Chapter 112: Valley of the Thunder Dragon

It was late in the evening by the time he descended from the main peak. Qing Xi stood before the massive valley, his expression grave. This was the legendary Thunder Dragon Valley, the number one forbidden zone within the entire Yunchuan Prefecture.

Looking back up toward the clouds, he sighed with a sense of loss. "Life without the Dragon-Horse and the Little Diamond Ape lacks much of its joy."

The system assistant immediately chimed in, "Am I not delightful enough?"

Qing Xi rolled his eyes. "You're only good for back-talking."

He took a deep breath, sensing the incredibly dense spiritual energy in the air. "There must be medium-sized earth veins deep underground, and likely more than one."

Generally, within a 500-meter radius of a small earth vein, the spiritual energy concentration is three times that of a micro-vein. A medium-sized vein covers a wider area and can reach five times the concentration of a small one. Yet, Qing Xi could feel that the concentration here was seven times higher than the small earth vein at the Spirit Origin Sect. While it didn't reach the standard of a large vein, it was certainly more than a single medium one. This confirmed that deep beneath Thunder Dragon Valley, there were undoubtedly many medium earth veins.

Qing Xi hurriedly opened the Wordless Heavenly Book and activated the "Dog Nose" ability on the second page. The "scent" drifted east and west before spinning in circles. This meant the area was teeming with rare treasures.

"Even if I can't touch the treasures in the Thunder Dragon Shrine, I can at least borrow some things from the valley itself, right?" With this thought, a grin spread across his face.

He walked fifty meters in a random direction and spotted a three-hundred-year-old "Spirit Jade Grass" growing from a crack in the rock. However, with his scanning function constantly active, he knew he couldn't pick it. Deep within the crevice lurked a seven-colored venomous snake with a cultivation level comparable to the peak of the Xiantian realm. According to the system's analysis, one bite would be fatal—even for an expert of the Xiantian realm, death would follow within five steps, reducing the body to ashes. Only a sect master-level powerhouse could suppress the toxin.

"A mere three-hundred-year-old spirit herb isn't worth the risk!"

Qing Xi decisively moved on. Thirty meters to the left, he found a spirit fruit that could grant fifty years of cultivation if consumed. In the cultivation world, one year of cultivation was equivalent to the amount of primordial energy accumulated by a low-grade spirit root in one year of continuous practice. Fifty years of cultivation was enough to elevate an early-stage Xiantian cultivator to the mid-stage.

"Only a Profound-grade high-tier beast guarding it? Are you looking down on me? Mine!"

Qing Xi utilized his unique skill, "Earth Escape," instantly reaching beneath the fruit. He extended a hand from the soil and plucked it. The guardian beast opened its eyes, habitually checked the spot, and prepared to doze off again. But a moment later, its furious roar echoed through the forest, startling flocks of birds into flight.

A hundred meters away, Qing Xi chuckled and used "Earth Escape" again to swipe a hundred-year-old spirit herb. Stealing spirit herbs was addictive! Before long, he had provoked every beast he dared within a five-hundred-meter radius and obtained a bounty of herbs. He began to feel a bit overconfident. He couldn't even be bothered to pick anything less than a hundred years old.

"Roar!"

Just then, dozens of Profound-grade beasts put aside their differences and, moving in perfect unison, charged toward him. Where they passed, rocks shattered and ancient trees collapsed. Qing Xi shuddered and turned to flee. With his current strength, he could barely win a direct fight, but he would certainly be injured. This was the most dangerous forbidden zone in Yunchuan; if he attracted the attention of Earth-grade beasts, it would be a disaster. He was not yet capable of contending with sect master-level beasts.

When it came to fleeing, his "Earth Escape" skill was peerless. As long as he retreated underground, these surface-dwelling beasts could do nothing to him. After escaping over a thousand meters in one direction, he emerged and let out a sigh of relief. He scanned his surroundings to find a mirror-like lake, surrounded by flowers and birdsong—a pleasant sight. The spiritual energy here was nearly eight times that of the Spirit Origin Sect.

"The concentration here is almost comparable to a large earth vein," he murmured, breathing deeply to draw the rich energy into his body. If he could cultivate here, his progress would be several times faster than in the outside world.

"No wonder the prodigies from the great factions are so young yet possess such high cultivation levels; it has everything to do with the quality of the earth veins."

Qing Xi continued to observe his surroundings, his gaze settling on the water near the center of the lake. A strange, amorphous object was floating to the surface. Since it was beyond his scanning range, he used his eyes to activate the reading function:

[Species: Magic Slime]
[Name: Ada]
[Grade: Earth-grade mid-tier (Yuan Gang Realm)]
[Aptitude: Superior]
[Note: Through a twist of fate, it arrived in the cultivation world from a world of swords and magic. It has survived in Thunder Dragon Valley for a hundred years and is fully integrated into this environment.]

"Holy crap!"

The uncultured Qing Xi could only express his shock with those two words. So, he wasn't the only traveler in this world. A world of swords and magic? It seemed the cultivation world held many secrets.

The assistant sensed his thoughts and explained, "While the various worlds are independent, they share inseparable connections. There are many realms linked to this one, and the Kunxu lands are just one of them."

Qing Xi mused, "So you mean there are many creatures from other worlds in the cultivation realm... Are there any others from Earth like me?"

"I am not certain, but it's possible... However, the system currently suggests that the host run away immediately."

"Run?"

Qing Xi froze and realized with horror that the Slime was staring straight at him with a look of curiosity and confusion. At that moment, over a dozen massive figures emerged from the water around the Slime, absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. Even the weakest among them was Earth-grade low-tier, and all radiated a heavy, oppressive aura.

Without needing another prompt, Qing Xi activated "Earth Escape" and vanished into the ground without a trace. The Slime blinked its large eyes, looking at the patch of forest where someone had just been, now left with only a swaying bush. After a moment, it blew a few bubbles and sank back into the water. The other Earth-grade beasts followed suit once they finished their meditation.

"Mother of god, that scared the hell out of me!"

Five meters underground, Qing Xi clutched his chest and scrambled away as fast as he could. He decided that Thunder Dragon Valley was simply too dangerous. To put it in a single phrase: Earth-grade beasts roam everywhere, and Profound-grade beasts are as common as dogs. This place was no place for humans! Even a sect master-level expert couldn't survive here for long.

"No, that bunch of Earth-grade beasts gave me a fright. I need compensation for my emotional distress!"

Qing Xi suddenly stopped, reappeared on the surface, and whispered righteously, setting his sights on the spirit herbs and minerals guarded by the Profound-grade beasts.