The Eastern Yu Nation of the Heavenly South was one of the few countries in the Heavenly South cultivation world that did not belong to any of the four major factions. This wasn’t because the nation was too small or lacked resources, making it unappealing to the major powers. On the contrary, whether in terms of territory or the abundance of cultivation resources, Eastern Yu ranked among the top ten in the Heavenly South. The reason no faction had managed to control it was entirely due to its unique geographical location.
Apart from being too distant and unconnected to the Nine Nations Alliance, Eastern Yu bordered countries belonging to the other three major factions, effectively wedged right in the middle.
The cultivation sects within the country were also historically diverse and chaotic, encompassing both righteous and demonic factions, as well as smaller, independent sects. Most importantly, none of the native cultivation sects of Eastern Yu possessed the strength to dominate the others and become a decisive force, making it impossible for any single sect to represent the nation and align with a particular faction.
As a result, none of the three major factions were willing to relinquish control over the country, leading to constant covert and overt struggles. Yet, no clear resolution emerged. Eventually, they reached a vague agreement: none of the three factions would interfere in Eastern Yu’s affairs, allowing it to remain a neutral nation.
Of course, many of the native sects had long since pledged allegiance to either the righteous or demonic paths, or even the Heavenly Dao Alliance, thereby receiving covert support from the major factions. This delicate balance allowed Eastern Yu to maintain a semblance of neutrality for over a century, attracting many cultivators who saw it as a safe haven. The influx of settlers even led to a period of unprecedented prosperity.
In the northern Chang Province of Eastern Yu lay a vast basin covering nearly two-thirds of the region, most of which was blanketed by dense, ancient forests. At the heart of this basin stretched an immense mountain range spanning hundreds of thousands of miles, known locally as the “Ten Thousand Peaks Mountain Range.”
Whether the range truly contained ten thousand peaks was debatable, as no one had ever bothered to count. However, its sheer size ensured an abundance of spiritual beasts and rare medicinal herbs. Despite this, cultivators rarely dared to venture here for gathering herbs or hunting beasts, except during specific periods every few decades. The reason? The mountain range bore another infamous name in the Heavenly South cultivation world—the “Fallen Demon Land.” Hidden somewhere within the range lay the “Fallen Demon Valley,” reputed as the most perilous place in the Heavenly South.
This valley had existed since ancient times, and over the millennia, countless mighty cultivators had ventured inside in search of treasures. Yet, even after countless years, the valley remained shrouded in mystery and bloodshed, deterring all who approached.
However, the valley’s fearsome reputation alone wasn’t enough to stop cultivators from exploiting the mountain range. Perhaps influenced by the valley, the Ten Thousand Peaks Mountain Range had, at some point, become perpetually enveloped in multicolored miasma. This miasma was not only lethally toxic—capable of killing on contact—but also so dense that it obscured all vision, making it impossible to navigate once inside.
Under such conditions, even if cultivators could survive the miasma, gathering herbs or hunting beasts was out of the question. They could only gaze longingly at the mountain’s riches or scavenge in the outermost, less toxic areas.
But roughly every fifty years, the miasma would dissipate, coinciding with a period when the spatial rifts within the Fallen Demon Valley were at their fewest and most stable. During this brief window, treasure hunters from across the Heavenly South would rush into the mountains. Given the range’s vastness, only a small fraction of cultivators ever found anything of value. Nevertheless, each time this period arrived, thousands of cultivators of all ranks would gather here.
Near the mountains, merchants backed by powerful families would quickly establish temporary markets to purchase the herbs and beasts collected by successful cultivators, creating a brief but bustling trade.
This year, as the miasma over the Ten Thousand Peaks Mountain Range began to thin—with only a few months left before its complete disappearance—a massive influx of cultivators poured into Chang Province, far surpassing previous numbers. Most were outsiders, and high-ranking cultivators appeared with unusual frequency. This sudden surge alarmed the local sects and cultivation families, who hastily ordered their disciples to stay indoors while sending scouts to investigate. The news they uncovered left them stunned.
Atop an unnamed hill on the border of Chang Province, a male and female cultivator at the Core Formation stage stood side by side. The man, dressed in a deep blue robe, appeared to be in his thirties, handsome and scholarly. The woman, clad in palace attire, had a voluptuous figure but otherwise unremarkable features. Though they seemed composed, their occasional glances and the faint anxiety in their eyes betrayed their true emotions.
Before long, a streak of silver light flashed in the distance, swiftly approaching the hill. Recognizing the approaching figure, the couple brightened with relief.
The silver light circled above the hill before revealing a middle-aged scholar in embroidered robes.
“Big Brother, you’ve finally arrived! Did everything go smoothly? Did you get the tokens?” the woman asked eagerly.
The scholar chuckled. “Fortunately, I made it in time. Here they are.” He flicked his wrist, sending two bronze tokens toward the couple.
The tokens bore the characters “Fallen Demon” in red on one side and a golden “Order” character on the other, faintly radiating spiritual energy. The woman’s face lit up with excitement, while the man frowned pensively.
“Wonderful! With these tokens, we can enter the valley and search for treasures. If we find some ancient elixirs, we might even have a chance at forming Nascent Souls!” the woman exclaimed.
“Such a small token costs thirty thousand spirit stones… they really dare to charge that much,” the blue-robed man muttered, sighing. The three tokens had cost them nearly all their savings over centuries, leaving him understandably reluctant.
“Second Brother, don’t dwell on it. If not for my life-and-death friendship with that person—and their sect’s lack of manpower, forcing them to abandon this opportunity—these tokens would be selling for a hundred thousand spirit stones each, with people fighting over them. Besides, the Ghost Spirit Sect originally planned to monopolize the valley’s treasures. Only under pressure from other sects did they agree to let outsiders participate. Otherwise, even offering a hundred thousand spirit stones wouldn’t have gotten us in,” the scholar explained helplessly.
The blue-robed man had no rebuttal, but he still eyed the token warily. “But is the Ghost Spirit Sect’s method truly reliable? I’ve heard the valley entrance is riddled with spatial rifts—one misstep, and you’re gone without a trace. And that story about their elder surviving the valley… do you think it’s true?”
“Unless the Ghost Spirit Sect wants to make enemies of the entire Heavenly South cultivation world, this matter must be legitimate. Besides, didn’t we hear that their elder only escaped with his Nascent Soul? His physical body perished in the valley, which makes sense,” the scholar replied without hesitation.
“Even if we can enter, the Fallen Demon Valley is extremely dangerous. I’m not sure if buying these tokens was the right decision,” the blue-robed man said hesitantly.
The woman scoffed. “With our aptitudes, we’ve already reached our limits. Without some extraordinary opportunity, we’ll turn to dust in a couple of centuries. This is our chance to take a risk. Besides, I’ve heard the outer areas of the valley have far fewer spatial rifts than the depths. If we stick to the outskirts and stay cautious, we should be fine.”
“I heard the Ghost Spirit Sect released hundreds of these tokens, most going to major sects. There are even rumors that the Mulan Spirit Masters might send people. With hundreds of cultivators entering together, what’s there to fear? If things get too dangerous, we can always retreat. But if we miss this chance, we’ll regret it for the rest of our lives,” the scholar added calmly. The woman nodded emphatically in agreement.
“Since Big Brother says so, I’ll follow you into the valley,” the blue-robed man conceded with a resigned smile.
Similar scenes played out frequently across Chang Province.
Half a year earlier, rumors had spread that the Ghost Spirit Sect had discovered a way to enter the Fallen Demon Valley and planned to monopolize its treasures, keeping other sects in the dark. The news sent shockwaves through the cultivation world.
Major sects, still recovering from the recent war with the Mulan people, were immediately roused to action, dispatching envoys to the Ghost Spirit Sect for answers. Even the other six demonic sects sent representatives to verify the claims.
The Ghost Spirit Sect’s higher-ups were furious but, under immense pressure, had no choice but to admit the truth—after all, determined investigators would uncover it eventually.
Naturally, the other sects demanded access to the valley. The Ghost Spirit Sect stubbornly refused but eventually proposed a compromise: they would provide entry tokens to each sect. For a price in spirit stones, token holders could send a limited number of cultivators into the valley during the stable period.
To placate rogue cultivators and minor sects, they also released over a hundred tokens to them.
As the time approached, Chang Province buzzed with activity. The area around the Ten Thousand Peaks Mountain Range teemed with foreign cultivators, forcing local treasure hunters to tread carefully and keep a low profile.
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