The Eighth Pass, Desolate Beast Valley.
This was a ferocious place within the eighth pass, discovered by continuous trialists challenging the path, inhabited by nurous fierce Demon Beasts of the Trial Road.
Originally, this place was scarcely populated, and even trialists would take a wide detour upon encountering it.
However, on this day, Desolate Beast Valley appeared unusually bustling; silhouettes of trialists quickly gathered from all directions into this quiet valley, because Yangg Jun, the Eighth Prince of Tianqi Empire, was leading the trialists from several kingdoms to besiege trialists from Xiafeng Country.
Xiafeng Country was just a small kingdom in the lower middle ranks among the 108 Countries and would generally go unnoticed. But due to the ergence of Xia Yang, the Crown Prince who dominated the Trial Road and claid qualifications of a king among Super Experts—these factors drew attention to this ordinary kingdom in the Western Regions of the continent.
Later, added by various high bounties issued by the Eighth Prince of Tianqi Empire in pursuit of killing trialists from Xiafeng Country, it garnered even more attention.
Within the depths of the valley, there lay a pond about thirty feet wide—simply a pond, yet the water was bone chilling, emitting billows of cold mist that shrouded the entire valley, making everything appear hazy, like a mystical valley.
Yet according to so trialists who had previously ventured through Desolate Beast Valley, a terrifying Water Demon resided within the cold pond; these trialists tried to enter the cold pond in search of treasures but had to activate their Spirit Talismans and opt for elimination to protect themselves after encountering the mysterious Water Demon.
Still, no one was quite sure what the Water Demon in the pond actually looked like because it was too quick and too terrifying; everything happened in an instant.
This was also the reason why the Eighth Prince had yet to succeed in capturing the Thirteenth Prince and the others by surrounding this area, using the threat of unleashing the Water Demon from the cold pond in the mutually destructive attacks, hence maintaining caution.
However, today they intended to truly launch an attack on the valley because the Eighth Prince, Yangg Jun, had borrowed a Heavy Weapon, aiming to overtake the cold pond.
At this mont, in the deepest part of the valley, above the cold pond, there was a stone platform only about ten feet wide; apart from the missing Crown Prince Xia Yang, the other seven remaining people from Xiafeng Country were on the platform, resting and recuperating from their injuries.
After being pursued for over a month, the few surviving trialists from Xiafeng Country bore various injuries and were utterly exhausted; it was a rare ti for healing. Everyone else heaved a sigh of relief but dared not let down their guard completely, unsure when the Eighth Prince and others might attack.
Over the cold pond, gusts of cold mist hit their faces; even the Innate Strong People felt bursts of bone-piercing chill, even forming frost on their bodies, showing that this was no ordinary mist, as it was cold enough to affect even the Innate Strong People.
Nevertheless, everyone circulated their Innate True Essence to resist the cold mist. Despite seeming perilous due to the mysterious Water Demon below in the cold pond, often the most dangerous places were the safest.
It was only here that even the Eighth Prince of Tianqi Empire did not dare to recklessly attack.
At this mont, it was exactly the Thirteenth Prince who stood prominently in the center of the stone platform.
However, he looked nothing like his usual carefree deanor from Xiafeng Country, his face extrely pale without blood, his abdon wrapped in bandages. Despite consuming pills from the royal family, his wounds stubbornly refused to heal, the Sword Qi and fierce poison raging within him constantly suppressed by his powerful True Essence Power. Otherwise, had anyone else not used a Spirit Talisman under such circumstances, they would have been killed by that one strike.
This injury was inflicted three days ago during battle with Eighth Prince Yangg Jun, who had ambushed him with five youthful Super Experts. In a compromised position, Yangg Jun had wounded him, leaving a terrifying Sword Qi and a toxic substance on the sword, preventing his injuries from fully recovering.
At this mont, the Thirteenth Prince was exerting his efforts to expel both the Sword Qi and the potent poison; wisps of blue smoke steaming from the wound on his abdon, his sweat soaking his clothes.
From the abdon, fresh blood continuously seeped out, tinged with dark color as both the Sword Qi and poisoned blood were being expelled.
Vivian, Princess Hongs Rong, Li Hu, Hua Shaoyang, and others stood guard, with Xia Mang not slacking either. Among them, only Yangg Yi, the weakest, remained sitting in ditation, which caused several to frown, yet they refrained from speaking.
After all, they were all from Xiafeng Country, and with Yangg Yi’s cultivation only being at Innate First Level—considered exceptional in Xiafeng Country but rely diocre on the Trial Road—interfering wouldn’t have been particularly effective.
The valley remained eerily quiet, devoid of any disturbances, yet the greater the silence, the more unnerving it felt, as if the calm before the storm was approaching.
On guard, Vivian said, "Sister Hongs Rong, is there any news about the Crown Prince now?"
Although being pursued, Princess Hongs Rong was clearly the most astute among them, also gathering information in hopes of gaining news about Crown Prince Xia Yang, and perhaps more so hoping that Xia Yang knew their current situation.
If a Super Expert like Xia Yang, qualified for the throne, returned, unless other Super Experts with throne qualifications intervened, even ten Yangg Jun, the Eighth Prince, wouldn’t dare to make a move.
On the Trial Road, Super Experts with throne qualifications represented the strongest, and no one dared to provoke them.
Hearing this, Princess Hongs Rong slightly shook her head and sighed softly, a trace of sadness in her tone, "Brother has still not contacted us. However, according to so rumors, he seems to have joined a few Super Experts with throne qualifications and discovered a secret place, possibly left by a legendary expert from this realm’s past. It might even relate to the Divine and is rumored to lead to another path."
Along the way, Princess Hongs Rong had been collecting various pieces of intelligence, a skill of hers. From various rumors, she knew roughly that those Super Experts on the Trial Road had seemingly vanished, presumably all entering a Mysterious Land.
However, she guessed that even if Crown Prince Xia Yang knew of their current situation, there was an eight or nine out of ten chance he wouldn’t intervene because, for him, becoming more powerful himself was the most important.
Hearing this, everyone’s expression grew somber. In the current situation, their only option besides being eliminated was grim, for the opponent was too strong. Yangg Jun, the Eighth Prince from Tianqi Empire, a Super force, was also among the Top 100 Trial Participants, and was backed up by several Kingdoms under the Empire, sothing Xiafeng Country could not match alone.
Among them, Thirteenth Prince was also, like Yangg Jun, one of the Top 100 Trial Participants, and it wasn’t clear who was stronger.
"It’s a pity. If Ye Chen were also on the Trial Road, it wouldn’t have been this difficult for us," Princess Hongs Rong shook her head and sighed. It was a big loss for Xiafeng Country because here was a Super Expert who could potentially match Crown Prince Xia Yang but was unable to enter the Trial Road due to seclusion—a regret and helplessness.
Otherwise, Ye Chen’s appearance would definitely sweep through all enemies, and with one country having two Heavenly Prides, who on the road could compete with us!
"Currently, Thirteenth Prince is healing his injuries. If Yangg Jun and his people attack, it would indeed be troubling," said Li Hu, which was also what everyone most worried about.
Princess Hongs Rong glanced at Thirteenth Prince and said, "It might be a crisis, but it could also be an opportunity for Thirteenth Prince. I feel fluctuations in his aura; he might be about to break through."
Only then did a hint of joy appear on everyone’s faces. Thirteenth Prince’s breakthrough would be the best news for them all.
"Let’s hasten our recovery ti. I have a premonition that a great battle is about to erupt!" Princess Hongs Rong said.
Everyone nodded in response, feeling the sa premonition, not just Princess Hongs Rong.
The guards began working in pairs, taking turns, while the others spent their ti healing and resting.
Woosh, woosh, woosh—
Suddenly, a series of breaking wind sounds followed one after another, dispersing bouts of fog, startling everyone on the platform, making their faces turn pale.
In front of the cold pond, dozens of figures appeared one after another, all brimming with powerful auras, all Innate Realm Trialists.
Leading them was a young man of handso and dashing appearance, fair-faced and distinctly stunning—Yangg Jun, the Eighth Prince of Tianqi Empire.
In this mont, Yangg Jun led over forty Trialists, each an Innate Strong Person. Such a lineup could be said to be incredibly formidable, striking fear into those who saw them, appearing in front of the cold pond, their montum overwhelming as it surged toward the Trialists from Xiafeng Country on the platform.
The situation beca intensely critical.
A great battle was about to erupt!
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