--
The Free Heavenly Paradise Team entered the valley without realizing that they had already walked into a trap.
They were vigilant, at least by their standards. Nobody was carelessly wandering around, and their senses were spread throughout the surrounding forest as they moved. After hearing about the elimination of the Berserk Mountain God Empire, they knew that the Heavenly Bronze Empire was hunting the remaining teams, so they weren't completely relaxed either.
Their problem was that they were looking for the wrong enemy.
They watched the trees for monsters, checked the ground for signs of beast territories, and searched the surrounding cliffs for hidden lairs. Whenever they encountered tracks, broken branches, strange scents, or other indications that a powerful monster might be nearby, they slowed down and investigated before continuing.
They were looking for signs of the secret realm.
They weren't looking for people.
That was their mistake.
