rushing to finish tomorrow's chapter today... *sigh*.

Please bear with me.

Love you all!