The warriors from the Heavenly Evil Grotto looked utterly grim. The evil fiend that had clawed its way from beneath the earth smirked, a trace of blood clinging to the corner of its mouth, as it glared coldly at Yang Mu. “You actually dared to kill him.”

“And what if I dared?” Yang Mu let out a booming laugh, leaping down from the twin-headed Flood Dragon. He landed right beside Shi Yan, smiling at him. “Not too bad, are you?”

“I’m fine,” Shi Yan replied, shaking his head with a smile.

“The third stage.” Yang Mu looked at him, slightly surprised, his gaze drifting over Shi Yan’s chest.

The wound on Shi Yan’s chest was slowly knitting itself back together, the rate of recovery visible to the naked eye.

“Mhm,” Shi Yan nodded.

“You’re at the Hundred Tribulations Realm, aren’t you?” Yang Mu barely spared the evil fiend a glance, muttering to himself with a strange expression, “…that’s not normal…”

Yang Mu, who also possessed the Undying Martial Soul, understood it intimately. He knew that generally, to reach the third stage of the Undying Martial Soul, one needed to be at least in the Sovereign Realm. Only when one’s cultivation reached the Sovereign level could the Martial Soul evolve to its third phase.

Yet, Shi Yan was clearly only at the Hundred Tribulations Realm, but his Undying Martial Soul was inexplicably at the third stage. This defied all logic and greatly astonished Yang Mu, who shared the same soul.

“Yes, I’m at the Second Heaven of the Second Stage of the Hundred Tribulations Realm,” Shi Yan confirmed with another nod.

The look of shock in Yang Mu’s eyes deepened even further.

The expressions of the Heavenly Evil Grotto warriors, including the evil fiend and He Qingman, grew noticeably strained the moment Yang Mu appeared.

Shen Yidan’s beautiful eyes fixed on Shi Yan’s chest, a hint of bitterness touching the corner of her lips. The changes in Shi Yan’s chest confirmed it was undoubtedly the Undying Martial Soul. By now, she knew they had all misjudged him; Shi Yan was clearly direct lineage of the Yang family.

Shi Yubai had been cut into minced meat by a single sword strike from Yang Mu. Although the warriors of the Heavenly Evil Grotto were filled with rage, they dared not retaliate, feeling instead apprehensive and uneasy.

“You killed one of ours. I will report this matter, and someone will demand justice from your Yang family,” the evil fiend said grimly, wiping the blood from his mouth. “At this juncture, for your Yang family to strike at an ally—I say you no longer want the aid of our Heavenly Evil Grotto.”

“Pfft.” Yang Mu shook his head with disdainful laughter. “Go ahead and report it. I’d like to see what you can do to us. The Heavenly Evil Grotto isn't up to you either. If you let those fiends run wild, hehe, when more of them arrive, I wonder if your Heavenly Evil Grotto will remain untouched.”

The evil fiend’s expression shifted slightly.

The fiends had already entered the Jialuo Sea Territory. While the fiends hated the Yang family the most, the Yang family’s strength was substantial, making it difficult for them to shake the Yang family’s foundation.

Conversely, the Heavenly Evil Grotto and the Xia family, being inherently weaker, were much more likely to become immediate targets for the fiends’ attacks.

Even if the Heavenly Evil Grotto and the Xia family chose not to fight the fiends, once the fiends arrived in force, it wouldn’t fare well for them. They might even temporarily set the Yang family aside to deal with the Heavenly Evil Grotto and the Xia family first.

Yang Mu smiled faintly, retrieving a cyan pill inscribed with a spiraling floral pattern. He casually handed it to Shi Yan. “How are things?”

Shi Yan accepted the pill without courtesy and swallowed it immediately, feeling a gentle energy diffuse from his abdomen.

The medicinal potency of this pill was exceptionally mild. As soon as it dissolved, the energy seeped into the wound on his chest.

This pill seemed capable of accelerating the rate at which the Undying Martial Soul healed injuries. The medicinal energy wrapped around the wound like countless fine threads, significantly speeding up the repair of his chest injury.

“There are dozens of Black Scale Clan fiends on Black Stone Island, including an expert at the Second Heaven of Nirvana. This morning, we entered the mine shaft and encountered them…” Shi Yan briefly recounted the situation.

“A fiend at the Second Heaven of Nirvana?” Yang Mu looked slightly surprised, nodding, his expression gradually growing serious. “It seems this is indeed troublesome. I never expected a fiend at the Nirvana Nest Realm to appear on such a small place as Black Stone Island. It looks like the fiends are truly desperate this time.”

“Qingman, you said he was the one who discovered the fiend at the Nirvana Nest Realm?” On the evil fiend’s side, he was listening to He Qingman’s description, and after hearing it, the evil fiend frowned, asking softly.

He Qingman slowly nodded, explaining in a low voice, “He must possess some kind of secret treasure on him. Through that treasure, he could sense the fiends’ movements ahead of time. It was he who first spotted the fiends in that cave this time, only… only we didn’t pay attention. Sister Nan, Sister Nan…”

He Qingman’s voice began to choke up again.

“You discovered the fiends first?” Yang Mu, with his excellent hearing, caught He Qingman’s narration. He glanced at Shi Yan with some astonishment, and after seeing Shi Yan nod, Yang Mu laughed heartily, clapping his hands in praise. “You’ve got quite the knack, haha! No wonder Great-Grandfather said you were unusual. Great-Grandfather sent a direct message to me ordering me to pick you up.”

Shi Yan replied with a slight smile, “It was only thanks to that rare treasure.”

The Great-Grandfather Yang Mu mentioned was Yang Qingdi, the head of the Yang family and the current figure holding real power.

Once Yang Mu said this, He Qingman, who knew the inside story, wasn’t overly surprised, but the faces of the evil fiend, Shen Yidan, and the others shifted slightly.

Especially Shen Yidan, who secretly regretted her judgment intensely, cursing herself for her short-sightedness in failing to recognize Shi Yan’s extraordinary nature sooner.

Anyone noted by Yang Qingdi, even if unknown now, would surely become a leading figure in the Boundless Sea in the future. If they had known Shi Yan’s standing earlier, Shi Yubai probably wouldn’t have dared to obstruct him in the mine shaft, and Lin Nan wouldn’t have disregarded Shi Yan’s judgment to rashly engage the fiends.

“Little Yanzi, let’s go. After we deal with those fiends in the mines, we’ll return to Undying Island immediately. Hehe, it’s quite a journey for you to return from so far away, it’s time to see home,” Yang Mu whistled lightly, and the twin-headed Flood Dragon swooped down, crouching on the peak.

Yang Mu boarded the twin-headed Flood Dragon first and beckoned to Shi Yan. “Let’s go.”

Shi Yan was somewhat surprised but didn't ask further. As instructed, he mounted the twin-headed Flood Dragon, his eyes gleaming with an unusual light as he closely observed the beast.

This twin-headed Flood Dragon was about seven meters long. Its two heads contained the power of ice-coldness and searing heat, respectively. The dragon’s back was as hard as iron, incredibly solid, and it possessed iron-hook-like claws.

A sixth-tier demonic beast, the twin-headed Flood Dragon could spew frost and flame from its two mouths, soar through clouds and mist, and travel ten thousand li in a day. It was one of the most formidable demonic beasts domesticated by the Yang family.

When he first arrived at the Boundless Sea, Xiao Hanyi had mentioned that once Shi Yan met the Yang family head and was recognized, he too might have a chance to obtain a twin-headed Flood Dragon as a mount. Shi Yan had always remembered those words, and seeing one now naturally stirred thoughts in his mind.

“Haha, stop staring. Once we get back to Undying Island, you’ll have your own mount,” Yang Mu grinned broadly. “Great-Grandfather has already selected a ferocious beast for you. You’ll have to test yourself against it; hehe, whether you can tame it depends on your own ability.”

“It’s not a twin-headed Flood Dragon?” Shi Yan asked, taken aback.

“No, that beast is even fiercer than a twin-headed Flood Dragon. Hehe, I don't know what Great-Grandfather is thinking, putting you up against that brute. Little Yanzi, you better be prepared—don’t let it scare the guts out of you.”

“If it’s not a twin-headed Flood Dragon, then what beast is it?”

“Hehe, I won’t tell you yet. You’ll be greatly surprised when the time comes.”

The two conversed as if no one else were present, already seated atop the twin-headed Flood Dragon. The evil fiend, He Qingman, and the others from the Heavenly Evil Grotto on the peak watched them with furrowed brows and strange expressions.

“Are there really fiends at the Nirvana Nest Realm in that mine shaft?” the evil fiend asked Shen Yidan beside him.

“Absolutely,” Shen Yidan confirmed repeatedly, sighing mournfully. “If it weren't for that, how could Sister Nan not have gotten out…”

The evil fiend nodded lightly and sneered, “I’d like to see how Yang Mu intends to deal with the fiends over there!”

“Right,” He Qingman chimed in, full of doubt. “Although Yang Mu is powerful, he is only at the Third Heaven of the Sovereign Realm. Facing a fiend at the Nirvana Nest Realm, there’s no way he can win.”

“Here we go,” Yang Mu laughed heartily, urging the twin-headed Flood Dragon forward toward the mine peak indicated by Shi Yan.

“Big… Big Brother…” Shi Yan called out awkwardly, reminding him, “The fiends over there are at the Nirvana Realm. Do you have a plan?”

“Relax,” Yang Mu’s expression didn’t change. “In a moment, I’ll show you the might of our Yang family’s Heaven-Shaking Thunder. I only carry two Heaven-Shaking Thunders with me. Using one to annihilate that Black Scale Clan fiend at the Nirvana Realm isn't too much of a waste.”

Heaven-Shaking Thunder?

Shi Yan was startled, secretly nodding to himself, realizing Yang Mu wasn't acting recklessly. He felt reassured.

Soon, propelled by the swift flight of the twin-headed Flood Dragon, Shi Yan and Yang Mu arrived above the targeted mine peak.

“Sense it first, see if those Black Scale Clan fiends are still inside,” Yang Mu didn't rush into action. He stood up on the Flood Dragon’s back, looking down at the mine entrance below.

Shi Yan nodded slowly, taking out the Soul Gathering Bead. Holding the bead, he focused his senses inward.

A torrent of intense malice and hatred suddenly surged from the depths of the mine shaft. Rolling demonic energy spewed from the cracks in the mountain peak, and fierce spiritual fluctuations immediately tracked back toward Shi Yan’s own consciousness.

Shi Yan’s face changed. He quickly retracted his spiritual power from the Soul Gathering Bead and said in a deep voice, “They’re still there.”

“Good,” Yang Mu laughed loudly. The ring on his hand suddenly flashed, and a golden sphere the size of a small head materialized in his palm.

Under Yang Mu’s control, the golden sphere instantly transformed into a streak of golden light and smashed down onto the mine below.

“Boom! Boom!”

A terrifying, earth-shattering explosion erupted from the mine.

When the Heaven-Shaking Thunder detonated, it sounded like it was truly going to split the sky. From the center of the mine, a strange, golden ripple of energy suddenly emerged.

Then, under Shi Yan’s gaze, the entire mine peak disintegrated into dust.

Amidst the dazzling golden light, the mountain actually exploded and shattered, instantly destroyed by the Heaven-Shaking Thunder.