Lv Shinan was singularly focused on seizing Jiang Chen's equipment — anything capable of making King Shangping suffer could not be ordinary gear.
Lv Shinan was not a man without ambition. He had defected to the Demon Race because he had hit a bottleneck in his cultivation and knew he could never rise above others on his own merits.
That was precisely why he had chosen the unorthodox path, willing to sell his soul to the Demon Race and cling to a powerful patron.
This had also forged Lv Shinan's ruthlessly unscrupulous nature — a man who would stop at nothing to achieve his goals.
The moment Jiang Chen entered the Valley of Ten Thousand Corpses, his first impression was that the yin-corrupt energy here had grown even more concentrated than over the past three days.
"In just three days, this place has changed so much. It seems the demonic aura is becoming more and more overt. The Wood Demon Clan, the Shadow Demon Clan… just how many demon factions are stirring in the wilderness?" A bitter feeling welled up in Jiang Chen's heart.
The human territories were still locked in internecine conflict, while the Demon Race was already rumbling in the wastelands, poised to rise from the ashes at any moment.
Judging by the state of the human realm, it was clear that no one was remotely prepared for a life-or-death confrontation with the demons.
Jiang Chen had no energy to dwell on such matters. Right now, all he wanted was to leave this godforsaken place safely, find somewhere secure, and lift the Hundred Lives Heartbinding Curse from Huang'er.
However, this journey was obviously not going to be peaceful. After walking for a quarter of an hour, Jiang Chen detected traces of many cultivators — quite a few, in fact.
He was heading back while many others were heading this way. With only one path through the area, encounters were inevitable.
"Why are there so many people?" Jiang Chen frowned. "And these people don't seem to be from the list of five hundred. Could it be that more have entered through the entrance outside the valley?"
The more he thought about it, the more wrong it felt. These cultivators clearly varied wildly in strength — several among them were nothing more than ordinary Origin Realm martial artists. The original five hundred who had entered were certainly not this weak.
The only explanation was that something had gone wrong at the entrance. Far more martial artists must have flooded into the wastelands, into this wretched place.
Jiang Chen felt a deep sense of pity. These people probably thought riches lay scattered across the ground here, never realizing that this place was nothing but a series of death traps.
Valuable treasures did exist, but they were utterly beyond the reach of ordinary people.
"Every one of these people has a demonic aura cloaking their complexion. Their expressions are noticeably vacant — devoid of the vitality any human should possess. Could it be… they've already been demonized?"
Jiang Chen observed more closely. These martial artists clearly lacked many hallmark human traits. They looked more like walking corpses under the Demon Race's control.
Jiang Chen knew the Demon Race possessed countless methods of puppet manipulation, and he immediately guessed that these people had already become demonic thralls.
This sight only strengthened his resolve to avoid unnecessary trouble.
Just then, he felt something anomalous beneath his feet. Jiang Chen instantly activated the Golden Cicada Wings and shot skyward.
The ground below cracked open as though plowed by an ox, and countless shapeshifting bones surged madly from beneath the earth, charging at Jiang Chen with savage intent.
This was not Jiang Chen's first encounter with shapeshifting bones, and he knew they were not among the most fearsome demonic warriors.
He had no interest in lingering to fight. The Flying Feather Mirror flashed repeatedly, slowing the shapeshifting bones' assault while he fought his way outward with Huang'er in tow.
Yet the yin energy of the Valley of Ten Thousand Corpses was far too oppressive. Even brief aerial flight left Jiang Chen feeling strained and drained.
After flying for a stretch, he had to land and recover.
Fortunately, while the Five-Colored Divine Light Sword had struggled against the ancestral Wood Demon Gu Worm, these shapeshifting bones posed no challenge whatsoever.
Every swing of his blade tore through great swaths of bones, shredding them to fragments.
The sword's five-colored radiance blazed like a lion plunging into a flock of sheep, rampaging unchecked.
In a flash, Jiang Chen's Heavenly Eye Divine Pupil blazed to life, locking onto Lv Shinan directing the attack from a distant corner.
In an instant, Jiang Chen's figure soared like a white crane in a bolt of lightning.
He extended a finger and pointed through empty air. The Galaxy Slash struck like a streak of the Milky Way piercing through, cleaving straight toward Lv Shinan's hidden position.
Aaagh!
Lv Shinan had never expected Jiang Chen to suddenly launch an attack on him. Caught off guard, he scrambled in panic.
Still, Lv Shinan was an Emperor Realm powerhouse — his strength was no empty boast. His figure blurred as he narrowly dodged the lethal strike.
With a sinister laugh, he moved to retreat into the shadows.
As an Emperor Realm cultivator, he had no reason to fear Jiang Chen in a straight fight. What he did fear was the precedent of Jiang Chen defeating King Shangping.
Lv Shinan was cautious by nature. Until he had figured out Jiang Chen's methods, he would absolutely not engage him head-on.
"Lv Shinan! You sold your soul to the Demon Race — today, where do you think you can run?!" Jiang Chen gave chase without mercy. In a flash, he swung the Flying Feather Mirror at Lv Shinan's back.
Pfft!
Struck by the mirror's light, Lv Shinan's entire body spasmed as though electrocuted, his momentum faltering. In that brief instant, Jiang Chen was already upon him.
The Yuan Magnetic Mountain soared high overhead, its golden mass bearing down from above, crashing straight toward the crown of Lv Shinan's head.
Lv Shinan saw this and realized there was no longer any room to avoid a direct clash.
His hands flew through seal after seal, and suddenly a great cauldron materialized around him, radiating silver light. It rose to meet the descending golden Yuan Magnetic Mountain head-on.