Chapter 124 Establishing Authority and Raising the Banner, Righteous Faction’s Lin Xiu

"Since last winter, the Yellow Heaven Sect heavily defeated Qing State, carving out and occupying more than half of its lands. Like a plague of locusts, they then began spreading to the surrounding areas. In just over half a year, their tentacles have even reached You State, Tai State, and Bright Moon Dao. Late last month, under the warnings of several major powers, they ceased their outward expansion, but their influence has spawned countless villains and bandits!

"Among them, a notorious group has fled to our Yuan City area. They call themselves the Righteous Faction, but they are actually so-called righteous thieves. In just over ten days, dozens of wealthy families have met violent ends. The men were all killed, and the women all vanished!

"Among those targets was the Lion Martial Arts Hall of Qinghe Town."

Yue Liuchuan spoke with a solemn tone, seemingly implying a warning to Xu Guang. After all, Xu Guang’s Martial Arts Hall was also located outside the city.

Xu Guang fell silent. Hearing the good intentions in Yue Liuchuan’s words, he found himself feeling a bit more favorably toward the man.

"What level of Cultivation are those from this so-called Righteous Faction?"

"I don’t know. I only know that they have a Divine Seeing Martial Artist among them! As for higher levels, perhaps there are, perhaps not," Yue Liuchuan replied.

"Has the city taken no action?"

"Naturally, they have. Two of the three directors of our Martial Association mobilized, and both Jingshou Hall and the Court dispatched experts. However, the Righteous Faction vanished. According to their usual habits, they would pull off one final big score before leaving, but they still haven’t made a move..."

Xu Guang thanked Yue Liuchuan for his kindness, packed up some Osmanthus Cakes, and left the city.

Ever since leaving Feiyun City, Xu Guang’s Cultivation had not stopped for a single day. Reaching Five Viscera God-Seeing Perfection was enough to prove his diligence. Although the Combat Power on his panel had still not reached the Transcendent Level, he knew that if he were to encounter a half-baked Sensing Profound cultivator like the Ox Demon again, he would no longer be so powerless.

He actually really wanted to know his current strength. To switch to cultivating the *Nine Calamities Demon-Vanquishing Chaotic Profound Skill*, Dissipating Skill was imminent. Worried that the vitality and blood requirements would be too high by then, he had been thinking about finding a place to kill some scum to accumulate Essence Blood. He hadn’t expected someone to deliver themselves right under his nose.

He could certainly go and give it a try. He thought that punishing wickedness and eradicating evil was the unshrinkable duty of a Martial Artist.

A degree of interest in this so-called Righteous Faction arose in Xu Guang’s heart.

Three days later.

The Searcher took only three days to find the whereabouts of the Righteous Faction, which indicated a high probability that there were no Sensing Profound experts among this group. Xu Guang chose to charge straight at them.

The bleak autumn wind blew, turning vast stretches of the maple forest red. The maple leaves were extremely red, just like blood.

Between Yuan City and Yuan Mountain lay a treacherous place named the No Return Miasma Valley. No one could clearly explain exactly where the danger in this valley originated, but the common folk passed down a saying by word of mouth: *Those who enter No Return Valley never return.*

Crossing the maple forest, Xu Guang saw the legendary No Return Valley. The valley was filled with a dense fog that lingered year-round, gradually transforming into a strange miasma. Using his Painted Hide, Xu Guang wiped away his facial features. Holding his Big Spear, he slowly entered the valley.

The Cloud Serpent hissed by his ear. Then, while Xu Guang wasn’t paying attention, it bit down on his palm, its transparent fangs surging with thick, crimson Essence Blood.

Xu Guang didn’t mind.

This little creature, whose name included the words ’Ten Thousand Poison’, was an Alien Species born from the Profound Cave. It was truly extraordinary, possessing a poison-devouring ability that surpassed even Song Tao’s bloodline. Furthermore, every time it drank blood in this manner, it would strengthen Xu Guang’s resistance to poison, increasing it each time. According to Xu Guang’s estimation, if he kept raising the Cloud Serpent, he might eventually become immune to all poisons.

The valley was empty, with only a few unnamed large trees growing alone in the miasma. The woods were deathly quiet, resembling a gray, foggy world devoid of living creatures. If the Searcher hadn’t pinpointed this exact location, Xu Guang would have thought he had come to the wrong place. Harboring utmost vigilance, he slowly ventured further into the valley.

After entering, he tried inhaling a breath of the miasma and found that it was quickly expelled by his body’s self-circulating functions. The changes the Ten Thousand Poison Cloud Serpent had brought to his body left him exhilarated. This snake was indeed extraordinary.

Deep within the No Return Valley stood a temple built by persons unknown. At this moment, a group of six people sat in a circle inside. The leader was a silver-haired youth with a gaze as bright as a torch, appearing incredibly composed. Beside him lay a massive lion; its head alone was nearly a meter long, and its gigantic body faintly drifted in and out of sight within the miasma.

"Lin Zi, just who exactly is impersonating us? It’s truly detestable!" a youth dressed in luxurious purple clothes whispered nearby.

The silver-haired youth shook his head. "I don’t know. Ever since we left Xuandu City on this journey, we’ve offended too many people."

"It’s infuriating! Profound Fire has been born in Yuan Mountain, which is crucial to your path of Sensing Profound, Lin Zi. Now that we’ve offended Yuan City, who knows how many people will come to ruin things for us!"

Right at that moment, another chubby youth wearing a Daoist Robe, who had been fiddling with Six Divination coins, suddenly looked up. "Lin Zi, someone has entered the valley. It’s an ominous hexagram. The newcomer comes with ill intent!"

While they were talking, they suddenly saw a figure silently standing on a distant tree. The figure’s face was nothing but a smooth expanse of skin, entirely lacking facial features. Holding a Big Spear, the Faceless Man stared directly at them.

The silver-haired youth addressed as ’Lin Zi’ slowly stood up, looking at the newcomer with a slightly solemn expression.

The Faceless Man spoke softly. "Righteous Faction?"

"Who are you?!"

Xu Guang was astonished. He had considered that this gang of righteous thieves would be strong, but he never expected them to be this powerful. A group of six—four at the Elite Level and two at the Heroic Level. All of them were at the Refining Viscera Refining Cultivation!

Judging by their age, they were clearly geniuses hailing from major factions. How could they possibly be the wicked bandits Yue Liuchuan had described?