The gate leading to the valley shimmered with a faint light. Yu Sheng stepped across this "boundary," and the next second, bright daylight flooded his eyes.

Yu Sheng squinted, looking up at the distance and then towards the sky dotted with scattered clouds.

After the departure of the gigantic eyeball that once covered the sky, the area once known as "Nightfall Valley" in the Exotic Realm ceased its eternal nightfall. However, Yu Sheng hadn't expected that it would still be daylight here—especially since it was already nighttime in the real world.

Could it be that this place doesn't have a day-night cycle? After the eternal night caused by the "Dark Angel" ended, has it become a place of eternal daylight?

Yu Sheng harbored some guesses, while becoming extremely vigilant, carefully observing the surrounding environment.

He chose the "landing point" near the ruins of the ruined temple. As far as the eyes could see, the destruction caused when the entity Hunger lost control was still present. The temple, already a ruin, was now just a pile of broken bricks and tiles; not even a standing wall could be seen. The barren land around the temple seemed like it had been "deeply plowed" repeatedly. Huge ravines stretched from the ruins till the end of sight, and the once woodland was now just a scatter of withered remnants. Large and small stones accumulated at the end of the valley, with nearby mountain rocks scraped off a layer, exposing the bare soil.

But beyond that... there were no signs of danger.

Yu Sheng furrowed his brows, cautiously navigating through ravines to an area mixed with broken tiles and debris.

He remembered this place; it was here that he had started the feast—the first entity, Hunger, that was influenced by him opened its vast maw here, beginning to devour the other entities.

Now all traces of entities had dissipated, and even the bloodstains seemed to evaporate, leaving the ground clean.

The valley was quiet, with only the occasional breeze blowing through the valley base. The wind was not as bitterly cold as before, and the unpleasant stench of rot... compared to the dark, gloomy place shrouded by night previously, this place now somewhat had a sense of a... "peaceful sanctuary."

If one ignored the ravines.

Yu Sheng stood amidst the ruins, somewhat perplexedly observing this tranquil, small expanse.

Is this the place that the "Director" wanted me to see? Or perhaps... she didn't know the current situation here, so she wanted me to come and check?

Erin's voice suddenly came from within, interrupting Yu Sheng's thoughts, "Hey! Yu Sheng, Yu Sheng, if you receive this, respond—dead or not?"

"Heard and alive," Yu Sheng immediately responded, his brow slightly furrowed, "Can't you say something nicer? What do you mean by dead or not..."

"Nonsense, haven't you died unexpectedly outside many times? You crossed the door and then went silent; I thought Hunger had killed you again..."

Erin's assertive and annoying tone could almost make Yu Sheng visualize the little creature standing on the table with arms on her hips, looking triumphant—but right now, he was not in the mood to bicker with Erin.

"No entities," he spoke faintly.

There was a clear pause from the doll lady on the other side: "...What?"

"I haven't encountered any entities so far. The valley is peaceful, and I cannot sense the previous ubiquitous malice and hunger," Yu Sheng said, walking out of the temple ruins and bending down to grab a handful of soil, "The stench of decay in the soil and air... has also disappeared."

"Why don't you walk a bit further?"

"I am walking further," Yu Sheng said as he moved, "Could it be because there hasn't been enough time, and Hunger hasn't regenerated yet? After all, I caused quite a ruckus last time..."

He was cut off by Erin's clamorous disturbances, "Impossible! How much time has passed! The regeneration speed of entities after being destroyed is measured in hours, some even just need tens of minutes! We've been on the run for over twenty-four hours. If Hunger could reproduce, there'd be five generations by now!"

Yu Sheng sat down on a large stone at the edge of the ruins, looking at the distance and casually said, "But truly, there's nothing here now, and honestly... I even find the air quite pleasant here, and the scenes are much more pleasing to the eye."

"What?"

Yu Sheng ignored Erin's astonishment and just pressed his foot on the soft soil around the stone.

He felt that subtle connection again. After returning to this place, that subtle connection felt stronger once again... Although it did not directly create a "perspective" using the valley as a "carrier" like before when the connection reached its peak, he could still clearly sense many things around.

Hard stones, soft wind, the mud under his feet, and the water pond hidden at the foot of the valley below, and...

Yu Sheng suddenly paused, turning to look beside him.

A tender green sprout was poking its tip out of the soil, like a young creature glimpsing the sun for the first time, nervously trembling in the wind.

A tenacious life.

Yu Sheng looked at the sprout in astonishment. For some reason, as he watched it break through the soil, his heart even seemed to beat faster, a strange sentiment bubbling up within him. Perhaps it was his connection to the valley at this moment, or perhaps it was due to more emotional reasons—he unconsciously reached out towards the soil.

Then the soil began to wriggle.

Deep ravines started to heal, and tender shoots broke through the ground.

Life was growing, as if it were reborn from death.

Yu Sheng stared at this scene, unable to help exclaiming, "What the hell?!"

Erin immediately started babbling, "Ah? What? What what? What are you yelling about—are you hurt?!"

Yu Sheng suddenly got up and pulled open an imaginary door: "It's hard to explain, you and Hu Li better come and see too!"

The next second, he was back in the living room, staring at Erin who was standing on a chair.

"Hu Li is still washing dishes," Erin paused, pointing to the kitchen, "Should I call her now?"

Yu Sheng nodded, but just as he was about to speak, he felt his pocket vibrate continuously.

He took out his phone and saw several missed calls on the screen—two from Li Lin, two from Xu Jiali, and a few from the same unfamiliar number.

Yu Sheng's expression turned a bit intricate, contemplating which call to return, when the unfamiliar number called again.

He answered the call before it even started ringing, and a somewhat familiar female voice came through: "It's me, Baili Qing."

Yu Sheng's mouth twitched, thinking as expected, and could not hide his awkwardness: "Ahem, I just... went out. Should I have informed you guys?"

"It's okay, as long as we can confirm that it was you who caused the 'tremor' by opening the [imaginary] door," Baili Qing's somewhat indifferent voice came from the receiver, showing no emotion, "We will try to record more sample parameters, so we can possibly distinguish your 'signature' when the warning goes off next time."

The fact that the other party did not pursue the matter further made Yu Sheng feel even more awkward, not knowing if this was the "Director's" usual style, he could only awkwardly smile: "Ah, sorry for the trouble..."

Baili Qing seemed to not care what he was saying: "Are you going 'out' again later?"

"...Might have to," Yu Sheng said, and then quickly added, "I'm checking the situation in Nightfall Valley."

He was sure he heard a faint intake of breath.

Baili Qing's tone indeed changed: "You made it in? It still exists?"

Yu Sheng keenly noticed the word she used: exists.

Did Baili Qing think Nightfall Valley "no longer existed"? Why would she think that?

Thoughts flashed through his mind, Yu Sheng replied, "Of course it exists, but I just took a quick look. I'm not sure what the situation is inside yet, preparing to take more people with me for another visit."

As he said this, he looked up at the small figurine on the chair—that was his "manpower," with another one washing dishes in the kitchen.

Baili Qing did not probe further but after a moment of silence said, "Alright, if you need support from the Special Service Bureau, you can contact me directly, this number is always available."

The call ended, and a brief beeping sound came from the receiver.

"It's the 'Director' from the Special Service Bureau," Yu Sheng told Erin, "It's nothing serious."

Saying this, he turned and entered the kitchen, ready to call for Hu Li.

Then as he pushed the door, he saw the demon fox girl drying dishes with her tail—and snacking on the sesame paste originally stored in the cabinet.

He didn't even know which to comment on first.

"Ah, Savior..." the fox girl's ears on her head suddenly quivered as well, hearing Yu Sheng enter, she turned her head somewhat flusteredly, "I... couldn't resist the smell, I'm sorry."

Yu Sheng, not knowing whether to laugh or cry, looked at Hu Li—and her mouth full of sesame paste.

"Clean yourself up first, come out with me."

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