Within a hidden valley south of Cloudmist Isle, where colossal, towering trees formed an impenetrable canopy overhead.

The valley floor was perpetually shrouded in a lingering, ashen mist that refused to dissipate. In that fog, the valley held an absolute stillness, devoid of roaming demonic beasts or the presence of martial practitioners. The thick haze completely obscured the sky, preventing the brilliant daylight from penetrating and reaching the valley floor.

Shi Yan arrived at the valley's entrance, noting the damp air, which confirmed the presence of a water source deep inside. He had tracked the trail of an icy, malevolent aura to this spot, only to find that the chilling evil had vanished without a trace upon his arrival. The further he moved away from the valley, the more acutely he sensed its abnormality; yet, standing here, he could discern nothing, causing Shi Yan to wonder if he had mistaken the location entirely.

Hiding within the foliage of an ancient tree near the entrance, Shi Yan peered into the valley, finding the mist too dense to see anything clearly, uncertain of what secrets lay within. He did not rush in, choosing instead to remain concealed in the old tree, waiting in silence.

Three days later, a potent, soul-sucking force suddenly erupted from the valley's thick fog! Across Cloudmist Isle, countless barely visible souls felt the valley’s pull, converging like wisps of dark gray light, streaming into the valley’s depths, vanishing instantly.

Shi Yan’s expression shifted; he focused his gaze and saw innumerable specks of dark light flickering deep within the mist. If each speck represented a single soul-image, the number of spirits residing in that valley must be in the tens of thousands; he could only guess how many people the Gu Family had slaughtered.

Simultaneously, that icy, malevolent aura began to seep out from the valley once more, spreading like dispersing smoke across the entire sky of Cloudmist Isle, seemingly gathering something, changing something... Standing just outside the valley, Shi Yan distinctly sensed this chilling evil energy—it absolutely belonged to a demon from the Fourth Demon Realm!

At this moment, Shi Yan’s suspicions were confirmed! The Blood-Patterned Ring on his hand flickered intermittently; the Profound Ice Cold Flame within seemed anxious to communicate.

Shi Yan glanced at the ring, sinking his consciousness into it. "What is it?"

"It's inside the valley! It's the Soul-Gathering Pearl of an Eighth-Grade Soul-Devouring Beast! The Pearl is in the water, and the water is filled with souls. It's certain the Soul-Gathering Pearl has sunk to the bottom, ready to form a Soul Mirror to connect the two realms!" the Profound Ice Cold Flame shrieked excitedly.

"The Soul-Gathering Pearl of an Eighth-Grade Soul-Devouring Beast?" Shi Yan felt a surge of astonishment. Wouldn't the contained soul energy be even denser? Of course.

The Profound Ice Cold Flame sounded visibly excited. "Don't probe the valley with your spiritual sense anymore; someone has laid numerous restrictions within. There are individuals inside even more formidable than you standing guard. The moment your spiritual sense shows even a crack, you will likely be discovered immediately. That icy, malevolent soul must belong to the Fourth Demon Realm. Has he arrived already?"

"The Fourth Demon Realm?" The Profound Ice Cold Flame sounded somewhat confused. "In my memory, that Demon Realm has the fewest masters. Among the Four Great Demon Realms, the demons of the First Realm are the strongest, followed by the Second and Third. The demons of the Fourth Realm are the weakest. I know the First Realm was sealed long ago, inaccessible to anyone. Have the Second and Third Realms also been sealed?"

The Profound Ice Cold Flame possessed rudimentary consciousness at the dawn of creation. Over countless ages, various powerful beings had attempted to absorb it; these figures were invariably peak entities from the Divine Grace Continent. The memories and knowledge stored within their minds were extraordinarily profound. From their memories, the Profound Ice Cold Flame had learned many ancient secrets unknown to current martial artists, possessing ancient knowledge that possibly surpassed even figures like Yang Qingdi, the Lord of the Yang Family.

"You know about the Four Great Demon Realms?" Shi Yan was taken aback.

"Of course, I know. I acquired vast knowledge and memories, which included information on the Four Demon Realms. Among them, the Fourth Realm was the weakest. From the memories of several individuals, I recall them traveling to the Second and Third Realms to plunder rare resources from the demon territories, clashing with powerful demons, fighting until the very clouds and seas of the demon peaks were torn asunder..." The Profound Ice Cold Flame spoke of these matters without reservation, but the casual account sent a jolt of terror through Shi Yan.

From the Flame’s narrative, Shi Yan could easily deduce that those who tried to seize it possessed world-shattering power. One of them could travel between the two realms freely, without needing the Celestial Gate! His divine powers were boundless, virtually unrivaled across both worlds!

"So many powerful beings, and yet none could truly absorb you?" Shi Yan marveled. "That fellow you mentioned, Nie Quan, who was unmatched across several realms—surely he couldn't have failed to absorb you?"

"I... I was once integrated into his soul," the Profound Ice Cold Flame immediately weakened. "He was too powerful; I couldn't resist at all. He merged me into his Sea of Consciousness, making me one of the three soul forces within it. In his Sea of Consciousness, there were two other formidable life essences that he had also enslaved. That man was terrifying; I simply couldn't fight back..."

"Why were you able to escape?"

"When he was breaking through from the Third Heaven of True Divinity to the Divine King realm, he was ambushed by several other experts of the same level. Taking advantage of the fact that his soul couldn't focus during the breakthrough, and while several peers were destroying his physical body, the other two entities and I secretly fled his soul's Sea of Consciousness. He lost the three soul forces we represented, and his physical body was destroyed; he should have been utterly annihilated."

"Third Heaven of True Divinity!" Shi Yan was horrified. "That person was truly terrifying. Besides you, he had integrated two other life forms into his Sea of Consciousness? Were those two also Heavenly Fires like you?"

"Not Heavenly Fires, but they were two of the most miraculous life forms in existence. Unlike you humans, they were born only with a soul, possessing no body. Hmph, Heaven deliberately limits us; if we naturally had physical bodies, you humans would never stand a chance against us!"

Shi Yan was filled with surprise, realizing that conversing with the Profound Ice Cold Flame granted him access to an abundance of incredible, ancient knowledge. The Flame’s experiences were virtually a living history book of powerful individuals; its understanding of strength and cultivation likely surpassed that of many Divine Realm experts in the Endless Sea today.

"Don't worry," the Profound Ice Cold Flame reassured him, sensing his apprehension. "The souls currently leaking from the valley are too scattered—they are merely extensions of consciousness. Until they gather, they are not a true soul manifestation. This constant slaughter is just to use the souls to form a bridge, allowing that person's consciousness to attach to them. When the consciousness fragments into countless streams and converges into one, the soul can descend completely."

"How do you plan to obtain the Soul-Gathering Pearl?" Shi Yan asked.

"After that fellow arrives," the Profound Ice Cold Flame explained. "The Soul-Gathering Pearl naturally possesses the ability to suck souls. Under normal circumstances, the moment you or I approach it, our souls would immediately be affected by its power. I can still resist, but you would instantly have your soul drawn out. However, once the Pearl forms the Soul Mirror, its soul energy will be diverted to sustain the mirror, meaning the soul-sucking force will cease temporarily. At that point, you can fly into the water, and I will use my power to freeze everything. Then you can seize the Soul-Gathering Pearl."

"If that demon’s soul is near the Pearl, won't I be instantly assassinated by the demon? And what if the Soul Mirror shatters and the Pearl’s soul-sucking power returns?"

"When that demon's soul descends here, it definitely has other matters to attend to; it won't remain next to the Soul-Gathering Pearl. Once the demon leaves, we enter the water where the Pearl is hidden. As soon as you secure the Pearl, I will immediately tell you how to control it. Afterward, even if the Soul Mirror vanishes, you won't have to fear any threat from the Pearl."

"What if the demon's soul returns?"

"Haha, then he’s seeking his own demise! A demon soul descending without a body cannot withstand the soul-sucking force of the Soul-Gathering Pearl. The Pearl’s greatest function is absorbing souls. A soul that has left its body, upon encountering the Pearl, even a Divine Realm expert would struggle to escape its grasp. A soul with a physical body experiences a far lesser influence because its foundation remains. If that demon discovers you can control the Pearl, once he sees you, he’ll flee faster than you, haha!"

A faint smile touched Shi Yan’s lips. "So, if I master the Soul-Gathering Pearl, I gain the power to counter that demon soul?"

"Exactly. I will teach you how to control it then. Once we have the Pearl, we strike at the demon immediately. A demon using soul descent from the Demon Realms must be incredibly powerful. Absorbing his soul would yield far more soul energy than tens of thousands of commoner souls—it must not be wasted."

"Mm-hmm! Then you just wait. When that demon soul descends and leaves the valley, we enter. The restrictions inside the valley are useless against me; I will unleash my power and freeze all the restrictions. You can then—"

"Good!"

"Let me think... Even if the Soul-Gathering Pearl needs energy to maintain the Soul Mirror, it will still unleash a soul attack against you the moment you touch it. You only need to withstand one weakened soul impact to obtain the Pearl. However, your realm seems too low; you might not even withstand one impact. Never mind, I will teach you one soul-defense technique from that Nie Quan. Even though your realm is low now, mastering this soul skill of his should allow you to block one wave of the Pearl's soul attack."

"Nie Quan's soul skill..." Shi Yan's eyes suddenly lit up.

"Hmph! Don't celebrate too soon. I’ll only teach you the most basic version, just in case you try to use it against me in the future!"

"The basic version is fine, hehe."