191: Black Abyss Valley

The door to the secret chamber slowly opened. Jiang Donghua was slightly startled, then a smile curved his lips as his gaze fell upon the energetic Liu Mingyu, his tone carrying a hint of teasing.

"Brother Liu's body is truly excellent; I thought it would take two days."

Liu Mingyu heard this and quickly clasped his hands, his expression showing both gratitude and humility.

"It's all thanks to Brother Jiang's medicinal pills! Otherwise, with my injuries, how could I have recovered so quickly?"

Liu Yuting stood to the side, her hands clasped behind her back, her fingertips gently caressing the scabbard of her profound ice spirit blade, her gaze subtly darting towards Jiang Donghua.

Seeing that his expression was normal and he didn't seem to mind the awkwardness of yesterday, she secretly breathed a sigh of relief, but then inexplicably felt a little disappointed.

"Since you've both recovered, that's good."

Jiang Donghua nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping over the siblings, his tone becoming a bit more serious.

"I told you before that I would take you somewhere, and now is the perfect time."

A hint of anticipation flashed in Liu Mingyu's eyes as he tightened his grip on his earth vein heavy sword and said in a deep voice.

"Brother Jiang, just give the order!"

Liu Yuting also composed herself, her eyes brightening slightly.

"Big Brother Jiang, where are we going?"

Jiang Donghua's lips curved slightly, and a profound light flickered in his eyes.

"Black Abyss Valley."

"Black Abyss Valley?!"

Liu Mingyu's face changed; he was clearly no stranger to this name.

Liu Yuting's pupils also contracted slightly, and she instinctively tightened her grip on her sword hilt.

"Isn't that the legendary dangerous place where fierce beasts run rampant, and even the Outer Academy elites dare not easily venture?"

Jiang Donghua chuckled softly, his tone calm but filled with confidence.

"That's right, but it's also the best place to hone combat skills and improve strength."

He paused, his gaze lingering on the siblings for a moment, then slowly said.

"Of course, if you find it too dangerous, you can choose not to go."

Liu Mingyu took a deep breath, battle intent gradually rising in his eyes.

"Since Brother Jiang dares to go, how could we siblings retreat?"

Liu Yuting also raised her chin, her eyes sparkling with an unyielding light.

"Exactly! We're not people who drag others down!"

Seeing this, Jiang Donghua nodded in satisfaction, then turned and flicked his sleeve.

"Then let's depart."

The moment they stepped into the Black Abyss Valley territory, the air suddenly became heavy.

At the mouth of the valley, two pitch-black giant peaks rose almost vertically like two silent demonic gods, squeezing the sky into a narrow slit.

Sunlight was scarce here; even at midday, the valley was still shrouded in a hazy gray mist, as if forever suspended at the boundary between dusk and night.

The ground was not ordinary soil, but a strange dark red, as if repeatedly soaked in the blood of countless Magical Beasts, finally solidifying into this appearance.

When stepped upon, there was a sticky sensation, and the earth itself seemed to be greedily sucking away the vitality of intruders.

The name Black Abyss was no exaggeration.

This was not only a geographical abyss but also a dividing line of strength and courage; crossing this boundary meant stepping into a true battlefield of life and death.

In the Outer Academy's regular training areas, a First-tier Magical Beast was already an opponent most students needed to deal with cautiously, but in Black Abyss Valley, First-tier Magical Beasts had long been eliminated; they didn't even have the right to survive here.

Second-Tier Magical Beasts were the bottom dwellers here. Each of these bloodthirsty beasts was comparable in strength to an Outer Academy elite student, and what was more terrifying was that they often appeared in groups.

Third-Tier Magical Beasts occupied the middle ecological niche. These fierce beasts, which had already developed rudimentary intelligence, knew how to set ambushes, hunt in packs, and even use simple innate skills.

And the most terrifying were the elusive Fourth-Tier Magical Beasts, beings more fearsome than ordinary instructors, whose every appearance would stir up a storm of blood and gore in the valley.

The black miasma permeating the valley not only obstructed vision but also slowly eroded the Dou Qi within the body, making one unknowingly weak.

Therefore, one had to constantly rely on the Dou Qi within the body to resist this faint sense of erosion.

As the three delved deeper, the surrounding scenery became increasingly alarming.

The rock walls were covered with deep claw marks, some astonishingly large, clearly from some colossal creatures.

Rusting weapon fragments were scattered on the ground, and occasionally, one could see stark white bones half-buried in the red earth.

Most chillingly, some tree trunks even had complete Magical Beast heads embedded in them, their hollow eye sockets staring intently at every passerby.

"Brother Jiang, this place is a bit too dangerous for us two small Dou Practitioners. How about we find another place for our training?"

No sooner had Liu Mingyu finished speaking than a low beastly roar came from deep within Black Abyss Valley.

The sound was like rolling thunder, shaking loose stones from the rock walls, and even the red earth beneath their feet trembled slightly.

His face paled, cold sweat seeped from the hand clutching his earth vein heavy sword, and his Adam's apple bobbed as he lowered his voice and said.

"Brother Jiang, listen to that sound—it's at least a Third-Tier Magical Beast!"

Jiang Donghua remained composed, not even pausing his steps, merely glancing at him sideways with a half-smile.

"What, Brother Liu's earth vein heavy sword can't even cut through the hide of a Third-Tier Magical Beast?"

Liu Mingyu was choked, and just as he was about to say something more, Liu Yuting let out a cold snort, flicked her finger, and her profound ice spirit blade zinged halfway out of its sheath, its cold light reflecting in her slightly mocking eyes.

"Brother, if you're scared, it's not too late to turn back now."

Her tone was light, yet every word cut deep.

"Anyway, I'll follow Big Brother Jiang alone; I won't be a burden."

Provoked by his sister, Liu Mingyu's face instantly flushed red, and he stiffened his neck, saying.

"Who, who's scared! I just think it's safer!"

"Safer?"

Jiang Donghua suddenly stopped, his gaze fixed on the churning black miasma in the valley, a profound curve appearing on his lips.

"True safety is making your enemies not even dare to touch you."

Before his words finished, he shook his sleeve, and a fierce surge of Dou Qi suddenly erupted, transforming into an invisible wave of energy that swept out.

The black mist in front was instantly torn apart, revealing several pairs of crimson beast eyes lurking in the shadows. Three wolf-like Magical Beasts were baring their fangs, saliva dripping from between their teeth, clearly having targeted them long ago.

"Peak Second-Tier, Blood Hyena Wolves."

Jiang Donghua's tone was flat, as if he were introducing stray dogs by the roadside.

"Brother Liu, want to practice?"

Liu Mingyu's pupils contracted, but at this point, there was no turning back. He could only grit his teeth and step forward, his heavy sword thudding into the ground.

"Come on!"

The Blood Hyena Wolves roared and spread out to encircle them. One of them lunged at Liu Yuting but was met with a backhand slash across its snout, the profound ice spirit blade's cold qi instantly freezing the flesh on its face.

Her figure was like a butterfly, lightly retreating, not forgetting to wink at Jiang Donghua.

"Big Brother Jiang, if my brother can't hold on, you'll have to step in and help."

Jiang Donghua stood with his arms crossed, smiling but not speaking.