Gou Zai Fei Men made up myths

As night fell, the three men set up a makeshift camp at the foot of a sheltered cliff, taking turns keeping watch. The flickering campfire illuminated their young yet resolute faces. Further from home, danger drew near, but a camaraderie forged through shared trials and tribulations was quietly blossoming.

Su Xiao took out the map and double-checked tomorrow's route. Shi Tie polished his heavy iron rod, his eyes blazing with fighting spirit. Wang Hu silently checked his equipment and talismans.

From the distant mountains and forests came the howls of unknown monsters, adding to the desolate and dangerous atmosphere of the wilderness.

The Flowing Cloud Cave is not far away. The real trial is about to begin.

After three days of trekking and traversing the rugged mountain paths of the Black Wind Ridge branch, the three-person team from Qingyun Sect finally arrived at their destination—Liuyun Valley.

But the scene that unfolded before them still shocked even Su Xiao and Shi Tie, who were mentally prepared.

Flowing Cloud Valley is not the secluded and tranquil valley one might imagine, but rather a massive fractured area, as if cleaved by a giant axe of a god. On both sides are towering, dark cliffs, barren of vegetation, their surfaces covered with crisscrossing, enormous cracks, from which a faint, dim spiritual light flows, exuding an ancient and dangerous aura.

Although the valley is wide, it is full of jagged rocks, and the ground has an unnatural, glassy texture, as if it had been scorched by extremely high temperatures.

The air was filled with a thick, turbulent flow of spiritual energy, a mixture of dust and decay, which was sometimes scorching hot and sometimes chilling, making people extremely uncomfortable.

This is the outer barrier of the Flowing Cloud Cave, and the first barrier leading to that legendary cave—Flowing Cloud Valley. It is said that only at specific times will the turbulent spiritual energy flow within the valley temporarily subside, revealing the path leading to its depths.

However, the area outside Flowing Cloud Valley was far from deserted. Several miles from the valley entrance, on a relatively flat and open area, hundreds of cultivators had already gathered!

The crowd was bustling with figures and banners, forming more than a dozen large and small camps. The cacophony of voices, the whistling of magical artifacts, and even the occasional shouts and arguments created a noisy torrent that contrasted sharply with the deathly silence of the valley itself.

"My goodness... how come there are so many people?!" Shi Tie's eyes widened, and he gasped. He had thought this was a secret adventure, but he never expected it to turn out like this!

Su Xiao frowned, her sharp gaze sweeping across the entire area. She said in a low voice, "Just as the sect leader predicted, the loosening of the cave's restrictions is no secret. It seems that any force with even a little strength in the Southern Region of the Eastern Wilderness wants a piece of the pie."

Wang Hu gripped his waist knife even tighter with nervousness, his palms sweating. It was the first time he had ever seen so many cultivators gathered together, many of whom possessed a profound aura far surpassing his own.

The arrival of the three did not cause much of a stir, but it did attract a lot of attention. After all, anyone who dared to come here in a small team of three at this time was either a fool or had something to rely on.

Soon, sharp-eyed people recognized their origins.

"Huh? Judging from their clothes... are they from the Qingyun Sect?"

"Qingyun Sect? Which Qingyun Sect? I've never heard of it."

"Hey! It's that little sect that caused quite a stir in Black Mountain City a while ago! I heard their disciples are quite skilled; they even took down a crazed wolf spider."

"Oh? It's them? Three people dare to get involved in this mess? They've got some nerve!"

"The big guy leading them, I think his name is Shi Tie, and I've heard he's quite good at body cultivation. That female cultivator is called Su Xiao, and I've heard she's very thoughtful. And there's a follower... tsk tsk, the lineup is a bit meager."

The discussions were mixed with curiosity, scrutiny, and even a hint of disdain.

Just then, a slightly shrill and grating voice, filled with undisguised arrogance, rang out from not far away:

"Hmph! Who do we have here? It's that guy from the Qingyun Sect who got lucky in Black Mountain City... What, you think you're something just because you've been cheated? This kind of situation is not for you downtrodden folks to meddle in! You really don't know your place!"

The sound came from an area on the left. There, about twenty cultivators were gathered, all dressed in uniform moon-white sword robes, carrying long swords on their backs, exuding a sharp aura. Leading them was a young man with an arrogant face and sinister eyes, whose cultivation had already reached the eighth level of Qi Refining!

Several fellow disciples with considerable cultivation stood beside him, all looking down at Shi Tie and the other two with a condescending gaze.

It was none other than the renowned Heavenly Sword Sect of the Southern Region of the Eastern Wilderness! Its strength far surpassed that of the three major families of Black Mountain City, and it even had a late-stage Foundation Establishment elder in charge!

Shi Tie, with his fiery temper, couldn't stand this. Hearing this, he flew into a rage, his dark face turning red. He took a step forward, pointed his heavy iron rod at the other man, and roared, "Bullshit! Who are you calling a down-and-out? Say it again if you dare! I think you're the one who needs a beating!"

The young disciple from the Heavenly Sword Sect scoffed, raising his chin slightly, and said arrogantly, "What? Can't you even hear the truth? Three mere early to mid-stage Qi Refining cultivators dare to come to Flowing Cloud Valley to steal treasures? They're truly courting death! If you know what's good for you, get lost, lest you die without even knowing how you died when the restrictions are activated!"

"You!" Shi Tie was so angry that the veins on his forehead bulged and his blood surged. He was about to rush forward and attack.

"Senior Brother Shi!" Su Xiao grabbed Shi Tie's arm, her voice cold. "Calm down! Eloquence is meaningless. Don't fall for someone's provocation and cause trouble for yourself."

She stepped forward, shielding Shi Tie behind her, and calmly looked at the Heavenly Sword Sect disciple, saying neither servilely nor arrogantly, "Fellow Daoist of the Heavenly Sword Sect, Flowing Cloud Valley is an unclaimed land, where opportunities depend on one's own abilities. Whether my Azure Cloud Sect can get involved seems to be beyond your sect's judgment. If you have any guidance, we can meet once we enter the valley."

The disciples of the Heavenly Sword Sect hadn't expected this seemingly frail woman to be so composed, and her words so sharp. They were slightly taken aback, then coldly snorted, "Sharp tongue! I hope your skills are half as sharp as your words! Let's go!"

Having said that, he turned away disdainfully, ignoring them completely. Although arrogant, he was not entirely brainless. There was no need to clash with a small sect here; on the contrary, others might reap the benefits.

"Pah! What a load of crap!" Shi Tie spat at the backs of the Heavenly Sword Sect members, still indignant.

Su Xiao advised in a low voice, "Senior Brother Shi, a small act of impatience can ruin a great plan. The Heavenly Sword Sect is powerful; it's not advisable to confront them head-on now. Our goal is the opportunity in the cave, not to fight a momentary rage."

Wang Hu also whispered, "Senior Sister Su is right, Senior Brother Shi, look over there..."

He quietly pointed in several other directions.

On the other side, a group of cultivators, about thirty or forty in total, were gathered together. They were dressed in disheveled clothes but had fierce eyes and exuded a menacing aura. The leader was a burly man with a scar on his face. He was a member of the "Black Wind Stronghold," which had a past conflict with the Qingyun Sect over spirit stones.

The way they looked at the Heavenly Sword Sect and the Azure Cloud Sect was filled with undisguised greed and ferocity.

On the other side was a group of female cultivators dressed in brightly colored clothes. Each of them was beautiful, but their eyes were lively and their aura was strange. They had various sachets and gourds hanging from their waists. They were disciples of "Hundred Flowers Valley" who were skilled in using poison and illusion.

In addition, there were representatives from several small and medium-sized families, as well as many scattered groups of independent cultivators, creating a mixed and subtle atmosphere. Almost all the forces' gazes occasionally swept towards the desolate entrance to Flowing Cloud Valley, waiting for the moment the restrictions would weaken.

The entire open space outside the valley has become a miniature world of cultivation, a place where the strong prey on the weak and undercurrents are turbulent.

The three members of the Qingyun Sect's team appeared particularly weak and outnumbered.