Chapter 516: Chapter 516: Storm Valley (Part 1)
A white steed, ridden by a small figure.
Standing about four feet tall, wearing a set of dark brown leather armor, with a white silk scarf around his neck. His narrow brows and large nose gave him the comical appearance of a stage clown.
A Dwarf Knight!
Don’t be fooled by his small stature; with one hand holding the reins and the other a flag, his riding skills were quite impressive.
Neigh—
The white horse halted dozens of steps away from Zhang Yuan, rising on its hind legs.
The Dwarf Knight leapt high into the air, landing in front of Zhang Yuan.
"Sanger from the Hulan Tribe, nice to meet you!"
He knelt on one knee, respectfully bowing to Zhang Yuan.
"Stand up and speak."
Zhang Yuan said calmly, "Is there something you need from me?"
Sanger smiled faintly, planted the white flag beside him, then rose and clasped his hands, saying, "May I ask, are you heading to Storm Valley to pick Blood Orchids?"
Zhang Yuan nodded, "That’s right."
Zhang Yuan felt no surprise, for he had been under the surveillance of a Gray Eagle ever since leaving the Nacuoda City outpost; it was easy to deduce the reason.
Just as Wulan Tuya mentioned, her opponents within the tribe wouldn’t want to see her obtain the life-saving Blood Orchid.
Not even as a mere possibility.
"Sir, did you know that no one has survived Storm Valley in the past decade?"
Sanger sighed, "Storm Valley is forbidden to our Hulan Tribe. Even the strongest can’t withstand the storms in the valley; it’s a place where death is certain!"
Zhang Yuan chuckled, "You’re trying to persuade me not to go to Storm Valley?"
The dangers of Storm Valley were apparent through the information Wulan Tuya provided, making further persuasion pointless.
But Zhang Yuan needed to see the situation for himself. If it was beyond his capability, he would naturally abandon the mission, not recklessly risking his life.
Even if the Celestial Divine Iron were ten times more precious, it wouldn’t be worth Zhang Yuan’s life.
Without even reaching Storm Valley, trying to deter him with mere words seemed utterly futile!
Sanger pulled a troubled face and asked, "Then, sir, what would make you give up?"
Zhang Yuan smiled without speaking.
But his gaze bore no humor, cold and devoid of emotion.
Sanger shivered instinctively, quickly dismissing his little schemes.
He bowed his head and whispered, "Sir, my master is willing to gift you a piece of Celestial Divine Iron."
Another offer of Celestial Divine Iron!
Zhang Yuan was speechless, feeling as if Wulan Tuya’s circle was full of leaks.
The offer was too precise to be a coincidence; they definitely knew about his deal with Wulan Tuya.
Zhang Yuan pondered and asked, "How big is this Celestial Divine Iron?"
Sanger raised his right hand, fingers clenched into a fist, "As big as my fist."
Really?
Zhang Yuan instantly lost interest, "Forget it, you may leave."
No joke, the Celestial Divine Iron Wulan Tuya offered was at least three times as large.
Furthermore, the Hulan Noble Lady promised twice the amount!
Sanger was incredulous, "Sir, you needn’t take any risk to obtain this Divine Iron, and..."
"Our master’s friendship!"
Friendship?
Zhang Yuan was amused.
He lazily waved his hand, unwilling to entertain the matter further.
In reality, even if Sanger’s offer matched Wulan Tuya’s, Zhang Yuan wouldn’t agree.
Because his reputation was more valuable than any material treasure!
Sanger was dumbfounded.
He couldn’t believe Zhang Yuan would reject such a "generous" offer.
Bear in mind, Wulan Tuya asked Zhang Yuan to risk his life, while his master merely wanted him to give up. Even if the former’s rewards were greater, there was no risk with the latter!
Who in their right mind would make the choice Zhang Yuan did?
"Sir..."
Sanger was unwilling to accept being a failed negotiator, wanting to talk more with Zhang Yuan.
"You have ten seconds to leave."
Zhang Yuan coldly interrupted, "Ten, nine, eight..."
Sanger’s face changed drastically.
He felt as though he was being hunted by a fierce beast, with the fear of death surfacing from within, drowning his entire being.
The Dwarf Knight nearly collapsed on the spot, but his will was strong enough to turn around with all his might, hastily returning to the horse.
Then he fled in a panicked retreat!
Zhang Yuan stopped counting at "five."
Watching the Dwarf Knight disappear from view.
He calmly gathered the items on the ground and headed into the mountains.
With no ready-made paths in the mountains, and the terrain becoming abruptly harsh, Zhang Yuan chose a secluded spot to release his steed.
He didn’t tether the horse, so it could escape if danger arose.
"Take care of yourself."
Patted the horse’s neck, and Zhang Yuan instantly employed his body technique, disappearing on the spot.
Following the map, he zeroed in between two towering peaks, traversing through the dense forest and occasionally leaping onto high treetops to check coordinates, ensuring he stayed on course.
It shouldn’t have been so complicated, but alas, the Red-eyed Crow was still in slumber recovering.
Zhang Yuan felt an increased need for Source Material.
He even planned to ensure a constant stockpile of Source Material in the future, rather than using it up completely each time.
After not too arduous a journey, Zhang Yuan saw a large mountain valley among the peaks.
As he emerged from the forest, a gust of wind struck him head-on.
This wind was rather sinister, like an invisible undercurrent, hitting the head and body in an instant.
An ordinary person would have been thrown on their back unexpectedly!
Naturally, it had no effect on Zhang Yuan.
His eyes scanned, taking in the surroundings.
The valley’s entrance was one or two miles wide, rugged and barren, with lush vegetation on either side of the mountains, yet inside, not a trace of greenery.
A closer look revealed some dark green, gray-black wild grass and vines taking root in the crevices.
The valley was incredibly deep, with no visible end.
This Storm Valley was like a dormant giant beast, gaping its bloodthirsty maw, ready to devour anyone daring to enter!
It was as perilous as described in the reports!
Zhang Yuan took a deep breath, then activated the Primordial Celestial Spirit True Method, unleashing powerful Gang Qi.
Instantly, he fortified himself with a layer of Invisible Armor!
The next moment, he dashed towards Storm Valley like an Arrow Leaving the Bowstring, entering its domain in the blink of an eye.
