The Return of Stars to the Jianghu

Chapter 170 Arriving at Qingluan Valley, only to find broken walls and ruins

Nan Tian frowned, quickly adjusting the Sparrow aircraft to stealth mode while maintaining close monitoring of the situation below. He pondered to himself that the newcomers' identities were unknown; they might be pursuers from the Phantom Pavilion, or they might be survivors from Azure Phoenix Valley.

"Xiao Xing, increase the scanning range. I need to know who is coming," Nan Tian calmly ordered.

The intelligent assistant, Xiaoxing, responded quickly, displaying a series of data on the screen, ultimately identifying several figures heading deeper into Qingluan Valley. Judging from their gait and equipment, they were not cultivators from the Illusion Pavilion, but rather ordinary explorers or treasure hunters.

Nan Tian breathed a sigh of relief, but he didn't completely let his guard down. He maneuvered the Sparrow aircraft to descend slowly, choosing a concealed spot to land, determined to personally investigate the situation. After all, the events in Qingluan Valley might involve the safety of Luo Yifei and the others, and he couldn't stand idly by.

Nan Tian gently pushed open the hatch and leaped down, landing steadily on the ground. He quickly concealed his presence and, using the terrain as cover, silently approached the explorers.

"Who are you? Why are you in Qingluan Valley?" Nan Tian lowered his voice and stepped out from the shadows, his tone carrying an undeniable air of authority.

The explorers were clearly startled by the sudden sound, turning around to warily examine Nan Tian. One of them mustered his courage and asked, "Who are you? We only came here to explore because we heard that a treasure had appeared in Qingluan Valley."

Nan Tian sneered inwardly; these people were clearly unaware of the crisis facing Qingluan Valley. He remained outwardly calm and continued, "Treasures? Do you know that Qingluan Valley has just experienced a great battle? The cultivators of the Illusion Pavilion are searching everywhere for the escaped cultivators. Aren't you afraid of getting burned?"

Upon hearing this, the explorers exchanged bewildered glances, their faces showing alarm. Clearly, they hadn't realized the severity of the situation in Azure Phoenix Valley.

Seeing this, Nan Tian decided to take advantage of the opportunity to obtain more information. He pretended to be profound and said, "I am an ally of Qingluan Valley, and I have come here to rescue the fleeing cultivators. If you want to live, come with me, and I will take you to a safe place."

The explorers hesitated for a moment, but ultimately chose to trust Nantian. After all, in this perilous Qingluan Valley, they truly needed a reliable guide.

Nan Tian led the explorers through the dense forest, avoiding the eyes and ears of the Phantom Pavilion, and arrived at a relatively safe cave. Inside the cave, he questioned the explorers in detail about what they knew and heard about the battle in Qingluan Valley, trying to find clues about Luo Yifei and the others.

After some discussion, Nan Tian didn't get any useful information. So he bid farewell to the cultivators and returned to Qingluan Valley.

However, to his surprise, all the corpses in the valley had disappeared.

Nan Tian looked around, a sense of unease rising in his heart. The disappearance of the corpse meant that some force was manipulating things in the shadows, and the mystery of Qingluan Valley seemed to be more complicated than he had thought.

He took a deep breath, suppressing the turmoil in his heart, and began to carefully search his surroundings. He scrutinized every inch of ground and every leaf. Suddenly, his gaze was drawn to an inconspicuous stone—beneath it, a faint, unnatural light shone.

Nan Tian quickly stepped forward and gently moved aside the stone. He saw a line of tiny characters on the ground, seemingly carved using some special method, appearing faintly in the light. He crouched down and carefully examined them. The characters gradually became clear: "The Illusionary Star Pearl appears, the Azure Phoenix Valley changes. To seek the truth, go deep into the secluded valley."

These words sent a jolt through Nan Tian's heart. The Illusionary Star Pearl was the very source of the conflict between the Illusionary Pavilion and the Azure Phoenix Valley. Could it be that all these changes were related to that mysterious Illusionary Star Pearl? And perhaps Luo Yifei and the others had been drawn into this conflict for some reason.

He stood up, his gaze resolute. Now that he had found a clue, no matter how many difficulties and obstacles lay ahead, he was determined to find Luo Yifei and the others, uncover the truth, and protect their safety.

"Xiao Xing, replan the route. We're heading deeper into the valley." Nan Tian gave the new command to the smart assistant.

The Sparrow Flying Vehicle restarted, carrying Nantian through the dense forest and heading towards the most mysterious and unpredictable depths of Qingluan Valley. Along the way, Nantian remained vigilant, knowing that even more dangerous enemies and unknown secrets might be lurking there.

As they ventured deeper, the surrounding scenery became increasingly bizarre. Towering ancient trees were entwined with eerie vines; clear streams carried a subtle chill. Nantian could sense an ancient and powerful aura permeating the air, as if every inch of this land held untold secrets.

Finally, in a valley covered with lush vegetation, Nan Tian stopped. He stood at the entrance of the valley, gazing into the unfathomable darkness, his heart filled with both anticipation and trepidation. He knew that this was the place he was looking for, the deep valley where the secret of the Illusionary Star Pearl and the whereabouts of Luo Yifei and the others were hidden.

Nan Tian took a deep breath and stepped into this mysterious area. He moved forward cautiously, gripping his weapon tightly, wary of any potential dangers around him.

Suddenly, a faint presence came from ahead. Nan Tian's heart tightened, and he quickened his pace. When he reached a dark corner, he found a figure lying on the ground. Upon closer inspection, he realized it was Qing Ming, who was severely injured!

Qingming's body was covered in blood and wounds, and his face was as pale as paper. His eyes were dull and lifeless, as if he had lost all vitality. Nantian was shocked and rushed forward.

“Qingming!” Nantian called out anxiously.

Hearing the voice, Qingming slowly raised his head. A hint of surprise flashed in his eyes, which then turned into a bitter smile.

"Who are you?" Qingming asked with difficulty.

Nan Tian quickly helped Qing Ming up and asked with concern, "I'm Luo Yifei's friend, my name is Nan Tian. What happened? How did you get injured like this?"

Nan Tian quickly took out some healing pills from his storage ring and fed them to Qing Ming. Then, he used his own spiritual power to infuse Qing Ming's body to help stabilize his injuries. After some effort, Qing Ming's breathing gradually stabilized, but he was still very weak.

"Senior Qingming, what are you doing here? Where are Luo Yifei and the others?" Nantian asked anxiously.

After taking the pill, Qingming's breathing stabilized slightly. He slowly said, "Luo Yifei and the others should be safe now. Senior Qingluan led them away through the teleportation array."

At this point, a complex light flashed in Qingming's eyes, and he continued, "As for me, I stayed behind to cover the retreat. The power of the Phantom Pavilion is too great, and I cannot allow everyone to be put in danger. Fortunately, I used the terrain and traps of Qingluan Valley to temporarily hold them off."

"What about the Illusionary Star Pearl? Is all this conflict related to it?" Nan Tian pressed on, knowing that only by finding the Illusionary Star Pearl could this mystery be completely solved.

Qingming nodded slightly, a solemn expression on his face: "The Illusionary Star Pearl is an ancient artifact with the power to manipulate time and space. The Illusionary Shadow Pavilion has always coveted this pearl, attempting to use it to achieve ulterior motives. As the ancient sect that guards the Illusionary Star Pearl, Qingluan Valley has naturally become a thorn in their side."