"There sure are a lot of people in Wind Chime Valley."
Chen Yunxuan had been quite far from Wind Chime Valley, so it had taken him a little longer to get there.
Fortunately, he hadn't arrived too late. But he hadn't expected hundreds of people to have gathered outside Wind Chime Valley.
They were all young people, and they seemed to be hesitating, unsure whether they should enter.
"If they don't dare go in alone, why not find some people and form a team?" Chen Yunxuan said calmly.
Hearing this, the all-knowing man beside him smiled and explained, "They came here on a wave of excitement and enthusiasm."
"But when they're truly faced with Wind Chime Valley, fear robs them of their courage."
"Most importantly, if they don't know each other, how could they trust one another with their lives?"
"The demonic beasts in Wind Chime Valley are dangerous, but what's more dangerous than demonic beasts is the human heart!"
The all-knowing man's words helped Chen Yunxuan understand their reservations. If that was the case, they probably wouldn't be able to take part in this Northern Domain competition.
"The wind's blowing hard, and Wind Chime Valley is right in front of us, yet we can't hear a single chime."
"That's the mystery of Wind Chime Valley. No one knows what causes it."
"But once you step inside, you'll be able to hear them."
"Then let's go in and take a look."
Chen Yunxuan didn't hesitate. Under the envious gazes of the others, he walked straight into Wind Chime Valley.
"There are only two of them, and they actually dare to enter Wind Chime Valley? They're asking for death."
"Exactly. They definitely won't live to take part in the Northern Domain competition. They'll probably be in a demonic beast's belly before they even reach the venue."
"Hmph, fools. They're just going in there to die."
Quite a few people began making snide remarks, but it was nothing more than jealousy in their hearts.
"Enough. You've got a lot of nerve, talking about other people. At least they dared to go in. Do you?"
"All you can do is stand around here making snide remarks. Aren't you ashamed?"
"What the hell are you, to come here and criticize us?"
"Exactly. We don't dare go in, but do you? If you've got guts, go in yourself."
"You..."
Chen Yunxuan paid no attention to the racket outside. After entering Wind Chime Valley, he discovered that it was quite vast.
They would have to walk a while before reaching the heart of the valley. Dense woods surrounded the entire outer area.
And just as expected, once they entered, the sound of chimes reached their ears.
"What a strange place. There are no wind chimes, yet we can hear them so clearly."
"What could be causing that?" Chen Yunxuan was curious too.
"I couldn't say. Maybe it's the terrain, or maybe... there's some unknown reason."
"Someone once tried to uncover the secret of Wind Chime Valley, but no one ever managed to figure out where the chime sounds came from."
The all-knowing man truly lived up to his name as a master of information. Along the way, Chen Yunxuan had found that he knew a great deal—far more than Chen Yunxuan had imagined.
It seemed there was very little in the Northern Domain that he didn't know.
"I'm older than you, after all, so of course I know more. It's not difficult. If you put your mind to it, you can accomplish anything."
"This is the outer area. There aren't any powerful demonic beasts here, and the low-level ones wouldn't dare bother you."
"We can keep going without worry."
Hearing this, Chen Yunxuan asked curiously, "What's the strongest demonic beast in Wind Chime Valley?"
"Are there any fifth-tier demonic beasts?"
Fifth-tier demonic beasts were rare in a place like the Northern Domain. Before meeting Chen Changan, Chen Yunxuan had never even heard of one.
"There are said to be, but no one's ever seen one."
"So it's only a rumor."
"No one knows if it's true."
A rumor?
But rumors didn't always come from nowhere.
"Brother Wang, please, hurry and help!"
"My brother can't hold on much longer."
"You... why aren't any of you helping?"
"Are you really going to stand there and watch my brother get killed by this third-tier demonic beast?"
Zhang Wenqian looked at Wang Keming and the other two in panic. She hadn't expected things to turn out this way.
When they had first entered Wind Chime Valley, everyone had worked together. Their journey had been uneventful so far.
But now?
Faced with a third-tier demonic beast, Wang Keming had made Zhang Wenyuan face it alone, while the three of them simply stood to the side and watched.
"Shut up!"
Wang Keming suddenly glared at her, no longer wearing the refined, gentle expression he'd shown before.
Zhang Wenqian froze in fear. How had he suddenly become a completely different person?
"Did you really think we brought the two of you along so we could team up?"
"You're so naive."
"If we didn't have you two as bait, how would we have made it safely into Wind Chime Valley?"
"You're the food we picked out for the demonic beasts. Understand?" Wang Keming said with a sneer.
"What!"
"You..."
Zhang Wenqian stared at Wang Keming in disbelief. She had never imagined that this was the real reason they had suggested forming a team.
"Brother Wang, since a third-tier demonic beast has appeared here, there shouldn't be another one within a certain distance."
"Exactly. Third-tier demonic beasts are territorial. They won't allow other beasts into their territory."
"That means the rest of the journey should be much easier for us."
"Is she still coming with us?"
"She?"
"Hahaha! Of course she is. Otherwise, if we run into another third-tier demonic beast, who'll be the bait?"
Wang Keming burst out laughing. This had all been part of his plan from the start.
Zhang Wenyuan was stronger, so they had used him to hold off a third-tier demonic beast. Zhang Wenqian was too weak to do much, but she could still buy them a little time.
That way, they should be able to reach the Northern Domain competition grounds in Wind Chime Valley without a hitch.
"I'm not going with you. Never!"
As she spoke, Zhang Wenqian looked toward Zhang Wenyuan.
He was struggling desperately, and several wounds had already appeared on his body.
"Whether you go or not isn't up to you!"
"While Zhang Wenyuan can still hold out, let's go."
Wang Keming didn't want to waste any more time. He gave the other two a look, and they grabbed Zhang Wenqian between them. The three of them quickly left.
Zhang Wenyuan had heard everything that had happened. He was frantic with worry for his sister, but he was powerless to break free.
Against a third-tier demonic beast, he had no chance of winning.
"Wang Keming!"
"If I survive, I'll make sure you die without a burial place!"
Zhang Wenyuan roared and launched a furious assault on the third-tier demonic beast in front of him with all his strength.
Sensing Zhang Wenyuan's fury, the third-tier demonic beast seemed to grow even more frenzied.
Bang!
The third-tier demonic beast sent Zhang Wenyuan flying with a single slap. He was gravely wounded now, with no strength left to fight back.
"Am I... really going to die here?"
Zhang Wenyuan shut his eyes in despair, waiting for death to arrive.
Bang!
Just as Zhang Wenyuan was waiting to die, a loud crash rang out. His heart shuddered, and he hurriedly opened his eyes. The third-tier demonic beast that had been about to attack him was now a corpse.
Beside the body stood a Youth who looked even younger than he was.
"Did he... kill a third-tier demonic beast in one blow?"
"So strong!"
"Th-thank you, brother, for saving my life."
Zhang Wenyuan struggled to his feet and bowed to the Youth in the distance.
Chen Yunxuan glanced back at Zhang Wenyuan and said calmly, "I only saved you because I couldn't stand what those people were doing."
Huh?
Had this Youth seen what happened earlier?
"No matter what, saving my life means more than anything."
"Please..."
Zhang Wenyuan had been about to ask Chen Yunxuan to help save his sister, but before he could get the words out, he saw Wang Keming and the others running back toward them from the distance.
"What... what happened up ahead?"
Before you continue