CHAPTER 31

— Nichang Valley —

"We walk on the broad road, high-spirited and full of fighting spirit..." Ding Ding and Tong Tong walked shoulder to shoulder, singing revolutionary songs loudly, brimming with vigor and joy.

Behind them followed six other men and women, each with different expressions, yet all maintaining a certain distance from the two—perhaps afraid of being mistaken as part of their group...

These eight individuals were the elite who had secured the top eight positions in Chonghua Sect's minor competition. They were—Su Yan of Qiuye Peak, He Gu of Qiuye Peak, Bai Jingjing of Xiangzhu Peak, Liu Ya of Tielin Peak, Lu Xianrou of Qinglian Peak, Xiang Wu of Gusong Peak, Ding Ding of Qiuye Peak, and Tong Tong of Qiuye Peak.

Indeed, this time in the minor competition, the main peak, Qiuye Peak, took the lead, securing four spots and claiming the last two positions.

Aside from these four who either secured their places with ease or made a surprising comeback, the remaining four deserve a proper introduction.

Bai Jingjing of Xiangzhu Peak—truly a case of enemies crossing paths—was the young woman in white whom Su Yan encountered while stealing spiritual herbs on Xiangzhu Peak. Later, she was taken under the wing of Yin Xiaoxiang as a direct disciple and, relying on her substantial resources, advanced all the way to the top eight.

Liu Ya of Tielin Peak, with his refined and elegant demeanor, handsome and charming appearance, looks every bit the pretty boy. Yet, he is the full-bl0oded brother of the imposing-looking Liu Ji. Unlike Liu Ji, however, Liu Ya has no interest in men but dotes on and indulges his younger brother. Having distinguished himself under the rigorous and high-pressure training of Tielin Peak, his strength is unfathomable, making him even more intimidating than the one-on-one champion Liu Ji.

—Both of these individuals have a somewhat strained relationship with Su Yan and her companions. While they dare not openly provoke or challenge them, subtle jabs and sarcasm are unavoidable.

Qinglian Peak and Gusong Peak are both lesser-known subsidiary peaks within the Chonghua Sect, managed by the senior disciples of the previous Sect leader—Su Yan's various uncles and grand-uncles. Individually, their strength is weak, but united, they are a force to be reckoned with.

Lu Xianrou and Xiang Wu, though both low-key, drew more of Su Yan's attention than the other two. From the former, she sensed an unwavering sharpness, like a sword poised to strike, indicating the girl's extraordinary achievements in swordsmanship and the faint cultivation of a sword heart. The latter evoked an inexplicable aversion in Su Yan, as if he could stir the ferocity within her bl0od, amplifying her negative emotions—these two were dangerous.

—As if by prior agreement, these two remained silent throughout, focused solely on their own journey, deliberately minimizing their presence.

Yet, the more they tried to conceal themselves, the more Su Yan paid attention to them, even raising her guard in secret.

"This descent from the mountain is to participate in the Abyssal Secret Realm trial, which will open in three months. For safety reasons and to cultivate everyone's teamwork and camaraderie, we will pair up according to the order of first with eighth, second with seventh, and so on, forming temporary male-female partnerships for joint action..."

In the Qingming Palace, where Chonghua Sect's affairs were discussed, the peak masters sat on either side, while Ye Zhiqiu occupied the central seat. Speaking softly and gently, her expression remained warm and smiling, clearly very satisfied with the competition's outcome.

The other peak masters, especially those from Xiangzhu Peak and Tielin Peak, wore grim expressions—Su Yan was one thing, but why did He Gu, who never participated in any competitions, also join the fray? Not to mention Ding Ding and Tong Tong, who had clearly cheated their way in, snatching two more spots from their peaks. It was truly too much!

Yet, with Ye Zhiqiu's position as sect leader firmly established, no matter how dissatisfied they felt, they could only swallow their grievances.

—This isn't a matchmaking show, so why pair up males and females? Still, the big iceberg is quite reliable, definitely better than that unreliable Ding Ding... Still resentful over the incident where Ding Ding took her on a sword-riding tour and nearly caused a sword crash, Tong Tong listened respectfully on the surface while inwardly complaining nonstop.

Meanwhile, Ding Ding, the main target of the complaints, was secretly delighted upon hearing this: 'Second paired with seventh... Oh ho ho, now I have an excuse to openly stick to He Gu! Beautiful Master, you truly are my dear master, mwah!'

"Three months is ample time for you to reach the nearest teleportation array on foot. Therefore, to enhance the fun and spectacle, this venerable one and the elders have unanimously decided that no sword flight is permitted before arriving at the teleportation array... At that point, elders from our sect will be there to receive you. The trial officially begins the moment you step out of the sect! This venerable one has great confidence in all of you!" Ye Zhiqiu spoke with a calm demeanor, delivering morale-boosting words that left the listening disciples expressionless.

—We're going on a trial, not a picnic! What kind of fun and spectacle do we need? Could it be... Tong Tong lowered her head, hiding her twitching lips, and privately speculated: Could it be that this so-called trial is just for the entertainment of those big shots in the cultivation world?

The more she thought about it, the more plausible it seemed. But even so, the thought of the sect's subsidy reward for making it into the top eight made Tong Tong shamelessly decide to give a thumbs-up to the leader who proposed this resolution.

"Yan'er, the journey ahead is long. Though there may be no great danger, remember to take care of yourself. First, seek opportunities to form your Nascent Soul; second, investigate the causes of the spiritual veins drying up in various places; and third, look after your junior brothers and sisters—do not let others look down on our Chonghua Sword Cultivators. Above all, safety comes first. Remember this." Recalling her master's earnest instructions before departure, Su Yan furrowed her brows, her expression grave, feeling a sense of unease.

In the past, whenever she descended the mountain, her master had never been so solemn in her warnings, as if something were about to happen...

As she frowned in thought, she heard Tong Tong and Ding Ding shouting up ahead: "Hey, come look! Such a beautiful sea of flowers!"

Su Yan exchanged a glance with He Gu and quickly stepped forward, followed closely by the four who had been silently trailing behind them.

It was already the twentieth day since they had left Chonghua. Calculating the distance, they should have arrived within the territory of Nichang Valley—to reach the teleportation point from Chonghua to the Abyssal Secret Realm, they had to pass through Nichang Valley's "Butterfly Sea."

"Come here," Su Yan said coldly to the two standing close together. Tong Tong stuck out her tongue, knowing full well the command was for her. She exchanged a glance with Ding Ding and obediently moved to Su Yan's side.

Ding Ding also scurried over to He Gu's side, tugging at her sleeve with a flattering smile.

Closing her eyes slightly, Su Yan released her spiritual sense and detected an invisible barrier about a dozen zhang ahead of them. She summoned her Changhong Sword, lightly drawing a sword gleam infused with a wisp of her spiritual sense, and spoke with cold yet polite courtesy: "Su Yan of Chonghua requests passage through your esteemed valley."

"Senior Sister Qiu, someone has triggered the barrier." a fair-skinned, delicate young woman in white robes softly reported to a graceful figure veiled in thin gauze.

"Understood. You may leave." the veiled woman waved her hand, her beautiful face behind the veil expressionless—it was none other than Qiu Si, whom Tong Tong and the others had encountered that day at the Chaohua Market.

Focusing her mind, she cast several incantations, smiling like a child who had succeeded in a prank: 'Su Yan, you heartless scoundrel, how you've wronged Senior Sister Meng's unwavering devotion to you! If I don't make you suffer a bit, how can I live up to this heaven-sent opportunity? Hmph...'

Thus, upon receiving the invitation to enter, the Chonghua group found themselves amidst a vast sea of flowers, from which suddenly rose billowing white mists that rapidly spread—the dense, sky-obscuring fog not only blocked their vision but also hindered their spiritual senses, making it difficult to perceive anything beyond a few feet. Except for those standing close by, all they could see was a haze of confusion.

Unfortunately, Tong Tong, who had been momentarily captivated by the beautiful scenery and had wandered off without realizing it, was now far separated from the others.

Suddenly enveloped in a thick fog, she was startled but not afraid—her attention was captured by a small, fluttering creature dancing before her eyes. It was a butterfly the size of a palm, its black wings adorned with golden patterns that resembled a human face or perhaps a circle of strange symbols. In the white mist, it reflected dazzling light, so beautiful that she couldn't resist reaching out to catch it.

At that moment, the little butterfly seemed to notice the stranger lurking behind it with ill intentions. With a flutter of its wings, it evaded Tong Tong's fingers and swiftly flew away.

Pouting in frustration, Tong Tong acted like an irrational child, determined to catch the little creature. Ignoring her companions, who seemed to have lost contact, she dashed after the golden-winged butterfly.

After just two steps, Tong Tong was stunned by the sight before her—the flower valley was filled with these black butterflies edged in gold. A rough estimate suggested there were no fewer than ten thousand of them.

They had been quietly resting on the blooming white and pink flowers, serene and peaceful as if in a fairyland. But this tranquility was abruptly shattered by Tong Tong, the sudden intruder.

As if startled, these unknown little creatures fluttered their wings in unison, rising as if to take flight into the sky. The sheer number of butterflies was awe-inspiring—at first glance, it seemed like a vast, all-consuming black curtain had unfurled, obscuring the lingering white mist and leaving only endless darkness and shimmering gold. The sight was magnificent, yet tinged with a hint of terror—because the butterflies appeared to be flying straight toward Tong Tong!

"Ah!" A piercing scream cut through the sky, startling everyone who was struggling to find their way in the white mist. Ding Ding jumped three feet in the air, anxiously exclaiming, "That's Tong Tong's voice! She's in trouble! I have to save her..."

Before he could run off, He Gu grabbed his arm. "Junior Brother Ding, calm down!"

For some reason, the Nichang Valley had released a fog barrier after they entered, making it impossible to distinguish friend from foe. Until they found the exit and uncovered the truth, everyone had to stay together and not leave the group.

"Stay calm," Su Yan commanded sharply, holding the Changhong Sword in one hand and pointing in a certain direction with the other. She said to He Gu, "The fog barrier first appeared from over there. Lead the team to find the source of the formation and seize the opportunity to break it. I'll go find our junior sister."

"I'll go too!" Ding Ding tried to follow, but a cold glare pinned him in place. After hesitating for a moment, he reluctantly turned and stayed by He Gu's side.

"Be careful, Senior Brother," He Gu said with concern, her words trailing off.

"Mm," Su Yan nodded, then commanded the others: "Follow He Gu's orders."

"Yes, Senior Brother," the others replied in unison, nodding or voicing their agreement.

After arranging the team, Su Yan followed the sound of the scream, using a minor art of ground-shrinking. Soon, she sensed Tong Tong about ten meters away.

Quickening her pace, the scene before her made even the usually expressionless Su Yan change color—surrounded by a vast swarm of Golden-Winged Phantom Butterflies, Tong Tong stumbled forward as if drunk, her steps unsteady yet resolute. And not far ahead of her was a dark blue lake!

"Tong Tong!" This was the first time Su Yan had called her by name. Her voice held anger, urgency, and a deep, undeniable worry—but Tong Tong, as if hearing nothing, stepped straight into the lake without a glance back.

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