Chapter 1172: Shen Ruirong

Wang Qingshan took the token, examined it carefully, and then handed it to Wang Tianwen. "Tianwen, take a look. Is this an identification token from the Great Qin Dynasty?"

Wang Tianwen examined it closely and said with a frown, "This is indeed a waist token issued by the Great Qin Dynasty to cultivators. However, we can't be sure if it belongs to him; it might have been stolen. If the Great Qin Dynasty were trying to frame someone, there would be no need for them to carry their identification tokens. It's more likely that some force is setting up the Great Qin court to achieve their own objectives."

To his knowledge, internal conflicts were constant within the Great Qin Dynasty. The left faction, led by the Western Suppressing King, was relatively radical and frequently incited trouble. In contrast, the right faction, led by the Prime Minister, was more conservative, advocated for peaceful external relations, and sought alliances with other powers.

"We're just passing through here; this is none of our concern. Let's go!"

Wang Qingshan put away his storage beads and piloted the green flying boat away from the area.

Two days later, they reached their destination. Ahead lay a massive valley, flanked by steep, towering peaks. A city, over fifty zhang tall, stood within this giant valley, and above its gate hung a golden plaque inscribed with "Tongguan City."

"We're finally here," Wang Tianwen exhaled softly, his face breaking into a wide smile of relief.

Wang Qingshan also let out a sigh of relief and led his clansmen towards Tongguan City.

The city was exceptionally prosperous, with streets bustling with people like a tide. Unlike Yunhai Market City, most pedestrians were cultivators, and the number of mortals was notably low. Many armored cultivators patrolled the streets.

Wang Tianwen, having visited Tongguan City before, led the way, with Wang Qingshan and the others following behind.

The shops lining the streets offered a wide array of goods, though those selling raw materials were notably few.

They observed many merchants hurrying by, shaking their heads and sighing, as if facing some significant difficulty.

A quarter of an hour later, Wang Qingshan and his companions arrived at a palace built with green bricks and glazed tiles. Its gates were closed, guarded by two Foundation Establishment cultivators clad in golden armor.

"What's going on? Why isn't Tongguan Hall open?" Wang Tianwen asked with a frown, as Tongguan Hall housed the external teleportation array.

"Senior, we apologize, but Tongguan Hall is temporarily closed, and its reopening date is undetermined," a guard politely replied. "If you're not pressed for time, you can stay in Tongguan City and await its reopening."

"What? Closed? Why is it closed?""We don't know the reason ourselves; we are merely following orders."

Wang Qingshan sighed softly and said, "Let's find a place to stay first."

They found lodging, and Wang Qingshan dispatched Wang Jiyun and others to gather information.

"Tianwen, without relying on the power of teleportation arrays, how much further is it to reach the Great Yan Dynasty?" Wang Qingshan asked in a deep voice, as he was unfamiliar with the Central Plains cultivation world.

"It's three to four million li. While that sounds like a long distance, it's not impossibly far. However, it requires passing through the territory of Myriad Demon Valley. Myriad Demon Valley is a cultivation force primarily composed of shapeshifting demon beasts, though there are also a small number of human cultivators. Myriad Demon Valley does not welcome other cultivators, and very few merchant caravans pass through its lands. They usually rely on teleportation arrays to travel there." Wang Tianwen took out a light blue animal skin, which was a topographical map, and pointed to a range of undulating mountains as he spoke.

"Tianwen, are there no other routes to the Great Yan Dynasty?"

"Yes, there are, but they are very far. Ten million li to the west is Lingjiang City, which also has a large teleportation array to the Great Yan Dynasty. If we don't use a teleportation array, our only other option is to cross the Dead Sea. The trouble now is that we don't know if Tongguan Hall was closed for specific reasons or if it was deliberately shut down by the Great Qin Dynasty's left faction. If it's the latter, we're in a difficult situation. We would either have to fly through Myriad Demon Valley's territory or traverse the Dead Sea. The Dead Sea is frequented by fourth-tier demon beasts, and gale-force winds blow through it intermittently, making it extremely perilous."

Besides these two paths, other routes exist, but they are circuitous and would take much longer to reach the Great Yan Dynasty. If the Great Qin military is behind this maneuver, their journey would become even more difficult, take longer, and they might even be unable to reach the Great Yan Dynasty at all.

Wang Qingshan's brows furrowed. If they were to backtrack, returning from the South Sea to the Eastern Barrens and then back to the South Sea, it would take at least five years to reach the Central Plains cultivation world.

Just then, Wang Jiyun returned.

"Fifth Ancestor, I've inquired," Wang Jiyun reported. "Tongguan Hall has been closed for over a year; it shut down suddenly, and the specific reason is unknown. There's a rumor that it's the Great Qin military's doing, and other market cities are probably in a similar state. While gathering information, we encountered people from other merchant caravans. They mentioned wanting to unite and cross Myriad Demon Valley together, led by Nascent Soul cultivators. What are your thoughts?"

"Nascent Soul cultivators leading? Did they mention who?" Wang Qingshan asked with a frown. If Nascent Soul cultivators were indeed leading, uniting to cross Myriad Demon Valley would be a viable option.

"It's the Shen family, one of the top ten cultivation families of the South Sea, along with a rogue Nascent Soul cultivator. If you're willing to join the joint operation, meet at Bronze Sparrow Tower to discuss the specific route."

"I understand. You may go and rest now!" Wang Qingshan decided to visit Bronze Sparrow Tower to assess the situation. If there were no major issues, he would be willing to join them to cross Myriad Demon Valley together, thereby increasing their chances of survival.

"Qiuming, you'll come with me to Bronze Sparrow Tower. Tianwen, stay here and look after the clansmen," Wang Qingshan instructed before departing with Wang Qiuming.

Not long after, they arrived at an antique-style pavilion. The main hall was filled with over a dozen Core Formation cultivators, encompassing men and women, old and young.

Wang Qingshan and Wang Qiuming found an empty table and sat down. No one spoke to them.

Soon after, a kind-faced old woman in green robes and a plump old man in white robes descended from the second floor. Both were Nascent Soul cultivators.

"It's about time. If others aren't coming, then so be it. My name is Shen Ruirong, and this is Fellow Daoist Fang beside me. We intend to unite to cross Myriad Demon Valley. I only ask that you all obey orders and do not act without authorization. Of course, we won't force you to do anything else; we simply wish to pass through Myriad Demon Valley safely. What are your thoughts on this?" the old woman in green robes said slowly, her tone sincere.

"Senior Shen, it's not that we don't trust you, but out in the wilderness, if you were to make unreasonable demands, how could we dare refuse?" a plump middle-aged man spoke reluctantly. While they were still in the market city, Nascent Soul cultivators would naturally not harm them, but outside, it was a different story. Didn't that caravan carry goods worth over a million? Greed moves hearts; who knows what might happen then?

Many shared this concern, including Wang Qingshan.

"Believe it or not, that's up to you. We aren't forcing you to come along. Do you expect us to swear an oath on our inner demons? You don't know your place," Shen Ruirong said impolitely. If not for the overwhelming power of Myriad Demon Valley, she wouldn't even consider traveling with other caravans. Bringing them along was merely to increase their perceived strength and make Myriad Demon Valley wary.

"If you're unwilling to come with us, you can cross the Myriad Demon Mountain Range yourselves or take other routes. Let it be said upfront: if you don't join us, do not follow behind us, or you'll have only yourselves to blame," the white-robed old man said menacingly.

Other Core Formation cultivators hesitated briefly, but most were willing to join, with only a small number declining. For safety reasons, Wang Qingshan decided to join Shen Ruirong's group.

Crossing the Myriad Demon Mountain Range alone would be far more perilous for them. Everything has its advantages and disadvantages; there's no such thing as a perfect situation.