Chapter 112: The Path of Life and Death

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Liyue Abyss Valley.

A considerable number of people had already gathered there.

Many had been captured and brought over just as Qingyuan and the others had been.

Among those who had genuinely come to explore Liyue Abyss Valley, there were eight Third-Heaven practitioners: five from the Sun family and three disciples of the Seven Spirits Gate. Qingyuan swept his gaze over them and committed their faces to memory, but what concerned him most were the Venerables.

There was one Venerable from the Sun family and one from the Seven Spirits Gate.

Of the Three Great Wanderers, two had come. Besides Gan Huan, there was Han Yu—the man who had beaten Chen Xing to death.

Of the four Venerables, Han Yu was the youngest. Though he was already over fifty, his cultivation had preserved the appearance of a man in his early thirties. His skin was fair, and he carried himself with striking dignity. Not the slightest trace of arrogance could be seen in him, yet whenever he smiled, there was a chilling darkness that inspired dread.

The Sun family’s Venerable was named Sun Yu. He looked to be around sixty, though he was actually older still. His expression was composed, revealing neither joy nor anger.

The Venerable from the Seven Spirits Gate was dressed in the robes of a Daoist. Qingyuan heard others address him as Daoist He. He was the sect’s Grand Elder Emeritus, as well as its sole Venerable.

After Qingyuan and the others arrived, they were confined to one side. Whenever any of them dared to make a sound, the guards nearby would casually cut out their tongues.

Not far away, the four Venerables were discussing something. With their true energy sealed, the others could not hear the Venerables’ voices. Qingyuan, however, had long since broken free of his restraints. He secretly circulated his true energy into his ears and listened carefully.

Within Liyue Abyss Valley, mountain paths stretched endlessly. There were roughly six paths along the outer layer, and each path branched as it wound deeper inward—sometimes splitting into two, sometimes into three or four. According to their earlier investigations, only one path among each set of branches was correct. All the others were dead ends.

By “dead ends,” they did not mean paths blocked ahead. Rather, anyone who set foot upon them was certain to die.

The place was like a maze, its countless paths extending generally forward. Yet after every stretch of road, new branches would appear, and one had to choose the path to survival from among those before them.

Even after paying a tremendous price to proceed along the correct path, they would reach another stretch of road only to find it branching once more.

Although they were all Venerables, they had not yet reached the realm of seeing through ultimate truth at a glance. Their knowledge of geomancy was likewise no more than rudimentary. Thus, they could only resort to the clumsiest method possible: sending people ahead to test the paths. Since the surrounding spirits and monsters had long since been frightened away, they had no choice but to capture wandering cultivators from nearby.

After listening for a while, Qingyuan discovered that the reason the surrounding spirits and monsters had fled was a battle between two Venerables.

From the fragments of their conversation, he learned that one of them was another Venerable from the Sun family, while the other was Jin Lan, one of the Three Great Wanderers.

…

This place had originally been discovered by the Sun family’s ancestor.

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After the Sun family’s ancestor reached the Fifth Heaven, he became capable of drawing upon the momentum of mountains and rivers. While circulating his power on one occasion, he vaguely sensed something unusual. Only after more than a decade of investigation did he ascertain that a mighty cultivator had once altered the course of rivers, redirected the mountain paths, and moved the peaks, creating a grand geomantic formation that guarded Liyue Abyss Valley.

That was also why Fuzhong Mountain had produced so many heavenly treasures and given rise to countless spirits and monsters.

When he had carefully prepared himself to seize whatever opportunity lay within Liyue Abyss Valley, divine thunder descended upon the world. After splitting apart, it scattered throughout Fuzhong Mountain.

Because the Sun family’s ancestor had stirred the momentum of the mountains and rivers, the aura of the divine thunder gathered around him and attacked him, leaving him gravely wounded.

After retreating, he feared that the Orthodox Gate would come to Fuzhong Mountain, discover what had changed within, and seize the opportunity—turning more than a decade of his efforts into nothing. After considering the matter carefully, he concluded that the two Venerables of the Sun family might not be able to obtain the opportunity on their own. Thus, he invited Gan Huan, won over the Seven Spirits Gate with promises of immense rewards, and sought the opportunity within together.

Unfortunately, Han Yu learned of the matter in the meantime.

Though Han Yu appeared gentle, he was in truth as venomous as a serpent. Since the Sun family’s ancestor could not enter Fuzhong Mountain and had no way to restrain him, he had no choice but to ask for his assistance. After they swore an oath, the two sides began their exploration together.

As for Jin Lan, another of the wandering cultivators, he had a grudge against Gan Huan and had pursued him there. Only after arriving did he realize that every Venerable in Falling Yue Commandery—apart from those of the Orthodox Gate and the Flower-Washing Pavilion—had gathered in this place.

Sensing that something was amiss and fearing that the others would silence him, he hurriedly fled.

The other Venerable from the Sun family gave chase.

Afterward, the two Venerables engaged in a fierce battle, producing the scene Qingyuan had witnessed.

“So this is probably more or less what happened, then?” Qingyuan had inferred as much from the scattered remarks he had overheard during their discussion. There might have been minor discrepancies in the details, but the general picture should not have been far off.

…

Many of those sent to test the paths had already died.

Only a few remained.

Qingyuan glanced around. There were five people beside him, one of whom was the wandering cultivator whose arms Gan Huan had severed.

“If we still cannot find the way, we must not continue capturing cultivators from the surrounding area. Otherwise, this entire place will become a dead zone, and that will inevitably arouse suspicion—especially the suspicion of the Orthodox Gate and the Flower-Washing Pavilion. These Venerables have no idea what method they used to evade the notice of those two forces, but they certainly dare not make too much commotion.”

Qingyuan slowly closed his eyes and thought, So the eight disciples of the Sun family and the Seven Spirits Gate are probably doomed as well?

Just as he was thinking this, someone emerged from ahead.

It was an elder of the Seven Spirits Gate who had already reached the Dharma-Condensation realm. His voice heavy with grief, he sighed, “It has been confirmed. Every path on my side is a dead end.”

Yet Sun Yu, the Sun family’s Venerable, showed no surprise. Instead, delight appeared in his eyes.

“So, the path you just tested can now be confirmed as entirely a dead end?”

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The elder of the Seven Spirits Gate was startled by his delight, then nodded.

Sun Yu was overjoyed. “Now that none of the six main mountain paths can be traversed, and all of them contain nothing but dead ends, only the second path from the right remains a route to survival. From here on, we need only follow that path and use human lives to fill the way, testing each branch until we identify the dead ends. In the end, we will certainly find a road to life.”

The other Venerables exchanged glances, each revealing a different expression.

Sun Yu waved his hand and shouted, “Bring them here. Send them down this mountain path.”

The remaining disciples acknowledged the order and led Qingyuan and the others over.

Qingyuan and the others went first, followed by the eight disciples of the Sun family and the Seven Spirits Gate. Sun Yu, Daoist He, Han Yu, and Gan Huan—the four Venerables—brought up the rear.

Qingyuan happened to glance back and noticed that the four Venerables had chosen their positions with considerable care. They were neither too close nor too far apart, close enough to support one another while each still maintained a measure of vigilance.

A pack of sly old foxes, Qingyuan thought to himself.

They proceeded forward until they reached another fork.

Three paths lay before them. Two people had already tested the paths on the right, and indistinct remains of flesh could be seen there, long since dead. By that reckoning, the path on the left was the route to survival.

They continued along the left-hand path.

At last, they reached another fork.

This time, there were two paths.

A trace of cold laughter touched Sun Wenpeng’s lips. Pointing at Qingyuan, he said, “You. Take the path on the right.”

Qingyuan glanced at him, then looked away.

“Wait.”

Gan Huan spoke in an indifferent tone. “Young man, you may stay.”

With that, Gan Huan pointed at the wandering cultivator whose arms had been severed.

“You go and test the path.”

The man’s expression changed drastically, turning deathly pale in an instant.

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