The lead fiend, grasping two white bone spikes, stood at the tunnel entrance, fixing a ferocious gaze upon He Qingman, yet refraining from immediate attack.

Behind him, the passage was choked with flying stone chips, chunks of debris raining down from the ceiling.

In a mere instant, numerous rocks accumulated at the mouth of the hole.

Another hulking demon, standing nearly three meters tall, emerged quickly from the tunnel, head bowed low.

The remaining four fiends rushed into the basketball-court-sized cavern just before the rubble sealed the entrance.

Six demons now stood together in the brightly lit stone cavern. Clad in black scale armor, they were tall and broad, their dark-green pupils flashing with a fierce, sinister cold light, like venomous serpents in the darkness targeting their prey.

"Lord Guyá!" The second demon to exit the passage stepped forward, bowing slightly. His voice was as grating as steel scraping glass—sharply piercing and harsh. "This human woman is still a virgin; her chùyīn blood can serve as an offering."

As the demon spoke, his sinister eyes raked over He Qingman's alluring figure. When he finished, he licked his lips, a wave of blatant lust washing over his gaze.

"Hmph, when I'm done with her shortly, I will collect her chùyīn blood," the black-scaled demon called Guyá grunted. "Now that everyone is out, let's start killing. These humans who entered aren't just this one group. Once we finish this wave, we still need to hunt for more prey." With a sharp exclamation, "Du!"

The five fiends roared, suddenly scattering and surging towards He Qingman and Batty and the others.

Guyá, lifting his two stark white bone spikes, grinned coldly at He Qingman. "Human woman, I won't kill you right away. I'll capture you first, then torment you slowly, making you writhe in agony beneath my massive member, letting you know the might of a Black Scale Clan man!"

He Qingman grit her teeth, clutching the silver spear, remaining silent.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The sound of metal striking metal suddenly echoed through the silent cavern.

The five demons fanned out, each engaging one of the seven warriors, including Batty and Zhou Nan. Batty and the others also dispersed, clashing with their respective demons.

Their sharp weapons struck the black-scaled demons, but the weapons were blocked by the black scales, managing only to leave slight marks.

Brilliant streaks of light shot across the cavern like vibrant comets, as the warriors unleashed the dazzling radiance forged from their condensed martial techniques.

"Blood Rend Slash!"

Batty roared. The skin on his left arm split open, and drops of blood, like exquisitely clear red gemstones, floated out from his limb. They converged with the red essence in his right palm, immediately forming a semi-circular arc of blood-light, which he slashed violently toward the demon fighting him.

Hiss! Hiss! Hiss!

The crimson arc seemed to tear and slice the very air, proving sharper than any weapon he had used before. It instantly struck the demon before him.

The blood-colored arc suddenly burst apart and fractured, instantly transforming into countless sheets of bloody light that hammered against the demon's chest like blades.

Amidst a rapid succession of metallic clashes, the fragmented blood-lights slipped through the gaps in the demon's black scales and shot directly into its body.

The demon, which had relied on its black armor for defense, suddenly shrieked in agony.

Batty's martial technique had split mid-flight, turning into fragments of blood-light that penetrated the armor's seams and entered the demon's flesh, finally dealing it a severe wound.

"There are gaps between their scales! If we attack where the scales don't cover, we can heavily injure them!" Batty's expression shifted, and he quickly shouted a warning to the others.

Following Batty's advice, the remaining six warriors from the Tianxie Cave Heaven suddenly understood. They stopped relying solely on attacking the black scales and began to utilize their strengths, using the finesse of their techniques to seek out the seams between the scales, thereby driving their attacks directly into the demons' flesh.

The situation, which had been completely one-sided, slowly began to turn around because of Batty's warning.

Shi Yan nodded slightly in the shadows.

The warriors of Tianxie Cave Heaven were indeed extraordinary. When facing these alien demons, they showed no trace of fear. Even during the fight, they had been subtly observing, searching for the demons' weaknesses.

It was precisely because they held no fear in their hearts that they could observe clearly and discern the openings through which to strike these Black Scale Clan demons.

None of these five demons had drawn weapons; they fought empty-handed, relying on the most simple and brutal method: closing the distance for hand-to-hand combat.

Not only were the black scales of the five demons incredibly tough, but during the exchange, the scales would suddenly stand erect, turning into rows of razor-sharp edges, exceedingly fierce.

One demon, faster than the others, rushed toward a Tianxie Cave Heaven warrior. Ignoring the warrior's fierce martial arts, it managed to seize him in a powerful embrace.

The demon stood three meters tall, while the Tianxie warrior was only about 1.7 meters, and was instantly pinned against the demon's chest.

Immediately afterward, the scales on the demon's body suddenly stood up, and the rows of sharp blades plunged directly into the Tianxie Cave Heaven warrior's body.

Under the demon's savage pull, the warrior’s body was sliced into tatters by the scales, revealing countless wounds that exposed his internal organs.

The man let out a piercing scream as the life in his eyes slowly faded, his vital essence gradually dissipating.

Shi Yan had been moving around the cavern, not rushing to intervene. Only when he saw the first warrior from the Tianxie Cave Heaven felled by a demon did he quietly approach and absorb the pool of vital essence flowing from the fallen man. Then, frowning, he turned his attention to He Qingman.

He Qingman's alluring body was protected by layers of fierce wind barriers. Her silver spear, as she wielded it, instantly transformed into silver serpentine figures, constantly seeking opportunities to bite at Guyá. Sharp shrieks erupted from within He Qingman as a wind blade shot out, followed by countless more, completely encircling Guyá.

Guyá, holding the stark white bone spikes, had his black scales shimmering with a peculiar demonic light. Beneath the barrage of wind blades, his three-meter frame moved with lightning speed, constantly shifting position.

The wind blades conjured by He Qingman’s martial soul shattered the adjacent stone wall into fragments, yet they could never penetrate the gaps in Guyá's scales.

The two bone spikes derived from his body carved white arcs in Guyá's hands, releasing a chilling killing intent that silently began to influence the minds of those present.

This cold killing aura permeated the cave, making the demons more vigorous, their ferocity intensifying.

Conversely, He Qingman, Batty, and the others grew increasingly agitated and restless under the chilling aura, losing their usual composure. They made frequent mistakes in their exchanges, and the execution of some martial techniques began to significantly degrade in quality.

Shi Yan continued to move around, paying close attention to the bone spikes held by Guyá.

Aided by the Soul Gathering Orb, he could detect the aura seeping from the white spikes—an evil energy capable of bewitching minds. This energy diffused very slowly; those engaged in battle couldn't possibly notice it.

Because of this diffusing energy, the situation in the cavern was subtly deteriorating, a change so gradual that even He Qingman failed to perceive it.

The demons grew fiercer, their power increasing, while the warriors of Tianxie Cave Heaven looked increasingly weary, their eyes filled with restless agitation, and the flow of their internal essence even seemed to slow down.

Shi Yan observed for a while, then suddenly frowned. "He Qingman, pay attention to those two bone spikes. The energy dissipating from them is making the demons stronger and making you and your people increasingly restless, gradually weakening your strength. The aura emanating from those two spikes will be the decisive factor; if you don't stop it, all your people will die here." He Qingman’s delicate body trembled. A cool, clear light suddenly shone in her bright eyes as she glanced at the spikes held by Guyá, finally seeming to grasp the truth.

Guyá, who had been engaged in a slow, grinding fight with He Qingman, suddenly showed astonishment in his dark-green eyes. He glanced swiftly at Shi Yan and coldly stated, "Kid, your perception is quite sharp; you actually saw through my trick. Xiāo, kill this boy first, lest he cause more trouble."

"Understood, Lord." The demon fighting Zhou Nan suddenly abandoned his opponent, his massive body like a door panel, charging directly at Shi Yan to exert pressure.

Shi Yan remained unfazed and said lightly, "That's fine too. After watching for so long, it’s time to stretch my limbs."

"Be careful! If you die here, it will be hard for us to explain to the Yang family," He Qingman shouted sharply, "Don't fight them head-on. I have already sent the signal; Sister Nan and the others should find us soon. You only need to hold on for a little while." Although He Qingman was displeased with Shi Yan, she knew his true identity and was aware of how highly Yang Qingdi regarded him—the Emperor had even used three drops of Undying Blood to divine his status. Others might not know this, but she had learned it through Xia Xinyan.

If Shi Yan died alongside her, the Yang family would not only blame Tianxie Cave Heaven, but perhaps even the He family would be angered. This was something He Qingman could absolutely not bear.

However, her concerned shout unintentionally revealed a crucial term.

The Yang Family!

In the stone cavern.

When all the Black Scale Clan demons heard those two words, an ice-cold, bone-deep hatred flared in their dark-green eyes.

The leader, Guyá, suddenly let out a fierce roar towards the sky, "The Yang Family! You damned boy, you are actually one of the Yang Family! I will tear out your tendons and flay your skin, forcing you to experience the tortures of our Black Scale Clan! The accursed Yang Family has killed countless members of our clan. We risked our lives to come through the spatial node this time precisely to take revenge on the Yang Family!"

All the Black Scale Clan demons instantly abandoned their opponents, their teeth gnashing, extreme resentment blazing in their dark-green eyes as they pressed toward Shi Yan.

He Qingman had only meant well by warning Shi Yan, never expecting her kindness would lead to this outcome.

Shi Yan frowned deeply. Before the Black Scale demons could close in, he began gathering power, stealthily constructing his Magnetic Annihilation Domain.

"The Yang Family is truly mighty, to incur such hatred from these savage demons. I wonder what terrible deeds the Yangs committed in the Fourth Demon Realm to drive these demons into such a frenzy," Shi Yan mused inwardly while rapidly making his preparations.

PS: Woke up at five in the morning. Well, I’ll put out one chapter first. At least three updates today. I recommend Jing Keshou's new book, Yì Dǐng. Jing Keshou’s books are always good, and I’ve started following this one too; it’s truly excellent. Friends who like Xianxia can go take a look; you shouldn't be disappointed.