Three thousand li west of Shadow City.
The place was far from the city's bustle, light, and shadow. It lay deep within the desolate lands of the Black Heaven Domain, shrouded in eternal night.
A vast, rugged black mountain range sprawled across the earth. The mountains seemed to have condensed from the purest black jade and shadow. Strange rocks jutted everywhere, and not a blade of grass grew.
At the center of the mountain range stood an especially majestic black main peak, shaped like a sleeping giant beast.
The peak was not sharp and towering. Instead, it caved inward, forming an enormous circular valley. This was the venue of the "Dark Night Trial"—Shadowless Valley.
Shadowless Valley had not formed naturally. It was a secret trial realm created by an ancient mighty expert of the Black Heaven Ancient Clan through supreme divine abilities, then constructed by drawing in a "Nine Nether Dark Vein" from beneath the earth.
The valley entrance was sealed year-round by dense black mist that seemed almost liquid. Only on specific days could the clan's Strong Persons join forces to open a passage and allow entry.
At that moment, it was the day the "Dark Night Trial" began.
Outside Shadowless Valley, a large number of people had gathered on a relatively flat stretch of black rock. At a rough glance, there were nearly a thousand of them.
These people were the participants who had obtained qualifications for the trial.
They had clearly divided themselves into several groups, maintaining wary distances from one another. The air was filled with a suppressed mixture of excitement, tension, and faint hostility.
Night Falcon was naturally among them. He looked at the dense crowd around him and narrowed his eyes slightly.
As far as he knew, the participants mainly fell into the following