Chapter 655: The Valley of No Return
The Time-Locked Plain
"There's something very wrong with these flowers."
Luke broke off a bone flower again. Just like before, the petals turned into fluorescent light, and then the flower instantly regenerated.
Diana, Clark, and J'onn tried several times, with the same result. Even pulling a bone flower out by the root resulted in it reverting to its original state.
The sensation was absurd, as if time in this part of the world was frozen. No matter what destruction they inflicted, everything reverted to the starting point.
The heroes exchanged bewildered looks.
"Luke, what kind of magic could cause this effect?" Diana asked.
Luke silently shook his head.
"It might not be magic. It could be something else."
"Don't worry about it for now. Let's keep moving and find the Valley of No Return."
The group instinctively avoided the bone flowers, walking only where the ground was clear. After half an hour of walking, the terrain abruptly changed. The flat ground vanished, replaced by an endless series of winding canyons.
The canyon was shaped like a semicircle, with its ends curving inward, resembling a lollipop spread across the earth.
"Is this the Valley of No Return?"
Diana frowned. "It doesn't look like anything special."
Clark flew up to get a view. After a moment, he whispered,
"There's a temple-like structure at the end of the canyon."
"Let's go take a look."
Luke sped up, stepping into the canyon first. Unlike the plain, the canyon floor was bone-free, instead filled with various flowers and grasses. Some were Earth-native plants, while others seemed to belong to the Underworld.
Walking among the flora, they had a momentary illusion of being back on Earth.
Such a drastic change separated by a mere boundary left even Luke confused about what was happening.
Following the canyon, they eventually arrived at what looked like an ancient temple. The temple was severely damaged. Claw marks and pits covered the stone pillars and walls—signs of a fierce battle.
Inside, there were ten statues, but all were destroyed. The two that remained intact were headless, making it impossible to identify them.
Aside from these, the vast temple contained nothing else.
"This isn't right," Luke muttered to himself. "Mo'en said the Demon-kin ancestors found the entrance to the mortal realm inside the Valley of No Return, and it was in a cave."
"Clark, use your eyes. Is there a hidden door?"
"I've already looked. There's only this temple at the end. Nothing else."
"That's strange. The Valley of No Return should have a cave, but we can't find one."
"Could it be magic?" Diana suggested. "Someone intentionally hid the cave."
"Highly likely."
Luke waved his hand. "You guys stand back and stay clear."
Once they were at a distance, Green Flame surged from Luke's body, transforming into a sea of fire that frantically expanded outward. Suddenly, a strange sensation came from the right. Luke rushed forward, clenched his right fist, and slammed it heavily onto the wall.
Boom!
The flame roared, the air twisted, and the wall vanished, revealing a hidden cave entrance behind it.
"I knew it was here."
Luke was delighted, and Clark and the others in the distance also let out a sigh of relief.
They quickly gathered, examining the entrance. The cave was large, over four meters high, and showed signs of being manually carved. The interior was pitch black; nothing could be seen.
Luke said grimly, "Based on the intelligence we have, the entrance to Earth is inside this cave. However, no one who went in ever came out. The Demon-kin ancestors investigated the Valley of No Return, and their conclusion was that the exit connects to destruction. To enter is to die."
Diana frowned. "It shouldn't have been like this thousands of years ago."
"That was then; now is different. Maybe the Gods sealed it."
Luke activated the backup program of the Valkyrie armor. A miniature spider-bot dropped from his shoulder and scurried into the cave under AI control.
White light shone from the robot's head, recording everything it saw. Before it got far, the signal suddenly cut out.
Luke sighed softly.
"Sure enough, they weren't lying."
The spider-bot had an automatic recall program. If the signal was lost under normal circumstances, it would return immediately. Unfortunately, this cave connected to a different reality—one that allowed entry but not exit.
Faced with this situation, the heroes were out of options. No one dared to gamble their life, and what was worse, even if someone forced their way in, they might not be able to relay any information back.
The dark cave entrance had become an abyss that devoured lives.
After a moment of silence, Clark said in a low voice,
"Maybe I should try going in."
Luke shook his head. "No need. You guys wait. I have a plan."
With that, he closed his eyes and entered a meditative state.
The others had no alternative, so they settled down in the temple.
The Haunting Dream
Time slowly flowed. Before they knew it, the daylight faded, and night descended. The Valley of No Return surprisingly had a day-night cycle. Clark and J'onn quickly flew above the canyon to observe the surroundings.
As night fell, the bone flowers subtly hid their brilliance, but purple spots appeared on their surface, radiating an eerie purplish-red glow. From above, the entire plain was enveloped in this purplish-red aura, like a massive eggshell.
Suddenly, sounds of laughter drifted on the wind.
Several young women, draped in scarves and veiled, walked by, chatting happily. As they passed Clark and J'onn, they pointed and broke into silvery laughter.
The two heroes stared blankly. After the women left, a group of knights in silver armor galloped past. The leading knight raised his long sword and roared at the sky, seemingly ordering his subordinates to charge the enemy.
The scene shifted again. A magnificent and towering temple appeared ahead. A warrior wearing a golden crown and golden armor sat on a throne. His body was incredibly massive, like a giant, and his eyes shone with a majestic, fearless aura.
With a hiss, the temple collapsed, and an impossibly large cobra rushed toward them. Clark instinctively raised his hand to block, only to strike empty air. The cobra passed right through their bodies and vanished into the void.
"What is happening?"
J'onn murmured. "Where exactly are we?"
Clark took a deep breath, fighting back panic. He whispered,
"It would be best to leave. This place is deeply unsettling."
J'onn was stunned. In all their time together, this was the first time he had heard such a statement from Clark.
"This place makes me very uneasy. I feel like something terrifying is hidden here."
"Are you sure?"
Clark nodded seriously. "My instincts have never been wrong."
"Alright," J'onn exhaled. "Let's go find Luke now."
Before he finished speaking, a melodious song filled the air. The tune was graceful and moving, like a celestial melody. Neither of them had ever heard such a sound. It felt like a stream of water washing over their hearts; their souls felt ready to leave their bodies and ascend to heaven.
Their eyelids closed unknowingly, and a look of blissful pleasure curved their lips.
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