Chapter 148: Before Thunder Rock Valley, All Eyes on Lin Fan!
The Thunder Rock Mountain Range stretched endlessly, its peaks towering like pillars that pierced the clouds.
From deep within the range, faint yet wild beast roars echoed, rumbling through the forested slopes with an oppressive presence.
The number of beasts within the range was astonishing. And deep inside, true Nirvana Stage beasts dwelled—making this place a forbidden zone for most.
Normally, no one would dare step foot here.
But due to the appearance of the Ancient Key, the mountains were now swarming with cultivators.
Among them, of course, was Lin Fan's group. Along the way, they had slain many beasts.
Lin Fan, however, had rarely taken action—leaving most of the work to Lin Dong, Mo Ling, and the others.
The beasts were too weak to interest him.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Suddenly, from behind, several figures raced across the sky, drawing annoyed glances from many.
But once their identities were recognized, everyone quickly averted their gazes.
"That's quite a lineup… at least ten half-step Nirvana experts. Which empire are they from?" Lin Dong asked in surprise.
Mo Tie's expression turned cautious.
"That's the Great Yuan Dynasty. Once a high-tier empire, they've declined—but they're still much stronger than the average mid-tier empire."
Tang Xuan added,
"And over there is the Lingyun Dynasty, their equal in strength. These two are the strongest factions around Sun City."
Mo Ling and the others exchanged looks—then instinctively turned their eyes to Lin Fan.
With him here, their group might just be the real strongest faction.
As more people poured into the mountains, the atmosphere grew tense. The beasts even seemed to become more coordinated, slowing everyone's advance.
At the same time, the sky gradually darkened, casting a shadow over the mountain range.
"Brother Lin Fan, it's too dangerous to keep moving at night. Let's make camp here," Mo Tie suggested.
"I don't mind," Lin Fan replied casually.
Mo Tie sighed in relief and ordered the others to pitch tents and build a simple camp.
BOOM BOOM BOOM—
As darkness enveloped the mountains, the earth suddenly began to quake violently.
A terrifying bestial aura swept from all directions, engulfing the entire mountain range—and the many factions encamped here.
"A beast tide!"
Cries of alarm echoed everywhere as an endless tide of beasts surged from the shadows, crashing toward the camps like a tsunami.
"Sound the alarm!"
"Form up! Defend the lines!"
Panic and urgency spread rapidly.
Terrifying auras clashed as combat erupted across the battlefield.
"Tang Xuan, hold the north! Liu Xuan, the east! I'll take the west. Brother Lin Fan, the south is yours!" Mo Tie shouted over the chaos.
Lin Fan nodded indifferently.
The beast tide was fierce. Only by combining their strength did they manage to hold the line.
Unlike last time, there was no one like Jin Mu to stir trouble, and Hai Sha was too scared of Lin Fan to act out.
Still, the cost was high. Almost every other faction suffered heavy casualties.
Such was the reality of the Ancient Battlefield—death could strike at any moment.
Mo Tie and the others were more grateful than ever to have Lin Fan in their group.
After pushing the tide back, the group rested and recovered as best they could.
…
The next day, they resumed their journey.
This time, their travel was surprisingly smooth.
By dusk, they finally reached their destination—Thunder Rock Valley, where the Ancient Key was said to be hidden.
BOOM—
Excited cultivators surged forward, rushing toward the valley entrance.
But just as they were about to enter—
CRACK!
A hundred-meter-long streak of frigid light tore through the sky and smashed into the ground, blocking their path with a deafening boom.
The earth split open, forming a massive chasm.
The sudden ambush threw everyone into chaos.
Liu Yuan of the Great Yuan Dynasty and Ling Zhi of the Lingyun Dynasty exchanged dark glances.
"Who dares stop us?! Show yourself!" Ling Zhi roared.
"Turn around. This place isn't for the likes of you," a cold voice echoed from the sky.
As it rang out, the temperature dropped sharply.
A figure descended, exuding a terrifying pressure without releasing any aura at all.
"Nirvana Stage!"
Everyone's face turned grim.
Despair spread like wildfire among the Sun City factions.
The newcomer was Hua Yun, of the Mystic Ice Empire, a high-tier power.
But the situation quickly worsened—
"Still waiting, Wu Mo?" Hua Yun asked, turning toward the valley.
Ha ha ha…
Dark laughter answered.
Another figure, dressed in black, appeared—Wu Mo, of the Great Raven Empire.
"Just like I said, Hua Yun. You alone wouldn't be enough to scare them."
Now, with two Nirvana Stage cultivators, Liu Yuan and Ling Zhi's expressions turned bitter.
"Got anything to say now?" Hua Yun sneered.
"Will you leave quietly, or shall we 'discuss' it?"
Silence fell. No one in Sun City dared speak up anymore.
"What do we do?" Ling Zhi whispered.
Liu Yuan replied,
"If we had someone who could hold off a Nirvana Stage… we'd have a chance."
Ling Zhi's eyes lit up.
"We forgot about someone."
"Who?"
"The one who killed Jin Mu from the Sacred Light Empire—Lin Fan! Jin Mu was a half-step Nirvana. If Lin Fan could kill him, maybe he really is Nirvana level."
Ling Zhi turned toward Lin Fan's group and called out:
"Brother Lin Fan! We're all from Sun City—please, lend us your strength!"
Whoosh—
In an instant, every eye turned to Lin Fan.
Even the two Nirvana experts above—Hua Yun and Wu Mo—shifted their gaze.
The air froze.
All of Sun City now placed their hopes… on one man.
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