Chapter Seventy-Nine: Journey to the Northern Marshes

To the north of Yunzhou lies a continuous range of mountains known as the Northern Ze Range.

Blessed with abundant spiritual creatures and a rich concentration of spiritual energy, this land has become a rare paradise, attracting countless cultivators who have settled here, giving rise to a brilliant civilization of cultivation.

Within the Northern Ze mountains, the landscape is dominated by mountains and marshes, while cities of the human race are few and scattered like fallen stars in the vast wilderness, shining with a distant brilliance.

Among the many powers of Northern Ze, the Northern Ze Sect and the Chu Clan stand foremost, each presided over by a powerful cultivator on the verge of the Nascent Soul stage, commanding respect from all directions and earning their reputation as formidable forces of their time.

By the time Wang Ran and his companions arrived in Northern Ze, three days had passed. During those days, the three of them had traveled from city to city, repeatedly crossing great distances through teleportation arrays, finally reaching this renowned northernmost land of Yunzhou.

Emerging from one of the cities, they first found an inn to rest, deciding to recuperate for a day before venturing into the mountains.

After all, the task of hunting down the Sky Demon Wasp Queen was not something to be rushed; it required careful planning.

The Sky Demon Wasp Queen was a fierce demon beast of the Golden Core stage, rumored to have two pairs of six wings, capable of flying at incredible speed, her body armored in gold and impervious to blades or spells—even capable of withstanding the attacks of Golden Core cultivators. Her mandibles, each three meters long and razor-sharp, brought instant death or crippling injury to any who touched them.

Moreover, the Sky Demon Wasp Queen was known for her cold-blooded cruelty, even fiercer than human cultivators of the same level. She roamed the Ancient Valley of Ten Thousand Graves, commanding many powerful demon beasts. To eliminate her would be no easy feat.

Even with Wang Ran's strength, he dared not underestimate the challenge. Beasts cared nothing for status—if one was unfortunate enough to fall, it would be a death in vain.

Even a formidable cultivator like Ye Cang had not acted on this task, showing just how perilous it was, for even he found it too risky to act rashly.

Wang Ran sighed lightly. Earning these five hundred thousand contribution points was indeed no simple matter. He felt like a level ten character grinding level fifty monsters: though the rewards were great, so was the danger.

Yet this gloom was soon swept away, replaced by boundless fighting spirit and anticipation gleaming in his eyes.

That night, everyone in the Haoran Alliance was filled with excitement. Even Zhao Xiaobai did not sleep, spending the night discussing plans with Wang Ran. He went out four or five times, returning each time with barely suppressed delight on his face.

By dawn, Wang Ran rose with renewed vigor, evidently filled with confidence in their strategy.

With high spirits, the group left the city, setting out for the Valley of Ten Thousand Graves. The brilliant eastern sun shone on the youthful figures, casting long shadows on the ground—mirroring their youthful hearts, brimming with infinite possibility.

They traveled through the woods, and by noon, Wang Ran, leading the way, suddenly stopped.

"Senior Brother Wang, what's wrong?" Xu Ke asked, poking his head out from behind.

Wang Ran frowned and gestured ahead. The group saw that not far ahead the path split into three forks, each leading in a different direction.

At the end of each path lay darkness, their destinations unknown, as though opening into the abyss.

"What do we do now?" The group halted, uncertain how to proceed.

At this moment, Zhao Xiaobai stepped forward, patting his storage pouch. A yellow scroll soared out. He unrolled it and studied it intently, then looked up, his expression grave.

"According to the sect's ancient records, the forest before the Ancient Valley of Ten Thousand Graves is treacherous. Before entering the valley, one always encounters three forks in the road, but only one leads safely to the valley. The other two are fraught with danger, their destinations unknown."

"So which of these three is the safe one?" a disciple asked.

Zhao Xiaobai shook his head regretfully. "That's the strange nature of this forest. It's said the safe path always changes—sometimes it's the left, sometimes the middle. So right now, I have no way of knowing which is correct."

The little junior sister blinked her large eyes and suggested, "Why don't we split up? Once one group identifies the safe path, the others can regroup."

At this, the group exchanged uncertain glances. The Northern Ze mountains were already perilous enough—splitting up would only increase the risk.

Yet given the circumstances, there seemed to be no better option. If they tested each path one by one, night would fall before they finished, and Zhao Xiaobai had already said the paths often shifted.

So what might usually be a poor plan became, in this place, the best available.

Wang Ran pondered a moment, then nodded thoughtfully. With a flip of his hand, he took several dozen talismans from his storage pouch and handed them to the group.

"We'll do as junior sister suggests and divide into three teams. Zhao Xiaobai and Xu Ke will each lead a group. If you find the safe path, simply infuse your talisman with spiritual energy—it will alert the rest of us."

"As for the last team, I'll explore it myself. Remember, if you encounter danger, do not linger—your survival comes first."

Zhao Xiaobai voiced his concern, "You alone? Isn't that too dangerous?"

Wang Ran smiled confidently. "Don't worry, do you doubt my abilities?"

Zhao Xiaobai understood that Wang Ran was doing this to bolster the strength of the other teams; the dangers of Northern Ze were too great, and he wished to ensure no one came to harm. Thus, he left himself without followers, choosing to go alone.

Seeing Wang Ran's easy smile, the little junior sister fell silent for a moment, then suddenly stepped forward, fists clenched with determination. "Senior brother, I'll go with you!"

Wang Ran's expression grew stern. "Nonsense! Join Xiaobai's team."

"No, I want to follow you!" she retorted, puffed up with indignation. "Don't forget, I'm a Seven Stars Prodigy and came third in both the literary and martial exams of the Discipline Hall. I'm not some sheltered young lady—I'm a cultivator!"

Hearing her spirited words, Wang Ran fell silent, then finally nodded.

He realized she was right. He had always mistaken her innocence and kindness for weakness, forgetting that she too was a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

A kind heart does not mean weak strength, nor an inability to kill.

Letting her experience hardship would do her good. Besides, Wang Ran was confident—so long as they did not encounter a Golden Core beast, nothing here could threaten him.

Thus, the group split into three paths: Xu Ke and Zhao Xiaobai each led eight disciples, while the little junior sister joined Wang Ran. They each set out to explore one of the three forks.

Wang Ran chose the path to the left. As he and the junior sister entered, they noticed nothing amiss and chatted as they walked.

After about a quarter of an hour, the calls of beasts began to echo through the surrounding forest, catching their attention.

Suddenly, a rustle came from the undergrowth, and a gray-yellow beast leapt out, baring its fangs and claws as it charged straight at the junior sister!