Small Valley (4k)

Amid the vast forest behind the Inner Academy, a figure with Six Wings swept over the Forest Sea.

High in the sky, Liu Yu looked down at the beautiful face in his arms, its pallor lending it a pitiful charm. His voice was cool. "You should be awake by now."

Liu Yu had not expected the Fallen Heart Flame to attack this woman. Even he could do nothing about the heart flame that appeared without a sound or trace. Had he not immediately noticed something wrong with her, and had she not possessed the strength of a Dou Ling, allowing her to resist the heart flame for a brief moment, she would probably have been burned to ashes instantly.

The disturbance caused by the Fallen Heart Flame naturally drew the attention of the elders in the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower. With no other choice, he temporarily abandoned his plan to "teach" the Fallen Heart Flame a lesson and used a spatial leap to leave the tower directly.

If this woman had not appeared, none of what followed would have happened. Yet she had appeared all the same.

But in truth, he was still the cause of everything. She was merely an unlucky soul caught in the crossfire.

At Liu Yu's words, Han Yue's long lashes trembled a few times. Her eyes slowly opened, revealing a mixture of lingering fear, bewilderment, shyness, and other indescribable emotions. Whether the flush on her cheeks came from the heart flame's heat or something else was hard to say.

Han Yue's feelings were complicated. She had merely gone to the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower for her usual cultivation, only to nearly die! Fortunately, as her consciousness began to sink into darkness, this "strange" man had appeared and saved her.

At the time, she had vaguely sensed another powerful, mysterious flame entering her body. It swallowed the invisible flame and saved her life. Though her eyes had remained closed, her mind had cleared once the invisible flame disappeared.

Suddenly being swept into someone's arms for the first time had left her at a loss, so she could only continue pretending to be unconscious.

Liu Yu said nothing as he looked at the silent woman in his arms. He flew toward a Small Valley he had sensed.

A short while later, Liu Yu landed inside the Small Valley. After setting the woman down, he did not know what to do with her, and silence settled between them.

Han Yue stood gracefully, studying the man with Six Wings growing from his back. Or should she call him a youth? At least to her eyes, he looked very young, perhaps only seventeen or eighteen.

He wore an exquisite, close-fitting red brocade outfit, his bearing tall and straight. A faint chill lingered on his incomparably handsome face. Paired with the six enormous, extraordinary Blood Six Wings behind him, he presented an unparalleled visual spectacle. Even the reserved Han Yue found him stunning.

Unfortunately, this was a world where strength reigned supreme. Good looks were nowhere near as alluring as great power. But someone who possessed both power and beauty could draw people in like a poppy.

Now, however, Han Yue had grown curious about Liu Yu's identity. There could not possibly be someone like him in the Inner Academy. Leaving his strength aside, his appearance alone would have made him famous there, yet she had no recollection of him whatsoever.

Yet he had appeared inside the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower. The tower had elders at the Dou Wang and Dou Emperor levels stationed within it—how could they allow someone who did not belong to the academy inside? Besides, the Inner Academy's location was hidden, and ordinary people could not enter at all.

Those extraordinary wings, seemingly a Flying Dou Technique, his ability to remain inside the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower, that mysterious flame... Somehow, an absurd idea surfaced in Han Yue's mind. Could he be the Grand Elder's illegitimate son...? (Liu Yu: ...)

While Han Yue pondered Liu Yu's identity, Liu Yu was also considering what to do with this woman.

She now knew he had appeared inside the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower, so she would inevitably become suspicious of his identity. In that case, he could not let her return before he obtained a wisp of the Fallen Heart Flame's origin essence. As for killing her to silence her, he could not do it. This whole affair had begun because of him.

Just then, heavy footsteps suddenly sounded from within the valley. Both Liu Yu and Han Yue were drawn to the sound, turning their gazes toward an enormous cave entrance in the distance.

A massive, muscular white ape, some thirty to forty feet tall, slowly emerged from the cave, walking upright.

A piercing, icy aura radiated from the white ape's entire body. Its heavy breaths spouted from its enormous nostrils like two streams of white smoke. Its arms were rather long, and each clawed hand was the size of two adult heads.

The white ape also sensed Liu Yu and Han Yue, which enraged it. It had only wanted to come out for a stroll, yet it had found two hateful humans trespassing on its territory, intent on entering its cave to steal the "earth core body tempering milk."

Clearly, without giving the matter any thought, the white ape had decided Liu Yu and Han Yue were thieves after its treasure.

"You hateful humans! I'll kill you!" The white ape opened its gaping, blood-red maw. Its eyes gradually grew bloodshot, brimming with savagery and murderous intent. An aura comparable to a Three-Star Dou Wang burst forth without restraint, and it actually spoke in human language.

"That's a Snow Demon Ape! An adult Snow Demon Ape has enough strength to shatter metal and split mountains. It's comparable to a Dou Wang expert!" Han Yue could not help exclaiming beside him. The Small Valley they had entered was actually a Snow Demon Ape's territory—and it could even speak!

Han Yue had no time to wonder why a fifth-rank magical beast could speak human language. She was only a Seven-Star Dou Ling, and she was not in good condition. If she did not flee immediately, death was her only path!

Han Yue looked anxiously at Liu Yu. Though he struck her as mysterious, she did not believe he could match this adult Snow Demon Ape. She hurriedly said, "Let's run!"

Yet Liu Yu did not respond to Han Yue. He merely watched the raging white ape.

He found it quite a coincidence. Was this the "protagonist's halo"? He had randomly entered a Small Valley and encountered this Snow Demon Ape. If he remembered correctly, its cave contained a treasure like earth core body tempering milk.

The power of the earth contained within this earth core body tempering milk could help those who had reached the peak of their rank break through the barrier to the next. It also had the miraculous ability to cleanse the marrow and scour the bones.

However, it was useless to someone like him, whose body had been strengthened by the system. Even Yun Yun had no use for it, because he had already used Source Power to cleanse her marrow and scour her bones back in the Jia Ma Empire.

Still, Liu Yu had no intention of passing up this earth core body tempering milk. After all, he was now the master of the Feather Pavilion, with a whole flock of subordinates "crying to be fed." In the future, he could reward those who made significant contributions to the Feather Pavilion with it. It would be of considerable help even to elders like Yuan Yi and Su Mei.

Seeing Liu Yu remain motionless, Han Yue assumed he was young and reckless, trying to show off. Feeling rather helpless, she grabbed his hand, only to discover that she could not budge him at all.

Liu Yu gave Han Yue a surprised glance, but just then, the Snow Demon Ape's enormous body sprang into the air, leaving two huge footprint-shaped pits in the ground.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

With the sound of rushing air, the white ape brought its palm, wreathed in Cold Qi, down viciously toward Liu Yu and Han Yue, seemingly intent on crushing both humans to death in one blow.

The steadily enlarging ape palm was reflected in Liu Yu's calm red eyes. Still holding his hand, Han Yue clenched her teeth and slowly closed her clear eyes, abandoning all futile hope. Regret stirred in her heart. Why had she reached for him? Why had she gone to the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower to cultivate today? If only...

Unfortunately, there was no medicine for regret in this world. A trace of sorrow crossed Han Yue's cool, beautiful face. He had saved her life, and she would accompany him in death...

"Mountain-Splitting Finger!"

A slender finger wreathed in eerie ice-blue flames met the ape's palm, wreathed in Cold Qi.

Boom!

The utterly mismatched finger and palm collided head-on. A terrifying shock wave spread from their point of contact. In an instant, dust billowed and grass tore free from the already somewhat "bald earth," leaving nothing but bare yellow soil. The surrounding trees were sheared through at their trunks, broken branches and fallen leaves dancing across the sky.

Roar!

An enormous figure flew backward like a cannonball and slammed into the mountain wall. A pained ape's cry echoed throughout the Small Valley.

With her eyes tightly shut, Han Yue felt only a gale sweep over her, followed by a tremendous crash and the ape's miserable cry.

Startled, Han Yue opened her clear eyes. A tall, straight figure stood before her, while dust filled the air by the distant mountain wall.

Just as Han Yue marveled at Liu Yu's strength, thick, blood-colored mist began spreading from beneath the mountain wall. At the same time, a bitterly cold aura swept outward. A thin layer of ice gradually spread across the ground, and ice crystals continually condensed in the air. For a time, the temperature throughout the Small Valley dropped several degrees.

Han Yue watched the place shrouded in bloody mist nervously. The white ape seemed to be undergoing an astonishing transformation. She wanted to remind Liu Yu to attack and interrupt it, but on second thought, if even she had noticed, he could not possibly be unaware. She remained silent.

All her hopes now rested on Liu Yu. Since he could send this Snow Demon Ape flying, he should be able to handle whatever came next.

Watching the disturbance beneath the mountain wall, Liu Yu knew the white ape had probably awakened its Berserk Bloodline. Its strength would rise considerably afterward.

Still, he did not care. Could a mere Dou Wang really overturn the heavens in the hands of a Dou Emperor like him, whose power rivaled a Dou Zong?

"Could you let go of my hand now?"

The quiet words suddenly sounded beside Han Yue's ear.

Han Yue froze. Biting her red lip lightly, she released Liu Yu's hand.

Bang!

While Liu Yu's words sent Han Yue's thoughts into a jumble, the sound of exploding ice shards suddenly came from beneath the mountain wall. As it rang out, an extremely blurred streak of red shot forth, swift as lightning. Yet under the perception of Liu Yu's Spirit Realm soul power, it was as slow as a crawling snail.

Liu Yu extended that finger again. This time, however, the ice-blue flames covering his slender finger radiated scorching heat powerful enough to warp space!

One serious finger strike!

The red shadow appeared before Liu Yu in an instant. A blast of intensely frigid force tore through the air and slammed viciously toward that finger.

Finger and palm collided once more, but this time, the expected thunderous impact never came.

The slender, flame-wrapped finger crushed the white ape's bloody palm like rotten wood. At the same time, the ice-blue flames at his fingertip flared, instantly becoming a colossal, sky-engulfing maw that swallowed the white ape.

Han Yue stared blankly at the dreamlike scene. The white ape was dead?

The ice-blue flames burning between heaven and earth dissipated. Liu Yu was quite satisfied with the power of his serious finger strike. Using it against a Dou Wang was overkill. With the enhancement of the Profound Lotus Ice Flame, even an ordinary Dou Zong who foolishly engaged him in close combat would be killed instantly!

"Mountain-Splitting Finger" was a middle profound tier Dou Technique that primarily condensed energy to attack, but it could also be executed through the finger itself. However, that approach meant killing a thousand enemies while losing eight hundred of one's own, so practitioners generally did not choose the latter method. Liu Yu alone was rather unusual, with his strengthened body and a lethal weapon like the profound lotus ice flame.

An invisible force flashed past. After leaving a Soul Seal on the woman, Liu Yu walked toward the cave entrance. This place was quite far from the Inner Academy. If she tried to return, he could simply catch her after retrieving the earth core body tempering milk.

After hesitating briefly, Han Yue chose to follow Liu Yu.

Liu Yu moved quickly, heading straight to the end of the valley and stepping into the Snow Demon Ape's lair. The instant he caught the stench, he lightly waved his hand. A wisp of ice-blue flame surged forth into the cave's interior.

After a few breaths, a stream of icy air slowly wafted out. Only then did Liu Yu enter with peace of mind.

The cave was quite spacious. Beneath the illumination of the ice-blue flames, everything could clearly be seen frozen solid. Frost blossoms drifted through the air as well. Under the Profound Lotus Ice Flame's “purification,” the cave had become an ice cavern.

Liu Yu walked to a corner of the cave, where a large depression was covered in ice crystals. With a flick of his finger, a strand of red Dou Qi shot out and shattered the ice, revealing a pitch-black opening leading underground.

Without hesitation, Liu Yu leaped into the opening and slowly advanced along the enormous, winding underground passage.

Ice-blue flames now covered Liu Yu's entire body. Because of the flames' properties, and because he made no effort to suppress them, countless ice crystals spread with every step he took. Despite the ice, the temperature inside the passage was extraordinarily hot.

Following closely behind Liu Yu, Han Yue found each step harder than the last. Unbearable heat rose through the air, yet walking on the ice brought a bone-piercing chill. She had no choice but to release Dou Qi to envelop her entire body. Fortunately, hers was ice-attributed, or she would not even have been able to keep up with him.

Watching Liu Yu's back, Han Yue's heart was far from calm. To effortlessly kill a fifth-rank magical beast, especially an unusual beast like the Snow Demon Ape, he had to be at least a Dou Huang expert. And those strange flames—even the legendary heavenly flames could hardly be more impressive.

She had come from the Central Plains to hone herself at Jia Nan Academy. There were plenty of geniuses in the Inner Academy, and a few had even surprised her slightly. Yet compared with the man before her, they were mere fireflies beside the radiant moon. Even in the Central Plains, where geniuses gathered in droves, she had never heard of anyone so monstrously gifted!

In that case, he most likely sneaked into the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower, and the abnormality on the sixth floor was very likely connected to him, Han Yue thought silently. After witnessing Liu Yu's strength firsthand, everything that had happened earlier seemed to have found a reasonable explanation.