Chapter 506 The Gathering of Grandmasters
After one night of resting at Kuching, the expedition into the jungles of Island of Borneo finally started.
The traveler could see people on the winding path from time to time at the beginning of the journey, but that soon changed as they traversed deeper into the forest. After a while, they were the only humans in the untamed wilderness. Meanwhile, the other travelers also became increasingly more suspicious of Chen Fan.
“Are you sure you don’t need any supplies while traveling in the jungle?”
Curiosity besting caution, Guo Nuannuan asked.
“It’s just a small patch of the jungle, no big deal.” Chen Fan replied readily.
His offhand remark had rubbed everyone including Guo Nuannuan the wrong way. The jungle of Borneo was riddled with deadly critters as well as poisonous bugs. Only a fool would barge into the jungle without any preparation.
However, Uncle Xie gazed at the ancient sword strapped on the back of Yukishiro Sa thoughtfully.
When the sun reached the zenith of the sky, the group decided to rest for a while and make some lunch.
Even though Chen Fan could last half a month with one Spirit Pills, he decided to blend in with the group. So he went into the jungle with Yukishiro Sa and came back with a few wild rabbits.
Under everyone’s envious eyes, Chen Fan skinned the rabbit and seasoned it with the many spices in the Dimension Altering Dharma Treasure and then put them over a fire to roast it. It wasn’t long before the smell and sound of dripping grease came from under the crispy skin of the rabbit.
“My lady, I think these two are both experts of wilderness survival.”
A bodyguard said quietly.
“That girl reminded me of something I have heard about in ancient sects in China. They say that some sects would send their disciples out into the world with nothing but a sword. As for that young man, I still can’t get a number on him. He seems to be a Martial artist, but not exactly…” Uncle Xie furrowed his brows and said.
“Whatever, we will find out who they are once we reach the Valley of No Return.”
Guo Nuannuan snorted.
The group set off deeper into the jungle once they were fully rested.
In the few days that followed, the travelers were shocked to find out that Chen Fan seems to be able to find wild animals anywhere. Every time he went out hunting, he returned with plump wild rabbits and wild chickens or fish the size of a torpedo.
It wasn’t long before the defenses of the other travelers against the smell of fat and grease finally broke down.
“Hey bro, can I buy that rabbit from you for a hundred US dollars?” A gaunt young man called Huang Jin came over to Chen Fan and asked while gawking at a piece of rabbit haunch roasted to perfection.
“No.”
Chen Fan refused him curtly.
“What about a thousand?” Huang Jin gritted his teeth and said.”You can buy a hundred rabbits with that much money.”
“I said no.”
Chen Fan said impassively.
“You!”
Huang Jin rounded his eyes in anger. He shot a glare at Yukishiro Sa and managed to pull himself together. “Humph! The time will come when you need something from me.”
He turned around and started off.
“What’s going on, Old Huang? No deal?” Huang Jin’s friends threw light-hearted banter at him.
“That guy is an idiot! He wouldn’t sell it to me even after I offered him a thousand US dollars.” Huang Jin said fervently: “Don’t let them beg me for anything later, because they wouldn’t get it!”
The relationship between Chen Fan and Guo Nuannuan’s crew quickly deteriorated after the run-in. In the end, the two groups didn’t even want to speak with each other, and they pitched their tents as far away from each other as possible during the night.
Chen Fan welcomed the change since he never liked to be asked so many questions.
“I think we are getting closer. It should be within three hundred kilometers at the most.” Chen Fan produced a map and examined it carefully.
“Master, is there really going to be treasures of the Earth Level Deity? Is it going to be dangerous?” Yukishiro Sa was slightly concerned.
She simply couldn’t comprehend the power of an Earth Level Deity since, for her, the Immortal State Warriors were already practically gods.
“Don’t worry. Even if the Earth Level Deity was still alive, he wouldn’t harm me, much less a dead one.”
Chen Fan smiled proudly.
Suddenly, he looked away and focused his vision somewhere in the distance.
A few minutes later, Uncle Xie also pulled a taut face and ordered the group to stop moving.
“What is it?”
Even as Huang Jin asked apprehensively, the brush in front of them moved and a large tiger leaped out from behind. The tiger’s fur was whiter than snow and it was at least five meters long. What shocked the travelers, even more, was the old man who sat on the back of the tiger.
“Lord Tiger God!”
Hassan hurried to drop his knees and planted his head in the dirt.
“We are from the Guo Family of Malaysia. Nice to meet you, Spirit King.”
Uncle Xie bowed deeply while Guo Nuannuan and her companions turned into frozen statues. Huang Jin’s legs shook uncontrollably and were about to give in.
“The heirs of the Guo Family. Very well, you may pass.”
The scrawny old man’s husky voice sounded jarringly sharp. He chuckled a little and then spurred the tiger to pounce forward into the thicket, and disappeared.
“Hew!”
Guo Nuannuan heaved a sigh of relief once the scrawny old man was gone. “Uncle Xie, isn’t Spirit King one of the Four Greatest Gong Tau Masters in Southeast Asia?”
“He rides a white tiger and is as bony as a skeleton. That has to be him.” Uncle Xie let out a wry smile.
“Spirit King, One-eyed Naga King were both Four Greatest Gong Tau Masters in Southeast Asia. They were both listed on the Dark Roll and dominated Southeast Asia heavy handedly. Spirit King was easily recognized by the Spirit Beast he rode and his ability to animate the dead. That was a close call, my lady.”
“But, I thought that the Spirit King lived in Indonesia. Why is he here?” Someone asked in confusion.
“I think he is here for the Valley of No Return as well.” Uncle Xie heaved a sigh and said: “Legend had it that there were unimaginable treasures buried in the valley. Over the last hundred years, many had tried to unearth the treasure, but they all paid the ultimate price in the end. I think Spirit King is heading that way as well.”
Everyone was on high alert after their encounter with the Spirit King.
However, as they got closer to their destination, they met more and more Overlords on their way. They saw an old man standing on the back of a slithering snake, a middle-aged man in white outfit gliding across the sky while holding a sword and a burly overlord that was as big as a polar bear, just to name a few.
“Furious Bear Jass, Lin Tai from Japan, Ancient Muay Thai master, and Monk King from Vietnam…”
People started to realize that they were sharing the same path with many deadly warriors.
These Overlords had all reached Transcendent State and many of them were even on the Dark Roll. They usually kept to themselves, but now they flocked to the same location as Guo Nuannuan was heading. Anyone of them could slaughter the entire expedition team with ease.
“Nuannuan, maybe we should call it off. It’s too dangerous.”
Huang Jin wavered.
Guo Nuannuan cast a quick glance at Chen Fan and was immediately pricked by the nonchalance in his eyes. She gritted her teeth and said: “We must go one. We have already come this far. My family’s name should protect us from getting harmed by these people.”
“Fine then.”
Huang Jin nodded reluctantly.
“Strange. Why are there so many people gathering at the Valley of No Return?”
Chen Fan raised his suspicion
The group finally arrived at the Valley of No Return after five days of travel.
“Hooo!”
Once they were past a small hill, the landscape suddenly opened up and revealed a large patch of empty land before them. The land was surrounded by a ring of small hills, forming a valley. White mists shrouded the space above the empty ground and blocked the view. Downpours that lasted less than a minute seemed to be happening everywhere and the guide also noticed that the campus has stopped working.
“This is it! The Valley of No Return!”
Guo Nuannuan’s eyes lit up with elation.
“My lady, we have arrived. I think we should head back now.”
Uncle Xie said with a heavy expression.
As its name suggests, once entering the Valley of No Return, it’s almost impossible to get out. Uncle Xie was Guo Nuannuan’s personal guard and therefore, making sure her safety was his top priority.
“No! We have come so far, we need to take a look inside.”
Uncle Xie shook his head disapprovingly in reply.
“Valley of No Return?”
Chen Fan linked his hands behind his back and looked into the distance where the cloud-shrouded the mountains. Unknown to Guo Nuannuan, those were not ordinary mountains, instead, they were a part of a large Array.
The array formation had tapped into the Spirit Qi in its environment, just as the Green Dragon Grand Array did. Under normal circumstances, such defense would be impossible to penetrate for anyone below the Connate Spirit level. However, the array formation would reach it’s the weakest state every twelve years.
“Hurry up! It’s right up ahead.”
An excited voice came up behind everyone.
They looked back and saw a middle-aged man wearing plain clothing that emerged from the jungle. His steps were swift and energetic, and his presence was overbearing and intimidating. There was a handsome young man walking abreast of him.
Guo Nuannuan’s eyes lit up as soon as she saw them.
‘Uncle Leng and Xiao Tong?”
“Isn’t that Nuannuan?” The man in plain clothing was taken aback and then he put on scrawl.”What are you doing here? It’s too dangerous for you. Go home now.”
“No, I will not, Uncle Leng. I just want to take a look inside. Will you take me in there, please?” Guo Nuannuan asked kittenishly as she cast coquettish glances at the handsome young man.
“What are we afraid of, dad. You are the most powerful Grandmaster in Malaysia.”
The young man called Leng Tong put in.
“Fine, fine!” Leng Jianfeng said with a frown. “But you need to behave yourself. No sudden moves. All the overlords of Southeast Asia have gathered in the valley and many of them are mean bastards.”
“Thank you, Uncle Leng!”
Guo Nuannuan beamed from side to side as she cast a glance to Chen Fan. Chen Fan’s impassive expression didn’t sit well with her.
Meanwhile, Chen Fan had focused his attention on the Valley of No Return. Already, he had registered the presence of many Overlords by the entrance of the valley.