lcionline Chapter 262 Tiannan Deep Valley
Chapter 262 Tiannan Deep Valley
Southeastern part of the Great Jin Dynasty.
In the giant, deep valley adjacent to the East China Sea, the sky is cloudless and desolate.
The surrounding area is barren mountains and treacherous waters, with many poisonous miasma-filled forests.
After several days of travel, Ye Kang and his two companions finally arrived at the entrance to the Tiannan Deep Valley.
Along the way, the number of people gradually decreased, and by the time they reached this area, there were no living people left, only the ruins of villages left behind from who knows how long ago.
As far as the eye could see, there was only thick fog and vast stretches of dense forest.
Further away are strangely shaped mountain ranges, beneath which the ground level drops sharply, forming a large deep valley.
From their location, stretching all the way to the sea, this vast area is the Tiannan Deep Valley, one of the many dangerous places in the Great Jin Dynasty.
When the Thief King and Dai Huanhuan saw the dense forest, their expressions visibly darkened.
"Twenty years have passed. I never thought that this old man would return to this place one day."
The King of Thieves sighed, a deep sense of reminiscence in his eyes.
Back then, he was at the peak of the ninth rank of the Extreme Realm, and he thought his combat power was unparalleled and his escape skills were the best in the world, so he brought his family to this place to explore.
In the end, the son and daughter-in-law both died, leaving only the unborn child in the womb, who was also infected by demonic energy, damaging his foundation.
Over the years, the King of Thieves has often dreamt of the scenes from that time, and his regret is beyond words.
Now, as he approaches again, he remains deeply worried.
"Huanhuan, I'm so sorry..."
"Nonsense, who said I was blaming you?"
Dai Huanhuan rolled her eyes, appearing relaxed and not at all upset.
Knowing that Dai Huanhuan was trying to comfort him, the Thief King smiled and then looked at Ye Kang.
"Lord Ye, are you really going in? Demons are rampant in the Tiannan Valley, it's fraught with danger, and it's right next to the East Sea. Nobody knows what will happen next."
Ye Kang nodded: "Of course we should go in, it's just a little dangerous, but for Huanhuan to recover her talent, we should take the risk."
Ye Kang chose a patch of grass, casually placed the horse there, and then headed straight for the dense forest ahead.
Dai Huanhuan and the Thief King were both stunned.
They looked completely bewildered.
What are you doing?
Are we that close?
Is it really necessary to take such a risk for a female thief?
The two looked at each other, both seeing the other's bewilderment.
They spent the whole way trying to figure out Ye Kang's intentions. After all, they were not related by blood or marriage, so there was no need for them to get involved in such a potentially fatal matter.
Hearing Ye Kang say this, Dai Huanhuan's face visibly flushed red. She then gritted her teeth, her whole body tensed, and she suddenly became flustered.
The King of Thieves' face darkened even more.
Good guy!
It must have its eye on our cabbage!
Outrageous!
But... it doesn't seem like a bad idea. Lord Ye is young and promising, highly skilled, and handsome...
The Thief King quickly shook his head. Forget it, let's focus on restoring Huanhuan's aptitude first. She might lose her life in there later, so let's not worry about that now.
Ye Kang had no idea that the two of them had thought so much.
He was just saying it casually and didn't care what others thought, as long as he could cover up his true purpose.
Hunting down Huo Yuanpeng is imperative. Ye Kang is currently in dire need of demon blood crystals, which has prevented him from improving his Jiao Demon Blood Forging Technique.
Although consuming precious plants can temper his body, he will not forget that the Demon Body Tempering Method is the foundation of his body tempering.
Each with their own thoughts, the three entered the deep valley in the south.
Neither Ye Kang nor the Thief King used their lightness skills because Dai Huanhuan was too weak, and to avoid risks, they had to keep her in sight at all times.
The further you go, the more poisonous insects and miasma you encounter, and you also frequently see signs of ferocious beasts.
The King of Thieves, being a seasoned veteran, quickly realized something was amiss.
"Have you noticed the signs of demons ahead?"
Ye Kang nodded, unconvinced.
His senses were extremely sharp, covering a range that far exceeded that of a ninth-grade expert, which is why he also discovered the demons ahead.
An incredibly strong leopard is tearing apart a oryx.
Unfortunately, it wasn't a man-eating demon, so Ye Kang had no interest in it. He casually released a deterrent, and the leopard demon trembled and fled without hesitation.
After that, they encountered three more demons, each with a strength between the fifth and seventh ranks. It's no wonder this is called the "Desolate Land," as the danger here is far too great for martial artists.
If an ordinary martial artist dared to enter, they probably wouldn't survive a day.
In such a harsh environment of survival of the fittest, it's unknown how far Huo Yuanpeng has grown.
The King of Thieves' expression visibly turned serious.
"Beyond the mountain range ahead lies the true deep valley, and on the highest stone pillar in the valley is the beast's lair."
Ye Kang asked with some doubt, "You went there specifically for their lair?"
"Nonsense! Who knew that beast lived up there! I was looking for the legendary Earth Spirit Flower back then. It is said that this thing only appears on the stone pillars in the deep valleys of Tiannan. It can only mature by absorbing the earth's spiritual energy through the stone pillars."
"Earth Spirit Treasure Flower? What is that?"
The Thief King gave a wry smile: "There should be quite a few precious plants in the Azure Scale Guard's treasury that can increase lifespan, right?"
Ye Kang recalled it, and it was indeed true.
The most valuable plants in the Azure Scale Treasure Mirror all have the effect of prolonging life.
Examples include blood dragon fruit, which can extend lifespan by 3 years, and snow-capped bean pods, which can extend lifespan by 5 years.
These longevity-promoting herbs have no entry requirements; anyone can eat them to extend their lifespan. Generally, the higher the grade of the herb, the fewer times it can be consumed.
For example, blood dragon fruit can be eaten twice in a lifetime, after which it becomes ineffective, and can extend lifespan by a total of 6 years.
Snow-capped pea pods can only be eaten once in a lifetime, so when exchanging them, everyone should consider the cost-effectiveness of both.
Of course, longevity has always been the lifelong pursuit of all martial artists, and such a treasure plant requires at least 3 major merits to exchange for.
Very few people are able to redeem it.
The Earth Spirit Treasure Flower is not mentioned in the Azure Scale Treasure Mirror.
The Thief King continued, "Now that things have come to this, there's no need to hide it from you anymore. The Earth Spirit Flower only exists in legends. The last time it appeared was in the previous dynasty. This thing only has the effect of prolonging life, but it is said that a mature Earth Spirit Flower can extend one's life by twenty years."
"what!"
Ye Kang was somewhat alarmed. A precious plant that could extend one's lifespan by twenty years—this was an extremely rare and valuable item!
No wonder the King of Thieves took the risk back then; now I can understand.
Martial artists generally live longer, but unless they become grandmasters, their lifespan will not actually increase. If they could have an extra 20 years for no reason, who could refuse?
"So, this thing is an extremely valuable treasure even for a reclusive sect, and it shouldn't be able to be kept, right?" Ye Kang asked doubtfully.
The Thief King chuckled to himself, "How could I not know? That's just a legend, and the Great Jin Dynasty never even existed. I was just trying my luck. I never expected to lose more than I gained. Sigh."
Ye Kang nodded, indicating his understanding.
Just as the two were chatting.
At the entrance to the deep valley in the south, three more masked men, using extremely fast light-footed skills, landed next to Ye Kang's BMW.
"That kid's horse is here, but he's gone inside."
"what should we do?"
"Chase them! Anyway, they haven't even left the sea yet, so it's impossible for people overseas to come ashore!"