Gale Canyon
A glint of light flashed in his eyes. After days of waiting, they finally had a lead on the Barbarian Race. Lin Ming immediately said to the steward, "Take us there quickly!"
The steward accepted the order and immediately led Lin Ming and the others away.
When Lin Ming and his two companions arrived in the living room, Su Xue was already waiting there. In addition to Su Xue and her father Su Xiao, there were also three weathered men in the living room.
Of the three, one was a one-eyed old man with a weathered face but sharp eyes and a steady aura, possessing the cultivation level of Dou Ling. The other two were also at the Peak Dou Grandmaster, clearly seasoned mercenaries or caravan guards who had spent years making a living on the edge.
As Lin Ming and his companions arrived, the one-eyed old man also looked at them as Lin Ming glanced at the group. When he saw Lin Ming walking ahead, along with the extraordinary Xiao Yi Xian and Zi Yan beside him, a hint of surprise flashed in the old man's single eye, which quickly turned into utmost respect. Having experienced much of the world, he could tell at a glance that these three were no ordinary people, especially the woman in white, whose aura was as deep as an abyss, inspiring awe in him.
"I am Black Wind, the Leader the guards of the 'Black Wind Merchant Group.' I greet you esteemed sirs." As Lin Ming and his companions entered the living room, the one-eyed old man, Black Wind, immediately clasped his hands in a respectful bow, adopting a very humble posture.
"Mr. Black Wind, there's no need for such formalities." Lin Ming waved his hand. After the three sat down in the hall, Lin Ming asked, "I've heard that you know anything about the Barbarian Race?"
Black Wind nodded hurriedly, his expression grave, and said, "Yes, sir. Our caravan encountered a rare energy storm a month ago on our way back from Gale Canyon."
He paused, seemingly recalling the terrifying scene, his face still showing lingering fear as he said, "Although the Gale Canyon often emanates eerie winds, I swear on my life, the storm we encountered wasn't naturally formed. It contained extremely violent power, making even space itself highly unstable. We narrowly escaped, but after the storm, we discovered some... unusual traces nearby."
"What marks?" Lin Ming asked in a deep voice.
Black Wind carefully took out an object wrapped in Animal Skin from his bosom. When he opened it, he found a broken piece of armor that looked like it was made of some kind of black metal. It was engraved with ancient and ferocious totem patterns and exuded a wild and ancient aura.
At the same time, he took out a small piece of what was clearly a fragment of clothing. The fabric was rough but exceptionally tough, and it was stained with a dark red bloodstain, which also contained a faint trace of violent energy.
"My lord, please take a look!" Black Wind presented the items. "The material of these armor plates and hemlines is unlike anything we've ever seen before. According to some of the more knowledgeable veterans in the team, the totem style and material are very likely from the Barbarian Race! And the energy in the bloodstains is similar to the aura of a Barbarian Race after a berserk attack."
Lin Ming took the armor plate and the fragment of clothing. They felt heavy and cold to the touch, and the totem patterns were full of power, as if they were alive. He probed them with his Soul Power and immediately felt the will of a Beast Soul remaining on them!
"It is indeed Barbarian Race artifact!" Lin Ming was certain, a look of joy in his eyes. He looked at Black Wind, "Have you seen any Barbarian Race? Or do you know their exact whereabouts?"
Black Wind shook his head, saying regretfully, "We only found these traces and some scenes of fierce fighting nearby. It seems the Barbarian Race clashed with some enemy there. But we didn't find any survivors. However..."
He hesitated for a moment, then continued, "As we fled that area, we vaguely sensed an extremely powerful force sweeping across us, filled with a sense of desolation and warning, as if... it was driving us outsiders away. Based on the direction and the intensity of that force, we speculate that the Barbarian Race's area of activity is likely deeper within the Gale Canyon, near a forbidden place known as the 'Saint Demise Valley'."
"The Saint Demise Valley?" Lin Ming memorized the name.
"Yes." Upon hearing this, Black Wind's face showed fear as he said, "That's a notorious Deadly Land in Gale Canyon. Legend has it that a saint perished there in ancient times, creating a strange force field. The space is chaotic, and the energy is violent. Even Dou Emperor Expert are in great danger when they enter it. There are even rumors that Dou Zong experts have gotten lost there and never came out. So almost no one dares to approach it."
The clues seemed to have run dry again, pointing to an even more dangerous place. But Lin Ming was not discouraged; having a clue was better than searching aimlessly. He rewarded Black Wind and the others with some precious pills and Gold Coin, and Black Wind thanked him profusely before leaving with his men.
A brief silence fell over the living room.
Su Xue looked at Lin Ming with concern. "Young Master Lin Ming, the Saint Demise Valley has a terrible reputation, you..."
Lin Ming smiled slightly and said, "If that place truly is Barbarian Race Land, then if they can reach it, so can we. But if it isn't, we won't venture deep into it."
With a goal in mind, Lin Ming didn't plan to linger in Xuanhuang City. After resting at the Su Family for another day, getting himself into peak condition, and giving Su Xue some pills, the three of Lin Ming took their leave.
After bidding farewell to the Su Family, Lin Ming and his companions set off towards Gale Canyon according to the map. The map indicated that Saint Demise Valley was located in the heart of the perilous Gale Canyon, a long and arduous journey.
Five days later, Lin Ming and his companions arrived at a mountain range. Upon seeing it, Lin Ming consulted the map and said, "The map shows that we'll reach the Gale Canyon after crossing this mountain range."
Upon hearing this, the three looked towards the mountain range, where ancient trees reached for the sky and Magical Beasts roamed freely.
Three days later, they gradually ventured deeper into the mountains, and the surrounding scenery began to turn desolate. The vegetation was no longer lush, the earth took on a gray hue, and an ancient and desolate atmosphere permeated the air, as if they had arrived at the edge of the world.
"This should be the outer edge of Gale Canyon," Lin Ming said, looking at the map and comparing it with the surrounding environment.
After confirming the location, Lin Ming immediately said, "Let's rest here for today and set off again tomorrow!"
After all, they were going to venture deep into the Gale Canyon. If the rumors weren't exaggerated, it was probably extremely dangerous inside, so it would be safer to go in at their best.
Of course, Xiao Yi Xian and Zi Yan wouldn't object to this.
After resting, Lin Ming and his companions set off again. As they ventured deeper into the mountains over the next two days, the desolate atmosphere grew increasingly heavy. At the same time, gusts of eerie wind blew, causing Space Distortion to appear before their eyes. For example, a mountain peak that seemed very close appeared to take a long time to reach; or with each step, the surrounding scenery would instantly change, leaving them completely disoriented.
"Be careful, the space here is very unstable," Xiao Yi Xian warned. She stretched out her jade hand, gray energy swirling around her fingertips, and gently pointed at a seemingly ordinary space. The space immediately rippled, revealing a tiny black crack that emitted a suction force.
Zi Yan also put away her playful mood. Her bloodline Ancient Void Dragon made her particularly sensitive to changes in space, and her little face was full of vigilance.
The three cautiously traversed the distorted spatial rifts, slowing their pace. Along the way, they encountered several waves of Magical Beasts that had become abnormally ferocious due to the chaotic energy of the place, and even a group of bizarre "Malevolent Spirit" formed from negative energy, but they managed to defeat them all by working together.