Chapter 160
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Chapter 160: Half-Path to Cultivation, Half-Path to Kingship
Wang Chen felt a sharp pain in his face.
It was his own doing.
He had thought the inner sect area was safe, and exploring a little valley near the estate would be as easy as a spring outing.
However, reality proved him wrong.
He was wrong—terribly wrong!
As soon as he stepped into the valley, a vast Peach Blossom Forest came into view, and waves of fragrant scent filled the air.
These peach trees, blooming with pink flowers, were undoubtedly the source that drew countless fish.
But as Wang Chen walked along the path through the forest, eager to venture deeper,
the scene before him suddenly changed.
The peach trees remained, yet they now filled his entire vision, densely packed and seemingly endless.
No matter which direction Wang Chen walked, he couldn’t escape this grove of peach trees!
What made his heart race was that after walking a distance in the grove, Wang Chen saw several peach trees that seemed eerily familiar.
He was trapped!
Realizing something was wrong, Wang Chen quickly retrieved the Willow Leaf Flying Boat from his storage bag.
He attempted to use this flying artifact to escape.
However, no matter how much spiritual energy he infused, the Willow Leaf Flying Boat remained firmly grounded, heavily suppressed by an unseen force.
This made Wang Chen realize he had fallen into a powerful trapping formation!
Who had set up this formation in the unnamed valley?
Wang Chen had no thoughts to spare on this question; he felt he was in serious trouble.
Although Wang Chen didn’t know much about formations, he understood that a skilled formation master should not be provoked lightly.
The formations they set up contained hidden mysteries; they could trap enemies, hinder them, or even kill without a trace!
Wang Chen put away the Willow Leaf Flying Boat, no longer flailing about like a headless fly.
Formations were far more formidable than mazes; while one might stumble out of a maze by chance, in a formation, unless one found the Life Gate, they could remain trapped for a lifetime.
But how could he, who didn’t understand formations, find the Life Gate?
After a moment of thought, Wang Chen drew the Fire Crow Sword.
Yet, he forcefully suppressed the impulse to break the formation with brute strength.
So far, Wang Chen was merely trapped in the Peach Blossom Forest and hadn’t encountered any immediate danger.
If he forced his way out, this trapping formation might transform into a killing formation!
Wang Chen didn’t know who had set up this formation or what destructive power it held; breaking the formation with force was only a last resort under such uncertain circumstances.
"Yiyi!"
Just as Wang Chen was at a loss, Yuan Yuan suddenly sprang out of the spirit beast bag.
It landed on the ground covered with peach blossoms and, in a breath, burrowed into the soil, vanishing from sight.
Wang Chen was momentarily stunned.
The little guy had clearly sensed his trouble and wanted to help.
But if escaping underground could solve the problem, then the trapping formation would be utterly useless.
A formation master would never leave such a glaring flaw!
Soon, Wang Chen noticed that Yuan Yuan was moving steadily in one direction underground.
He shared a spiritual bond with Yuan Yuan, allowing him to sense its presence as long as they were not too far apart.
With the mindset of "trying anything as a last resort," Wang Chen followed Yuan Yuan.
Once again, peach trees blocked his path.
The scattered blossoms were almost blinding!
So, Wang Chen closed his eyes, relying entirely on his connection to Yuan Yuan to move forward.
To his surprise, the path beneath his feet became smoother, and he never collided with a single peach tree!
After walking four or five hundred steps, Wang Chen suddenly opened his eyes.
The scene before him opened up.
He had truly walked out of the peach blossom formation!
This was the deepest part of the valley, surrounded by steep cliffs on all sides, with a waterfall cascading down like a jade belt, pouring into a crystal-clear pool.
By the pool stood a stone pavilion, surrounded by peach trees.
As the mountain wind blew, petals fluttered down like snowflakes into the clear pool.
This was the source of the small creek!
“Yiyi.”
Yuan Yuan emerged from underground and nimbly climbed onto his shoulder.
"Thank you for your hard work."
Wang Chen patted the little guy who had helped him escape his predicament: "I’ll treat you to a feast when we get back."
“Yiyi~”
Yuan Yuan nuzzled his palm, signaling it wanted to eat meat, lots and lots of meat!
Wang Chen laughed, "No problem."
If it hadn’t been for the little guy’s help in that situation, he would have been in serious trouble!
He hadn’t expected Yuan Yuan to have such an ability; it must be a talent of the spirit mouse.
Wang Chen looked around and then walked to the front of the stone pavilion.
At that moment, he noticed a stone tablet standing inside the pavilion.
The inscription read: "The Tomb of My Beloved, Huang Yu Qiu."
Wang Chen was momentarily stunned.
He had never expected to find a grave hidden within this valley.
From its appearance, it was either a burial mound or an urn burial!
Due to the presence of Evil Spirits, the treatment of the deceased in this world typically involved cremation, followed by either a burial mound or an urn burial for offerings.
Traditional burials had only been popular a thousand years ago.
This stone pavilion tomb appeared quite new, likely built only about ten or twenty years ago.
There was no signature on the tombstone.
However, the seven characters inscribed on the stone were written with a steady hand that exuded a profound sense of sorrow, and Wang Chen could deeply feel the pain of longing and grief within them.
The one who erected the stone was undoubtedly a man of deep sentiment.
His inner pain and yearning for his deceased wife were all laid bare on this stone tablet!
It even resonated deeply with Wang Chen.
With a heavy heart, Wang Chen couldn’t help but sigh inwardly: What in the world is love, that it binds life and death together!
He straightened his robe and respectfully bowed to the tombstone.
The one resting here could be considered his neighbor.
Then, Wang Chen retrieved a brand-new talisman from his storage bag, infused it with spiritual power, and flicked it with his fingers.
The talisman suddenly soared upward, transforming into tiny specks of light in the air.
Lines of ancient characters formed and became visible.
As the lights dissipated, Wang Chen bowed once more.
He then prepared to leave the area.
"Beautiful poem."
Just as he turned around, a calm voice suddenly reached his ears!
Wang Chen froze, forcing a bitter smile, "Disciple Wang Chen, paying my respects to the elder!"
It was none other than Changchun!
At that moment, Wang Chen understood.
This stone pavilion tomb and the peach blossom formation at the valley’s entrance were undoubtedly set up by this Purple Palace master.
The last time Wang Chen had practiced Sword Control in front of the valley, Changchun had suddenly appeared and warned him not to practice there anymore, stating that Wang Chen was too noisy.
Clearly, he had been disturbed by the commotion Wang Chen caused, which disrupted his late wife’s rest.
Now, Wang Chen found himself standing directly in front of the elder’s grave!
He steeled himself to explain, "Elder, I didn’t mean to. Next time…"
"This poem—who wrote it?"
Changchun directly interrupted Wang Chen.
The elder, draped in white robes and holding a long flute, glanced past Wang Chen and fixed his gaze on the tombstone inside the stone pavilion: "Once you have seen the vast sea, nothing else can compare; the clouds are not the same without the Wu Mountain, and flowers, I barely take a look back…"
His eyes carried a profound weariness: "Half for cultivating the Dao, half for you."
