Chapter 157 Wolf Soul Valley

This was the first time Chu Han had ever witnessed so many alchemists practicing their craft simultaneously. People of all ages were present—the youngest no more than four or five years old, while the oldest boasted a full beard of white hair. Although their alchemy skills were quite ordinary overall, the sheer scale of the spectacle remained magnificent.

"Heh, this is the alchemy workshop of our Pill Sect. It used to be a marketplace, but after some recent turmoil within the sect, everything was relocated here. It could also be considered a way of keeping things hidden."

Noticing Chu Han’s curiosity, Xuan Tian could not help but chuckle as he offered an explanation.

Chu Han nodded. Indeed, the Pill Sect differed from ordinary sects; its entire membership consisted of alchemists, a unique status that granted the Pill Sect an extraordinarily detached and prominent position among all sects.

Shortly after, the two of them entered a room at the innermost part. Inside sat a man and a woman, who looked at him with smiles that did not quite reach their eyes.

"Vice Sect Master, I have brought him here. I shall take my leave now."

With these words, Xuan Tian departed in a calm and leisurely manner.

Gazing at the two figures in the room, Chu Han smiled faintly, cupped his fists in a salute, and said, "The two seniors must be the Vice Sect Masters of the Pill Sect. I have long admired your great reputations. May I ask why you summoned this junior here?"

"You must be Chu Han. Please, take a seat and remove your hat. There is no need to conceal your identity here; no one can enter without my explicit permission," the woman said. Although she appeared somewhat advanced in years, she was impeccably preserved, making her actual age impossible to guess.

Chu Han sat down in a chair, removed his hat and mask, and revealed his true appearance. Remaining silent, he waited for them to speak, knowing they undoubtedly had a specific purpose in summoning him.

"Let us introduce ourselves first. Both of us serve as Vice Sect Masters of the Pill Sect. I am Qing Xuan, and he is Qing Yi. We asked you here today because there is indeed a matter we wish to discuss with you."

Qing Xuan also spoke, walking over to sit opposite Chu Han. Meanwhile, the woman known as Qing Yi watched Chu Han with curious eyes, as if attempting to pierce straight through him with her gaze.

"We have conducted some investigations into your background. Of course, do not worry; we harbor no malicious intent. We routinely investigate any alchemist who catches the eye of the Pill Sect. Naturally, we are also aware of the events you were involved in back in Great Chu."

Qing Xuan's words instantly caused Chu Han's expression to darken. Realizing he had reacted, Qing Xuan hurriedly added a brief explanation, prompting Chu Han to nod in understanding.

The Pill Sect was composed entirely of alchemists, yet these practitioners could not all be expected to seek membership voluntarily; many wandering cultivators despised the rigid rules and restrictions of traditional sects. To recruit talent, the Pill Sect had no choice but to investigate these alchemists independently, making their actions understandable.

"We are aware of the conflict between you and the Wolf Tribe in the Eastern Wasteland, as well as the fact that the young woman Liu Qingli has been transformed into the Nine Poisons Sorceress of the Wolf Tribe. We have brought you here precisely because of this Wolf Tribe business."

Upon hearing this, Chu Han was genuinely startled. So they were aware of the Wolf Tribe as well! Yet in his past life, had the Wolf Tribe not continuously wreaked havoc in the Eastern Wasteland? How had their actions managed to alarm even the Pill Sect? The moment this thought crossed his mind, he realized the situation was far more complicated than he had initially assumed.

"Do you know the location of the Wolf Tribe? I indeed share a blood feud with them. If you know where they are, please tell me."

Chu Han spoke urgently. If he could discover the stronghold of the Wolf Tribe, he would slaughter his way there without hesitation. No matter what, Liu Qingli was still in their hands, and he would never allow such a tragedy to continue unchecked.

At his words, both Qing Xuan and Qing Yi wore troubled expressions. They exchanged glances and sighed, leaving Chu Han somewhat puzzled. Did they possess some unspeakable difficulty?

"Chu Han, the Wolf Tribe is not as simple as you imagine. The faction in the Eastern Wasteland is merely a branch. The full name of this organization is the Wolf Soul Valley, and it has many tentacles spread across the entire continent; the Wolf Tribe is just one of them."

"The Wolf Soul Valley operates with extreme secrecy. To this day, no one knows their true hiding place, nor do we know their ultimate objective. We only know that they require the vital essence of numerous cultivators, and many wandering cultivators have already fallen victim to their cruelty."

"However, the number of wandering cultivators is finite. Once they have all vanished, the Wolf Soul Valley will inevitably turn its sights on the major sects. When that time comes, the situation will become infinitely more dangerous."

Qing Xuan explained slowly, granting Chu Han a deeper understanding of the Wolf Tribe.

He had already witnessed the formidable strength of the Wolf Tribe's faction in the Eastern Wasteland firsthand, yet he had never imagined it was merely a single branch, with many similar offshoots scattered across the continent. This alone was enough to reveal the terrifying power of the Wolf Soul Valley, filling him with mounting apprehension.

Furthermore, the Wolf Soul Valley had persistently hunted for the vital essence of practitioners. Since a single person possessed only a limited amount of essence, draining it entirely resulted in immediate death. What on earth they intended to do with such vast quantities of practitioners' essence remained utterly baffling and deeply unsettling.

Qing Xuan's words made Chu Han realize that while dealing with the Wolf Tribe alone might be straightforward, confronting the Wolf Soul Valley was an entirely different matter. Their presence in the Eastern Wasteland was ostensibly to unearth a vital artifact native to the region, but their movements were so clandestine that he was momentarily at a loss for what to do.

"Recently, the major sects have been holding continuous meetings in an effort to deal with the Wolf Soul Valley, though they are mostly a mob of short-sighted fools who lack any real urgency regarding the threat. However, because of this crisis, the opening of the Great Crimson Heaven has been postponed by two months, which inadvertently buys you some time."

Qing Xuan spoke again. This time, however, his words left Chu Han thoroughly confused. Delaying the Great Crimson Heaven by two months was certainly advantageous to him, as it provided an opportunity to further elevate his strength. Yet he failed to see how this "bought him time" in a broader sense, seeing as every other competitor entering the Great Crimson Heaven would also use the period to strengthen themselves.

"It seems you are unaware. We have received reliable intelligence indicating that the Wolf Soul Valley may soon make a move against your Tang family. The exact timing remains unknown, but it likely will not happen immediately. After all, the Tang family is currently a prominent and influential household in Great Chu, so you need not overly panic."

Qing Xuan finally reached the crux of the matter. Chu Han sprang directly to his feet from his chair. Currently, only Tang Hao remained at the Tang estate, while the young prince had returned to Jingyuan City to secure arrangements for Yang Rong and the others. If the Wolf Soul Valley were to strike, there would be no one in the Tang family capable of stopping them.

The thought made him want to bolt through the door, but Qing Xuan intercepted him. "Hold on. I know you are worried about the Tang family, but rushing back now will accomplish nothing. They will not attack immediately. Therefore, you must participate in the Grand Alchemist Tournament and win the championship."

"I know this sounds hard to understand from your perspective, but in the eyes of the Pill Sect, you are the single most crucial person for dealing with the Wolf Soul Valley. After all, you have fought them before and understand them well, and you hold a blood feud against the Wolf Soul Valley. The prize for the champion of this Grand Alchemist Tournament is of paramount importance to you. Because of this, we temporarily altered the grand prize. Before you return home, you must secure this championship title."

Hearing Qing Xuan's explanation, Chu Han finally calmed down. Since things had been laid out so clearly, there was no reason for them to deceive him. Besides, the Grand Alchemist Tournament would conclude in just a few days; once he claimed the championship, hurrying back would still leave plenty of time. After all, as they had noted, although the Wolf Soul Valley was deeply hidden, their base must be located a considerable distance from Great Chu—otherwise, when he previously annihilated the Wolf Tribe, the Wolf Soul Valley would have intervened immediately. The intervening time would serve as his golden opportunity to win the championship.