NOVEL WEB Chapter 864: Arnold's Means
"Bang!"
A powerful shockwave burst from Arnold's body as a pillar of light shot into the sky. The cave walls cracked and shattered as Arnold floated out of the ground, his black cloak flapping wildly in the violent winds of his breakthrough. He stared up at the glowing sky of the secret domain, his lips curling into a mad grin.
"Hahaha! I've leveled up to the seventh level of Legend Rank!" he roared, his laughter carrying through the mountains like thunder. "Max, your death is only a matter of time now!"
His voice echoed ominously, marking the birth of an even more dangerous enemy for Max.
After a long moment, Arnold finally calmed his raging excitement, his breathing steadying as a cold, sinister expression formed on his pale face.
"Max, your death is coming," he muttered, his voice dripping with venom. The humiliation he had suffered and the death of Jake had ignited a deep hatred within him, one that he would not allow to fade.
However, Arnold was no fool. He knew his own limits and clearly understood that if Jake, who possessed equal strength to him, had died by Max's hand, then rushing in alone would only lead to the same fate. He needed overwhelming force to ensure Max's death. For that reason, he decided to contact several of his senior brothers within the Thunder Monarch Hall, geniuses far stronger than him, and bring them to hunt Max down.
Furthermore, Arnold spread word throughout the Secret Domain, publicly declaring that anyone who could kill Max would be heavily rewarded by the Thunder Monarch Hall. It was an enticing offer—enough to make even those who had no personal enmity with Max consider taking up the task.
In just three short days, Max's name had spread like wildfire. From the outer regions of the Secret Domain to its dangerous inner areas, everyone was talking about the young man who had dared to kill Jake and humiliate Arnold.
For some, Max had become a target worth hunting, not because of personal grudges, but for the promise of wealth and favor from one of the Middle Domain's most influential halls.
"Puff, puff, puff!"
On a lonely hill, three young men fell to the ground, lifeless, their throats slit with surgical precision. Blood sprayed out, staining the grassy hilltop in dark crimson. Standing among their corpses was Max, the Blue Dragon Sword still dripping blood, his eyes cold and expression grim.
He didn't feel even the slightest satisfaction from killing these men. His gaze was dark and his face expressionless as he muttered under his breath, "Arnold… it seems I underestimated you."
These were not random attackers. They were bounty seekers—three in one day, the third group he had been forced to kill since Arnold's bounty declaration. When Max had first heard of Arnold's actions, he had been furious, but now, though he was calmer, the rage still smoldered inside him. Arnold had not only escaped, but had also turned the entire Secret Domain against him.
Max's killing intent surged briefly before subsiding. He knew it would be much harder to kill Arnold now, not because Arnold himself was strong, but because the bounty had changed everything. Killing Arnold in this environment would take careful planning.
With a deep breath, Max pulled out the map he had obtained from the elders before entering this Secret Domain. He had already searched two locations marked as potential treasure sites after killing Jake, but both had proven fruitless. Not a single rare herb, treasure, or even a hint of spiritual resources worth the effort.
His eyes shifted to the next nearest location. "Hidden Sound Valley?" Max murmured as he studied the map carefully. According to annotations on the map, it might hold a rare herb he needed—Soul-Nourishing Grass.
The Soul-Nourishing Grass was a yin-attributed spiritual herb, rare and highly valuable because of its unique property of nourishing and stabilizing the soul. It only grew in areas where yin energy was strong and abundant. And if the map was accurate, Hidden Sound Valley was known precisely for its strange, yin-rich environment.
Max closed the map and looked off into the distance, his expression solemn but resolute. "Hidden Sound Valley it is," he muttered before disappearing into the horizon like a phantom, determined to strengthen himself further before settling his grudge with Arnold.
Max wasted no time after checking the map and immediately headed toward Hidden Sound Valley, his steps swift and determined. The little rat remained inside the Dimension of Spirit, still recovering from the injuries it had sustained during the battle with Raul. Max didn't want to risk its life again until it was fully healed.
Hidden Sound Valley was situated in a rugged region, acting as a borderland between the outer zone and the inner region of the Secret Domain. From a distance, the valley itself looked like the mouth of some ancient beast, gaping open and exhaling streams of black gas that twisted into the air like writhing serpents.
A faintly sinister wind swept from within, carrying with it an unnatural chill that made even the rocks feel cold to the touch. The entire sky above this area appeared gray and bleak, as if sunlight itself refused to fall upon it.
Around the rocky outskirts of the valley, various lesser monsters prowled freely. Snakes slithered across jagged boulders, their scales glinting with a faint poisonous sheen. Scorpions crawled out of dark cracks, clicking their pincers in agitation.
Though none of these creatures had reached the Master Rank, they still carried the aura of dark mana, making the atmosphere unsettling. Their hissing and clicking sounds merged with the sighing of the cold wind, creating a symphony of eerie noise befitting the name Hidden Sound Valley.
Just then, the sound of rushing wind echoed through the area. "Swish, swish, swish…" The gray mist near the entrance rippled violently, split as if by an invisible blade, and three figures emerged from the haze.
The first was a man of imposing stature dressed in a black robe, his long black hair falling freely down his back. His skin, pale to the point of resembling fresh snow, gave him a cold, corpse-like beauty, and his expressionless face made him appear even more detached and ominous.