Chapter 161: CH. 161 | Ancient Gate in Wasteland
"Shouldn’t you reconsider going to the valley?" Cao Ying asked.
Lin Tian shook his head.
After everything that had happened, delaying his trip to the Saintess Spring Valley would only leave him further behind.
"No. I’m still going. It’s only a feeling," Lin Tian replied. "Hopefully, I’m wrong."
Li Qingxue smiled with relief before turning to Han Xin and informing him that she would be accompanying Lin Tian.
Han Xin didn’t know how to respond. Li Qingxue had already made up her mind. There wasn’t even a trace of hesitation in her decision.
Even so, Han Xin remained anxious.
Li Qingxue and Lin Tian were undoubtedly powerful cultivators, especially after the Battle of the Impossible last year.
Still, the rumors about the soul demon runes inside the valley were enough to terrify him.
Countless Nascent Soul cultivators had died there. Would Li Qingxue and Lin Tian make any difference?
No one knew.
"I’m still going with him," Li Qingxue said.
Han Xin turned away and let out a quiet sigh before nodding. He said he’d make sure every Foundation Establishment disciple in the Yunlan Sect learned the extraction technique.
If what Lin Tian had said was true, then the more people who mastered the technique, the easier it’d be to deal with the Yuanmo Sect.
He stored the technique token inside his bag of holding, cupped his fists respectfully, and lowered his head.
"I’ll protect and manage the Yunlan Sect while you’re away, Sect Master Li."
"Please take care of yourself, Sect Master Li."
Li Qingxue nodded. There was nothing she needed to prepare.
She’d already made every necessary arrangement long ago. She always prepared herself for every possibility, including this one.
She turned toward Lin Tian, "Are you ready?"
Lin Tian walked over with a faint smile, "I’m more ready than you are."
Without another word, Lin Tian shot into the sky and left the guest house. Cao Ying immediately followed and Li Qingxue took off behind them.
Grand Elder Han Xin remained standing in front of the guest house, watching them disappear into the distance.
"I’m leaving her in your hands, Lin Tian."
The three of them flew farther and farther away, passing through the sect’s protective dome before heading north.
Li Qingxue looked ahead. Lin Tian had been wearing his black robe the entire time instead of his Lingxian Sect robe.
She couldn’t help wondering why.
She even assumed he was disguising himself so strangers wouldn’t recognize him right away.
Lin Tian’s reputation as a disciple of the Lingxian Sect had made him a target of other sects. His life was constantly at risk.
Not wanting Lin Tian to feel like he was the only one hiding his identity, Li Qingxue raised her hand, qi light gathered at her fingertips.
With a casual wave, her appearance changed instantly.
Her elegant, revealing blue dress was replaced by a long black robe decorated with blue patterns.
Lin Tian sensed the fluctuation of qi behind him. He glanced back and saw that Li Qingxue had disguised herself as well.
He didn’t mind in the slightest.
When they reached the Lingxian Sect, Cao Ying stopped in midair and turned around. She cupped her fists respectfully.
"I’ll watch over the sect for you."
"You two take care of yourselves."
Lin Tian and Li Qingxue returned the salute before continuing north at full speed.
Just as they passed above the sect’s protective barrier, Lin Tian’s attention shifted toward Mount Taixuan.
He saw An Yue there, sitting inside the halls, quietly cultivating.
However, with her current cultivation level, there was no way she’d notice Lin Tian flying above the sect.
Li Qingxue noticed him staring in a particular direction.
"Is something wrong?"
"Nothing."
"We’ll be flying all day to save time. I hope that won’t be too exhausting for you," Lin Tian said.
"Don’t worry. I can keep up."
The two of them accelerated, cutting through the sky and the white clouds, leaving streaks of white and blue qi behind.
They didn’t stop at any cities. There was no time to cultivate.
They needed to reach the ancient gate as soon as possible and begin exploring the valley.
***
Day turned into night.
Lin Tian’s eyes were fixed on the ancient gate ahead.
They had arrived in a barren, rocky land filled with dead trees.
A freezing wind pierced through the air, cold enough to make even the meridians feel frozen.
They landed on the ground and looked ahead.
Lin Tian had assumed the entrance to the Saintess Spring Valley would be hidden inside a mountain wall or deep within a cave.
He was wrong.
The two of them walked forward. An ancient stone gate stood before a crystal-clear lake.
The water was so clean it looked refreshing. Fish swam freely beneath the surface. Lotus flowers of various colors bloomed peacefully across the lake.
Fireflies drifted through the air, making the beautiful lake seem completely out of place amid the surrounding wasteland.
Lin Tian walked toward the lake.
Just as he reached the shore, Li Qingxue called out to him.
"Don’t touch the water."
"There’s a sealing energy within the lake. Anyone who touches it could be injured."
"You could die without even realizing it," Li Qingxue warned.
Lin Tian listened carefully. Her explanation made perfect sense.
A beautiful lake sat in the middle of a barren wasteland where even the trees had withered away.
That alone was suspicious enough.
He stepped back toward Li Qingxue. His attention shifted to the pillar of the ancient gate, where ancient characters had been carved into the stone.
"Then how do we enter the valley?" Lin Tian asked.
Li Qingxue smiled. She formed a series of hand seals before sending a stream of spiritual qi into the ancient gate, targeting the jade embedded at its peak.
The moment the jade absorbed her spiritual qi, it shone with brilliant blue light.
The lake water rose and flowed into the center of the gate, forming a portal of water.
The entrance to the Saintess Spring Valley had opened.
"To enter, release your spiritual qi and let the jade absorb it."
"Once it recognizes your qi, the portal will open on its own, just like it did now."
Lin Tian narrowed his eyes before nodding in understanding.
"I’ll wait for you inside, Lin Tian."
Li Qingxue flew through the water portal.
A few moments later, the jade’s light faded and the portal disappeared.
The lake water poured back down, splashing around the ancient gate.
This valley isn’t an ordinary place.
Lin Tian did exactly as Li Qingxue had instructed. He condensed a sphere of qi and shot it into the jade.
The jade immediately glowed with brilliant blue light. The water portal opened once again.
Instead of flying through it, Lin Tian stepped forward cautiously.
The instant he crossed the gate, his eyes widened in shock and amazement.
Li Qingxue was already standing on a grassy cliff, quietly waiting for him.
"This is...?"
Li Qingxue turned toward him with a smile, "Welcome to the Saintess Spring Valley."