I am Master Maoshan

At this moment, a clear sound of bells came from the mist of the Nether Valley, accompanied by the low sound of wheels rolling over the ground, as if it came from the depths of the distant earth, which was chilling.

Liu Jun and Yang Xiao stopped at the same time, looking in the direction where the sound came from with sharp eyes, and were secretly on guard in their hearts.

Yang Xiao did not hesitate to summon the two emperor corpses to protect him. Although the two emperor corpses had reached the early stage of the half-step god king realm, they had not yet broken through to the middle stage. Although they were strong, they were still not enough to deal with unknown threats. They could only rely on their super strong bodies to act as meat shields.

As the sound got closer, the fog in front of Liu Jun and Yang Xiao began to slowly disperse to both sides, as if pushed away by an invisible force, revealing a deep passage.

At the end of the passage, a horseless carriage slowly approached, and the sound of the wheels rolling over the ground seemed particularly harsh in this silent valley.

The body of the carriage was as black as ink, seeming to blend in with the surrounding darkness. Only the sound of the bells echoed in the air, carrying a hint of weirdness.

The carriage stopped in front of them, its doors closed and its curtains swaying slightly, as if something was stirring inside.

Suddenly, a low and strange laugh came from the carriage: "Hehehe, guests have come from afar, welcome, welcome, please get on the carriage." The voice seemed to come from the depths of hell, carrying a creepy chill.

Liu Jun and Yang Xiao looked at each other and became even more alert. The appearance of such a thing in this place, everyone knew that there must be something fishy behind it.

Especially that laughter, which seemed to carry some kind of magic that made people want to get closer involuntarily.

Yang Xiao clenched the needle-like weapon in his hand and whispered to Liu Jun, "Be careful, there's something strange about this carriage."

At this moment, the door of the carriage opened automatically, revealing a dark space inside. However, shockingly, there was no one in the carriage, only the strange laughter echoed in the carriage, as if mocking their vigilance.

Liu Jun frowned, thinking to himself, "Who is driving this carriage? Is it Long Aodi? Or some other unknown force in the Nether Valley?"

He felt that a powerful force was watching them secretly, as if it would launch a fatal attack at any time.

Yang Xiao commanded two emperor corpses to block in front of him, ready to respond to any emergency at any time. However, the carriage seemed to have no further movement, just stopped there quietly, waiting for their response.

Liu Jun took a deep breath and made a decision in his heart. Then he whispered to Yang Xiao, "Since the other party has already sent an invitation, we might as well find out. If we continue to stalemate here, I'm afraid we will only be passive."

Yang Xiao nodded. Although he still had doubts in his heart, he also understood that it was not wise to retreat at this time. The two walked towards the carriage, with a hint of caution in every step.

Just as they were about to step onto the carriage, the eerie laughter rang out again: "Hehehe, you are indeed very courageous, please get in." There was a hint of teasing in the voice, as if waiting for them to fall into a trap.

Liu Jun and Yang Xiao looked at each other and knew that this carriage might be their only way to enter the depths of the Nether Valley. Although the road ahead was full of unknown dangers, they had already come and it was too late to give in, so they could only step on this strange carriage.

The door slowly closed behind them, and the carriage started again. The sound of bells and wheels echoed in the mist of the Nether Valley, as if bringing them into a more mysterious and dangerous world.

As the carriage slowly traveled through the Nether Valley, more and more strange noises were heard around, such as the howling of ghosts and gods, as if countless wronged souls were whispering in one's ears, which was creepy. The sound of the wind was mixed with shrill wails, sometimes sharp, sometimes low, as if telling the dark and cruel past of this land.

Liu Jun and Yang Xiao opened the carriage window and looked outside. The world before them seemed to be shrouded in a layer of gray mist. There was no concrete scenery within sight, only countless floating white souls.

These souls have different shapes, some are twisted and deformed, some are incomplete. They wander in the air, full of hostility towards each other, constantly fighting and devouring each other, as if they are engaged in an endless battle.

However, these white souls all had one thing in common - they didn't dare to approach the carriage. The carriage seemed to be protected by an invisible barrier, and any soul that approached would quickly retreat, as if the carriage itself was some kind of terrifying existence that frightened them.

"It's quite interesting, what a great place." A hint of excitement appeared on Yang Xiao's face, with a gleam of exploration in his eyes.

He has always liked this kind of place full of death and danger, as if only in such an environment can he find his true self.

Liu Jun didn't say anything, still looking out the window. His expression was solemn, his brows slightly furrowed, as if he was thinking about something. This Nether Valley gave him an inexplicable sense of familiarity, as if he had been here in some distant memory, or had some secret connection with this place.

The carriage continued to move forward, passing through layers of fog, and finally reached the depths of the Nether Valley. The scenery here changed again. The originally gray sky gradually turned dark red, as if stained with blood. Scattered black dead trees appeared on the ground, with twisted trunks and branches stretching towards the sky like dry arms, as if silently accusing something.

The air was filled with a smell of decay, as if this land had been dead for many years, leaving only endless desolation and despair. The mountains in the distance were looming, as if covered by a layer of gauze, appearing particularly mysterious.

"Looks like we're here." Yang Xiao whispered, with a hint of excitement and vigilance in his tone. He looked at Liu Jun and found that his expression was still solemn, and he didn't seem to relax because he had reached his destination. "Something is wrong here." Liu Jun finally spoke, his voice low and serious. His eyes swept around, as if he was looking for something.

"Something's wrong? Isn't this normal? After all, this is the Nether Valley." Yang Xiao smiled, trying to ease the tense atmosphere.

Liu Jun shook his head and said nothing more. His intuition told him that there was some huge secret hidden deep in the Nether Valley, and this secret might be related to him.

The carriage slowly stopped, and the souls around it seemed to calm down, no longer fighting, but watching them from afar, as if waiting for something to happen.

Liu Jun and Yang Xiao looked at each other and understood each other. They knew that it was about to begin.

"Let's go and see what's here." Yang Xiao jumped off the carriage first, his eyes deep, as if he had already seen through the fog ahead.

Liu Jun followed closely behind, and their figures gradually became blurred in the dark red mist, as if they were swallowed by this mysterious land.

After walking about 700 to 800 meters, the dark red fog finally dissipated, and the scene in front of me suddenly became clear. This place seemed like a forgotten paradise, completely different from the outside world.

An ancient peach tree stands in the center, with peach blossoms blooming on its branches as gorgeous as flames, as if burning the passion of life. Under the tree is an ancient stone table surrounded by four stone benches. On the table is a chessboard and three cups of fragrant tea. The fragrance of tea permeates the air, making people feel relaxed and happy.

On one of the stone benches sat a young man in a white robe. He was handsome, with an extraordinary temperament between his eyebrows and a gentle smile on his lips, as if he had been waiting for a long time. His eyes swept over Yang Xiao and Liu Jun, and a meaningful light flashed in his eyes.

"Emperor Long Ao?" Liu Jun spoke first, with a hint of uncertainty in his voice. Although he had heard of this name, he had never seen the real person. The young man in front of him was very different from what he imagined. He lacked the arrogance of a peerless genius and was more friendly.

"It is me. Nice to meet you, Senior Yang Xiao, the Skyfire God King." The young man in white robe smiled slightly, his voice gentle and powerful, his manners revealing an elegant etiquette. His eyes lingered on Yang Xiao for a moment, a trace of respect flashed in his eyes.

Liu Jun and Yang Xiao's faces changed slightly. It was not surprising that Liu Jun was recognized, after all, his identity had long been known in the God Realm. But Yang Xiao was different. He had always kept a low profile and rarely showed up in front of the world. This time, he was suddenly invited by Liu Jun to help. However, this Dragon Ao Emperor recognized him at a glance, which made them feel a little wary.

"It seems that our whereabouts are already in your control." Yang Xiao said lightly, with a hint of temptation in his tone.

Long Aodi smiled slightly, picked up the teacup without comment, took a sip, and then said: "The two distinguished guests have come from afar, why don't you sit down and have a cup of tea first, and then slowly talk in detail."

Liu Jun and Yang Xiao looked at each other. Although they still had doubts in their hearts, they sat down as they were told. The aroma of tea was wafting, but the atmosphere was a little subtle.

Long Aodi glanced at the chessboard and said, "This game of chess has been going on for a long time, but there is still no winner. I wonder if the two seniors are interested in solving this game with me?"

Yang Xiao glanced at the chessboard and frowned slightly. The chess pieces on the board were arranged in a complex pattern. It seemed calm, but in fact, it was full of murderous intent. He knew in his heart that this game of chess was not just a game of chess, but also an invisible contest.

"Since Mr. Long is in such a good mood, we will accompany him to the end." Yang Xiao said in a deep voice, with a sharp light flashing in his eyes.

Liu Jun blinked and said nothing. As for chess, he only knew how to play Gobang, so he might as well let Yang Xiao try, although he knew that the significance of this game went far beyond the chessboard itself.

The three of them sat around the stone table, the fragrance of tea and peach blossoms intertwined, as if adding a touch of poetry to this silent contest.

However, outside this peaceful paradise, dark red mist is still surging, as if foreshadowing some unknown crisis.

Long Aodi smiled slightly, and gently placed a chess piece with his fingers, as if he was revealing a bigger mystery. His eyes were deep, as if he could see through the world outside the chessboard. Every move he made carried an invisible pressure, as if silently announcing some kind of indescribable control. The black and white pieces on the chessboard were intertwined, like the arrangement of stars, and each piece seemed to contain infinite mysteries.

Yang Xiao frowned slightly, staring at the chessboard, and after thinking for a few seconds, he also made a move. His finger lingered on the chess piece for a moment, as if weighing the gains and losses of each move.

However, as the game progressed, Yang Xiao's forehead gradually began to ooze out fine beads of sweat, and his breathing became slightly faster. He could feel the invisible pressure on the chessboard, as if every move was within Long Aodi's expectations.

The two players made moves faster and faster, and the sound of the pieces hitting the board was crisp and rapid, as if they were playing a tense symphony.

(End of this chapter)