Anomaly in the Valley

Battle erupted simultaneously across all three exits as the evil entities surged forward.

Thanks to the ample supply of Evil-Repelling Talismans brought by the Yang family, the cultivators maintained the upper hand, holding the initiative firmly in their hands. Only a handful of mid-stage Qi Gathering creatures required focused attention.

At the main entrance, Zhang Tiansheng loomed, demanding Elder Yu's undivided concentration.

The remaining three cultivators formed a triangular array. Yang Linghu took the vanguard, while Zhao Qi and Wu Tong flanked him to provide support.

"Wah-ha-"

A shrill, wailing cry echoed out. Yang Linghu glanced over and spotted another evil entity, this one at the fourth level of Qi Gathering, crawling out from the depths of the valley.

"You two hold this line! I will keep that one at bay!"

Leaving them with those words, Yang Linghu spun on his heel and charged. With a mere thought, a pair of Tiger-Head Bracers manifested over his forearms.

Now that Tian Yu and his men were absent, he no longer had to suppress his cultivation.

A base cultivation at the third level of Qi Gathering, mastery over fourth-level martial techniques, and the amplification of a fine-grade mid-stage Qi Gathering spiritual treasure-these factors combined granted Yang Linghu the strength to contend directly with a fourth-level opponent.

"Where do you think you're going!"

Yang Linghu roared, barring the creature's path. He raised a fist and smashed it downward.

The projection of a great tiger claw manifested, tearing three deep gashes across the creature's chest and hurling it back a full zhang.

Had a cultivator of the same realm sustained such a blow, they would have been severely incapacitated.

Yet, because this creature was entirely corrupted by yin evil qi, it possessed neither sanity nor a sense of pain. Left with nothing but a savage, bloodthirsty instinct, it proved incredibly stubborn.

True to form, the entity merely paused for a breath before lunging at Yang Linghu once more.

This was precisely what made these foul beings so troublesome to fight. Unless one destroyed their core or shattered their vessels entirely, they would never cease their assault.

"No fear of pain and no urge to run-you make a perfect punching bag!"

Rather than showing fear, Yang Linghu grinned, a fierce fighting spirit rising within his chest.

In the past, the demon beasts he hunted would invariably flee halfway through the encounter, forcing him to waste half a day giving chase, often to no avail.

Facing this relentless creature was the perfect opportunity to hone his skills.

On the other side of the battlefield, Yang Lingrui engaged Zhang Yao with his full strength. Ultimately, he invoked a technique that channeled gale force directly into the man's frame, completely destroying his internal organs while leaving the corpse intact.

It was a final gesture of respect, granting his former rival a dignified end.

With Zhang Yao dealt with, Yang Lingrui turned his attention to aiding Gao Hui, who was locked in combat with a fifth-level Qi Gathering entity.

Nearby, Liang Yi held off four or five early-stage Qi Gathering creatures. Though he was only at the first level of cultivation, the family's Divine Movement Talismans and Evil-Repelling Talismans allowed him to manage the threat effectively.

By contrast, the western front fared the worst.

Aside from Tian Yu, the combat strength of the Qinghe Town office cultivators could not compare to that of the Yang family. For them, surviving a one-on-one confrontation without disaster was already a blessing from the heavens.

Had they not been supported by the Yang family's talismans, that position would have collapsed long ago.

Ultimately, the eastern front was the first to clear its sector. Gao Hui immediately rushed over to reinforce the struggling line, finally stabilizing the crisis.

With the threats on both flanks neutralized, the three groups of cultivators converged at the valley's main entrance.

Yang Lingrui joined forces with Yang Linghu to slay the fourth-level entity. Now, only the sixth-level Qi Gathering creature-Zhang Tiansheng-remained.

"I will assist Elder Yu! The four of you stay here and keep watch!"

"Understood!"

Yang Lingrui leaped into the valley to join Elder Yu, with Gao Hui following closely at his heels.

Tian Yu hesitated for a brief moment before steeling himself and trailing behind them.

Deep within the valley, the duel between Elder Yu and Zhang Tiansheng had reached a standstill.

Neither of them specialized in purely destructive martial arts, meaning their lethal capabilities were somewhat limited.

One possessed a spiritual treasure to bolster his defense, while the other relied on the surrounding yin qi to continuously restore his frame. After more than a hundred exchanges, neither could gain a decisive advantage.

However, the entry of Yang Lingrui and the others quickly turned the tide.

As Zhang Tiansheng began to falter, Tian Yu's heart swelled with relief and delight.

'This creature is the strongest entity in the valley. If we cut him down here, the disaster will be effectively contained, leaving only the task of purifying the remaining yin qi!'

If the matter could be concluded so smoothly, the worst he would face from his superiors would be a written reprimand rather than a severe, substantive penalty.

As for the merit of the deed, he no longer cared to claim it. So long as he could evade the charge of dereliction of duty, he was perfectly content to let Gao Hui take all the credit for purging the yin ghosts.

With these thoughts in mind, Tian Yu held nothing back, unleashing his signature techniques in a flurry of increasingly ferocious strikes.

Yet, just as Zhang Tiansheng's frame swayed, on the verge of collapsing from utter exhaustion, a fleeting glimmer of sanity suddenly returned to his eyes.

"No!! It wasn't supposed to be like this!! It shouldn't have been like this!!"

He began to howl like a madman, his voice filled with a piercing, mournful agony.

Seeing this, Elder Yu raised a hand and barked, "His conscious will is awakening! Halt your attacks immediately!"

Yang Lingrui and Gao Hui obeyed instantly, forcibly restraining their techniques.

Tian Yu, however, paid no heed. He cared nothing for whether Zhang Tiansheng could be saved; his only desire was to end the matter swiftly to prevent any further complications.

"Foul creature of yin and malice, do not think you can deceive me with your words! Die!"

Tian Yu roared, unleashing a beam of spiritual light that struck Zhang Tiansheng squarely in the head.

"Ah!!!"

Zhang Tiansheng let out a harrowing shriek as the final vestige of clarity in his eyes shattered, dissolving into utter darkness.

"Town Chief Tian, what do you think you are doing?" Gao Hui demanded, his voice dropping.

"What am I doing? I should ask what you all are doing! To actually fall for the deceptive words of an evil entity!"

Even as he spoke, Tian Yu's hands did not idle, rapidly gathering another sphere of spiritual light within his palms.

Before he could strike, however, Zhang Tiansheng spun around and plunged headfirst back into the depths of the valley.

The group gave chase for a short distance, but the inner reaches of Sanglu Valley were choked with dense yin qi. It obscured their vision and entirely blocked their divine sense, forcing them to halt rather than risk venturing deeper.

Furious that the creature had slipped away, Tian Yu turned on the others and snapped, "Senior Yu, why did you order a halt? If the four of us had pressed the attack together, that creature wouldn't have lasted another moment!"

Swoosh, swoosh...

No sooner had the words left his mouth than the sharp whistling of wind cut through the air.

Turning his head, Tian Yu met Yang Lingrui's icy stare, and a sudden wave of clarity washed over him.

They were currently isolated deep within the valley. The three individuals before him possessed more than enough strength to execute him on the spot and lay the blame entirely on the evil entity, walking away completely unscathed.

Realizing this, a cold sweat broke out across Tian Yu's back.

"You are young and lack experience in these matters. I can overlook it,"

Elder Yu remarked smoothly. Having cultivated for so many years, his Dao heart was as unyielding as granite, and he was not easily moved to anger by such petulance.

"However, you have just ruined a golden opportunity to let Zhang Tiansheng's own will fight back against the corruption of the yin qi."

At those words, Tian Yu grew thoroughly flustered.

He had no inkling that dealing with such entities involved such intricate methods. Now, it was clear his rashness had startled the creature and driven it into hiding.

"Senior Yu! I have erred grievously! I truly deserve to die!"

Though Tian Yu was filled with bitter regret, it was already too late.

Following the creature's retreat to the valley floor, a terrifying mutation occurred. The yin qi that had been loosely permeating the air suddenly reversed, violently surging toward the abyss below.

Elder Yu's expression turned grim. He produced his Dharma Disc to gauge the spiritual currents, and his eyes widened.

"Run!" he bellowed.

Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh, swoosh-

The four figures blurred as they fled the valley at maximum speed. Spotting their desperate retreat from afar, Yang Linghu reacted instantly. He grabbed the collars of the three cultivators beside him and bolted in the opposite direction.

"Fall back!"

Seeing several Qinghe Town office cultivators frozen in place, Yang Linghu roared a stern warning.

Boom!

A deafening explosion shook the earth as a massive column of compressed yin qi erupted from the valley mouth.

The few Qinghe cultivators who failed to escape in time were swallowed by the black fog in an instant, and a chorus of agonizing screams echoed from within the darkness.

Yang Linghu and his companions only managed to stay ahead of the encroaching fog due to the swiftness granted by their Divine Movement Talismans.

Once they reached a safe distance, the Yang family members quickly regrouped.

"The five of you must return to Qinghe Town immediately and evacuate the populace! The coming conflict is far beyond your ability to join," Elder Yu commanded in a heavy tone.

"Understood, Elder Yu!"

The five Yang family members wasted no words, immediately turning and rushing toward the town.

At that moment, a massive, oppressive pressure began to spill from the mouth of the valley.

Tian Yu tentative extended a thread of his divine sense to probe the anomaly, only to be violently repelled by the dense, malicious aura, forcing him back two steps.

"This... this is the seventh level of Qi Gathering!"

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