Shi Yan followed Zhaoji and his group, pressing onward toward the Valley of Ultimate Yin without pause.

Along the way, Zhaoji fully proved his worth; all manner of strange flora and fierce demonic beasts were cleared away under his guidance.

Zhaoji was truly half the master of the Stillness Marsh; his understanding of it ran far deeper than Chi Xiao’s, and he even seemed intimately familiar with the Plains of Ultimate Yin.

The journey saw Zhaoji annihilating obstacles with overwhelming force. Chi Xiao and Xia Xinyan didn't even need to lift a finger, allowing them to conserve their energy and prepare for the inevitable confrontation with the Nine-Headed Celestial Serpent.

The closer they got to the Valley of Ultimate Yin, the heavier the Yin energy became.

Gradually, Shi Yan noticed that the flow of his vital essence had slowed over the last while. His meridians and bones seemed affected by the pervasive Yin, making his body feel stiff.

The same went for Zuo Shi.

The nearer they approached the Valley, the paler Zuo Shi’s rosy complexion became; clearly, she was very uncomfortable with the escalating density of the Yin aura.

“Let’s rest for today. Zhaoji, Miss Xia, it’s time we stopped and examined the Treasure Map,” Chi Xiao said, doting on his apprentice. He halted their party on a stretch of ground Zhaoji had already cleared, retrieving the map from his robes and showing it to Zhaoji and Xia Xinyan.

Zhaoji had intended to keep pushing forward, but the sight of the map instantly made him agree.

He eagerly leaned in, chuckling darkly, “I know the Valley of Ultimate Yin best. Let me look at the map; I guarantee I can pinpoint the location of the Heavenly Gate for you.”

Xia Xinyan hesitated for a moment before also crowding closer.

Chi Xiao had the markings on the map memorized long ago. Hearing this, he handed the map over to Xia Xinyan, instructing her to keep an eye on Zhaoji, while he walked over to Zuo Shi and Shi Yan.

“How are you two feeling? Can you still hold on?” Chi Xiao asked, his eyes fixed on Zuo Shi.

Zuo Shi’s small face was slightly pale, and she grimaced, “I can hold on, but I’m just very uncomfortable. That Yin energy is slowing my vital essence, and it feels like it’s draining it away. The closer we get to the Valley, the faster the drain.”

“That’s normal,” Chi Xiao nodded by way of explanation. “Heavy Yin energy affects bodily functions. At times like this, the vital essence within us proactively adjusts. When the essence exerts itself, naturally, it consumes energy. Take note of this; this is only the beginning. The Yin energy inside the Valley is far denser. If it becomes too much, you can wait outside the Valley of Ultimate Yin.”

“Master, the Black Tortoise True Aegis seems to be able to counteract some of the Yin energy,” Zuo Shi suddenly mentioned.

Chi Xiao froze, then broke into a wry smile after a moment. “If the Black Tortoise True Aegis is effective, why didn’t you focus on cultivating it earlier?”

“I just discovered it myself,” Zuo Shi stuck out her tongue, giving a playful giggle. “Alright, alright, I’ll start diligently cultivating the Black Tortoise True Aegis today. I noticed that just having one layer of Aegis enveloping me seems to prevent the Yin energy from seeping in.”

“If you had been this diligent sooner, your Black Tortoise True Aegis would probably be fully mastered by now,” Chi Xiao shook his head helplessly, carrying a tinge of frustration that she wasn't meeting her potential.

“Stop nagging, it’s not too late for me to work hard now,” Zuo Shi pouted, huffing lightly.

Chi Xiao sighed inwardly, then turned his gaze to Shi Yan. “How are you feeling?”

“I’m alright, I can manage,” Shi Yan replied flatly.

“Good. You must act according to your limits,” Chi Xiao nodded. “If you feel your body can’t take it, you can stop. We’ll have Han Feng stay behind to protect you, and only Kulong will enter the Valley of Ultimate Yin with us. This time, we only need to ascertain what lies within the Heavenly Gate—just scout ahead and understand the mysteries inside. Your Shi family will dispatch more experts later, so don't push yourself too hard; you don't necessarily have to enter the Gate.”

Shi Yan nodded, saying nothing more.

Chi Xiao offered him a few words of comfort and urged Zuo Shi to try harder before walking back toward where Zhaoji and Xia Xinyan were.

“Young Master, the Patriarch instructed before we left that your life is paramount. If you cannot bear it, do not force yourself. The Patriarch said we only need to confirm the exact location of the Heavenly Gate and what exactly lies within it this trip,” Kulong whispered beside Shi Yan.

“I understand.” Shi Yan’s expression was indifferent, his brow furrowed.

In the distance, Zhaoji, Xia Xinyan, and Chi Xiao were still huddled over the Treasure Map, trying to decipher it.

Although Zhaoji boasted great familiarity with the Valley of Ultimate Yin, upon seeing the actual map, he seemed to have encountered a significant puzzle, frowning as he conferred quietly with Chi Xiao and the others.

Shi Yan glanced over at them, then slowly sat down where he was, a stream of thoughts flashing through his mind.

He was extremely curious about the Heavenly Gate himself and sincerely hoped to enter it to see what was inside on this reconnaissance trip.

However, the ambient Yin energy here was undeniably a problem—it was omnipresent, and it grew denser the closer they moved toward the Valley, exerting a slow but steady influence on his body.

Even before reaching the Valley, he already had to expend a portion of his vital essence to counteract the Yin energy's effect. He could only imagine how intense it would be inside the Valley. If his vital essence were depleted by then, running into danger would be disastrous.

He absolutely needed to find a proper method to resolve the impact of the Yin energy on his body!

After a moment of contemplation, Shi Yan’s expression hardened. He sat cross-legged on the ground, continuously searching the deepest recesses of his memory, trying to pull forth a solution.

A spark of insight suddenly flashed through his mind!

Profound Yin Art!

Shi Yan’s expression shifted; an understanding dawned. He swiftly took out the satchel from his back and pulled out the Profound Yin Art, the low-grade martial skill he had taken from Karu.

This Profound Yin Art was merely a Mortal-rank skill; it shouldn't be profound. Cultivation required gathering Yin energy, and the denser the Yin, the more suitable the location for practicing it.

When he had first obtained the Profound Yin Art from Karu, upon seeing it was only Mortal-rank and required him to seek out Yin-heavy areas, he had immediately dismissed it.

After joining the Shi family, he had witnessed so many varied and high-level martial skills that he cared even less for the merely Mortal-rank Profound Yin Art.

Thus, the skill had remained in his satchel, nearly forgotten.

This location, the Plains of Ultimate Yin, was saturated with the heaviest Yin energy in the world—a perfect, prime location for cultivating the Profound Yin Art!

Although the Profound Yin Art was only Mortal-rank, because its cultivation involved gathering Heaven and Earth Yin energy, once the body adapted to the rhythms of this energy, one could become immune to Yin energy intrusion and even gather it into an offensive force.

Shi Yan didn't place much stock in the Profound Yin Art's offensive power; in his view, a mere Mortal-rank technique would naturally have limited strength.

However, its unique ability to absorb Yin energy and condition the body to adapt to it was precisely what could solve his current predicament!

Therefore, Shi Yan immediately took out the Profound Yin Art.

While Chi Xiao, Zhaoji, and Xia Xinyan were all clustered around the Treasure Map seeking the Heavenly Gate, he submerged his consciousness into the Profound Yin Art, focusing entirely on comprehending its cultivation method.

Seated on the ground, Shi Yan’s expression was solemn as he silently turned the pages of the Profound Yin Art.

Not long after, he finished reading the entire scroll. Shi Yan’s brow furrowed deeply as he discreetly tucked the technique back into his satchel, his eyes holding a peculiar gleam.

Although the Profound Yin Art was only Mortal-rank, it seemed extraordinarily bizarre. To cultivate it, one had to summon the Yin energy of Heaven and Earth to form three Yin Vortices surrounding the Tianque, Shenque, and Yindu acupoints in the chest.

Once these three vortices formed, activating the Profound Yin Art would cause the integrated vortex structure to actively devour the surrounding Heaven and Earth Yin energy.

After the three vortices consumed enough Yin energy, three Yin Orbs would form at the center of the vortex. Once formed, these three Yin Orbs would actively sink into the three major acupoints: Tianque, Shenque, and Yindu.

Once the Yin Orbs were established within the points, the Yin Vortices could continue to consume Heaven and Earth Yin energy, seemingly without end.

If enough ambient Yin energy was devoured, new Yin Orbs could form within the vortices, and upon formation, they too would sink into the three major acupoints.

The more Yin Orbs accumulated in the acupoints, the greater the power of the Profound Yin Art would become.

Anyone cultivating the Profound Yin Art, while in an area where Yin energy gathered, could activate the technique to draw in the surrounding energy and funnel it into the central convergence of the three Yin Vortices within their body.

Even though the Profound Yin Art was merely a Mortal-rank skill, nowhere did it state a limit to how much Yin energy it could devour.

It seemed that as long as the Yin energy of Heaven and Earth was sufficient, the three Yin Vortices could continue to swallow it endlessly, without a termination point.

Shi Yan, having seen the cultivation methods for various grades of martial skills in the Shi family’s Martial Soul Hall, had never encountered anything as peculiar as the Profound Yin Art.

Every martial skill had a point where cultivation was deemed complete, but the Profound Yin Art appeared to have no such endpoint; as long as the Yin energy existed, cultivation could progress indefinitely!

With a grim expression, Shi Yan sat silently, meticulously reviewing the cultivation method of the Profound Yin Art in his mind. The more he pondered, the more he felt this simple Mortal-rank technique possessed an unusual nature.

However, Shi Yan did not hesitate long. In order to successfully penetrate to the heart of the Valley of Ultimate Yin, after running through the cultivation method several times in his mind, and seeing Chi Xiao and Zhaoji still deep in low-voiced discussion, he immediately began the process of cultivation.

Shi Yan kept his eyes focused inward, his spirit sinking into the three acupoints of Tianque, Shenque, and Yindu in his chest. He stealthily guided the Yin energy within him, gathering it around these three points.

In this process, Shi Yan’s body felt slightly rigid; he was still struggling to adapt to the energy’s effect.

Gradually, the Yin energy began to swirl around the exteriors of the Tianque, Shenque, and Yindu acupoints. Following the direction of Shi Yan’s intent, it formed into currents, gently rotating around the three spots.

As soon as he began cultivating the Profound Yin Art, he suddenly felt a strange, inexplicable attraction his body had developed toward the Yin energy of Heaven and Earth.

As he condensed the Yin Vortices, the nearby ambient Yin energy quietly converged, piercing through his pores and surging along his meridians toward the three acupoints, transforming into subtle wisps of strange Yin energy slowly swirling outside his acupuncture points.

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