After that tense and suffocating moment finally settled, Xiao Feng let out a slow breath before casually raising his hand and signaling the Snow Demon Heaven Ape. His voice was calm, yet carried a natural authority that could not be refused. "Lead the way."
The Snow Demon Heaven Ape immediately lowered its massive head and responded with obedience, not daring to show the slightest delay. "Yes… Master." Without hesitation, it turned around and began walking deeper into the valley, its enormous body pushing aside trees and clearing a natural path ahead.
Xiao Feng followed behind at a relaxed pace, his expression composed, as if everything was already under his control. Zi Yan, on the other hand, still clung to his side, occasionally glancing at Xiao Long with a mix of curiosity and stubborn defiance, while Xiao Long hovered nearby, its presence silently suppressing the entire area like an invisible ruler.
As they moved deeper into the valley, Xiao Feng's gaze swept across the surroundings with sharp precision. Nothing escaped his perception—hidden medicinal herbs growing in shaded corners, magical beast cores buried beneath the soil, and even faint traces of spatial fluctuations that hinted at forgotten storage rings.
With a simple flick of his hand, treasures began disappearing one after another as if pulled by an invisible force. Rare herbs vanished from the ground, magic cores were extracted effortlessly, and even a few worn storage rings hidden beneath rocks were silently collected into his own ring.
To an outsider, it looked almost like magic.
Zi Yan watched all of this with sparkling eyes, clearly impressed. "Hehe… you're even better than me at taking treasures…" she said with a grin.
Xiao Feng didn't even look at her as he replied calmly, "It's called collecting."
Behind them, however, the Snow Demon Heaven Ape's mood dropped lower and lower with every step. Its movements became heavier, its shoulders slightly slumped, and its expression carried an obvious sense of loss. Every single item Xiao Feng took… was something it had painstakingly gathered over the years.
Now, all of it—
Was being taken away right in front of its eyes.
It felt exactly like a child watching someone take away all its treasured possessions, yet it didn't dare to protest even slightly.
Xiao Feng eventually noticed its expression and stopped walking. Turning around, he looked at the ape for a moment, immediately understanding what it was feeling.
Without saying much, he casually flicked his finger.
Two jade bottles shot forward and landed directly in front of the Snow Demon Heaven Ape.
"Take them."
The ape blinked in confusion, hesitating slightly before carefully picking them up. "M-master… what are these?" it asked uncertainly.
"Open them," Xiao Feng replied simply.
With trembling hands, the Snow Demon Heaven Ape opened one of the bottles. The moment the lid was lifted, a rich medicinal fragrance spread into the air, causing its pupils to shrink instantly.
"This… this is…?!"
"That is a Beast Raise Pill," Xiao Feng said calmly. "It can help a Magical Beast directly increase its cultivation—raising a Dou King by two stars."
The ape froze completely.
Its breathing grew heavier.
With shaking hands, it quickly opened the second bottle.
"And that," Xiao Feng continued, "is a Fire King Pill. As the name suggests, it benefits fire-attributed users… but for you—"
He paused slightly, then added with meaning—
"If your luck is good, even with your mixed ice-fire nature, you might jump from 3-star Dou King… to 7-star within a few days."
Silence fell.
The Snow Demon Heaven Ape stood there, completely stunned, its mind unable to process what it had just heard. Then, suddenly, its entire body began to tremble—not from fear this time, but from overwhelming excitement.
"H-how… how can this be real…?" it muttered, clutching the jade bottles tightly as if they were the most precious treasures in existence.
Then, without hesitation—
It knelt down again.
"Master!!"
Its voice was filled with gratitude and emotion.
Before anyone could react, it suddenly turned and rushed off into the forest at full speed, disappearing within seconds.
Zi Yan blinked in confusion. "…What just happened?" she asked, tilting her head.
Xiao Feng smiled faintly. "Let it be."
Moments later, the ground trembled as the Snow Demon Heaven Ape returned, this time carrying a large number of hidden treasures—rare herbs, strange crystals, ancient objects, and items that clearly hadn't seen the outside world for years.
"These… these are all the treasures I hid secretly!" it said eagerly, placing them before Xiao Feng. Then it leaned closer slightly, lowering its voice. "And… I also know about other powerful Magical Beasts nearby…"
Xiao Feng's eyes narrowed slightly. "Oh?"
Encouraged, the ape continued quickly, "There's a 6th-tier Snow Poison Snake in the northern mountains… an Earth Bear King deep underground… and the Twin-Winged Crimson Scale King in the eastern cliffs… it even commands a group… and there are more…"
As the list continued, Xiao Feng's expression subtly changed—not in shock, but in curiosity.
Because this Snow Demon Heaven Ape was only a 5th-tier Magical Beast…
Yet it knew detailed information about 6th-tier existences.
Even their locations.
Their territories.
Their habits.
Xiao Feng looked at it carefully and finally asked, "How do you know all this?"
The ape scratched its head awkwardly. "I… I just like observing… sometimes I secretly follow them from far away… and run if I get caught…"
Zi Yan burst out laughing instantly. "Hahaha! So you've just been spying on everyone?!"
The Snow Demon Heaven Ape looked embarrassed but didn't deny it.
Xiao Feng, however, smiled.
Because this wasn't a weakness—
It was value.
A Magical Beast that knew the entire region was far more useful than one that only had strength.
"Not bad…" Xiao Feng nodded slowly. "It seems… I picked the right subordinate."
Hearing this, the Snow Demon Heaven Ape straightened up proudly, its earlier gloom completely gone.
And just like that, the group continued forward, heading deeper into the valley—
Toward the true treasure that awaited them—
The Earth Core Body Tempering Milk.
Here's your rewritten and expanded version with Xiao Feng instead of Xiao Ming, smoother flow, and stronger narration 👇
Soon enough, under the guidance of the subdued Snow Demon Heaven Ape, Xiao Feng and Zi Yan finally stepped into the depths of the hidden valley.
The moment they entered—
They realized just how vast this place truly was.
The interior of the valley stretched endlessly, filled with dense clusters of towering trees and jagged rocks scattered in chaotic patterns. Yet despite its richness in natural resources…
There was not a single living creature in sight.
Not even the faintest trace of life.
Instead—
What filled the ground were bones.
Large, ghastly white bones lay scattered everywhere, some broken, some intact, remnants of Magical Beasts that had once dared to step into this forbidden territory.
The entire valley resembled a silent graveyard.
A land of death.
Xiao Feng's eyes swept across the scene calmly as he spoke in a low voice:
"It seems… this fellow has killed quite a number of Magical Beasts who tried to seize the treasure."
Behind him, the Snow Demon Heaven Ape remained silent.
But the faint pride in its eyes—
Was unmistakable.
After entering the valley, the Snow Demon Heaven Ape did not pause.
It continued forward, leading the two deeper inside until they arrived before a massive, pitch-black cave at the very end of the valley.
A faint, wild beast scent lingered around the cave entrance—
Clearly, this was its dwelling.
The cave itself was enormous.
Its ceiling rose over ten meters high, easily accommodating the ape's massive body. Inside, rough stones were scattered everywhere, and traces of white fur could be seen clinging to the walls and ground.
Without hesitation—
The Snow Demon Heaven Ape walked straight toward the innermost stone wall.
Then suddenly stopped.
Zi Yan blinked her large eyes, looking around in confusion.
She saw no treasure.
No special aura.
Nothing.
"Hey, little monkey," she said impatiently, placing her hands on her hips,
"Why did you stop? There's nothing here!"
This time—
The Snow Demon Heaven Ape ignored her completely.
Instead, it silently moved toward a corner of the stone wall and raised its massive palm—
Then began digging.
Chunks of soil and stone were torn away with each motion.
The ground trembled slightly as the beast dug deeper and deeper, until finally—
A hidden underground passage appeared.
A pitch-black opening.
Seeing this, Xiao Feng's lips curved slightly.
"You're quite cautious… hiding the entrance like this."
The Snow Demon Heaven Ape snorted lightly and replied in a low voice:
"There are always others watching… I cannot afford carelessness."
As it spoke—
Its gaze briefly shifted toward Zi Yan.
The implication was obvious.
Zi Yan puffed her cheeks but chose not to argue this time. Instead, her eyes sparkled with excitement as she waved her hand:
"Stop talking! Hurry up and lead the way!"
The moment she sensed the treasure below—
All her attention was completely captured.
The group soon entered the underground passage.
The tunnel was narrow and winding, twisting in complex patterns as they descended deeper into the earth.
The air grew colder.
Quieter.
Heavier.
After walking for nearly ten minutes—
A faint white glow finally appeared ahead.
The Snow Demon Heaven Ape stepped forward first, entering the light.
Zi Yan rushed in right after, unable to contain her excitement.
Xiao Feng followed closely behind.
The moment he stepped out—
His vision suddenly opened up.
Before him appeared a breathtaking underground world.
Countless milky-white stalactites stretched endlessly in every direction, illuminating the darkness with a soft, natural glow.
They hung from the ceiling like crystal spears, some reaching lengths of over a hundred meters.
Others rose from the ground like pillars.
The entire space—
Looked like a sacred crystal palace hidden beneath the earth.
Occasionally—
Drops of white liquid would fall from the stalactites above.
Each drop carried a faint, pure energy.
Xiao Feng's eyes flickered with admiration.
"What a place…"
But before he could observe further—
Zi Yan's voice rang out excitedly:
"It's over here! On the left!"
Without waiting—
She dashed forward immediately.
Xiao Feng followed behind her at a steady pace.
After moving through the stalactite forest for several more minutes—
They finally stopped.
Before them stood a massive stalactite.
This one was different.
It connected directly from the ceiling to the ground—
Over a hundred meters long.
Wide enough that two people could barely wrap their arms around it.
It stood like a king among stalactites.
Radiating a faint white glow.
And beneath it—
Was a large bluestone.
At the top of the stone—
There was a small groove.
Inside that groove—
A shallow pool of milky-white liquid rested quietly.
Soft white mist floated above it, never dispersing.
Zi Yan immediately rushed forward, climbing onto the stone.
She leaned down, her small nose almost touching the surface of the liquid as she sniffed repeatedly.
Her expression shifted—
From excitement…
To confusion…
To disappointment.
Finally, she stood up, her face filled with grievance.
"Xiao Feng… this doesn't seem to be the one I sensed…"
Hearing this—
The Snow Demon Heaven Ape immediately reacted.
"Impossible!"
"This is what I've been guarding all this time!"
"It is definitely the Earth Core Body Tempering Fluid!"
Its voice carried absolute certainty.
But Xiao Feng—
Remained calm.
He stepped forward slowly, his gaze fixed on the milky liquid.
After a moment—
He spoke.
"This is indeed the Earth Core Body Tempering Fluid…"
Both Zi Yan and the Snow Demon Heaven Ape looked at him instantly.
"But…"
Xiao Feng's eyes narrowed slightly.
"It has been diluted."
The moment those words fell—
Both of them froze.
"Diluted…?" Zi Yan blinked in confusion.
Even the Snow Demon Heaven Ape looked stunned.
Xiao Feng slowly raised his head—
His gaze moving upward toward the towering stalactite above them.
A faint smile appeared on his lips.
"If that's the case…"
"Then the real treasure is at the source Above."
Zi Yan's little head was quite clever; she immediately deduced the result.
"Mm, follow me up." Xiao Feng looked up at the massive stalactite hanging from the mountain ceiling, waved at Zi Yan, and then his figure slowly floated up towards the huge stalactite.