Chapter 1048: Valley

The Mortal Realm

After a brief moment, the Grand Shaman suddenly activated divine patterns and reached out towards the stone pillar. The stone pillar flickered with light, runes vibrated, and a strange phenomenon appeared, but then it vanished.

The Grand Shaman was not discouraged. He tried again and again, and the light from the stone pillar became increasingly persistent.

The joy on everyone’s faces deepened.

Old Demon Fang stood silently by, not uttering a sound to disturb the Grand Shaman.

The Grand Shaman sometimes made an attempt and at other times stood still in contemplation, as time slowly passed.

After a long while, the Grand Shaman’s gaze sharpened, and a look of realization appeared on his face. He then quickly formed hand seals, sending out streams of incantations, all of which submerged into the eight stone pillars.

In an instant, the stone pillars emitted a skyward surge of light. The entire stone hall was illuminated, bright as day.

Strange fluctuations emanated from the eight stone pillars, converging towards the center of the formation. However, they didn't last long before suddenly dimming, as if about to dissipate again.

The Grand Shaman paused slightly, then let out a soft exclamation. He immediately changed his hand seals, activated various divine patterns, and fully activated the formation.

Finally, the formation stabilized, and the fluctuations in the center of the stone pillars became increasingly distinct.

At this point, the rest of the people seemed to sense something, displaying unusual expressions.

“How can it be…”

Before the words had even fully left their mouths, the formation was fully activated. A light formation, soft as moonlight, appeared on the stone platform, glowing brightly.

Seeing the complete light formation, even the Grand Shaman was stunned.

Everyone exchanged glances, their expressions peculiar.

An elder couldn't help but exclaim softly, “A teleportation array! There's no mistake, it's definitely a teleportation array! Why would there be a teleportation array here, and where does it lead?”

What the Grand Shaman had activated was, in fact, a teleportation array!

On Witch God Mountain, there was a teleportation array leading to the Demon Sea. Although the two formations looked very different, they both emitted the unique fluctuations characteristic of a teleportation array.

No one had expected that there would be an ancient Witch clan teleportation array here.

With external restrictions sealing it off and two layers of sealing formations inside, was it all just to seal this teleportation array?

Everyone found it too bizarre, unable to understand the reason.

“Those seals might have been to conceal the existence of this teleportation array,” the Grand Shaman mused. “It's impossible to know now whether the Witch clan and the human race were friends or foes in ancient times. This place is in the heartland of a human sect. Our ancestors might have made so many arrangements outside the teleportation array to avoid being discovered by humans…”

Everyone secretly nodded, agreeing that the Grand Shaman's conjecture made some sense.

Countless years had passed, and the truth could no longer be found.

Where did this teleportation array lead? Would it connect to other cultivation realms, similar to the Demon Sea?

Thinking of this, several elders became a little excited. A new cultivation realm represented more hope. Perhaps there was a chance for apotheosis, or they might find another branch of the Witch clan's descendants, or at the very least, gain more resources.

Old Demon Fang saw through their thoughts and sneered, “Don't get your hopes up. The teleportation array is in the Seven Killers' Hall. With our strength, it's impossible to seize the Seven Killers' Hall from the human race. Even if we find a new cultivation realm, we could only quietly travel there and back once every few decades. Moreover, I feel that this teleportation array cannot transport us very far…”

The current problem was what lay on the other side of the teleportation array, and whether there would be danger.

Old Demon Fang remained suspended and still, looking utterly unconcerned. If they teleported over and a great calamity occurred, they might not even have a chance to return. Something with no certainty, like paving the way for others, he would absolutely not do.

At this moment, an elder stepped forward, gently patted the spirit beast pouch at his waist, and summoned a spirit beast at the Demonic Core stage.

“Whether there's danger on the other side, we'll know with one probe.”

With that, the elder commanded the spirit beast to jump onto it. The Grand Shaman, meanwhile, took out a few mid-grade spirit stones and then activated the teleportation array.

With a flash of light, the spirit beast vanished into thin air.

Everyone's gaze fell upon the spirit stones, noting that not much spiritual power had been consumed.

“The teleportation distance is very short,” the Grand Shaman analyzed, “likely not even leaving the Seven Killers' Hall premises; it must lead to some secret realm.”

Before his words had fully dropped, that elder suddenly turned pale and let out a muffled groan. Then, under everyone's astonished gaze, he swallowed a medicinal pill. His complexion gradually returned to normal, he let out a long breath, and exclaimed in horror, “The spirit beast is dead!”

Everyone was startled upon hearing this, asking, “It died the moment it was teleported to the other side?”

The elder nodded, his expression grave. This left the others somewhat aghast.

This person was skilled in beast-taming, and the spirit beasts he trained were exceptionally powerful. That spirit beast was at the Demonic Core stage and also proficient in escape techniques, yet it couldn't even last for a moment.

Everyone exchanged glances, and no one spoke.

Having finally found traces of the Witch clan's ancestors, they had to go and investigate, no matter what. But who would go to scout ahead?

At this moment, an old man stepped forward and said gravely, “Grand Shaman, in a few more years, this old man will face a great tribulation. I believe there's little hope of surviving it, so dying here would be no great loss. If I can do something for the clan before I die, it would be a worthy death. This old man has not established a sect or lineage. If I don't return, I have a few descendants, and I hope the Grand Shaman can look after them on my behalf.”

The Grand Shaman said solemnly, “Rest assured, Fellow Daoist Wan, I will take them to Witch God Mountain for secluded cultivation.”

The elder surnamed Wan nodded, stepped forward, and activated the teleportation array.

Everyone began to wait in agony.

Not long after, the teleportation array suddenly lit up. Everyone was overjoyed at the sight, but upon seeing the state of the elder surnamed Wan, they were all greatly astonished.

For some unknown reason, the skin on the elder Wan's face had turned black, faint black mist emanated from it, and his aura was weak.

A grey-robed cultivator noticed something, immediately flashed over, quickly examined him, and immediately took out a bottle of spiritual pills, giving them to him to consume.

“Fellow Daoist Wan has been poisoned!” the grey-robed cultivator said softly.

The elder surnamed Wan nodded in thanks to the grey-robed cultivator, sat down cross-legged, refined the medicinal power of the spiritual pills, gradually forcing out the remaining poison from his body, only then did his complexion slowly improve.

“No wonder that spirit beast of yours died the moment it was teleported,” the elder surnamed Wan said with a bitter smile. “The other side is actually a death trap filled with virulent poison. It's teeming with colorless and odorless potent toxins, and even I was affected when I wasn't careful. I felt something was wrong and took the antidote pills I had with me, but they had no significant effect on this potent poison. I had to return for help and didn't have time to look closely. From my observation, besides the virulent poison, there should be no other dangers on the other side. However, all fellow Daoists must remember not to be careless. If the poisoning is too severe, even cultivators at our Nascent Soul stage might perish here!”

After hearing this, the Grand Shaman and Old Demon Fang exchanged glances.

Old Demon Fang chuckled strangely, “Unless I'm mistaken, the other side should be the Secluded Valley. I didn't expect this teleportation array to connect to the Inner Hall. The Inner Hall has always been occupied by the human race, but from now on, we can also get a share.”

The Grand Shaman hummed in affirmation, “Among the three major poisoned areas within the Seven Killers' Hall, the Purple Mist Deathland, where purple mist pervades, and the Flower Fairy Lake, filled with poisonous algae, are both in the Outer Hall. Moreover, unless one is at their absolute core, these two poisoned lands could not possess such potent toxicity that would immediately affect and overwhelm a Nascent Soul cultivator upon poisoning. Only the Secluded Valley in the Inner Hall is rumored to be filled with colorless and odorless potent toxins, making it impossible to guard against.”