Chapter 169

Chapter 169: The Formation Within the Valley

Regarding Qi Chuan’s methods, Zhou Luo remained unknown about them.

He simply acted on instinct, favoring a cautious approach.

Thus, he waited three days before resuming his journey towards the Dragon Blood Grass location.

Along the way, he moved with utmost vigilance, doing everything to avoid detection.

Yet ultimately, he could not withstand others actively seeking him out.

Fortunately, they were merely fifth and sixth layer Qi Refinement bandits. Relying on the Five Elements Sword Technique and Wind Moves Without a Trace, he emerged unscathed.

This, however, further proved the chaos of the Longfeng Mountain range.

A day later, Zhou Luo spotted the peak mentioned in his clues.

It stood grand and imposing, surrounded by swirling clouds—like a heaven-reaching sword thrust into a sea of clouds.

He rode the flying shuttle, soaring toward the peak’s interior.

This shuttle had been seized from Wang Tong. Though Zhou Luo was only at the fifth layer of Qi Refinement, he could manage short-distance travel with it.

The shuttle landed steadily. Zhou Luo stored it away and scanned his surroundings.

Lush dark-green trees grew densely around, enshrouded in thick mist that obscured his vision.

He unleashed his mental strength, searching for the valley referenced in his clues.

The mountain was vast, and cultivators could occasionally be seen hunting magical beasts or seeking treasures.

Zhou Luo carefully skirted them, methodically advancing.

Hours later, he finally discovered the valley.

Nestled between two small hills, the valley sat low but was cloaked in dense fog, hiding its interior.

More unexpectedly, a group of cultivators gathered on the open ground before the valley.

Had someone uncovered the clue?

He furrowed his brows.

If true, this entire trip would likely be futile.

Regardless, having come this far, Zhou Luo resolved to proceed.

The moment he stepped onto the flat ground, several sharp gazes locked onto him, wariness plain on their faces.

Undeterred, Zhou Luo walked straight to the valley entrance.

"Young man, you’d best not enter."

A rough voice suddenly sounded beside him.

He turned his head.

A burly man clad in a white robe stood there. He had a broad, square-jawed face, bushy brows and large eyes. A gleaming broadsword rested in his hand, and a fierce glare fixed upon Zhou Luo.

"Why?" Zhou Luo asked.

"People inside are breaking the formation. Do you think I’d let you disturb them?" the burly man growled.

Hearing those two words "formation-breaking."

He withdrew his gaze to peer at the haze guarding the valley’s entrance.

Beneath this haze indeed lay concealed a formation, and moreover, a top-grade protective formation.

Those gathered outside hadn’t chosen to enter; they were waiting, surely intending to infiltrate after someone else dismantled the formation.

It seemed The Dragon Blood Grass hadn’t been found yet.

Zhou Luo inwardly sighed in relief at this realization.

Since that was the case, waiting for others to succeed in breaking the formation before entering was even less of an option.

So he stepped forward, intending to stride into the haze and dismantle the formation himself.

Clang—

Right then, the crisp clang of a blade abruptly rang out as a streak of sword light shot toward him.

Zhou Luo swiftly dodged aside, evading it with ease.

"Looking to die?" bellowed the burly man gripping a large broadsword, murderous intent darkening his face.

Simultaneously, the people behind him all fixed hostile stares on Zhou Luo.

Zhou Luo’s gaze hardened. The Xuan Sky Sword silently materialized in his hand.

These thugs were generally only at the Qi Refinement fifth or sixth layer. If they actually fought, his own chance of victory was high.

But there was no point wasting time or clashing with them.

Waiting for the actual formation-breakers to clear it first before entering didn’t matter anyway; none of them were his match.

Therefore, he didn’t respond. He silently retreated to the side, settling down to wait, just like the others.

Seeing this, the rest finally withdrew their stares.

Moments later, at the valley entrance, the mist churned. Two figures stumbled out, looking utterly disheveled.

They wore ornate robes woven with jade threads—a clear sign of their exalted status.

What Zhou Luo really noted, though, was the clan emblem on their chests.

The Lu Family!

He hadn’t expected to encounter members of the Lu Family here.

On second thought, it made sense; the Dragon Blood Grass clue had been kept on the fourth floor of the tower. Before Zhou Luo entered, other scions of long-life families must have accessed it too.

But judging by their appearance, they had failed to dismantle the formation.

Detecting new, unfamiliar faces among the waiting cultivators, a cold gleam flickered in the eyes of the two young men.

Then the slightly elder of the pair forced a smile and said, "This formation truly is profound. Why not join forces and enter together?"

The gathered cultivators exchanged glances, but none moved.

"If your Lu Family couldn’t break it, are you expecting us to throw away our lives like those fools who entered earlier?" shouted the burly man who had earlier confronted Zhou Luo.

Previously, several cultivators had attempted to scout inside the valley—none returned.

Indeed, this location had already been discovered by many cultivators exploring the Longfeng Mountain range.

After all, cultivators ventured into the periphery every day. Though this valley was secluded, someone was bound to find it eventually.

It was the formation beneath the mist that halted their progress.

Within the Longfeng Mountain range, a formation master was a rare commodity.

Most formation masters were absorbed by the Immortal Sect or the various long-life families. Those remaining outside were generally masters of unknown skill level.

They certainly wouldn’t risk coming to such a place.

Faced with such a formidable formation, these cultivators had no other choice but to force their way in.

Yet, this formation was no small matter. Unknown numbers of cultivators had been turned away in failure.

Over time, everyone simply lost interest in this valley.

Now that two formation masters from long-life families had finally appeared, naturally, no one was willing to let this chance slip by.

The Lu Family member who had been questioned maintained his smile as he continued, "I, Lu Ming, swear by the name of the long-life families that the danger of this formation has been greatly reduced thanks to our efforts to unravel it."

"The only thing left to do is withstand the formation’s attacks, locate the formation base, and destroy it."

"But our two-man group has genuinely limited ability. That’s why we’re inviting everyone to assist.”

Lu Ming’s words caused the group’s expressions to shift slightly, revealing considerable interest.

If he was telling the truth, then perhaps they could breach the formation today and enter the valley interior.

Among the crowd, only Zhou Luo remained calm.

As a formation master himself, he knew all too well that the formation’s power showed no sign whatsoever of diminishing.

This indicated the other man was lying.

"You’re certain?" asked the burly man, distrust written on his face.

"Absolutely," Lu Ming declared with sincerity. "We all came for the treasure within the valley. Naturally, we wish to enter together."

"Had we no confidence in breaching the formation, we would have surely left already, wouldn’t we?"

Both Lu Ming and the man beside him were high-tier formation masters. Ever since they received clues about the Dragon Blood Grass five years ago,

they had journeyed to the Longfeng Mountain range yearly, using training as their cover, to attempt to crack this formation.

Only, the formation was profoundly abstruse. Only after days of fumbling recently had they finally grasped some understanding of how to proceed.

Now, all they needed was for others to help conduct some tests, and they might actually pass through this formation.

Every person there was burning with anticipation for the treasure rumored within the valley.

Hearing these words, though doubts lingered, they ultimately chose to follow inside.

After all, going in alone carried risks; having two formation masters accompany them might well improve the odds.

Within moments, every cultivator present gravitated toward them, all voicing their desire to enter together.

Observing this development, Zhou Luo quietly merged into the group as well.

Whatever scheme the Lu Family group was brewing, he was determined to enter the valley.

If they got in ahead of him, it simply wouldn’t be worth the loss.

It was far better to go in together. Should anything truly happen, his understanding of formations would likely see him escape unscathed.

As the crowd gathered as one body, Lu Ming, wearing a satisfied smile, once more turned and headed toward the valley.

"Keep up with my steps!"