Chapter Seventy-Two: In Search of Demons, the Haunted Valley of Shadowed Clouds

“Father, have you made up your mind?” In her eyes, her father was a man of few words, always bearing a gentle smile. Yet for the first time, she sensed a murderous aura emanating from him—the steely, blood-soaked presence of a Qin dynasty guardian!

Atop a picturesque mountain peak, Yi Yi stood by my side, the mountain wind tossing her waist-length hair. She could already feel the killing intent within me, reined in but all the more solid and unyielding.

“Yes.” I nodded, gazing out at the distant mountains. “Some things must be done by someone.”

“I’ll go with you.” Her answer was simple and resolute.

“Very well.”

I did not refuse her. Her path of growth was destined to weather storms. With me by her side, these tempests would only become whetstones for her spirit.

The search for the Demon Sect’s headquarters proved far simpler than I’d imagined.

For ordinary ancient martial artists, the Demon Sect’s movements were shrouded in mystery and impossible to trace. But for my nascent-soul-level spiritual sense, the flow of energy across the entire Shu region was as clear as the lines on my palm.

The sect’s sinister cultivation methods produced a unique, chilling energy fluctuation during practice. To my spiritual perception, such a fluctuation was as glaring as fireflies in the dark—impossible to conceal.

In half a day, I pushed my divine sense to its limits, spreading it like a vast radar net across every mountain, river, and valley of Shu.

Soon, I found the source.

At the border of Shu and Tibet lay a region perpetually shrouded in miasma, known to locals as “Ghost Valley of Shadowed Clouds.” The terrain was perilous, crawling with venomous creatures, and the toxic fog could erode the minds of mortals. Since ancient times, it had been a forbidden zone for life.

And from the valley’s deepest recesses, the densest, most wicked energy fluctuations emanated.

There, the Demon Sect’s main stronghold was hidden.

“I’ve found it,” I told Yi Yi.

“So should we head there now?” she asked.

“No rush.” I shook my head, a cold smile tugging at my lips. “Rather than walk into their trap, let’s make them come to us.”

I drew out a jade slip, imprinting my voice and a trace of my aura within it:

“The Envoy of Black Jade is dead. He offended me. Within three days, let the Demon Lord come in person to the entrance of Chunxi Road in Rong City, kneel, and beg forgiveness. Otherwise, in three days’ time, I will descend upon Ghost Valley of Shadowed Clouds myself, and then not a single soul in the Demon Sect will be spared.”

With a flick of my finger, the jade slip transformed into a streak of light, tearing through the sky at a speed beyond sight, shooting toward Ghost Valley of Shadowed Clouds.

This was a challenge—a declaration of war as arrogant as it was absolute.

What I sought was not merely the annihilation of the Demon Sect. Before their destruction, I would first shatter their pride and dignity, to serve as a warning to all the dark cultivators of China—this was a lesson by blood and fire!

Having done all this, I took Yi Yi’s hand. In a flash, we returned to the bustling city of Rong.

“Father, why are we here?” Yi Yi looked curiously at the throngs of people around us.

“To wait for him.” I found an open-air café, ordered a coffee, and replied with ease.

Ghost Valley of Shadowed Clouds, the Demon Sect’s main stronghold.

Here, a palace had been built within a massive underground cavern, where daylight never reached. Only eerie green phosphorus flames danced along the stone walls, casting dreadful shadows of demonic idols.

In the grand hall, the Demon Lord—Xuan Sha—sat upon a throne forged from white bones. He appeared about thirty, his features almost unnaturally handsome, yet tinged with a trace of wickedness. His dark red eyes brimmed with boundless violence and madness.

Just then, a golden light pierced the miasma above the cavern, plummeting like a meteor and coming to rest precisely before Xuan Sha.

It was my message jade.

The dozens of Demon Sect elders in the hall all turned ashen. The valley’s protective wards were strong enough to withstand a barrage of cruise missiles, yet this jade had entered unimpeded—its sender’s power was truly terrifying.

A strange light flickered in Xuan Sha’s eyes. Extending a slender finger, he tapped the jade.

The jade shattered, and my voice, brimming with unquestionable authority, resounded throughout the hall.

“The Envoy of Black Jade is dead... Within three days, let the Demon Lord come to Chunxi Road in Rong City, kneel, and beg forgiveness... or else, none shall survive.”

Dead silence. So silent, one could hear a pin drop.

And then—an eruption of volcanic fury!

“Insolence!”

Xuan Sha sprang up from the throne of bones, an overwhelming demonic aura bursting forth, shaking the entire underground palace. Stones rained from the cavern ceiling. All the sect’s elders were forced to their knees by the pressure, trembling, not daring to lift their heads.

“A mere rat, skulking in the shadows! He kills one of my envoys and dares demand I kneel and beg for mercy? Who does he think he is?!”

“Demon Lord, restrain your anger!” the highest-ranking elder stammered, “This man could silently kill the Envoy of Black Jade and deliver a challenge directly to our stronghold. His power must be... extraordinary.”

“Extraordinary?” Xuan Sha sneered, bloodlust boiling in his dark red eyes. “So what? My sect has lain dormant for thirty years. My skills have reached perfection, and I was just searching for a worthy sacrifice to announce our return to the world. He delivers himself to me—perfect!”

He swept his gaze over the kneeling assembly, his voice colder than the nine hells:

“Spread my command! Disseminate the contents of this challenge to the entire ancient martial world! Let everyone know that some fool dares challenge me, Xuan Sha!”

“Three days from now, at Chunxi Road, I will personally twist off his head and use his soul to ignite the Demon Sect’s first flame of conquest!”

“As you command!”

The Demon Sect’s followers responded in unison, their voices shaking the heavens. Inflamed by their lord’s arrogance, their fear transformed into bloodthirsty excitement.

In an instant, the entire world of hidden martial families and sects was thrown into chaos by this shocking challenge.

Within Tang Fortress, Tang Ao, reading the intelligence report, drew a sharp breath. “Grandmaster Jiang... he means to challenge the entire Demon Sect alone?!”

At the summit of Kunlun, Master Xuantian gazed toward Shu, consulting the divinations, sensing only chaos. Yet they all knew this was Senior Jiang’s plan to purge the Demon Sect and seize spirit stones.

Upon hearing the news, Azure Master of Shu Mountain immediately dispatched disciples, hoping to assist Senior Jiang.

Countless reclusive families and sects found their hearts unsettled by the sudden emergence of this “Grandmaster Jiang” and his earth-shattering challenge.

All eyes turned to the modern, bustling metropolis of Rong.

They all waited. Waited for three days hence, for that destined, history-making duel.