Chapter 473 - 442: Return to the Valley, Wanted

Chapter 473: Chapter 442: Return to the Valley, Wanted

...

’If we’d just grit our teeth and dragged him onto the boat, that would’ve solved everything...’

Meng Changtu gazed back at the receding Celestial Beam Mountain as he followed the others into the Spiritual Boat’s cabin. He even made sure to activate an Array as he closed the door. Inside, Golden Core True Masters sat in meditation—the group included not only the upper echelons of Jinyun Valley but also several prominent members of the Yu Clan.

It was a good thing they’d been on time. A few moments later, and the outcome might have been entirely different.

"Heh."

Meng Qianxun sat to the side, holding a teacup and leisurely sizing up his son. "The fact that we managed to get Che’er back safe and sound before Duobao could make a move already makes this trip a perfect success. Don’t go looking for trouble."

Meng Qianxun shot him a glare, his voice dropping.

"If we’d really made a move, I doubt many of us on this boat would have survived. We got a small advantage, and that should be enough. Even if we threw everything we had at him and managed to kill him, how would you live after that? Publicly assassinating the Interim Sect Leader of the Primordial Sect? The only thing that would follow is their relentless, to-the-death retaliation!"

Chen Che nodded slightly. ’The old gentleman’s perspective on the matter is quite astute.’

"Indeed. Duobao’s power is unfathomable."

"For him to show up so brazenly, he might have already refined the Sword Pill. Without absolute certainty, it’s best not to make a move. This incident is now behind us, and we should be able to enjoy a period of peace."

With that said,

Chen Che cupped his hands toward Yu Yunko. "And I must thank Clan Leader Yu for lending your strength."

’He knew this with perfect clarity.’

’If there had been fewer Golden Core Cultivators on board, Duobao might have taken the risk and abducted him by force. Jinyun Valley’s masters alone wouldn’t have been enough to stop him.’

"It was nothing. Please, think nothing of it."

Yu Yunko replied with a smile, cupping his hands.

...

WHOOSH—

「Several days later.」

High above Jinyun Valley, a colossal Spiritual Boat slowed its pace and came to a halt.

Before anyone below could react, a series of whooshing sounds split the air. Then, streaks of iridescent light and rainbow bridges shot out from the deck, like a volley of ten thousand swords, surging in unison toward Jinyun Valley.

But upon closer inspection...

They were no lights or bridges. They were the Cultivators who had gone in search of the Valley Master, and now they had returned. At their head was a figure riding an Eagle Beast; with a single beat of its wings, it soared thousands of feet, flying far ahead of the others.

"Is that... the Valley Master?!"

"The Vice Valley Master! The Chief of the Talisman Hall! They’ve brought the Valley Master back!"

"See? I told you! With the Valley Master’s power, how could anything have happened to him? How could some worthless rabble possibly harm Valley Master Chen?"

In the Market, the Cultivators watched the descending figures, their spirits soaring.

While Chen Che’s whereabouts had been unknown, a palpable sense of anxiety had settled over many people. Some unknown Golden Core Cultivators had even begun to appear in the vicinity of Jinyun Valley.

"He’s back?"

The few Golden Core Cultivators lurking around the Market watched the figures descending from the sky, and their expressions shifted in unison. ’Since he’s back, it’s time for us to leave...’

They had come for Jinyun Valley’s treasures in the first place.

Now that its master had returned, it was naturally time to depart.

...

「Jinyun Valley, The Great Hall.」

Chen Che descended from the heavens and strode forward, with Meng Qianxun, Meng Changtu, Chen Xi, and the Golden Core Cultivators of the Yu Family behind him. They were followed by Hu Yao, Rong Zhongxuan, Lu Qinglian, Li Changqing, Liang Yuan, and the other leaders of Jinyun Valley.

Close behind them, several hundred Foundation Establishment Cultivators from vassal families, the Meng Family, and the Lu Family marched into the great hall in a mighty procession.

Almost as soon as they entered the hall, the disciples stationed throughout the valley also began to arrive, forming neat square formations in the plaza outside.

Before long, a series of announcements rang out one after another:

"The Patriarch of the Liu Family, come to request an audience!"

"The Patriarch of the Yu Family, come to request an audience!"

"The Patriarch of the Xiao Family, come to request an audience!"

...

Once the patriarch of a lesser clan broke through to Foundation Establishment and earned the title of ’Ancestor,’ they could no longer devote all their time to clan affairs, so the position of patriarch was naturally passed down.

These new patriarchs presided over their clans, both to ensure their family’s stability and to help guard Jinyun Valley. Now that Chen Che had returned, it was only natural for them to come one by one to request an audience. After all, his disappearance for such a long time had been a major event.

In this world defined by Immortal Power, if a faction’s strongest expert disappeared for too long without a comparably powerful successor, that faction would soon face the danger of collapsing and splintering apart.

"Admit them!"

Chen Che declared with a wave of his hand.

Granting this audience was his way of announcing his return to everyone in Jinyun Valley, primarily to stabilize morale. At the same time, it served as a warning to any outside forces with designs on the valley.

As for the various clans themselves,

They also favored Jinyun Valley’s stability. Ever since Chen Che took power, every clan had experienced a period of rapid development. This was the very definition of winning the people’s hearts and minds.

"Greetings, Valley Master."

After paying their respects, the patriarchs each stepped to the side.

They were not qualified to take a seat in the presence of so many Golden Core and Foundation Establishment Cultivators. Still, to be in the presence of the man who had ushered in Jinyun Valley’s legendary golden age, it was impossible not to feel a thrill of excitement, their hands trembling slightly.

"Did anything of note happen in the valley while I was away?"

After greeting the crowd, Chen Che asked with a flick of his long sleeve.

"Reporting to the Valley Master."

Ding Fei stepped forward, his expression grave.

"During your absence, the valley, the Market, and all our subordinate territories remained stable; there were no disturbances. However, several unfamiliar Golden Core Cultivators appeared in the Market. During that time, two of them also attempted to force their way into the valley."

Chen Che nodded slightly.

’There were no major disturbances because I wasn’t gone for long, my lingering authority was still felt, and no rumors of my death had spread.’

’However, that lingering authority wasn’t enough to deter certain Golden Core Cultivators with ulterior motives. It’s a good thing I set up the Grand Array and installed an Array Spirit long ago. Otherwise, the valley would have undoubtedly been plundered. The contents of the Treasure House alone are worth several million Spirit Stones, to say nothing of everything else.’

"To think they actually dared to try and force their way in!"

Chen Che sneered upon hearing this last part.

"Once they realized the valley was protected by an Array, they retreated. However, I have so far been unable to identify the intruders. I await your punishment, Valley Master!"

Ding Fei reported honestly.

On the thirteenth and twenty-fifth days of Chen Che’s disappearance, the valley’s Grand Array had activated inexplicably in the middle of the night. The first incident had been a mere probe, but the second was a full-scale assault. Fortunately, after two failed attempts, the intruders likely realized they couldn’t break the Array and retreated.

But the valley’s disciples had been left sleepless, remaining on high alert for several days.

"The blame does not lie with you,"

Chen Che said calmly, his expression unreadable. "As for who the intruders were, I will find out."

Hearing this, Ding Fei secretly breathed a huge sigh of relief.

After learning of the intrusion, he had dispatched search parties several times, but to this day, he had found nothing. It wasn’t a matter of his incompetence; the intruders were Golden Core True Masters. If they intended to hide, the forces remaining in the valley simply lacked the power to find them.

Chen Che was clearly aware of this.

That was why he didn’t blame Ding Fei for the failure.

After a brief, silent communion with the Array Spirit, he raised a hand and pointed. High in the great hall, two portraits formed from True Essence slowly materialized.

"These are the two Golden Core Cultivators who attempted to break into the valley. Has anyone here seen them before? Do you know who they are?"

The first man had an unremarkable face but a full head of silver hair. He carried a Sword Box on his back and exuded a powerful, terrifying aura.

The second had a square face and a wide mouth and wore a Bronze Ghost Face Mask that covered the right side of his face. On his back was a long white banner, clearly a Soul-Calling Banner.

This was the advantage of having an Array Spirit—it could record the appearances of any enemies who challenged the Array.

Compared to an ordinary Array,

An enemy could have snuck into the valley and no one would have been the wiser.

"I’ve seen the second man. I’ve even fought him before."

Xiao Chan spoke up at this moment.

"His name is Gongyang Shuo. He’s said to have been born a mortal from Shuzhou. Ever since he embarked on the path of Cultivation, he has been a constant source of trouble. He forged his first Soul-Calling Banner by sacrificing an entire mortal city."

"As for his Realm, he’s around the Golden Core Fifth Layer. When I was traveling, he ambushed me twice. I barely escaped with my life both times."

’So there’s an old grudge there.’

Chen Che nodded slightly.

At that moment, Yu Qian of the Yu Clan also spoke up, stroking his long beard.

"I’ve also seen the first man during my travels. He’s called Zhao Shifeng, and his origins are unknown. As for his Cultivation Realm, well, he’s also around the Golden Core Fifth Layer. In terms of strength, he’s at least as strong as Gongyang Shuo, if not stronger."

"I reckon the two of them saw that you were away, Valley Master, and decided to try their luck."

"It doesn’t matter who they are. Since they’ve set their sights on Jinyun Valley, they cannot be allowed to live!"

Chen Che clenched his fist.

Instantly, his True Essence solidified the two portraits. The images then multiplied from two into hundreds of physical copies, which flew down into the hands of the various Foundation Establishment Cultivators under Jinyun Valley’s command.

"Spread the word. From this day forth, Jinyun Valley has a bounty on these two men. Any Cultivator under our jurisdiction who learns of their whereabouts is to report to Jinyun Valley immediately. The reward is ten thousand Spirit Stones and one Tier Two Middle Grade Spiritual Artifact."

As for the reward for killing them, Chen Che was self-aware enough not to mention it.