It was much like his own unwillingness to let Lu Qinglian use Jinyun Valley’s resources to avenge Jia Chaoyuan. So why would the other members of the Meng Family be willing to let Meng Changtu take their family’s resources and throw his full support behind Jinyun Valley’s development?

"Whatever you decide!"

Meng Qingxuan nodded slightly, her face flushing as she took his arm.

"When are we leaving?"

"We leave today!"

...

The mountain range of the Dragon Cave stretched for hundreds of miles, a treeless landscape of bizarre rock formations.

The lands for dozens of miles around the base of the mountains were desolate and uninhabited.

From a distance, one could see slick hordes of snakes coiled and tangled throughout the mountains, interspersed with countless venomous, multicolored serpents. It was these vipers that caused the mountain vegetation to wither, leaving the land almost completely barren. Mortals could not survive here; only the occasional Cultivator could be spotted.

Snake Demons infested the area, and their blood and bones were valuable materials for Alchemy, Talisman Painting, and Artifact Refining.

Loose Cultivators came here to hunt the Snake Demons to earn resources for their Cultivation, and it was from this very place that Meng Changyuan had captured his Yin Snake.

But far more Cultivators met their end here.

Skeletons littered the path, some with skulls that had been turned into nests for snakes.

Colorful vipers swayed within deep eye sockets. As far as the eye could see, the landscape had become a veritable sea of snakes.

"The Dragon Cave has existed for over a thousand years."

Aboard the Fiery Flying Crane, Meng Qingxuan explained the Dragon Cave’s history:

"They say that over a thousand years ago, the area around the Dragon Cave was quite lush. Then, a Golden Core Great Serpent took up residence here, and all the snakes in Yunzhou were drawn to it. Over time, the land became what you see today."

"And the Golden Core Great Serpent?"

Chen Che asked curiously.

"I’m not sure. Rumor has it that True Master Chixia captured it..."

Meng Qingxuan shook her head. "Back then, my Meng Family’s ancestors were still mortals."

’True Master Chixia again?’

Chen Che stroked his chin. ’That Golden Core Cultivator certainly left his mark. It seems like almost anything of any significance has some connection to him. The Primordial Sect, the Cave Mansion, the Sacrificial Pill Furnace, the Dragon Cave... he seemed to have a connection to all of them.’

’Could that Golden Core Remnant Soul be True Master Chixia?’

Chen Che raised an eyebrow.

But he immediately dismissed the idea.

True Master Chixia was skilled in Alchemy, while that Golden Core Remnant Soul was clearly skilled in Beast Taming.

A few days ago, a letter had arrived from Xiao Chan, saying he had settled down in Primordial City. He had also passed along some information about Sun Hao: the man had attended an auction in Primordial City and purchased a large quantity of Beast Taming materials.

This had attracted a lot of attention, and after the auction, he was targeted by two Foundation Establishment Tribulation Cultivators.

However, he had turned the tables, using his Yin Dragon to kill them in public before leaving nonchalantly.

’Golden Core True Masters leave plenty of traces behind. If I narrow the search to those who were masters of Beast Taming, I might be able to uncover his identity from when he was alive. This trip to the Meng Family will be a good opportunity to ask around.’

"There are people in the Dragon Cave!"

Meng Qingxuan’s cry pulled Chen Che back to reality.

His gaze sharpened. Down in a valley, five Major Cultivators were surrounding a Snake Demon.

The Snake Demon was a full seventy to eighty feet long and bright red from head to tail. Even half-coiled, it stood thirty to forty feet high. Most astonishingly, it had a pair of enormous, blood-red wings on its back, giving it a divine and bizarre appearance. Its tail, however, had been abruptly severed.

’What a coincidence!’

Casting a sideways glance at the Little Chick by his feet, Chen Che’s eyebrows shot up.

’Isn’t that the Snake Demon it hunted a while back, the one that got away?’

Now, this same Blood Feather Snake was being cornered once again. It was already covered in wounds, its scales broken in numerous places. Blood pooled on the ground, staining the surrounding rocks red. Outside the valley, countless other snakes had gathered, but they were all held back by an Array.

Clearly, this group hadn’t stumbled upon it by chance; they had been preparing for a long time.

Meng Qingxuan frowned.

"One at the Third Layer of Foundation Establishment, three at the Second Layer, and one at the First Layer... They’ve assembled quite a team... It looks like they’re determined to succeed!"

"Not necessarily."

Chen Che crossed his arms and gave a slight, knowing smile.

"ROAR~"

The words had barely left his lips when the besieged Blood Feather Snake threw its head back and let out a deafening roar.

The sound, unlike that of a snake, was more like the roar of a Fierce Beast from ancient times, so piercing it shook the entire forest. The snake hordes outside the valley were instantly torn to shreds by the cry. As it roared, the Blood Feather Snake’s Demon Qi surged.

A gale erupted, like a crimson tide, rolling forward to collide with the five cultivators’ attacks.

BOOM!

Demon Essence and True Essence clashed violently.

A terrifying shockwave radiated outward, instantly pulverizing the bizarre rock formations in its path.

"BANG!" "BANG!"

In an instant, two of the Major Cultivators were sent flying like rag dolls, smashing hard against the rock wall and sending stone fragments flying everywhere.

At the same moment.

A surge of crimson Demon Essence erupted from within it, turning its entire body a startling shade of red. Its massive frame became unnaturally agile. With a flick of its broken tail, it ensnared a Second Layer cultivator.

Its head then shot forward, its Demon Essence morphing into a volley of crimson spears that blasted straight through the body of the Third Layer Major Cultivator.

Finally.

It opened its massive jaws and lunged, intending to swallow another Cultivator whole.

"Fellow Daoist Zhao, get out of the way!"

"You beast! How dare you...!"

"Quick, run!"

The remaining cultivators watched in horror, their eyes wide with fury and despair.

They had spent three long years preparing to hunt this Blood Feather Snake. After finally luring it into the valley, they thought their preparations were foolproof. Who could have imagined the Snake Demon would be this terrifying? Even with the five of them combined, they were no match for it.

As for the Major Cultivator targeted by the Blood Feather Snake, his face was drained of all color.

He retreated!

But no matter how fast he moved, he was no match for the speed of the crimson figure.

Just as despair settled over them all.

The ferocious Blood Feather Snake suddenly shuddered as if it had encountered its natural predator. Its entire body trembled violently before it abruptly turned and fled. Its wings snapped open, and it shot away, gliding low to the ground like a rapidly slithering Fire Snake.

With a thunderous CRASH, it slammed headfirst into the already faltering Grand Array, shattering it on the spot.

’It... it’s running away?’

The cultivators were dumbfounded, unable to process what had just happened.

Then, a piercing shriek of wind cut through the air as a colossal shadow descended from the sky like a thunderbolt.

"HISS HISS!"

The Blood Feather Snake let out a frantic hiss. The surrounding snake hordes responded instantly, shooting into the air like a volley of a thousand arrows, trying to intercept the descending figure.

"SKREEE!"

A piercing eagle’s cry rang out.

The sound swept outwards in all directions like a mighty shockwave. The Major Cultivators in the valley cried out in shock, clamping their hands over their ears. The swarms of Snake Demons were blasted to pieces in mid-air, atomizing into a fine mist of blood.

The next moment, however, a massive figure burst through the blood mist.

A pair of sharp talons led the charge, their target none other than the Blood Feather Snake!

"CRUNCH!"

With a sickening crunch, the talons pierced straight through the Blood Feather Snake’s body.

Before the astonished eyes of the cultivators, the colossal figure spread its wings and soared upward, whipping up a hurricane as it went. The entire sequence took longer to describe than it did to happen, occurring in the blink of an eye. By the time the five Major Cultivators looked up again, the figure had already rocketed into the sky, leaving the valley far behind.

"Thank you for saving us, Valley Master Chen!"

The Foundation Establishment Third Layer Major Cultivator was the first to recover, cupping his fist in the direction the giant eagle had flown.

"Valley Master Chen?"

"Shao An, you know him?"

At his words, the others, still shaken, all turned to look at him.

The Major Cultivator, Shao An, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and let out a soft chuckle.

"A Valley Master in Yunzhou with the surname Chen, who also has a ferocious avian Great Demon for a Beast Pet... who else could he be?"

The four exchanged glances and looked up at the sky.

Only then did they notice a figure standing on the Great Demon’s back. As they watched with complex emotions, the demon, still clutching the Blood Feather Snake, flew slowly upward to rejoin an Immortal Crane.

The eagle and the crane turned as one and slowly departed, flying away over the Dragon Cave.

"Could they be heading to the Meng Family?"

Watching them depart, the Foundation Establishment Third Layer cultivator seemed to recall something, and a scornful smirk appeared on his face. "Those old geezers of the Meng Family... having a Valley Master like that for a son-in-law. They truly don’t know how lucky they are!"

...

「A short while later.」

The Meng Family Manor was now visible in the distance.