37: This curse is more like an invitation

Ten Thousand Demons Valley.

The name sounded intimidating, but the entrance was quite inconspicuous.

It was just a crack between two barren mountains, with wind gushing out, carrying a mix of earthy smell and... the perennial stench of decaying feathers.

The moment Jiang Chen stepped into the crack, the air changed.

Not temperature, nor humidity.

It was something more fundamental.

Like a drop of ink falling into a basin of clear water.

The originally calm Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi suddenly became violent and repellent, as if the entire valley's “immune System” had been activated, furiously attacking him, the “virus.”

Immediately after, a sharp shriek, without any warning, pierced down from the clouds above his head.

The sound wasn't like a bird's cry.

It was more like the sound of a piece of rusty iron scraping with all its might on glass, making one's eardrums tingle and teeth ache.

An Iron Feather Eagle, with a wingspan of no more than three meters, considered the lowest-tier scavenger in this Ten Thousand Demons Valley, now acted as if it had seen its father's killer, its eyes crimson, feathers bristling, and it swooped straight down towards Jiang Chen.

That wasn't hunting.

It was a suicidal attack.

Jiang Chen didn't even look up.

He just stood there quietly, feeling the malice from the Phoenix, imprinted deep within his true Soul.

The Enemy of All Birds.

This curse had begun to take effect.

Pfft.

The Iron Feather Eagle, still ten meters above Jiang Chen's head, suddenly stiffened, as if it had hit an invisible wall, and plummeted straight to the ground, twitching twice before falling silent.

It had been scared to death by the faint pressure of the Phoenix Divine Blood emanating from Jiang Chen.

But this was just the beginning.

One shriek turned into two, then ten, a hundred... The sky darkened.

It wasn't dark clouds obscuring the sun.

Instead, countless wings, countless sharp claws, countless pairs of eyes filled with hatred and brutality, converged into a black tide that blotted out the sky.

From the lowest-grade Iron Feather Eagles and Carrion Vultures, to the slightly stronger Three-Headed Owls and Windblade Sparrows, and even a few Red-Crowned Blood Cranes whose aura rivaled those in the Foundation Establishment Late Stage... thousands upon thousands, countless in number.

They had only one target.

The young man in black standing at the crack of the valley entrance.

The Phoenix's curse was like an irresistible imperial decree, commanding them to hate and kill this “Bloodline traitor.”

However, the Phoenix Divine Blood in Jiang Chen's body, purified and sublimated by the Myriad Laws Dao Body, was like an even nobler, more ancient emperor; its Bloodline pressure made their Souls tremble, instinctively wanting to prostrate themselves.

Hatred and fear.

Two completely opposite instincts clashed wildly in the minds of these low-intelligence Yao Beasts.

Thus, a spectacular scene unfolded.

They dared not advance, because of fear.

They were unwilling to leave, because of hatred.

Thousands of Yao Birds began to circle with Jiang Chen at the center.

The faster ones overtook the slower ones, the outer layers squeezed the inner layers, one layer on top of another, one circle after another.

Soon, a giant tornado, connecting heaven and earth, composed of countless Yao Birds' flesh, feathers, sharp claws, and shrieks, slowly formed in the valley.

At the center of the tornado, it was calm.

Jiang Chen stood there, his expression undisturbed.

He even had the leisure to reach out and catch a crimson feather, swept in by the gale, slowly drifting down.

The feather still carried a trace of warmth belonging to a Red-Crowned Blood Crane.

“What a... magnificent sight.”

He murmured softly.

His voice was drowned in the deafening roar, unheard by anyone.

His gaze pierced through this chaotic “Yao Beast tornado,” his Eye of Insight operating at full capacity.

In his vision, the entire world transformed into countless interwoven lines.

Most of them were red lines, extending from the surrounding Yao Birds, pointing towards him, filled with brutality and murderous intent.

Dense and intricate, like a bloody net.

And deep within these chaotic lines, he precisely captured a... different line.

It was a human's line of destiny.

Very faint, like a candle flame in the wind, threatening to extinguish at any moment.

But it was also very tenacious, carrying a sense of unwillingness and anger, struggling desperately, not broken.

The source of this line pointed to a cave deep in the valley, hidden by a waterfall.

“Found it.”

A cold arc curved on Jiang Chen's lips.

He released his hand, letting the crimson feather be swept away by the airflow, then took a step, walking leisurely into the depths of the tornado composed of flesh and fury.

To others, this was a deadly predicament.

To him.

This was more like a... grand welcome ceremony prepared just for him.

Walking in the center of the “Yao Beast tornado” was a very peculiar experience.

Above and all around, there were impenetrable walls of flesh and blood.

Countless crimson eyes, like lanterns hanging on the walls, stared fixedly at him, filled with bone-deep hatred.

The gales from flapping wings converged into turbulent currents, but they were smoothed by an invisible Qi field when they approached within three feet of Jiang Chen's body.

Shrieks, cries, roars... countless noises mixed together, forming a constant background sound, which ironically made the eye of the storm seem exceptionally quiet.

A strong odor permeated the air.

It was the unique musky smell of avian Yao Beasts, mixed with the special glandular secretions released when startled, and also... the damp smell of overturned earth.

It was not pleasant.

Jiang Chen frowned slightly.

His steps were steady, neither fast nor slow, each stride seemingly measured with a ruler.

Along the way, he saw a Windblade Sparrow that had been squeezed by its companions and fallen from the sky.

Its wing was broken, and it flapped futilely on the ground, emitting a “caw-caw” wail from its throat, its gaze towards Jiang Chen still filled with unconcealed hatred.

Jiang Chen passed by, not even raising an eyelid.

His attention was focused on something else.

“The energy of these Yao Beasts... is very miscellaneous (mixed).”

Under the Eye of Insight, he could “see” that the power flowing within these Yao Beasts was filled with conflicting attributes.

Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth, Wind, Thunder... like a chaotic stew.

This reminded him of the concept of the Myriad Laws Dao Body.

His Dao Body used the Array Dao Heavenly Heart as a framework to integrate various elemental powers in an orderly manner.

These Yao Beasts, however, were more like products of wild growth.

“What if... I could purify and plunder the power of this entire Yao Beast species?”

A crazy thought flashed through his mind.

This Ten Thousand Demons Valley was an enormous, undeveloped treasure trove.

And the Phoenix's curse was the only key to open the door to that treasure trove.