Silence reigned outside the valley. The demonic beasts had long departed. It was daytime, and shafts of sunlight pierced through the canopy of bushes, entering the cave like searing lines of fire. Inside, the three occupants breathed evenly, maintaining their cross-legged meditation postures, cultivating in silence.

After an unknown duration, Shi Yan awoke from the stillness. He rotated his neck, stood up, and slowly worked the joints of his limbs. Third Heaven of the Xiantian Realm! Taking a deep breath, Shi Yan felt refreshed, every trace of fatigue swept away, and his five senses sharper than ever before. Harnessing those strange energies, his cultivation speed had advanced like an arrow loosed from a bow, swiftly propelling him to the Third Heaven of the Xiantian Realm in one leap!

Standing at the mouth of the cavern, he could faintly perceive the spiritual energy permeating the world. That energy, normally scattered and undetectable, he could now vaguely sense in the air. Perceiving the world's spiritual energy was an ability reserved for martial artists at the Third Heaven of the Xiantian Realm. Only by sensing this energy could they harness it to cultivate more effectively and execute certain martial skills.

With a mere thought, his body hardened like iron and stone, his skin taking on a dark, brownish hue, overlaid with a faint, dark sheen—a phenomenon strikingly similar to when he deployed the Wuguang Shield. "Hmm?" Shi Yan was momentarily surprised. After feeling it over carefully, he confirmed he hadn't used his essence energy to activate the Wuguang Shield. ...In other words, the faint dark light emanating from his skin was purely the result of the second stage of his Petrified Martial Soul awakening. After observing for a while, a hint of a smile touched his lips. He understood that this remarkable change in his skin must be related to his Martial Soul.

The cave was no longer dim. Shi Yan’s dark pupils shifted, his gaze drifting over Mu Yudie and Diya Lan. Mu Yudie and Diya Lan remained seated with their legs crossed, eyes tightly shut. Faint, muted light occasionally flowed from their bodies as the essence energy within them circulated along specific, esoteric pathways. His decision to inject a portion of that strange power into Mu Yudie was twofold: first, to see if this unique energy could be transferred without the need for intimate union; and second, to gain an extra ally. He didn't know what enemies lay ahead, and if Mu Yudie remained in a weakened state, it would be detrimental to their journey. According to Diya Lan, Mu Yudie had been a martial artist before her meridians were severed. If Mu Yudie could fully recover, it would be highly advantageous for their path forward. It was for these two reasons that he had partitioned a small segment of the strange power within him to her.

Shi Yan held his breath, focusing his attention on Mu Yudie. Suddenly, he noticed a flow of pure, dense essence energy coursing through her body. Slightly startled, Shi Yan couldn't help but stare at Mu Yudie for a few extra moments, frowning as he concentrated his senses further—his surprise only deepened... He discovered that the essence energy within Mu Yudie was significantly purer and more potent than even Diya Lan’s. This meant... Mu Yudie’s cultivation realm was actually higher than Diya Lan’s! This finding astonished him. While he had always known Mu Yudie was a martial artist, he had assumed her cultivation was only at the Xiantian level. After all, Mu Yudie was much younger than Diya Lan; conventionally, she shouldn't possess a higher realm. Yet, the reality was contrary to expectation. Now, seeing this, he realized Mu Yudie was remarkably formidable—at such a young age, she had reached the Renwei (Human Rank) Realm, a full stage higher than Diya Lan’s previous level!

As he stared in astonishment, he keenly sensed the essence energy around Mu Yudie gradually settling into stillness. He knew Mu Yudie was about to awaken... Indeed, not long after, Mu Yudie's long eyelashes fluttered once before she slowly opened her eyes. A pair of clear, ethereal, beautiful eyes suddenly lit up the interior of the cave, adorning Mu Yudie's delicate features and rendering her apparition-like, like a forest spirit brimming with an ineffable, captivating aura. Shi Yan was momentarily stunned, gazing at her with a strange, blank expression.

"Have you seen enough?" Mu Yudie asked, her expression composed. She gracefully rose, stretched languidly, and chuckled lightly, "Starting today, I will no longer be a burden." Threads of pale, glowing light drifted out from her slender jade hands as she stretched. These lights flashed briefly in the void, resembling the strings of a zither. Mu Yudie’s five fingers trembled slightly as she plucked the air twice. The vanished streams of light flickered back into existence, weaving deftly between her slender, jade-like fingers. "I'm practicing my dexterity. It's been a while since I played the Qin; I fear I've grown rusty," Mu Yudie smiled sweetly, her charm like a clear stream cascading down a mountain gorge—serene, quiet, and possessed of an intoxicating grace. "You are even more beautiful than before," Shi Yan remarked frankly after watching her for a moment. Mu Yudie’s meridians were reconnected, and the essence energy of the pinnacle Renwei Realm now flowed through her body. Her skin had become more lustrous, her complexion rosy, and her eyes clear and bright. She seemed to fear no further hardship, radiating absolute confidence. Her entire demeanor had undergone a startling transformation. With her power restored, she seemed like an entirely different person, her allure more than doubled. In that moment, in Shi Yan’s eyes, Mu Yudie was undoubtedly a beauty a tier above both Diya Lan and Mo Yanyu; in terms of both cultivation realm and aura, she surpassed them both decisively. "Thank you," Mu Yudie replied with a detached smile, casually asking, "How long has it been?" "About two days," Shi Yan mused. "I can't be sure, but I felt we’ve been in the cave longer than one day. Have you recovered?" "Yes," Mu Yudie nodded confidently. "When Lan-jie wakes up, we should leave this place." "Oh," Shi Yan responded vaguely, feeling a slight sting of displeasure. The previous Mu Yudie, though overly benevolent, had been rather endearing, possessing the innocent charm of a girl next door. But the restored Mu Yudie, while exponentially more captivating, had shed that cuteness. Instead, she exuded an air of lofty detachment, a sacred untouchability—a feeling that intensely irritated Shi Yan. Because of this irritation, Shi Yan didn't bother speaking further. Ignoring her, he voluntarily exited the cave and wandered aimlessly in the valley. He pulled out the Spirit-grade martial art manual titled "Ciji Yuchang" (Magnetic Shock Field) from his pack. Shi Yan flipped through a few pages casually, not scrutinizing the contents too deeply. After confirming the scripture contained text, he carefully stowed the manual away. A Spirit-grade martial art required a cultivation at least at the Diwei (Status) Realm for practice. He was currently only in the Xiantian Realm, still a considerable distance from Diwei. Attempting to study a Spirit-grade manual prematurely with insufficient realm would only muddle his mind, potentially causing his cultivation to regress instead of advance. Understanding this principle, he tucked the Spirit-grade manual away safely once he verified it was genuine.

Half a day later, Diya Lan and Mu Yudie emerged from the cave together. Both were neatly dressed and full of vigor, clearly prepared to continue their journey. "Kid, thank you. My realm has stabilized," Diya Lan stated plainly upon exiting. Breaking through to a new realm was actually a perilous time; one needed to rapidly strengthen their essence energy, or an unstable realm could easily lead to complications during combat or practice. The essence Shi Yan had infused into her body in the cave had worked again, helping her solidify her new stage, allowing her to fight without fear of insufficient power leading to qi deviation. "Good. Then let's set off," Shi Yan replied with a faint smile, showing no intent to claim credit, and took the lead out of the valley. ... Seven days later. The three of them finally emerged from the dense, boundless Gloom Forest. Looking back at the towering, ancient trees behind them, all three felt the relief of having survived a disaster. For these seven days, the trio had encountered no further peril. The martial artists and mercenaries within the Gloom Forest had either perished or fled, unwilling to linger in that dangerous expanse. The demonic beasts led by the Thunder-Winged Silver Wolf had inexplicably ceased their widespread roaming and also fallen silent. With the beasts and mercenaries subdued, the path ahead for Shi Yan's group became surprisingly smooth. They crossed the treacherous Fiend-Killing Zone without encountering any resistance, easily exiting the Gloom Forest.

From here to the Merchant Alliance, their path required passing through Youji Town. On the route to Youji Town lay a vast expanse of stone formations—a Stone Forest. The stones in this forest were bizarrely shaped; some were as large as small mountains, others only as tall as a man. The area was riddled with countless caves, providing natural hiding places. This Stone Forest was perpetually infested with ruthless martial artists who preyed on travelers, engaging in robbery and murder. Those emerging from the Gloom Forest were either merchant caravans or martial artists and mercenaries who had been exploring within. Merchants from other countries would certainly carry goods, and adventurers surviving the Gloom Forest would inevitably possess rare medicinal herbs or materials harvested from demonic beasts. Both groups were rich targets... Consequently, the Stone Forest, excellent for concealment, had long been a haven for hidden masters waiting to ambush these two types of travelers. As soon as they deemed a target weak enough, they would viciously strike out to slaughter and loot. The Stone Forest was, at times, even more dangerous than the Gloom Forest itself. Anyone entering the Stone Forest alone, unless they were a martial artist of the Hundred Tribulations Realm, would almost certainly run into trouble.

"The Stone Forest is dangerous. There might be Dark Nether agents lying in wait..." Diya Lan murmured thoughtfully, cautioning Mu Yudie. "It's fine. Someone will be meeting us in the Stone Forest; don't worry," Mu Yudie smiled, glancing back at Shi Yan. "Are you going through the Stone Forest?" "Yes, I belong to the Merchant Alliance; of course, I must return," Shi Yan confirmed. "That's good, then we can travel together. As long as you stick with us, you won't have to worry about this part of the Stone Forest," Mu Yudie declared with an air of supreme confidence. Without waiting for Shi Yan’s reply, she said, "Let's go, let's enter the Stone Forest. Don't worry too much, we are safe now." "Oh," Shi Yan replied flatly, though he did not relax. The moment they entered the forest, his vigilance sharpened to an extreme, constantly on guard. From the memories of the other Shi Yan, he knew the Stone Forest was extremely chaotic, riddled with various factions, even involving the powerful established families of the Merchant Alliance in clandestine activities. He didn't know what preparations Mu Yudie had made, but he knew that relaxing his guard in the Stone Forest could lead to instant assassination. In the Stone Forest, Shi Yan’s mind was calm as water, his gaze constantly flickering. Every five steps, he would glance back over his shoulder. ...M

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