He sat cross-legged, circulated his Cultivation Technique, and silently absorbed Spiritual Power, waiting for the Divination to appear.

Midnight arrived.

A ray of golden light appeared on schedule.

[The Divination has been refreshed] 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

[Today’s Divination: Auspicious]

[You accept a quest and travel to the Secret Realm to find the quest issuer. However, the quest is a trap; the issuer is none other than the Valley Lord of Blood Beast Valley.]

[He orders a Tier Two Demon Beast—the Blood Roar Beast—to attack you, but you kill it in a counter-attack and claim all of his treasures.]

"A trap?"

Li Chang’an was surprised.

’I’d considered several possibilities, but I never expected this.’

’How could Blood Beast Valley know I need Celestial Dried Wood?’

’Perhaps Luo Baitong colluded with Blood Beast Valley and sold them my information.’

’Alternatively, since Luo Baitong has been searching for news of Celestial Dried Wood for so long, and he and I are known to be close, Blood Beast Valley might have just put two and two together.’

However.

Either way.

It didn’t make much difference to Li Chang’an.

The Divination was auspicious, which meant the trip would go smoothly.

’A Tier Two Demon Beast! If I kill it, I’m guaranteed to get a Tier Two Demon Core!’

The corners of Li Chang’an’s mouth lifted into a smile.

He had just been worrying about not having a Tier Two Demon Core, and now Blood Beast Valley was delivering one to his door.

"Xiaohai, Dahuang, prepare yourselves. Tomorrow, we’re going to kill someone!"

Li Chang’an wasn’t getting careless, though. He gave his two Spirit Beasts their orders.

’That Demon Beast from Blood Beast Valley has been famous for years. I have to be careful.’

...

The next day, just as the sky began to lighten.

Li Chang’an went to the Black Market, entered the secret chamber used by the Three Tribulations Alliance for posting quests, and accepted the one to explore the Secret Realm.

’The person who posted the quest is named "Thousand Daoist." That must be the alias for Yan Yuan, the Valley Lord of Blood Beast Valley.’

Afterward.

Li Chang’an entered the Black Dragon Mountain Range and sped toward the entrance of the Ancient Wood Secret Realm.

The towering waterfall, thousands of feet high, soon came into view.

Without hesitation, he shot forward and plunged through it, racing down the passage behind the waterfall.

A moment later.

That oppressive aura descended upon Li Chang’an once again.

"The Ancient Wood Secret Realm..."

His expression was grave as he looked ahead.

The world was still dark and filled with the stench of blood. The ground was covered in twisted, ancient trees.

This time.

Li Chang’an heard no strange sounds.

He remained vigilant and slowed his pace, navigating around dangerous areas and arriving at the quest’s location without mishap.

It was a valley.

The valley was filled with jagged rocks, and a cold wind howled through it.

The sound of the wind was sharp and piercing, like the mournful wails of countless people.

"Is Daoist Qian here?"

"I am Li Fan, here for the quest."

"I was wondering which area of the Secret Realm you plan to explore?"

Pretending not to know anything, Li Chang’an entered the valley and called out in a clear voice.

The moment his voice fell.

A massive, blood-colored array flared to life, enveloping the valley and trapping him inside.

His expression changed, and he asked with feigned confusion, "Daoist Qian, what is the meaning of this? I mean no harm."

"Daoist Li, you may mean no harm, but I do!"

A hoarse voice echoed through the valley.

Immediately after.

A figure in a blood-red robe materialized.

The man had a gaunt face and a cold, sinister expression. He stared fixedly at Li Chang’an with blood-red eyes.

It was none other than the Valley Lord of Blood Beast Valley, the renegade disciple of the Beast Taming Zhou Family.

Yan Yuan!

Upon seeing him.

Li Chang’an feigned a look of sudden realization.

"So it was you, Daoist Zhou."

"My surname is Yan, not Zhou!"

Yan Yuan barked, the killing intent in his eyes flaring as if provoked by Li Chang’an’s words.

Li Chang’an cupped his hands.

"Very well, Daoist Yan. This business today... was it a trap you deliberately set?"

"That’s right!"

Yan Yuan hovered in mid-air, his blood-red robe whipping in the wind.

He spoke coolly, "Li Fan, you killed my son, slaughtered my Blood Beast Valley cultivators, and made a name for yourself by trampling on our reputation. Did you truly believe there would be no consequences?"

"Daoist Yan, it seems you’ve misunderstood."

Li Chang’an’s expression was calm, his previous look of panic gone.

"I never intended to kill your son. However, Daoist Yan Yu insisted on killing me. I was left with no choice but to defend myself."

"If my son wanted to kill you, you should have offered up your head for him to take! Why did you resist? That was your mistake!"

"..."

Li Chang’an was silent.

’With a mindset like that, it’s no wonder he betrayed the Zhou Family.’

’No wonder Yan Yu acted the way he did. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.’

"Daoist Yan, things have already come to this. There’s no point in talking further. I only want to know one thing: how did you know I needed Celestial Dried Wood?"

"Hmph. That Luo Baitong asks about Celestial Dried Wood all day. Did he really think I wouldn’t know?"

Yan Yuan’s answer.

It was more or less what Li Chang’an had expected.

Luo Baitong had worked for Li Chang’an for years, so Blood Beast Valley paid him special attention. They infiltrated the Tribulation Cultivator organization he had founded and learned of several treasures he was recently gathering.

Yan Yuan guessed that at least one of them was being collected for Li Chang’an.

Therefore.

He used these treasures as bait, deliberately posting several quests.

All for the sake of luring Li Chang’an here.

After listening, Li Chang’an asked again, "Daoist Yan, do you really have the Celestial Dried Wood?"

Yan Yuan snorted coldly. "Of course I do!"

"Good. It seems my trip won’t be for nothing then. Thank you, Daoist Yan, for the gift."

Li Chang’an smiled.

Hearing this, Yan Yuan flew into a rage. His blood-red eyes looked as if they were about to spew flames of fury.

"You’re at death’s door and still running your mouth!"

He waved his hand, his entire body radiating a chilling killing intent.

The next instant.

A crimson light shot from his Spirit Beast Bag and transformed into a scarlet, toad-like Demon Beast.

It was the Blood Roar Beast!

It let out a furious roar, its aura staggering, and lunged straight for Li Chang’an.

At the same time, the blood-colored array enveloping the valley began to activate, releasing a terrifying killing intent that faintly locked onto Li Chang’an’s position.