Chapter 229: What Kind of Hellish Place Is This!

At this moment, deep in the Qinling mountains, the All-Sex squad led by Gong Qing had already penetrated deep into the forest. Xia Liuqing and Xia He walked on either side of the team, with Jinfeng Popo bringing up the rear, forming a standard defensive formation. Sunlight filtered through the dense canopy, casting mottled light and shadows on the ground.

"This hellish place," Xia Liuqing complained as he walked, "this mountain path alone is enough to wear a person out." His gaze scanned the surroundings vigilantly, "And I keep feeling like something isn't right."

Xia He comforted him softly: "We're almost there. According to the map, the entrance to the Twenty-Four Solar Terms Valley is just ahead."

Just then, Gong Qing suddenly raised a hand to signal everyone to stop. His gaze locked onto a cave half-hidden in the rock face ahead, a flash of alertness in his eyes: "Someone's there."

Sure enough, a disheveled figure emerged from the cave. When they saw it was Chai Yan, the members of All-Sex were all stunned. This expert, who had a small reputation in the Outsider world, was covered in wounds and his breath was chaotic, clearly having just experienced a fierce battle.

"Chai Yan?" Gong Qing feigned surprise, but his eyes were carefully searching for something on the other man, "What happened?"

Chai Yan hesitated for a moment, but quickly put on a relaxed expression: "Just took a tumble. This mountain road is indeed hard to walk."

"Is that so?" Gong Qing gave him a meaningful look. As a high-ranking member of All-Sex, his judgment of injuries was incredibly sharp. The wounds on Chai Yan were clearly caused by attacks from some kind of massive creature.

The atmosphere suddenly turned subtle. Xia Liuqing and Xia He had already quietly adjusted their positions, ready to act at any moment.

Chai Yan seemed to sense the tension in the air and suddenly smiled: "Gong Qing, since everyone is here for Wugensheng's collection, why not join forces? In a place like this, having an extra person makes it easier to look out for one another."

This sudden proposal caught the All-Sex members off guard. Xia Liuqing and Xia He exchanged a look full of suspicion, clearly holding reservations about this sudden show of goodwill.

Yet, Gong Qing unexpectedly agreed readily: "Sure, I couldn't ask for more." He smiled, stepped forward, and patted Chai Yan on the shoulder, "Since you've been here for a few days, you must be more familiar with this place."

Just like that, the two groups formed a temporary alliance. On the surface, it looked harmonious, but everyone knew in their hearts that this was merely a collaboration where each side harbored its own ulterior motives.

Especially when Chai Yan led the group to the entrance of the Twenty-Four Solar Terms Valley, this subtle atmosphere reached its peak.

The canyon before them was deep and dark, with cliffs on both sides as if carved by knives and axes, piercing straight into the clouds. Strangely, despite it being midday, the valley was filled with an eerie mist, making it impossible to see the situation inside clearly. Even stranger, an abnormally dense amount of Spirit Qi surged out from the valley, causing everyone present to feel a sense of palpitation.

"Good place," Gong Qing took a deep breath, a flash of greed in his eyes, "No wonder Wugensheng chose this spot."

"Indeed," Chai Yan echoed, though his eyes were somewhat unfocused, "It is truly a good place."

Just then, Gong Qing suddenly changed the subject: "Come to think of it, your injuries... were they really just from a fall?"

This sudden question made the atmosphere tense instantly. Chai Yan's body visibly stiffened, but he quickly returned to normal: "Of course, this mountain road is so difficult to walk..."

"Cut it out," Gong Qing interrupted, his tone turning cold, "The wounds on your body were clearly caused by attacks from some huge creature. And your Qi is so chaotic, you've clearly been through a fierce battle." He stepped closer, "Tell me, what exactly is in the valley?"

Having his disguise pierced, Chai Yan was silent for a moment before finally letting out a long sigh: "Fine, I admit it. There are indeed some unusual things in the valley." A flash of pain crossed his eyes, "My companions... are all dead."

"Dead?" Xia He exclaimed, "How did they die?"

"Two Golden Silk Monkeys," Chai Yan's voice turned hoarse, "But they can no longer be described as ordinary monkeys. That power, that speed—it was as if they were monsters stepped out of mythology."

Everyone fell silent after hearing this. Even the usually arrogant Gong Qing had a grave expression.

Meanwhile, at an outdoor supply store in the city, Zhang Chulan and his group were purchasing the equipment needed for the mountain.

After finishing their purchases, the group boarded a vehicle headed for the Twenty-Four Solar Terms Valley. Along the way, everyone was immersed in their own thoughts.

As the car bumped along the mountain road, Zhang Chulan looked at the scenery rapidly receding outside the window, secretly calculating various possibilities in his heart.

Sunlight slanted into the forest, casting mottled light and shadows on the rugged mountain path. The van struggled forward on the winding road, the tires crushing gravel and making faint sounds. Zhang Chulan looked at the rising terrain outside the window, a sense of unease inexplicably welling up in his heart.

Finally, the car stopped at a slightly open platform. The driver turned his head, looking apologetic: "The car can't go any further up; the mountain is too steep and the road conditions are too poor. Sorry, I can only take you this far."

Zhang Chulan looked at the road conditions and nodded: "Understood. This is already good enough; we'll walk the rest of the way."

After paying the fare, the group stood at the foot of the mountain to organize their gear. A breeze blew by, bringing a hint of coolness. A few bird calls came from the distance, sounding exceptionally clear and strangely abrupt in the silent forest.

"Wait!" Just as they were about to set off, Wang Zhenqiu suddenly crouched down, pointing at the ground, "Look at these footprints."

The group leaned in to observe, seeing the ground covered in various fresh tracks. There were the anti-slip patterns of hiking boots, as well as the standard marks left by military boots. Even more striking was that these footprints varied in size, clearly belonging to different groups.

"Judging by how fresh the marks are, it's been no more than two days," Wang Zhenqiu analyzed carefully, "And judging by the density of the tracks, at least two or three teams have already gotten ahead of us."

Zhang Chulan narrowed his eyes: "It seems we really didn't arrive early. In that case, we need to pick up the pace."

Heiguan was about to speak but noticed something unusual in Zhang Chulan's tone. It wasn't just a sense of urgency, but more like a premonition—as if some major event was about to happen.

The group shouldered their gear and began to climb along the mountain path. As the altitude rose, the air gradually grew thin. While this was nothing for these experts with special abilities, the abnormally dense Spirit Qi made them feel somewhat uncomfortable.

"Come to think of it," Heiguan said while adjusting his breathing, "I heard my handler mention inadvertently a few days ago that this mission might be related to a certain collection in the valley."

Zhang Chulan and Wang Zhenqiu turned their heads simultaneously upon hearing this: "What collection?"