This assassin is upright

Chapter 372 Nightmare Valley
In the vast, boundless, and tranquil desolate dark land, a colossal pillar, hundreds of thousands of meters in diameter and surrounded by boundless demonic energy, stands silently, seemingly capable of supporting the heavens, making people hesitate to approach.

Within that enormous pillar of demonic energy lies the most mysterious place on the sixth level of the Netherworld: Nightmare Valley.

Rumor has it that among them is the power left behind by a demonic expert whose strength far surpasses that of the Nine Lords, and obtaining it will allow one to soar to the heavens.

Countless demons ventured into Nightmare Valley because of this rumor.

However, as soon as one touches the pillars of demonic energy on the outskirts of Nightmare Valley, they will be torn to shreds in an instant by the demonic energy filled with endless killing intent.

Even the Ninth Prince is no exception.

Over time, this place has become a restricted area, deserted and uninhabited.

In the darkness, five figures moved with lightning speed, then abruptly stopped just before entering Nightmare Valley, revealing their forms.

It was none other than Yu Zhun and his group of five who were heading towards Nightmare Valley.

"This is Nightmare Valley?" Lu Wen raised an eyebrow, gathered his primal power into a longsword, and carefully pierced it into the pillar of demonic energy.

When it was pulled out again, only the hilt of the longsword remained.

"Holy crap!" Lu Wen's expression changed instantly. "This demonic energy is a bit strange. It can actually shatter the power of origin?"

The expressions of the other four people also became serious.

No wonder it would be torn apart by demonic energy with the slightest touch.

The power of origin is the source of power for all third-tier powerhouses. No matter what ability they use, they cannot escape the power of origin.

In the demonic energy that can directly shatter the power of origin, even special states like chain blood and invincibility might not be able to protect oneself.

“No wonder even the Ninth Lord couldn’t get in.” Yu Zhun exhaled a breath of turbid air, looking at the pillar of demonic energy in front of him, a thoughtful expression appearing in his eyes.

If nothing unexpected happens, Void Lord should already know that they have arrived here, but the other party has not shown up.

They thought it was impossible for them to enter Nightmare Valley, so they didn't care at all that they were getting close.

if it is like this…

He was going to give the other person a good surprise.

"You plan to enter Nightmare Valley?" Helmod saw through Yu Zhun's thoughts and said in a deep voice, "The risks are considerable."

At least for now, he couldn't think of a way to get in.

“We should give it a try.” Yu Zhun pondered for a moment and then suddenly spoke up. “I think Nightmare Valley is a special opportunity in the Netherworld.”

"Since it's an opportunity, there should be a way to enter."

"If even the Nine Lords cannot enter smoothly, then this method is likely unrelated to the level of strength."

“You mean…” Helmod’s expression shifted slightly.

"This pillar of demonic energy must have some kind of operating rule, and it can only be passed through under certain circumstances, or there must be a key to pass through it."

Yu Zhun paused for a moment, then said, "Of course, I prefer the former."

As he spoke, Yu Zhun gripped a dagger and slowly approached the pillar of demonic energy, gently extending his other hand, which was not holding the dagger, into the demonic energy.

The next instant, the half of his hand, which was deeply embedded in the demonic energy, quietly shattered, blood spurted out, and countless demonic energies, like venomous snakes, rapidly spread along the wound to Yu Zhun's arm and shoulder.

"Pfft-"

Yu Zhun remained expressionless, and with a swift motion, he severed the arm along with the demonic energy. The arm that fell to the ground was instantly pulverized and dissipated.

"treat!"

A flash of green light appeared, and Yu Zhun's arm regrowed at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Yu Zhu put down the pastor's book and looked nervously at Yu Zhun.

"Are you okay?"

"Don't worry, it's just a small experiment." Yu Zhun smiled reassuringly, his gaze towards the pillar of demonic energy growing even more serious.

After this small test, he was certain that the pillar of demonic energy before him could not be broken through simply by strength.

Let alone a third stage of deification, even a fourth or fifth stage is absolutely impossible.

and so…

What are the patterns in the pillars of demonic energy?

How can I enter Nightmare Valley?

Yu Zhun lifted his foot and began to observe the pillar of demonic energy. Yu Zhu and the others exchanged glances, then followed closely behind Yu Zhun.

Every so often, Yu Zhun would gather a wisp of his primordial power and pour it into the pillar of demonic energy to distinguish the differences between the pillars in different areas. Soon, Yu Zhun stopped thoughtfully at a certain spot.

"What's wrong?" Helmod asked slowly, still addressing her without changing her tone. "Is there a problem here?"

“This location…” Yu Zhun pondered for a moment, then slowly spoke, “The speed at which the power of origin is shattered seems to be a bit slower.”

As he spoke, he unleashed another burst of primal power, feeling the power being gradually absorbed, and a hint of certainty appeared in his eyes.

This was not his imagination.

The power of demonic energy is indeed weaker at this location!

Although the weaker demonic energy was still beyond the reach of Yu Zhun and the others, it at least showed that the pillars of demonic energy did indeed follow a pattern.

He simply sat down cross-legged and stared intently at the peculiar spot he had just discovered. "From now on, I'll check every now and then to see if the demonic energy at this spot changes."

"I feel that this location should be the entrance."

“Let’s wait and see.” Helmod nodded slightly, then asked, “If this really is the entrance, should we go in?”

"According to your speculation, Void Lord should still be able to monitor our movements. If we really enter Nightmare Valley, he will definitely come immediately, right?"

“Not necessarily.” Yu Zhun pondered for a moment, looking at the gap in front of him. “We didn’t spend too much time discovering this place. If this really is the entrance, there’s no reason why Jiu Jun wouldn’t have found it.”

"But the rumor is that even the Ninth Prince cannot enter this place."

"So there must be some problems here."

"As for what exactly it is, let's wait and see."

Helmod nodded slightly and said no more.

The other three also quieted down, patiently watching Yu Zhun repeatedly pour his primal power into the pillar of demonic energy.

Soon, Yu Zhun's expression changed.

“The demonic energy is weakening,” Yu Zhun said in a deep voice. “Starting ten minutes ago, the rate at which the demonic energy at this location destroys the source power began to decrease continuously, and it is still decreasing now.”

"This is the weakest point of the demonic energy within the pillar of demonic energy. If it continues to decrease over a certain period of time, a void in the demonic energy may appear, allowing people to enter smoothly!"

At this point, Yu Zhun's expression did not ease; instead, it became even more somber.

Because they found the patterns so quickly!

Yu Zhun believed that most demons would be able to discover this entrance if they tried it.

So... why is this place a restricted area?
While pondering this, Yu Zhun continued to invest his source power until a moment later, his expression changed, "Now!"

Almost the instant his words fell, a huge hole suddenly appeared in the pillar of demonic energy in front of him. There was no demonic energy in the hole, and one could even vaguely see the dark and mysterious valley inside.

It's Nightmare Valley!

Without the slightest hesitation, Yu Zhun and his group rushed in immediately.

The instant their figures disappeared, the void in the pillar of demonic energy rapidly filled with new demonic energy, just like in other areas.

A figure emerged from the void, gazing at the previously empty spot with a strange look in its eyes. "They actually managed to sneak into Nightmare Demon Valley..."

"Very well, the rest of the plan can proceed without them; having them would only bring trouble."

"Let them stay inside."

"No one can take the things there."
-
Yu Zhun and the others put their feet back on solid ground. Looking at the demonic energy pillar that had closed up behind them and the faint murderous aura emanating from all around, they couldn't help but feel more solemn.

"It seems there are indeed many problems with Nightmare Valley," Helmod said in a deep voice. "The entrance here isn't hard to find, so how did the rumors originate?"

“There is only one possibility,” Yu Zhun said in a deep voice, “Nine Lords concealed the existence of the entrance to Nightmare Demon Valley and attempted to embezzle this power.”

"No, it's unlikely that all of the Nine Lords know about this."

"It is very likely that only a portion of them know."

"But isn't that still not safe?" Yu Zhu couldn't help but speak up. "What if someone, like us, doesn't believe in superstitions, or by chance finds this entrance and enters Nightmare Valley?"

"Therefore, we need a powerful enough expert to guard the vicinity of the pillar of demonic energy at all times, and to kill anyone who gets too close and create the illusion that they have been torn apart by the pillar of demonic energy," Yu Zhun said in a deep voice.

"But this powerful figure encountered some problems that we didn't."

A powerful figure? Something went wrong?

Everyone was slightly stunned.

“This is just my guess,” Yu Zhun shook his head. “It’s not certain yet.”

"Instead of this, let's explore Nightmare Valley."

"I'm curious whether there really are any remaining powers here."

“Okay.” Helmod nodded. “Split up?”

“No, let’s stick together.” Yu Zhun shook his head and rejected Helmod’s suggestion. “Since there’s a fixed entrance here, it’s possible that more than just a few of us will enter.”

"If we encounter a powerhouse at the level of a Nine Lord here, splitting up would be very dangerous."

As he spoke, Yu Zhun looked around.

The interior of Nightmare Valley is a desolate valley, but the ground is covered with crisscrossing marks, as if a great battle once took place there.

Following the increasingly dense battle marks, Yu Zhun and his group soon entered the heart of the valley.

Upon seeing the situation in the center of the area, everyone's pupils contracted simultaneously.

A tall figure clad in armor sat cross-legged on the ground, one hand gripping a broken longsword, the tip of which was plunged into the earth, his body radiating a terrifying and boundless demonic power.

That demonic power was far stronger than the demonic power of the Void Lord they had seen before; just seeing him made them feel a sense of suffocation.

Is that the head of the Nine Lords, or the second seat among them?

In an instant, Yu Zhun and the other four simultaneously assumed fighting stances, but after waiting for a long time, the figure still did not move.

"He seems to be dead?" Yu Zhu's voice carried a hint of uncertainty.

“He is indeed dead.” Helmod slowly lowered his staff and breathed a sigh of relief. “If I’m not mistaken, he is not the Ninth Lord.”

"He is the powerful demon who, according to legend, had already perished before the Nine Lords appeared."

"The demonic power we see now is probably just a trace of demonic power that remained in the body long after the opponent's death."

Upon hearing this, everyone couldn't help but gasp in astonishment.

Even the slightest remaining demonic power is comparable to the top three of the Nine Sovereigns.

No wonder people say this guy's strength is far superior to Jiu Jun's.

Even without having witnessed the opponent's full strength, Yu Zhun and the others could roughly imagine how terrifying it was.

Perhaps the pillars of demonic energy in the outside world were also his doing.

“No wonder they say that absorbing his remaining power can lead to instant success.” Lu Wen looked enlightened. “Ordinary demons can absorb his power and immediately reach the top three positions among the Nine Lords. Isn’t that instant success?”

Yu Zhun frowned and remained silent, walking step by step toward the other person.

Both Helmod and Reuven's statements are correct.

But he always felt that something was wrong.

Is its power comparable to the top three seats of the Nine Lords, worthy of such attention from the Nine Lords?

Furthermore, why do they keep it instead of directly absorbing and utilizing it?
While pondering, Yu Zhun approached the corpse and, sensing its remaining life force, his brows furrowed even more.

Something about this body is also off.

In the Netherworld, powerful beings killed will turn to ashes.

Why was the corpse of this powerful demon preserved?

After a moment's hesitation, Yu Zhun extended a finger and slowly touched the other person's body.

The flesh and blood of the powerful being, who had been dead for countless years, had withered and clung tightly to the bones. The cold touch was like touching an ancient, unmelting ice. After rubbing it for a while, a hint of doubt flashed in Yu Zhun's eyes.

For some reason, he felt that the demon in front of him was different.

This difference doesn't lie in the level of strength, but in something more fundamental, like...

The demon before them seemed to be a different species from the demons they had encountered before.

Although they looked identical on the surface, the feeling grew stronger as Yu Zhun touched the other's remains.

"Anything discovered?"

Seeing Yu Zhun's constantly changing expression, Helmod spoke up.

"I can't explain it clearly, you guys try." Yu Zhun took a deep breath, stepped back a few paces, and made room for the others.

Helmod stepped forward first, mimicking Yu Zhun's actions by touching the corpse, and then a strange look appeared on his face.

Next up were Yu Zhu, Udir, and Lu Wen.

"I didn't feel anything?" Lu Wen withdrew his hand after the last attempt, asking in confusion, "Did you all feel anything?"

The other four gave Lu Wen a strange look, then exchanged glances with each other.

“This guy isn’t a demon,” Yu Zhu said first, stating his opinion. “At least, he’s not the kind of demon we’ve encountered.”

"It has a similar appearance to the demon, but its life essence is completely different, and even its mode of existence is completely different."

As a pastor, Yu Zhu possesses an extraordinary ability to perceive the essence of life, and he is able to discern details more profoundly.

“My feeling is similar to Yu Zhu’s,” Udir nodded, “except not as detailed as hers.”

"Besides that, I can vaguely sense that his strength in life was far more terrifying than we imagined, at least at the seventh level of divine transformation."

“The Demon Lord level…” Helmod took a deep breath. “My feelings are a little different from yours.”

“My sacred flame generated strong hostility and repulsion towards him.”

"This situation did not occur when facing the demon."

Yu Zhun nodded thoughtfully, "Based on everyone's findings, I have a guess."

"This body may have existed for a much longer period of time than we imagined."

"He did not perish before Jiu Jun appeared."

"They perished before the Netherworld appeared."

(End of this chapter)