Outside Jueyin Valley, the roar of world-shaking magnitude echoed incessantly, with bursts of dazzling, fierce power slashing across the sky like lightning.

Chi Xiao, Xia Xinyan, and Zhua Qi leaped into the mid-air, currently joining forces to battle the Nine-Headed Celestial Serpent.

From the mist, Chi Xiao transformed into a giant, wielding a silver gauze curtain to block the venomous spray, while in one hand he held a massive light-saber, single-handedly holding back three of the serpent's fire-spitting heads.

Zhua Qi clung to an earth dragon, weaving and darting between the three venom-spitting heads of the Nine-Headed Celestial Serpent. The serpent seemed to realize the poison was ineffective against Zhua Qi, so it directly opened its gaping maw to viciously tear and bite at the earth dragon Zhua Qi was riding.

Xia Xinyan appeared most at ease, suspended in the void like a goddess. She formed intricate hand seals, and occasionally, a divine, claw-like hand would materialize in the air, tearing through the clouds as it savagely swiped at the serpent’s other three heads.

Whenever those three serpent heads, which controlled the Yin energy of heaven and earth, unleashed their chilling aura, it was immediately swallowed entirely by the three great vortexes hovering above Shi Yan’s head.

After several relentless exchanges, the Nine-Headed Celestial Serpent was struck with thunderous rage. It shifted its immense body, desperately squeezing toward Shi Yan, determined to annihilate him first.

Han Feng and Ku Long stood beside Shi Yan, looking utterly besieged and uneasy, remaining vigilant.

Zuo Shi and Wu Yunlian, along with Chu Ping, also arrived at the area. The six members of the Shi and Zuo families stood together; apart from Shi Yan, everyone else looked up at the battle unfolding between the Nine-Headed Celestial Serpent and the three powerhouses.

Shi Yan kept his eyes closed, his expression detached, still seated motionlessly on the spot. He could distinctly feel the tidal wave of devastating power assaulting him from the world outside his body...

The combat between Heavenly Rank experts pulverized every plant outside Jueyin Valley, splitting the very earth open with unfathomable chasms. Such violent shockwaves caused even the closed-eyed Shi Yan to shudder in terror.

However, he never ceased the absorption of the Yin energy by the Yin Vortexes!

In his chest, the three Yin Orbs at the center of the Yin Vortexes finally condensed slowly, emitting a faint blackish light, brimming with oppressive Yin energy, gradually sinking into his Shenque, Tianque, and Yindu acupuncture points.

The moment the three Yin Orbs settled into their respective points, Shi Yan's cross-legged body gave a slight tremor. He gazed inward at his body.

Shi Yan discovered that when the three Yin Orbs entered those three points, the various negative energies previously residing there suddenly surged upward, displaying an intent to assimilate the Yin Orbs.

Shi Yan was startled and hastily concentrated all his attention on the changes within the three points. He suddenly remembered that every acupuncture point in his body was saturated with negative power, and when condensing the Yin Orbs, he had not anticipated that the negative energy would repel the Orbs.

Within the three acupuncture points. Strands of negative power slowly coalesced, resembling faint, white ribbons. As soon as the three Yin Orbs entered, those negative energies immediately entangled them, domineeringly attempting to draw out the Yin energy held within the Orbs, exhibiting the posture of wanting to decompose the Orbs once more.

Yet, the Yin Orbs were, after all, the pure essence of Yin energy refined from vast quantities of Heaven and Earth Yin Qi through repeated tempering! While the negative energies in the three points were exceedingly domineering and malevolent, they were vastly outnumbered.

Shi Yan had indeed absorbed a considerable amount of negative energy in the preceding days, but that energy was dispersed and scattered across the acupuncture points throughout his body. His body possessed a total of seven hundred and twenty acupuncture points, meaning the negative energy apportioned to these three points was naturally limited.

Consequently, even though the negative energies in the three points erupted simultaneously, they lacked sufficient strength to overcome the Yin Orbs or successfully cleave the Yin energy within them apart again.

The Yin Orbs seemed aware of how troublesome these negative auras were, clinging tightly to their territory without engaging in a death match with the negative forces. Gradually, the negative energy within his acupuncture points and the Yin Orbs ceased their continuous struggle. As more and more Yin Qi was channeled into the Yin Vortexes, three new Yin Orbs slowly began to condense again at the center of the Vortexes...

With this development, the three Yin Orbs that had previously settled into the points seemed to gain powerful reinforcements. The three Orbs already situated in the points slowly began to gain the upper hand within those locations. As for the initially domineering negative forces, since they received no continuous replenishment, they were forced to contract into a corner within the acupuncture points, ceasing their disruptive behavior.

The Yin Orbs also appeared to recognize that eliminating the negative powers was impossible. Once those negative forces quieted down, the Orbs began to release dense Yin Qi, connecting with the Yin Qi from the three new Orbs nearing formation outside the points.

Shi Yan, perceiving the subtle shifts within the Orbs through his internal vision, was relieved to find that the Yin Orbs and the negative energies had reached a truce. He then quietly continued to spur the Yin Vortexes, drawing in even more Heaven and Earth Yin Qi.

Above Shi Yan's head, the three cloud-mountain-like vortices relentlessly sucked in the Yin energy of heaven and earth. The perpetual darkness that shrouded the Jueyin Plain was suddenly broken by the first ray of sunlight! The millennium-old Yin energy enveloping the Jueyin Plain was, under the mad suction of the three cloud-mountain-like vortices above Shi Yan’s head, driven to the brink of depletion!

The frigid Jueyin Plain slowly began to warm up as the sunlight pierced through. More sunlight streamed down, bathing the plants and demonic beasts within the Jueyin Plain. Weirdly shaped plants, exposed to the sunshine, slowly withered, quickly collapsing into limp husks. Many demonic beasts roared frantically, scrambling across the Jueyin Plain, desperately rushing toward the dead, silent marshland on the periphery.

“Huh!” Zuo Shi exclaimed in surprise, “These plants and beasts actually fear sunlight?” “The plants on the Jueyin Plain subsist on the Yin Qi of heaven and earth; they have long adapted to this environment. Now that the Yin Qi has vanished, having never been exposed to sunlight, they naturally cannot cope and are withering,” Wu Yunlian explained. “And the beasts?” “The same. The beasts living here cultivate by absorbing Yin Qi; the Yin energy in their bodies is too heavy, and by nature, they prefer shade and dislike the sun’s rays. So, the moment they noticed the sunlight reappearing, they could only flee for their lives toward the outer marsh, where at least the toxic miasma offers some cover, and there are the shadows of ancient trees—far better than being exposed in the open like this.” “Does that mean the Nine-Headed Celestial Serpent is affected as well?” “Indeed.” Wu Yunlian paused, turning her gaze toward the serpent.

Sure enough. Under the scorching sunlight, the three heads of the Nine-Headed Celestial Serpent that spewed Yin energy appeared terribly weakened. Under the bombardment of Xia Xinyan’s divine, giant hands, those three heads could only dodge; they completely lacked the power to retaliate.

The two burly men, who had been watching Xia Xinyan with deep concern, finally let out a sigh of relief at this juncture. One of them looked back toward Shi Yan from a distance, frowned, and murmured quietly, “It’s thanks to that fellow. If he hadn't absorbed the Yin energy of heaven and earth to this extent, exposing sunlight on the Jueyin Plain, this Nine-Headed Celestial Serpent would have been truly difficult to handle.” “Mmm. I truly didn't expect the Xuan Yin Art would circulate to this place. I wonder where he obtained it...” “Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!” The Nine-Headed Celestial Serpent stumbled along, then suddenly shot rapidly toward Jueyin Valley. With the sun reappearing and its body severely damaged, the serpent had conceived the idea of escaping for its life.

“Chase!” Zhua Qi yelled wildly and was the first to charge forward, relentlessly pursuing the Nine-Headed Celestial Serpent. Chi Xiao and Xia Xinyan exchanged a glance; they knew the Celestial Gate was inside Jueyin Valley. They would have to explore the valley eventually to find it anyway. If they allowed the serpent adequate time to recover, the situation would become even more troublesome. It was better to eliminate it now! Therefore, Chi Xiao and Xia Xinyan both gave chase.

Within Jueyin Valley, continuous, world-shaking roars echoed. It seemed Chi Xiao and the others inside were still locked in fierce combat with the Nine-Headed Celestial Serpent. Outside the valley, the three massive vortexes above Shi Yan’s head slowly vanished. The ambient Yin energy that once shrouded the entire Jueyin Plain had, without anyone noticing, been completely consumed.

In Shi Yan’s chest, three new Yin Orbs had successfully condensed and sank into his acupuncture points as well. Feeling the Yin Vortexes gradually cease their rotation, with not a single wisp of Yin Qi flowing into his body anymore, he finally awoke. Opening his eyes, Shi Yan stood up and glanced at Han Feng, Wu Yunlian, and the others standing beside him, looking astonished. “Let’s go to Jueyin Valley to check things out. Judging by the sound, the Nine-Headed Celestial Serpent is about to be finished.” Indeed, as the group focused their hearing, they detected that the activity inside Jueyin Valley was steadily diminishing.

“Young Master, how are you?” Ku Long couldn't help but ask. “I’m fine. I was cultivating a technique, but I didn't anticipate it would be this strange,” Shi Yan frowned, a thought flickering in his mind as he tentatively stimulated the three Yin Vortexes in his chest. Threads of peculiar Yin power suddenly emanated from the Shenque, Tianque, and Yindu points. This Yin power flowed into the Yin Vortexes, causing them to spin rapidly and release wisps of pure Yin energy. This Yin power was different from Yuan Qi, yet it surged along his arms... A cold, faint light flickered in his palm, and a dark cyan orb of light slowly enveloped his entire hand. As he channeled his Yin power, the light mass grew larger, gradually forming a cyan sphere about the size of a human head. Taking a light breath, Shi Yan's focus shifted; the cyan sphere slowly shrank, and all the Yin power returned the way it came, sinking back into the Yin Vortexes, where it was transformed into tiny gray light particles, reabsorbed by the Yin Orbs residing in the six acupuncture points.

The Yin Orbs were the source of power for the Xuan Yin Art. They dispersed through the Yin Vortexes, then flowed into the meridians to unleash attacks. Sensing inwardly, Shi Yan immediately grasped the method for executing the Xuan Yin Art; it was essentially the reverse of the method used to devour Yin Qi.

“Bei Ming Shang! What are you doing here!” At that very moment, Chi Xiao’s startled shout suddenly erupted from the direction of Jueyin Valley. The complexions of the people outside the valley changed drastically. “Hurry and check it out!” Wu Yunlian alerted everyone and swiftly rushed toward Jueyin Valley. Shi Yan, Han Feng, and Ku Long dared not delay either, surging forward rapidly, speeding toward Jueyin Valley. ...X

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