Valley

Yun Long's brows were knit into a tight knot.

Ever since he could remember, his footsteps had never strayed far from Nanshan Town.

At most, he'd followed the village men into the mountains to hunt, and even then, they only dared to circle the outer edges.

Now, he had become the undeniable backbone of this fleeing group.

But as for where they should go, his mind was a blank haze, with no clear direction at all.

It felt as if a thousand-pound burden weighed on his shoulders—the lives and futures of everyone behind him.

This heavy responsibility made his breathing feel tight and labored.

"Foolish boy, do you really think I chose this valley on a whim?"

Walking ahead with steady steps, Old Man Yun Ji spoke in a low voice without turning his head.

His tone carried the calm wisdom of one who had seen much of the world.

"Once we cross this deep valley ahead, we'll have completely left Pingyang County behind."

Yun Ji paused, as if sketching out a grand escape route in his mind.

"Follow the rushing river at the end of the valley, then head west for half a month."

"By then, we'll have nearly left the borders of Changqing Kingdom."

Yun Ji's words were like a ray of dawn, clearing the fog from Yun Long's heart.

Truly, having an elder in the family is like having a treasure—that saying couldn't be more true.

Yun Long took a deep breath, suppressing the complex emotions surging within him.

He turned his head to look at Li Pinghu and Shi Tie behind him.

At those words, a flash of sudden realization lit up Li Pinghu's eyes.

"Follow the river—I know that! That leads to the famed Great Xia Dynasty!" he exclaimed in a low voice.

"Though this route isn't the fastest way out of Changqing Kingdom," Li Pinghu's face showed a hint of longing, "the Great Xia Dynasty is truly an enviable place to go."

For Li Pinghu, Shi Tie, and the other survivors in the group.

What had worried them most before was the fear that the Ninth Prince would beat Yun Long's group to it, capturing Uncle Yun Hu and the others still in the town.

But now it seemed that the Ninth Prince, because of his cultivation of the sinister Yuan Sect Blood Demon Qi, had clearly paid a price for it, his reaction speed lagging by more than a beat.

It was this very delay that caused the Ninth Prince to fall behind step by step.

And for Yun Long's group, this was the perfect moment—the sky was vast for the birds to fly, the sea wide for the fish to leap.

A sense of relief at having escaped death quietly took root in everyone's hearts.

Yun Long's mind surfaced the scattered yet comprehensive inheritance knowledge from the Character Inheritance Card.

Combined with the old hunter's experience and the power of a Qi Refining Stage cultivator.

With such a combination, tracking them would be no easy task.

They were no longer lambs waiting to be slaughtered, but strong individuals capable of counterattacking and even escaping.

As they entered the valley, Yun Long secretly tested the Spiritual Roots of Yun Ji, Yun Hu, and Yun He. The result was that the entire Yun clan had none—all were without Spiritual Roots.

Shi Tie and Li Pinghu also had no Spiritual Roots.

When Yun Long's fingers touched Li Lingyue's pale wrist, a completely different sensation surged into his heart.

It was a subtle warmth, a wondrous feeling as if connected to heaven and earth.

Li Lingyue actually had a Spiritual Root!

And not just any—it was a mid-grade Spiritual Root, with three attributes: Water, Wood, and Earth!

A storm of shock raged in Yun Long's heart. He had never imagined that among this fleeing group, there would be someone with such extraordinary talent.

Two of them actually had mid-grade Spiritual Roots—could it be that the accumulated fortune of Nanshan Town over hundreds or even thousands of years had all converged on them?

After all, the people of Nanshan Town had lived there for generations. Over the centuries, some had gone to test for Immortal Fate, but without exception, they all returned empty-handed.

Now, Li Lingyue possessed a mid-grade Spiritual Root—this was simply an enormous, heaven-sent surprise.

"I have no Spiritual Root, but Lingyue does. I don't believe that not one of our children will have one," Yun Long thought to himself.

As for Spiritual Roots, Yun Ji knew very little. What exactly Spiritual Roots were for, or how to use them to cultivate Qi, he was completely in the dark.

In the inheritance he had received, even those with Spiritual Roots still had to cultivate the Xiantian realm techniques like everyone else.

Yun Long sighed inwardly. It seemed he would need to find an opportunity to properly discuss Spiritual Roots and cultivation techniques with his family.

Yun Long taught the Bodhidharma Muscle-Tendon Classic's Health-Nourishing Chapter to the little one, Shi Chen.

"Wow, Brother Yun Long, is this the kind of skill that only immortals can learn?" Shi Chen jumped around excitedly, innocent childlike joy spreading across his young face.

"Of course. Practice hard, and one day you'll become a formidable person like me!" Yun Long smiled and ruffled his little head.

Hearing this, Shi Chen grew even more thrilled, as if he had already become an invincible hero capable of anything.

He grew even closer to Yun Long, always wanting to cling to him.

In truth, he hadn't even started body refinement yet.

He wouldn't be able to begin the body refinement chapter of cultivation until he turned twelve.

Li Lingyue, on the other hand, trained alongside Yun He in Wudang Xiantian Gong, Qingcheng Swordplay, and Ladder Cloud Leap.

Unable to receive a direct inheritance from Yun Jiang like Yun Ji could, she found cultivation extremely difficult.

The body refinement chapter of the Xiantian Gong remained stubbornly out of reach.

Five days later, the group entered a deep, secluded valley.

Towering ancient trees blocked out the sky, sunlight only piercing through sparse leaves to cast dappled shadows on the ground.

Suddenly, a spine-chilling hissing sound echoed through the air.

Everyone turned to look, and there, coiled around a massive tree, was an enormous python, flicking its tongue as it coldly watched them.

The python's body was thick, its scales glinting with a sinister luster in the sunlight, sending a chill down their spines.

Shi Chen and the others turned pale with fear, their legs trembling uncontrollably. Yun Ji and the rest drew their blades, ready for battle.

Seeing this, Yun Long frowned. He didn't want any unnecessary trouble.

They didn't know the python's level, but Yun Ji was well aware. Despite its intimidating size, it was still at the Mortal Stage.

"It's best not to fight if we can avoid it. Battle traces are hard to hide," Yun Long said in a low voice.

He took a deep breath and released the full pressure of his Qi Refining Stage aura.

An invisible force instantly enveloped the python.

Feeling this overwhelming power, the python's once-fierce eyes filled with terror.

It let out a shrill hiss, slid down from the tree in a flash, and disappeared into the undergrowth.

Two days later, at noon.

They finally left that oppressive valley and saw the sun again!

Yun He felt elated and couldn't help stretching.

With a soft crack, she had actually broken through to the late stage of body refinement!

"What the hell, just like that? As easy as drinking water!" Yun He scratched her head, utterly incredulous.

Shi Tie looked at Yun He, then at Yun Long beside her, and couldn't help sighing, "These siblings of the Yun Clan—each one is gifted beyond measure. Truly enviable!"

Li Pinghu laughed heartily at that, patting Yun Ji on the shoulder. "Old Yun, this must be your ancestral graves smoking with good fortune—no, wait, it's your late wife watching over you all!"

Yun Ji's old face flushed red, and he spat, "Get lost, you old lecher!"

Everyone chatted and laughed, the atmosphere much lighter.

They followed the river westward for another ten days or so.

That day, Li Lingyue sat cross-legged by the riverbank, silently circulating Wudang Xiantian Gong.

Her eyes were tightly shut, fine beads of sweat forming on her forehead—clearly stuck at a bottleneck.

Yun Long walked over to her and asked with concern, "How is it? Still no luck?"

Li Lingyue opened her eyes and shook her head helplessly. "It always feels like I'm just a little short, like something's blocking the way."

Yun Long pondered for a moment, then reached out and gently placed his palm on Li Lingyue's back.

A stream of pure Vajra Primordial Qi slowly flowed into her body.

"Relax. Don't resist. Focus on feeling this energy," Yun Long said softly.

With the help of the Vajra Primordial Qi, Li Lingyue's tense body gradually loosened.

She followed Yun Long's instructions and silently cycled Wudang Xiantian Gong.

Suddenly, she felt the blockage inside her vanish, and a warm current surged through her entire body!

"I made it!" Li Lingyue opened her eyes in pleasant surprise, a radiant smile spreading across her face.

"I've finally entered the gate!" she said excitedly.

Yun Long nodded with a smile. "Good. Keep working hard, and aim to break through to Xiantian as soon as possible!"

Li Lingyue nodded firmly, her eyes brimming with determination.