The sound of intense fighting echoed throughout the valley, but it was drowned out by the constant roar of the waterfall.

The ferocious beast, its dark yellow fur bristling, glared at the group of humans who had dared to enter its territory. Its eyes burned with unprecedented brutality and fury.

"Roar!"

The beast let out an enraged roar, its terrifying fangs visible as it bared its teeth. With a mighty swing, it raised its strong arms and swung them down with incredible force toward the humans rushing at it.

The sound of the air breaking under the weight of its blow was deafening, clearly showing the beast's immense power.

"Fight!"

Ling Fei, the shaved-headed boy, shouted, his voice low and fierce. He charged directly at the beast, his eyes flashing with a sharp cold light.

Bang! Bang!

For a moment, the beast's expression shifted, surprise flashing across its face. Despite its enormous strength, it was unable to defeat the small human in front of it quickly.

Swish!

A sudden glint of cold light appeared as Jiang Qiuran, holding her long knife, seized the opportunity. She quietly positioned herself behind the beast and, in one swift motion, sliced across its neck.

"Ah!"

The beast's howl of pain immediately filled the valley.

The long knife, imbued with brutal force, tore through its skin and struck deep into its flesh. The sharp chill from the blade surged through its body, causing its blood to stagnate for a brief moment.

Seeing this, Ling Fei, Huo Yu, and the others were overjoyed. They immediately unleashed a barrage of martial arts techniques, attacking the beast with all their might.

Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

The second-level beast was quickly overwhelmed.

As the cooperation among the group became more and more synchronized, the battle proceeded exactly as planned. The beast was covered in deep cuts, and its blood bar rapidly depleted.

...

"Brother Yogan, the battle inside is getting fierce. Should we go in and help?"

Chen Quan paced back and forth, clearly itching to join the fray.

"If we don't take action now, it'll be hard to argue about the spoils later."

Yogan remained seated, cross-legged, and indifferent to the battle raging in the valley. He was calmly practicing, paying little attention to the commotion around him.

Suddenly, a roar came from the valley. The powerful second-level beast seemed to be reaching the end of its strength.

"Brother Yogan, they're almost done. Why don't we go in and pick up some scraps?"

Before Chen Quan could finish speaking, his expression suddenly changed. His eyes widened in alarm.

He saw a figure slowly walking toward them through the night, effortlessly stepping over gravel and dense underbrush. The figure moved with a leisurely pace, closing the distance between them in no time.

"I heard the sounds of fighting from afar. Don't mind if I join in and share a piece of the pie," a lazy voice came from the darkness.

Chen Quan looked up, his face turning pale.

A young man dressed in a black shirt stood at the entrance of the valley. He stretched his neck slightly to peer into the valley, a faint smile playing on his handsome face.

The young man glanced briefly at Chen Quan and Yogan before speaking nonchalantly:

"There should be some good stuff in there. Are you planning to stop me, or should I just walk in?"

His voice was calm, but there was an underlying arrogance.

Chen Quan's body immediately tensed. He had been assigned to guard the valley entrance, expecting to deal with some low-level beasts. It had been a dull task, and now he found himself facing a young man whose strength was clearly far above his own.

On the other side, Yogan slowly opened his eyes and glanced at the valley with a cold expression. He noticed two unfamiliar auras coming from that direction. If his guess was correct, these were the accomplices of the man in front of them.

Chen Quan, looking distressed, walked over to Yogan and asked in a low voice:

"Brother Yogan, what do you think of the other party's strength? Are we sure we can handle this?"

"Oh, it seems you really want to fight with me?"

The young man seemed to have overheard their conversation. He raised an eyebrow, a bored expression on his face.

Then, with a lazy shrug, he cracked his neck, producing a series of "clicking" sounds.

In that instant, a faint aura of a second-grade warrior enveloped the area, making the atmosphere heavy with pressure.

"Second-grade warrior?!"

Chen Quan exclaimed, his heart racing in fear. The overwhelming pressure he felt was similar to what he had experienced from his martial arts teacher.

"Brother Yogan, how about we retreat?"

Chen Quan instinctively shrank back, hiding behind Yogan. He was clearly terrified. Earlier, a late-stage first-grade evil warrior had been enough to suppress their group of top high school students. Now, facing a second-grade warrior, there was no chance they could win.

Yogan, unfazed, watched the young man with a neutral expression.

The young man looked at Chen Quan's trembling form with a bored expression, then casually walked into the valley.

As he walked, he said proudly:

"Judging by your age, you should be high school students. I'm the vice president of the sophomore martial arts club at Songjiang University. If you're ever admitted to Songjiang University, feel free to come to me."

He paused and gave them a playful look, his voice dripping with arrogance.

"As for tonight… you'll just have to hold back your anger."

The young man entered the valley with an air of complete indifference, leaving Chen Quan and Yogan behind.

The pressure of his presence lingered, but neither of them moved to stop him.

Yogan closed his eyes again, uninterested in the encounter. Chen Quan, on the other hand, could only sigh, still shaken by the overwhelming force the young man had displayed.

---