Chapter 97: Lies

The young man’s eyes flashed with ruthless resolve. He forced every bit of power in him to surge forth, swallowing fruit after fruit glowing with a pale white radiance as though he neither knew hunger nor satiety, like a man who had gone years without a meal. With the tremendous influx of spiritual energy, the sea of qi in his dantian rapidly condensed and took shape.

But it did not end there. After devouring those dozen-odd luminous fruits, he flipped his hand and swallowed a large number of mushrooms crackling with electric sparks, along with those unfamiliar medicinal herbs he had taken earlier, chewing them twice before gulping them down.

"What is that..."

While giving chase from behind, the pursuer naturally noticed the youth’s frantic eating. When he clearly saw the things in the youth’s hands, his heart jolted and his pupils contracted sharply, a trace of greed faintly surfacing in his eyes.

"Colossal Spirit Fruit! Thunder Condensing Mushrooms! Such treasures, and they actually fell into this man’s hands!"

His breathing grew faintly rapid. It was not weariness from the chase, but the greed stirred by such rare heavenly treasures.

"Young man, if you hand over what you hold, I can forgive your previous offense and allow you to become my follower. With my clan’s arts, given your talent, you may even win the right to cultivate them in the future!" He kept pace without pause, and with a flash in his gaze, his clear voice, reinforced by spiritual power, spread outward. Yet deep within his eyes, a ferocious killing intent was hidden.

In this land covered with thunder, even he, with his formidable physique, was being faintly impeded. In the short term it was truly difficult to catch the desperate fugitive, and so he tried to coax him into surrender. On the other hand, with his background, even if he killed the other man afterward, who would dare speak against him? At present, all he wanted was to seize that Thunder Condensing Mushroom.

With spiritual power lending his voice far greater range, his words carried far into the distance. Not to mention the youth in front of him; even people far away in this place would likely hear every word clearly. This was also a small gesture meant to make the other relax, for in the eyes of these provincial bumpkins, the words of a disciple from an eastern noble family were like imperial decree among mortals: final and unquestionable.

The young man’s mind was firm and would never be easily swayed. He cast a suspicious glance back at his pursuer, and recalling the murderous intent he had seen earlier, he let out a cold laugh without answering. Enduring the suffocating pressure of the endless spiritual energy pouring into his body, he did not slow down at all; instead, by using a shortening-the-distance footwork technique, he widened the gap once more.

"So he knows movement arts as well..." The pursuer narrowed his eyes. As thought flickered in them, spiritual power suddenly roiled around him, and the secret technique that had once multiplied his speed appeared again as he shot after the fleeing youth.

Between the two—one fleeing, one chasing—they drew ever closer to the summit of Black Mountain. It was strange: from afar this black mountain looked enormous, but up close one could see that its slope was not steep at all. It was nothing more than a vast mountain formed by a broad incline. Yet the thunderous force covering it grew ever more violent. When it surged into the youth’s body, even his blood and qi seemed to tremble faintly.

As they neared the summit, the thunderous crashes in their ears grew more and more deafening. Feeling the lightning within him become even more ferocious than before, blood continuously spilled from the corners of his mouth, yet he still fought his way onward.

The Immortal-Extermination Dao Seed within him, though its restorative power faintly strengthened as he suffered injury after injury, still could not keep up with the speed at which his wounds worsened. His internal organs were damaged more and more severely.

"Young man, I advise you not to seek death. Pull back while you still can, and there remains a sliver of hope!" The pursuer, seeing the desperate figure ahead, spoke again in a cool voice. It was not that he truly wished to spare the youth; rather, from his perception, a terrifying aura lay ahead that even he could not withstand at his present strength. If he and the youth entered together, he, too, might perish there.

There was no reply. This man was too deeply scheming and too formidable in his methods. If the youth turned back to beg for mercy, he would truly be at his mercy. The only chance of survival lay in the source of that terrifying aura ahead.

But when he truly reached the mountaintop, he fell silent. Even the resolute will he had possessed moments ago seemed to waver...

Looking ahead, not far from the summit, there was a cliff. A vast black precipice encircled the place in a ring, forming a valley. Endless, dreadful thunder raged wildly within it; each bolt was comparable to the power of a fully completed Condensation stage expert. Calling it a Thunder Valley would not be an exaggeration.

In the valley’s central region, thunder gathered in overwhelming density. The terrifying aura he had sensed earlier was precisely radiating from that central area.

Staring at the death trap before him, the youth fell silent. He could not imagine what would happen if he stepped into that valley—he would likely be reduced to ashes in an instant. Or perhaps, after only a few breaths, his body would explode apart and his soul would be tormented into scattering...

The places he had previously entered were merely strange and eerie. Though they made the heart tremble, they were not certain death. But this place was different: the danger was plain to see, and there was not a shred of hope. One step forward, and death would come at once; there would be no burial ground for him.

"Young man, you really have caused this prince no small amount of trouble." A mocking voice drifted over. Turning back, he saw the pursuer smiling at him, his face full of sarcasm and disdain.

"The scenery ahead in this place of utter death is beautiful. What a pity—you have no chance to enjoy it with this prince. Heaven, after all, still favors someone like me, a child of fate!" The man before him said with contemptuous laughter.

In his view, the youth’s desire to survive was extremely strong. It was precisely this desire that had driven him to escape his pursuit again and again and reach this place. Yet even he had never expected that the youth’s desperate struggle would lead him to a land of certain death.

One step forward, and there would be no return.

"So, young man, what will you choose here? If you are willing to crawl beneath my feet and let this prince have some fun with your companion, I can still grant you a path to survival. And that strange weapon you carry—hand it over as well. What do you say?" As the mocking voice sounded, greed filled his eyes. Whether it was the arts the youth possessed or that strange weapon, both made him unbearably tempted.

In his understanding, only the strong were worthy of such treasures. To let them fall into the hands of a Chu Ridge rabble like this youth was to let precious pearls be buried in dust.

"Think quickly. This prince’s patience is limited." He wore a calm expression and issued the command in a light tone, then fell silent. He was certain that a man with such a fierce will to live would surely choose to grovel at his feet and survive by disgrace.

"Are you called Fang Zhan?" The youth gave a soft laugh and slowly shook his head before speaking indifferently. Hearing those words, his mind gradually calmed; he no longer bothered to consider escape.

With his wisdom, he naturally guessed what the other man was thinking. At this moment, he had only two choices: enter the Thunder Valley and die, or be tormented to death by Fang Zhan.

Driven to this dead end at every turn, he gradually let go. Such is the world—nothing more than his own incompetence. Yet there was still regret in his heart. He had not yet learned the truth of his origins, and to die like this was unwilling. And then there was Fang Ling; if she were to meet this man, perhaps...

"Have you decided?" Fang Zhan looked at the youth ahead, whose expression had become calm, and his patience was beginning to wear thin. As his cold voice slowly rang out, the youth still said nothing.

"What, unwilling to live?" Fang Zhan raised a brow and stared coldly at him, a flash of killing intent passing through his eyes.

"Ha..."

"Ha... hahahaha..."

At that, the youth suddenly laughed, as though he had heard something absurd, his body shaking continuously with that laughter. Fang Zhan narrowed his eyes, staring fixedly at the youth, who seemed to have gone mad. Between them, apart from the youth’s crazed laughter, only the valley’s endless thunder echoed and boomed.

When the laughter finally died away, the regret in his eyes quickly faded. In its place came a coldness deep into the bone—a boundless chill that would not dissipate even beneath the hottest sun.

"If this world’s path is an endless flood impossible to cross, then I, Lin, would willingly wade into it, never asking whether I live or die!" He gave a faint smile, his voice steeped in mockery as he continued, "And you, Fang Zhan—what are you worth here?"

With that final taunt, he stepped forward and leapt into the Thunder Valley.

Fang Zhan looked on in disbelief. The youth’s words echoed again and again in his ears, mocking his earlier judgment like a resounding slap across his face.

"Aaah!"

With a heart-rending shriek, the youth entered the region filled with thunder. Endless lightning, as if having found an outlet, all rushed toward him and crashed down!

With repeated thunderous explosions, flesh on many parts of his body burst apart, and unspeakable agony rang endlessly through his soul. It was impossible to imagine how intense the pain must be when the flesh of the entire body is blasted to pieces. His eyes turned blood-red as he madly urged the Immortal-Extermination Dao Seed in his dantian, gritting his teeth as he held on with all his strength.

No one wished to perish; no one wished to die. All were forced by the world into helplessness. Even in this Thunder Valley, where endless destructive lightning filled the air, he refused to give up even a shred of hope. Only when the thunder at the very center of the valley, as though drawn by some force, crashed fiercely down upon his head did his eyes widen in shock—and his whole body, under that immense impact, collapse into unconsciousness.

"Such a ruthless man..."

From above the valley, Fang Zhan looked at the youth below, whose flesh continued to burst apart until he was already beyond recognition. His face darkened. After hesitating for a moment, he slowly left the place...

He truly did not have the courage to step inside. As the pride of the direct line of the Fang clan, his status was incomparably noble. He had never seen such a ruthless person before... This time, his efforts had truly been wasted...

"So the rough mountains and wild waters breed such vicious people... I wonder whether your companion is worth this much to you..." Fang Zhan cast a cold glance back at the Thunder Valley. With divine sense spreading in all directions, he abruptly flew toward the distance.

"Young master’s actions were indeed a bit too much." Far above the secret realm of Azure Lake, a middle-aged man frowned slightly and looked down with some displeasure at Fang Zhan below.

"Is your Fang clan not always like this?" The old man sneered, his expression unfriendly as he mocked the middle-aged man. The elderly figure shrouded in a strange aura also let out a pair of sinister chuckles, then rasped slowly, "The martial Fang clan is this way by nature. How dare the world say so openly?"

"If the two of you had truly obtained the arts of the Ji and Yin families, you would not be speaking so grandly now." The middle-aged man shot them a cold look and spoke without the slightest emotion.

At that, the two of them merely snorted coldly and said no more.

Time slowly passed. By the time three days had gone by, a red-clad woman’s figure appeared in Fang Zhan’s sight within the secret realm...

This place was Wind Forest.

A boundless gale swept through the woods here, as if the wind itself contained an immense power to tear everything apart. If an ordinary person were here, they would likely be shredded into a mist of blood in an instant.

"There is no further need to explore ahead... Even one at the full Condensation stage would likely struggle to endure the force of the wind here..." A woman in crimson stood there, faint light flowing around her body. Her lashes trembled lightly, and regret surfaced in her beautiful eyes as she let out a soft sigh. Just as she was about to turn, a clear voice carrying a hint of domineering force slowly reached her: "Miss, do you require assistance?"

"Fang Zhan?" The woman looked at the handsome youth who had suddenly appeared before her. Coldness spread through her eyes, her aura subtly stirring, as she drew the long blade at her back and asked in a frosty voice, "What brings you here?"

"Nothing in particular. I only happened to see Lin Hao not long ago and felt he is unworthy of you." Fang Zhan’s expression did not reveal the slightest thing as he said this with a light smile. She said nothing, the chill in her gaze undiminished, her heart still on guard.

"I still remember three days ago, when Lin Hao fought me. On the verge of death, he proposed to offer you to me in exchange for a sliver of survival." Fang Zhan paced leisurely within the area, speaking to himself with an expression of deep grief, as if it were all true: "Naturally, I could not tolerate such a base man. For the sake of the young lady’s lifelong honor, I could only kill Lin Hao here. It is just a pity for you, Miss, to have met such a man..."

"Are you done speaking?" Fang Ling remained utterly unmoved. The frost in her eyes thickened further, and as killing intent faintly stirred around her, she spoke in a cold voice.

She knew what sort of man Lin Hao was after spending so long with him. Though her mind was not as monstrous as his, she was by no means one to waver easily. As for the man before her, he spoke with such righteous propriety that he looked even less like anything decent.

"Miss, I am by no means speaking carelessly. I have a jade slip as proof. You may examine it carefully before deciding whether my words are true." Looking at Fang Ling, Fang Zhan helplessly shook his head. With a sweep of his hand, he produced a jade slip and tossed it to the young woman before him.

"Ha." Fang Ling caught the jade slip thrown by Fang Zhan, but without even probing it with her divine sense, she gave a cold laugh and crushed it outright. "Are all members of your Fang clan such shameless, vile wretches?"