CHAPTER 303: CHAPTER 303 ABNORMAL PLACE

As soon as this speculation was voiced, everyone’s countenance changed.

They still remembered being sucked into the space rift before and realized that being transported to higher levels was entirely possible. If indeed they had been sent to a higher level, the only way out would be to fight their way down, level by level.

Are they kidding? Given the ferocity of the Exotic Beasts on just this level, how could the few of them possibly fight their way down?

"Ruoyun... are we... going to die here?" Bai Ji couldn’t help but tremble as she asked.

"No!" Yue Jifeng quickly patted Bai Ji on the shoulder. "If we were transported to a higher level, the academy would definitely realize it immediately. The school will surely come to our rescue."

"Not necessarily," Yu Ruoyun said gravely. "If we are only on the fifth level, it would be fine. However, if we’re on the sixth level, the academy would need to fight through one level at a time to reach us. That would require the combined strength of all the Star Martial Warriors in Jade Country.

"The consequence of breaking through the sixth level is that a large number of powerful Exotic Beasts would enter the five levels below. We’ve just seen how strong the Exotic Beasts here are. If they descended, the Nine-layer Pagoda would be utterly ruined. Would Jade Country marshal all its forces and bear the risk of destroying the Nine-layer Pagoda just to save the four of us?

"Moreover, this might not even be the sixth level. According to our deductions, the common Exotic Beasts on the sixth level are at the latter stages of the Galaxy Stage. But the spider we encountered was already at the early stage of the Star Sea.

"The four of us joined forces, and yet it effortlessly fended us off. This is not the power that could be demonstrated by a creature at the peak of the Galaxy Stage.

"As for that black snake, it was at the very least at the peak of the Star Sea. So, what about that Golden Eagle? Even if my great uncle came, he might not be able to defeat it. This place could be the sixth level, or it might even be the seventh level."

Wang Lan looked at Yu Ruoyun with surprise. So heartless! Not even willing to tell a well-intentioned lie.

"Is that so?" Bai Ji’s face suddenly revealed a look of sorrow.

"Speaking of which, Bai Ji, now that it’s come to this, aren’t you willing to say why someone went to such lengths to assassinate you in the Nine-layer Pagoda?" Wang Lan asked softly.

Even now, Wang Lan had not forgotten the scene of the assassination attempt.

"Wang Lan, what do you mean? Are you suspecting Bai Ji of deliberately hiding something? We are comrades who have been through life and death together; at this time, we should trust each other even more."

"I don’t distrust Bai Ji, but I also need Bai Ji to trust us. Having come to such a pass, we cannot rule out that after the previous assassination attempt failed, there might be a backup plan in place."

Upon hearing Wang Lan’s words, Bai Ji’s face turned pale once again.

"Wang Lan, I... I really don’t know. I’m just an ordinary student... It’s possible to have conflicts with others, but to go to such lengths to kill me... there really isn’t any reason. I have had a bad relationship with a dormmate. I have also fought with others over Soul Beads and Academic Credits, but these are quite common. I really can’t think of any reason."

Looking at Bai Ji’s expression, which did not seem feigned, Wang Lan sighed deeply.

"Forget it, shall we find a place to rest for a bit? From the beginning, we’ve been meticulously plotted against. The person behind this has grand designs, and it’s not just Ruoyun in their sights; I am included in their scheming as well."

Wang Lan’s words caused Yu Ruoyun’s expression to become unpleasant. Before the adversary activated the Space Stone, they had said, "Princess Yu, I’ve been waiting for you for a long time." This was clearly a trap aimed at her. Wang Lan and the others had fallen into this dangerous situation, all because of her.

"I’m sorry..." Yu Ruoyun suddenly gave the others a deep bow. "It’s my fault you’re in this plight."

"Yue Jifeng might be innocent, but I certainly am not. The mastermind schemed against you and included me in their plans," Wang Lan said with a wry smile. "Otherwise, how could everything have been arranged so transparently?"

"Wang Lan, from the sound of your words, you seem to have guessed something?"

"Why did we come to The Death Valley?" Wang Lan asked as they walked.

"Of course, to hunt Ghost-eye. As long as we can control the Ghost Eye Toxin, Ghost-eye are easier to kill than Star Shine Stage Exotic Beasts..." Bai Ji blurted out, but her voice trailed off as her eyes widened in terror.

"Even you have figured it out..." Wang Lan sighed again. "The Death Valley is indeed a good place, huh? An off-limits area set by the academy, where any actions taken here would definitely not be noticed by other students. And there, it would also be an ideal place for us to be buried. Once the Ghost Eye Toxin gas returns, even our bodies would be completely eradicated. Truly the perfect crime – unsuspected by both gods and ghosts. Choosing The Death Valley is one thing, but getting us into The Death Valley is quite the technical task. The Ghost Eye Toxin is unpredictable, and Ruoyun wouldn’t dare to lay eyes on The Death Valley without someone like me, who is the bane of Star Martial Toxins, in the team, right?"

"Yes! Those ten people in The Death Valley have been waiting for me for a long time."

"Wait, before we drove off Ghost-eye, the entire Death Valley was filled with poison gas. How could they remain unaffected? Could they also have an antidote?" Yue Jifeng was still puzzled.

"They might have an antidote, but I suspect they’ve been vaccinated," Yu Ruoyun said, looking straight at Wang Lan. "Who else could create an antidote and vaccine, if not you?"

"Don’t you already have the answer in your heart? Who else could it be but Mrs. Sun Li? Moreover, she even prepared a Star Martial Toxin Synthesizer for me. Everything has been arranged so transparently.

"If it weren’t for this ambush, everything would have proceeded naturally. But once we encountered an ambush, it means that all that has happened naturally was previously laid out with meticulous planning.

"Mrs. Sun Li, she really has put a lot of effort into this. This is a surefire assassination plot, leaving no room for luck."

"If only I hadn’t suggested coming to The Death Valley, none of this would have happened."

"Even if you hadn’t suggested it, they would have certainly made arrangements; they would definitely have made you think of going to The Death Valley. Unless, of course, you had already taken precautions. Ruoyun, why is Mrs. Sun Li so intent on harming you?"

"Could it really just be because of me?" Yu Ruoyun’s face revealed a bitter smile. "I am the niece of the Qing Emperor, the legitimate second princess of the Yu Family. What I am involved in is the entire force that depends on the royal family.

"At the same time, I would die in Modu Star Martial Academy, perish within a meticulously planned conspiracy. It doesn’t matter who orchestrated the conspiracy. What’s important is that the Qing Emperor Bloodline, those so-called nobles and royals, all need an excuse to start trouble.

"By investigating the cause of my death, under the slogan of avenging me, a chaos that has not been seen in a hundred years will ensue among the Star Martial Warriors of Jade Country. This turmoil will sweep across the entire Jade Country."

Wang Lan looked at Yu Ruoyun with surprise. This woman, not particularly beautiful, is so narcissistic? Your life and death can stir the entire Jade Country? Jade Country has been rock-solid for decades. Can the death of one person really shake that stability?

"You don’t believe it?"

"A bit!"

"Anyway, we might all die here, so I might as well clear things up. The forces of the Star Martial Warriors of Jade Country can roughly be divided into five major powers, the so-called Five Elders and Five Emperors.

"As for the rest, they are not of much concern.

"Among them, the Eastern Azure Emperor, with my great uncle at the helm, is supported by the scholars, nobles, and high officials from the time when Emperor Jade was in power, two hundred years ago.

"Back then, the benevolent Emperor Jade announced his abdication and returned the governance to the public. But did those noble families really agree? Were they really willing? At first, there was the suppression by the benevolent Emperor Jade, along with the Nine Minister Dukes who didn’t step away from the political stage.

"For seventy years, the noble families governed Jade Country along with elected officials. The invasion of the Demon Clan a hundred and thirty years ago completely broke this balance.

"The war lasted a hundred and thirty years and shattered the land. When the war ended, the noble families realized that they had been completely removed from the political stage.

"And it was no longer possible for them to regain power through normal means; the only way was to restore the Great Jade Dynasty. That’s why in recent years, the rhetoric of restoration has been deliberately spread by them.

"Over the years, with suppression from my great uncle and other leaders, they didn’t dare to act rashly. But the harsher the pressure, the greater the buildup of internal tension. Now, it has come to a point where it could explode at any moment.

"As the legitimate second princess of the royal family, studying under Eld Di was to ease the conflict. To stabilize the situation, my father didn’t dare have more children after I was born."

"Why?" Wang Lan asked subconsciously.

He had never imagined that beneath the calm and prosperous surface of Jade Country, there would be such intense undercurrents. And these were directed only at the world of Star Martial Warriors. But the world of Star Martial Warriors was also part of the human world. If a major upheaval occurred in their world, the human world would undoubtedly undergo great changes as well.

"Because he’s afraid of having a son that could be used by them. My older sister married the youngest son of Emperor Bai, and I am to inherit the Yu Family and cannot marry, so the only option was to become the disciple of Eld Di to suppress the wild ambitions of those people."

"Can’t marry?" Bai Ji looked at Yu Ruoyun in surprise, immediately feeling a surge of pity. She had always envied Yu Ruoyun’s background, living a life of luxury from a young age. But... she couldn’t enjoy the happiness and joy of an ordinary family.

Yu Ruoyun’s cheeks flushed, and she offered no explanation.

"If I die, it would signal to them that Jade Country... is going to be in chaos."

"If that’s the case... the school might still come to save us," Wang Lan said suddenly.

"Jade Country will not allow such chaos to happen. Compared to your life and death, the value of the Nine-layer Pagoda becomes insignificant."

"But... who will come to the rescue? How?" Yu Ruoyun said with a bitter smile. "With the formidable strength of those Exotic Beasts, even Titled Strongmen would... "

Suddenly, Yu Ruoyun’s voice halted, a look of terror appearing as she glanced behind her.

Wang Lan and the other two turned their heads in unison, and from the dense forest behind them, dozens of giant flying Exotic Beasts with wingspans of tens of meters burst forth. They vaguely resembled Winged Dragons, but much more robust.

What’s more, these Winged Dragons were charging straight at Wang Lan and his companions.

"Run—"

The four of them instantly ran helter-skelter, but after covering not even a hundred meters, Wang Lan and his companions stopped in despair. The Exotic Beasts chasing behind them were too fast; they were Speedy Wind Attribute Exotic Beasts, more than twice as fast as their full-speed running.

"Purple Flame Arrow—"

"Meteor Fire Rain—"

"Night Mourning—"

Wang Lan and the others launched an all-out attack on the Exotic Beasts in the sky, but these Exotic Beasts seemed to share the barrier ability of the spider they had encountered before. All of their attacks were shattered by the strange barriers enveloping the Exotic Beasts, which continued diving toward the group.

"Dodge—"

Wang Lan and the two others instantly dodged, while only Bai Ji utilized her Earth Attribute Star Martial Skill to wrap herself up.