Chapter 906: Why Is It Different? (I)

The Thousand Pavilion Valley, the Divine Ruins.

The land of the Divine Ruins was strange and unfathomable, filled with danger at every turn. Even Eminent Ones had to move with caution, for this place ranked among the most perilous in the world.

Legend held that this vast realm, broader than the nine provinces, had been cut off from the heavens by Hallowed Li. As a result, it carried a terrifying spiritual nature that did not belong to the human world.

But where danger existed, so too did opportunity.

Many of the legendary and enchanted artifacts listed in the "Catalog of the Mortal World’s Ten Thousand Treasures" had been retrieved from the Divine Ruins. Numerous rare spirit plants had also been gathered here. For cultivators with grand ambitions, this place was a boundless trove of treasures.

Over millions of years, humankind had gradually explored its outer regions. Some locations had been designated as safe zones, and slightly less perilous areas had even been charted. It was as though a fog-covered map had slowly begun to clear. Many treasure-filled locations, such as the Sword Domain Heavenly Palace, had already been discovered and quietly passed around among those in the know.

Thousand Pavilion Valley was one such place.

Several centuries ago, a cultivator who followed an unconventional path became the first to discover Thousand Pavilion Valley. He had been exploring the Divine Ruins with several elders, using a map to guide their way. But when an unexpected thunderstorm struck, it forced them off course and led them to a stretch of land that left them all stunned.

There, nestled among jade towers and crystal pavilions, immortal qi floated gently through the air. Celestial maidens danced across the clouds, and auspicious spirit birds soared overhead. The entire scene resembled the world of deities that one would see only in a dream.

The elders, each a powerful cultivator in their own right, immediately sensed that every wisp of spiritual qi in this place was far purer and more enticing than anything found in the human realm. There could be no doubt at all. This was immortal qi!

At once, they forgot everything else and thought only of rushing into the paradise. As they charged forward, they shouted again and again, “I’ve become a god! I’ve become a god!”

The one young cultivator among the group was lucky. He lagged behind because his lower cultivation level had kept him flying slower than the rest.

As soon as all the elders stepped inside, the land of immortals changed without warning. The celestial lights disappeared in an instant, and the paradise turned into a pitch-black valley of desolation. Thousands of pavilions and palaces lay in ruins, their remnants scattered across the ground like the bones of a fallen empire. What had once appeared divine had become a dreadful domain of ghosts.

The elders who had just flown into the domain suddenly let out screams so loud they seemed to pierce the very heavens.

The young cultivator froze in place, unable to take another step.

He was faced with two choices. The first was to charge into the domain and try to save his elders. Though it would likely cost him his life, he would at least repay the years of guidance they had given him. The second was to turn and flee, to seek help and return with reinforcements. It would be the rational choice, though it would burden his conscience.

After a brief moment of deliberation, he made his decision.

He endured the long, treacherous journey and fled the Divine Ruins alone. Once he escaped, he marked the place where his elders had fallen and sold the location at a high price.

When faced with a choice between conscience and reason, he chose money.

Only a few forces possessed the strength to explore the uncharted regions of the Divine Ruins. In the end, the sects of the Divine Nine and Terrestrial Ten agreed to join hands, each sending their own experts to explore the area.

The exploration team was led by two Eminent Ones who had reached the eighth realm, accompanied by more than a dozen seventh-realm cultivators. Their combined strength formed a truly formidable lineup. Yet, after a perilous expedition, only one of the eighth-realm cultivators returned alive, and he was gravely injured. It was only then that the true horror of Thousand Pavilion Valley was revealed to the world.

According to him, there might be immortals in the Thousand Pavilion Valley who had turned into ghosts!

Even those at the eighth realm could not force a path through the valley, so the sects in the Divine Nine and Terrestrial Ten chose to abandon the region. It was said that with the help of a legendary artifact, one might be able to break through. However, the risks were far too great, and the rewards remained uncertain. In the end, no one dared to make the attempt.

It was also worth mentioning that one of Mount Shu Sect’s Six Demon-Slaying Treasures, the Demon-Binding Rope, had been lost during that expedition.

After Grand Ancestor Fuyou raided the Penglai Supreme Sect, he had sought out Chu Liang to help move some stolen goods. Among them was the Demon-Cutting Saber, which had originally belonged to Daoist Chi Niu, and Chu Liang had simply kept it for himself.

Together with the Demon-Slaying Sword, the Demon-Subduing Pestle, and the Demon-Smashing Hammer already held by the Mount Shu Sect, four of the Six Demon-Slaying Treasures had now been recovered. Only the Demon-Suppressing Pagoda and the Demon-Binding Rope remained missing.

If both the Demon-Suppressing Pagoda and the Demon-Binding Rope could be recovered this time, the Six Demon-Slaying Treasures would finally be reunited.

If all six were gathered, they would unleash a power beyond compare.

That was exactly why Baize had been so thrilled when she laid eyes on this place. After the sects in the Divine Nine and Terrestrial Ten gave up on the region, almost no one remembered anything about Thousand Pavilion Valley. Only she, the mountain’s guardian celestial beast, still recalled what had happened all those years ago.

...

"Looks like we really have no choice but to go this time."

After hearing Baize recount the history of Thousand Pavilion Valley, everyone came to the same conclusion. Whether it was to search for Yan Renjie, the Demon-Binding Rope, or the Demon-Suppressing Pagoda, they had no choice but to venture in.

Although Thousand Pavilion Valley was dangerous, the Mount Shu Sect now had a legendary artifact and Eminent Ones at its command. With both strength and resources, they were more than capable of carving a path through even the most perilous terrain.

The sects of the Divine Nine and Terrestrial Ten had abandoned the region in the past because the risks far outweighed the potential rewards. The danger was great, and the outcome uncertain. But now, they had no choice. It was a path they had to take, no matter the cost.

What caught the elders off guard was that Chu Liang insisted on going as well. The current plan involved only a handful of eighth-realm Eminent Ones. Chu Liang was the most valued disciple of the Mount Shu Sect, and no one wanted him to take such a dangerous risk. Even if he joined the expedition as a clone, his seventh-realm cultivation level meant that there was no real need for him to be there. Yet, despite all objections, Chu Liang kept insisting that he be part of the expedition.

He couldn’t reveal his true reason. As the one who possessed the White Pagoda, he wanted to personally witness the process of retrieving the Demon-Suppressing Pagoda. If they uncovered any clues linking it to him, he would be in a passive position. No one could predict what might happen, and he hoped to be the first to uncover the origins of the White Pagoda.

In the end, the chosen members of the expedition were: Caiyi, Daoist Yan, the Azure Dragon, and Chu Liang.

There was no need to elaborate on why the fox demon Caiyi should join the expedition. This expedition was even made possible because her fox tail hair had been used to locate Yan Renjie.

As for Daoist Yan, she was the sharpest sword of the Mount Shu Sect. If the situation demanded it, she could summon the sect’s Vessel of God. For the final powerful figure to accompany the team, they had initially considered sending Baize. However, if both Baize and Daoist Yan joined the expedition and something went wrong, the Mount Shu Sect would suffer too great a loss.

After some hesitation, it was Chu Liang who suggested the Azure Dragon. Although the Azure Dragon did not take orders from the Mount Shu Sect, he acknowledged Chu Liang’s authority and was willing to follow his lead. The Azure Dragon's corporeal body was exceptionally tough, and many considered him the hardest being to kill in all the nine provinces. That made him the ideal candidate to explore such a perilous region.

The final member of the party, naturally, was Chu Liang himself.

With all preparations complete, the group of three plus one set off for the Divine Ruins.

This wasn’t Chu Liang’s first visit to the Divine Ruins. Nevertheless, as he looked upon the gaping rift between the heavens and the earth and the torrents of wind and thunder churning beyond it, he once again found himself awestruck by the sheer power of creation.

Cultivators didn’t gain a greater understanding of the heavens and the earth as their cultivation advanced. On the contrary, the stronger they became, the more they realized how little they truly knew. With power came not arrogance but a deeper reverence for the vastness of the world.

Boom!

Although the sects of the Divine Nine and Terrestrial Ten had abandoned Thousand Pavilion Valley in the past, each had kept a copy of the map. Mount Shu’s version had been stored in the Hall of Conservation. Now, the jade slip in Daoist Yan’s hand contained that very map, and she was following the path it recorded.

Caiyi and the Azure Dragon were outsiders, and Chu Liang lacked both the cultivation level and the seniority to lead. As a result, Daoist Yan naturally became the de facto leader of the expedition. She flew ahead alone, standing atop her sword, her figure calm and composed, radiating an air of quiet transcendence.

Even the main roads of the Divine Ruins were fraught with danger, but for this team, such obstacles were trivial. In just half a day, they reached the hidden location marked on the map.

From a distance, all they could see ahead was a mass of gloomy clouds. As they drew closer, faint strains of celestial music reached their ears, accompanied by glimpses of graceful dancing. When they advanced even further, immortal light swirled through the air, and spiritual qi rose into the heavens. It was unmistakably a divine realm hidden away from the world.

It was indeed the Thousand Pavilion Valley!

Yet, within the vast sea of sky-piercing pavilions, divine light scattered and multicolored clouds danced, exuding a captivating radiance. It gave the illusion that one truly could become a god, stirring an irresistible urge to plunge into this celestial realm.

"Hold steady," Caiyi warned, narrowing her eyes as she fixed her gaze on the scene ahead.

As the master of the Great Dao of the Myriad Forms, she excelled in illusory techniques and the least likely to fall for one. She understood the truth behind the illusion better than anyone else.

Of course, her reminder wasn’t truly necessary. The other three remained clear-headed as well. Although the illusion was powerful, it wasn’t enough to ensnare everyone.

Even so, the group continued forward and flew straight into the illusion.

With a whoosh, they disappeared into the multicolored light.

...