This Is What You Call Difficulty!

After splitting up, Yue Yang followed Ye Kong, Li Qie, and Li Ge away from Dawn Town, the initial teleportation point on the first floor, and raced toward Dragon Valley.

Dragon Valley had nothing to do with dragons.

It was merely a treacherous gorge stretching fifty kilometers, its towering ridges sharp as blades.

The cliff walls were covered in countless spikes, strange rocks, and sheer precipices, making it impossible for warriors to cross from the mountaintops. Moreover, countless Level Three Rock Eagles lived among the peaks. Trying to ride flying battle beasts across the ridges was practically suicide.

The valley floor was the only route.

However, it was inhabited by countless giant demonic insects, estimated to number in the hundreds of thousands. There were over a thousand varieties of hideously ugly insects in all sorts of forms. Though they were not particularly strong individually, they could unleash astonishing combat power within Dragon Valley's special terrain, and no one had ever been able to wipe them out completely. Their reproductive ability was also terrifying. In only about ten days, the valley floor that all human warriors had painstakingly cleared would once again be occupied by insects large and small crawling out from underground nests and cracks in the rocks, dense as before.

Unable to eliminate the demonic insects, the Warrior Guild simply turned this place into the first trial stage for warriors.

"Damn!" When Yue Yang arrived before Dragon Valley and saw the insects covering the mountains and plains, even he could not help frowning.

With his strength, he naturally did not fear these insects.

But they were so ugly they made him sick. Their forms were bizarre, and they came charging ferociously with claws and fangs bared, making Yue Yang feel slightly nauseated. That was hardly strange. Anyone who saw that sea of densely packed insects filling the valley would feel their skin crawl.

Ye Kong had two plans for passing through Dragon Valley.

The first was to do as all warriors did: light long torches, use the flames to drive away insects that feared fire, advance cautiously along the safe route taken by previous travelers, and clear only the small numbers of insects blocking the necessary path while trying not to alert larger swarms. It was slow but relatively safe. If they could find a cooperative team, they could probably get through safely in two days at most.

The second was the stupidest, craziest, and fastest method: run wildly without stopping for even a second, charging straight through the insects!

"If we use the first method, it will be relatively safe, but it will take a great deal of time. And spending even one night in Dragon Valley is extremely dangerous. We must find a sheltering cave, or once night falls, the number of insects will increase tenfold. Many powerful Level Three insects may also emerge, and the chances of us being eaten will be extremely high. The second method looks very dangerous, but the insects react more slowly during the day, and sunlight greatly weakens their vision. If we use strongly scented items to lure them away and clear only the few insects blocking our path, our chances of success will be higher... The only drawback is that this method requires enormous stamina. The fifty-kilometer gorge is actually filled with uneven ground and jagged rocks, which will drain our strength severely. We cannot rest midway and must press forward in one breath! If a swarm chases us and we miss the sheltering cave halfway through Dragon Valley, we will likely die from exhaustion in the latter half of the valley..."

As Ye Kong spoke, he looked at Yue Yang.

He was not worried about his own body after going hungry for days; hunger had become a habit for him. What worried Ye Kong more was whether Yue Yang, the Yue Family's Third Young Master whom the world called useless, had enough stamina to cross the gorge in one breath while being pursued by demonic insects.

Li Qie and Li Ge exchanged a glance. This was what they were worried about as well.

From a combat perspective, the two supported running forward in one breath, because they could avoid many unnecessary battles before the insects had time to react.

If they moved slowly instead and got entangled by large swarms, the two of them alone would likely face a grim fate... The problem was that Yue Yang, their employer, had to make the decision. Afraid that he had not explained clearly enough, Ye Kong added, "If we choose the first plan, we should first prepare the necessary supplies, find other teams intending to cross Dragon Valley, and cooperate with them. If we choose the second plan, we must set off immediately. Demonic insects are weakest at noon, and the best time has already passed... The fastest recorded time for rushing through Dragon Valley was five hours. We must be faster, or once night falls, we will be in an extremely dangerous situation!"

Yue Yang felt that not only he, but even that unlucky guy who had practiced combat techniques, could run fifty kilometers of mountain roads without any problem.

He decided on the second plan.

Nodding at Ye Kong, he said, "We run. I've practiced a little of my family's inherited combat techniques, so stamina won't be a problem. You have half an hour to prepare the necessary supplies!"

Hearing this, Ye Kong and the brothers Li Qie and Li Ge all swallowed nervously.

Although they had hoped Yue Yang would choose the second plan, once it was truly decided, they felt they were gambling with their lives. The brothers Li Qie and Li Ge immediately lay down on the spot, intending to restore their stamina to its peak within half an hour.

Ye Kong did not. He immediately rushed to the nearest general goods stall, took out the silver coins Yue Yang had advanced him, and bought all kinds of necessities from the warriors running the stalls. About ten minutes later, he returned carrying a large bundle of supplies, along with some good news. Two days ago, several powerful teams had killed many demonic insects while clearing the stage, so the number of insects was slightly lower than usual.

In Yue Yang's eyes, even if there were ten times fewer demonic insects, there would still be too many to count.

But the brothers Li Qie and Li Ge were greatly encouraged. Though they understood it would not help much, good news was still better than bad news!

"How about leaving the Iron-Spine Demon Wolf here to be looked after? No matter how tame it is, it may flee when it sees demonic insects covering the mountains and plains." As Ye Kong sprinkled "Insect-Repelling Powder" over Yue Yang's body, he quietly urged him to leave Grey Wolf behind.

"No need. If it runs away, so be it. This is exactly its test!" Yue Yang casually kicked Grey Wolf.

If Grey Wolf would flee just from seeing demonic insects, what use was it?

Seeing Yue Yang casually kick his battle beast, Ye Kong was dumbfounded. He had never seen a warrior punch and kick his own battle beast before. Did Yue Yang not fear that such abuse would make the Iron-Spine Demon Wolf run away? But when he saw Grey Wolf swaying its head and wagging its tail with a blissful, spineless expression after being kicked, he nearly fell flat on his face! He had never seen such a shameless battle beast before. Could this wolf be a natural masochist?

As Yue Yang's group prepared to force their way through Dragon Valley, the members of several teams lined up outside the valley and discussing cooperation all stared in shock.

Two team leaders shouted one after another, "Hey, are you planning to deliver dinner to the demonic insects?"

Others cried out in alarm, "They're crazy! These four are crazy!"

"It's already afternoon, and the sun will set soon. There's absolutely no way you can run through Dragon Valley within five hours! Even if you're lucky enough not to encounter Level Three Nest Spiders or Bird-Catching Mantises, and avoid large swarms of Level Two Giant-Jawed Black Iron Ants and Ghost-Faced Centipedes, you still can't run through Dragon Valley in one breath. With fifty kilometers and such complicated terrain, you'll probably drop dead from exhaustion before reaching halfway!" Several stall-running warriors kindly advised them, "Stay and form a team with everyone else to clear the stage. That's the safest option!"

"Every year, no fewer than a hundred warriors try to run through Dragon Valley, but fewer than ten make it through safely. Think it over carefully!" Even the captain of the silver-armored guards watching the entrance to Dragon Valley urged Yue Yang not to act on impulse.

"You can stay behind..."

Yue Yang spoke, testing Ye Kong and the others' reactions.

If Ye Kong or the Li brothers hesitated, Yue Yang would leave immediately and never trust them again. Even hired men had to maintain a degree of loyalty. Otherwise, he could not entrust tasks to people who faltered before hardship. There could be weak people in this world, and Yue Yang did not deny their right to survive, but he would never choose weaklings as his companions, not even temporary companions.

Ye Kong and the others responded with unwavering resolve. "No. We are employed by you. As long as you have made your decision, even if it means death, we will carry it out!"

The brothers Li Qie and Li Ge said nothing, but their firm attitude said everything.

Watching Yue Yang's group race toward Dragon Valley, almost every warrior shook their heads. "These four idiots are dead for sure!"

But the captain of the silver-armored guards disagreed. "No, they may succeed!"

Everyone was puzzled.

The silver-armored captain said mysteriously, "Their eyes are very much like those of the people who succeeded in crossing before. They're all filled with confidence!"

"What nonsense. Confidence doesn't mean everything!" The warriors broke out in cold sweats.

"Confidence does not guarantee success, but without confidence, failure is certain!" The silver-armored captain smugly tossed out another line.

"Tch, anyone can spout grand principles!" No one believed Yue Yang's group could cross Dragon Valley safely. Everyone thought the four would run only halfway before collapsing from exhaustion and becoming snacks for the swarms of demonic insects.

Two days later.

After the mercenaries endured a nightmare-like battle and cleared Dragon Valley, every one of them wounded and covered in blood as they reached the outskirts of the Star Domain, they discovered that Yue Yang and the others, who had supposedly "died long ago," were comfortably lying beneath a large tree outside the Mercenary Guild, leisurely drinking chilled ale. The sight left them dumbfounded. "You're not dead?"

"Do you think dead people can drink?" Yue Yang was speechless.

He did not think running through Dragon Valley was difficult at all. For Ye Kong, Li Qie, and Li Ge, it might have been life-threatening, but for an Innate powerhouse like him, running through Dragon Valley was no different from taking a stroll around his own courtyard. The distance was just a little longer, and the ground a little rougher.

Yue Yang found news of Yue Bing as soon as he arrived at the Warrior Guild.

She was fine and not in any danger.

That little girl had gone alone into the Blackstone Maze in the Star Domain to complete her trial mission. She would probably need at least three more days before she emerged. While that reassured Yue Yang, it also left him terribly bored.

"I've decided. I'm joining a trial mission too!" Yue Yang felt that living like this was far too boring. On his first day here, he had toured the outskirts of the Star Domain. On the second day, he had familiarized himself with all kinds of information about the first floor of the Heaven-Piercing Tower. By the third day, he had nothing left to do, and it was unbearable. Yue Bing would not return for another three days, so Yue Yang made a decision: he would join a trial as well.

"What?" Ye Kong and the others, who had finally enjoyed two peaceful days, felt as if a bolt from the blue had struck them.

"Ahem, ahem. To participate in a trial, you need at least one contracted battle beast. In the Star Domain, you must use battle beasts to clear the stages. It doesn't matter even if a person knows martial skills. A battle beast without a contract like Grey Wolf can't participate!" Ye Kong did not want to discourage Yue Yang, but there was no helping it. That was the cruel reality.

"A contracted battle beast? Who said I don't have one?" Yue Yang was angry. Do you still think I'm trash?

"Your battle beast is..." Ye Kong had no expectations at all. Even a Bronze-ranked Iron-Spine Demon Wolf like Grey Wolf had not been contracted, so he guessed Yue Yang had very few battle beasts he could contract. Even if he did have one, it would surely be an extremely weak battle beast.

"Thorn Flower!" The moment Yue Yang said it, everyone collapsed.

"Using Thorn Flower to clear the Star Domain's trial? That difficulty—my god, I'd rather run naked through Dragon Valley ten times!" Everyone felt an urge to bash their heads against the wall.

"What do you mean, difficulty? This is what you call difficulty!" Ye Kong was weeping tears of blood.