Chapter 51: Entering The Treasure Land

The Whispering Valley stood before them in all of its glory. The clearing sloped downward into a shallow basin. A curved ridge rose ahead, bending around them on three sides like the rim of a bowl.

Ye Jun and Meihui stood at the entrance of the valley, looking further down the slope. The White Striped Tigers rested there, not knowing what awaited them.

On top of the ridges were the main clans, waiting with their forces to storm down the slope and claim the treasure. Their numbers had grown large, so it wouldn’t be long before they decided to begin the operation.

That was, if Ye Jun didn’t interfere.

“You sure about it?” Ye Jun asked again.

“Yes,” Meihui nodded. “I’ve checked the barrier of that formation. Even I can’t fool it. That’s the reason I’m sure whatever is inside has to be a great treasure.”

“That’s great to hear,” Ye Jun smiled. “Let’s do this.”

They walked out of their hiding place, moving slowly down the slope. Several gazes fell upon them as they continued walking downward without a care for their surroundings.

“I wonder what Young Master Jun is planning to do,” Xie Yan’s voice drifted toward them from their right.

“It was I who told everyone about this treasure,” Ye Jun shouted, his voice echoing across the valley. “Do you think you got the information coincidentally?”

That turned the place silent, as everyone wondered if Ye Jun had really done this intentionally. The fact that almost everyone knew about it made them believe it might be true.

“Good,” Ye Jun clapped his hands. “Thanks for gathering here. I didn’t think you’d all be so eager to support me.”

“What are you blabbering about?” Ye Chen shouted from the top. “You’re just a dog of that man. Keep wagging your tail for him, not bragging before us.”

Ye Jun looked up and sighed. “It really saddens me to know that my younger brother hates me so much.”

“Shut up!” Ye Chen bellowed, his face turning red with anger. “You murdered my clansmen. I refuse to accept you as my brother.”

“Oh, you found out about that. Pretty fast,” Ye Jun remained unfazed. “Anyway, you can run your mouth later. For now, watch me get that treasure.”

No one reacted as they simply remained where they stood. Especially the other two clans, who had no intention of interfering in the Ye Clan’s internal matters. They already knew about Ye Jun killing the other Ye clansmen, so naturally they were pleased about it.

As they noticed him going down the slope with Meihui, they prepared themselves to move as well.

Ye Jun smirked, seeing through their intentions clearly. They didn’t believe Ye Jun and Meihui could deal with the White Striped Tigers quickly, so they planned to sneak inside the formation while the two of them engaged the beasts in battle.

’Idiots.’

But he noticed that the Xie Clan had begun moving downward slowly under Xie Yan’s command, which made him smile.

’Clever girl.’

The path downward wasn’t long, and he soon reached the bottom of the slope where it met the ridges. A cave leading into darkness was located at the base, giving off an eerie feeling even from such a distance.

Before the cave sat two mighty beasts. Their deep blue fur matched well with the white stripes running across their bodies. Their eyes snapped open, ferocious dark viridian rings swirling within their pupils.

The male tiger stood up, twice as tall as Ye Jun, and growled. Its posture made its intentions clear—it was warning them to retreat.

“I’ll deal with them,” Meihui said, taking a step forward. “Be fast. Be careful of the treasure inside, as it’s not guaranteed to be a good thing.”

“I know. Some old monsters use these inheritance tombs to snatch another person’s body,” Ye Jun replied.

“I really shouldn’t be surprised at your knowledge,” Meihui sighed and turned to look at him, her dangerously beautiful eyes filled with concern. “Be safe.”

Ye Jun wanted to joke, but seeing how serious and worried she was, he simply smiled.

“Don’t worry. I’m an expert in survival.”

She finally showed a genuine smile. “Good. Also, I’m pretty sure now everyone thinks you’re into feminine men.”

Only then did Ye Jun realise everyone was paying attention to their interaction, even if they couldn’t hear the words.

He cursed softly. “Damn you. When did you learn to be so mischievous?”

Meihui stuck out her tongue and ran toward the White Striped Tigers, who roared upon seeing her approach. Yet she didn’t slow down at all.

Shaking his head, Ye Jun dashed forward as well, following her from a distance. He saw something glistening in her hand as the day suddenly grew dozens of times brighter, shrouding everything in a blanket of pure light.

It was as if the sun itself had descended upon the world.

The beasts. The main clans. The participants. Everyone was affected by the sudden brightness except Ye Jun. Since Meihui had warned him beforehand, he had closed his eyes in time to escape the worst of it.

’Time to gain an advantage.’

Using the distraction created by Meihui, he quickly poured Qi into his feet, using Ashen Phantom Steps in rapid succession. In seconds, he zipped past the beasts as they thrashed around in fury.

Without hesitation, he leapt into the darkness of the cave, which contrasted sharply with the bright exterior. His eyes couldn’t adjust immediately, but he continued forward, relying on instinct.

By then, he could already hear the shouts from outside. The others had realised the plan, and taking advantage of Meihui’s battle with the White Striped Tigers, they would soon rush inside as well.

’Sad she can’t enter.’

The array formation only allowed Qi Condensation Realm and below cultivators to enter, and she wasn’t able to fool it.

’Or maybe the opposite. The formation is strong enough to keep even her out.’

He continued running through the darkness, unsure how long he had been moving.

All of a sudden, a chill ran through his body as the ground beneath him vanished completely. His instincts screamed at him to stop or retreat, but there was nothing around him.

Except darkness.

’Fuck!’

And then, he fell.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep