The waters of the Soul Gathering Pool within the valley were now perfectly clear, every living soul in them having entered the Soul Gathering Orb.

He Qingman clearly held a strong dislike for Shi Yan. After securing Mo Duanhun's nod, she urged her Wind Thunder Flying Lion into the sky with Xia Xinyan aboard, flying ahead toward the edge of Cloud Mist Island.

Shi Yan remained in the valley, seated upon the back of the Azure Blood Demon Bat, waiting for a time.

Once he ascertained that not a single living soul remained within the Soul Gathering Pool, he spat several times toward the Soul Gathering Orb.

The moment the saliva struck the orb, it instantly transformed into a pristine white film, completely enveloping the artifact.

With the Soul Gathering Orb entirely concealed by this membrane, its miraculous effect of absorbing souls would not be revealed.

Mo Duanhun stood nearby, observing Shi Yan’s every move: watching the Soul Gathering Orb in Shi Yan’s hand ingest the spirits from the pool one by one, and then watching Shi Yan spit onto the orb; his expression was somewhat peculiar.

Yet, Mo Duanhun remained silent throughout the entire process, never uttering a single inquiry.

“Alright, we can depart now.” With everything prepared, Shi Yan carefully secured the Soul Gathering Orb before smiling at Mo Duanhun.

Mo Duanhun nodded.

A wave of divine thought transmitted, and the Azure Blood Demon Bat beneath him immediately beat its wings, soaring high toward the direction of the Wind Thunder Flying Lion.

The sixth-level Azure Blood Demon Bat moved incredibly fast, but Mo Duanhun was unhurried, deliberately commanding the beast to slow down so the lower-ranked Demon Bats following behind could keep pace.

Ahead, the Wind Thunder Flying Lion carrying He Qingman also maintained a measured speed, seemingly waiting for Mo Duanhun intentionally.

Though He Qingman disliked Shi Yan, she knew that this region was ultimately within the Yuanluo Sea Territory, not the sphere of influence of the Celestial Evil Grotto. They might unexpectedly encounter masters from the Three Gods Sect, the Gu family, or the Dongfang family. Before entering the Jialuo Sea Territory, she dared not venture too far from Mo Duanhun.

Cloud Mist Island was vast; it had taken Shi Yan several days to travel from the shore to this valley.

However, once mounted upon the Azure Blood Demon Bat, flying from the valley’s height out beyond the island was immeasurably quicker. In about half an hour, the Demon Bat had carried them clear of Cloud Mist Island.

After leaving the island, just as Shi Yan was about to speak, he glanced down and was startled to spot a familiar small boat.

Looking down from his lofty vantage, he could vaguely discern a somewhat hazy, pretty silhouette standing beside a pile of sundries at the stern of the boat—a figure with unbound hair and an elegant posture.

Shi Yan sighed inwardly, his expression clouding slightly, and gently shook his head.

On the sea, the small boat moved slowly.

On deck, Jett, Nano, and the others all craned their necks back, pointing at the soaring Azure Blood Demon Bats overhead and letting out bursts of noisy shouts.

“Look! The Azure Blood Demon Bats! The Yang family’s Azure Blood Demon Bats!”

“The Asura Blood Guards! The one leading on that foremost Demon Bat must be Asura King Mo Duanhun!”

“Huh? Why are there two figures? Isn't Mo Duanhun’s Demon Bat a sixth-level one? The one leading should be Asura King Mo Duanhun, but who is the other person?”

“Who knows? It’s too far away to see clearly.”

“It must be the most distinguished figure in the Yang family! Otherwise, they wouldn’t be qualified to ride a sixth-level Demon Bat. The Bats have left Cloud Mist Island; I wonder how the negotiations between the Yang family and the Gu family went.”

“What could happen? Does the Gu family dare oppose the Yang family?”

“Maybe not. Didn’t we see Cloud Mist Island shrouded in darkness when we left? Perhaps something major really did happen on the island?”

“Who cares? It has nothing to do with us; we’re just responsible for delivering the goods.”

“……”

Jett, Nano, and the others stared up, chattering amongst themselves.

In a corner of the boat, Karon and Huo Jie, their faces grim, also looked toward the sky, watching the blurred figures on the lead Azure Blood Demon Bat.

Linda stood in the area where Shi Yan often sat, lost in thought, not looking up at the sky, her mind preoccupied with unknown matters.

“Hey! That person! That person!” Jett, possessing sharp eyes, stared intensely at the foremost Demon Bat for a long time before suddenly shuddering, as if he had noticed something.

“Jett, what is it?” Nano asked casually.

“Nothing, nothing,” Jett shook his head, suspecting he had imagined it. Upon looking again, the Demon Bat was already receding into the distance, the figures upon it no longer discernible.

Hesitating on the deck for a moment, Jett quietly approached Linda’s spot.

Seeing Linda standing there in a daze, Jett sighed softly internally and came over to persuade her. “Sister Linda, he isn’t coming back. Didn’t we wait two days before we left? He didn't show, and he won't ever come back now. Sister Linda, you should just forget about him.”

Linda’s vacant gaze gradually cleared. She glanced at Jett and said coolly, “What are you doing here?”

“I…” Jett stopped, mid-sentence.

“Spit it out if you have something to say!” Linda frowned impatiently.

“The Yang family’s Azure Blood Demon Bats just flew over our heads. Did you notice, Sister Linda?”

Linda shook her head. “I didn’t pay attention. Why?”

“There were two people on the leading Demon Bat,” Jett continued.

“Two people, so what? What does that have to do with us?” Sister Linda’s delicate brows furrowed with annoyance. “Jett, can you just say what you need to say all at once? Stop stammering; what are you playing at?”

“The leading Demon Bats are always the highest level; the riders should be the most distinguished figures. This time, the leader of the Yang family contingent is rumored to be Mo Duanhun, the foremost of the Two Asura Kings. One person on that sixth-level Demon Bat should be Mo Duanhun, but the other person…” Here, Jett stopped again.

Linda snapped, “Are you ever going to finish? What exactly are you trying to say?”

“Sister Linda, you know my eyesight is decent, right?” Jett managed a wry smile.

“Yes, your thieving eyes are quite sharp…” Linda nodded, her expression still cold. “What about it?”

“I don’t know if I was just seeing things…” Jett’s face was etched with a bitter smile, “I felt that the other person sitting with Asura King Mo Duanhun… should be, should be Shi Yan!” Linda’s delicate body trembled, her eyes wide with disbelief.

“Whoever can ride alongside Mo Duanhun is definitely no ordinary person. I… I might really have seen things incorrectly. Shi Yan is only at the Hundred Calamity Realm; no matter how you look at it, he shouldn't have the standing to sit with Mo Duanhun. Sister Linda, just pretend I was talking nonsense; I wasn't seeing clearly either.” Seeing Linda’s body tremble and her expression shift drastically, Jett was startled and quickly explained.

Linda was already frozen, her eyes vacant, staring blankly at the Demon Bat that had dwindled to a black speck in the sky, her expression intensely complex.

Could it truly, truly be him?

“Is Uncle Xiao still alive?” On the back of the Azure Blood Demon Bat, Shi Yan sat steadily, suddenly breaking the silence with a question.

Mo Duanhun truly was an anomaly. He hadn’t spoken a word during the entire journey, not inquiring about any aspect of Shi Yan’s recent ordeal. He hadn’t asked how Shi Yan escaped the soul possession of the Profound Ice Cold Flame, nor how he managed to subdue the soul of the Demon Lord Mo Qidun.

Shi Yan had prepared numerous lies, intending to fend off Mo Duanhun’s cross-examination, but found it all to be in vain. This man clearly possessed curiosity but managed to suppress every question, leaving Shi Yan’s prepared falsehoods unused.

Mo Duanhun and Xiao Hanyi were both Asura Kings of the Yang family, but their personalities were diametrically opposed. Xiao Hanyi was arrogant and overbearing, a cultivation fanatic, but when he had leisure, he would still joke irreverently with Shi Yan and tease him about his relationship with Xia Xinyan.

Mo Duanhun was different. He was practically a block of wood; he hadn't spoken a single word since Shi Yan mounted the Demon Bat.

Since Mo Duanhun wasn't initiating conversation, Shi Yan still wished to know something about the Yang family and Xiao Hanyi. If Yang Qingdi could deduce Shi Yan’s survival, he should also be able to surmise Xiao Hanyi’s situation. Shi Yan held great affection for Xiao Hanyi and genuinely hoped he was safe, hence the question.

“Alive,” Mo Duanhun replied cleanly and concisely.

“Uh…” Shi Yan forced a wry smile. “On Immortal Island, or perhaps in the Demon Realm?”

“In the Fourth Demon Realm, temporarily confined. The Family Head has already gone to the Fourth Demon Realm precisely to rescue him,” Mo Duanhun turned his head to glance at Shi Yan, finally offering a few more words.

“When the Demon Emperor Bo Xun’s White Bone Dharma Body reappeared this time, why was it retracted so quickly? Why didn’t it strike us?”

“The White Bone Dharma Body cannot exert its full power when acting across boundaries, and once it strikes, it suffers a significant depletion afterward,” Mo Duanhun explained. He paused, then added, “Also, he knew I carried the Myriad Forms of Senluo.”

“So that’s it…” Shi Yan nodded. “Demon Lord Mo Qidun descended here directly via a special method; he was summoned by the power formed by thousands of souls, summoned by Gu Lie and his son from this location, unaffected by the realm’s rules…”

Shi Yan did not mention the Soul Gathering Orb, attributing everything to the tens of thousands of civilian souls slaughtered by the Gu Lie father-son pair, subtly suggesting that Mo Qidun’s arrival would not harm souls and that his return to the Fourth Demon Realm would result in minimal damage.

“Regarding you and the Profound Ice Cold Flame, and what happened in the valley, you can explain in detail when we return to Immortal Island and meet the Family Head.” Mo Duanhun nodded, narrowing his eyes. “I shouldn't press you, but if you volunteer information, I am willing to listen.”

“If you want to listen, I can tell you some things; if you’re not interested, I have no interest in speaking,” Shi Yan chuckled slyly, finding this old fellow Mo Duanhun quite amusing—clearly curious, yet refusing to actively interrogate, perhaps adhering to rules or simply having a strange temperament.

Mo Duanhun twitched the corner of his mouth, his expression odd. After a long silence, he said lightly, “Go ahead and speak.”

“The Profound Ice Cold Flame is inside my body. He didn't possess me, and I can’t deal with him either; we are currently coexisting peacefully,” Shi Yan grinned lightly.

Mo Duanhun’s eyes lit up. He stared deeply at Shi Yan for quite a while before slowly nodding. “It is indeed so…”

“I heard that merging with the Profound Ice Cold Flame requires nine types of supremely Yang and supremely hot Heavenly Treasures. Does the Yang family possess such treasures?” Shi Yan asked with a slight smile.

“Hmph, we only have three…” Mo Duanhun’s eyes brightened further. “Although it’s temporarily insufficient, once you meet the Family Head, he should exhaust every means to gather the remainder for you. As long as you truly possess the ability to tame the Profound Ice Cold Flame, the Yang family will find a way to procure whatever materials are lacking!”

“Heh heh, my arduous journey to the Boundless Sea was certainly not in vain.”