The Medallion
Chapter 1696 The Three Paths

After five long days of travelling, the joint team of the Ghost Fief and Flower Fief arrived at the entrance of the Nether Fire Land on tired feet.

A long time ago, the land had been a paradise. But changes in the soil had engulfed it in flames from the earth's core, turning it into what was currently referred to as the Nether Fire Land. The temperatures inside ran almost two times higher than the outside world's. The only thing protecting its visitors from dehydration and death was their spiritual power.

The sole act of entering the Nether Fire Land would be a serious test for the joint team.

And after they stepped foot in the desolate land, they would be threatened by the diabolic beasts that had lived there for thousands of years. Now, they had reproduced and mutated, making them stronger than ever before. They possessed the power that extraordinary diabolic beasts had. Normally, powerful warriors from the Shura Race would avoid the land at all costs.

And the trek through the Nether Fire Land would be nothing compared to the task of the Godly Geniuses. For Rocky and the joint team, the journey there was only beginning.

Because they had been travelling for several days and had almost no time for rest, Vivian ordered the team to set up tents to recuperate before they proceeded. She also sent a reconnaissance team that was led by two Spiritual Emperors to explore the land and get familiar with the terrain so they could confirm their next path.

A few hours later, the reconnaissance team returned with a carefully plotted out topographic map of the area.

Holding it in her hands, Vivian summoned Rocky, Valeria, and the other Spiritual Emperors to her tent to discuss which path they should choose to follow.

"Okay. According to the topographic map of the area that the reconnaissance team has just made, there is a fork in the road that makes three paths just beyond the entrance," Vivian said as she spread out the topographic map on a large, round table. "The first one leads to a small slope that we would have to climb. It is the fastest among the three paths. But this small slope is surrounded by over a hundred diabolic beasts. Therefore, if we were to choose this path, we would be forced to run the whole way which may cause us to lose some of our people."

After a pause, she continued, "The second option is to follow the river. That way, we can avoid the diabolic beasts, but it's the longest path and it has many twists and turns, which will greatly delay us." "It's clear that those two aren't the best options!" Valeria said, frowning down at the map in deep concentration.

"Yes. That is why I think the third one will be the most suitable one. It trails through this valley. According to the report given by the reconnaissance team, the diabolic beasts in this valley have been wiped out by the teams of other Godly Geniuses that arrived before us and it is a relatively safe route. There may be some diabolic beasts roaming around, but it is far less dangerous." Vivian finished, looking up at her team to await their opinions on the matter.

"Then let's choose the third path!" Valeria said firmly, slamming her hands lightly on the tabletop.

"No. There must be something wrong with this valley," Rocky said abruptly, shaking his head.

"I don't see anything wrong with it. What do you see?" Vivian and others looked at Rocky silently.

"You said that the diabolic beasts in this valley were wiped out by the other teams that arrived before us but in terms of terrain, this valley is the slowest out of the three paths. Why would the other Godly Geniuses risk taking this path?" By looking at the topographic map, Rocky could tell that the terrain of the valley was complicated and that the road was narrow, which put travelers in an unfavorable situation. Logically speaking, the other Godly Geniuses would have seen that too and avoided it if they had the choice.

"Do you think it's a trap?" Vivian asked, looking Rocky directly in the eyes.

"It's highly likely." Rocky nodded.

"I disagree. If the other Godly Geniuses passed through this valley, it must be relatively safe. It's better than choosing the other paths which are obviously quite dangerous..." Valeria objected.

"Godly Genius Valeria, you're right. Since the other Godly Geniuses took this path, it should be safer. There's no need for us to choose the other paths which will take longer," the other Spiritual Emperors echoed. In their eyes, the valley was the safest, fastest option.

"If you insist on walking through this valley, you will regret your decision." Rocky shook his head.

"Don't speak as if you're a prophet. Vivian and I are both more experienced than you at leading teams. You should trust us and our intuition. Besides, with your strength, you can barely contribute. Just try not to drag us down," Valeria said in a voice laced with sarcasm. In her opinion, Rocky was only good for his medical skills. Leading an army was not an easy task, especially for an inexperienced rookie like Rocky. And he had no evidence to back up his opinion.

Valeria didn't know that Rocky was the one who had led the human army against the spiritual race army and successfully defeated them a few months ago.

Rocky kept his body relaxed in the face of Valeria's hostility because he knew that she had always disliked him. Whether he was right or wrong, in her eyes, she could never tolerate him. He could yell and accuse all he wanted but she would never listen.

"What do you think, Miss Vivian?" Rocky looked at Vivian, hoping that she could see reason and would make the right choice.

"I will send someone to investigate again and once we know there are no problems, we will set off again," Vivian said cautiously. She didn't object to Rocky's opinion, nor did she agree with him. Rocky had no reason to speak against her so he turned around and exited the tent.

The other Spiritual Emperors also walked outside, leaving Valeria behind.

"Godly Genius Valeria, why are you so against the Godly Genius from our Ghost Fief?" Vivian asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I just don't like him." Valeria snorted.

"Then why do you have an engagement with him?" Vivian rolled her eyes. She didn't know much about love, but if it were her, she would never agree to things that she didn't like.

"Of course I wouldn't get engaged to him if it were up to me. This is not my decision," Valeria said helplessly.

"The fact is, his worry is very reasonable. He warned us out of pure kindness," Vivian replied, defending Rocky.

"He was just bragging. We are all more experienced than him. There is no need to listen to him." It was clear that Valeria didn't value Rocky or his opinion at all.

"Even so, we should exercise caution," Vivian said calmly.

"You are the team leader. It's up to you!" Without saying anything more, Valeria left the camp.

Then, Vivian ordered the reconnaissance team to enter the Nether Fire Land once more and confirm the safety of the valley.

Meanwhile, in the depths of the valley where Vivian and the others were planning to go, a hundred people that were led by Tobias were hiding in a pile of rubble, waiting for an opportunity to attack their opponents.

In the middle of the rubble heap, a low-level Spiritual Emperor was sitting in a spiritual array and continuously releasing his spiritual power into a purple crystal ball.