"What kind of place is this? What dangerous beings are here? The air is filled with evil power, making my heart palpitate."
Zhou Yan's expression turned grim.
"It seems this must be the lair of those monsters. I need to leave here as soon as possible. I can't stay too long, or once those monsters appear, I'll be no match for them."
Zhou Yan thought to himself and prepared to leave, not daring to linger any longer.
Just as he took a step, at that very moment, Zhou Yan heard a scream, a sound so desolate, it felt like a knife slicing into his eardrums, making his heart tremble.
"Hmm? A monster is screaming. Does this place have other beasts or humans? I must go and see!"
Zhou Yan thought, and immediately rushed towards the source of the scream. However, when he reached the place where the scream originated, he saw a sight he would never forget.
It was the corpse of a monster.
A colossal creature, pitch black all over, covered in scales, with three massive tentacles growing from its back, each about a hundred meters long. Its abdomen bore three bloody fangs, and blood dripped from its mouth, making it look terrifying.
It wore a suit of golden armor, inscribed with numerous ancient patterns. These patterns seemed noble and exuded a powerful pressure that inspired awe and reverence.
This was a Golden Dragon. The Golden Dragon's body contained potent dragon energy, and its veins flowed with the bloodline of dragons, one of the most formidable races.
Beside the Golden Dragon's corpse lay several humans, all unconscious.
They were torn and bruised all over, their bodies stained with blood.
Zhou Yan walked over, helped them wake up, and asked, "Sirs, may I ask who you are and how you were captured by these monsters?"
After waking up, the humans recounted their experiences to Zhou Yan.
In response to Zhou Yan's question, one man said, "I am a prince of the Tianyun Empire. I was ordered to come here to search for treasures, but I never expected this to happen. We were surrounded by these monsters and were on the verge of death. Fortunately, this lord saved us!"
"I see," Zhou Yan nodded and asked, "Do you know the origin of this place?"
The humans shook their heads, saying, "We don't know. However, it seems this Golden Dragon's throat was bitten off by something."
Upon hearing this, Zhou Yan's pupils contracted sharply.
"Are you sure the monster's neck was bitten off by something?" Zhou Yan asked with a frown.
The man nodded and said, "We can all attest to it."
Zhou Yan felt a sense of unease.
"If that's the case, why aren't you leaving immediately? Do you still want to die here!"
Zhou Yan shouted.
The humans, hearing Zhou Yan's reprimand, scrambled to their feet and fled in all directions.
They knew Zhou Yan was right.
However, the monsters did not pursue them. Instead, they remained in the vicinity, waiting for food.
Zhou Yan's expression grew increasingly somber.
"It seems these monsters won't give up so easily!"
Zhou Yan thought to himself.
After the humans escaped, Zhou Yan began to observe his surroundings carefully, but found nothing but lava.
"It seems I must leave this place, but those monsters will definitely not give up! These monsters are too cunning; they hide their tracks, making it incredibly difficult to find them!"
Zhou Yan's brow furrowed deeply.
Suddenly, an image flashed in his mind.
The figure was very similar to the monster he had encountered before, even much larger. He wore a black robe, also inscribed with countless demonic runes.
"Could these monsters be related to that guy?" Zhou Yan murmured.
Zhou Yan felt a sense of worry. He knew that if these monsters were connected to that individual, the situation would be troublesome.
However, Zhou Yan was unwilling to retreat easily. He wanted to continue exploring this place.
Zhou Yan stood up and looked around.
"Huh?" He suddenly noticed a plant floating from a distance. This plant was very strange, not only did its flowers have thorns, but it also bore large purple fruits that emitted powerful energy fluctuations.
"Is this... a Tian Yuan Fruit?" Zhou Yan's eyes widened in surprise.
When Zhou Yan was on Earth, he had read a book that described the Tian Yuan Fruit as a primary ingredient for refining immortal elixirs. Furthermore, only a small amount was needed for refining immortal elixirs, and the fruit typically took over a thousand years to mature.
The preciousness of the Tian Yuan Fruit far surpassed ordinary spiritual herbs and ores. It could be used not only for cultivating martial arts but also for alchemy, artifact forging, and even for creating elixirs.
Tian Yuan Fruit could help cultivators break through bottlenecks, enhance physical strength, increase cultivation, and even extend lifespan.
Zhou Yan's face lit up with excitement. His eyes fixed intently on the Tian Yuan Fruit on the tree, his gaze filled with ardor.
"This Tian Yuan Fruit on the tree is probably not ripe yet, right?" Zhou Yan guessed.
A hint of greed flickered in Zhou Yan's eyes.
If he could obtain a Tian Yuan Fruit, his cultivation would skyrocket.
With this thought, his body flickered, turning into a wisp of smoke as he flew over and plucked the Tian Yuan Fruit.
The Tian Yuan Fruit on this plant was as large as two fists, emitting a purple glow and exuding a tempting aura.
"Hahaha, with this Tian Yuan Fruit, my strength will surge."
Zhou Yan's face contorted into a wild laugh.
He stored the Tian Yuan Fruit in his spatial ring and continued to walk forward. However, at this moment, his body suddenly trembled.
Zhou Yan turned around and looked back, only to see that the humans had returned.
"Why have you come back?"
Zhou Yan asked with a frown.
The humans, trembling, said, "Lord, those monsters don't seem to intend to eat us."
"What?" Zhou Yan's brow furrowed slightly. "Why? Don't the monsters here want to eat you?"
"No," one man said. "They are waiting for something from us."
"Oh? Are they looking for something?"
"They said that a long time ago, a human intruded here and killed some of the ferocious beasts. They want to find that person and take revenge," the man explained.