Returning after 10000 Years Cultivation - Chapter 107

At this moment, Young Master Jiang spoke apologetically, “Miss Han, Young Master Mai, I can only take you this far. I don’t have the authority to enter the valley!”

“Then you may go. Getting us here is already more than enough—thank you!” Han Yan’er smiled.

“Oh, and see that patch at the valley entrance? It’s filled with poisonous miasma and white mist—extremely dangerous. Be careful!” With those words, Young Master Jiang quickly left with his two companions.

Without hesitation, Han Yan’er ordered a few bodyguards, “You two, go ahead into the valley and inform their people that someone from the Han family of Zhonghai wishes to visit!”

“Don’t act recklessly!”

Shen Mange sneered arrogantly. “The protective formation and the mountain gate mark the sect’s territory. If you barge in without permission, it’s a grave insult. You might end up dead!”

“It’s just a patch of fog—what’s so scary? Cowards!”

Han Yan’er’s dislike for Jiang Tian extended to Shen Mange, whom she now regarded with equal disdain.

At her command, two bodyguards dashed into the thick mist, sprinting toward the mountain gate.

These bodyguards were fully equipped—bulletproof vests, helmets, riot shields, firearms, even gas masks. A mere patch of poisonous fog was nothing to them; they could navigate a hail of bullets with ease.

But less than five minutes after the two bodyguards charged in, the mist suddenly churned violently, as if stirred by a hundred-foot-long dragon. Thunderous rumbles echoed through the air.

Bang!

One bodyguard was flung backward out of the dense fog at terrifying speed, crashing into a tree with enough force to snap it in half.

Everyone gasped.

The bodyguard’s helmet bore a thumb-sized hole, blood and brain matter trickling down his face. His chest was caved in, bones shattered—he was already dead.

“Xiao Wu, get back here!”

Tang Kaixuan broke out in a cold sweat, his face pale as he urgently called for the other bodyguard.

But it was too late.

Whoosh!

The second bodyguard was also hurled out by an overwhelming force, slamming into the ground lifeless.

His face and hands had been corroded, leaving behind ghastly exposed bone—now little more than a skeleton.

“This formation… is terrifying!” The group was horrified. Even Uncle Lu was shaken, his face filled with awe.

“What do we do now? Who can get in?” Han Yan’er’s face was ashen, her legs trembling uncontrollably.

At a loss, the group fell silent.

No matter how skilled they were, they stood no chance against this sinister, unpredictable formation.

“Mr. Jiang, can you enter?” Shen Mange shot Jiang Tian a mocking glance.

“Follow me.”

Jiang Tian smiled faintly, hands clasped behind his back, strolling into the formation as casually as if he were taking a walk in the park.

“Ignorant fool! You dare enter? Go ahead and die, then!” Shen Mange scoffed.

Hmph! Even if you’re the Jiangbei Grandmaster Jiang, with early-stage Transcendent strength, how could you possibly withstand this eerie, ever-shifting, unfathomable mountain-protecting formation?

Chen Bo’s eyes also gleamed with schadenfreude.

As Jiang Tian stepped into the formation, he casually lifted his foot and kicked a massive boulder.

Thud!

The boulder sank slightly—it was a hidden mechanism.

Instantly, the thick mist receded, forming a narrow passage that revealed a clear path for Mai Shilong, Han Yan’er, and the others.

“Huh? Why did the fog disperse?”

Mai Shilong and Han Yan’er exchanged confused glances, baffled by what had just happened.

“This bastard actually understands formations?! How unfair!”

Shen Mange’s face twisted in shock, her heart roiling with disbelief. She now regarded Jiang Tian in a completely new light.

Jiang Tian continued forward without pause, weaving through the mist, occasionally tapping a rock or kicking a hidden trigger. Strangely, the fog continued to part, suppressing traps like hidden arrows, poison darts, falling boulders, and pitfall mechanisms—all rendered harmless.

Soon, the group had traversed a kilometer, following Jiang Tian until they reached a stone wall.

Though the wall appeared seamless with the surrounding cliffs, Jiang Tian immediately recognized it as the Shennong Sect’s mountain gate.

Unlike the overgrown, moss-covered cliffs around it, this section was clean and bare—clearly frequented by human activity.

Just as Jiang Tian was about to send a sound transmission into the valley, several figures appeared atop the stone wall.

“Who dares tamper with our protective formation? Seeking death?!”

With a collective gasp, the group watched as the figures leaped down from the ten-meter-high stone wall, landing like gusts of wind.

Uncle Lu hurried forward, bowing respectfully. “Honored Immortal, this humble one is Hu Delu, a practitioner of Xingyi Fist. These two are descendants of the Mai and Han families of Zhonghai, here to seek medicine from the Shennong Sect!”

“Ah, so it’s Hu Delu!”

The leader of the group chuckled. “No need to call me ‘Immortal’—I’m just a gatekeeper. My surname is Yue. Call me Old Yue.”

“Master Yue, we humbly request your permission to enter the valley!” Uncle Lu bowed again, not daring to show the slightest disrespect.

He had already sensed that this “Old Yue” was at least at the early-stage Internal Force level—stronger than his own peak Iron Body cultivation. In the outside world, such a person would be a dominant figure.

Yet here, this expert was merely a gatekeeper. It deepened Uncle Lu’s reverence for the Shennong Sect.

“The elders and alchemists inside are currently discussing important matters. I’m afraid they won’t be able to attend to your request for medicine anytime soon…” Gatekeeper Yue frowned, feigning difficulty.

Jiang Tian smirked inwardly.

No doubt news of me killing Bu Suanzi and disrupting the Alchemy Exchange has already reached them. The elders must be preparing.

“Uncle Yue, please make an exception! Let us in first—we’ll wait however long it takes!”

Han Yan’er stepped forward subtly, slipping a jade token into Gatekeeper Yue’s hand.

The token was an antique—a “Lu Zigang plaque”—worth at least seven or eight hundred thousand.

Yet Gatekeeper Yue accepted it without even glancing at it, as though it were insignificant. Still, his attitude softened slightly. “Fine, you may enter.”

His gaze swept over Chen Bo and Shen Mange, but he said nothing. Chen Bo was merely an outer-sect disciple—unrecognizable to him—and Shen Mange’s large sunglasses obscured her face, leaving him with only a vague sense of familiarity.

The stone gate creaked open, and Gatekeeper Yue led them inside, his tone stern. “Once inside, do not wander or speak carelessly. Otherwise, the elders and alchemists will expel you immediately!”

“Don’t worry, Gatekeeper Yue. We understand!”

Even Mai Shilong had shed his arrogance, now speaking with humility.

Inside the valley, the towering Shennong Peak loomed ahead, surrounded by lush mountains over a thousand meters high—a natural barrier enclosing the valley in an isolated paradise, untouched by the mundane world.

The valley spanned roughly ten square kilometers, with gentle terrain and fertile soil crisscrossed by clear streams.

Vast stretches of emerald-green herb fields sprawled like soft carpets, tended by disciples in dark robes—weeding, fertilizing, pruning.

Wild deer grazed peacefully on the grass, unafraid of humans, drinking from the streams. A few red-crowned cranes took flight near a shimmering lake.

A cool breeze carried the refreshing scent of medicinal herbs, invigorating the mind. The group couldn’t help but close their eyes, inhaling deeply in delight.

At the foot of Shennong Peak stood a sprawling complex of halls and pavilions, built into the mountainside. The architecture—gray bricks, upturned eaves, curling smoke—resembled a grand fortress.

Behind the buildings, carved into the cliff face, was a colossal stone statue of Shennong, the Divine Farmer.

The statue depicted the ancient sage holding herbs in one hand and a golden cauldron in the other, his benevolent expression inspiring reverence.

“This… this is the grandeur of a major sect!” Uncle Lu murmured, his face alight with fervent admiration.

“Jiang, what treasure did you bring to offer the Shennong Sect’s masters? Surely you didn’t come empty-handed?” Han Yan’er sneered.

“You didn’t just bring a bank card, did you? That’s useless. The elders will kick you out!” Mai Shilong added, looking at Jiang Tian as if he were an idiot.

“I’m not here for medicine,” Jiang Tian replied, leaving them stunned.

“Then why are you here? To beg? Get lost—a place like this is beyond your station!” Han Yan’er scoffed.

“If you’re not here for medicine, then what? To cause trouble? Scram!” Gatekeeper Yue also glared angrily.

Just then, the mountain gate closed behind them.

Shen Mange removed her sunglasses and shot Jiang Tian a contemptuous look. “Gatekeeper Yue, go inform the elders that Jiang Taichu of Linzhou has come to pay his respects!”

“You’re Jiang Taichu?!”

Gatekeeper Yue’s face drained of color as he stared at Jiang Tian in disbelief, his voice trembling.

“That’s right.”

Jiang Tian didn’t even glance at him. Instead, he unleashed a thunderous roar infused with draconic resonance:

“Jiang Taichu of Linzhou has come to visit Zuo Zimu, leader of the Shennong Sect!”

The sound wave exploded like rolling thunder, shaking the earth. Trees trembled violently, ponds rippled without wind, and loose stones tumbled as if from an earthquake.

Gatekeeper Yue, caught in the blast, was sent flying, blood streaming from his seven orifices as he collapsed, unconscious.

Uncle Lu staggered back, his chest heaving as he barely suppressed the urge to vomit blood.

Mai Shilong and Han Yan’er were knocked off their feet, staring at Jiang Tian in horror. “Are you insane?! What are you doing?!”

Shennong Sect, Council Hall

The sect’s high-ranking elders, alchemists, and guest experts were gathered to discuss how to deal with Jiang Tian. Among them were Internal Force masters, Transcendent martial artists, spellcasters at the Profound Mystery level, and even renowned alchemists and physicians.

“I’ve heard this Jiang Taichu can refine many miraculous elixirs and possesses profound knowledge. If he dares show up, we’ll capture him, extract his formulas and techniques, and elevate the Shennong Sect to new heights!”

A black-robed elder—Silvermoon Zhenren, the sect’s chief enforcer and a Profound Mystery-level spellcaster—declared smugly.

“I still have my doubts.”

Guest Elder Cang Aonian frowned. “Silvermoon, if he killed Hong Tianzhao and Bu Suanzi, his strength can’t be underestimated!”

“Aonian, you overthink things. How could Hong Tianzhao compare to the Shennong Sect’s heritage?”

As the chief enforcer, Silvermoon Zhenren held the highest authority while the sect leader was in seclusion. He smirked like a cunning fox.

“Even if Jiang Taichu is an established Grandmaster, we have nothing to fear. And according to Mange’s intelligence, he’s barely twenty—at most an early-stage Transcendent! Killing him would be as easy as slaughtering a chicken!”