Exploring Hidden Cloud Valley!

Sun Yao stared blankly, her expression extremely complicated.

The words "Kill everyone in this sect" shook her to her core, moved by this selfless protection.

They were also well aware that this action was inappropriate.

She took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing her surging Qi and Blood, and quickly stepped forward:

"Ancestor, wait!"

Shi Jian's scarlet bear eyes slowly turned and landed on her, and the murderous intent that was almost solidified subsided slightly.

"These five people come from a Golden Core sect called the Crimson Flame Sect in the Jin Kingdom."

Sun Yao spoke rapidly and clearly, "According to my investigation, only these five Foundation Establishment cultivators from their sect entered the secret realm this time."

"You... you've killed them all..."

"They were all wiped out?"

Shi Jian muttered something, and the lightning arcs around his body disappeared, the overwhelming ferocious aura receding back into his body like a tide.

That saves trouble.

He was just making a harsh statement to win over some goodwill; actually going to the vast sea of people to find a disciple of a sect would be a complete waste of time.

Now that all our enemies are dead, that's all the better, to prevent them from seeking revenge.

He walked over to the mutilated corpses, feeling a little embarrassed, since Sun Yao was watching right there...

Eating people directly will damage your reputation.

After hesitating for a moment, the Yao Qi surged, and in the end, it simply swallowed all five people's Storage Bag and stored them inside its belly...

Sigh, even an ancestor has to maintain some dignity, right?

Sun Yao then threw a fire talisman to destroy the body and eliminate all traces. Good, not even a trace was left, saving the trouble of digging a pit to bury the body.

After doing all that.

Shi Jian walked to Shi Pan's side and used his Demon Essence to help him heal his injuries.

"You idiot, be smarter next time."

As he spoke, Shi Jian patted Shi Pan's head with his bear paw. "If you can't beat them, run away. Don't stubbornly persist next time."

"There's an old saying among Human Race: 'A wise man knows when to yield. As long as the Xiong Shan remains, there's no fear of starvation.' Why are you risking your life like that!"

Shi Pan let out a weak whimper and silently endured the ancestor's reprimand.

Having eaten two bites of demon lizard meat earlier, his energy and spirit had improved considerably, and the red light emanating from his wounds was becoming increasingly intense.

The broken bones made a faint "crackling" sound as they slowly reconnected themselves.

Demon Beast are great; their physical bodies are strong, making it easiest for them to heal physical injuries, while internal injuries to the soul are the most difficult to treat.

Seeing this, Shi Jian's heart stirred slightly.

The dragon blood of this demonic lizard was even more potent than expected, having such a miraculous effect on Demon Beast like Shi Pan, which had an earth-elemental bloodline.

Once this matter is settled, we'll have to let that fool eat the entire lizard's corpse.

The lizard meat contains dragon blood, which is too diluted for him to be of much use, but it is a great tonic for Shi Pan!

It is thought that this can promote the growth of blood vessels.

"Ancestor, what's next..." Sun Yao finished her meditation and walked over, holding the animal hide map in her hands.

Having passed the perilous pass, she had regained her composure and pointed to a mark on the map, saying, "According to the map, 530 li east of here is a place called ' Gloomy Cloud Valley '."

"The notes of the Supreme Purity Sect's predecessors mentioned that this valley is filled with Spiritual Qi and abundant in water and trees, and is very likely a natural ' Blessed Land ' in its infancy."

"Blessed Land?"

"Yes, it is a truly Blessed Land."

Sun Yao nodded in agreement, a hint of longing flashing in her eyes. "A true Blessed Land is a spiritually vibrant place that can spontaneously nurture the ' Heaven and Earth Qi '."

"Only then can it be called Blessed Land."

"Blessed Land are also divided into different grades. A top-grade Blessed Land can nurture a Heaven and Earth Qi Dynamic in ninety to one hundred years, a medium-grade Blessed Land in one hundred and eighty years, and an inferior Blessed Land in three hundred and sixty years."

"The Thunder Pool behind my Sun Clan's mountain is the most rudimentary form of Blessed Land, but it will take hundreds of years of painstaking work to truly take shape and become a lower-grade Blessed Land."

She paused, then lowered her voice even further:

"In the entire White Cloud Commandery, only the ' Return to Origin Sword Tomb ' of White Cloud Temple can be considered a low-grade Blessed Land, capable of nurturing a wisp of ' Return to Origin Profound Sword Qi ' only once every 360 years."

"I observe that our ancestor, Zhao Qing, Core Formation through this method."

"This is also a major reason why White Cloud Temple has been able to maintain its traditions uninterrupted."

Upon hearing this, a glint of light flashed in Shi Jian's bear-like eyes.

The Heaven and Earth Qi!

This is his core objective for this trip!

"The notes say that the Heaven and Earth Qi of Gloomy Cloud Valley seems to be related to the three elements of cloud, wood, and water, but there has been no sign of its formation for hundreds of years."

"Therefore, it was gradually abandoned by our sect, and was only used as a resource point for collecting high-level Spirit Plant for harvesting."

As she spoke, a hint of anticipation appeared on Sun Yao's face again. "But the secret realm only opens once every hundred years, and no one can predict what might happen."

"Even if the Heaven and Earth Qi has not yet been born, there must be second- or even third-tier spiritual objects in the valley, several of which are the main ingredients for refining Foundation Establishment Pill!"

"This is also a place I must visit on this trip."

Upon hearing this, Shi Jian licked his lips, seemingly tempted...

This is indeed a great place!

Several hours passed.

After a short rest, the man and the bear set off immediately.

Shi Pan was put into Sun Yao's spirit beast bag and focused on refining the dragon blood to heal his injuries.

This time, Shi Jian no longer deliberately concealed his whereabouts. His massive body, clad in Xuanjia, transformed into a streak of black lightning across the plains.

The demonic aura was so pervasive that ordinary Demon Beast would flee for their lives at the mere sight of it, and cultivators would avoid it at all costs, for fear of incurring bad luck.

It's over 500 li, quite a long way.

In addition, the journey involved frequent stops and stops to avoid dangerous areas, making the trip take a full two days.

As they crossed the last ridge, the scenery suddenly changed.

The air ahead became moist and slightly cool.

Thick white fog, like a veil, swirls among the mountains and forests, shrouding everything in a hazy mist, like a fairyland.

The Spiritual Qi here is no longer as wild and boundless as before, but has become gentle and serene, carrying the unique purity of plants and trees.

"Ancestor, this is it!"

Sun Yao jumped off Shi Jian's back and pointed to Fang Yi narrow ravine hidden by vines and waterfalls, the entrance of which was extremely secretive.

There is also a waterfall, like a silver ribbon hanging upside down, with a roaring sound and rising steam. If it weren't for a map, no one would have imagined that there was such a hidden world behind it.

Shi Jian was the first to pass through the water curtain, as they gradually ventured deeper into the rift valley.

After walking about a hundred paces, a sudden and clear view opened up!

It felt as if one step had entered a fairyland.

This is a vast, boundless circular valley, surrounded by sheer cliffs on all sides, adorned with glistening stalactites and covered with exotic flowers and rare Rare Flowers and Exotic Herbs.

At the bottom of the valley, a jade-green river meanders, in which foot-long, colorful carp swim leisurely.

Exquisite white jade Xiaoshan dot the valley, covered with ancient pines that form graceful canopies, their needles a vibrant, verdant green.

In the air, specks of spiritual light floated, formed from extremely concentrated Spiritual Qi.

"What a Blessed Land!" Sun Yao couldn't help but exclaim.

Shi Jian also narrowed his eyes. The quality of Spiritual Qi here was even higher than that of the Clear Wind Mountain Stone Forest, which he occupied, and its nature was gentle, making it more suitable for living beings to cultivate.

He took a deep breath, feeling as if his internal organs had been cleansed, and the speed at which his Demon Core circulated increased.

However, the next moment, his slightly narrowed bear eyes suddenly sharpened.

Something's not right.

This place is so quiet.

Apart from the sounds of flowing water and wind, not a single bird or insect chirp could be heard. Even the carp swimming in the river seemed to be objects in a painting, completely still.

Shi Jian strode over to the emerald-green river and looked down.

In the crystal-clear river water, the colorful carp that should have been lively and agile were now completely still...

They had no wounds on their bodies, and their scales were still shiny and bright, but the sparkle in their eyes had long since vanished.

Life seemed to have been drained away!

Sun Yao also noticed this strange scene, and her expression instantly turned serious:

"Ancestor, this..."

Shi Jian did not answer. He slowly raised his head, his gaze passing over the calm river surface and looking towards the area shrouded in thick fog deep in the valley.

There, he sensed an extremely faint, distant aura that stirred his demonic soul instinctively.

That was neither a spirit nor Demon Beast.

Rather, it is a kind of...

More ancient, more primordial, seemingly transcending all things...

Daoist charm!

The Heaven and Earth Qi of Gloomy Cloud Valley may have already been born.

But it seems something else beat them to it...