"Do you know where I’m going? You’d best not try any tricks, or you know what will happen to you!"

"Let’s go!" Ye Fan shoved him aside and followed.

Upon entering the deep forests of Beimang Mountain, Ye Fan felt an eerie atmosphere. The Yin energy was overpowering, and human bones littered the ground—a clear sign that many had lost their lives here. The old man remained vigilant, as Ye Fan’s strength was beyond his imagination.

He led Ye Fan into a shadowy ravine. Once they were deep inside, the old man stopped.

"Why have you stopped?" Ye Fan asked.

"We’re not going any further. This is a forbidden land!"

The old man suddenly sat on the ground, completely ignoring the pain in his wrist. Bones were visible everywhere. It was truly a place rarely visited by humans.

"Pick a spot," the old man said. "This will be your burial ground!"

"What do you mean?" Ye Fan demanded.

The next moment, the old man shoved a nearby stone. As soon as it moved, countless arrows rained down. "Dragon Essence Power!" Ye Fan roared.

As his Dragon Essence Power flared, it shattered all the arrows, which fell to the ground in pieces.

The old man was stunned. He hadn’t anticipated Ye Fan’s strength to be so terrifying. He snatched a rusted butcher’s knife from the ground and charged at Ye Fan.

However, Ye Fan easily snapped the knife in the old man’s hand. As the blade broke, Ye Fan caught a fragment and slashed it across the man’s neck.

"AH!"

The old man screamed, clutching his throat. He struggled on the ground for a moment before his life ebbed away.

"To think you could harm me with such pitiful strength," Ye Fan said with disdain. "How naive."

Ye Fan continued forward until he reached what seemed to be a dead end. But then, something unexpected happened. A shimmering barrier appeared before him, blocking his path.

Ye Fan was shocked. He finally understood the secret of Flame Valley. The barrier was the entrance to a small world.

"Dragon Essence Power!"

He shouted as his fist slammed into the barrier. It trembled for a moment before returning to its calm state.

Is my strength still not enough? Ye Fan thought in shock.

He struck the barrier with two more punches, but it was like hitting cotton; the force of his blows was completely absorbed.

"It seems brute force won’t break this barrier," he muttered coldly.

He then focused his power into his fingertips, channeling the concentrated energy into the barrier. The power grew in intensity until, eventually, the barrier shattered like glass. Ye Fan quickly slipped through, seeing that it was already starting to reform.

After a flash of white light, Ye Fan found himself in a wondrous place. It was a hidden sanctuary, like an earthly paradise.

"So this is your mysterious sanctuary," Ye Fan remarked coldly. "Flame Valley, let’s see what you’re all about."

He walked forward, flanked by fields on both sides. Not far ahead, he could see people farming, their clothes looking somewhat ancient.

"Excuse me," Ye Fan said as he approached one of them. "Can you tell me how to get to Flame Valley?"

The farmer, alarmed by his presence, fearfully pulled Ye Fan to a hidden spot. "Young man! Are you from the outside?" he whispered. 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

Ye Fan nodded. "Yes. Do you know about the outside world?" He looked at the old farmer, his curiosity piqued.

"Young man," the old farmer said, "this is no place for you!"

"Why?" Ye Fan inquired.

"Recently, some people broke into the small world. Now Flame Valley is hunting them down, killing anyone they find on sight. Their cruelty is unbelievable! We’re just villagers here. Some kindhearted folks took in those outsiders to help them heal, but when Flame Valley found them, they massacred their entire families!"

Anger surged through Ye Fan. He had never imagined a sect could be so cruel. Clenching his fists, he declared, "Flame Valley... Is there no law in this place? Since I’m here, I will see to this matter myself!"

"No, young man, Flame Valley has always been notoriously ruthless," the farmer pleaded. "They hold sacrificial rites every year, capturing a group of innocents from outside and using their lives for the sacrifices! Even we villagers within this small world can’t escape their clutches. If we could leave, we would have done so long ago."

The old man’s words solidified Ye Fan’s resolve to intervene. In his eyes, this sect was no different from an evil cult.

By then, the sky had darkened. "Thank you for the information," Ye Fan said. "I’m off to Flame Valley. If there’s a chance, I will definitely save you all!"

The old man hurriedly grabbed him. "Young man, don’t be so arrogant! Flame Valley is not as simple as you think. Their power is beyond your imagination!"

"Don’t worry. Farewell!"

Ye Fan quickly departed.

In the darkness, he reached the summit of a mountain within the small world. From there, he could see the brilliantly lit peak of the mountain across from him—an impressive sight. This was the headquarters of Flame Valley.

About an hour later, he managed to infiltrate Flame Valley’s territory. He quickly spotted the tallest tower, made his way toward it, and slipped inside. It appeared to be only four stories high, but he could sense three more levels extending underground.

"Flame Tower," Ye Fan read from an inscription on the structure.

This must be an important location for Flame Valley; otherwise, it wouldn’t be so heavily guarded.

From the rooftop, he could vaguely hear a conversation below. Quietly lifting a tile, he peered through the opening. Beneath him sat an authoritative middle-aged man. Although the man made no overt moves, Ye Fan could sense he was extraordinarily powerful.

Even I might not be able to defeat him. The man exuded a domineering presence with every word and action, a true leader befitting Flame Valley.

At that moment, two men approached and knelt respectfully. "Reporting to the Valley Master, we have not yet gathered half of the people needed for the sacrifice!"

"What? Not even half?" the Valley Master roared. "The sacrificial ceremony is in three days, and you’re telling me you haven’t even gathered half?!"

"Valley Master, the people who recently broke into our sect were from Divine Continent Sword," one of the kneeling men reported. "They’ve arrived just before our ceremony, so they might be investigating Flame Valley. The outside world is under their strict control, making it very difficult for us to capture people."

"I don’t care how difficult it is! The sacrificial ceremony must not be delayed. If you don’t have enough, capture some of the villagers from the foot of the mountain!"

"But... we just took a group from them. If we go back for more, won’t they revolt?" his subordinate asked with trepidation.

"Revolt?" the Valley Master sneered. "This is Flame Valley’s territory. The very idea of them rebelling is a joke. Go and capture them tomorrow!"

"Yes!"

His two subordinates retreated.

Ye Fan pondered on the rooftop. What kind of sacrificial ceremony requires harming so many innocent people? These are living, breathing human beings!

As the Valley Master took a sip of tea, his eyes caught Ye Fan’s reflection in the cup. "Friend on the roof," he called out, "isn’t it time you came down for a chat?"

He flicked his teacup upwards. Ye Fan promptly dodged as the Valley Master leaped to the rooftop to confront him.

Ye Fan challenged him, "I don’t know what you’re sacrificing for, but to use innocent lives... aren’t you violating the code of martial artists?"

"Rules?" The Valley Master scoffed. "Here in Flame Valley, we *are* the rules. Who are you to dare trespass here, young man?"

"That’s what I should be asking Flame Valley!" Ye Fan retorted.

"Oh?"

"Do you recognize these?" Ye Fan asked, tossing two tokens toward the man.

They landed at the Valley Master’s feet. He was shocked when he saw them. The two deep black tokens were the symbols of Flame Valley’s first-class disciples. He had not expected Ye Fan to have killed two of them. In his eyes, Ye Fan was as good as dead.

The Valley Master bellowed, "You dare kill the first-class disciples of my Flame Valley!"