Su Ping's gaze rested on the pile of corpses.

Because it was winter, there were no signs of rot; instead, they seemed to have frozen solid at that very moment.

Due to the preceding extreme cold, the bodies had mostly stiffened.

Some meltwater trickled down the rocky cliffs, creating an indescribable atmosphere of cold and stillness.

This feeling made Su Ping slightly uneasy.

There is something strange about this place!

But he couldn't quite put his finger on what it was.

Su Ping glanced at the others, who were still enthusiastically directing their Pet Beasts in battle. After a moment's thought, he patted Da Huang's body.

"Da Huang, go ahead and take a look. Also, be careful; don't let anything happen," he instructed.

This time, Da Huang nodded solemnly, his demeanor quite different from his previous casual and disdainful manner.

Could this fellow sense something too?

Su Ping didn't know, but he proceeded forward with the Little Crow.

These wild avian Ferocious Beasts were still within the valley.

Although their piercing gazes were fixed on Da Huang, they didn't retreat.

Without needing Su Ping's command, any bird-type Ferocious Beasts daring enough to overestimate their strength and block Da Huang's path were instantly turned into puddles of blood.

This scene, however, only deepened Su Ping's sense of unease.

Even ants cling to life!

Facing the threat of death, fear is the natural instinct of all living creatures, and avoiding danger is undoubtedly a top priority.

However, at this moment, despite the hunting game Qin Xiaoxue and the others were engaged in, and despite the Yellow Dragon's absolute crushing power, few of these small creatures within the valley scattered in panic to leave.

What kind of attraction does this valley, and that soon-to-appear Secret Realm, hold for these bird-type Ferocious Beasts to entice them so?

But what allure could make these wild Pet Beasts disregard even death itself?

That's just not possible, right?

With that thought, Su Ping walked resolutely behind Da Huang, following closely until he reached the very center of the valley.

He arrived before the cliff face piled high with bird corpses.

From a distance, it hadn't seemed like much.

But now, standing right before it, Su Ping truly comprehended the sheer number of bodies present.

The base of the cliff was densely packed with them.

There were all kinds of birds.

Most had been slain by various means, while some had died from falls.

Su Ping looked up at the cave in the cliff face and furrowed his brow.

Meanwhile, the Little Crow had darted among the endless piles of corpses at his feet, quickly rummaging and swiftly finding several Flame-Eating Crow corpses and one particularly mangled body, so bloodstained and torn it was barely recognizable.

That body belonged to the Darkflame Ancient Raven.

"Gaga!"

The Little Crow's cry was filled with sorrow.

Su Ping glanced at it, focusing on the Darkflame Ancient Raven's body. It was exactly as recorded in the Breeder Association's database, without any discrepancy.

Was it really a Darkflame Ancient Raven that had undergone ancestral regression?

But where exactly was the crux of the problem?

What secret lay hidden within this strange valley?

While pondering, Su Ping's gaze shifted towards the top of the cliff.

"SCREECH..."

A sharp cry echoed.

It was a Flame Ribbon Crane, one of the most powerful wild avian Ferocious Beasts in this valley. It possessed Peak Command strength.

At that moment, the crane stood atop the cliff, its gaze fixed on Su Ping and Da Huang beside him.

Of course, its main focus was on Da Huang; its fiery red pupils were filled with both fear and wariness.

Even when facing a Dragon, a Pet Beast from the race standing at the pinnacle of the Pet Beast World, this Flame Ribbon Crane, despite the enormous disparity in strength, showed no intention of backing away.

This situation only intensified Su Ping's curiosity about the valley.

So much so that he momentarily disregarded the Darkflame Ancient Raven's condition and whispered to the Little Crow, "Little one, do you feel something is off here?"

The Little Crow was startled. It suddenly lifted its head, looking confused, but soon seemed to understand. It shook its head, then nodded, and cried out again, "Gaga!"

The meaning of its cry was simple and clear: it wanted to go home!

Its home was inside that cave.

Su Ping was now quite certain that the cave was the location of the impending Secret Realm mentioned by the Zhang Family Brothers.

But what kind of Secret Realm could possess such immense allure?

Nevertheless, Su Ping also noticed that the Little Crow wasn't as severely affected.

Otherwise, the corpse of a mutated Flame-Eating Crow would likely be among these piles as well.

Was it because of its bloodline mutation?

While Su Ping mused, Da Huang's actions didn't pause for a moment.

The Peak Command Flame Ribbon Crane had been flattened into a 'crane pancake.'

Two massive boulders, conjured from the void, had crushed it, turning it into a pool of blood indistinguishable from the other corpses.

To an Earth Dragon, especially a mature one, this Peak Command Flame Ribbon Crane was no different from the other birds.

After speaking to the Little Crow, Su Ping collected the corpses into his Beast Taming Space. Then, with the Little Crow, he slowly ascended towards the cave.

There were still many wild bird-type Ferocious Beasts around the cave.

However, intimidated by Da Huang's recently demonstrated might, none dared to approach. They could only stand on the cliff faces and rocks, continuously flapping their wings to ease their restless agitation.

The cave itself was ordinary, containing a nest made of various dried grasses and other materials, looking no different from any other.

What was slightly different...

Su Ping wiped sweat from his face again.

He wondered if he might have dressed too warmly.

It had been so cold when flying high in the sky just now, and yet now it felt rather hot?

"Breeder Su, this is it!" the Zhang Family Brothers, following Su Ping, said excitedly. "I can feel it, right here. The Secret Realm that is about to manifest is right here."

In their hands was a compass from which beams of light flickered. Its needle pointed firmly and unerringly here—clearly, this was the entrance to the soon-to-emerge Secret Realm.

"How much longer until the Secret Realm appears?" Su Ping asked.

"Within half an hour! The Stilling Space Compass's indications can't be wrong; it's only a matter of moments now!" Da Zhang replied hastily.

Su Ping nodded, no longer feeling rushed.

He sat down at the edge of the cave, overlooking the corpses and the valley below, lost in thought.

Regardless of the anomaly, now that he was here, he wanted to understand the situation clearly before deciding his next move.

Nothing else was urgent.

But the peculiarities here were indeed unreasonably numerous.

First, there was the birth of the Darkflame Ancient Raven and the mutated Little Crow.

Although this had occurred earlier, Su Ping wasn't yet sure if it had any real connection to the potential Secret Realm here.

Second was the situation in the valley.

Why had it attracted so many bird-type Ferocious Beasts?

Moreover, calculating from the first time the Little Crow had come to the Heart of Woods, a month had already passed.

What kind of Secret Realm would show signs a whole month in advance?

Based on information about Secret Realms obtained from the Qintian Monitor, this situation seemed illogical.

No matter how he considered it, it didn't make sense.

Su Ping pursed his lips. Knowing there was still some time, he drew out his phone to begin searching.

Thankfully, with Feifei present, he had a constant wireless signal. Otherwise, in these remote wilds, having network service would be highly doubtful.

Su Ping accessed the Breeder Association's database and started his search.

["Birds," "flying Pet Beasts," "attracts all avian Pet Beasts..."]

Su Ping searched using a myriad of keywords.

His search revealed numerous items known to attract avian Pet Beasts, including various unusual treasures and resources.

However, none of them quite matched the current situation.

Su Ping had limited trust in this so-called Secret Realm.

He had encountered numerous Secret Realms before but had never seen one manifest quite like this. It seemed more plausible that special types of resources were emerging.

However, after an extensive search, he found no relevant information, and Su Ping shook his head.

But one thing was certain: it was getting hotter and hotter.

Su Ping wiped sweat from his forehead. At this moment, voices drifted from outside the cave—Qin Xiaoxue and the others.

"What the hell is this? Is it really winter right now? Why does it feel like summer vacation?"

Indeed, it was so.

Not only Su Ping but also the Zhang Family Brothers were noticeably red-faced, with beads of sweat forming on their foreheads.

"ROAR!"

Da Huang's dragon roar sounded.

Su Ping turned his head sharply. "You're saying the fire-attribute energy in this valley has intensified? And it has increased a lot?"

Da Huang nodded, his golden eyes fixed firmly on the deepest part of the cave from outside.

Then, at that very moment, an abrupt change occurred!

"GAGA..."

"SCREECH..."

"CHIRP... CHIRP..."

A series of strange cries erupted outside the cave.

The myriad avian Pet Beasts within the valley, as if obeying some command, rapidly converged on the cave, paying no heed to Da Huang guarding its entrance.

Da Huang was enraged.

Its massive form stood like a mountain before all the birds.

However, Su Ping could also feel an even more intense heat emanating from behind him.

Su Ping's eyelids twitched rapidly.

And just at that moment, he spun around fiercely, looking into the deepest part of the cave.

At that instant, the space seemed to shatter, and something slowly bloomed forth from within.

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