In the southern heavens, the Dongyu State is prosperous. This is not because the state is small in territory or lacks abundant resources, making it overlooked by the major powers. On the contrary, whether in size of territory or in the richness of cultivation resources, Dongyu State ranks among the top ten in the southern heavens. The reason it has not yet been fully controlled by any single power lies entirely in its geographical location. Besides being geographically distant from the Nine-State Alliance with no direct ties, Dongyu State is actually closely adjacent to the nations of three major powers—positioned squarely between them. Moreover, its cultivation sects, due to historical circumstances, are diverse and fragmented. They include both orthodox and demonic sects, as well as numerous smaller, more casual sects outside the orthodox and demonic traditions. Most importantly, among Dongyu’s indigenous cultivation lineages, no single sect has emerged strong enough to dominate the others and serve as a decisive force capable of representing the state’s interests and tilting the balance in favor of one particular power. Thus, none of the three powers wished to relinquish the nation, and they engaged in constant competition, both openly and secretly. Yet, no decisive outcome was reached. In the end, they only settled on a vague agreement: each power would refrain from interfering in the nation's affairs, making Dongyu a neutral state. Of course, many of the native sects within the three nations had already aligned themselves with either the Zheng or Mo factions or the Heavens' Alliance, thereby securing quiet backing from the three powers. This enabled Dongyu to maintain a relatively balanced situation over the course of more than a century, earning the favor of numerous cultivators who saw it as a neutral haven and settled there in large numbers. As a result, the nation flourished remarkably. In the northern region of Dongyu, the city of Changzhou is home to a basin that occupies nearly two-thirds of the city's total area. This basin is largely covered by dense forests. At its heart lies a vast mountain range stretching for hundreds of thousands of miles, known locally as the "Wanling Mountains." Whether this mountain range truly comprises over ten thousand peaks has never been verified by anyone. Yet this mountain range is so radiant that its spiritual beasts and rare medicinal herbs abound in abundance. However, beyond occasional periods occurring every few decades, even cultivators dare not venture here to harvest herbs or capture beasts. This is entirely due to the mountain range's other, far more notorious name among cultivators throughout the southern heavens—the "Realm of the Falling Demons." Deep within the range lies a hidden valley known as the "Valley of the Falling Demons," acclaimed as the very first perilous site in the southern realm. This valley has existed since the age of primordial wilderness. Over countless millennia, countless great cultivators have entered it in search of treasures, yet it remains veiled beneath a mysterious, blood-stained veil, inspiring awe and hesitation in all who approach. While the reputation of the Valley of the Falling Demons alone is insufficient to deter cultivation efforts, it appears that this valley has had a lasting influence. Since some unknown time, the entire mountain range has been continuously enveloped in a dense, colorful mist. This瘴气 is not only extraordinarily toxic—contact with it proves fatal—and its density is so thick that it is nearly impossible to see a hand's length ahead, resembling a spell-like barrier that blurs one's sense of direction upon entering. Within such conditions, even adept cultivators can survive without harm, yet they are utterly unable to harvest medicinal herbs or capture spiritual beasts. They can only gaze longingly at the mountain's treasures, or make modest efforts in the more sparse, outer regions of the mist. However, every fifty years or so, this mountain's mists clear away, marking the period when the spatial fissures within the Fallen Demon Valley are at their narrowest and most stable. During this brief window, travelers from the southern lands seize the opportunity to enter the mountain and seek fortune. Of course, given the vast scale of the mountain, even with abundant herbs and beasts, only a small fraction of cultivators can achieve tangible gains. Nevertheless, during these periods, thousands of cultivators from various levels gather here. Moreover, near this mountain, some merchants backed by family power have managed to establish several varying-sized markets within a very short time, acquiring spiritual herbs and beasts from cultivators who have achieved harvests—enabling them to thrive for a time. This year, the misty瘴气 of Wanling Mountain has begun to thin out, and it now appears only a few months away from being completely eliminated. As a result, a large number of cultivators have flocked into Changzhou's realm, with the volume surpassing previous waves, and most of them being foreign cultivators from other states, many of whom are high-level cultivators. This has left the local cultivation sects and families stunned, prompting them to urgently restrict their disciples from venturing out easily and dispatching personnel to investigate the cause. The news they received left these local cultivation forces utterly astonished. ...On an unnamed small mountain at the border of Changzhou, a pair of cultivators who have both reached the Jian stage stand side by side atop the peak. The man wore a long robe of deep blue, about thirty years old, refined and elegant; the woman was dressed in imperial court attire, though remarkably full-figured, her appearance ordinary, with nothing particularly outstanding. Though their expressions seemed composed, the frequent glances they cast upward and the subtle undercurrent of anxiety in their eyes revealed their true feelings. A short while later, a shimmer of silver appeared in the distance, followed by a silver streak of light rushing swiftly from afar toward the mountain, heading directly for the small hill. Upon seeing this streak of light, the two seemingly married cultivators exchanged joyful expressions. As the silver streak approached and looped above the mountain, a man in a crimson robe, in his forties, emerged clearly. "Brother, you've finally arrived. How is it going? Did you manage to obtain the entry token?" the woman, upon seeing the tall man, immediately smiled gently and asked. "Heh, good thing I came just in time. I've secured the token," the scholar replied, lifting his hand and sending two beams of green light toward the man and woman. The two hurried to catch the bronze seals, which turned out to be two in total. One bore the red characters "Zui Mo," while the other displayed a golden seal, radiating a gentle aura of spiritual energy. The female cultivator immediately beamed with excitement, while the male cultivator furrowed his brow, his expression one of thoughtful contemplation. "Excellent! With this Zui Mo Seal, we can now enter the valley to seek treasures. If we manage to obtain some ancient elixirs and medicinal herbs, perhaps we three might even have a chance to consolidate our true essences!" The female cultivator, overjoyed, exclaimed with enthusiasm. "How could they charge such a modest seal three ten-thousand spirit stones? They must truly be bold," remarked the blue-robed male cultivator beside her, sighing lightly. The combined price of these three seals—amounting to ten ten-thousand spirit stones—had nearly depleted the accumulated savings of the three over several centuries, leaving the blue-robed cultivator naturally feeling a bit strained. "Second brother, don't worry so much about it. This time, it wouldn't have been possible without my close friendship with that person." Our sect is short on manpower and has thus decided to forgo this opportunity to enter the valley. Right now, even at the price of ten thousand灵stones per token, there's likely fierce competition outside. Originally, the Gui Ling Sect intended to claim all the treasures from Fu Mo Valley exclusively. Under pressure from other sects, they've only recently agreed to allow outsiders to join the entry process. Otherwise, even if you offer ten thousand灵stones for a single chance to enter, the Gui Ling Sect would absolutely refuse. The scholar sighed, expressing his sense of helplessness. The blue-robed cultivator listened carefully and couldn't immediately offer any counterarguments, yet he glanced at the token in his hand and still voiced his concerns. "Still, is the Gui Ling Sect's method of entry truly reliable? I've heard that numerous spatial rifts stretch across the valley entrance—just one misstep and you could end up with no remains. Moreover, I recall that a Gui Ling Sect elder once emerged alive from the valley. Brother, don't you think this is credible?" "Unless the Gui Ling Sect intends to go head-to-head with the entire southern celestial cultivation realm, this situation will surely prove unproblematic." Moreover, haven't we all heard that the senior monk of Gui Ling Sect only managed to escape with his Yuan婴, his physical body perishing in the Plum-Magic Valley? That does indeed make sense. The scholar replied without hesitation. "Yet even if we manage to enter the valley, the peril there is extraordinary—how can we be sure whether our current venture to obtain the Plum-Magic Commands is truly sound?" The blue-robed man still hesitated after hearing the scholar's explanation. "Hmph! With our current qualifications, our attainments are already at the very peak. Should we fail to encounter any fortunate circumstances, within two or three centuries we shall all turn to dust. Given such an opportunity, we must seize it and make a stand. Moreover, I've heard that the spatial fissures and other dangers outside the Plum-Magic Valley's core are considerably fewer than those deep within. If we simply explore the outer regions and remain vigilant, we should be safe from mishaps." The woman spoke with confidence. "It's said that Gui Ling Sect has issued hundreds of Plum-Magic Commands this time, and most of them have already been acquired by various sects." It's even said that Mu Lan Fashi may send representatives as well. That means hundreds of monks and nuns will join the Ghost Spirit Sect's team to enter the valley in search of treasures. With so many people going together, what could go wrong? If danger arises, we can simply turn back immediately. But should we miss this opportunity, we'll regret it for the rest of our lives." The scholar understood clearly and spoke calmly. The female cultivator beside him nodded repeatedly, clearly agreeing. "Since Brother has expressed such confidence, I shall join the group and go into the valley together." The man in blue robes smiled faintly and said no more. ... The same scenario was unfolding frequently across various regions near Changzhou. Since half a year ago, rumors had begun circulating—claiming that the Ghost Spirit Sect had discovered the method to enter the Valley of the Fallen Demon and intended to keep it secret from other sects, aiming to claim all the treasures for itself. As soon as the news spread, the entire cultivation world was abuzz. The major sects, originally intending to rest after their recent fierce battle against the Muling people, suddenly found themselves restless. They dispatched messengers to Gui Ling Sect to inquire about the matter, and even the other six magian sects sent envoys to verify its authenticity. The Gui Ling leadership naturally erupted in fury, yet under such immense pressure, they were forced to reluctantly acknowledge the incident. After all, as long as determined investigators pursued the matter, they could always uncover the truth from subtle clues. As a result, the other sects naturally demanded a sharing of their entry methods into the valley without hesitation. This time, however, Gui Ling Sect firmly refused to comply. In the end, they proposed a compromise: they would provide each sect with a certain number of entry tokens. As long as the sects held these tokens and arrived during periods when the valley's spatial rift was stable, they could send a contingent of their personnel to join Gui Ling's cultivators in entering the valley. Naturally, this came at a cost in spirit stones. Of course, to pacify the discontent of the independent practitioners, hundreds of shares were specifically allocated to them and the smaller sects. Now, as this period approaches, Changzhou has naturally become bustling. Around Wanling Mountain, numerous practitioners from other states have recently arrived, making the local practitioners—those who originally intended to enter the mountain in search of treasures—extremely cautious, now all acting with humility and restraint.