The eighth checkpoint, the Desolate Beast Valley.
This was originally a perilous location within the eighth checkpoint, discovered as trialists successively passed through. It was inhabited by numerous ferocious demonic beasts along the Trial Path.
This place had always been sparsely populated; even trialists who encountered it would take a wide detour.
But on this day, the Desolate Beast Valley was unusually lively. Figures of trialists swiftly converged on this tranquil valley from all directions. This was because the Eighth Prince of the Tianqi Empire, Yang Jun, was leading trialists from several kingdoms to besiege a group of trialists from the Xia Feng Kingdom.
Originally, the Xia Feng Kingdom was just a small kingdom ranked in the middle to lower tiers among the one hundred and eight kingdoms, not worthy of much attention. However, due to the emergence of a Crown Prince, Xia Yang, who dominated the Trial Path and possessed the qualification to delay claiming kingship—a super powerhouse among other reasons—this ordinary kingdom from the western region of the continent also attracted the attention of various parties.
Later, coupled with the various high bounties issued by the Eighth Prince of the Tianqi Empire to hunt down the Xia Feng Kingdom trialists, it drew even more focus.
Deep within the valley, there was a pool about three zhang wide. Clearly just a pool, its water was bone-chillingly cold, emitting billowing cold mist that shrouded the entire valley, making everything appear hazy, as if it were an immortal valley.
But according to some trialists who had once passed through the Desolate Beast Valley, a terrifying water demon lurked within the cold pool. It was extremely fearsome. Once, seven or eight trialists tried to enter the cold pool in search of treasures but encountered this mysterious water demon. They were forced to activate their spirit talismans to eliminate themselves and protect their lives.
Yet, in the end, they weren't even clear about what the water demon in the cold pool looked like, because it was too fast, too terrifying—everything happened in an instant.
This was also the reason why the Eighth Prince, leading various powerhouses, had surrounded this place but still hadn't been able to capture the Thirteenth Prince and the others. The Thirteenth Prince had threatened that if they attacked, he would force out the water demon from the cold pool, leading to mutual destruction. Thus, they had always been apprehensive.
However, today they intended to truly take the initiative and attack within the valley because the Eighth Prince, Yang Jun, had borrowed a formidable heavy artifact to conquer the cold pool.
At this moment, at the deepest part of the valley, above the cold pool, there was a stone platform only one zhang wide. Except for the missing Crown Prince Xia Yang, the remaining seven members of the Xia Feng Kingdom were all on this stone platform, resting and recovering from their injuries.
After more than a month of continuous pursuit, the surviving trialists of the Xia Feng Kingdom bore various injuries and were utterly exhausted. Now was a rare time for recuperation. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief but dared not let their guard down completely, unsure when the Eighth Prince and his men would attack.
Waves of cold mist swept over from the cold pool. Even Xiantian powerhouses felt the bone-piercing chill, with frost even forming on their skin. This was clearly no ordinary cold mist; otherwise, it wouldn't be enough to make Xiantian powerhouses feel this cold.
However, everyone circulated their Xiantian True Yuan to resist this cold mist. This place seemed dangerous due to the mysterious water demon beneath the cold pool, but often the most dangerous place was also the safest.
Only this place was a perilous location that even the Eighth Prince of the Tianqi Empire dared not rashly attack.
At this moment, the one positioned centrally on the stone platform was none other than the Thirteenth Prince.
Only now, he lacked the carefree and composed demeanor he had in the Xia Feng Kingdom. His face was pale and bloodless, his abdomen bandaged. Even after taking pills brought from the royal family, the wound refused to heal. Sword energy and potent poison were wreaking havoc within, suppressed only by his own powerful True Yuan power. Otherwise, anyone else, without using a spirit talisman, would have been killed by this sword strike long ago.
This injury was inflicted three days ago during his battle with the Eighth Prince, Yang Jun. Surrounded by Yang Jun leading five young powerhouses, he was inevitably stabbed by Yang Jun, leaving behind a terrifying strand of sword energy, and the sword was coated with potent poison, preventing his wound from fully healing.
At this moment, the Thirteenth Prince was channeling his energy to force out this strand of sword energy and even the poison. Wisps of greenish smoke rose from his abdominal wound, and sweat soaked his clothes.
Fresh blood, tinged with black, continuously seeped from his abdomen as both the sword energy and poisoned blood were being expelled.
Vivian, Princess Hong Rong, Li Hu, Hua Shaoyang, and others stood guard. Even Xia Mang did not slack off. Among the group, only the weakest, Yang Yi, was still sitting cross-legged, actually cultivating, which made several people frown, though no one spoke.
After all, they were all from the Xia Feng Kingdom, and Yang Yi had the weakest cultivation, only at the first level of Xiantian. While considered exceptional within the Xia Feng Kingdom, on the Trial Path, he was merely ordinary, and his assistance wouldn't be of much effect.
The valley was eerily quiet, without the slightest fluctuation. But the quieter it was, the more uneasy it felt, like the calm before a storm.
While on guard, Vivian asked, "Sister Hongrong, is there any news of the Crown Prince yet?"
Although being pursued, Princess Hong Rong was clearly the most intelligent among them, also gathering intelligence, hoping for news of Crown Prince Xia Yang. Perhaps more so, she hoped Xia Yang would learn of their current situation.
If a super powerhouse like Xia Yang, with the qualification to delay claiming kingship, returned, unless other super powerhouses with the same qualification intervened, even if given ten times the courage, the Eighth Prince Yang Jun wouldn't dare make a move.
On the Trial Path, super powerhouses with the qualification to delay claiming kingship represented the strongest; no one dared to provoke them.
Hearing this, Princess Hong Rong slightly shook her head and sighed softly, a hint of gloom in her expression. "There has been no news of Royal Brother to this day. However, based on some hearsay, it seems he, along with several other super powerhouses with the qualification to delay claiming kingship, discovered a secret treasure site, suspected to be the legacy of a peerless powerhouse from this world's past, possibly even related to a Divine Spirit. There are also rumors it leads to another path."
Along the way, Princess Hong Rong had been collecting various pieces of intelligence—this was one of her abilities. From various rumors, she had pieced together a general picture. Currently, those super powerhouses with the qualification to delay claiming kingship on the Trial Path seemed to have vanished, suspected to have entered a mysterious land.
However, she guessed that even if Crown Prince Xia Yang knew of their current situation, nine times out of ten, he wouldn't intervene. For him, becoming stronger himself was the most important.
Hearing this, everyone's expressions turned gloomy. In this situation, aside from being eliminated, they really had no other choice. The opponent was simply too strong: the Eighth Prince from a superpower like the Tianqi Empire, also a Hundred Strong Trialist, leading trialists from several kingdoms subordinate to the empire to attack together. This was not something the isolated and outnumbered Xia Feng Kingdom could withstand.
Their strongest member, the Thirteenth Prince, also had his match in the opponent's Eighth Prince, Yang Jun. Both were Hundred Strong Trialists, and it wasn't clear who was stronger.
"What a pity. If Ye Chen were also on the Trial Path, we wouldn't be in such dire straits," Princess Hong Rong shook her head and sighed softly. This was also a great loss for the Xia Feng Kingdom, because he was another super powerhouse qualified to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Crown Prince Xia Yang. Yet, due to being in seclusion, he couldn't enter the Trial Path—a regret and a helplessness.
Otherwise, if Ye Chen appeared, he could definitely sweep away all enemies. With two peerless talents from one kingdom, who on the path could contend with them!
"Now the Thirteenth Prince is healing. If Yang Jun and his men attack, it will be troublesome," Li Hu said, voicing everyone's greatest worry.
Princess Hong Rong glanced at the Thirteenth Prince. "Perhaps it's a crisis, but it might also be an opportunity for Royal Brother the Thirteenth Prince. I sense fluctuations in his aura changing; he might be on the verge of a breakthrough."
Only then did everyone's faces show a hint of joy. Once the Thirteenth Prince broke through, it would be the best news for everyone.
"Let's hurry and rest. I have a premonition that a great battle is about to erupt!" Princess Hong Rong said.
Everyone nodded in agreement. This feeling wasn't unique to Princess Hong Rong; others felt it too.
Later, the guards switched to shifts of two people each, taking turns, while the others focused on healing and resting.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Suddenly, a series of whistling sounds broke the silence one after another, scattering the mist. Everyone on the stone platform was startled awake, their expressions drastically changing.
Before the cold pool, dozens of figures appeared one after another, all exuding powerful auras—every one of them Xiantian realm trialists.
The leader was a handsome and dashing young man with a face like carved jade, exceedingly handsome—none other than the Eighth Prince of the Tianqi Empire, Yang Jun.
Now, Yang Jun had brought over forty trialists, each a Xiantian powerhouse. This lineup was formidable enough to make anyone pale. They appeared before the cold pool, their momentum overwhelming, pressing down on the Xia Feng Kingdom trialists on the stone platform.
The situation had become extremely tense.
A great battle was about to erupt!