The Truth of the Rift Valley

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Ye Ling was in the process of inheriting the technique. Seeing that the Soaring Serpent and the Qi Tu had calmed down in the short term, Cheng Cheng summoned Ying Li and others to enter and explore the entire area.

The place was quite large, and the Demon Power made it difficult to see clearly into the distance. Even Divine Sense was severely impeded, so Cheng Cheng couldn't directly conclude that there was really nothing there.

Let your subordinates investigate before making a decision.

"Your Majesty, we have searched dozens of miles to the east and found only a clump of Snake Scale Grass that is less than two hundred years old."

"There are only Three-Headed Flower in the south, and the longest they can live is no more than two hundred years."

"There should have been Saint Jade beneath the remains of the Soaring Serpent Qi Tu. It was formed naturally over tens of thousands of years by the combination of the bones of the past saints and the soil, but it has not been found."

"There is Demon Phosphorus Stone underground... Its quality is impure, and it seems to have not been baptized by Demon Power for long, no more than two hundred years."

Cheng Cheng listened to the reports from all sides with a blank expression, her slender hands slowly clenching, and there was even a hint of sweat on her palms.

"Explore again! Be more careful!" she practically spat out the command through clenched teeth.

The subordinates also dispersed again with extremely solemn expressions.

Looking at Cheng Cheng's expression, Qin Yi suddenly recalled something that had flashed through his mind when he first went to the Earth Spirit Secret Realm of the Ten Thousand Dao Immortal Palace to compete.

Within the Earth Spirit Secret Realm lies a pristine ecosystem, which the Ten Thousand Dao Immortal Palace largely refrains from interfering with. The area is filled with primeval forests and primordial Demon Beast, all to avoid impacting the growth of heavenly materials and earthly treasures. They simply wait for a certain item to mature in a few hundred years, at which point they will organize a unified harvest.

Because the immortal herbs they cultivate are different from those that grow naturally. Earthlings know that artificially cultivated or even artificially matured herbs are often very different from wild ones, and cultivators naturally know this as well... Moreover, some things require specific environments and ecosystems to grow, which are difficult to achieve artificially.

Therefore, the Ten Thousand Dao Immortal Palace preserved the Earth Spirit Secret Realm, and not just one; they have many similar places, inheriting quite a few from the Great Joy Temple. Qin Yi, as the Hall Master of the Battle Hall Master, has led his team to reap rewards more than ten times...

Did the boar and snakes at that time consider that their own home? Were these humans invaders?

But heaven knows that the reason they have been able to survive is simply because humans need this environment to nurture their treasures and have not wiped them out.

When I first went to the Earth Spirit Secret Realm, I wondered if the other parts of the Rift Valley that Cheng Cheng had explored might also be secret realms deliberately left behind by some humans.

The thought flashed through my mind for a moment, and later I got used to the profits and never thought about it again.

Now it seems... my prediction has unfortunately come true.

Qin Yi even had an even more terrifying idea.

If only the other areas of the Rift Valley were human-controlled, secluded realms, that would be one thing. But what if even the Demon City was one?

Why did the celestial beings come to stop other humans from exterminating the demons?

Could it be that they're waiting for certain monsters to grow to a certain level of cultivation before taking their pills and blood?

This isn't impossible... There's a less obvious piece of evidence: why have only the bloodlines of Chenghuang and Soaring Serpent been awakened over such a long time, with the addition of the Guo Xiao Two Kings at most? What about the other demons? Is the chance of bloodline awakening really that difficult? How many years has it been? Based on the number of animals, it really shouldn't be this small.

Moreover, even the Earth Spirit Secret Realm has pig beasts left behind, which means that the bloodline of exotic beasts has not withered to such a terrible degree. Where are the others?

Could it be that other mythical beasts that were cultivating in these distant regions have already been harvested by someone...?

Liusu's voice finally rang in her Sea of Consciousness: "I told you a few days ago why they don't kill monsters. I already had a vague idea of what was going on. I didn't tell you then because I was afraid that you would have pointless sympathy and then turn into a sycophant."

Biography of Qin Yi his thoughts. "You... had already thought of this back then?"

"Hmm." Liusu sneered, "Some so-called extinct species may not actually be extinct. We won't know whether they are truly extinct or have been kept in the sky as mounts. Dragons and phoenixes are hard to say."

Qin Yi remained silent.

"There are some things... I would also protect them if I were in their shoes," Liusu said. "For example, what if I need Teng Soaring Serpent skin to make armor, but we don't have any? What if I need Chenghuang heart to refine pills, but the species becomes extinct? We can keep some seeds and raise them slowly, and then deal with them when needed... Hmm, raising them all in the sky might make them lose their wildness. Even mortals often let their chickens run around on the mountain. The Rift Valley is quite suitable for raising demons."

Qin Yi's body trembled slightly, and he dared not look at Cheng Cheng's face.

She led her tribe with a heart full of responsibility and tireless dedication, but if in some people's eyes she was nothing more than a chicken waiting to be fattened...

How absurd!

No wonder Liusu thought that if she had known earlier, she might have become a simp. Whether she actually did or not is another matter, but if she had realized these things back then, she wouldn't have had the desire to conquer Cheng Cheng at all...

But knowing this now makes it even more painful!

After a moment, Ying Li and the others turned back again and whispered to Cheng Cheng, "Your Majesty, there really isn't any."

Cheng Cheng took a deep breath and solemnly asked, "So, what exactly is 'less than two hundred years'? How much?"

The Old Mountain Goat said, "Many of the treasures here mature only once every hundred years. The reason why none of them are more than two hundred years old is also because of this. For example, those that were born in the 80s or 90s, less than a hundred years old, were kept and confiscated. In another hundred years, they will be close to two hundred years old."

Cheng Cheng said calmly, "Could we calculate how long it will be until the next century based on the pattern of old and new cycles?"

The Old Mountain Goat whispered, "It should be soon, within a few months. I can't give a more specific estimate."

Cheng Cheng remained silent, seemingly lost in thought.

The Old Mountain Goat then said, "Your Majesty, if it really is... that possibility... then we should all hide in the Demon City for the time being and not come out. Let them not know that we have discovered this clue, and pretend that we don't know. In this way, we may still be able to seize an opportunity to develop."

Cheng Cheng looked up and thought for a long time before saying in a low voice, "These are words of caution, but have you ever considered that in a few days someone might be out of our sight, skinning and dismembering our own kind?"

The Old Mountain Goat lowered its head and said, "There's nothing we can do about it, Your Majesty."

Qin Yi glanced sideways. Was this Old Mountain Goat playing the role of strategist?

The statement itself is not wrong, but something is missing...

As expected, Ying Li's gaze was quite dissatisfied, and he said angrily, "Then we grow to the level they require, for example, when Your Majesty reaches the Demon Emperor Realm, and riding on it can truly extend one's lifespan, and we wait for them to capture Your Majesty and use you as a mount?"

The Old Mountain Goat paused, unable to answer.

Hmm... Qin Yi nodded slightly. The difference in fighting spirit between the military and civilian officials was now apparent.

In matters of life and death for the Demon Race, especially when the enemy seemed to be humans, he found it difficult to intervene and could only silently watch the demons debate amongst themselves. Although those humans were his and Bangbang's greatest enemies, he couldn't say this for the time being, as the demons might not believe him, and even Cheng Cheng might have doubts.

Cheng Cheng suddenly spoke up, "Stop arguing, we should do the opposite."

Ying Li's spirits lifted. "What brilliant ideas does Your Majesty have?"

Cheng Cheng sneered, "I think we've all misjudged a very important issue. Before the Demon Calamity, our ancestors should have roamed freely throughout the rift valleys, coming and going at will to any secret realm, right?"

The demons all said, "That's right. Our ancestors didn't record anything about how difficult it was to enter different places. It's really strange that it's so difficult to move around now."

"I gained some insights from today's battle with the remnant soul of the This King Soaring Serpent. When the remnant souls of ancient ancestors are thin and lack consciousness, they will attack indiscriminately, requiring us to fight to break through their defenses. However, precisely because the remnant souls of these ancestors are thin and unconscious, the level of their remaining Demon Power is also not very high. Based on this, the higher the level of a place, the more consciousness the ancient ancestors retain. They simply do not attack demons, which is why the records of the ancestors are so simple."

Ying Li was stunned for a long time. "What the king said... seems very possible."

Cheng Cheng stated decisively, "Therefore, the places that even human Qian Yuan Wu Xiang dares not explore are actually places we can freely enter and exit. The reason these unknown people are able to reap the rewards is that they took advantage of the chaos of the Demon Calamity to set up their unique restrictions, obscuring the perception of our Demon City and isolating it into a designated secret realm. That's why other human powerhouses dare not enter, but they are secretly reaping the rewards."

The demons cheered. "Your Majesty is right!"

"To avoid being slaughtered like pigs, pretending not to know won't solve the problem; we must take the initiative. Before those people arrive, we must break the man-made restrictions placed on various places and release the spirits of our ancestors. At that time, the Rift Valley will be filled with the power of the Ancestor Saint and the Creation of Heaven Might. With Kun Peng City as its base, it will be interconnected in all directions. What right will others have to recklessly trespass? This is the true form of the Transverse Rift Valley before the Demon Calamity. This Transverse Rift Valley is the Kunpeng Demon Realm, the home where you and I have lived for generations, not a pigsty for some people!"