Chapter Twenty-Two: The Heart of Demonfall Valley

Li Ruoyu and Jing Hong pressed on toward the heart of the Demonic Abyss. For two months, their journey was relentless, fraught with obstacles. They faced attacks from strange beasts and ferocious monsters native to the valley, as well as ambushes from other outsiders who had entered the abyss. Li Ruoyu’s principle was simple: evade when possible, and if not, strike. Thus, step by step, they drew closer to the valley’s center.

All along the way, Jing Hong kept teasing him. Despite being only thirteen, Li Ruoyu could not help but blush at her provocations—sometimes she would breathe warmly against his neck, sometimes her hands would wander to this place or that. Truly, the bold fear the reckless, and the honest fear the mischievous; Li Ruoyu was utterly helpless before her.

“Grand-aunt, we’re probably nearing the central region. Stay alert,” Li Ruoyu said to Jing Hong. He had adopted this nickname for her, a measure born of pure necessity.

“Little brother, your sister knows what she’s doing!” Jing Hong replied with a playful smile. It was not affection she felt for Li Ruoyu, but rather delight in his embarrassment.

Hearing that familiar “little brother,” Li Ruoyu’s face fell into a look of resigned despair, his lips twitching. He’d suffered much at the hands of this teasing phrase. He glanced at his own stature—one head shorter than Jing Hong—and found he had no retort to offer.

The center of the Demonic Abyss was unlike any other part. Entering it felt as though stepping into a wor