33: valley

As it spoke, the Azure Sky Luan spread its wings, and a gentle breeze swept past. The layers of vines covering the cave entrance seemed to have their life supply cut off, slowly dropping to the ground.

The moment the vines hit the ground, a surge of Life Energy diffused from the opposite side of the cave entrance. This extremely dense Life Energy even caused Xu Yan's cheeks to flush as if he were drunk. Even Zhu Yan was stimulated by this Life Energy, emerging directly from Xu Yan's shadow with a look of utter intoxication.

Behind Xu Yan, the bats that had originally been intimidated by the Azure Sky Luan's previous might immediately sensed the Life Energy. They overcame their fear of the Monarch-level Spirit Beast and began to stir restlessly.

Facing this scene, the Azure Sky Luan lightly spread its wings, and a fresh breeze blew past again, pushing the diffused Life Energy back and setting up a Wind Wall at the cave entrance to separate the two sides.

Afterward, it led Xu Yan and Zhu Yan through the Wind Wall and out of the cave entrance.

After the person and the two spirit beasts left, the already restless bat-like strange beasts became bolder. Some of the swift ones even rushed to the Wind Wall, attempting to pass through it like Xu Yan and the others, but they were immediately shredded into a mist of blood by the Wind Wall.

After passing through the entrance, Xu Yan arrived in a valley surrounded on all four sides by green mountains.

The valley was not large, covering only about thirty to forty square meters. It also contained a pool of emerald-green water that took up one-third of the area, with a spring bubbling continuously in the center.

The surrounding plants were lush. There were no spirit beasts or strange beasts present. Some Spiritual Materials that were quite valuable in the outside world weren't exactly ubiquitous here, but they could certainly be found with a careful search.

However, the highest rank of these Spiritual Materials was only General Rank.

Although this scene could be considered a treasure trove for a newly awakened Beast Tamer, and even paradise for a Cultivator like Xu Yan, it was still vastly different from the area Xu Yan had imagined where the Azure Wood Spirit Flame resided.

As a place capable of nurturing such a Life-attribute Heavenly Spirit Flame, shouldn't it be teeming with precious spirit beasts, Spiritual Materials visible everywhere, and treasures underfoot?

Although the Azure Sky Luan had previously prepared Xu Yan for this, seeing a scene so drastically different from his imagination, Xu Yan inevitably felt profound disappointment.

The Azure Sky Luan, standing beside Xu Yan, closed its eyes upon seeing this sight and listened to the sound of the wind.

Combining everything it had sensed, the Azure Sky Luan formed a rough guess about the scene before them.

"This valley shouldn't originally belong to this Secret Realm. Or rather, a Secret Realm of this level couldn't even nurture the rudimentary form of a Heavenly Spirit Flame, let alone some special flames.

What likely happened is that the Azure Wood Spirit Flame's original region was discovered, triggering a massive struggle among powerful experts. In the end, perhaps due to an accident, or perhaps the actions of those experts who held the 'if I can't have it, I'll destroy it' mentality, the space where the Azure Wood Spirit Flame originally resided was shattered.

Consequently, the Azure Wood Spirit Flame drifted into the Spatial Turbulence, where, by chance, it encountered this Secret Realm and was merged into it.

Although the level of this Secret Realm cannot compare to the region where the Azure Wood Spirit Flame originated, the Flame itself suffered extremely severe damage and degenerated due to the Spatial Turbulence. Furthermore, its mass is too small, allowing it to only be slowly absorbed by this Secret Realm.

If this continues, the Azure Wood Spirit Flame will not only fail to be successfully nurtured but will also directly turn into nourishment for this Secret Realm, eventually becoming a special region with slightly richer Life Energy.

The vines at the cave entrance earlier must have been the Azure Wood Spirit Flame's self-rescue attempt, using the vines to block the dissipation of most of its Life Energy and power."

Listening to the Azure Sky Luan's explanation, Xu Yan's mood improved slightly.

Compared to the worst possible outcome, the fact that the Azure Wood Spirit Flame still existed and hadn't been completely absorbed by the Secret Realm when they entered the valley—meaning it could help Uncle Qing advance—was already an excellent result.

Thinking this, Xu Yan’s gaze fell upon the spring in the center that was bubbling with emerald-green water.

If one had to choose the most likely location for the Azure Wood Spirit Flame in this valley, it would have to be this spring occupying the center—even though describing a flame existing within spring water sounds a bit strange.

Xu Yan hadn't guessed wrong. The Azure Sky Luan, having slightly enlarged its size, flew directly over the spring. Then, azure flames began to burn on its body, descending from it toward the spring. The previously emerald-green water was instantly ignited by the azure flame as if it were combustible material.

Xu Yan felt a pang of heartache watching the ignited spring and the rapidly drying pool water around it.

This was spring water rich in Life Energy! It was top-grade material for making spirit food, Potions, or even brewing tea and wine—the kind of material that could multiply the original price of those goods several times over! And it was just being burned dry like this.

As Xu Yan watched with immense heartache, the pool that had occupied one-third of the valley completely vanished, leaving only the spring in the center still being consumed by the flames.

Just as the spring was about to be burned dry by the azure flame, a wisp of emerald-green flame finally emerged from the spring, beginning to resist the azure flame.

However, how could a flame, already severely weakened by years of absorption by this Secret Realm, resist the Natal Flame of a Monarch-level Spirit Beast—especially one with Phoenix Bloodline, which possesses extremely high attainment in controlling fire?

As time passed, the originally azure flame began to take on a hint of emerald green, and the flame, which had been somewhat violent, started to become full of vitality.

After sensing that the emerald-green flame had been completely fused with its Natal Flame, the Azure Sky Luan opened its beak, swallowed the flame back into its belly, and revealed a look of deep satisfaction.

Although the rank was not high, the Life Energy accumulated over a long period flowed into its belly along with the fused flame, giving it a hearty meal.

Afterward, it looked at Xu Yan, who was standing nearby with a look of heartache, and displayed a hint of awkwardness.

After all, the meal it had just enjoyed would have been an enormous opportunity for Xu Yan.

However, this was the only way to successfully fuse the Azure Wood Spirit Flame.

After thinking for a moment, the Azure Sky Luan spoke:

"When we return, I will find a way to reimburse you. I still have some connections and savings in the Parasol Tree Realm. Next, I need some time to absorb this harvest. If anything happens, you can summon me directly, just like before."

Having finished speaking, it transformed into a gust of clear wind and vanished again, leaving only an emerald-green bead behind.