Chapter 2364 — Chapter 2364 The Sixth Valley

With three willing scarecrows now in tow, Yuan resumed his journey toward the Sixth Valley. Whenever a demon approached with hostile intent, he would activate the swords, and the scarecrows' agonized screams would echo like a warning siren.

However, while most demons either fled or joined the growing crowd spectating Yuan, some ignored the warnings entirely and attacked anyway. Without exception, they were all Forsaken—demons who feared nothing.

Seeing this, Yuan did not hesitate to strike them down with the Demon Devouring Sword.

Just as he had done with the first one, he cleaved the demon in half before allowing the sword to consume its body.

Upon witnessing Yuan slaughter the Forsaken, the demons trailing him trembled subconsciously, their eyes flickering with growing fear. However, it wasn't Yuan that made them fearful.

"What kind of weapon is that? My senses are screaming at me to run away from it!"

The demons couldn't comprehend why the sword in Yuan's hand filled them with such unease. What they didn't know was that the Demon Devouring Sword had devoured countless demons over the ages. By absorbing their power, the blade had developed an oppressive aura that caused other demons to instinctively feel inferior before it.

"So he can kill a Forsaken with such ease…"

The demons swallowed nervously, their curiosity for Yuan's identity growing stronger than ever. Yet, none of them dared to approach him.

Time passed swiftly, and in the blink of an eye, several more years had passed. "We're approaching the Sixth Valley," said Lev when he noticed the change in the atmosphere.

There were no mountain ranges separating the Fifth Valley from the Sixth Valley, but there was a drastic change in atmosphere, and when the demons following Yuan sensed it, they began slowing down until they came to a complete stop.

"What's wrong with them?" Yuan asked Lev, who also appeared to be struggling against something.

"Y-You can't sense it?" Lev looked at him with a bewildered face.

Yuan raised an eyebrow and focused on his surroundings. Yet, he was unable to sense anything out of the ordinary.

'Perhaps it's something that can only be sensed by demons…' he thought to himself.

"You might not know this, but inside the Deprived Crimson Valley, most of the Forsakens dwell within the Sixth Valley and beyond, and only the weakest ones wander to the other valleys."

"You might not know this, but inside the Deprived Crimson Valley, most of the Forsakens dwell within the Sixth Valley and beyond, and only the weakest ones wander to the other valleys."

"Is there a reason they gather at the Sixth Valley?" Yuan asked, finding the phenomenon somewhat intriguing.

Lev shook his head. "Honestly, we don't know. Forsaken think and act differently from the rest of us, but for so many of them to gather in one place, there has to be a reason."

He then shrugged. "Unfortunately, no one's brave enough to find out. Getting close to them is far too dangerous. On top of that, many fear their condition might be contagious, so most demons keep their distance."

"Contagious?" Yuan wore a puzzled expression. "When did that become a concern?"

When he had visited the Demonic Realm as Tian Chenyu, it was widely believed that the Forsaken had become what they were because they had been abandoned by their God—hence their name. Since it wasn't considered an illness, very few demons had ever feared it might be contagious.

"Well… more and more people are turning into a Forsaken these days, so…"

Yuan shook his head and said, "Although I cannot guarantee you that you will never become a Forsaken, I can guarantee you that it's not contagious."

"Anyway, let's enter the Sixth Valley. Even if Forsakens attack us, I'll make sure to protect you."

"Alright…"

After witnessing Yuan effortlessly execute multiple Forsaken, Lev no longer doubted his abilities. That said, he was still nervous about entering the Sixth Valley, something he had never done before.

After taking a moment to resolve himself, Lev followed Yuan into the Sixth Valley while trying his best to ignore the oppressive and dreadful pressure emitting from the place.

"Hey… if I ever turn into a Forsaken, can you kill me?" Lev suddenly asked.

"Sure," Yuan replied without hesitation. His immediate answer both surprised and relieved Lev.

"Thank you. I'd rather die than spend an eternity living like a beast."

Suddenly, the presence of two sixth-level False Gods appeared in the distance.

"They're here! Forsakens!" Lev warned.

Yuan, who noticed their presence before Lev, was already prepared to confront them.

However, when the demons arrived, they did not attack immediately. Instead, they stopped at a distance and silently observed them—or more precisely, the Demon Devouring Sword in Yuan's grasp.

'Oh? Are they wary of the Demon Devouring Sword? Is it instinct, or is it something else?' Yuan wondered.

After lingering for a few moments, the two demons suddenly turned around and left without a word, leaving Yuan and Lev puzzled.

"What was that about?" Lev wondered out loud.

Yuan didn't say anything.

Then, after a moment of silence, he said, "You should hide for a bit."

"Huh?"

Before Lev could even process Yuan's words, multiple powerful presences appeared out of thin air.

"W-What a strong presence!" Lev felt as if his entire body was being crushed by a mountain.

"Leave before it's too late," Yuan warned him again.

Without hesitation, Lev descended to the ground before going into hiding.

A moment after Lev left, a group of demons appeared on the horizon, steadily approaching Yuan. There were around a dozen of them, with a single demon leading from the front.

Unlike the others—who were clearly Lower Demons—the one leading them had a black crystal embedded in the center of his chest, marking him as an Elite Demon.

Intrigued by their purpose, Yuan didn't immediately start slaughtering them and waited for them to act first.

However, instead of doing anything, they merely stared at the Demon Devouring Sword.

"Interested?" Yuan suddenly lifted his sword in their direction and asked, starting the conversation.

"Where did you acquire that sword?" The Elite Demon questioned with a wary look on his face, as if he knew about the Demon Devouring Sword.