Dimensional Keeper: All My Skills Are at Level 100

Chapter 866: Soul Nourishing Herb

For a short while, silence returned to the valley mouth, but soon after, the soft crunch of heavy footsteps broke the stillness. A monk appeared from the thick fog, his figure bloated and round, with a belly that strained against his robes.

Despite his unremarkable appearance, his eyes gleamed sharply, their brilliance contrasting his seemingly clumsy demeanor. He paused, scanned the valley entrance with a calculating look, then stepped into the Hidden Sound Valley, vanishing just as the trio had before him.

A cup of tea’s time later, another figure approached the valley, moving with a deliberate and unhurried pace. This figure was tall, with long hair tied casually behind him, and a distinct sharpness to his presence that made him look different from any ordinary traveler. His temperament was calm yet unrestrained, exuding a subtle dominance. This was none other than Max.

Max stood at the edge of the rocky area blanketed in yin energy. His eyes narrowed slightly as he scanned the valley entrance, his expression solemn. The yin aura here was unusually dense—thicker than most places he had encountered in the secret domain.

If the aura was already this oppressive outside, then the yin energy within the valley would undoubtedly be even heavier, likely capable of nurturing some highly dangerous and evil creatures.

However, rather than fear, a spark of determination lit up Max’s eyes. This environment, hostile as it was, was also exactly what he needed. The Soul-Nourishing Grass he sought thrived only in places steeped with extreme yin energy.

Its unique properties could strengthen and stabilize the soul, and paired with the other soul treasures he had acquired in this secret domain, it could very well push his soul to the Blue Soul stage. That kind of breakthrough was crucial for his future cultivation, both in combat and comprehension.

Max tightened his grip on his Blue Dragon Sword and exhaled softly, muttering to himself, ”With soul-nourishing grass, my soul strength can truly advance. I can’t afford to waste this opportunity.” His steps grew firm, his silhouette soon vanishing into the eerie black mists of the Hidden Sound Valley.

As Max ventured deeper into the Hidden Sound Valley, just as he had expected, the yin energy became overwhelmingly dense, far stronger than the oppressive chill outside. It was suffocating, clinging to the skin like cold mist and seeping into the bones.

Max estimated that the yin concentration here was at least twice as heavy as what blanketed the valley mouth, proof that this was indeed a perfect place for sinister and rare treasures to thrive. The space within the valley also surprised him—its underground caverns stretched far and wide, rivaling the scale of the infamous Mourning Depths.

The ground beneath his feet was jagged and uneven, covered with loose black rocks that seemed to absorb sound. Everywhere he looked, life crawled and slithered—venomous snakes with slick, glossy scales, scorpions with glinting pincers and stingers raised high, and thick-bodied centipedes coiling over the stones like streams of living shadows.

Their presence, combined with the stale, icy air, made the entire place feel like a graveyard for the living. Even with his Three Dimensional Body, Max’s spiritual perception was stifled and distorted by the oppressive yin aura, preventing him from detecting anything beyond a short distance.

Seeing no other option, he decided to wake up the Treasure Seeking Rat. The little fellow had almost fully recovered from its injuries after being treated by Max, but it was clearly displeased at being disturbed so soon. It let out a disgruntled squeak and even bared its tiny teeth at him, its small eyes glaring with indignation.

Max, however, only chuckled softly, his hand already pulling out a glimmering beast core of Legend Rank. The moment the Treasure Seeking Rat saw it, all its irritation vanished. Its eyes lit up brightly, and it quickly snatched the beast core, chewing it down greedily as it hopped forward to lead the way.

Max shook his head, a small smile tugging at his lips. ’Foodie creatures like this were always the same—unhappy until bribed with something tasty.’

The path ahead was complicated, twisting into dozens of forked tunnels of varying sizes, each exhaling thick waves of yin qi like the breath of a sleeping beast. Searching blindly for the Soul-Nourishing Grass in such a labyrinth would have been near impossible, even for someone like Max. Fortunately, with the Treasure Seeking Rat’s innate ability to sense treasures, they quickly locked onto the right direction and advanced without hesitation.

However, as they moved deeper, Max suddenly noticed something that made his brow furrow—fresh corpses of snakes and scorpions scattered along the rocky path. Their bodies were still warm, blood pooling beneath them, indicating they had been killed very recently.

Max crouched and examined one of the corpses, his expression darkening. ’Someone has already been through here...’

Though he did not fear most experts in the Secret Domain, he still remained cautious. Experts in the high levels of the Legend Rank were present here, and underestimating them could prove fatal. Ambushes and surprise attacks were common in places like this, and Max had no intention of becoming anyone’s prey.

Keeping a tighter grip on his Blue Dragon Sword, he continued forward, senses stretched to the limit.

Then, suddenly, his Three Dimensional Body caught the faint flicker of movement—a figure darting across a cave passage to his right. Max immediately turned to focus and caught a brief glimpse of robes fluttering in the cold wind. His eyes narrowed in shock. ’That’s a monk from the Bright Buddha Palace...?’

The sight baffled him. Bright Buddha Palace experts rarely ventured into sinister places steeped in yin energy. Their cultivation path leaned towards purity and harmony, the exact opposite of a deadly, eerie valley like this. What could a monk possibly be looking for here?

Yet, before Max could make sense of it, the figure was gone. One moment there, the next dissolved into the gray-black mist like an illusion.

Max stood still for a moment, expression grim, before muttering under his breath, ”Looks like this valley has more secrets than I thought...” and continued forward with even greater caution.