After leaving the library, Jiang Yun first returned the access pass to Lu Yao at the Falling Sunset Peak. He then prepared some items at his residence before heading towards the Watercloud Gorge.
At the same time, at Luo Qi's residence, the inner disciple who had eavesdropped on Jiang Yun's conversation with the guard had already reported the situation to Luo Qi.
"You mean Jiang Yun is going to Forgetfulness Valley?" Luo Qi asked the inner disciple with excitement.
"Yes, I personally heard his conversation with the guard. It's indeed Forgetfulness Valley," the inner disciple respectfully replied.
Luo Qi rubbed his palms together, his mind filled with schemes. After a moment, he suddenly said, "Go and find Qin Haifeng and Qin Shousheng. Tell them I need to give them instructions."
The inner disciple left, and Qin Haifeng and Qin Shousheng arrived shortly after. Without wasting any time, Luo Qi got straight to the point, "Qin Haifeng, last time you asked me for a chance to access the second floor of the library. If you do something for me, I can give you and your brother each a chance."
Qin Haifeng's heart was filled with joy. The second floor of the Tianjian Sect's library was only accessible to core disciples, containing almost all of the sect's advanced sword techniques. This was an extremely rare opportunity for inner disciples. When he heard Luo Qi mentioning this, he eagerly agreed.
"Luo Senior, please tell me. As long as I can do it, I won't refuse," Qin Haifeng readily replied.
Luo Qi's eyes flashed with killing intent as he said, "I want you to kill someone for me."
Upon hearing this, Qin Haifeng and Qin Shousheng exchanged a glance. Killing someone was no trivial matter. While Qin Haifeng might not hesitate to do so outside the sect, within the sect, there were rules and punishments for murder. The punishment could range from expulsion to even death.
"I don't know who you want us to kill. If it's a fellow disciple, my brother and I might not be able to comply," Qin Shousheng asked on behalf of his brother.
Luo Qi was well aware of their concerns. Wearing a cold smile, he said, "The person I want you to kill is Jiang Yun. Although he's also a disciple of the sect, he's essentially seeking death this time. He will be heading to Forgetfulness Valley today. Once you kill him there, you can say he died from a savage beast attack. By that time, there will be no evidence to the contrary."
Upon hearing that killing Jiang Yun wouldn't happen on the grounds of the Tianjian Peak, Qin Haifeng and Qin Shousheng's apprehensions lessened considerably. An accident involving an outer disciple in Forgetfulness Valley wasn't uncommon. As long as the matter was handled discreetly, shifting the blame would be relatively easy.
After contemplating for a while, the two brothers finally nodded, agreeing to Luo Qi's request. They could go to Forgetfulness Valley to help Luo Qi kill Jiang Yun. Although they felt that Luo Qi was being excessive and petty because of Lu Yao, they decided to go along with it.
Luo Qi's intent to kill Jiang Yun was driven by a few factors. Firstly, Lu Yao's attitude towards Jiang Yun had made him feel threatened. Secondly, his informants in the outer sect had informed him of Jiang Yun's progress during this period, which he found hard to believe. If Jiang Yun continued to grow until next year, he might pose a threat to Luo Qi's plans for that year.
The event next year had been in preparation for nearly three years. It couldn't be compromised by any unpredictable factors, and Jiang Yun was that unpredictable factor. Thus, Luo Qi needed to eliminate him before he became a real threat.
Of course, Luo Qi didn't share these reasons with Qin Haifeng and Qin Shousheng. They could speculate that Luo Qi's motives were due to jealousy and resentment, and he was content to let them believe that.
Unaware that he had become an enigma in Luo Qi's eyes and that Luo Qi harbored such intense murderous intent towards him, Jiang Yun, at this moment, finally arrived at the Watercloud Gorge.
The reason Forgetfulness Valley earned its name was due to the special haze within it. This haze had a bewildering effect on the minds of martial artists below the Qi Martial Realm. They lacked sufficient resistance to this mist and were easily led into mental confusion. Coupled with the presence of dangerous beasts within Forgetfulness Valley, they often met unfortunate ends, and thus the name was fitting.
Jiang Yun activated the Nine Lai Divine Technique, holding his breath as he entered deeper into the mist. He saw numerous skeletons strewn about as he made his way through the fog. Among these were human remains as well as those of beasts, mixed together in a chaotic jumble that made it difficult to discern the distinctions.
It took a full quarter of an hour for Jiang Yun to navigate through the mist and finally enter Forgetfulness Valley. Inside, the valley was lush with blooming flowers, resembling the vivid scene of spring. Keep in mind that it was already deep into the autumn season outside. Yet within Forgetfulness Valley, the flowers and plants were still blooming brightly, presenting a picturesque sight.
The beauty of the scenery was enough to distract anyone from their worries. The name of the valley was apt, for it had the power to make people momentarily forget their sorrows. However, the more beautiful the exterior, the greater the concealed dangers within.
No sooner had Jiang Yun stepped into Forgetfulness Valley than he heard peculiar sounds. His senses were keen, and he was highly alert. He quickly turned around, simultaneously unsheathing his Greenmist Sword.
A flash of his sword, and a colorful snake was split into two pieces. Jiang Yun recognized it as a venomous snake. A bite from it would be fatal, even for someone with Jiang Yun's strength. He couldn't endure for more than a second or two after being bitten.
Due to the presence of the venomous snake, Jiang Yun became even more cautious of his surroundings. Stepping carefully, he entered the valley, observing everything around him.
Not long after, he sensed the ground trembling. Alarmed, he knew that a massive creature was nearby.
Soon, a creature resembling a deer ran out from the trees not far ahead of Jiang Yun. This deer-like animal was highly alert, looking around as it moved, and quickly spotted Jiang Yun. Fortunately, it couldn't determine whether Jiang Yun was friend or foe, so it ran in the opposite direction.
As the deer-like creature disappeared into the forest, Jiang Yun felt the ground beneath him vibrating more intensely. Then, a massive elephant-like creature charged out from the trees, smashing through them. The giant creature had noticed Jiang Yun as well, and it swung its trunk in his direction. However, its target was clearly the deer-like creature, and it followed its prey, leaving Jiang Yun alone for the moment.
"Mammoth!"
Upon seeing the massive creature, Jiang Yun recognized it. This was the mammoth he was searching for, somewhat similar to the elephants of his past life.
As the mammoth ran through the forest, Jiang Yun noticed that trees were knocked down like they were made of paper. Jiang Yun was amazed. Even a tree that five or six people could hold wouldn't stand a chance against the mammoth. These trees were easily uprooted by its impact, revealing the horrifying strength of the mammoth. A martial artist at the Elemental Martial Realm might not even achieve such power.
It appeared that the guardian's description of the mammoth as having at least True Martial Realm strength was rather conservative. Fortunately, the mammoth lacked the intimidating aura of a True Martial Realm martial artist, so it wouldn't affect Jiang Yun's own strength. Jiang Yun believed that even if he faced the mammoth head-on, he would still have a chance. Moreover, the mammoth seemed to be facing some trouble of its own.
Jiang Yun wasn't about to miss this opportunity. He followed closely behind the mammoth. With the mammoth causing such a commotion, it would be nearly impossible for Jiang Yun to lose track of it.