A Field Strewn with Corpses

"Someone has been here!" Qin Sang's heart chilled. Puzzled, he asked, "Senior, didn't you leave a secret mark that went unnoticed?" Yunyouzi gently shook his head. "There is more than one passage through the mountain, and the star venom frog nest is vast. If someone found a flaw nearby and reached this place through another route, it wouldn't be surprising. Judging from this star venom frog's carcass, it died at least two months ago... There isn't a single sound here. Could all the star venom frogs have been slaughtered?" At this thought, Yunyouzi shuddered in alarm. The nest held no small number of adult star venom frogs—a venomous lair that even Core Formation stage cultivators would not dare trespass into! The two exchanged terrified looks. "Brother Qin, do you remember what the Tianfeng Tower shopkeeper said? The recent turmoil in Wuya Valley erupted very abruptly and defied common sense. Someone said they felt an immensely powerful aura sweep past, and that the demon beasts and ghostly creatures seemed more like they were frightened off..." Yunyouzi's tone was solemn. Qin Sang said in a strained voice, "Senior, you suspect..." Yunyouzi slowly uttered two words: "Nascent Soul!" ... Steeling their courage, Qin Sang and Yunyouzi ventured deeper into the star venom frogs' nest. The further they went, the more alarmed they became. Carcass after carcass of star venom frogs floated upon the mire, shocking to behold—describing it as a field strewn with corpses was no exaggeration. Among them were many adult star venom frogs. Every single star venom frog had been killed in a single blow. Their most precious venom sacs—the only parts of any value—had all been harvested. Apart from that, they did not find even a single trace of battle. It was as though these venomous frogs had been living peacefully in their nest when sudden catastrophe struck, leaving them utterly powerless to fight back. Yunyouzi quickened his pace and walked all the way to the end of the nest, yet he could not find a single living star venom frog. Qin Sang looked at Yunyouzi and asked tentatively, "Senior, could someone have beaten us to it?" If a Nascent Soul cultivator had truly passed through, no matter how formidable the refined corpse was, it could never withstand a Nascent Soul expert and would easily be blasted to ashes, while the spirit herb would surely have been taken as well. In that case, taking risks to press further inside would be pointless. "No!" To Qin Sang's surprise, Yunyouzi shook his head with absolute certainty. "Brother Qin, you don't know the inner valley. The rumors in the cultivation markets are merely grasping at shadows; exceedingly few people have ever entered the inner valley, so they cannot be trusted. "The scale of Wuya Valley's inner valley is several times larger than the first and second layers combined—a vast, boundless realm. The dangers we faced in the second layer pale in comparison to what lies within. "In the inner valley, ancient restrictions and spatial rifts intertwine everywhere. There are even terrifying ancient beasts lurking within, possessing strength on par with Nascent Soul stage cultivators. Without knowing a safe route, I would never dare bring you in to court death. "It cannot be such a coincidence that that Nascent Soul cultivator took the exact same path as us. We haven't even exited the barrier yet. As we press further inside, we'll be able to see the clues." The two continued forward. Qin Sang realized that Yunyouzi's route required traversing right across the star venom frog nest. If those frogs had still been alive, getting through would have taken considerable effort. After walking a bit further, the green mist grew thin. Yunyouzi seemed to notice something else and sped up. When Qin Sang caught up, he saw a severed limb of an unknown demon beast on the ground, clearly not belonging to a star venom frog. "The star venom frogs aren't the only demon beasts living here. These are their natural predators, and they've been cleared out as well." Yunyouzi gave a self-deprecating laugh. "I wonder which senior paved the way. All the painstaking preparations I made were in vain... Still, it has saved us a great deal of trouble." The further forward they went, the more severed limbs appeared. Demon beast blood dyed the mire blue. The carcasses had all been skinned and butchered, every valuable part plundered. Suddenly, Yunyouzi's figure flashed as he flitted over to a torn piece of beast hide. He squatted down and stared at it, murmuring nothing in contemplation. The beast hide was only the size of a palm, covered with needle-hard black bristles. In the middle of the hide was an extremely faint, slender cut, but nothing else seemed out of the ordinary. "Senior, what are you looking at?" Qin Sang asked curiously. "The Shadowless Sword!" Yunyouzi let out a long breath and pointed at the sword mark in the center of the hide. "This sword mark was left by a renowned sword art of the Wuji Sect. No wonder those star venom frogs died without a sound! I couldn't tell earlier and only found it strange, but seeing the sword mark on this pelt reminded me of this technique." Hearing this, Qin Sang froze in sheer astonishment. "Could the person ahead be the Wuji Sect Master?" Earlier, they had thought it was a Nascent Soul expert from one of the demonic sects who had arrived here. Never had he imagined it might be the Wuji Sect Master, one of the Eight Righteous Sects! Yunyouzi hesitated. "If so, that would explain it. Though it might not be the Sect Master in person; a late Core Formation expert of the Wuji Sect could also barely manage this." Whether a Nascent Soul cultivator or a late Core Formation expert, neither was someone the two of them could afford to provoke. To them, there was little difference. The two continued onward. Although they saw more severed limbs and beast hides, none bore similar sword marks. With only a single mark to go on, Yunyouzi could not deduce much more. The cave interior was far more complex than Qin Sang had imagined. After passing several more slaughtered beasts' remains, the terrain began to change. Once they left the mire, they turned into a stone crevice. Not far along, they suddenly heard odd clucking and croaking calls from ahead. Demon beasts were blocking the path ahead, yet Yunyouzi was overjoyed; this proved that the mysterious master had not taken the same route as them. Yunyouzi retrieved a magic tool refined from an unknown beast pelt and draped it over the two of them. They slipped past the beast pack without mishap and finally reached the mountain wall, finding a very concealed and exceptionally low cave opening. ... "We're finally out!" Yunyouzi said with feeling. Qin Sang stepped out from behind Yunyouzi. After entering the cave, although the path was winding and long, they had encountered no further restrictions or demon beasts blocking their way, making their exit smooth. Fortunately, neither of them had suffered any harm, and their energy expenditure had been minimal, leaving them with ample strength to face the perils of the inner valley. At that moment, they stood within a long, narrow fissure in the mountain, bright light streaming from ahead. As they neared the exit of the fissure, what first met their eyes was a lush, verdant grassland. A gentle breeze blew past, setting the blades of grass swaying low like ripples of green waves rolling into the distance. The rustling whisper of the grass brought peace to the mind. Deep within the grassland, silhouettes of layered mountains rose one behind another. At a glance, it was a tranquil and harmonious sight, completely at odds with what Qin Sang had anticipated. Such scenery seemed out of place here, and surprise showed on Qin Sang's face. Seeing Qin Sang's expression, Yunyouzi guessed what he was thinking and said with a smile, "Brother Qin, don't be surprised. Just take a few more steps forward, and you'll see the true face of the inner valley."