Chapter 784: Valley of Doubt

Qin Sang was leaping between the mountain fragments. His destination was the valley. As he passed by secret areas, he occasionally activated his sword energy to test them, but each attempt was like a stone sinking into the sea, yielding no response. The space on the seventh level seemed endless, with mountain fragments ubiquitous.

Qin Sang flew at full speed, crossing countless fragments, until he finally reached the vicinity of the valley. Just then, he abruptly stopped, his escape light shifting as he landed in a nearby jungle, concealing his aura. He frowned, looking toward the valley. Moments ago, figures had flashed past the valley entrance, and there seemed to be more than one. No wonder he hadn't seen a single person along the way. Could it be that all the cultivators who had entered the Heavenly Tower earlier were now gathered in the valley?

Qin Sang pondered this, suspecting that the battle between the Demon Lord and the Great Witch Priest had originated in the valley. Therefore, after they left, these people had flocked there, hoping to find abandoned treasures. The Great Witch Priest had found some kind of treasure in the valley, which was unprecedented. The valley might contain a teleportation array to a higher level, related to the ancient cultivator's relics within the Heavenly Tower. The Demon Lord's relentless pursuit suggested it wasn't just about the conflict between the two races. Since the Witch race found something immediately, did they obtain an ancient text revealing the secrets of the Seven Kill Palace?

After observing for a while and confirming that no Nascent Soul grandmasters were currently in the valley, Qin Sang could no longer hold back. He transformed into a streak of light, flew out of the jungle, and headed straight for the valley.

The valley was vast. Among all the fragments Qin Sang had seen before, it was the largest. The mountain fragment included a complete valley. His escape light landed at the valley entrance, revealing lush green forests on both sides. The riverbed in the middle of the valley was dry. The forests on either side were still very lush, but there was no wind here, and the leaves remained motionless. The entire forest felt eerily silent and lifeless, a stark contrast to its vibrant green appearance. This feeling was similar to the lower levels.

At this moment, cultivators were busy searching extensively throughout the valley. They noticed Qin Sang's arrival, but merely glanced up before ignoring him. However, judging by their expressions, they hadn't found anything useful yet. Fallen ancient trees and ubiquitous signs of chaos clearly indicated that a fierce battle had taken place in the valley. His guess was correct; the Nascent Soul cultivators of both races had undoubtedly fought here. However, trying to find clues from these traces was like searching for a needle in a haystack.

Qin Sang stood at the entrance, looking around, his gaze finally settling on the inner part of the valley. That area was surrounded by a mass of black light, like a black hole. Upon closer inspection, the black light was actually composed of densely packed black threads, crisscrossing in chaotic disarray, completely obscuring the valley's interior. The stone walls on both sides were heavily enchanted and mottled, appearing like weathered rock. The black threads emanated from these walls. These black threads were as fine as harp strings and intangible. They hung motionless in the air, but their sheer number made them appear as a solid mass of black light at first glance.

Despite their seemingly ethereal nature, these threads were extremely dangerous; none of the cultivators searching the valley dared to approach them. It was said that several Nascent Soul grandmasters had perished there, their bodies completely annihilated. For many years, no one had successfully breached the barrier. The mountain walls at the edge of the threads were also riddled with chaotic sword and saber marks, full of holes, but most of them were old. This indicated that even the Great Witch Priest and the Demon Lord had been wary during their confrontation, not daring to disturb the threads.

"What treasure did the Great Witch Priest obtain? With so many people watching, how can I verify it?" Qin Sang frowned deeply, shook his head helplessly, and then flashed inside.

He moved through the valley floor, his divine sense spread wide, searching freely and without restraint, just as the other cultivators were doing. Strangely, apart from the battle traces, they found nothing at all. Treasures couldn't be left openly, or they would have been taken long ago. Since the Great Witch Priest obtained a treasure, they must have opened a secret area.

At this moment, Qin Sang overheard other cultivators conversing. "Do you think there might not be any secret realm or ancient palace at all? Could the Great Witch Priest have simply entered the valley's interior and retrieved the treasure from there?" A cultivator, after searching in vain, straightened up, stared into the depths of the valley, and voiced their question. The others also looked in that direction. The black threads hung motionless, seemingly capable of devouring even light, a terrifying sight.

"Didn't they say there's a teleportation array to a higher level in there? Were all our previous guesses wrong, and this isn't a teleportation array but a hidden treasure location? However, the Seven Kill Palace has opened so many times, and no one has ever been able to enter. Our human predecessors, with countless heroes, including those whose cultivation wasn't inferior to the Great Witch Priest, were all helpless. Is the Great Witch Priest really so powerful that they can withstand the power of the black threads?" someone asked suspiciously.

Another person said, "Isn't everyone saying that the Witch race provoked us without hesitation, even starting a war, specifically for the Seven Kill Palace? They must have known something to dare to go all in. Besides, the Witch race possesses many strange sorceries and has a long heritage; some things are hard for us to comprehend. It wouldn't be surprising if they had a way to deal with the black threads. However, if this place truly contains supreme treasures of ancient human cultivators, and the Witch race got there first, I wonder if our seniors would be content."

"The winds of change are rising again in the Canglang Sea!" That person sighed softly.

As they spoke, some cultivators flew over, standing scattered before the black threads, their eyes filled with hidden fear, not daring to cross the line. No one could discern any mystery within. Some, unwilling to give up, continued to search, while others quietly retreated.

Qin Sang's gaze was sharp. While searching, he listened to their discussions. He summoned his Ebony Sword, pretending to clear debris from the ground, but in reality, he was secretly activating his sword energy to test everywhere. The Grand Sun Cliff in Ziwei Palace appeared no different from other places from the outside, but it concealed a sword path and a teleportation array within, accessible only by the unique sword energy of the "Primordial Spirit Sword Cultivation Chapter." He could only place his hope on this.

Ultimately, Qin Sang, like everyone else, found nothing. He reached the depths of the valley and felt it was tricky. "Am I supposed to test all the mountain fragments? That's impossible to complete in such a short time," Qin Sang's face showed helplessness as he looked at the crisscrossing threads before him. With his current cultivation, entering would be a dead end. The threads themselves seemed unrelated to sword energy; neither the Ebony Sword nor the Kill Talisman reacted.

Unwilling to leave like this, Qin Sang shifted his gaze, scrutinizing the mountain walls on both sides. The mountain walls were covered in marks, some sword traces possibly left by ancient cultivators countless years ago, now revealed to those of the present day after enduring long ages. Suddenly, Qin Sang's gaze sharpened, fixing intently on a sword mark. This sword mark was right at the edge of the black threads, hidden and extremely tiny, making it difficult to notice!