There were people in the Misty Valley.
This was beyond everyone's expectations.
No one had thought that there would be anyone here.
Following that, a middle-aged man, eight feet tall with thick eyebrows and big eyes, strode forward with an enraged expression, "Who are you people? How did you get here?"
The aura he exuded was exceptionally potent.
He was at least a Middle-ranked Divine General, possibly even an Upper-ranked Divine General.
A single glance from him gave everyone a sense of immense pressure.
"Uncle Dong?" Quinn exclaimed in disbelief.
The middle-aged man looked surprised, "You know me?"
"It's me, it's Quinn!" Quinn said excitedly, and then grabbed Xia Lan's hand, "Look at her, do you still recognize her?"
Xia Dong frowned.
The figure before him was too unfamiliar.
Yet, for some reason.
There was a hint of familiarity in the unfamiliarity.
It was as if he had seen her before.
At this moment.
Xia Lan recognized the man before her and was overwhelmed with tears of joy, "Father, it's me, it's Lan'er!"
Boom!
Xia Dong felt his scalp tingle.
He had never imagined that his longed-for daughter would appear before him.
Father and daughter embraced, weeping.
"Father, I never thought you were still alive. If I had known sooner... how could I have lived on alone?" Xia Lan sobbed uncontrollably.
She had come to Misty Valley more than once.
But she had not dared to enter.
Because each time she came, it was to pay respects to her father and grandfather, and she never believed they were still alive.
"Child, you shouldn't have come here!" Xia Dong sighed.
Although he was happy to see his daughter.
Xia Dong knew clearly in his heart.
Once one entered Misty Valley.
There was no hope of leaving alive.
"Who is here?"
With a booming voice, an old man with white hair and beard walked over from a distance.
This person was Xia Dong's father, Xia Yuan.
"Father, it's Lan'er, Lan'er is here!" Xia Dong called out to his father.
Xia Yuan was overjoyed.
He hurried over at his fastest speed.
Upon seeing Xia Lan, his eyes welled up with tears, "I never imagined that after twenty years apart, we grandfather and granddaughter would be reunited! Fortunate, yet sorrowful, fortunate, yet sorrowful!"
Xia Lan pursed her lips, trying to hold back her tears, "Grandfather, Father, as long as I can see you both, I have no regrets even in death."
"Even if I am trapped in Misty Valley and can never leave, I have no regrets even in death!"
Xia Yuan forced a smile, "It's happened. There's no use saying more. Let's go home, we'll talk about what has happened these years."
Xia Lan nodded solemnly, "Okay!"
Her home used to be in the underground city.
Now.
She had a new home.
The place where her father and grandfather lived was her home.
Then Chen Nan and the others followed the Xia father and son to a wooden house in the valley.
The wooden house was very simple.
But it had some basic pots and pans.
"Go, bring the hundred-flower dew I brewed, we must drink to our heart's content today!" Xia Yuan let out a hearty laugh.
During the twenty years he was trapped in Misty Valley, he had brewed a lot of wine in his idleness.
Although the alcohol content was low.
It was fragrant and left a lingering aftertaste.
"Elder, are you and Uncle Dong the only ones in Misty Valley?" Quinn asked curiously.
Xia Yuan said, "Besides my son and I, there are over ten other people. They are from three other tribes."
"They also entered this place by mistake and can no longer leave."
Xia Dong smiled, "Actually, it might not be a bad thing not to leave. After all, there are many immortal herbs and spiritual fruits in Misty Valley. Those things are beneficial for our cultivation."
"I have a premonition that as long as one cultivates to a certain realm, perhaps one can break through the restrictions of Misty Valley and leave this place."
Xia Yuan gave his son a glare and grunted, "You didn't think this before Lanlan appeared."
"You said you wanted to return to the tribe and help Lanlan find a suitable husband."
Xia Dong chuckled, "I was just worried about Lanlan. Besides, now that the three of us are reunited, is there any difference between going out and staying here?"
Xia Yuan nodded slightly, "You're right. Instead of going out, it's better to stay here and live."
While parents are alive, there is still a way home.
Now that their three generations are reunited.
It made no difference where they went.
Compared to living in the underground city.
Life here was truly more comfortable.
After all, there were many medicinal herbs and spiritual fruits beneficial for cultivation.
These were the objects that cultivators dreamed of.
Of course.
There were also drawbacks.
That was the loss of freedom.
One could only live in this tiny place for life.
"Elder, is there really no way to leave this place?" Quinn asked unwillingly.
Xia Yuan pondered for a moment and asked, "If I remember correctly, your entire family is dead, right?"
Quinn forced a smile, "My parents, grandfather, and grandmother are all dead."
The others looked awkward.
They felt that Xia Yuan was not good at conversation.
Even if Quinn's family was gone.
There was no need to say that his entire family was dead.
Xia Yuan, "Since your entire family is dead, isn't it good to cultivate here diligently?"
"Grandfather, the eldest is concerned about the safety of his tribesmen and wants to save the tribe." Xia Lan spoke of Shi Wu and his ambitions.
Before Xia Yuan could speak, Xia Dong angrily said, "The Shi family is indeed ambitious. None of them are good people."
"I was forced into this place back then because I was being pursued by Shi Xin, otherwise how could I have been trapped here?"
Xia Yuan sighed, "The Shi family members are indeed insidious people. They will do anything to satisfy their selfish desires."
"It's my fault for being too merciful!"
"I should have wiped out the Shi family back then."
Upon learning that his son was forced into Misty Valley by Shi Xin.
Xia Yuan secretly killed Shi Xin.
Shi Wu was very young that year.
He had not taken his life.
Who would have thought that that little beast inherited the insidious nature of the Shi family.
He regretted his misplaced kindness!
Xia Yuan looked at Quinn, "I know you are wholeheartedly thinking of your tribesmen, but..."
"Misty Valley is one of the three forbidden lands of the Second Heaven."
"Even if one cultivates to the Divine King realm, there is no hope of breaking through the restrictions here."
Xia Lan exclaimed, "Could it be that Grandfather and Father have cultivated to the Divine King realm?"
Xia Yuan forced a smile, "It's just the Lower Divine King realm."
"Some people in other tribes have cultivated to the Upper Divine King realm."
"But even so."
"No one has been able to open that stone gate."
There was a stone gate in Misty Valley.
Everyone had a premonition that opening the stone gate might lead to their departure.
But.
Even an Upper Divine King could barely move that stone gate.
Quinn's eyes were complex, "Let's do our best and leave the rest to fate. We'll cultivate here for a while and try to open the stone gate before the assessment ends."
"If we really can't, I can only hope that our tribesmen will have a good outcome."
There were twenty-seven days left until the one-month deadline.
These twenty-seven days would determine if they could leave.
It would determine if Chen Nan could obtain the incomplete painting of the Ascension Road.
This.
Was crucial.