The sunlight was scorching. Shi Yan shot out of the mine shaft like a bolt of lightning.

He looked up at the intense daylight, fixed on a direction, and rapidly departed the mine entrance. Behind him, the mine tunnel suddenly shuddered violently, making the entire mountain seem to sway.

A ferocious, malevolent power erupted from within the mountain, and plumes of dark demonic qi—extremely sinister in aura—vented from the fissures at the mountain's peak. Several piercing shrieks rang out simultaneously from the cavern, the sounds edged with urgency.

Shi Yan’s swiftly moving form paused slightly. Clutching the Soul Gathering Bead, he sensed inwardly, his expression growing steadily heavier.

Through the bead, he perceived a fierce clash of powers echoing from the depths of the mountain. Clearly, the martial artists from the Heavenly Evil Grotto had encountered the fiends.

Shi Yan was certain that the one battling that Nirvana Nest Realm fiend had to be Lin Nan. Being of the same Nirvana Nest Realm, Shi Yan didn't believe Lin Nan could win.

Under the fiend’s onslaught, merely preserving her life would be exceedingly difficult; the notion of escorting all the Heavenly Evil Grotto martial artists out alive was undoubtedly the height of fantasy. Not daring to linger in the area, he merely took a final, brief measure of the situation before quickening his pace and moving away rapidly.

“Boom! Boom!

Boom!” The mountain behind him seemed on the verge of collapse. Under the chaotic collision of immense forces, the rock face shattered, revealing distinct fissures.

Shi Yan’s expression flickered, and he accelerated once more. An hour later, Shi Yan reached the summit of the peak where they had gathered the previous night.

From this vantage point, Shi Yan gazed intently down at the mine entrance. Tiny black specks were fleeing in disarray, driven by panic.

From his high position, Shi Yan identified these dots as the martial artists of the Heavenly Evil Grotto. With a soft sigh in his heart, Shi Yan knew the Heavenly Evil Grotto must have suffered a massive blow this time.

He wondered how many had perished within the mine. Observing closely, he noticed that the Black Scale Tribe fiends, for reasons unknown, did not seem to be pursuing them out of the mine entrance.

Feeling a slight easing of tension, Shi Yan sat down silently on the peak, sinking his consciousness into the Blood Vein Ring to begin communicating with the Profound Ice Cold Flame. “Find me a movement technique, one that can enhance both speed and the illusion of erratic change in my movements…” “Right now?” “Right now!” The Profound Ice Cold Flame fell silent, apparently selecting a suitable technique for him.

Shi Yan was not impatient, waiting with a furrowed brow. Half an hour later, the Profound Ice Cold Flame responded.

“There is a movement art called the Seven Illusory Devil Transformations. It possesses seven stages of change.

Once mastered, it can increase your speed severalfold. This technique is quite fierce, demanding an exceedingly strong physical body and alignment with the appropriate cultivation realm.

Given the current strength of your physical form and the state of your Hundred Tribulations heart, you can master at most the first two changes. I will relay the basics of these two to you first.” Shi Yan’s expression brightened with joy.

“Excellent!” “These two changes are the Phantom Image Change and the Electric Evasion Change. The Phantom Image Change allows you to manifest afterimages.

The higher your realm and the stronger your power, the more afterimages you can produce. Based on my profound understanding of you, I believe once you master the Phantom Image Change, you should be able to conjure two residual shadows.

However, these shadows are merely afterimages—fleeting illusions. Against a martial artist with a high level of spiritual sense, a single scan will reveal your true body, so keep this in mind.

The Electric Evasion Change allows you to increase your speed severalfold, both in straight lines and curves, making you swift as lightning. Be warned, though, it consumes energy prodigiously; once activated, your power will drain continuously.

Use it judiciously…” Phantom Image Change? Electric Evasion Change?

Shi Yan’s eyes instantly lit up just hearing the names of these two changes. He knew that the Phantom Image Change, being merely a movement art, naturally could not compare to the Left family’s Phantom Martial Soul.

Once the Left family’s Phantom Martial Soul was deployed, the illusions carried the martial artist’s spiritual fluctuations; even the soul itself could be mimicked, making it nearly impossible for high-realm martial artists with Sea of Consciousness to distinguish the phantom from the true body. The Left family’s Phantom Martial Soul created unpredictable changes during combat.

In the heat of battle, when a member of the Left family unleashed their Phantom Martial Soul, opponents could not discern the real from the fake. In moments of danger, they could also utilize the Martial Soul to escape rapidly—it was incredibly profound.

The Phantom Image Change lacked the mystical quality of the Left family’s Martial Soul; it could only form fleeting residual shadows for a short duration before vanishing. However, in combat, victory or defeat could hinge on a mere second or two.

If one could momentarily confuse the opponent and then seize the chance for a killing blow, the Phantom Image Change could prove immensely effective, potentially even deciding the outcome of a fight. From this perspective, the Phantom Image Change was extraordinary in its own right.

The Electric Evasion Change could dramatically boost speed, causing a sudden surge, making one as swift as a flash of lightning. The cost, however, was immense energy expenditure.

Activating the Electric Evasion Change would lead to a terrifying leakage of vital essence. Yet, the benefit was obvious: with the Electric Evasion Change, speed increased severalfold instantly, allowing one to close the distance to an opponent in a flash.

Used in conjunction with the Phantom Image Change, it truly offered the marvel of a one-hit kill. Against powerful foes, the Electric Evasion Change was also a viable option for escape.

In a situation where death was certain, hoarding vital essence was meaningless against a superior opponent. If all of it were dedicated to flight, there was a chance—however slim—to survive the brink of death by means of the Electric Evasion Change.

Shi Yan’s eyes shone brightly as he listened silently to the Profound Ice Cold Flame’s description of the Phantom Image Change and the Electric Evasion Change, carefully internalizing every detail, striving to grasp the secrets of these two transformations as quickly as possible. “… I have conveyed the cultivation methods to you.

These two changes are merely the foundation; they should not be difficult for you to master. With some dedicated effort, you will quickly learn how to utilize them.

However, this Seven Illusory Devil Transformations art places extremely high demands on the physical body. The martial artists of ancient times all possessed incredibly robust physiques; they placed great emphasis on tempering the body.

If you truly wish to cultivate the Seven Illusory Devil Transformations well, you must persistently engage in the arduous refinement of your physical form. That technique you use, which can temporarily stimulate the power of your acupoints, should also be an ancient secret method.

It likewise requires a formidable body, otherwise, you won’t be able to withstand the backlash. Therefore, you cannot neglect the cruel martial art of Extreme Refinement for physical tempering.

Whenever you have time, communicate more with the Earth Core Fire and utilize the power of its flames to continue your training…” The Profound Ice Cold Flame transmitted its consciousness to Shi Yan through the Blood Vein Ring. Since reaching an agreement with Shi Yan, the Profound Ice Cold Flame had been wholeheartedly dedicated to assisting him.

It knew that encountering a master like Shi Yan was its fortune; under any other master, it likely would not have escaped enslavement. Only if Shi Yan lived well and reached the Nirvana Nest Realm soon could their agreement be fulfilled, allowing it to emerge from the Blood Vein Ring sooner.

“I understand. Yes, I am withdrawing my consciousness now.” Shi Yan replied, settling cross-legged right there, closing his eyes to begin contemplating the intricacies of the Phantom Image Change and the Electric Evasion Change.

These two changes complemented each other. To generate an afterimage, one first needed to activate the Electric Evasion Change; only while moving at high speed could the secret method be used to form the residual shadow.

This meant he needed to master the Electric Evasion Change first. The key to cultivating the Electric Evasion Change lay in several meridians within his legs.

The vital essence needed to flow through these meridians in such a way as to generate a slight ‘Essence Burst.’ Several streams of vital essence must divide and surge rapidly backward through the meridians, striking the intersection points between the meridians, creating an explosion of essence—only then could the ferocious impact force be generated. Once the ‘Essence Burst’ occurred, leveraging this terrifying impact, the Electric Evasion Change could truly be achieved, instantly multiplying speed several times, making him swift as lightning and thunder.

Shi Yan held his breath, concentrating, silently contemplating. He already began using his mind to guide his vital essence, letting it flow slowly through the meridians of his legs, attempting to locate the intersection points capable of generating the ‘Essence Burst’… Time flowed rapidly amidst his silent, arduous cultivation.

“Thump. Thump!” Heavy footsteps suddenly sounded from a distance.

Shi Yan snapped awake, opening his eyes calmly, neither rushing nor delaying. “Shi Yan!

You deserve to die!” Shi Yubai roared, his eyes filled with bone-chilling hatred, rushing toward him, his entire body bloody and mangled. Shi Yan frowned, suddenly standing up, and stated flatly, “What has that to do with me?” Dozens of martial artists from the Heavenly Evil Grotto had entered the mine; only seven had returned.

Lin Nan and Peng Pei were not among them. The ones who appeared now were Shi Yubai, Shen Yidan, He Qingman, and four other Hundred Tribulations martial artists wearing expressions of deep sorrow.

Badi and Zhou Nan were also present, indicating they had some luck. After glancing at He Qingman, Shi Yubai, and the others a few times, Shi Yan sighed inwardly.

He knew that those who had not returned had likely all perished in the mine. “Sister Nan, Sister Nan stayed alone at the mine entrance to save us,” He Qingman’s eyes welled up, tears streaming down as she spoke with a mournful tone.

“Sister Nan is surely dead. She was no match for that fiend.

Why is there such a powerful fiend on Black Stone Island? That creature is probably at the Third Heaven of the Nirvana Nest Realm.” “Everyone is dead.

Peng Pei is dead too. Everyone who didn’t come out of the mine was killed,” Shen Yidan was in a daze, her face pale as paper, clearly having suffered a severe blow.

“Those fiends were too powerful; a fiend of the same realm was far stronger than us. Peng Pei and the others died horribly…” “Peng Pei was torn apart alive by the fiend…” He Qingman’s voice choked.

Sighing internally, Shi Yan shook his head helplessly. “I knew this would happen.

When I left, I already warned you all. I don't know why you insisted on staying inside.” “Waaah…” He Qingman covered her face and sobbed, squatting on the ground, her shoulders convulsing, crying out, “It’s my fault.

I thought if Sister Nan came, we could kill those fiends. If I had retreated immediately, this wouldn't have happened.

It’s all my fault; I caused Sister Nan’s death, I caused everyone’s death…” “Wuuuuh…” Shen Yidan also suddenly burst into tears, tear tracks like raindrops falling down her ashen face. “We should have retreated.

We shouldn't have stayed. If it weren’t for saving us, Sister Nan wouldn’t have died…” “It’s you!

It’s all your fault! If you had explained the situation earlier, no one would have died!” Shi Yubai glared at Shi Yan with venomous hatred and roared, “You killed them!” “Overestimating yourselves, you have no one to blame but yourselves,” Shi Yan said grimly and coldly.

“I warned He Qingman first, then told Lin Nan not to linger. When I encountered you, I warned you too.

You refused to believe me; who can you blame for this?” “It is you!” Shi Yubai let out another furious roar and lunged toward Shi Yan hysterically, his entire body brimming with murderous intent.