The basalt stones, grotesque and twisted, stood like a forest of stark pillars, forming a black grove.

As dusk deepened, Black Stone Island fell utterly silent. No sound of human or beast disturbed the air, lending the place a suffocating atmosphere.

Amidst the stone forest, the Wind-Thunder Flying Lion lay sprawling lazily, its gaze drifting listlessly between He Qingman and Shi Yan near a black rock. It occasionally scanned the surroundings with a cautious eye, seemingly wary of lurking demons.

“You had best leave Black Stone Island immediately!” He Qingman’s beautiful eyes were stern. “You don’t know the situation here, how many demons infest the island, nor how powerful they are. You are only at the Second Heaven of the Hundred Tribulations Realm. On this island, none of our people will waste energy looking after you. If a fight with the demons breaks out, no one will protect you.” As soon as He Qingman dismounted the Wind-Thunder Flying Lion, her delicate face grew grave, and she urged Shi Yan to depart.

“It’s fine. I don’t need your protection. If I truly run into demons, you don’t need to bother looking out for me,” Shi Yan replied, his expression indifferent as he shook his head. “I won’t be leaving Black Stone Island for now. Once the Black Scale Clan demons here are cleared out, I’ll naturally depart. Don’t trouble yourself.”

“You!”

He Qingman seethed inwardly, glaring at Shi Yan. “If it weren’t for Lord Mo offering us guidance on martial realm cultivation back on Fire Cloud Island, I wouldn’t bother with you. You truly are unappreciative. With your Hundred Tribulations Realm cultivation, if our people weren’t here to look after you, do you really think you could survive easily against the Black Scale Clan demons?”

Shi Yan frowned slightly and said coolly, “My affairs are none of your business.” Biting her lip, He Qingman took a deep breath, causing her chest to heave more pronouncedly. She glared hatefully at Shi Yan and snapped, “My senior brother is coming soon!”

“Your senior brother?” Shi Yan idly turned a small black stone in his hand, looking puzzled. “What does that have to do with me?”

“My senior brother has always been utterly devoted to Sister Xinyan. After he learned what you did to Sister Xinyan, he was furious and has long wanted to teach you a lesson. If he arrives and finds you here, you will face his wrath. With your cultivation, encountering my senior brother means certain death!” He Qingman stated bluntly.

“How did he find out about Xinyan and me?” Shi Yan crushed the stone in his hand, looking up at He Qingman coldly. “You told him, didn’t you?” He Qingman’s beautiful eyes flickered, and she braced herself. “So what if I did? Someone as heartless and treacherous as you, who dared to treat Sister Xinyan so cruelly, aren't you afraid of people knowing?” “You’re sick in the head!” Shi Yan cursed.

“You’re sick!” He Qingman’s features twisted, her eyes blazing with fury. “Lord Mo isn't here to protect you now. Believe it or not, I’ll teach you a lesson!” “You can try,” Shi Yan replied, his eyes narrowing, his demeanor instantly turning sharp and icy.

“Are you truly courting death?” Seeing Shi Yan show no fear, He Qingman’s attitude abruptly hardened, causing her to pause in surprise. “Don't you know how formidable my senior brother, Xie Kui, is? Don't you know how ruthless he is? I’m telling you, if he decides to deal with you here on Black Stone Island, he can orchestrate your death at the hands of the demons, and no one will ever know he lifted a finger. Based on what I know of his character, I believe he is absolutely capable of it!” Xie Kui was the foremost expert among the younger generation of the Heavenly Evil Cave Heaven, possessing both Earth and Wood Martial Souls, cultivated to the Third Heaven Realm. He was known to be vicious and cold-blooded, carrying a notorious reputation even in the Galuo Sea Region—undeniably a formidable opponent.

Shi Yan had heard things about Xie Kui from Tuoluo and knew of his long-standing infatuation with Xia Xinyan. Over the years, Xie Kui frequently found excuses to visit the Xia family, purely to see her.

This man held an extraordinary status in the Heavenly Evil Cave Heaven; countless young women there harbored secret affections for him, yet he paid them no mind, focused solely on winning Xia Xinyan’s acknowledgment, a wish that remained unfulfilled. No matter how gently Xia Xinyan refused him, his persistence never waned; he clung to her relentlessly.

From the moment Shi Yan learned of this man, he felt an instinctive aversion.

Xie Kui pursued a woman whom Shi Yan considered his private treasure. The more deeply devoted Xie Kui became, the more displeased Shi Yan felt, akin to someone prying at his cherished collection.

“Are you scared now?” Seeing Shi Yan fall silent after hearing the news of Xie Kui’s imminent arrival, He Qingman lifted her chin slightly, wearing an air of arrogance. “It’s not too late to be scared. For Lord Mo’s sake, I can use the Wind-Thunder Flying Lion to send you away from Black Stone Island. I’ll take you now and arrange for you to stay on a nearby island tonight. When the Yang family people arrive, I’ll inform them of your location.” “Who said I was leaving?” Shi Yan stated calmly.

The look of arrogance on He Qingman’s face instantly vanished, replaced by shock. “You want to stay here and wait for my senior brother to deal with you? Don’t you know how powerful he is?” “No matter how powerful he is, I am definitely not leaving Black Stone Island,” Shi Yan said gravely.

He Qingman looked at him with surprise, studying him for a long moment before nodding strangely. “If you insist on seeking death, I won’t waste any more effort on you. Fend for yourself.” “Mm, thank you for the warning,” Shi Yan replied, his expression placid.

“You’re welcome.”

He Qingman put on a straight face and looked up at the night sky where scattered stars were beginning to show. She took out a meditation cushion and sat down, leaning against a black stone behind her. “We’ll rest here for the night and head to that peak to meet up with them at first light tomorrow.” Shi Yan nodded but didn't reply. Ignoring the dust on the ground beneath him, he sat down directly and closed his eyes to regulate his breathing.

Shi Yan was aware of He Qingman’s good intentions; however, her overbearing self-assurance grated on him. Still, considering her warning, he chose not to press the issue.

Closing his eyes, Shi Yan directed his consciousness into the Blood Patterned Ring.

Inside the Blood Patterned Ring, the Profound Ice Cold Flame and the Ten Thousand Year Earth Core Fire coexisted, their auras sealed in two separate zones, neither interfering with the other.

“My power and aura are completely sealed. You must be careful by yourself for this period; I can’t help you.” The mental transmission from the Profound Ice Cold Flame echoed from within the ring. “The Ring Spirit must know that the Earth Core Fire’s evolution is at a critical juncture. It doesn't want my aura and chill to affect the fire’s transformation, so it has sealed me off completely.” “How long will the Earth Core Fire’s evolution take?” “It’s hard to say. If fast, perhaps one or two years; if slow, it might take a decade or more. Remember, while the Earth Core Fire is evolving, you still need to constantly release your spiritual consciousness and communicate with it, continuing to project your good intentions toward it. That way, it will always remember you, and even after its life form solidifies, it will regard you as kin.” “Mm, I understand,” Shi Yan murmured, then suddenly asked, “Do you know about the Black Scale Clan demons from the Demon Domain?” “The Black Scale Clan…” The Profound Ice Cold Flame seemed to ponder, and after a moment, it appeared to retrieve information from its memory regarding the clan. It responded, “The Black Scale Clan is one of the Seven Clans of the Demon Domain. They possess natural black scales, which are extremely tough, offering astonishing defense. The Black Scale Clan lives in the gloomy depths of the Demon Domain. It is said their bodies can conceal themselves in darkness, so once night falls, the clan members can disappear effortlessly. In the dark, they are practically invisible, and their life fluctuations even slow down, making them incredibly hard to track. Why, have you encountered Black Scale Clan members?” “Not yet, but I probably will soon.” “Remember, it is best not to engage the Black Scale Clan at night; you will be at a severe disadvantage. Furthermore, the Black Scale Clan’s scales are not just durable; at critical moments, they can be shot out from their bodies like invincible blades. When fighting the Black Scale Clan, constantly watch their scales. The moment you see the scales vibrate, retreat immediately! The trembling of their scales is the prelude to their launching!” “I remember,” Shi Yan noted, simultaneously focusing a trace of mental energy onto the Soul Gathering Bead. Although the bead currently lacked the ability to absorb souls, its basic function of sensing life souls remained intact. “Leave a thread of mental power in the Soul Gathering Bead. Within a certain range, as long as Black Scale Clan members approach, you can detect them using the bead. At night, powerful Black Scale Clan experts can conceal both their bodies and life souls simultaneously, achieving true invisibility. Your realm is too low for you to necessarily notice them, but with the Soul Gathering Bead’s assistance, you should be able to sense them.” “I understand,” Shi Yan thought, deeply unsettled.

Invisibility at night—these Black Scale Clan demons were truly bizarre.

After communicating with the Profound Ice Cold Flame, Shi Yan dared not underestimate these demons from the Fourth Demon Domain any further.

He opened his eyes, took out the Soul Gathering Bead, and released a thread of mental power, guiding it into the bead.

The mental power settled into the Soul Gathering Bead, feeling warm and remarkably comfortable.

The soul energy within the bead flowed slowly, like a strange nectar. Though this energy could not yet be directly absorbed, his spiritual sense felt immense pleasure just entering it, akin to bathing in a hot spring—utterly relaxing and pleasant.

With this thread of mental power injected into the Soul Gathering Bead, Shi Yan’s spiritual perception immediately sharpened. This strand of energy seemed magnified countless times by the bead, allowing him, through it, to actually perceive subtle changes in the surroundings. This mental probe felt capable of penetrating everything.

Clusters of sinister, malevolent energies suddenly flared into his mind’s eye… Shi Yan’s expression changed drastically!

Through the Soul Gathering Bead, he clearly sensed numerous clusters of strange, baleful life auras gathered about three hundred meters from where he and He Qingman stood!

He counted roughly, realizing there were no fewer than thirty such auras!

The Black Scale Clan!

With a look of horror, Shi Yan urgently refined his perception to gauge the strength of those life auras.

Among the auras, four were exceptionally dense and fierce, radiating potent malice. The owners of those four auras must be Black Scale Clan experts at the Dominance Realm. The rest were likely at the Hundred Tribulations Realm.

“He Qingman!” Shi Yan suddenly hissed.

“What are you shouting about in the middle of the night?” He Qingman’s long eyelashes fluttered, but her eyes remained closed, her face etched with impatience.

“I think we’re surrounded.”