Chapter 6132, Escape (16)

Author: Silavin

Dark Desolate Valley. Yang Ji might not know of this name but how could people like Hong Jun and Xing Ting have not heard of it?

Infamous was putting this place lightly. Within the whole Outer Heaven, this was one of the areas where no Upper Realm Force dared to claim their own. In fact, when one thought about it, this made so much more sense as to why those from Defiance City had ceased advancing and chose to retreat here.

Dark Desolate Valley was a large piece of land which would take weeks to transverse through on flying ships. In terms of territory, it was beside the territory overseen by Defiance City. However, even with Defiance City serving as a transport hub for various regions, most ships do not cross over the Dark Desolate Valley.

It was not so much that the skies above were dangerous. In fact, one might actually say that they were relatively safe, comparable to other routes. The main issue was if one were to land on the ground below.

The infamous nature of this place lies in how no one who lands on the ground beneath had ever escaped from it. Even stranger still, from the skies above, one might expect to see a ship crash or two due to some random incident. Yet, from up above, it remained completely desolate. There was not a trace of life beneath which might highlight someone having transverse through this land.

A Young Master from a Sect comparable to the Hong Clan had once crashed here. Naturally, they had sent experts from the Sect to investigate. However, regardless of how high those experts’ cultivation were, once they stepped into this territory, their fate was sealed. They went missing, in the truest sense.

The oddest thing was that their Life Lamps, Artifacts that tell if a person had passed, back in the Sect still remained lit till this day. Yet, there was not a trace of them to be found here. It was as though they had truly disappeared.

Such incidents naturally repeated themselves over the years, and eventually, Dark Desolate Valley had gained its ill reputation and no one dared to step onto the ground below. At most, ships would take the risk to fly above but none dared to land below.

In fact, due to the dangers of landing, ships and people tend to avoid battles here. After all, it would be ridiculous to risk losing their way back home or their precious ship if they accidentally got shot down to the ground.

It was all the more reason why the skies above the Dark Desolate Valley was a perfect spot for pirates and the like. Also why it made perfect sense for dark dealings to be done here, where evidence could be easily erased (even better if the person went missing yet still lives and can never return).

Hong Jun, the man who got played, naturally found it hard to contain the rage boiling inside of him. Knowing the situation they were in, he hesitated to act.

Hong Huo Liang meanwhile, confident that he already had the other side in ‘check’ the moment they boarded this ship, naturally felt no hurry.

Some third party not appearing on time? Though regrettable, they were not completely necessary. They were useful pawns to incite a scene, but they were not the only pawns he could use.

Like how the weather could change in the blink of an eye, Hong Huo Liang’s eyes turned cold as they were laid to rest on the man called Pan Bao. He unilaterally declared, “Scum who dares threaten me men into attacking our own. Perish.”

Just those words alone and Pan Bao’s face was completely drained of colour.

He tried to speak out but how could Hong Huo Liang even allow him this chance?

With just one index finger raised, spears suddenly manifested off the ground, piercing him in all corners. His head, chest, arms and legs, each part was not spared. Even his Soul, as it tried to flee in escape, could not leave.

“Hmph!” With a cold snort, a powerful wave of Spiritual Energy erupted and directly pierced into the Soul, disintegrating it before it even had a chance to scream.

Such a show of force was so overt that even those retreating ships from Defiance City must have seen it.

The soldiers said nothing, as though this were completely natural. Yang Ji and Xing Ting said nothing, a little too astonished by this sudden move. Hong Jun was the only one that frowned at the sight, trying to analyse the situation.

He then turned to Yang Ji and directly addressed him, “Now, Young Mistress, I think your willfulness has gone too far. Come here. It’s dangerous if you fall off the edge. We don’t want you falling off the ship, do we?”

Upon hearing that, Hong Jun could not help but wonder why Hong Huo Liang would bother stopping Yang Ji from escaping. The man had just said that below was Dark Desolate Valley. If Yang Ji had fallen off the ship, technically, it would be no different to her being dead. In fact, wouldn’t such a situation actually be the best possible for Hong Huo Liang?

After all, having the Young Mistress lost but alive would mean limiting the Patriarch’s choices. The Patriarch could choose to attempt her retrieval, which would definitely face large opposition within the Clan, and that would shake his position. Even better yet if the Patriarch actually tried to retrieve her on his own and got lost in Dark Desolate Valley as well. This way, the Patriarch’s seat would open and Hong Huo Liang would have a much easier time to claim it.

Logically, the best decision the Patriarch could make was to abandon her and focus his time and energy on a new successor. Naturally, that would mean bearing another child. However, Hong Jun found this path to be difficult for the Patriarch to choose.

Compared to that, the death of the Young Mistress would simply further deepen the enmity between the two Brothers. The Hong Clan cares little about the Young Mistress, so her death would hardly move anyone into opposing Hong Huo Liang unless there was overt evidence of familicide. In short, overall, there was little benefit for Hong Huo Liang in this case if he sought the seat of the Patriarch.

For him to actively choose this decision would mean…

Such thoughts raced through Hong Jun’s mind in an instant. From the onset, he did not know Hong Huo Liang’s goal was Hong Lan Tian’s person or her life. Now, he had practically confirmed it!

[There is no time. The only way is to…] Hong Jun looked around and saw that Hong Lan Tian’s attention was on Yang Ji. The man was just that confident Hong Jun would not act out. However, little did he know that this Young Mistress was a fake, and all they realistically needed to do was to buy two more weeks of time.

Having resolved himself, Hong Jun took out a single talisman from his Space Ring and a Pill.

Such action was naturally noticed by Hong Lan Tian and the rest onboard. Even Xing Ting, who was looking at Hong Jun for guidance turned pale in an instant.

After all, who did not know what that talisman was? It was none other than Hong Jun’s absolute trump card, the Heaven Crushing Fist!

This was a talisman that held the power of an Immortal Emperor, one Major Realm above the Immortal King Realm. Such a gulf was one that even Hong Lan Tian and Hong Jun had not been able to cross.

Naturally, that meant this talisman was not something Hong Jun had created. It was awarded to him, to no less a person than the Patriarch, that was why even Hong Lan Tian knew about it. Furthermore, the Pill he took out would supplement the energy he needed to make greater use of the power of the talisman. Naturally, that Pill was the Golden Flow Pill, the same Pill that Yang Ji had mentioned he would buy.

Wasting no time, Hong Jun leaped up into the air.

Hong Lan Tian, seeing this, immediately sent out orders to his men through his Divine Sense, “Formation C!”

Like soldiers, all of them moved at once and in sync. They quickly formed up into a structure that somewhat matches an Array, with Hong Lan Tian at the absolute centre.

Yang Ji had never seen this before but Yang Kai certainly has. This was a battle formation, which combined the strength of a unit, in this case, a company of soldiers, which back in the 3,000 Worlds, did not exist.

With Hong Jun one leap, they had already got into position, which spoke volumes of how well trained these soldiers were.

Still, even with all the might of his men, finally, Hong Lan Tian finally showed traces of nervousness as he questioned, “Hong Jun, have you gone mad? Are you trying to destroy this ship with the Heaven Crushing Fist talisman? Are you not afraid of us all falling into the Dark Desolate Valley?”

This time, it was Hong Jun who cooled down and answered with a firm voice, “My mission is to protect the Young Mistress regardless of the cost. If I need to sink this ship, so be it. If I need to take you out, so be it. Prepare yourselves.”

Hong Jun’s gaze no longer lingered over the Yang Ji and Xing Ting. At this point, in his mind, they might as well all prepare to be sacrifices. He had resolved himself, and he believes Xing Ting holds the same duty. Even Yang Ji, this inexplicable child, might as well be eliminated before he actually causes harm to the Hong Clan.

Hong Lan Tian narrowed his eyes and his gaze turned towards Yang Ji for a split second before he ground his teeth.

With a sharp mind like his, how could he not already understand the situation? He had suspected this Young Mistress to be a fake, but there had truly been no evidence. Their aura, voices and even their cultivation matched. Yet, from Hong Lan Tian’s actions, it was clear that this Young Mistress must be a fake. Otherwise, Hong Jun would never be so cold towards her, much less risk her life on such a gambit.

Hong Lan Tian was infuriated. However, now was not the time to get caught up in emotions. He had to survive the upcoming attack.

With his men channelling their Qi to him, he took out an Artifact from his Space Ring and threw it out.

The Artifact was a red flag, with red blood still lingering on it as though the blood would never dry out.

The red flag expanded and covered the whole company, preparing to intercept whatever attack might come their way.

“To bring out the Blood Soaked War Banner here. You really think highly of me.” Hong Jun said while scoffing. [Even if you have an Immortal Emperor Grade Artifact, so what? There are still differences within the Immortal Emperor Realm!]

Hong Jun lifted two fists, clasped together, and was about to slam his hands down. However, there was a sudden flash of light that shot off from Yang Ji’s direction.

This flash of light beamed across, bearing energy that was too weak for them to even feel threatened by it. However, the nature of the energy within it was what shocked them.

This should have been impossible to be expelled from a person’s body but it did. After all, this was a lump of Qi, compressed to an extraordinary degree. However, this Qi did not contain the aura of a person. In fact, this was an amalgamation of different Qis, all forcibly compressed into a sphere-like shape.

It was like it was made from the Qis of hundreds of different beings.

Naturally, this sphere had been taken out by none other than Yang Ji!

He merely listened to Wu Lun’s words and took action at this very moment.