Chu Haoyue pointed at the valley and said, “Chu Yunfan and Chu Yuntian may not know about this valley, but Chu Xuelian, you’re a main descendant of the Chus. You should know a thing or two about it, right?”

“I’ve never been here before, but since it’s something that I should know about…” Chu Xuelian said after a pause, “Could this be the valley where our Chu ancestors reached enlightenment?”

“That is correct.” Chu Haoyue nodded. He then said, “Many descendants of the Chus have heard of this valley, but since Chu Yunfan and Chu Yuntian don’t know about it, I shall tell it for their benefit.

“Hundreds of years ago, when the first ancestor of our family first came to this land which is now Maple Leaf City, he was just an ordinary monster hunter. Later on, he discovered this valley and gained enlightenment here. He then used it to create the Burning Heavens Method we Chus relied on to become famous and gain a foothold in this world. He also established the foundation of our family here. After hundreds of years, the Chu family’s ancestral land and this huge Maple Leaf City were created. It can be said that this valley is the starting place of Maple Leaf City,” Chu Haoyue said.

“The Burning Heavens Method?” Chu Yunfan recalled that he had unintentionally heard his grandfather mention the supreme divine technique of the Chu family. The reason why the Chus had reached where they were today was largely due to the power of this technique.

The Burning Heavens Method was considered a legend, even within the Chu family. There were only a handful of people in each generation who would learn of it. And they were all the best in each generation.

To Chu Yunfan, a descendant of the Chus who was not listed in the family tree, it was even more of a legend. He had only ever heard of it in passing.

“Up until now, this valley is still a forbidden area of our family. It isn’t just because our first ancestor had once gained enlightenment here,” Chu Haoyue said, “It’s because this place is a special place.

“You should’ve learned about this in school. Spirit Energy, as we call it, is actually a general term for a kind of energy floating between Heaven and Earth. It seems to be a kind of pure energy. But actually, it isn’t. From what we have found from the ancient ruins of the Ancient Zenith Civilization, and with the ability of our modern society, we have the right conditions. We have the ability to research this energy using scientific methods,” Chu Haoyue said, “Based on the energy that can be observed with current scientific methods, this Spirit Energy of Heaven and Earth can be divided into the five elements: metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. There are even light, dark, wind, thunder, and many other types of energy. But metal, wood, water, fire, and earth are the mainstream.

“Most of the energy of Heaven and Earth exists in the form of a mixture. However, none of this is absolute. Under certain special circumstances, this energy can exist in a pure form,” Chu Haoyue further explained.

“In that case, could it be there’s a large amount of Fire Spirit Energy in this valley?” Chu Yunfan asked. He understood what Chu Haoyue was talking about. The Alchemy Emperor had all of this stored in his memories, but the research on Spirit Energy done by the Ancient Zenith Civilization was different from that of modern society. Due to the long history of the Ancient Zenith Civilization, ordinary people did not possess a deep understanding of it. But how could a person like the Alchemy Emperor, who had cultivated to the peak of the world, not understand Spirit Energy?

In addition, the Chus’ first ancestor had developed the Burning Heavens Method, which sounded like a fire-type cultivation technique. Chu Yunfan instantly understood it.

“Very smart.” A hint of appreciation flashed through Chu Haoyue’s eyes. He then said, “There’s a large amount of Fire Spirit Energy in this valley. In fact, it is made up of lava. This Fire Spirit Energy spews out from the earth’s veins is not suitable for living creatures because it creates a very harsh environment. Martial artists are no exception. However, we are different from ordinary creatures. This Fire and Earth Spirit Energy is actually a type of energy. Back then, the first ancestor was able to reach enlightenment here. So naturally, you guys can do the same. In fact, when the first ancestor attained enlightenment, his cultivation base was not even as high as yours.”

The three of them nodded. A few hundred years ago was actually the beginning of the cataclysm. Mankind had just found the remains of the Ancient Zenith Civilization and had just entered the path of cultivation. There were not many people with high cultivation levels back then. With their cultivation levels, they were truly formidable experts during that era. They were not considered invincible, but they were surely awe-inspiring.

“The core of the valley is a boundless sea of fire. No living beings can enter. However, there’s a seal on the edge of the valley. According to our records, it was built up by a mighty figure during the era of the Ancient Zenith Civilization to suppress the eruption of the lava in the Earth’s vein to avoid harming the common people,” Chu Haoyue continued. “I don’t know if it’s been too long, but a crack has appeared on that seal. A vast amount of Fire Spirit Energy has poured out of that crack. The first ancestor gained enlightenment at this seal, and we Chus chose this place as our ancestral land. Other than being the place where the first ancestor gained enlightenment, we’re also guarding this location for the Federation Government, reinforcing the seal year after year. If this seal were to collapse, do you understand what the consequences would be if the lava were to pour out? In such a huge city like Maple Leaf City, over 100 million people will be instantly buried in a sea of flames.

“Our family was able to obtain the status of a wealthy family in the Federation, ranking at the very top, and the government tacitly agreed to this. Why is that? Of course, they say it’s because our ancestors have worked hard for the sake of mankind. Don’t you think that saying this is too broad? Doesn’t it sound like the tone of official propaganda?

“But it’s the truth,” Chu Haoyue said, “Putting aside all other things, just in this place alone where the lava is sealed, two experts, including our first ancestor who developed supernatural powers, died here in the span of hundreds of years. More than twenty Innate experts and countless peak Acquired experts have given their lives here.

“For the safety of all those in Maple Leaf City, the sacrifices our family has made are unimaginable to outsiders. Otherwise, how could our family obtain such a transcendent status in Maple Leaf City? There’s always a reward for our efforts.”

Chu Haoyue’s words were like a heavy hammer pounding on the trio’s chests. These matters were very far away from them, and this was the first time they had heard of this matter. But it did not stop them from imagining how many Chu ancestors had fallen in this process. How many of their ancestors had fallen here.

“In the next month, before classes at Federation University starts, all of you will be allowed to cultivate here. Cultivating here is much faster than cultivating on your own. Furthermore, the Fire Spirit Energy can temper your body. The benefits you’ll reap in the future will be unimaginable.”