I'm a major player in a parallel universe

"What method can quickly boost my strength?" Yang Haoxuan gazed at the distant fake mountains and water features, feeling restless. The new year had just passed, and the weather was warming up. Drips of ice began to fall one by one from the frozen stalactites above.

Suddenly, Little Qing entered with a tray of food. However, unlike her usual cheerful self, she seemed unusually pensive, almost melancholic.

"What's wrong, little girl?" Yang Haoxuan tilted his head, curious.

"Master, is human life really so fragile?" Little Qing asked with an odd expression.

Yang Haoxuan was startled, immediately asking, "What happened? Are you dealing with emotional pain or something?"

Little Qing gave him a look and then explained, "I was just out with some of the other young women from the family to visit the New Year's market. We suddenly saw a notice about the Terrifying Valley trial starting soon. One of the women with us... her husband died inside it."

Trial? Upon hearing the word, Yang Haoxuan felt a little reassured, but the two words "Terrifying Valley" immediately caught his attention. A trial, a test for cultivators to raise their strength—mostly through dangerous adventures and treasure hunts.

For someone like Yang Haoxuan, eager to improve his power, his curiosity was piqued.

Just how terrifying is the Terrifying Valley?

Yang Haoxuan began recalling past memories and learned that the Terrifying Valley was part of a parallel space. It was a crucial trial for those seeking to break through to Martial Master, typically aimed at martial artists of the 9th or 10th level.

On Tianhe Continent, it was known that there were many mysterious parallel worlds and spaces, each filled with danger and intrigue. Naturally, these places were also ideal for gaining strength.

The Terrifying Valley was located on the other side of the Great Yan Mountain Range, controlled by the military. Every year, adventurers and martial artists who wished to improve their strength or seek treasures were allowed to enter. However, 30% of the treasures found were taken as a tax.

Despite this, people still flocked to the valley in droves, as it was rumored that it housed unimaginable treasures. Just hearing about it made Yang Haoxuan's heart race with excitement.

He felt an overwhelming urge to go and test his luck, but the previous Yang Haoxuan had never ventured into the Terrifying Valley, so he had no idea what to expect.

This posed a problem for him, and it made him realize how ill-prepared he was. So, Yang Haoxuan decided to disguise himself and quietly slip out of the Yang family estate. He made his way to a bustling tavern in a more chaotic part of Great Yan. It was still the first day of the New Year, and the sounds of the market filled the air.

The people here were from all walks of life, making it the perfect place to gather information. Soon enough, Yang Haoxuan began to pick up on a few key details.

The Terrifying Valley, a space within the parallel world, was said to be located between two towering mountains. However, adventurers usually could only wander through the valley itself and could never scale the mountains. Those who attempted to climb the peaks never returned.

The valley was notorious for swallowing people whole—none of the adventurers ever came back. Every plant, creature, or anything that moved inside the valley lived up to its terrifying name.

The valley was divided into three stages. The first was the "Black Forest," where blood wolves roamed in droves. These wolves were at least Martial Artists of the 6th level.

The second stage was a prairie filled with traps and dangers, home to many underground monsters. Their strength ranged between the 7th and 8th levels of martial artists.

While these first two stages posed some risks, they weren't too deadly. You might find a few treasures here and there, but the chances were slim. The third stage, however, was the real test: a labyrinthine "Ghost Cave."

Inside the Ghost Cave were numerous rare treasures, but the real prize was a single item that made people go wild with greed.

The cave's layout was a twisting maze, and at the end of many paths, there were nine king-level bosses. The ultimate boss, the Corpse King, was a Martial Artist at the peak of the 10th level. Its body contained a Blood Pill.

The Blood Pill was of immense value to martial artists stuck at the 9th level. Just one of these pills could elevate them to the 10th level, and while they trained within the pill's effects, the speed of their breakthroughs would be significantly faster.

This was why so many martial artists of the 9th and 10th levels participated in the trial every year. Hearing this, Yang Haoxuan nodded thoughtfully. Just listening to the stories, he could already feel the immense danger and challenge the Terrifying Valley posed.

But despite the dangers, he had already made up his mind—he would enter. If he could get his hands on a Blood Pill, that would be a great boost.

Though he was only at the 6th level, he could still hunt the blood wolves in the Black Forest to train and improve his strength. It would be dangerous, yes, but without risks, there were no rewards. Besides, pure safety in cultivation never led to great achievements.

There was also another bit of gossip circulating—the Ninth Princess of the Great Yan Dynasty was participating in the trial too…

The Ninth Princess? Yang Haoxuan froze for a moment. Wasn't that the woman at Hongye Lake, the one he had accidentally seen bathing?

Ah, forget it. It didn't matter. He was going in to improve his strength, not to worry about her.

Yang Haoxuan decided to ignore his unease and set off. The Terrifying Valley trial would begin in a month, so he had plenty of time to prepare.

First, he spent the next few weeks refining thousands of Qi Gathering Pills for his father to deal with Yang Jian's family. Then, he prepared plenty of healing potions and supplies, making sure every minute was spent on cultivation.

...

One month later, the Terrifying Valley trial officially began. The registration period was only a day, but Yang Haoxuan had already slipped out of the Yang estate a week earlier. He didn't want his father to worry or stop him.

After all, this trial was designed for martial artists at the 9th level, and if Yang Batian, who doted on him so much, found out, he would never allow Yang Haoxuan to go.

So, Yang Haoxuan left behind a letter, claiming he was going out to travel and would return after the adult trial. He made sure to reassure his father not to worry. To prevent anyone from recognizing him, he bought a cloak and a mask, leaving only his eyes exposed.

At the entrance to the Terrifying Valley, the trees had been cleared to make room for a fortified camp. The defenses were tight, and the soldiers stationed there were all at the 10th level of the Martial Artist realm, clad in armor and looking imposing.

When Yang Haoxuan arrived at the camp, he was struck by the level of security. In the center of the camp, there were hundreds of adventurers preparing for the trial.

What surprised Yang Haoxuan even more was that many of them were dressed like him—cloaked in black robes, with masks to conceal their identities.

But unlike him, these adventurers weren't here for the same reasons. They wore their disguises because they were prepared to kill and loot once inside the Terrifying Valley.

Out here, the valley was almost completely isolated. There had been an infamous "Terrifying Valley Massacre" in the past when a poor soul found a Flame Light Banner inside.

The Flame Light Banner was a Dao Artifact, a treasure of immense defensive power. Cultivators' treasures were classified as: Spiritual, Treasured, Dao, and Immortal. Dao Artifacts were second only to Earth-grade cultivation techniques.

Furthermore, there were only nine Blood Pills available in the Terrifying Valley each year, yet there were hundreds of adventurers vying for them.

The competition was inevitable.

Yang Haoxuan began to realize that the danger of the Terrifying Valley wasn't just from the unknown beasts. He would also have to watch out for these ruthless people. Once inside, no one would know if someone got stabbed in the back.