Lucia soon returned with Rose walking beside her.
The woman's expression remained as calm and unreadable as ever, yet there was a subtle sharpness in her eyes as she looked toward Max. After a brief silence, she spoke directly.
"I agreed," she said. "I will guide both of you to Dragon Death Valley. But why do you want to head there of all places?"
"Can I say it's a secret of mine?" Max said smiling.
Rose nodded lightly. After knowing Max's conflict with Sword God Palace and his alliance with War God Palace, she began to take Max seriously.
A faint smile appeared on Max's face. "Then we can leave imdiately."
Rose gave a slight nod, then turned without wasting another word. "Follow closely. The route is not simple."
With that, she moved forward first.
Her figure glided across the rugged terrain with practiced ease, stepping over broken stone ridges and barren slopes as though she had traveled this path many tis before. Max and Lucia followed behind her at a steady pace, both remaining alert as they entered a far more desolate region of Orion.
The land gradually changed the deeper they went.
The ground beca darker, cracked in countless places as if scorched by ancient flas. Jagged mountains rose like the fangs of buried beasts, while the wind carried a dry and tallic scent. Even the sky above seed dimr, covered by drifting clouds of ash-colored mist.
As they advanced, Rose finally began to speak.
"Dragon Death Valley is one of Orion's oldest forbidden zones," she said while continuing forward. "Many believe it was once the battlefield of true dragons in an ancient era. Others claim a dragon sovereign was slain there, and its resentnt never dispersed."
Lucia glanced around warily. "And what do you believe?"
Rose's eyes remained fixed ahead. "I believe that too many powerful beings have died there for the truth to matter anymore."
Her answer caused Lucia to fall silent.
Rose continued after a mont.
"The outer region is dangerous enough. Violent beasts roam freely, most of them mutated by draconic energy. So possess dragon blood in their bodies and beco far stronger than ordinary creatures."
She pointed toward a distant ridge where claw marks had carved deep trenches through stone.
"Those marks were left by a scaled beast that hunted a peak Law Refinent Realm team two months ago. None survived."
Lucia's face tightened slightly.
Rose then gestured toward the sky where strange shadows occasionally moved behind the clouds.
"The skies are not safe either. Winged predators nest in the cliffs. They attack silently and prefer dragging prey into the air before tearing them apart."
Max listened quietly, his expression thoughtful rather than fearful.
Rose glanced at him briefly before continuing.
"That is only the outer zone. The middle region is where many explorers turn back."
"Why?" Max asked.
"Because of the pressure," Rose replied. "The draconic aura grows denser the deeper one enters. Weak bodies cannot endure it for long. Cultivation becos unstable, movent slows, and fear rises naturally in the heart."
She paused, then added in a lower voice.
"There are also remnants."
"Remnants?" Lucia asked.
"Echoes of dead dragons. Fragnts of will, rage, instinct. They appear without warning. So are illusions. So can kill."
A gust of wind passed through the canyon path they were crossing, carrying a faint sound that almost resembled a roar.
Lucia instinctively moved closer to Max.
Rose continued as though nothing had happened.
"The inner valley is where the true danger begins," Rose said, her voice calm yet carrying unmistakable seriousness.
She continued walking as she spoke, but neither Max nor Lucia missed the weight behind her words.
"There have been many reports over the years. Entire groups entered the inner valley and were never seen again, as though they had been erased from existence. Others managed to return, but only after suffering terrible consequences. So ca back aged by decades within what should have been only a few days. Their hair had turned white, their bodies withered, and their vitality nearly exhausted."
Lucia's expression stiffened slightly.
Rose's tone grew colder.
"And so returned with their minds broken. They spoke in nonsense, attacked shadows, or scread of things they claid to have seen in the distorted depths. None of them ever recovered."
A heavy silence followed for a mont before Rose spoke again.
"But even that is not the true reason Dragon Death Valley is considered one of Orion's greatest forbidden zones."
Her gaze shifted toward the distant horizon where a faint crimson haze could barely be seen.
"The greatest terror lies in the core region."
Even the wind around them seed quieter when she said those words.
"The aura within the core is unlike anything found in the outer or inner valley. It is ancient, violent, and deeply corrupted by draconic power. The mont a living being steps inside, that aura begins invading the body."
Max's eyes narrowed with interest.
Rose continued, her expression grave.
"At first, the changes are subtle. Blood becos restless. Bones ache. Skin hardens. The mind grows aggressive. But it does not stop there."
She paused briefly.
"The deeper one remains in that region, the faster the transformation spreads. Flesh twists, scales begin to erge, instincts beco savage, and reason starts to collapse. Before long, the person undergoes full draconification."
Lucia felt a chill rise through her body. "You an they beco monsters?"
Rose nodded.
"They lose their human thoughts, mories, restraint, and identity. Everything that made them who they were is devoured by bestial instinct. In the end, they beco one of the many draconic beasts that roam around the core region."
Her voice lowered further.
"So of those beasts were once powerful cultivators. So were once geniuses who entered seeking treasure and glory. Others were elders who believed their strength was enough to resist the corruption."
She looked at Max and Lucia in turn.
"Now they are nothing more than predators guarding the place that destroyed them."
The warning settled heavily in the air.
Even Lucia, who had heard many tales of Orion's dangers, now understood why Dragon Death Valley inspired such fear.
It was not rely a land that killed people.
It was a place that erased them and turned them into sothing else entirely.
Even Max's eyes sharpened at those words.
"And yet people still go there," he said.
Rose gave a faint, humorless smile.
"Because Dragon Death Valley also contains opportunities equal to its danger. Rare herbs nourished by dragon essence. Bones of ancient beasts. Inheritance grounds. Pools of blood energy. If one is lucky, even a trace of dragon bloodline can be found."
Now Max understood why so many risked death.
As they continued forward, the environnt grew harsher with every mile. The wind beca heavier, and the faint pressure in the air slowly increased.
Rose slowed slightly and spoke one final warning.
"From this point onward, do not wander. Do not chase strange sounds. Do not touch bones you find on the ground. And if I tell you to run, do not ask questions."
Lucia swallowed hard.
Max only smiled.
"That makes want to see it even more."
Rose looked at him for a mont, then turned ahead again.
"You may regret saying that once we arrive."
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