Shi Yan slowly opened his eyes, gazing with a smile at Di Yalan, who was immersed in joyful surprise. "Congratulations, Sister Lan."

Having grasped the peculiar utility of the mysterious Martial Spirit, Shi Yan was equally thrilled. Di Yalan had only spent a few days intimately involved with him, gained some benefits, and miraculously broken through to the Human Rank realm. This demonstrated just how boundless the mysterious Martial Spirit’s uses truly were.

"Thank you."

Di Yalan's beautiful eyes brimmed with gratitude.

She certainly knew that the series of changes in her body were all thanks to Shi Yan. These past few days, she had undeniably felt the benefits.

"Hmm, perhaps it’s related to the medicinal power within my body, but it's also something Sister Lan earned through diligent cultivation," Shi Yan said calmly. "Sister Lan, now that you are in the Human Rank realm, you should check if your 'Blue Demon Flame' Martial Spirit has changed?"

Di Yalan smiled sweetly, like a blooming flower, and gracefully extended her left hand. A ball of hazy blue flame suddenly erupted in her palm.

This mass of flame, about the size of a watermelon, gradually engulfed her entire left hand.

The hazy blue flame seemed sentient, actually transforming into strands of fire-serpents that coiled and wound around her smooth wrist.

As Di Yalan’s thoughts shifted, that miraculous 'Blue Demon Flame' morphed into various shapes; the flames would momentarily become spiritual serpents, then shift into flying birds, vividly lifelike, as if they could fly out of her palm at any second.

"The moment I broke through to the Human Rank realm, I felt the 'Blue Demon Flame' change; the Martial Spirit has strengthened..." Di Yalan's lips were curved in a wide smile. "Not only did it grow from the size of a fist to nearly the size of a human head, but it also gained the ability to condense matter—this is its second stage."

Martial Spirit condensing matter?

Shi Yan nodded, immediately realizing that Di Yalan's 'Blue Demon Flame' Martial Spirit was also extraordinary, and praised, "Then I must congratulate Sister Lan even more."

"It’s all thanks to you." Di Yalan's eyes shimmered with blue light, smiling invitingly, a hint of lingering affection returning to her lips.

"This, how is this possible?"

Mu Yudie, perched in the tree, had a look of utter disbelief on her delicate face. "It's only been about ten days! How could Sister Lan break through to the Human Rank realm so quickly? Sister Lan, if I recall correctly, you lingered at the Third Heaven of the Innate Realm for only about half a year, right?"

"That's right." Di Yalan was delighted and rather smug. "I truly only entered the Third Heaven of the Innate Realm six months ago. Even I didn't expect to break through to the Human Rank realm so fast. I thought it would take at least three to five years of arduous cultivation before I could advance to the Human Rank realm, haha."

Mu Yudie rolled her eyes, nearly speechless.

Could it be... that fellow's thing truly possessed the miraculous efficacy of a divine medicinal essence?

Thinking of this, Mu Yudie’s face flushed again. She cursed herself inwardly and dared not pursue the thought any further.

...

Another five days passed.

Shi Yan and the other two continued their cautious movements within the Gloomy Forest.

For five days, every night the Gloomy Forest became quite lively. The roars of demonic beasts and the screams of human warriors and mercenaries occasionally echoed, sending shivers down one's spine.

Shi Yan realized that someone must have provoked high-level demonic beasts. These past few nights, he sought out a quiet and safe area to rest, resolutely refusing to venture out after dark.

He adopted a policy of avoidance—not provoking the beasts, nor the passing mercenaries.

It was precisely because of this prudence that although the trio hadn't covered much ground in these five days, they hadn't encountered any major threats either.

Furthermore, Shi Yan was lucky enough to stumble upon the remnants of human warriors killed by demonic beasts. As soon as the beasts left, Shi Yan would go to absorb the lingering vital essence of those deceased individuals.

For safety, he always waited for a while after the beasts departed before showing himself.

Although the gains from each encounter were small, the accumulation had caused his body's "Petrification Martial Spirit" to strengthen gradually.

By now, his entire body could petrify instantaneously according to his will. The surface of his skin had turned dark brown, and his physical defense was slowly increasing.

During these days, he never forgot to practice his "Berserk" technique.

However, the final stage of that technique proved exceedingly difficult to cultivate. As soon as he attempted to mobilize the negative energy within the acupoints on his head, he would suffer a splitting headache. Once the vital essence flowed in reverse, the excruciating pain would cause him to instantly pass out.

After days of practice, this final hurdle of the "Berserk" technique remained unconquered.

After several consecutive collapses, he secretly suspected his method was flawed. He abandoned the brute-force approach and decided to spend a few days contemplating a different strategy.

...

It was late at night again.

Shi Yan and his two companions were hiding in a dim cave within a valley, covering the entrance with brushwood leaves, conversing in low tones.

Outside the cave, the sounds of demonic beasts passing by came wave after wave. The low growls and snarls of the beasts seemed to permeate all directions. It was unclear how many beasts were out hunting tonight.

"Something feels off tonight; it seems like all the demonic beasts in the Gloomy Forest are active," Di Yalan frowned. "This is very strange. Normally, even if mercenaries and warriors are too active, the beasts only stir up trouble for two or three days at most. There shouldn't be this many out and about. I wonder what's happening."

"The beasts making such a ruckus means there must be a high-level beast coordinating things from behind," Shi Yan said with a grim expression. "That 'Thunder Wing Silver Wolf' is a Rank Seven demonic beast, equivalent to a warrior at our Heaven Rank. Not only does it possess a Demon Crystal within its body, but it also has intelligence comparable to ours. If it's taking the lead, this matter must be significant."

"It's a good thing we've been so careful these past few days, not worrying about how far we travel, only about safety. Otherwise, we'd surely be in trouble," Di Yalan agreed.

"Step, step!" "Step, step!"

Chaotic footsteps suddenly sounded from outside. Judging by the sound, it seemed human warriors were moving about.

With demonic beasts rampant outside, any human warriors active at this hour were highly likely to be in trouble, probably being chased by beasts again.

"Should we go out and see? Maybe we can help?" Mu Yudie, being kind-hearted, softly asked for their opinions.

Shi Yan and Di Yalan exchanged a glance, neither speaking.

"What? You want to watch them die?" Mu Yudie’s delicate brows furrowed; she seemed somewhat displeased.

"The outside is crawling with demonic beasts. Once we expose the cave's location after finally finding shelter, I fear we’ll meet a grim end. Besides, how can you be sure the warriors outside aren't villains themselves? What if they covet your beauty? It could lead to countless problems. Better not to meddle," Shi Yan scoffed, showing no politeness.

Mu Yudie wasn't brainless; she understood these possibilities. It was just that she couldn't bear to watch others be killed by demonic beasts that prompted her suggestion.

However, being reprimanded so sternly by Shi Yan, she found it hard to back down gracefully. She tossed her head back with a small huff, mumbling under her breath, "Cold-blooded! Not an ounce of compassion. So you're afraid to die too, after all. I thought..."

"That’s not fear of death; that’s courting death!"

Shi Yan sneered, flashing a grin. "Miss Mu, you saved me twice, but I believe I have repaid that debt. Please remember one thing: the only reason I’m still here is not because of you, but because of Uncle Luo’s instructions."

After a pause, Shi Yan continued in a deep voice, "I am not your servant, so don't try to provoke me with your spoiled temper! If you truly annoy me, I’ll just pack up and leave. You can throw whatever tantrum you wish."

"You!" Mu Yudie felt wronged, her eyes misty with unshed tears, gritting her teeth as she choked out, "You... you only know how to bully me!"

"Alright, alright. We should stick together at a time like this. We are all heading to the Merchant Alliance; having company offers mutual support. Don't fight amongst yourselves," Di Yalan persuaded.

"Not good!"

Shi Yan suddenly stood up, his expression turning ugly. "Those guys seem to know there's a cave here; they're coming over!"

"No way?" Di Yalan gasped, quickly drawing her short sword, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Shi Yan at the cave entrance. "What do we do?"

"Howl!" "Roar!"

Roars of demonic beasts echoed from outside the cave, seeming as if more and more of them were converging toward this spot.

"Block the entrance!"

Shi Yan’s face changed. He reached out and pressed against a large rock he had used to barricade the cave entrance, calling out, "Help me hold this down! Do not let anyone enter the cave! If someone gets in, the beasts will definitely sense something is amiss and stay focused on this spot, and then we’ll all suffer!"

When Shi Yan entered this cave, he had not only concealed the outside with leaves and bushes but had also wedged a large rock against the entrance inside, precisely to guard against such a situation. He hadn't expected it to actually be useful.

"Okay!" Di Yalan, startled, hurriedly reached out and helped Shi Yan brace the rock blocking the cave entrance.

...M