Fel Fire Valley

With their plan settled, the two began to advance along a new path toward Fel Fire Valley. Moonlight filtered through layers of leaves, casting mottled shadows upon the road.

They followed the ancient Night Elf trail for over twenty minutes before the path ahead grew increasingly dilapidated. The tracks were swallowed by weeds, eventually vanishing beneath a small hill.

Kalei gazed at the hill ahead, dismounted from Big Black, and clutching his staff, began to climb a narrow trail leading up the slope.

Seeing that he was no longer burdened, Big Black immediately grew spirited. It let out a roar toward the sky, cast a provocative glance at Thisalee, and darted up the mountain at incredible speed.

Thisalee chuckled, her snow-white tiger frame arching slightly as she let out a thunderous roar and gave chase, following close behind.

Kalei leaned on his staff, watching the tiger and leopard vanish into the mountain with a howl, and couldn't help but feel foolish. After all that, it turned out he was the one dragging his feet.

With no other choice, he gathered natural energy around himself to shield his progress.

Under the protection of the natural energy, the mountain terrain beneath his feet seemed to level out. The thorns blocking his path automatically recoiled to the sides, and the overhanging branches bent slightly, clearing an unobstructed road for him.

However, no matter how fast he walked, he could not keep up with Thisalee and the fattened Big Black.

The two creatures constantly appeared ahead of and behind Kalei, turning their heads to look at him from time to time as if mocking him.

Just like that, the man, the leopard, and the tiger crossed three small hills in succession, finally arriving at the foot of a towering mountain.

This mountain was taller than all the previous ones. Its body was pitch-black with exposed rock, and its peak was lost in the clouds, exuding a solemn and oppressive aura.

Kalei called out to Thisalee, "Lady Black Raven, we have reached our destination. Fel Fire Valley is within this mountain, but I cannot determine the exact location. Could you try to scout it out?"

Thisalee replied, "Fine, wait for my news."

A flash of light enveloped her, and her form rapidly shrank. In the blink of an eye, she transformed into a palm-sized Black Raven and vanished deep into the mountain forest.

Kalei watched the direction in which Thisalee had disappeared, a sense of admiration rising in his heart.

That Thisalee could cultivate her Black Raven form to the point of changing size at will showed she had largely mastered the mysteries of transformation; her attainments likely ranked among the best in the entire Cenarion Circle.

Coupled with the fact that her overall strength had reached level 59, having her lead the way made Kalei feel much more at ease.

Big Black had originally been able to keep up with Thisalee without falling behind, but it hadn't expected her to suddenly turn into a Black Raven and fly away, leaving it feeling somewhat dejected.

Kalei couldn't help but walk over and rub its head, saying, "What are you thinking about, you rascal? Don't forget, you're just a leopard; do you want to fly? If you could fly, what would happen to Little Black?"

Big Black let out a roar, indicating that if it could fly, it would definitely take Little Black to travel across the entire Kalimdor Continent and would never lead its master astray.

Kalei could only respond that as long as it was happy, that was all that mattered.

As the man and the leopard chatted at the foot of the mountain, Thisalee circled the peak and landed on a small tree beside them.

Kalei stopped his idle chatter with Big Black and asked, "How is it? Did you find the location?"

Thisalee said, "I found a valley. Whether it is the Fel Fire Valley you spoke of, I cannot say for sure, but this valley is very secluded. The entrance is blocked by dense vines and trees, making it difficult to discover. There are also quite a few caves inside; it is indeed possible that Satyr are hiding there."

Kalei asked in surprise, "Have you already gone inside to look?"

Thisalee replied, "No, I am not reckless enough to run in without any preparation. I only conducted high-altitude reconnaissance above the valley without lowering my altitude. However, I communicated with some local residents in the forest outside the valley and obtained this information from them."

Kalei knew that the residents outside the valley she referred to were likely the small animals of the forest, such as squirrels, birds, and the like.

In World of Warcraft, any Druid who has reached a certain level of cultivation possesses the ability to communicate with flora and fauna, allowing them to obtain the information they desire.

Kalei pondered for a moment and asked, "Lady Black Raven, do you think we should continue scouting under these circumstances?"

Thisalee said, "Why not? Since we have already arrived, we must get to the bottom of this."

Kalei said, "Very well, lead the way. We shall begin our operation immediately."

Thisalee didn't say much more, transforming back into a white tiger to lead Kalei and Big Black toward Fel Fire Valley.

Because the two were now very close to Fel Fire Valley, the subsequent actions were extremely cautious, and they made almost no sound as they moved.

The pair climbed through the mountain forest for over thirty minutes, finally arriving above Fel Fire Valley just as the twin moons began to set on the horizon.

They found a high vantage point overlooking the entire valley, hiding behind dense bushes to observe the valley carefully by the pale purple moonlight.

They discovered that the valley was quite large, easily the size of five or six football fields. The entire valley was gourd-shaped—narrow at the entrance and wide inside. The mountain walls on both sides were as steep as cliffs, with only a narrow passage connecting to the outside world; it was truly a place easy to defend and difficult to attack.

Kalei watched the valley for a while, then looked toward the horizon and said, "Lady Black Raven, I see that dawn is approaching. Those traitorous Satyr are not affected by sunlight, so it would be best for us to find a place to hide, eat something, and rest for the day, then act at night. What do you think?"

Thisalee replied, "I agree with your suggestion. However, we have known each other for a day now, so don't call me 'Lady'; it makes me very uncomfortable. You can just call me Thisalee."

Kalei laughed, "Then I shall follow your wishes. You can just call me Kalei from now on as well."

The two chatted casually for a moment longer to get to know each other better, then each found a place to eat and rest.

For Night Elves, especially those who practiced as Druids, camping in the wild was not a problem at all.

Kalei ate some of the dry rations he had carried on Big Black, found a random, hidden tree, and lay on a branch to rest.

As for Thisalee, it was even simpler; she didn't need to find a place to hide at all, simply crouching on a tree in her Black Raven form.

The two rested throughout the day without being discovered by anyone.

The following evening, the two awoke from their slumber, ate some food, and began a deeper phase of their operation.

This time, for the sake of safety, Thisalee scouted ahead in her Black Raven form, Kalei followed closely behind, and Big Black was responsible for guarding the rear.

The man, the leopard, and the tiger silently bypassed the valley entrance and entered the valley from a gentle slope.

Inside the valley, it was colder than outside, and a faint, foul odor permeated the air, making one feel quite uncomfortable.

They walked a distance into the valley, seeing and hearing nothing, which immediately put them on high alert.

Big Black, walking at the rear, was the first to scent danger and let out a low growl.

Hearing the growl, Kalei quickly crouched low, casting Thick Hide on himself while simultaneously releasing natural energy like an invisible web, spreading it out slowly to scan for enemies in the vicinity.

Thisalee, leading the way, remained unresponsive; she continued to flap her wings at a leisurely pace, flying all the way to the back of the valley before returning along the same path.

Seeing her fly back unscathed, Kalei let out a sigh of relief and hurriedly asked, "Thisalee, how is it?"

Thisalee replied, "I have good news and bad news. Which one do you want to hear first?"

Kalei hadn't expected her to be joking at a time like this—truly, the skilled are bold—so he patiently played along, "Let's hear the good news first."

Thisalee laughed, "The good news is that there are indeed Satyr here."

Kalei said, "Can that even be considered good news? What is the bad news?"

"The bad news is that these guys aren't in the valley, but are hiding in a natural cave behind it. The cave is very deep, and the entrance is covered by vines, making it extremely well-hidden. There are quite a few fluctuations of shadow energy inside; trying to go in and explore will be no small feat."

She paused there, looked at Kalei, and continued, "You haven't learned the art of transformation yet, so you can't slip past unnoticed like I can. Entering the cave is quite dangerous. I suggest you wait outside while I go in alone to take a look, and you can provide cover for me from out here."

Kalei had come all this way to track down his father's killer; there was no way he would suddenly shrink back now that he had reached the end. Therefore, he rejected Thisalee's proposal, insisting on going in with her.

Having heard the detailed story of his father on the way here, Thisalee saw the glint of hatred in his eyes and didn't know what else to say. She sighed softly, "Fine. Since you insist, I can take you in, but you must act with caution once inside. Do not throw your life away for the sake of vengeance."

Kalei nodded, "I understand. I won't gamble with my own life."

Seeing this, Thisalee stopped trying to persuade him and led Kalei and Big Black across the valley toward the hidden cave.