As Lin Hao walked deeper, the environment within the valley began to change.
The flora withered, leaving the ground littered with bones. There were human skulls and the remains of various animals.
Lin Hao frowned as he surveyed his surroundings, sensing a strong presence of deathly energy.
Xiao Hei walked beside Lin Hao, his gaze alert as he scanned the area. "Senior Brother," he said solemnly, "something feels off here."
Lin Hao replied, "We should be fine for now. It's just that too many animals and people have died here, making the deathly energy quite potent."
Xiao Hei nodded and continued to advance cautiously. A bit of deathly energy posed no threat to him or Lin Hao.
Time passed quickly.
Before long, half an hour had elapsed. Xiao Hei looked at Lin Hao and spoke, "Senior Brother, I think people have exaggerated this place a bit. We've been inside for half an hour and haven't encountered any danger."
Lin Hao shook his head. "Don't let your guard down. I still feel like something is not right here."
Lin Hao’s brows furrowed as he gazed at the valley shrouded in deathly energy. Since entering the valley, he had kept his 'Xiangyan' active. Through it, Lin Hao could clearly perceive the changes in the valley's energies. From the initial vibrant life force to the current surge of deathly energy.
Initially, Lin Hao believed this deathly energy was formed over years from the lingering spirits of the deceased and the decaying remains of animals. However, he now felt that wasn't the case. Regardless of whether it was the souls of the departed or animal carcasses, it was almost impossible for them to generate such potent deathly energy.
As they ventured deeper, the deathly energy had become almost tangible. If an ordinary person were to inhale it, they would die instantly.
Lin Hao looked at the dark, oppressive valley and raised his hand, forming a hand seal. As the seal was cast, the dense deathly energy before him condensed into a single drop of black liquid, which fell from the air. The black droplet landed on a rock, hissing as it instantly corroded a round hole into it. It was more potent than concentrated sulfuric acid.
Xiao Hei was startled by this sight. "Senior Brother, this..."
At that moment, Xiao Hei realized Lin Hao's words were true. He had indeed been careless. Xiao Hei glanced around with apprehension before looking at Lin Hao. "Senior Brother, do you really think the Heavenly Gate is in here?"
"Not necessarily. While it's rumored that Kunxu contains the Heavenly Gate, and immortals reside beyond it, these are legends. However, the fact that such legends have been passed down through generations suggests that they are not entirely baseless."
"That's true." Xiao Hei nodded, no longer daring to be distracted, and continued to advance slowly.
Lin Hao walked ahead, his brow slightly furrowed. As he walked, he attempted to divine his grandfather's whereabouts. But here, the heavenly secrets seemed completely obscured, making divination impossible. He couldn't even divine the location of an ordinary person, let alone his grandfather.
Obscured heavenly secrets were not a new phenomenon for Lin Hao. However, such obscuration was usually caused by natural feng shui formations. Yet, here, Lin Hao found no large-scale feng shui formations.
Lost in thought, Lin Hao proceeded slowly. Suddenly, his expression sharpened, and he stopped abruptly, warning Xiao Hei, "Be careful!"
Hearing Lin Hao's words, Xiao Hei's expression also changed. He looked at the dark, oppressive space ahead, his heart pounding. "Senior Brother, it looks like a spiritual energy storm!"
Since reaching the Grandmaster realm, there had been few things that could make Xiao Hei tense. This was partly due to his own formidable strength and partly due to his cultivation of an indomitable mindset. Yet, now, facing this space that resembled a spiritual energy storm, Xiao Hei felt a surge of nervousness.
"It should be," Lin Hao nodded, his eyes narrowing slightly. Like the Heavenly Gate of Kunxu, 'spiritual energy storms' were also things of legend. It was said that if the spiritual energy in a place became too abundant, it would form a spiritual energy storm. Those who ventured into it would instantly be torn into powder. Even Grandmasters would emerge either dead or severely injured. Lin Hao hadn't expected to encounter a legendary spiritual energy storm here.
Seeing Lin Hao nod, Xiao Hei asked curiously, "So, does that mean this place was once an excellent cultivation haven?"
Lin Hao nodded at Xiao Hei's words. "Possibly." Xiao Hei was right. Spiritual energy had declined in the world. Places with abundant spiritual energy were rare, even when searching the entire Earth. Only legendary 'cave heavens and blessed lands' might possess sufficient spiritual energy. Such places were rumored to be where immortals resided. Now, the appearance of a spiritual energy storm here indicated an exceptionally abundant supply of spiritual energy. Such ample spiritual energy might mean this area was indeed a legendary cave heaven and blessed land. However, this place, which was likely a cave heaven and blessed land in the past, had now transformed into a deadly region that could claim a life in an instant.
"Senior Brother, what do we do? Should we continue forward?" Xiao Hei asked, looking ahead.
"Forward," Lin Hao's answer was without hesitation.
"Alright." Xiao Hei nodded and prepared to take the lead to scout for Lin Hao. But as he moved, Lin Hao grabbed him.
"I'll go first. My senses for spiritual energy are more acute," Lin Hao said, already stepping forward. The moment he entered, countless streams of spiritual energy, like swords, surged towards him! Lin Hao waved his sleeve, dispelling the chaotic spiritual energy that swept towards him. But as soon as he cleared it, countless more streams of spiritual energy rushed in. The boundless spiritual energy was not something that could be swept away or eliminated with just a few actions.
Witnessing this, Lin Hao's expression changed slightly. He had already taken the spiritual energy storm seriously, but he hadn't expected its power to far exceed his imagination. As the chaotic spiritual energy storm pierced through his protective aura, Lin Hao felt his skin sting and immediately activated the Vajra Seal. The pale golden Vajra Seal appeared, forming an oval-shaped energy shield that protected him. Countless streams of chaotic spiritual energy struck Lin Hao's Vajra Seal like spears and short swords. In an instant, the pale golden glow of the Vajra Seal dimmed by a circle. Lin Hao's expression changed again as he saw the Vajra Seal dim so quickly.
"Xiao Hei, how are you?" Lin Hao turned to look at Xiao Hei, noticing his slightly grim expression.
"Senior Brother, I'm fine," Xiao Hei replied, maintaining his protective aura. However, his aura was constantly being struck and worn down by the chaotic spiritual energy storm, forcing him to continuously channel his internal spiritual power to reinforce it.