The Tianming Sage and the Valley of Night

Inside Yeye's private chambers, thick slabs of Sovereign Grade Demon Dragon meat sizzled on a grill, fat dripping steadily off the rack.

Lu Yuan's cooking skills were nothing special, but it had to be said — Beast Sovereign-grade meat was simply on another level. The aroma hit like a wave.

Yeye and the Night Sky Fiend squatted side by side, both drooling, while Small White helped with the preparations.

Just then, a knock rang at the courtyard gate. Yeye's brow furrowed slightly. She glanced toward the entrance, and across her normally expressionless little face, a trace of displeasure was unmistakably visible.

There weren't many ways to make Yeye angry, but interrupting her while she was eating definitely counted as one of them.

Small White glanced at Yeye, noticed the knocking hadn't stopped, and spoke up:

"Your Highness, shall I get the door?"

Yeye nodded silently.

Small White rose and went to answer it.

Outside stood two young men side by side. One was handsome with black cat ears and a tail; the other was equally striking, with a pair of black wings growing from his back and a faint smile resting on his lips.

When Small White's eyes landed on the winged youth, they narrowed slightly — a brief flash of surprise.

She composed herself quickly, however, and turned to the Cat-kin youth with a slight bow.

"Prince Ye Heng."

Ye Heng gave a small nod and smiled. "Is my sister in?"

"The Princess is inside..."

The corner of Small White's mouth twitched almost imperceptibly. She swallowed the words "having a barbecue."

"May I ask what brings Prince Ye Heng here today?"

"Oh? Can't a brother visit his sister without a reason?"

Ye Heng smiled.

"...Of course not. Please come in, Prince Ye Heng."

Small White stepped aside.

Ye Heng gave a nod and glanced at the youth beside him.

"After you, Brother Yan."

Yan Liang smiled lightly, and the two stepped inside together.

Both stopped short the moment they spotted Lu Yuan tending the grill, with Yeye and the Night Sky Fiend at his side.

Then their gaze was drawn to the enormous Demon Dragon carcass lying nearby.

At the sight of it, Yan Liang's brow furrowed slightly, a grave expression settling over his face.

"A Sovereign Grade Demon Dragon?"

Ye Heng's eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly, the smile slowly fading from his lips.

Yeye glanced over at the two newcomers, then immediately looked back at the grill — she didn't even bother to greet them.

Ye Heng glanced at Yeye, then broke into a smile again.

"Little sister, I heard you brought a human back to your chambers. I figured right away it had to be Brother Lu Yuan. Brother Lu — I'm Ye Heng, Yeye's older brother."

Lu Yuan flipped a piece of meat on the grill without looking up and gave a friendly nod. "Good to meet you, Prince Ye Heng."

Beside him, Yan Liang fixed his gaze on Lu Yuan and asked slowly:

"Did you kill this Sovereign Grade Demon Dragon?"

Lu Yuan blinked and glanced at him. "And you are?"

Yan Liang caught himself and laughed softly. "I'm Yan Liang. You've probably heard of me."

Surprise registered on Lu Yuan's face. He looked Yan Liang over.

*This guy — wasn't he the one holding the top spot on the Prodigy Rankings before me?*

*He'd originally planned to challenge Yan Liang for that position, but the man had already broken through — and just like that, Lu Yuan had inherited the number one slot.*

Lu Yuan grinned. "So it's Brother Yan Liang. Of course I know who you are. Didn't expect to run into you here of all places. I take it you're here to assist Prince Ye Heng?"

Yan Liang gave a slight nod, then asked again: "This Sovereign Grade Demon Dragon — did you kill it?"

"I did," Lu Yuan said with a smile. "Took quite a bit of effort, too."

This particular Sovereign Grade Demon Dragon had possessed an Emperor Grade bloodline and Battle Sovereign-level cultivation, which put it firmly in formidable territory — slightly stronger, in fact, than the aberrated individual who had wielded the Soul-Devouring Orb. Even Lu Yuan had needed considerable effort to bring it down.

And that was only with his improved tempering. Had he faced this dragon at the very beginning, he would have had to grind it down slowly just to survive.

Lu Yuan's confirmation drew a grave look from both Ye Heng and Yan Liang. A Sovereign Grade Demon Dragon with Sovereign Grade bloodline — Yan Liang could probably finish that off with every trick he had. But Emperor Grade bloodline was a different matter entirely. Against that, Yan Liang would be running for his life. The fact that Lu Yuan had managed it meant he was, at minimum, Yan Liang's equal.

*If that dragon truly had Emperor Grade bloodline...* Yan Liang inwardly shook his head. *Impossible. A Battle King — a freshly broken-through Battle King — killing a Beast Sovereign with Emperor Grade bloodline? That defies all reason.*

Yan Liang studied Lu Yuan for a long moment, then smiled.

"I've wanted a match against you for a while now. A shame I broke through when I did — but it's not too late."

Lu Yuan smiled back. "Then we'll settle it when the time comes."

Ye Heng chuckled. "Don't forget the rest of us — my sister and I are in this too. The trial isn't a duel, after all."

He glanced at the grill. "Could I have a piece? It smells incredible. Didn't expect such skill in the kitchen from you, Brother Lu."

Before the words were even fully out of his mouth, Yeye turned her head and fixed him with a slow, silent stare.

The corner of Ye Heng's mouth twitched. He cleared his throat.

"...I was joking."

Yeye looked away.

Ye Heng gave a small shake of his head, then turned back to Lu Yuan with a smile. "We only stopped by today because Brother Yan Liang wanted to meet you. Now that's done, let's settle the real score at the trial the day after tomorrow."

Lu Yuan nodded easily. "Works for me."

Ye Heng and Yan Liang had arrived quickly and left just as fast. Once they were gone, Yeye's mood visibly brightened.

*Probably because now nobody's competing with her for the meat,* Lu Yuan figured.

After the meal, Small White arranged a guest room for Lu Yuan on the second floor.

Yeye slept on the third floor, while Small White — like Lu Yuan — was on the second.

The residential wing had a Gravity Room, so there was no need to worry about cultivation falling behind.

Over the next two days, Lu Yuan skipped the Demon Dragon Mountain Range entirely, spending his time cultivating in the Gravity Room and sparring with Yeye.

The gene Yeye had inscribed into her Gene Chain at the Battle King stage was Sovereign Grade — a powerful burst-type offensive Combat Technique, devastating in raw force.

Against Lu Yuan, however, it still fell somewhat short.

In their sparring, Lu Yuan needed only the Great Solar Spirit Body to suppress her with ease, which was enough to make Yeye question her place in the world.

When she learned his Great Solar Spirit Body was an Emperor Grade gene, though, both she and Small White went very quiet.

Inscribing an Emperor Grade gene at the Battle King stage — being overwhelmingly powerful was only natural.

Still, it gave Yeye considerably more confidence heading into the upcoming trial.

Beyond cultivation and sparring, Yeye kept pulling Lu Yuan around Youming City to sample dishes she liked — Cat-kin specialties he'd never tried before. Since she was sharing, he was more than happy to give them a go.

He had to admit, the food was surprisingly good. After all, Cat-kin and humans were both Human Race. As long as a dish didn't cross into outright savagery — raw meat and blood — the underlying palate wasn't so different, and even the variations in taste rarely strayed into truly unpleasant territory.

The Cat-kin's love of fish, however, ran bone-deep. Nearly every dish Yeye chose revolved around some variety of it.

The two days passed quickly, and the morning of the trial arrived.

Yeye was in the courtyard early. She glanced at Lu Yuan beside her and said quietly: "Let's go."

Lu Yuan nodded and followed her and Small White out.

They made their way to a grand hall at the center of the city.

A vast plaza stretched before it. People were already assembled. Lu Yuan scanned the crowd and spotted Ye Heng and Yan Liang, along with Ye Jing — and beside him, an Elf male Lu Yuan didn't recognize.

Beyond them stood several Cat-kin observers — a few young, others middle-aged or elderly.

As Yeye and Lu Yuan approached, the Cat-kin turned to look. Most eyes settled on Lu Yuan, curiosity plain in their gazes.

*Understandable,* he thought. *Being the former top ranker on the Prodigy Rankings out of White Cloud City carries real weight.*

Spotting them arrive, Ye Heng gave a cheerful wave. "Brother Lu, little sister — you made it."

Ye Jing glanced at Lu Yuan, let out a cold snort, and said nothing.

Lu Yuan glanced back. He had to admit — between the two brothers, he liked Ye Heng considerably more.

Shortly after, the sky above the plaza darkened without warning. Several figures appeared among them, seemingly from nowhere. Lu Yuan looked them over. The Cat-kin at the front was strikingly handsome, with pitch-black eyes. He simply stood there, and yet it was like standing at the edge of a vortex of darkness — every gaze in the plaza was drawn to him involuntarily.

A faint chill crawled across Lu Yuan's scalp. His heart gave an uneasy lurch.

It was primal dread — the instinct of something lesser before something infinitely greater.

*This Cat-kin — he's definitely a Battle Saint.*

The thought surfaced before Lu Yuan could even reason through it.

*He must be Yeye's ancestor. The Tianming Sage.*

This was Lu Yuan's first time seeing a Battle Saint in person. A thread of curiosity stirred in him — but he didn't dare stare.

The gap between a Battle Saint and a Battle Emperor was immense. Even standing before a Battle Emperor, Lu Yuan felt outmatched — but he had never felt this kind of gut-deep, reflexive terror.

*So this is what a Saint Grade existence actually feels like.*

Shaken, Lu Yuan quickly averted his gaze to the others who had arrived — four more Cat-kin, ranging from elderly to middle-aged.

Standing beside the Tianming Sage was a man who bore a faint resemblance to Yeye — strikingly handsome.

Lu Yuan's first instinct was immediate: *Yemu. The current Emperor of the Tianming Empire.*

Yemu's presence was immense, pressing against Lu Yuan like a mortal threat.

*The reigning Emperor of the Tianming Empire — no ordinary Battle Emperor, that's clear.*

*This empire really doesn't lack for powerhouses.*

*I wonder if there are other Saints here besides the Tianming Sage himself.*

While Lu Yuan's thoughts wandered, Yemu turned and looked directly at him — a stern, measuring gaze.

Under that scrutiny, Lu Yuan felt distinctly uncomfortable. He gave a dry laugh and quietly looked away.

The Tianming Sage offered a slight smile, then spoke in an unhurried voice.

"Our Night Clan has produced three more accomplished children this generation. Well done."

His gaze swept across Ye Heng and Yan Liang, then Ye Jing and the Elf male Lu Yuan didn't recognize, before finally resting on Yeye and Lu Yuan.

When his eyes landed on Lu Yuan, the Tianming Sage paused — just for a moment — and a meaningful smile crossed his lips. Before Lu Yuan could make sense of it, the Sage had already looked away.

He continued, his tone warm and unhurried:

"You have all performed admirably — advancing your own cultivation while finding worthy companions. This generation's Night Clan trial, as always, will be held in the Valley of Night. The objective is straightforward: find the token I have hidden within the valley. The first Night Clan child to retrieve it will receive the clan's full support from the Battle King stage all the way through to Battle Emperor — Spirit Crystals, Gene Armaments, Transcendent Genes. Whatever is needed."

At those words, both Ye Heng and Ye Jing narrowed their eyes, a sharp light flashing through them. Even Yeye quietly curled her fingers into a fist.

In any great clan, not all members received the highest tier of resource allocation.

After all, the number of cultivators in such a family was vast. Directing the richest resources equally to everyone would bleed dry even a Battle Saint lineage. But concentrating that support on a handful of supreme talents — that was sustainable.

The outstanding talents of this generation were clearly Yeye and her two brothers. Now they would compete to prove who stood foremost among them.

With a casual flick of his wrist, the Tianming Sage sent three streaks of black light flashing through the air, each materializing before Yeye, Ye Jing, and Ye Heng respectively. He smiled and explained:

"Have your companions take hold of you, then seize these. They will carry you into the Valley of Night — entry points are randomized. Oh, and..." He paused. "I've filled the valley with quite a few Feral Beasts. Three at Emperor Grade, more than twenty at Sovereign Grade, and a considerable number at King Grade. Do be careful."

As he said this, Lu Yuan had the distinct impression that the Tianming Sage's smile held just a little too much private amusement.

*Emperor Grade Feral Beasts?*

Lu Yuan's expression shifted. Creatures of that caliber were entirely beyond anything their group could handle.

He wasn't alone in that reaction — Yeye and the others had all gone pale.

The trial was clearly several levels harder than any of them had anticipated.

Yeye shot Lu Yuan a glance. He gave her a small smile. "Let's go."

She nodded, took hold of his hand, and then reached out and seized the dark speck floating before her.

In an instant, both of them were swallowed by it. Lu Yuan felt space shift around him, didn't fight it, and let himself be carried — until he arrived somewhere utterly dark.

He narrowed his eyes slightly. Then his Emperor Grade darkness-attribute gene, Shadow Dominion, came into play.

His surroundings resolved into perfect clarity.

The space was barren and desolate, stone walls rising on either side. He looked up — stone above as well.

*...The Valley of Night is underground?*

*No wonder it's so dark.*

Yeye was scanning their surroundings, her posture alert. "A-Yuan, can you see?"

"I'm fine," Lu Yuan said with a smile. "Don't worry."

Yeye didn't press further. She nodded. "Good. We need to find that token."

"How large is the Valley of Night?" Lu Yuan asked, curiosity surfacing. "Do you have any idea where the token might be?"

Yeye shook her head slightly. "The Valley of Night is where the Tianming Imperial Clan holds every generation's trial. I don't know exactly how large it is, and as for the token..." She trailed off. "I have no idea."

Lu Yuan stared at her. "...Then how exactly are we supposed to find it?"

Yeye was quiet for a moment, then shook her head. "We search methodically. Our ancestor set this up — there must be clues somewhere."

"Fair enough."

Just then, a tremendous aura surged to life somewhere in the darkness — and it was moving toward them.

Lu Yuan's expression hardened. Beside him, even Yeye went rigid.

*An Emperor Grade Feral Beast? Already?*