Chen Tian stepped out of the inn and opened the map, revealing a vast world. He observed that he was currently in the central region, and reaching the edges would require passing through three locations: the Valley of Death, the Sea of Burning Heaven, and the Tornado Mountain, with smaller areas in between.
The distance seemed considerable to Chen Tian, and he wondered when his footwork would reach that level. However, since the system hadn't specified a mission deadline, he had ample time. Nevertheless, Chen Tian preferred not to waste time and aimed to complete his objectives as soon as possible, as he still needed to find other items and the seal was nearing its breaking point.
Chen Tian took a step, and the space around him rippled and swirled. He plunged into the vortex, which then vanished, leaving no trace of him in the city. A vortex suddenly appeared above the Valley of Death, and Chen Tian stepped out. He remarked, "Sigh, my fusion progress is still too slow, is this all the distance I can teleport?"
His spatial teleportation had only brought him to the outskirts of the Valley of Death. If not for his low level and the resulting limitations on his fusion progress, he could have teleported directly to the world's edge. Chen Tian looked at the Valley of Death before him. The valley was shrouded in dark energy, filled with wails and sorrowful cries. Negative emotions permeated the entire gorge, and Chen Tian sensed something amiss.
A notification popped up, and Chen Tian was surprised that a quest could be triggered here. He opened his quest log, glanced at it, and clicked "yes." The quest seemed simple and offered experience and rewards. Since Chen Tian had to pass through the Valley of Death anyway, he decided to take it on.
He landed on the ground, and the surroundings resembled a plain. The earth was cracked and dry. The valley's sides looked like claws, though upon closer inspection, they appeared to be broken.
Chen Tian paid it no mind. He had accepted the quest and understood that once it was completed, the Valley of Death would return to its original state.
He stepped into the Valley of Death. From the outside, the valley seemed to flicker and disappear, as if it had never been there.
Within the Valley of Death, the surroundings were desolate, devoid of any vegetation. The sky was covered by dark energy, and the ground was stained black. Chen Tian felt disoriented. He activated his divine eye, which clearly illuminated the path. Light converged within his vision, and he followed its guidance. Soon, he reached the center of the Valley of Death. He looked around; the map indicated his target was right before him, yet he saw nothing.
Even with his senses of heaven and earth active, he couldn't detect any trace of his target. Chen Tian was perplexed, but he trusted the map.
Chen Tian couldn't see or even sense any living beings. He wondered, "Is there a mechanism here? Or perhaps it's underground in front of me?"
He muttered to himself and arrived at the location marked on the map. He examined the ground but found nothing unusual. Yet, the target remained elusive. Defeating it would restore the Valley of Death, grant him a level-up, and provide rewards. The inability to find his target frustrated him.
He fumbled around, touching the ground, but found no anomalies. The ground showed no signs of any mechanisms. Chen Tian was at a loss.
Just as Chen Tian was about to leave the spot, a black magic array appeared on the ground. Countless strands of dark energy flowed from the array into the sky, plunging the Valley of Death into darkness. Phantoms materialized and advanced towards Chen Tian.
Before Chen Tian could react, the phantoms attacked. He stomped his foot, and the ground cracked with a boom. The phantoms' claws struck the ground, creating a massive crater. Sweat beaded on Chen Tian's forehead. These phantoms possessed considerable strength.
He knew that even his full-force strikes might not have caused such damage to the ground. He couldn't fathom how a single swipe from a phantom could create such a deep crater. He shuddered to think what would happen if such a blow landed on him.
Below him, there were over a hundred phantoms. Chen Tian had a plan. Phantoms were Yin creatures and feared sunlight and Yang energy. Chen Tian possessed both. He was enveloped in brilliant light, which illuminated the entire sky. His body emanated intense solar heat and flowing flames, transforming him into a sun suspended in the sky. Under the radiance and flames, countless phantoms dissolved into starlight, their unwilling roars echoing.
The electronic sound of experience points being credited echoed in Chen Tian's mind. He asked, "System, this isn't a game world, why are there still experience points, and rewards?"
"Ding! This system will always find ways to help the player level up. Therefore, missions will be issued in different worlds and timelines to aid the player in leveling up."
Chen Tian was stunned.
He was starting to lose control of this system since it developed sentience. The original contract didn't mention anything about such occurrences. This had gone beyond what was initially agreed upon.
However, Chen Tian didn't dwell on it. In the center of the crater, where the phantoms had struck the ground, a miniature magic array appeared, emitting a hexagonal beam of light towards the sky. Chen Tian's divine eye provided him with information.
Chen Tian exclaimed joyfully, "So that's how it is. No wonder I couldn't find you. Now I'm here."
Chen Tian's figure entered the magic array, which turned out to be a teleportation array. With the teleportation activated, Chen Tian shot upwards. With a whoosh, he vanished from the ground, and the magic array disappeared, leaving the crater restored.
Chen Tian, however, found himself in the sky, high above. In this world, there were Nine Heavens, each representing a battlefield. Chen Tian entered the second heaven, the Second Heaven, and with his black and red mechanical wings unfurled, he flew towards the palace before him.
A palace hovered in the Second Heaven, and it was Chen Tian's target. To complete the quest, he had to defeat the boss within. Chen Tian never passed up an opportunity to face a boss, knowing they offered numerous rewards, especially when combined with quest rewards.
He reached the palace gates and unleashed a powerful punch, causing them to explode. Chen Tian stepped inside. Within the palace, he saw a man sitting on a throne, seemingly asleep. The forceful entry might have disturbed him, as the man's body stirred, and the entire palace trembled. Chains shot out from within and coiled around the man. His eyes snapped open, and he laughed heartily, "You can no longer trap me. The gates are destroyed, and I can finally leave."
"I had planned to break free using negative energy, but it seems I don't need to anymore. Thank you, young man, for unlocking my seal."
Chen Tian was utterly bewildered. What did he mean? He had helped the man by forcefully breaking through the palace gates. However, there was no other way; only a key could open the palace, and Chen Tian didn't have one, so he had to force his way in.
After all, a mere gate couldn't possibly impede Chen Tian's progress.