Chapter 19: Valley of Shadows (Part One)
The night had completely swallowed the forest when Shen Yuan arrived at a valley surrounded by mountains on three sides.
The black rocks were smooth, as if carved by time and rain, and the lake at its center was eerily still — watching him with invisible eyes beneath the surface.
The elder's calm, deep voice echoed in his mind:
> "This is the place… the Valley of Shadows. There are eleven Stoneback Crocodiles here. Eight are at the mid-second star, two are at the peak, and their leader stands at the very brink of the third. Don't attack until your body is at its best."
Shen Yuan breathed slowly, scanning the valley.
He wasn't afraid, but his heart was far from calm.
He had spent three whole weeks in relentless cultivation, finally reaching the seventh layer of Body Refinement.
His body was many times stronger than before, yet fighting eleven beasts at once was no simple task.
> "Remember," the elder continued sternly,
"The defense of Stoneback Crocodiles is among the toughest there is. Don't try to cut through their armor — aim for the joints and the eyes. If you rely only on brute force, you'll die before you even know how."
Shen Yuan didn't answer.
He simply raised his hand toward the black ring on his finger.
A wave of cold energy surged through his body as he willed it to awaken.
The ring slowly morphed into a dark sword veined with faint red lines, like living blood pulsing beneath the blade of shadow.
It was the War God Pearl — a mysterious artifact he still didn't fully understand, yet it responded to him as though it were part of his own flesh.
He descended lightly from the cliff toward the lake.
His feet barely brushed the surface—
BOOM!
The water exploded upward, scattering droplets like silver rain.
A massive crocodile emerged, its steel-gray skin plated with thick, jagged armor like interlocking stones.
Its red eyes glowed in the darkness, filled with primal rage.
The beast roared and lunged forward like a living boulder.
Shen Yuan barely had a second to react.
He dodged sideways with all his strength, but even the shockwave from the beast's charge sent him tumbling several meters back.
He rose shakily, gripping his black sword tightly.
> "Fast… for something that big."
He muttered as he watched the creature circle, preparing to strike again.
This time, he didn't retreat.
He planted his feet firmly and waited.
When the beast lunged again, Shen Yuan dashed forward instead of back — a reckless move that took him straight beneath its jaws!
With all his strength, he swung upward at the lower joint of its mouth.
CRACK!
He didn't pierce through, but a thin fracture appeared.
The crocodile roared in fury, whipping its tail to crush him.
Shen Yuan jumped back, but not fast enough — the tail smashed into his shoulder, throwing him hard against a nearby boulder.
His back screamed in pain, and blood filled his mouth, yet he refused to stop.
> "Stand on your feet!" the elder's voice thundered.
"Do you think the beast will wait for you to think?!"
Shen Yuan exhaled sharply and forced his trembling body upright.
Everything hurt, but his eyes burned sharper than ever.
This wasn't a fair fight — it was survival.
He lunged again, this time dodging more fluidly, circling the crocodile and striking at the front leg joint.
The first strike cracked the plate, the second broke it, and the third pierced through the flesh beneath.
The beast shrieked, shaking the entire valley with its cry.
Before he could catch his breath, two more crocodiles burst from the lake — enormous, armored, their heavy steps shaking the ground.
Shen Yuan swallowed hard.
Three at once.
The first lunged, jaws wide.
He ducked beneath the teeth, springing up onto its back, using its scales as a platform to leap toward the second one.
But he miscalculated —
The third beast's tail shot up, slamming him mid-air.
BOOM!
He hit the ground brutally.
A crack echoed through his ribs, and pain blinded him for a moment.
He bit his tongue to stay conscious.
If he blacked out now — he'd die.
> "Calm yourself, Yuan!"
"Pain isn't your enemy. Use it — feel your body move through it. Learn from it!"
The elder's tone was no longer a shout, but deep and steady — guiding him through fire.
Shen Yuan raised his head, dazed, just in time to see another crocodile charging from the side.
He angled his sword downward, deflecting its massive force toward the ground.
The creature's bulk slid over him instead of crushing him.
Seizing that instant, Shen Yuan drove his blade into the joint of its hind leg, using its momentum to pierce through the armor.
The sword sank deep. The beast crashed to the ground, roaring in agony.
But the other two didn't stop.
He had no time to think — only to move.
He dodged, leapt, struck, stumbled, rose again — over and over, each motion faster, sharper, more desperate.
At one point, his foot slipped on a wet stone, sending him to one knee.
A gaping maw descended toward him, teeth glinting inches away.
Without hesitation, he thrust his sword straight into its throat with everything he had.
Black blood burst out, and the crocodile convulsed violently before collapsing, choking on its own blood.
Shen Yuan staggered back, gasping for breath, drenched in sweat and blood.
The air around him felt too heavy to breathe.
His hands trembled; his muscles burned like fire.
Yet he smiled — faintly, but truly.
For the first time, he wasn't just a boy fighting to live — he was a warrior learning how to survive.
He lifted his gaze toward the two remaining beasts, and to the lake behind them that had begun to churn again.
This was only the beginning.
Three down… eight more to go, including two near the peak — and one unimaginable leader.
> "That's fine…" he muttered weakly,
"If I'm going to fall… then I'll fall fighting, not running."
He stabbed his sword into the groun
d to steady himself, eyes locked on the shifting shadows rising from the depths of the lake.
–––
Enjoy reading, everyone!