Chaos Heaven-Dominating Technique

Chapter 391: Chapter 390: Ambush in Fallen Valley

The Martial Artist felt a chilling killing intent emanate from Shen Haoran and reflexively lunged forward, trying to escape his reach. But his hopes were dashed. Before he could even move, a scorching heat pressed against his neck. The terrifying temperature instantly seared his skin crimson, and the excruciating pain sent his body into convulsions.

"Don’t move a muscle. Otherwise, I can’t guarantee I can control this flame’s temperature. If you end up roasted, you’ll have no one to blame but yourself!" The emotionless voice that came from Shen Haoran’s lips sounded to the Martial Artist like the whispers of a Demon from Hell. He didn’t dare make the slightest movement.

"Who are you, and why were you following me?" Shen Haoran demanded.

"I... I..." Hearing Shen Haoran’s question, the Martial Artist stammered, clearly unwilling to reveal his purpose.

"Refusing to talk?" Shen Haoran scoffed. The temperature of the flame in his hand shot up. The stench of roasting flesh, accompanied by a wisp of smoke, drifted from the Martial Artist’s shoulder. The agonizing pain nearly made him pass out.

"I’ll ask you one more time," Shen Haoran said coldly. "If you still refuse to talk, the next thing I roast won’t be your shoulder. It will be your heart." As he spoke, he pointed a finger at the Martial Artist’s chest.

"I’ll talk! I’ll talk!" Feeling the power behind Shen Haoran’s grip, the Martial Artist immediately changed his tune. He couldn’t worry about anything else now. ’My life is what’s important!’

"I’m an Outer Disciple of Fallen Valley," the Martial Artist said, trembling. "Senior Brother Ouyang told me to wait here. He said if a young man named Shen Haoran appeared, I was to send a signal. So I’ve been waiting here for that Shen Haoran to show up. I had no intention of offending you, Sir! I was just looking for that boy, Shen Haoran."

"Oh? Looking for Shen Haoran?" A cold smile touched Shen Haoran’s lips. "And what if I told you... I *am* Shen Haoran?" he said softly.

The Martial Artist’s body jolted at Shen Haoran’s words. "Impossible!" he cried out in disbelief. "Senior Brother Ouyang said Shen Haoran was nothing but a useless Tier Two Spirit Marquis! How could that be you?!"

"Hmph. Useless?" Shen Haoran scoffed. "You’ll find out soon enough if I’m useless. Now that you’ve found me, isn’t it time to fire the signal and call out your friends from Fallen Valley?"

"You... what do you mean?" The Martial Artist was utterly baffled, not understanding him at all.

"I mean, I want you to summon the people from Fallen Valley," Shen Haoran stated coldly.

"What? Did I hear that right? You want me to summon the people from Fallen Valley?" The Martial Artist was uncertain. ’Doesn’t this Shen Haoran know they’re here to kill him? Now that he knows the plan, he should be running for his life, not demanding I call them out. Has he so thoroughly offended Fallen Valley that he figures he’s dead either way and just wants to get it over with?’

"Hmph. Enough talk. I told you to call them, so do it. Otherwise, I’ll have to kill you and go find them myself!" Shen Haoran said, his patience wearing thin.

In truth, Shen Haoran never intended to make an enemy of Fallen Valley. After all, their power and influence were formidable; they were an Overlord Level existence in the Northern Domain. It was best to avoid provoking them if possible. However, Ouyang Shaoyu had come after him time and time again, making several attempts on his life. Not provoking Fallen Valley was about avoiding unnecessary trouble, but that didn’t mean he was a pushover. Since Ouyang Shaoyu wanted to play, Shen Haoran would be happy to oblige. Otherwise, how could he possibly do justice to all of Ouyang Shaoyu’s painstaking efforts?

Hearing Shen Haoran’s ultimatum, the Martial Artist had no choice but to comply. He took out a Signal Flare and fired it, sending a brilliant firework bursting across the sky.

Watching the brilliant explosion, a cold smile crept onto Shen Haoran’s lips as killing intent flared in his eyes. ’Fallen Valley, is it?’ he thought. ’I’ll make you regret ever crossing me.’

At the same moment, Shen Haoran chopped the back of the Martial Artist’s neck. He then casually tossed the unconscious man into the nearby weeds, leaving him to his fate, and began to walk slowly forward. ’The bait is set,’ he mused. ’It won’t be long before the big fish bite.’

Not long after Shen Haoran departed, more than a dozen figures appeared on the scene. Their leader was an old man leaning on a Skull-headed Staff. This was Xue Buhui, an Elder of Fallen Valley. Behind him followed over a dozen disciples, all clad in black uniforms, each with a menacing skull—the mark of Fallen Valley—embroidered on the chest.

"Elder Xue, the Signal Flare was fired from here, but there’s no sign of Shen Haoran," one of the disciples reported with a cupped fist salute.

"Elder Xue!" another disciple called out, having found the man Shen Haoran had knocked unconscious in the weeds. "Isn’t this the disciple who was waiting for Shen Haoran?"

At these words, Xue Buhui turned his head. Gazing at the unconscious disciple, he said flatly, "Wake him." His hoarse voice was like nails on a chalkboard, utterly chilling to the ear.

The disciple standing over the Martial Artist gave him a cold glance, then stomped on his arm. A sickening CRACK echoed as the bone snapped, and the jolt of agonizing pain shocked the man awake. To wake an unconscious disciple, they had simply broken his arm—an act of utter cruelty. Yet, the other Fallen Valley disciples showed no reaction, as if this were the most common thing in the world.

When the disciple came to, he saw Elder Xue standing before him. Instantly ignoring the searing pain from his arm, he scrambled to his knees.

"I’ll ask you this: where is Shen Haoran?" Elder Xue asked flatly, looming over the kneeling disciple.

"I... I don’t know! I saw him, but he knocked me out right after I fired the signal! I don’t know where he went!" The Martial Artist didn’t dare admit he’d been coerced into sending the signal, so he quickly changed his story.

"You don’t know? Hmph. What a useless piece of trash," Elder Xue said coldly, a murderous glint in his eye. "A failure like you is unworthy of being a disciple of my Fallen Valley!" With that, his Skull-headed Staff flashed with a green light. A thick, green mist enveloped the disciple, and in the next instant, the man’s body began to wither at a visible rate. Moments later, he was nothing more than skin and bones—a truly terrifying sight.

After the disciple died, the green mist that had enveloped him flowed back into the staff. As it returned, Elder Xue let out a long breath. The wrinkles on his face seemed to lessen, and a bit of color returned to his cheeks.

"Hmph. Trash is trash. So little vitality in him," Elder Xue remarked with a disdainful glance at the corpse. His gaze then swept the surroundings, a sinister light in his eyes. "Search!" he commanded coldly. "Tear this place apart if you have to, but find that brat!"

"Yes, Elder!" his disciples chorused. They then transformed into black shadows and disappeared into the dense forest, beginning their search...