Two small figures darted swiftly through the valley floor. Apart from the larger beast packs, which they had to circumvent, their passage was virtually unimpeded.

“This liquid medicine really works!”

Chuxue’s eyes widened in disbelief as she watched the refined beasts scramble to evade them. They all looked utterly terrified, as if the two of them were the truly fearsome monsters.

Even more astonishing was Zong Shou’s familiarity with this place. He navigated the terrain with practiced ease, pausing for virtually nothing. The valley floor was open; one only needed to set a course and walk straight. Yet, Zong Shou’s command over the characteristics and temperaments of the local beasts was clearly beyond that of an ordinary person.

Chuxue harbored her suspicion, but finally, she could not restrain herself. “Young Master, have you been to this Blood Valley before?”

Zong Shou offered no reply, merely smiling with an air of inscrutable mystery. It was one of the most famous mid-level starting zones in the Divine Emperor Game, so naturally, he had traversed it countless times, battling the ferocious beasts here. It was also the place where his path of martial arts began.

However, this medicinal liquid was not derived from the game, but from an invention of the current reality. Every year, certain hunters, or those keen on studying the refined beasts, would coat themselves with this drug before entering the Blood Valley. Furthermore, the library where Zong Shou worked in his previous life happened to possess the formula for this very medicine.

While the Blood Valley undoubtedly held the lingering spiritual will of peerless powerhouses from the ancient alien races—a force that often halted even Xiantian-level experts at the perimeter—the reason these refined beasts had become so bloodthirsty and frenzied was unrelated to that ancient power. It was the influence of something else entirely. Any beast infected by that influence harbored an intense aversion to the scent of this specific unguent on his body.

Seeing Zong Shou pay her no mind, Chuxue pouted petulantly and followed behind, though her gaze became even more vigilant, fearing some beast might suddenly attack and harm Zong Shou. Although the medicinal fluid was effective, it evaporated quickly. It needed to be reapplied across the entire body every two shichen (four hours).

Zong Shou, for his part, didn't mind at all; in fact, he found the application quite a sight, frequently turning his head to look, which always caused Chuxue’s pretty face to flush crimson.

The Blood Valley was only about twenty li wide but stretched out in a long, narrow path. After half a day’s journey covering about a hundred li, they spotted the silhouettes of Third-Tier refined beasts ahead. Zong Shou abruptly halted.

The higher the tier of the refined beast, the greater its intelligence. Even when infected by that thing's aura, they could barely maintain their sense of self. Consequently, the effect of the medicinal juice on them was even weaker. Naturally, the Third-Tier beasts they saw hadn't reached that level yet. What truly worried him were those Fifth-Tier refined beasts, those comparable to human Xiantian experts.

Chuxue knew the danger here too. She tapped her brow, and her eyes burst with divine light.

“Guard us!”

Threads of light vapor immediately condensed before the two. The form was about ten feet long, radiating waves of chilling energy outward. Its claws and fangs were razor-sharp, and fierce light glinted in its tiger eyes. It was the Cold Nether Tiger they had seized previously, which Zong Shou had helped subdue the day before they left the city. Though only a Third-Tier Soul Beast, the lingering majesty of its former Fifth-Tier existence made nearby refined beasts even more wary.

Perhaps due to sharing a similar lineage, an inexplicable connection had formed between the woman and the beast. Not only had Chuxue’s aura increased, but the Cold Nether Tiger’s might also surged, approaching Fourth-Tier strength.

“The bloodline of this Cold Nether Tiger and Chuxue truly complement each other. It’s a pity Xue’er’s strength is still too low; if her Soul Power could reach the Chuqiao Realm, utilizing talismanic power could surely reinforce this Cold Nether Tiger to Fourth-Tier—”

With just one glance, Zong Shou retracted his gaze. He began cautiously selecting their route, continuing deeper into the valley. His main task was discerning scents and observing the distribution of the beasts. Areas where high-tier demonic beasts congregated were always vast and empty, easily identifiable because the surrounding refined beasts kept a wide berth. This was experience he had gleaned in his previous life.

However, after traveling only a few li, they heard human voices ahead. Zong Shou peered into the distance and saw a group of figures engaged in fierce combat with the refined beasts. There were only seven or eight people, yet each possessed considerable strength. Two of them were even using talismans, clearly Spirit Masters in the Yang Ling Realm. Despite facing a pack of over forty Second-Tier Fang Wolf beasts, they handled the situation with relative ease.

Zong Shou raised an eyebrow, feeling a secret sense of strangeness. While the Blood Valley was perilous, it wasn't entirely uninhabited. Certain refined beasts and herbs found here were unique to this locale. However, few people chose to enter at this particular time of year. Shaking his head subtly, Zong Shou made to ignore them, activating the Wind-Moving Spirit Bone on his body, preparing to circle around.

But just as the two were passing by, a call echoed from the combatants: “Is that Junior Brother Zong Shou over there?”

The voice was barely audible beneath the roars of the beasts and the clash of battle. Yet, the timbre of that voice was profoundly familiar and intensely resonant to Zong Shou’s body. He stopped involuntarily. Turning back in surprise, he saw a woman looking toward them from a distance, waving with a bright, joyful expression.

Zong Shou frowned, and in the next instant, all memories associated with this woman flooded his mind. The next moment, his head began to ache intensely. He recalled this woman was named Gong Xinran, a Senior Sister from the Linhai Academy. She was unremarkable in herself—her background was ordinary, and her appearance merely average. However, for the ‘Zong Shou’ who had already vanished, she was etched into his bones. In the first year at Linhai, she was the only woman who had remained consistently kind and supportive of him. She could even be considered one of the main pillars of spiritual support for that ‘Zong Shou’ at the Academy. It was precisely because this woman had temporarily left the academy to complete her studies that the original ‘Zong Shou,’ reeling from the blow of a broken engagement, fell into complete despair and wallowed in (decline/gloom) for two full years.

It must be said, that departed fellow was quite a rake. In only one year at Linhai Academy, he had successively fallen in love with two different girls.

He tried to ignore her and continue past, but his feet felt rooted to the spot, unable to take another step. As Zong Shou wrestled with his conflict, the group of martial masters ahead had already slaughtered more than half of the Fang Wolves. Gong Xinran promptly broke away from her group, harnessing a gust of gentle wind with a Talismanic Art, and flew towards them.

Confirming it was Zong Shou, her expression brightened with further delight. “It really is you? Why would Junior Brother come to this Blood Valley?”

Suddenly, she seemed to recall that Zong Shou was unable to cultivate martial arts and had not yet opened his Soul Sea. Gong Xinran scrutinized him again, her delicate eyebrows immediately furrowing. Only upon seeing Chuxue beside him, and the nearly Fourth-Tier Soul Beast, the Cold Nether Tiger, did her expression ease slightly. Yet, she still frowned. “How dangerous is this Blood Valley? You are the Crown Prince of the Qiantian Mountain, of noble status. Why risk coming here?”

Zong Shou offered a wry, internal smile. He didn’t know what was happening these last few days. Yesterday, he had run into his fiancée; today, he coincidentally encountered the woman whom ‘he’ had cherished and harbored a secret crush on in the past. In both his past and current life, he had witnessed countless beauties. Yet, Gong Xinran’s appearance, which could only be described as delicate and pleasant, caused a wave of throbbing agitation in his heart. His throat grew dry; he could barely speak. His mind suddenly recalled her gentle kindness at Linhai Academy, and then he was stirred by the concern evident in her recent words—his heart was utterly chaotic.