Chapter 821: Liu Ruyan, the MVP
"Husband, how should we deal with these people?"
Liu Ruyan didn't spare a single glance for the deeply unsettled Lu Heng and his subordinates. Her enchanting eyes were fixed solely on Shen Anyu's handsome face, her crimson lips parted ever so slightly.
"You're the MVP of this little engagement," Shen Anyu said with a faint smile. "You can deal with them however you see fit."
He hadn't even lifted a finger. Liu Ruyan and Zhong Lingyin had already subdued the entire contingent from the Tieshan Martial Arts School. It was a foregone conclusion, a victory already won.
"That's only because Husband taught me so well. Otherwise, your Yan'er would never have such strength," Liu Ruyan purred, pouting playfully as she wrapped her arms around Shen Anyu's. Her eyes, as seductive as spun silk, promised a thousand secrets.
She drew out the words "taught me," her voice a low, husky murmur that seemed to vibrate through him, sending a pleasant tremor down his spine. Shen Anyu even felt the delicate tracing of her slender fingers against his lower back, a subtle, possessive caress.
'Is she trying to one-up Lingyin?' Shen Anyu thought, a flicker of amusement in his eyes.
'Hmph, this scoundrel of a man responds to a soft touch, not a hard hand. I still need to act more spoiled,' Liu Ruyan noted with a smug internal hum. Seeing the corners of Shen Anyu's lips curve upward, she pressed herself even closer.
Shen Anyu could only reflect on how truly comfortable it was to be caught between two such stunning women.
"Second Senior Sister, Third Senior Sister is still in danger. We shouldn't waste any more time," Zhong Lingyin's clear, melodious voice chimed in at the perfect moment. Her starry eyes were wide and innocent, her expression utterly guileless.
'When did Lingyin become so… manipulative?' Liu Ruyan cursed inwardly, her perfect facade momentarily cracking.
Zhong Lingyin merely blinked her large, innocent eyes. It was a joke, really. She was the reigning queen of both the music and film industries, an actress with divine skill. She could be pure, she could be alluring—a true master of her craft. Even Zhang Yaqian had never been able to get the better of her.
Liu Ruyan shot a light glare at Zhong Lingyin, but she knew the girl was right. Murong Jieyu's situation was critical. She was injured and being hunted by the Grandmaster of the Tieshan Martial Arts School. They had to provide support as quickly as possible.
But that flicker of annoyance had to go somewhere. And it found its target in Lu Heng and the others.
The seduction vanished from Liu Ruyan's eyes, replaced by an icy chill. She looked down at Lu Heng and his men. "You all participated in the ambush of my Third Senior Sister, Murong Jieyu. While you may be spared death, you will not escape punishment." Her voice was cold and final.
"How about this," she continued, a cruel smile playing on her lips. "You will all enter that Baiwu Mountain Valley. If you can discover anything of value, you may yet atone for your sins."
Liu Ruyan could tell that Shen Anyu was intensely interested in the valley, but it was clearly dangerous. It was far better to let these martial artists from Tieshan scout ahead and clear the path.
She tilted her head, her beautiful and charming face looking up at Shen Anyu, a sweet smile blooming. "Husband, are you satisfied with how I've handled this?"
"Satisfied? Of course, I'm satisfied," Shen Anyu replied with a grin.
Lu Heng and the other powerhouses from the Tieshan Martial Arts School were already ashen-faced, cold sweat beading on their brows and soaking their collars.
How could they not know the danger of the Baiwu Mountain Valley? It was a place you entered, but never left. It was a one-way trip to hell.
But now…
They glanced at Zhong Lingyin, a woman who could single-handedly kill their head instructor, Tieshan. Then they looked at Liu Ruyan, a Heavenly Human giant who was even stronger. They wouldn't dare disobey. To refuse meant instant death, their corpses lined up neatly on the forest floor.
They couldn't even dream of escaping.
But if they entered the Baiwu Mountain Valley… perhaps, if they were careful, it wasn't a guaranteed death. There was a sliver of a chance.
Finally, under the watchful gazes of Shen Anyu and Liu Ruyan, Lu Heng and the others steeled themselves. Trembling, they stepped into the Baiwu Mountain Valley.
The dense, rolling white mist was like the maw of a life-devouring monster. The moment they were inside, all sound ceased. An unnerving silence fell over the valley entrance.
Shen Anyu's brow furrowed slightly.
'This white mist is unusual,' he thought. 'It's being used to conceal the formations within. This valley contains, at the very least, an illusion formation, a maze formation, and a killing formation. This isn't something a Qi Refining cultivator could set up. A Golden Core stage, perhaps? Or even Nascent Soul?'
'What kind of existence has established such a place deep within the Qinling Mountains of the Secular World? And what are they trying to conceal?'
'If I were to try and break through by force, I'd have a seventy percent chance of success, but it would be best to make more preparations.'
Shen Anyu had copied Chen Yuhua's memory inheritance. As a reincarnated Heavenly Venerate, the knowledge contained within her mind was as vast and boundless as the cosmos, and it included an incredibly deep understanding of formations.
In those memory fragments, Shen Anyu had witnessed a peerlessly beautiful Chen Yuhua, her bare feet treading upon the cosmic starry sky. She used entire planets as formation flags, black holes as formation eyes, and the sea of stars itself as a formation disk. With this celestial array, she battled a descended True Immortal, the clash causing heaven and earth to collapse and the very Laws of the universe to crumble.
It was safe to say that Chen Yuhua's mastery of formations was so high she could construct immortal-killing arrays. Her talent and intellect were peerless.
Of course, immortal formations of that caliber required specific conditions and immense cultivation. Neither Shen Anyu nor the current Chen Yuhua could deploy such a thing. Limited by the thin spiritual energy of the Secular World, they were both still at the Qi Refining Stage.
Materials were an even greater scarcity.
'Heh, luckily I have the System,' Shen Anyu mused. 'I can just buy what I need from the System store. No problem.'
'It just costs destiny value.'
Shen Anyu browsed through the Destiny Plunder System's store. It contained a corresponding set of formation flags. With a single thought, he spent 1.5 million destiny value to purchase a set of Inverted Five Elements Formation Flags, each one a top-grade Spiritual Artifact.
'A bit expensive, but the effect should be worth it,' Shen Anyu felt a slight pang of heartache at the cost.
With these Inverted Five Elements Formation Flags in his possession, Shen Anyu was now absolutely confident in his ability to break the formations of the Baiwu Mountain Valley.
What gave him pause, however, was the question of what lay inside. If there truly was a powerful living cultivator, or some manner of ghost or god, that would be quite problematic.
Although Shen Anyu was confident that with his supernatural skill, Love Infinite Teleportation, he could easily retreat with the women, the potential consequences were troublesome. What if there was a Lich King or some world-devouring entity suppressed within?
Just then, he watched as Lu Heng and the others stumbled out of the mist. They were mad, delirious, their faces masks of pure horror. They screamed that there were immortals in the valley, their voices choked with terror. Then, in the clear light of day, their bodies began to crumble, turning to dust before his very eyes. Not a single one survived.
Shen Anyu's eyes narrowed.
This required further deliberation.
'First, I'll go save Murong Jieyu. Then I'll come back and figure this out.'
Shen Anyu was deeply curious about the Baiwu Mountain Valley. A place like this, existing in the spiritually barren Secular World, had to be extraordinary. There might be something very good inside.
"Husband, this Baiwu Mountain Valley is extremely dangerous!" Liu Ruyan was no longer vying for his attention. Her expression was exceptionally grave.
She had been observing Lu Heng and the others as they escaped. For a fleeting moment, she had even considered trying to stop them from turning to dust. But the instant the thought formed, a tremor of pure dread seized her heart, as if some great terror would befall her. She hadn't dared to even touch them.
"That's right, Brother Shen. Why don't we stay away from this place?" Zhong Lingyin's pretty face was filled with worry. She, too, had sensed the deep unease, as if the valley was a forbidden zone of life itself.
'Both Destined Heroines sense the unease. They possess great fortune, so it seems the danger level of the Baiwu Mountain Valley exceeds my initial expectations,' Shen Anyu mused.
A smile, however, appeared on his handsome face. He took both women's small hands, one in each of his, and squeezed gently.
"Don't worry, I have a plan. Let's go save Murong Jieyu first."
'If push comes to shove, I'll just find a Child of Destiny and throw him in,' Shen Anyu pondered privately. 'But I can't pick one with too much destiny value or too strong a fortune, lest it become his fortuitous encounter. Then I'd be the one suffering a huge loss.'
With that cold, pragmatic thought, he led Liu Ruyan and Zhong Lingyin away, following the guidance of the Seeking Person Compass as it pointed them in Murong Jieyu's direction.
...
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