The Celestial Realm was a place that was covered by endless mountain peaks and drifting clouds where mortals and celestial cultivators dwelled above the desolate mists.
Below the desolate mists were the territories of the desolate beasts and monsters. No one really knew how vast the territories below the desolate mist really was for no one could make it alive to the deepest bottom.
From time to time, powerful desolate denizens of the depths would emerge from beyond the desolate mists to rampage the mountains above the mist.
For as long as anyone could remember, the celestial cultivators had been battling the desolate monsters and in order to check the advances of the desolate monsters, frequent experiential missions to the desolate mists were sent to eradicate any desolate monsters that could be found.
Most of the desolate monsters that were found near the divider of the desolate mists were actually low ranking desolate beasts and not the high ranking monsters. Any desolate beasts that were higher than fifth rank were considered to be a 'desolate monster' because they were simply too terrifying for most of the celestial cultivators to handle.
And Red Death Valley was considered to be one of the places where powerful desolate monsters could frequently be seen. Therefore there were at least thirty experiential missions that were from the celestial clans in the nearby region every month.
But the frequent appearances of the high level desolate monsters were so common that 1 in 10 of the experiential parties often did not survive. That was why it was called the Red Death Valley.
Although Lu Qingyun and his party had hurried with great haste, it still took them a full five days through the difficult mountain trails to reach the Red Death Valley.
As Leng Qiuyue had been there before, she served as a guide and she was really a good guide.
Lu Qingyun muttered as he inspected the map, "The map doesn't seem to be too accurate…"
Leng Qiuyue smiled, "The map only serves as a guide to the general direction. The mountain trails may disappear and new mountain trails may appear from time to time."
Lu Qingyun nodded as he inhaled deeply, "So we are finally at the entrance. But there are no sight of any other experiential parties at the entrance?"
Leng Qiuyue was slightly startled. Lu Qingyun was right.
Other than their party of five, there were no others in sight. Usually the entrance would have a few parties that were presented to take care of the wounded.
But today, it seemed to be really so quiet?
Zhao Riyue said, "There is really no one else. It is too quiet."
Lu Qingyun said in a low voice, "I've thought that Fragrance Herald Yufeng says that there will be a doubling of experiential missions to the Red Death Valley?"
Zhao Riyue smiled as she looked shyly at Lu Qingyun, "Maybe they need some time to prepare. It is not easy to find anyone to go to the Red Death Valley. I believe that this will be considered a fifth rank mission and above."
Zhao Xingye nodded as she looked at Lu Qingyun, Lie Xingyuan, Leng Qiuyue and her sister Zhao Riyue. "Now it is the time that we split our party into two. My sister Zhao Riyue will stay at the entrance with Lie Xingyuan."
Lu Qingyun suddenly said, "I've got a most uneasy feeling. Something seems to be amiss here." Then he looked at Lie Xingyuan, "Xingyuan, why don't you leave this place first?"
Lie Xingyuan smiled weakly, "I don't want to. I want to wait here for senior brother. Don't forget that Fragrance Herald Yufeng is secretly keeping an eye on us. We will be safe, so don't worry. It may be a coincidence that we are the only party here. Maybe everyone either has left or yet to come."
Lu Qingyun heaved a soft sigh as he said, "Alright then."
Zhao Xingye smiled, "Xingyuan is right. They will be quite safe. Let's worry about ourselves first."
As she turned around to walk into the Red Death Valley, she said. "Come. We have no time to lose."
Lu Qingyun gave Lie Xingyuan one last look as he said solemnly, "Xingyuan, if there is any dangers, please make a hasty retreat first and don't endanger yourself."
Lie Xingyuan smiled, "Please go now. I will really be alright. So don't worry about me, will you?"
Lu Qingyun nodded. With another soft sigh, he began to follow Zhao Xingye.
Leng Qiuyue had a perplexed look on her countenance. It was because the way Lu Qingyun was talking to Lie Xingyuan, it seemed that he did not treat her as an ordinary personal attendant but someone who was close to his heart.
She had never taken more than a second glance at her own personal attendant Rushuang. It was because she was known to change her personal attendants on a yearly basis and in her heart, she had always thought that it was their great honor to serve her.
All of a sudden she was gasping in her heart. They were always alone in the abode and anything could have happened between them…
Then she had recalled the day when Supremacy Wen had come to mess up with the Heavens Ridge Villa. It was not only her who had been displaying her affection for Lu Qingyun but Lie Xingyuan and Ouyang Xue as well…
She muttered in her heart, "Senior Brother Qingyun, among the three of us…who do you loves the most?"
Soon, Lu Qingyun, Leng Qiuyue and Zhao Xingye had entered the Red Death Valley by following a trail down the desolate mists.
As they walked down the trail, Zhao Xingye suddenly said. "Senior Lu, can I ask you something?"
Lu Qingyun smiled awkwardly, "Please don't call me senior. Just call me Lu Qingyun alright?"
Zhao Xingye smiled, "Alright."
Then she added, "Is that Lie Xingyuan really your personal attendant?"
Lu Qingyun was surprised that she had actually asked him this question. He answered, "Mm, yes?"
Zhao Xingye returned a faint smile, "That is because she seems stronger than any one of us here."
Leng Qiuyue was startled as she thought, "It is impossible for Lie Xingyuan to be stronger than any of us…"
Lu Qingyun laughed, "I don't think so too."
Zhao Xingye smiled, "Fragrance Herald Yufeng can't be wrong. My sister can't be wrong either. Her cultivation inner sea is really unfathomable. It is like…she is purposely suppressing her cultivation strength. I have heard that the personal attendants of the Heavens Ridge Villa have to be below the third realm. With her profound strength, she has to be at least a third realm or even fourth realm expert. But I think she may even have the profound strength of a fifth realm expert."
Lu Qingyun laughed awkwardly as he thought, "Maybe it is because I've been feeding her too many divine pills to her. That's why. I've better not explain this."
Zhao Xingye flashed her eyes at him, "It seems that…you have already known about this, I guess."
Lu Qingyun returned a weak smile, "She isn't hiding her strength. We have been training very hard together."
Zhao Xingye nodded, "It is never too good to trust anyone who you do not know well that are around you so I thought of giving you a warning first. I guess that I am too sensitive instead."
Then she looked at Leng Qiuyue and smiled, "Maiden Qiuyue, I saw your duel with Lu Qingyun that day. You have purposely conceded to him."
Leng Qiuyue replied coldly, "Is there a problem with that? He is the superior fighter and therefore I have conceded to him."
Zhao Xingye chuckled softly, "No, nothing at all. I have thought that the two of you look really so beautiful and dashing together, just like a couple that day."
Lu Qingyun, Leng Qiuyue: …
Leng Qiuyue stammered, "Rubbish!…"
Zhao Xingye smiled, "Whether it is rubbish or not, only you know best. With such an outstanding man around, it is better to profess your likes for him or else his heart will soon belong to the others."
Leng Qiuyue: …
Lu Qingyun laughed awkwardly, "I have no wish to surrender my heart to anyone. I am cultivating my heart wholly to become a saint in the future."
Leng Qiuyue said with a flustered voice, "Same here. I am going to cultivate as a saintess and have no time for the matter of the heart."
Zhao Xingye smiled, "It is my dream to become a seventh realm saintess as well."
All of a sudden there was a weird expression on her countenance.
It was not her only but Lu Qingyun and Leng Qiuyue had also smell the heavy stench of blood and death.
"Let's go and take a look!"
They hurried down the trail and it was not before long that they had come to a turn in the mountains.
All of a sudden Lu Qingyun and everyone were startled; there were dozens of dismembered bodies all over the place as though a vicious beast had rampaged through.
Although they had seen carnage before but the scene in front of them was beyond description!
Zhao Xingye and Leng Qiuyue had turned extremely pale and they had turned around to vomit at the bloody scene that they had just seen…
Lu Qingyun muttered as he trembled with shock, "This…is this really the work of a desolate monster?"