150: Chapter 150 There's a theatrical performance at home, so I went to dismantle the stage.

"Dang—"

The bell toll was resounding, startling the birds across the mountain. This was followed by thunderous drums and the cheers of tens of thousands of Disciples. Even separated by over a dozen peaks, that wave-like clamor still carried over with the wind.

The Sect competition had begun.

The Lin family should be sitting on the viewing platform right now, staring at the direction of Shafeng Cave, waiting for Gu Yan to appear, or waiting for that "Clone" to reveal itself.

"Will they discover it?"

Jiang Wanrou gripped Gu Yan's sleeve tightly, the Flying Sword beneath her feet wobbling slightly. She looked back at the mountain gate standing majestically in the morning light, her heart pounding painfully in her chest.

This was her first time leaving the Sect in such a "fugitive" manner.

"Discovery is only a matter of time."

Gu Yan did not look back. He held Jiang Wanrou's belt with one hand, as if holding an accessory, while stepping on a black flying shuttle, its speed so fast it left a blur in the air.

"But by the time they react and go to Shafeng Cave to confirm why I have been 'in seclusion' all this time, it will be at least three hours later."

Gu Yan narrowed his eyes, his Physical Body forcibly shattering the gale rushing towards him: "Three hours is enough for us to turn their lair upside down."

The flying shuttle cut through the sky, leaving the clamor of the Yunlan Sect far behind.

...

The eight-hundred-mile journey was nothing more than the time it takes to brew two cups of tea for the full-speed Gu Yan.

As the distance from the Yunlan Sect grew, the surrounding scenery began to change in an eerie way.

The originally lush green mountains gradually became desolate, and the vegetation took on a sickly grayish-brown color. The Spiritual Qi in the air became thin, replaced by an increasingly pungent smell of sulfur and blood.

The sky was also gray, as if covered by a dirty piece of gauze.

Ahead, two black mountain peaks like fangs pierced the clouds, with a bottomless canyon sandwiched between them. Dark red mist churned above the canyon, and occasionally, purple lightning could be seen flashing silently within the mist.

Fallen Demon Valley.

It was rumored to be the place where a Soul Transformation powerhouse had fallen, and it was also a Forbidden Ground for Yunlan Sect Disciples.

Gu Yan lowered the flying shuttle and landed on a beach of scattered rocks.

"Conceal your aura."

Gu Yan casually applied a concealment Talisman to himself and checked the Talisman on Jiang Wanrou: "Although that old thing Lin Canghai returned to the Sect for the competition, he definitely left a watchdog here."

Jiang Wanrou nodded, nervously hugging the Pill Furnace in her arms.

The two used the cover of the rocks to sneak toward the entrance of the canyon.

The closer they got to the valley entrance, the heavier the smell of blood became. The mud on the ground had turned dark red, soft and mushy to step on, like treading on rotting flesh.

"Damn it, this ghost place is really not fit for humans."

A coarse complaint drifted into Gu Yan's ears with the wind.

Fifty yards ahead, behind a huge weathered rock, squatted two Cultivators wearing blood-red robes. They did not hide their figures, obviously thinking that at such a time, no one would dare to come to the Fallen Demon Valley to cause trouble.

"I don't know what the Elder is thinking. The competition is so lively, yet he won't let us go, insisting we guard the gate here."

One of the Cultivators spat out the grass root in his mouth, looking sullen: "I heard that Young Master Lin is going to cripple that guy surnamed Gu on the life-and-death stage this time, and even strip Jiang Wanrou naked and parade her through the streets... Tsk tsk, it's a huge loss to miss this scene."

"Alright, say less."

The other, slightly older Cultivator was wiping the long saber in his hand: "The Elder said that this blood sacrifice must succeed and cannot fail. As long as that 'thing' is obtained, our Lin family will be the masters of the Yunlan Sect. When that time comes, what kind of women won't we have?"

"Hehe, that's true. But that Jiang Wanrou is indeed a top-tier beauty, that waist, those legs..."

Puff.

The voice of the speaking Cultivator stopped abruptly.

His head turned a bizarre 180 degrees, facing his back.

Those eyes, originally full of lechery, were now wide open, staring fixedly at the man in black standing behind him.

"Keep talking."

Gu Yan's hand was still on his neck, his tone as calm as if chatting with an old friend: "I want to hear how you plan to parade her through the streets?"

"You... huff..."

The Cultivator spat out blood foam, and his body slumped down limply.

The older Cultivator next to him reacted extremely quickly, the long saber in his hand sweeping horizontally, while opening his mouth to sound an alarm.

Clang!

Gu Yan's left hand directly grabbed the blade. The long saber made of fine iron let out a groan of unbearable stress in his palm and actually shattered inch by inch.

Immediately after, a fist wearing black knuckle dusters rapidly enlarged in his field of vision.

Boom!

It was like a rotten watermelon being hit by a hammer.

Red and white matter splattered everywhere.

Gu Yan shook off the blood on his hands, not even letting the older Cultivator let out a scream.

From appearing to killing, it was only a breath's time.

Jiang Wanrou walked out from behind the rock, looking at the two corpses on the ground, her face a bit pale, but she did not vomit. The experiences of the past few days had already made her immune to blood.

"They are the Lin family's secret sentries."

She glanced at the emblem on the corpses: "The competition they mentioned... Is Lin Zixuan really planning to humiliate us on stage?"

"Don't take the dreams of the dead seriously."

Gu Yan bent down and skillfully took the Storage Pouches of the two, not even glancing at them, and threw them directly to Jiang Wanrou: "Sort them out, keep what's useful, throw away what's not."

He stood up and cast his gaze toward the churning red mist deep in the canyon.

These two secret sentries were just an appetizer.

The real line of defense was inside.

"According to the intelligence obtained from soul searching, the Lin family has set up a 'Blood Fiend Maze Formation' at the valley entrance, with three Foundation Establishment Late Stage Cultivators taking turns to guard it."

Gu Yan flexed his wrists, the spikes on his knuckle dusters flashing with cold light in the dim light: "Jiang Wanrou, can your Green Lotus Fire break the illusion?"

"I can."

Jiang Wanrou stepped forward, a cyan lotus flower igniting in her palm. Although it was only palm-sized, the nauseating smell of blood around them was instantly forced back several feet.

"That's good."

Gu Yan took out the... replica of the "Blood River Deputy Flag" from his bosom.

The real one had already been handed over by Jiang Wanrou, but Gu Yan hadn't been idle these past few days, having the System create a high-quality replica with the same material. Although it didn't have the function of opening the Secret Realm, it was enough to fool the Formation and the watchdogs.

"Take this later and follow behind me."

Gu Yan stuffed the fake flag to her, his eyes turning sharp: "If anyone blocks the way, show them the flag and tell them you were sent by Lin Canghai to deliver the 'spare key'."

"And what if they don't believe it?" Jiang Wanrou asked.

Gu Yan grinned, revealing a mouthful of stark white teeth:

"For those who don't believe it, I will make them shut up forever."

...

Canyon entrance.

Red mist filled the air, and visibility was less than ten yards.

Three Cultivators wearing the attire of Lin family Core Disciples were sitting cross-legged on the nodes of the Formation, maintaining the operation of the great Formation.

Suddenly, footsteps came from the red mist.

Very steady, unhurried.

"Who is it?!"

The scar-faced Cultivator leading them suddenly opened his eyes, his Flying Sword instantly unsheathed and hovering beside him: "This is the Lin family's Forbidden Ground, trespassers die!"

The mist dispersed.

A man and a woman walked out.

The man was tall and sturdy, dressed in black, with a hideous ghost mask on his face. The woman wore a plain dress, holding a small black flag emitting thick blood Qi in her hands.

"Elder Lin has an order."

Jiang Wanrou's voice was cold, raising the small flag in her hand: "The front line is tight, so we were specifically ordered to deliver the spare Formation Flag to help activate the great Formation."

The scar-faced Cultivator's gaze fell on the Formation Flag in Jiang Wanrou's hand, feeling that familiar, heart-palpitating blood fiend fluctuation, and the vigilance in his eyes dissipated a bit, but he was still somewhat suspicious.

"Spare Formation Flag? Why haven't I heard of it?"

He looked at the masked man, brows locked: "And who are you? Among the Lin family's Core Disciples, I haven't seen a character like you."

Gu Yan did not speak.

He simply took out a token from his sleeve—it was the Young Lord token searched from Lin Zixuan's body—and tossed it over casually.

The scar-faced Cultivator subconsciously reached out to catch it.

At the very moment he lowered his head to check the authenticity of the token.

Gu Yan moved.

Boom!

The ground beneath his feet exploded.

Ten yards of distance, covered in an instant.

The scar-faced Cultivator only felt a flash before his eyes, and the masked man was already right in his face.

"I am the person here to send you on your way."

Gu Yan's voice sounded muffled and cold under the mask.

The next moment, a fist wearing black knuckle dusters, without any bells and whistles, directly shattered his protective True Qi and pierced through his chest.

Puff.

Heart burst.

"Enemy attack!!!"

The remaining two Cultivators screamed in terror, just wanting to urge the Formation, but discovered the red mist around them had suddenly turned cyan.

The Green Lotus Fire in Jiang Wanrou's hand surged, turning into a cyan fire Dragon, instantly cutting off their connection to the Formation.

"Too late."

Gu Yan threw away the corpse in his hand and turned to look at the two lambs waiting to be slaughtered.

"Hunting time, begins."