A gaping maw of a black hole, like the mouth of some monstrous beast, lay utterly dark, seemingly waiting for prey to stumble in.

A chilling, bone-deep cold emanated from the mine's entrance, making everyone standing there feel deeply uneasy. Faint, sharp screeches, like the challenges of fiends, could occasionally be heard echoing from within the cavern.

Shi Yan, along with Lin Nan, He Qingman, and their group, stood behind the mine opening, frowning as they surveyed the pitch-black, seemingly bottomless void.

He quietly clutched the Soul Gathering Bead, releasing his mental energy to probe the darkness stealthily. His perception slowly stretched inward.

Inside the tunnel system, numerous side passages branched off; this mine seemed to have been hollowed out entirely, a maze of intersecting routes leading everywhere.

As his mental energy advanced, he could faintly sense the malevolent, cold aura characteristic of the Black Scale Tribe fiends, yet he could not pinpoint their exact locations.

The mine ran incredibly deep, with many shafts plunging straight down to the mountain's base. Even with the aid of the Soul Gathering Bead, Shi Yan’s range of detection was limited. After a brief scan, he concluded that there were no fiends ambushing within five hundred meters of the entrance.

But he was absolutely certain that members of the Black Scale Tribe were indeed hiding within the tunnels.

"Alright, let's go in. Everyone be careful," Lin Nan paused at the entrance, seemingly having sensed the conditions inside the mine herself. She appeared not to have detected any Black Scale Tribe presence either. "Once we're inside, the four of you keep hold of your Sound Stones and stay in constant contact," Lin Nan instructed He Qingman, Shen Yidan, and the other two.

These four individuals each held a piece of silvery-white stone dotted with tiny holes; within a certain range, these Sound Stones allowed them to communicate.

"Got it," He Qingman and the other three nodded in understanding.

"Entering the cave." It was pitch black inside—so dark one couldn't see their hand in front of their face. Only after the group entered and utilized their illumination stones could the interior scene be made visible.

The stone chamber was laced with intersecting tunnels, and halfway down every passage, other branching paths split off. It was easy to get turned around in the mine; a moment of carelessness could lead one to forget the way back, getting utterly lost inside.

"You four memorize the routes and keep track of your positions," Lin Nan cautioned everyone.

The first side passage soon appeared.

"Let's split up," Shi Yubai frowned slightly and said lightly, "Sister Nan, we'll take this fork first. If we find anything, I'll transmit a message immediately via the Sound Stone." "Okay."

"Follow me," Shi Yubai barked, leading his followers down that specific fork. Lin Nan took the remainder of the group and continued straight ahead.

Before long, another side passage presented itself.

"Sister Nan, we're heading this way," He Qingman smiled charmingly at Lin Nan. "If I discover anything, I’ll message you right away." "Mhm, go ahead," Lin Nan replied with a smile and nod. "Yidan is too reckless; I'll stick with her for now. If I hear word from you, I'll rush over immediately." He Qingman nodded, glanced at her followers, and let out a sharp call: "Follow me, everyone!" With that, He Qingman stepped into the side tunnel first.

The seven martial artists of the Heavenly Evil Cave Heaven, all cultivators at the Hundred Tribulations Realm, wore solemn expressions and immediately followed her in.

Shi Yan remained indifferent, lingering at the rear. Only after everyone else had entered did he unhurriedly follow them in.

"Sister Nan, if that kid dies in here, will the Yang family hold us accountable?" Peng Pei suddenly asked once Shi Yan's figure disappeared.

Shen Yidan also seemed concerned about the matter, pressing further: "Sister Nan, that fellow doesn't seem to be from the Yang family, yet that Asura Blood Guard seems extremely concerned about him. Who exactly is he? He's only at the Hundred Tribulations Realm. If he truly encounters fiends, and if He Qingman isn't careful even slightly, he's done for." "Stop worrying about that," Lin Nan frowned. "Qingman knows what she's doing; she won't mess around." "I thought Qingman seemed quite repulsed by that kid. She specifically insisted he follow along; maybe she intends for him to die," Peng Pei scratched his head.

Lin Nan paused, a flicker of confusion crossing her eyes. After a moment of hesitation, she said, "That's unlikely; Qingman isn't that sort of person. Besides, if the Yang family dared to send him to Black Stone Island, they must have confidence in him. Perhaps this kid has astonishing hidden strength. You know, people who come out of the Yang family often have remarkable achievements." "If his surname were Yang, I genuinely wouldn't dare underestimate him," Shen Yidan shook her head. "But the problem is, his surname is Shi; he's clearly not one of the Yang family." "That's enough—stop worrying. If he truly dies here, it's not the end of the world," Lin Nan dismissed the concern. "Like you said, his name isn't Yang. If something happens, it's not a major issue."

"Understood," Peng Pei nodded.

"Shi Yan, come up to the front," He Qingman suddenly called softly in the dark tunnel ahead.

The passage wasn't wide—only enough for three people to walk abreast. He Qingman led the way, positioned at the very front.

Behind her, the seven martial artists of the Hundred Tribulations Realm were lined up in a single file.

Shi Yan was trailing at the very end.

He Qingman’s soft call prevented Shi Yan, bringing up the rear, from continuing his leisurely pace.

"Make way," Shi Yan frowned and pushed forward forcefully.

Ahead of him, the seven martial artists from the Heavenly Evil Cave Heaven were blocking the passage. As he tried to advance, these seven hadn't made any move to step aside, continuing to obstruct his path.

He Qingman, at the very front, cautiously watched what lay ahead and didn't notice the situation behind her.

The seven martial artists turned back toward Shi Yan with teasing grins. The two closest to Shi Yan stood shoulder-to-shoulder, leaving only a narrow gap between their arms.

These two clearly had no intention of letting Shi Yan pass easily.

Shi Yan stopped in front of them, his expression cold, and stated plainly, "Move aside." "The passage is too narrow; we’ve already shifted over. If you want to pass, you’ll have to squeeze," one of them chuckled slyly.

"Fine, I'll squeeze then," Shi Yan grinned, showing his teeth.

"Bang!"

The words were barely spoken before a dull, heavy collision echoed sharply through the tunnel.

"Crack! Crack!"

The crisp sound of shattering bone followed immediately.

Shi Yan forced his way through the gap between their shoulders, but the two men grimaced, cold sweat beading on their foreheads.

One of them clutched his shoulder, sucking in sharp breaths, staring at Shi Yan with vicious eyes.

"Not satisfied, are you?" Shi Yan sneered, suddenly reaching out and pressing down on the man's dislocated shoulder joint. With a slight exertion of force...

The man let out a piercing, pig-like shriek. In the deathly silence of the tunnel, this scream made He Qingman's delicate body tremble violently, draining the color from her face in fright.

"Who is screaming?!" He Qingman spun around, her eyes blazing with killing intent, looking toward the rear.

Shi Yan, his hand still pressing on the man's shoulder, listened to the screams, ignoring He Qingman's shout from the front, and asked coolly, "Are you submitting now?"

"Insolent brat!"

The martial artist standing next to the first one roared and prepared to strike.

Shi Yan chuckled coldly, his free hand moving like a sharp sword aimed at the man, streaks of intensely sharp, bright essence shooting out from his fingertips.

"Pfft-thwack!"

Shi Yan's five fingers slashed past the man's cheek and embedded themselves into the stone wall.

Shi Yan’s five fingers were like drills, plunging deep into the center of the stone wall. When he withdrew his hand, five deep finger-holes were left etched into the rock face.

The man thought Shi Yan had missed and, with a cold smile, prepared to smash his iron fist into Shi Yan’s face.

"Badi, stop!" He Qingman shouted coldly.

Badi’s punch aimed at Shi Yan froze mid-swing. He looked dissatisfiedly at He Qingman. "Miss He, why didn't you let me teach him a lesson?"

"Badi, you—you had better look at the stone wall beside your left cheek," a martial artist friendly with Badi said with a wry smile.

Badi froze, turned his head to look at the stone wall next to his left cheek, and instantly saw the five deep finger holes. Badi’s expression changed drastically, and he immediately became subdued.

"I—I was just joking," the martial artist whose shoulder bone Shi Yan was still gripping muttered, cold sweat streaming down his temples, but he dared not retaliate, giving a weak, dry laugh of apology. "Please don't mind us; we meant no harm." "I was just joking too," Shi Yan nodded, withdrawing his hand from the man’s shoulder, muttering to himself softly, "Why invite trouble if you don't need to..."

As he spoke, Shi Yan moved toward He Qingman.

The remaining five martial artists of the Heavenly Evil Cave Heaven, seeing him resume walking, immediately moved aside voluntarily, pressing their bodies tightly against the stone walls, terrified of brushing against Shi Yan.

"It would have been much better if you were this sensible earlier," Shi Yan remarked with a tone that was neither hot nor cold, mocking them slightly, before reaching He Qingman.

He Qingman frowned, having observed Shi Yan's actions throughout. She said calmly, "Although those fellows lacked foresight, you were a bit too heavy-handed, weren't you? Zhou Nan’s shoulder bone is shattered. His combat strength will definitely be affected if he has to fight below. If he loses his life because of it, I’ll hold you responsible." "Hold me responsible?" Shi Yan snorted. "Go ahead and try. I’d like to see what your Heavenly Evil Cave Heaven people dare to do to me." "You!"

He Qingman only intended to say those words to placate her subordinates; she wasn't truly planning to move against Shi Yan. But Shi Yan was so contrary, publicly disrespecting her. This made her inwardly furious, wishing she could teach him a lesson right here.

However, remembering the exotic treasures Shi Yan possessed, He Qingman managed to suppress her anger, huffed, and said, "Can't you just behave yourself?"

"I can," Shi Yan’s eyes flashed suddenly. "The fiends are coming. I’ll be perfectly behaved now; you all prepare to deal with the incoming fiends."

"They're already here?" He Qingman's pretty face shifted slightly, her expression turning grave. "How many are coming? What are their cultivation levels?" Badi, Zhou Nan, and the other Heavenly Evil Cave Heaven martial artists who had followed He Qingman were all stunned, looking at Shi Yan and He Qingman in confusion.

"There are only six fiends approaching now. Hmm, one of them should be at the Earthly Sovereign Realm; you'll need to handle that one. The other five aren't too strong. I assume your elite subordinates can handle them easily, so I won't interfere," Shi Yan stated calmly, leaning languidly against the stone wall, his tone dripping with sarcasm.