Chapter 6: Tianji Valley

  But to say that Haotian and others, under the leadership of Pang Yan, had smoothly passed through the big array. After a long sigh of relief, Haotian looked around at his surroundings. This look was not easy, and he immediately discovered that Xinkai, who was originally following behind, had disappeared without a trace. In shock, Haotian hurriedly sought help from Pang Yan.

  Pang Yan's eyebrows slightly furrowed: "General, don't be anxious. Although the power of this formation is enormous, as long as you don't trigger the mechanism within the formation and can maintain a clear mind, there shouldn't be too much danger."

  "But Xinkai is the most restless, I'm afraid!" Haotian was anxiously sweating all over his head, and his attendants Gongjing and Tianyi were also extremely tense. Although they were nominally master and servants, in reality they were like brothers. Over the years of daily interactions, the depth of emotions between them was truly not something that could be expressed to outsiders. Now that Xinkai was in trouble, how could they not be anxious?

  "If that's the case, then let's find the master of this place first. To be honest, although I've lived here for nearly twenty years, I rarely come back. Therefore, although I'm familiar with the rules of this place, but for those who are trapped in the formation, it's beyond my power. But if the master of this place is willing to lend a hand, then it's just a small matter."

  "Master, is this the person you're talking about, that big and fierce cow?" Just then, a clear voice came from the crowd, and after a moment, a dejected Xin Ke walked out of the crowd with his head hung low, followed by a young scholar in his early twenties.

  "Disciple Xuanyuan has come to pay respects to Master!" The Confucian scholar went straight up, pulled up his collar, and respectfully kowtowed in front of Pang Yan.

  "You and I, master and apprentice, don't need to be so distant. It's been many years since I've seen you, hasn't it?" Pang Yan said with a sigh as he helped his apprentice up. When he left this place, Xuanji was not yet five years old, although he occasionally came back, but rarely taught Xuanji. Although they had the name of master and apprentice, there was no actual master-apprentice relationship. Now Xuanji has grown into an adult, and he himself is already grey-haired.

  "Mysterious, come and meet your senior brother Blood Kill. He is a disciple collected by your second uncle outside, and has never returned here before, so you haven't seen him either." Pang Yan pulled over Blood Kill to face Mysterious and said. After the two finished their greetings, Pang Yan turned his head to Hua Tian and said: "General Hua, I know that you must have many puzzles in your heart, but after meeting the master of this place, those puzzles will be solved one by one."

  "Yes." Haotian replied neatly and concisely, his attention focused on the letter in his hand.

  "Right now, what just happened? How did you suddenly get lost?" Tianyi asked in a low voice.

  His face turned red for a moment, but facing his own sister, he was still honest: "I just heard the national teacher say something particularly mysterious, and I was curious in my heart, so I wanted to see it. So I deliberately took a wrong step, and as a result, I couldn't go back to the original place."

  "What did you see?" Feng Jing asked curiously.

  "After I got lost, I suddenly found that the mountain road in front of me had changed completely. The surroundings were withered and yellow, countless corpses emerged from the ground, and the sky was filled with thunder and lightning. If it weren't for this gentleman's help, I don't know what would have happened to me." He rubbed the back of his head, looking embarrassed as he spoke. When talking about the mysterious event, his tone was extremely respectful. It seemed that he had indeed suffered a lot earlier.

  "This array is so vast, I don't know how Master knew that the messenger took a wrong step and how he managed to rescue him?" Huāng Tiān asked with some curiosity.

  Xuanji smiled slightly: "Actually, Shibo calculated that Shifu would come today, so he let me go to the valley entrance to welcome him. I didn't expect Shifu to arrive so quickly, and when I arrived at the valley entrance, you had already entered the big array. I followed all the way, just in time to see this fierce cow deliberately taking a wrong step. So I waited for it to suffer a bit, then pulled it out."

  As soon as he heard this, Niu Yan's eyes widened in an instant: "You little brat, so you've been making fun of me all along! I mistakenly thought of you as my lifesaver."

  "Shut up, Xinkè! If you hadn't deliberately taken the wrong path, how would you have ended up suffering like that? Master Xuān Jī only gave you a small lesson. If I were him, I wouldn't have rescued you so quickly, but instead let you exhaust yourself to the point of near death." Huáng Tiān scolded loudly. Xinkè was a straightforward person, so Huáng Tiān had always spoken bluntly to him. Upon hearing this, Xinkè immediately shut his mouth obediently.

  "Let's go see the master of this place first." Pang Yan smiled and interrupted the conversation between the two. It had been several years since he left, and now that Pang Yan was revisiting his old haunt, his originally heavy mood also became lighter.

  The valley is not large, about a dozen miles in circumference. A stream flows down from the mountain and surrounds the small valley along the terrain. On both sides of the stream are vast farmlands, and at the very back of the small valley is a lush green bamboo forest, where several houses with elegant style can be vaguely seen. In the middle of the bamboo forest, a peculiarly shaped ancient tower stands out prominently. The tower is over ten zhang high, and it is indeed the highest point in the entire small valley. Looking at the bamboo forest swaying in the wind, Huang Tian's heart was filled with doubts. This valley is located on the north slope of the Yin Wind Mountains, which geographically belongs to the North. In such a place, logically speaking, there should not be such a large area of bamboo forest. But this bamboo forest really exists here, which is indeed somewhat strange.

  Pang Yan obviously saw the doubts of Haotian and others, so he smiled and said: "General Hao, although this place is located in the north, due to its special geographical environment, the climate is very different from that of the north. The subtlety of this matter can be asked by the general after meeting the master of this place."

  "I'm afraid I won't be able to understand the subtleties within," said Huáng Tiān hastily shaking his head. As they spoke, the group had already passed through the fields and Pang Yan led them directly into the bamboo forest.

  "Master Shifu's uncle, Master Oogway has been waiting for you inside for a long time. Master Shifu said that if you and your companions have arrived, please go straight in." A young man said humbly at the entrance of the grand hall.

  "You're quite calm, aren't you? When I left back then, you were just like Xuanji, still a young child with a shaved head. Alas, let's not speak of it." Pang Yan sighed and led the way into the great hall. A faint sense of curiosity arose in his heart - the master had been bedridden for a long time, and when he came to visit two years ago, he rarely left his bedroom. How was it that today he deliberately waited in the great hall for their group? Had his illness already recovered?

  "Junior brother, it's been many years since we last met, hasn't it?" A gentle voice drifted in from the great hall. Amidst that calm and serene tone, Haotian somehow sensed a hint of Zen. But as soon as Pang Yan heard these words, his face suddenly became somewhat agitated, and his spirit was shaken.

  "Big brother, I've been busy with official duties all these years and haven't had time to visit you. Please forgive me, big brother." Pang Yan said excitedly.

  "This isn't your fault, I knew it would end like this when you first left. The few guests outside, please come in together." The kind voice came again. Haotian and the others turned around the screen and finally saw the master of the house sitting in the main seat.

  That was an old man with a very strange face. His whole body was wrapped in the tiger skin on the seat, perhaps because he was too weak, even when he heard the footsteps of Haotian and others, his eyes still did not open. But as soon as Tianyi saw the old man's face, he suddenly exclaimed. Because the old man's face was really too ugly, although his facial features were all intact, and his skin still maintained its due luster, but it seemed that his nose and mouth were completely in the wrong position, and when they came together, they were extremely ferocious. Haotian and others could not imagine that the kind voice just now came from the old man's mouth.

  Pang Yan saw the old man's appearance, and his expression was also sad: "Shixiong, is your body okay? You're already like this, why are you still insisting on coming out?"

  "Today, we have a noble guest arriving, and I must come out to greet him. As for my body, it has always been weak, old and useless. Recently, I've been observing the stars frequently, but unfortunately, my strength is insufficient, although I did see some words and phrases, this body of mine is getting worse." The old man slowly opened his eyes, speaking in a very weak tone. As soon as he opened his eyes, everyone's eyes lit up. Although his mouth was still the same mouth, his nose was still the same nose, but somehow it looked more comfortable. Especially his kind and benevolent gaze, completely swept away the ferocious expression from earlier, making people feel a few degrees closer to him.

  "Master, how did you know I'd be back today?" Pang Yan asked curiously, sitting at the old man's feet. Although he knew his master's abilities, he had come here on a whim, yet the old man had somehow calculated that he would arrive today, which couldn't help but pique his curiosity.

  "I divined the stars a few days ago and found that the celestial signs were in great disorder, with the Emperor Star dim. Thinking of your long service to the imperial court, I specifically cast a divination for you, which showed that you will be passing through the Yin Wind Mountains soon. Although it's been nearly twenty years since you last returned, this place is still your home after all. Since you'll be passing by here, it's impossible not to come back, so I've had Xiaoqi wait for you at the valley entrance." The old man spoke slowly, his tone revealing an indescribable sadness that even a resolute and ruthless person like Xueyi couldn't help but feel a pang in their heart.

  "Big Brother!" Recalling the past events, Pang Yan felt a mix of emotions and opened his mouth to speak but didn't know what to say. Although he wasn't very proficient in astrology, he had learned some from the old man since childhood. People who observe the stars find that their predictions are more accurate when they are near death. The fact that the old man was able to accurately predict his return today clearly indicated that his life wouldn't last much longer.

  "You don't need to say anything, I understand what you want to say. Don't worry, this old body can still hold on for two or three more years, it's not time for me to leave yet." The old man smiled faintly and then turned his gaze to the crowd: "Everyone has come from afar, unfortunately, I'm not feeling well, please forgive any disrespect."

  "Elderly sir, please don't be polite. We juniors have come to disturb you uninvited, and it's only right that you shouldn't blame us." Huāng Tiān hastily said. Although he didn't understand who the old man was, since Páng Yè called him Shī Xiōng (senior brother), he probably should be a reclusive senior expert.

  "Big brother, this is the deputy city guardian of Dingzhou, General Haotian Hao. This young lady is Qin Tianyi, his fiancée. Those two are his house generals, Feng Jing and Xin Ke. This is the vice commander of the Eastern Army, General Xiang Xing, and that one called Blood Kill is a disciple collected by Second Brother outside." Pang Yan hastily introduced.

  "Oh, you are all the pillars of the country in the future." The old man nodded and looked at Blood Kill, saying: "You are the successor of my second junior brother? Then where are you now?"

  "I report to Master Shibo, my master taught me some martial arts and military tactics, but seeing that I had a heavy bloodlust, he let me work as a butcher for a period of time to dilute the bloody smell on me. After that, he disappeared without a trace. For nearly twenty years, I have been living in Shizhou. However, due to the fall of the river suite and the invasion of foreign tribes, my family was destroyed and I have been assassinating Hu barbarian generals in the river suite ever since. Today, thanks to General Haung and others, I heard that Master Shibo is hiding here, so I came to pay respects."

  The old man smiled slightly: "Second Master Brother is also a bit too reckless. The Yingwu Sect emphasizes entering the world, but it shouldn't be like this."

  Seeing that Haotian and others were extremely puzzled, after obtaining the old man's consent, Pang Yan said to Haotian and others beside him: "General Haotian, this is my master's senior brother, also known as the wise man in my mouth. Although he is in hiding and not serving, his talent and insight are far superior to mine. His name should have been heard by all of you, he is the legendary Qingfeng First Strange Man, Tianguan Residence Old Man Tianji."

  "What? He's actually the Sky-Gazing Hermit?" The scalp of Haotian and others was numb, and the old man in front of them was actually the Sky-Gazing Hermit who was famous for his divine calculations. Moreover, he was also the senior brother of Pang Yan. Thinking that thirty years ago, the first master of Qingfeng, Yingwu Hermit Yuetengkong, was also the senior brother of Pang Yan, Haotian and others were all stunned, no one had expected that the three famous figures of the Qingfeng Empire would come from the same school.

  "My three fellow disciples' names, I'm sure you've all heard of. But as for those who know we came from the same school, there are hardly a few in the world. And our school is the legendary Ghost Valley Sect, which is located right here - Tianji Valley." Pang Yan continued to say.

  This sentence is undoubtedly another thunder on a clear day. The Ghost Valley lineage, turned out to be the legendary Ghost Valley lineage! It's actually the legendary Ghost Valley lineage that no one can confirm whether it exists or not. And this is where the founder of Ghost Valley passed on his skills in Tianji Valley back then, no wonder there's such a heaven-defying and earth-shattering Ten Extremes Slaying Immortals Formation at the entrance of the valley.

  If one were to say that the two most powerful forces in the martial arts world today are undoubtedly the Yunyu Conghua Palace of Tiandu and the Mingshan Manor of Jiangnan Road, Jiangzhou. These two families have inherited the traditions of their respective sects for over a hundred years, and their disciples are exceptionally talented. Many of their outstanding students hold positions in the imperial army, and each of the two sects has a private army of around 10,000 elite soldiers. Their combat strength is comparable to that of the imperial guard, the most elite troops in the empire. The leaders of the two sects, Yuhan Mei and Dingtian Jian Chu Xianhuan, are among the top masters in the martial arts world.

  If we talk about wealth, it is undoubtedly the former Extreme Bliss Sect that once swept the world. The predecessor of the Extreme Bliss Sect was the Sun God Sect, the state religion when Qingfeng established the country, but later due to interference in court politics, it was eventually eliminated by the joint efforts of various forces in the imperial court. Although its power declined greatly, the foundation of the Extreme Bliss Sect still existed, and the wealth accumulated over hundreds of years within the sect was indeed astonishing. Relying on donations from followers, the Extreme Bliss Sect can be said to be rich enough to rival a country, and now it still has a large market among the people of the empire, especially in Yangzhou Road in the southeast.

  However, when it comes to influence, the Qingfeng School is far inferior and cannot be compared to the Guiyu Sect, which has been passed down for thousands of years. Even the prestigious Yaochi Yu Palace in the empire cannot compare with it. According to legend, the Guiyu Sect was founded by a legendary figure named Guigu Xianshi from ancient times. He was unparalleled in terms of intelligence and martial arts skills, and his disciples were also exceptional talents. Each generation of the Guiyu Sect would have one or more outstanding disciples who, although their identities were unknown to the public, were recognizable as being from the Guiyu School by those in the know. What Huang Tian and others did not expect was that not only did Pang Yan come from the Guiyu Sect, but also the three most famous people in the world today are all successors of the Guiyu Sect.

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