Chapter 2046: Treasure Land

Yang Ge Lao listened in utter confusion, but since it was Ye Chen's warning, he would keep it strictly confidential. The jianghu world was still very cruel, so one had to watch their words and actions carefully—perhaps a careless remark could bring bloody storms.

The group of three had now become four. Once they left the forest, what appeared before them was a mountain valley, barren of any vegetation, shrouded in swirling yin fog that obscured the path ahead. Stepping into it, chilling winds howled, and one always felt as if a pair of blood-red eyes were watching from the shadows.

Ye Chen glanced toward the depths while handing a huang fu to Yang Ge Lao.

Yang Ge Lao took it and quickly tucked it into his robe. In this eerie ghost mountain, the huang fu would be more practical than advanced martial arts skills. He had already experienced that in old tombs and ancient graves.

"This fog is way too thick," Yang Xuan said as he walked, waving his hand to dispel the yin fog.

"The yin energy is too heavy, so the fog rises and doesn't dissipate," Shangguan Jiu murmured. Having spent a lot of time with Ye Chen, he had picked up quite a bit and could tell the source of the gray fog.

"Stay close to me." Ye Chen took the lead, heading straight into the depths of the valley.

The three behind him didn't dare be careless. Yang Xuan was on the left, Shangguan Jiu on the right, and Yang Ge Lao walked backward, forming a defensive formation. The hazy fog likely hid dangers, so even they had to be cautious.

Ah!

As the four were making their way, a sudden scream echoed from deeper within, sharp and piercing.

Ah!

Ah!

From the first scream, wretched howls followed one after another, endlessly. These were from people who had entered the valley, dying for unknown reasons, but their deaths were terrifyingly gruesome.

Soon, a hint of blood color appeared in the misty fog.

"Is it fierce ghosts causing trouble again?" Yang Xuan frowned and drew his weapon.

"This valley is just too ominous," Shangguan Jiu said, gripping his knife and narrowing his eyes to scan the surroundings. From time to time, he caught glimpses of dark shadows flashing by, but with his eyesight, he couldn't make out what they were.

At the back, Yang Ge Lao was also tense, clutching his Xuan Lei Jian, which he had coated with black dog blood. Thunder crackled from it. Though he held a divine weapon, among the group, he felt the least confident. Fortunately, he wasn't alone and could entrust his back to Ye Chen and the others. If he were by himself, he wouldn't dare enter alone.

"Do any of you hear strange sounds?" As they ventured deeper, Yang Ge Lao whispered.

Ye Chen didn't respond, continuing to step lightly.

Yang Xuan and Shangguan Jiu, however, shifted their eyes left and right. They had heard the strange sounds and even seen odd things flashing by.

Unfortunately, their vision was limited, and they couldn't identify what it was.

Ye Chen, on the other hand, saw it all clearly. Those darting shadows were all evil spirits. The people who had perished in the valley earlier were likely victims of these evil spirits. The speed of the evil spirits alone was something ordinary people couldn't evade.

Woo!

Suddenly, a howl erupted, and a gust of yin wind rushed toward them.

"Watch out!" Shangguan Jiu warned quickly. This time, he saw it clearly—it was a bizarre monster with three heads and six arms, pitch-black all over, with exposed fangs and green liquid dripping from its mouth, clawing ferociously at Ye Chen.

No reminder was needed; Ye Chen had already struck, slashing the evil creature with his sword.

"Keep moving, and watch your feet," Ye Chen said sharply, quickening his pace. He swung his peach wood sword continuously, and each strike felled an evil spirit. Looking down, anyone would feel their scalp tingle, as hands were emerging from the ground, as if from di yu. Once grabbed, one would be dragged into jiu you.

The three behind him gasped at the sight. The martial arts experts who had died earlier were probably taken like that.

In this way, with Ye Chen clearing the path ahead, Yang Xuan and Shangguan Jiu fending off evil spirits on the sides, and Yang Ge Lao bringing up the rear, the four worked together quite effectively.

After half an hour, they finally broke through.

At the exit, a crowd had gathered—people who had just escaped the valley, including martial arts experts and strange practitioners. Most were slumped on the ground, panting heavily and looking back at the valley in terror. They were lucky to be alive, while those who had died inside were likely reduced to bones.

Ye Chen said nothing, leaping onto a large boulder and gazing into the distance.

Deeper in, demonic energy raged, outlining various omens that ordinary eyes couldn't see. Only someone with his level of insight could truly perceive it, but even so, as a mortal, his vision was limited, making it hard to fully discern.

Time passed second by second, and he remained motionless, staring intently at that area.

Below, Yang Xuan, Yang Ge Lao, and Shangguan Jiu had the good sense not to interrupt him. Meanwhile, the martial arts experts and strange practitioners, after resting and calming their fears, continued on their way. Having battled through so many trials, they were no ordinary folk and had cast aside thoughts of life and death for the legendary meteorite.

It was only after some time that Ye Chen descended from the rock and pressed on deeper.

"He's becoming more and more unfathomable," Yang Xuan and Shangguan Jiu exchanged glances before following Ye Chen. The Du Gu Jian Sheng before them felt somewhat unfamiliar, even more mysterious than the Ling Feng in their memories.

Yang Ge Lao didn't feel that way. In his eyes, Ye Chen had always been mysterious and extraordinarily powerful. Wherever they went, as long as he was there, nothing was a problem.

Three hours later, the four arrived at another mountain forest.

This forest was completely different from the ones they'd passed through before. Here, vegetation thrived, with ancient trees towering like a primeval wilderness. Vines hung from the branches, where one could even swing like on a swing. At a glance, it was lush and vibrant, full of life compared to the scorched earth they'd seen earlier.

"I never expected the depths of Ghost Mountain to have such a treasure land," Yang Ge Lao marveled, feeling refreshed after seeing so much gray fog and barren land.

"These ancient trees must be at least a thousand years old!" Yang Xuan clicked his tongue. "It's truly a hidden paradise."

"Hiding here would mean complete isolation from the world," Shangguan Jiu said with a smile.

The three chatted away, while Ye Chen remained silent, his eyes calm but occasionally flashing with insight.

As always, he was the first to step into the wilderness forest, with the other three following suit.

The forest breeze was warm and soothing, filled with birdsong and fragrant flowers that lifted the spirits. Listening carefully, one could hear the gentle murmur of a stream, its water clear and full of vitality.

"Ling Zhi grass?" As they passed a thicket, Yang Ge Lao exclaimed in surprise, staring at a greenish plant nearby, dotted with dew drops and standing out among the other flora.

"It's really ling zhi—the herb that extends life and is worth a fortune. Just this one could fetch over a hundred thousand gold pieces," Yang Xuan said in awe.

"It's extinct in the outside world, yet it exists here in Ghost Mountain," Shangguan Jiu said, amazed.

"I'll go pick it," Yang Ge Lao said, rubbing his hands eagerly.

Ye Chen didn't even glance over, merely raising his hand to block Yang Ge Lao's path with his peach wood sword.

"That's a spirit herb—why not take it?" Yang Ge Lao said, bewildered.

"Do you want it or your life? Choose." Ye Chen replied indifferently, then put away his sword and continued walking.

Yang Ge Lao coughed awkwardly, glancing at the ling zhi grass, then at Shangguan Jiu and Yang Xuan. The other two also coughed and sheepishly followed Ye Chen. Yang Ge Lao was tempted, but he still walked away. If Ye Chen said not to touch it, they absolutely wouldn't.

Further along, spirit flowers and herbs like the ling zhi appeared frequently, all extinct in the outside world and more precious than the last. Any one of them taken out would shake the jianghu.

Yang Xuan and the others swallowed hard more than once. How could they not be tempted with treasures right in front of them?

But Ye Chen wouldn't allow it, and it pained them to just look.

The wilderness forest was vast, and the four walked for three hours without exiting. Like before, screams echoed from within, likely from martial arts experts and strange practitioners who had met their end there.

Hearing the screams, Yang Xuan and the others coughed. Clearly, those people had touched what they shouldn't have, like those rare herbs, and brought disaster upon themselves.

At that moment, Ye Chen suddenly stopped, and without warning, the three bumped into him.

"Why'd you stop?" Yang Ge Lao asked, puzzled.

"You could at least say something before stopping!" Yang Xuan and Shangguan Jiu both clutched their foreheads. Ye Chen was carrying a large eight trigrams mirror on his back, made of bronze and incredibly hard, leaving them with sore heads.

Though they spoke, Ye Chen only made one move, splashing a pot of tong zi urine over them.

Wow! So sour!

But after the sourness, the three froze. Looking around, this was no wilderness forest—there were no towering ancient trees or lush plants. It was just a stretch of black, barren soil, devoid of life, with half-buried bones weathered by time scattered on the ground.

"This..." The three were stunned.

"Illusion." Ye Chen uttered the word calmly, his expression unchanging from the start. From the moment they entered the forest, he had known it was an illusion. Such illusion techniques couldn't escape his scrutiny.

His single word made the three draw in a cold breath. They had truly seen something extraordinary— their minds had been completely deceived without them realizing it. Without Ye Chen, they would have likely lost themselves in it.

"This is way too damn eerie," Yang Xuan said, his legs going weak as he sat down hard, his face pale. In the outside jianghu, he was a peak expert, but in this Ghost Mountain, he felt like a three-year-old child. Without Ye Chen protecting them along the way, they would have died countless times.

Yang Ge Lao and Shangguan Jiu weren't much better. Even jianghu masters like them felt overwhelmed by such supernatural events.

Ye Chen pulled out a bag and scattered glutinous rice, forming a circle around them. Then, he sprinkled some black dog blood and stuck in a few small evil-repelling flags.

"Stay in the circle and don't wander," Ye Chen said, then headed deeper alone.

Behind him, the three quickly stepped into the rice circle. In unison, they pulled out their wine flasks and took a swig to steady their nerves. It was too frightening.

Not long after, more martial arts experts and strange practitioners arrived, all disheveled and limping, battered by the forest illusion. It was lucky some strange practitioners had broken the illusion; otherwise, the martial arts experts with their limited skills would have been wiped out.

Yang Ge Lao and the others glanced up, spotting some old acquaintances, but they didn't go over to greet them. The three were in disguise, and their friends didn't recognize them either.

"What's that?" During a moment of rest, someone suddenly exclaimed.

Everyone turned to look, following the person's gaze.

In the distance, through the hazy yin fog, an ancient city materialized—grand and imposing, like a mountain range. Just looking at it brought a sense of pressure, and staring too long made one's mind blur. The city naturally exuded an irresistible demonic power, glowing with a demonic light, ancient and weathered, majestic yet coldly forbidding.