“What happened?” Mu Yudie, clearly anxious inside the trunk, asked with a hint of surprise. “There was a roar just now—did a ferocious beast pass by here?”

Shi Yan sat down within the tree hollow, silently absorbing the rich jingqi surging within his acupoints, offering no reply.

Most of the jingqi from those five martial artists had dissipated; he had only managed to absorb a small fraction. However, because one of them was a master of the Ren-level realm, even that small portion of jingqi flooding his body was substantial. But Shi Yan harbored a worry: he didn't know when the negative forces might erupt, making him cautious.

Seeing his silence, Di Yalan recounted the events that had transpired.

Hearing her explanation, Mu Yudie’s face grew bitter, etched with worry. This was already an unsafe time, and now with the chaos caused by ferocious beasts, she felt the path ahead was growing increasingly bleak.

Dawn began to break as the sun slowly ascended. The trio did not resume resting but conversed quietly within the tree hollow. Before, with Luo Hao and the others present, Shi Yan hadn't had much opportunity to converse with the two women, thus knowing little about their circumstances. But now that Luo Hao and his three companions were dead, Shi Yan felt it necessary to learn more about them; otherwise, he might be passive later on.

“Why would people from ‘Dark Nether’ want to capture you?” Shi Yan frowned, his voice dropping low. “Are you all from the Blazing Fire Empire?”

Mu Yudie nodded faintly, letting out a long sigh. “It’s all because of me…”

“What’s the situation?” Shi Yan had long suspected Mu Yudie was extraordinary, and hearing her willing to explain, he naturally pressed for details.

“Sister Lan, you tell him,” Mu Yudie glanced at Di Yalan before sighing softly again.

“You don’t even know Xiao Die’s origins?” Di Yalan looked at him strangely, a flicker of astonishment in her eyes. “Even though you’re affiliated with the Merchant Alliance, you must have at least heard of the deeds of General Mu Ku of the Blazing Fire Empire, right?”

“Mu Ku? The Legion Commander of the Azure Eagle Legion of the Blazing Fire Empire? The Iron-Blooded Eagle King?”

Shi Yan started in shock. After a pause, he slowly nodded, his expression grim. “So she’s the granddaughter of the ‘Iron-Blooded Eagle King.’ I understand now.”

Memories concerning the “Iron-Blooded Eagle King” Mu Ku began to surface, piece by piece. Thinking deeply, Shi Yan slowly grasped the situation. In another Shi Yan’s memory bank, there was knowledge of the “Iron-Blooded Eagle King” Mu Ku. He was the commander of the Azure Eagle Legion of the Blazing Fire Empire, possessing the cultivation of the Nirvana realm, a truly iron-blooded figure holding substantial power in the Blazing Fire Empire! Not only within the Blazing Fire Empire, but the “Iron-Blooded Eagle King” was also famous even within the Merchant Alliance and the Divine Protection Empire.

Mu Ku led his troops like a god. In confrontations between the Blazing Fire Empire and the Divine Protection Empire, Mu Ku was always present. On the battlefield, Mu Ku was notorious for his cold-blooded ruthlessness, killing without blinking, his hands stained with blood. Mu Ku was cold and defiant toward outsiders, offending many powerful figures within the Blazing Fire Empire.

Three years prior, during a clash between the Blazing Fire Empire and the Divine Protection Empire, Mu Ku was besieged and killed by five Nirvana realm martial artists. Because Mu Ku had offended many people in life, the Mu family suffered immediately after his death. Within a few days, many direct relatives of the Mu family were executed, and the once-great Mu family swiftly declined.

“I have heard of the ‘Iron-Blooded Eagle King’s’ exploits,” Shi Yan recalled for a moment, nodding lightly.

“Xiao Die is the Eagle King’s granddaughter, and currently the sole survivor of the Mu family. ‘Dark Nether’ is the empire’s assassin organization, and ‘Dark Nether’ was directly involved in the Mu family massacre. The only reason Xiao Die has survived is that on the day of the Mu family tragedy, her Martial Spirit displayed incredible power. Xiao Die’s Martial Spirit is related to music; her zither music can kill people invisibly…”

“You mean Miss Mu’s Martial Spirit can kill through the sound of her zither?”

“Yes. Xiao Die’s zither music can not only pacify people suffering from Qi deviation but can also cause their internal organs to rupture. The reason Dark Nether wants to capture Xiao Die is that their Nether Lord is currently cultivating an evil martial technique and frequently falls into states of mental confusion. The Nether Lord fears dying from Qi deviation and wants to use Xiao Die’s zither music to stabilize his own mind.”

“I understand,” Shi Yan nodded.

‘Dark Nether’ was the assassin organization directly involved in slaughtering the Mu family; Mu Yudie wished every single person in ‘Dark Nether’ would perish. Now, if their Nether Lord intended to use her for his evil cultivation, Mu Yudie would naturally refuse even if it meant death. However, ‘Dark Nether’ possessed immense influence within the Blazing Fire Empire, leaving her no choice but to seek refuge in another country.

Having clarified Mu Yudie’s background and identity, Shi Yan asked, “Why can’t Miss Mu utilize her Martial Spirit now?”

“Xiao Die’s Martial Spirit is rather special. Every time she unleashes it to wreak havoc, several of her meridians snap like zither strings. Before the meridians reconnect, vital essence cannot flow smoothly. If she rashly moves her vital essence, she will be instantly severely injured, and the Martial Spirit’s recovery speed will slow down even further.” Di Yalan’s expression darkened. “Two months ago, just as we were entering the Gloomy Forest from the imperial border, we were pursued by members of ‘Dark Nether.’ We lost several comrades then, and Uncle Luo could no longer hold on. Xiao Die was forced to use her Martial Spirit. Although she killed many in ‘Dark Nether,’ Xiao Die’s own meridians fractured, and she hasn’t recovered yet.”

“Your Martial Spirit requires your meridians to cooperate when activated?” Shi Yan was momentarily stunned, asking in surprise, “Are you playing a zither string, or are you playing your own meridians?”

“I can’t explain it,” Mu Yudie replied listlessly, her complexion poor.

“Damage to the Martial Spirit…” Shi Yan frowned, pondering for a moment, then suddenly blurted out, “Perhaps I can offer some assistance.”

Mu Yudie and Di Yalan’s eyes instantly brightened, staring intently at him.

“Ahem…” Shi Yan had spoken casually, but the way they looked at him made him slightly awkward. “Well, didn’t Sister Lan suddenly awaken her Martial Spirit? The medicinal power on me might offer some help for the Martial Spirit’s recovery. I was thinking…”

“Don’t even think about it!” Mu Yudie shot back fiercely, glaring hard at him. “Don’t bring your filthy ideas anywhere near me!”

Mu Yudie saw clearly through what means Di Yalan had awakened her Martial Spirit; the thought of yielding her purity to him was impossible.

“I was just speaking offhand, don’t take it seriously,” Shi Yan said indifferently, looking up toward the tree hollow entrance. “It’s nearly noon, and I haven't heard any more disturbance from the beasts. Let’s continue on our journey.”

“Okay,” Di Yalan smiled softly.

...

The trio emerged from the tree hollow and continued through the Gloomy Forest, with Di Yalan carrying Mu Yudie on her back. After a night of hunting, the ferocious beasts seemed truly dormant. The three encountered not a single high-level beast along their path, yet the scattered, fresh bones of humans deep within the woods served as a grim reminder of how savage the beasts had been the previous night.

As evening approached.

The purification speed of the jingqi within Shi Yan’s acupoints gradually accelerated, and the various negative forces began to resurface in his mind, granting him a violent urge that demanded release. He knew Mu Yudie’s zither music could quell the negative emotions within him, but the sound of the music in the silent forest might also attract the attention of ferocious beasts or those assassins from ‘Dark Nether.’ Recalling his previous experience releasing himself upon Di Yalan, Shi Yan hesitated slightly, his gaze lingering on Di Yalan’s breathtaking physique before making up his mind.

...

Night fell.

In a hidden valley, Mu Yudie was curled up amidst the dense foliage of an ancient tree, her face red, glaring fiercely at a thicket ten meters away. The leaves of that thicket constantly trembled, and low, suppressed moans sounded intermittently...

“Shameless pair!” Mu Yudie muttered hatefully, biting her lower lip.

After a long, drawn-out cry, the patch of thicket gradually quieted down.

A few minutes later, Shi Yan and Di Yalan emerged from the thicket, their clothes disheveled. Shi Yan’s steps were steady, his expression calm, as if nothing had happened. Di Yalan’s long hair was dotted with bits of grass, her skin flushed with a light sheen of moisture, and her beautiful eyes swam with lingering passion, a smile playing on her lips.

“Miss Mu, not resting yet?” Upon approaching, Shi Yan looked up and saw Mu Yudie staring at him with obvious disdain, so he smiled faintly and asked casually.

“Hmph!” Mu Yudie kept a straight face and muttered disparagingly, “Shameless!”

“Oh?” Shi Yan laughed, unconcerned. “Perhaps none of us will see tomorrow’s sun, so who cares about this? It’s best to enjoy the moment; why bother with so many reservations?”

“That’s right, maybe by this time tomorrow, we’ll be three corpses. I certainly can’t worry about that anymore,” Di Yalan walked over, composed and graceful, only showing a hint of embarrassment. Hearing their words, Mu Yudie paused, suddenly remembering their current predicament, and found herself unable to retort.

“Sister Lan, meditate and cultivate. Perhaps you can advance even further,” Shi Yan said with a knowing smile.

“Yes, I understand.” Di Yalan’s expression shifted, then she offered a bright smile. “You really are astonishing, you rascal, haha!”

Saying this, Di Yalan climbed onto the ancient tree where Mu Yudie was, found a branch dense with leaves, and sat down, ignoring Mu Yudie’s puzzled gaze, beginning to cultivate in earnest.

Shi Yan did not climb the tree; instead, he sat cross-legged beneath it. Thanks to his intimate connection with Di Yalan, the negative emotions seeping from his acupoints were thoroughly expelled. Most of the strange power overflowing from the acupoints poured into his body, nourishing the Martial Spirit within him. Only a small portion, injected into Di Yalan along with his essence, benefited her as well.

With his eyes closed, Shi Yan felt the peculiar power altering the flesh and blood of his body, slowly circulating his vital essence through the Great Zhou Heaven cycle. An hour later, Shi Yan noticed that the strange power had completely permeated the tissues of his body. He couldn't help but secretly activate his "Petrification Martial Spirit." With a thought, the arm he had exposed slowly began to petrify, gradually turning a dark brown color.

Dark brown?

Shi Yan suddenly snapped his eyes open, his pupils shining like stars. Disbelief flickered across his face as he stared closely at his arm, scrutinizing it. Dark brown! It truly was dark brown! Shi Yan was so agitated he almost wanted to laugh out loud at the sky. At this moment, he finally understood the miraculous help those strange forces provided to his Martial Spirit.