With the explosive demise of the leader of the Evil Fiends, the martial artists caught within the tornadoes were swiftly consumed by the three demonic phantoms.

These phantoms, thriving within the domain field, amassed negative emotions, striking once to plunge the high-tier martial artists into madness before effortlessly claiming their lives.

The high-tier martial artists, whose aptitude in the Boundless Sea was merely average, possessed no Martial Souls, no secret treasures, nor any singular power to shield them; trapped by the domain field, they were nothing more than lambs awaiting slaughter.

The severed head of the Evil Fiend dropped, its corpse slumping softly to the ground, its entire essence pouring into Shi Yan’s acupoints.

"Hiss!"

He ripped the snow-white slender sword from his sole, looking down at the headless corpse of the Evil Fiend with a sneer, stating lightly, "Daring to fight me in close quarters, you deserved such a miserable death…"

The Petrification Martial Soul, the Undying Martial Soul, and the relentless, continuous refinement of his physical body meant Shi Yan’s sheer physical strength was beyond the imagination of martial artists in the same realm.

In close combat, among peers, none could stand against him!

The foot pierced by the long sword had already begun a slow recovery under the influence of the Undying Martial Soul.

Shi Yan reactivated the Lightning Evasion Technique, his speed plunging him into the swirling tornadoes. As he stood there, rolling spheres of vital essence rose from the corpses of those fallen martial artists, absorbed by his mysterious Martial Soul.

The domain field restraining He Qingman suddenly retracted. Her vision obscured by the swirling sand, she spotted Shi Yan’s appearance, her delicate face instantly chilling as she prepared to strike again.

"Enough!" Shi Yan frowned and commanded, "They’re all dead; what are you still fighting for?"

"All dead?" He Qingman’s beautiful eyes held a trace of confusion. "Where is my senior brother? You couldn't possibly have killed him! His cultivation realm is deeper than yours, and he can freely burrow into the sand here. You are no match for him!"

"You mean Xie Kui, right?" Shi Yan pointed towards the headless corpse in the distance. "There. That’s where he is." He scanned the area. "Apart from you and me, there are no other living souls here."

He Qingman gasped in horror, her graceful form drifting away like the wind, quickly flying towards the Evil Fiend's corpse.

"Ah!"

A cry of shock suddenly escaped He Qingman’s lips.

She stood frozen by the corpse of Xie Kui, hand covering her mouth, her beautiful eyes filled with sorrow, murmuring softly, "Dead. He’s actually dead just like that... the future hope of our Heavenly Evil Grotto-Heaven, potentially the next generation’s pride to rule the Heavenly Evil Grotto-Heaven, is just... just dead..."

He Qingman appeared utterly devastated, standing motionless, muttering to herself, her expression lost in a daze.

Shi Yan did not rush to leave. He remained standing there, releasing his spiritual sense again, quietly probing the surrounding life fluctuations.

He was unaware that Xie Kui and He Qingman had been separated from Cao Zhilan and the others. He assumed Cao Zhilan’s group was still nearby. Although he had slain everyone present except He Qingman in this fight, it had drained too much of his strength.

Currently, even though he remained in the Second Heaven of Berserk Surge, the backlash effect could strike at any moment, causing a rapid decline in his power.

If Cao Zhilan and the others were near, he needed to retreat immediately; he absolutely could not afford to continue a grueling battle in this state.

Closing his eyes, he let his spiritual sense roam quietly. After a brief, intense search revealed no life fluctuations nearby, he finally breathed a silent sigh of relief and slowly walked towards He Qingman.

"Where are they?"

"Who?"

He Qingman looked up, her expression desolate, staring blankly at Shi Yan.

"Cao Zhilan, Pan Zhe, where are they?" Shi Yan asked again.

"I don't know," He Qingman shook her head. "We were scattered after being transmitted through that ancient formation. Our group happened to land together. Until now, you are the first person we’ve seen."

Shi Yan fell silent for a moment, then said lightly, "Understood. We shall meet again."

"You—where are you going?" He Qingman cried out in alarm.

"I don't know either," Shi Yan paused, looking at her. "Our positions are different. You should return to the Galo Sea Domain as soon as possible. Alone in this Abyss Battlefield, you will be extremely vulnerable."

"You killed my senior brother. Originally, I should seek vengeance for him," He Qingman sighed faintly. "But if you could kill him, you can certainly kill me too. Shi Yan, I truly never imagined your strength could advance to this level in such a short time. I still remember when we were on Black Stone Island, you were only at the Second Heaven of Hundred Tribulations. If Yang Mu hadn't saved you then, perhaps you would have..."

Shi Yan remained silent.

"Everyone here with me is dead, and I am the only one left alive. When I meet those allies next time, what do you think they will say about me?" He Qingman gave a desolate, bitter laugh.

"Alas..." Shi Yan shook his head and sighed. "You shouldn't have come to the Abyss Battlefield in the first place."

"I didn't want to come," He Qingman gently shook her head, utterly dejected. "But the sect's order was given. If I hadn't come, it would be defiance of the sect. Not only would I suffer, but my entire He Family would face catastrophe."

"Mm, caught in the middle, that is indeed a difficult position," Shi Yan’s expression shifted slightly. "Perhaps Yang Mu and the others aren't in this area. It might be just me here, followed only by the pursuers who came with you. Right now, no one knows where the exit lies in this vast desert, nor where the objective is—everyone is feeling their way along. Perhaps we should separate sooner. If those people discover you are with me, it will be very detrimental to you."

"Even if they don't see me with you, it won't be easy when I run into them," He Qingman forced a bitter smile. "Outside the palace, my staged fight with Yang Xue—Cao Zhilan and Pan Zhe saw it all. If my senior brother and our faction were still here, they wouldn't say much or do anything. But if I am alone, who knows what those people might say about me."

Shi Yan frowned and fell silent.

After a moment, he suddenly said, "After all, you are allies. They might mock you, but they won't try to kill you. Don't worry—even if we meet again, out of respect for Xin Yan and Yang Xue, I won't do anything to you. Alright, I really need to leave. Take care of yourself."

With that, Shi Yan turned and swiftly departed, giving He Qingman no opportunity to say more.

He had absorbed the vital essence of eleven martial artists, including Xie Kui. The purification of his acupoints had already begun, and dense negative emotions started to leak out. He might plunge into madness again and lose control of his sanity.

Once he lost control, he had only two options: find a woman to vent his rage upon, or lock himself away to endure that torment alone.

He Qingman had an excellent relationship with Yang Xue and Xia Xinyan. For Yang Xue's sake, she had already made immense sacrifices against suspicion from her own people. Shi Yan could never bring himself to treat her as an object of emotional release.

Furthermore, He Qingman was still a member of the Heavenly Evil Grotto-Heaven; he couldn't fully trust her. He did not want such a woman by his side when he was losing control or possibly on the verge of unconsciousness.

It was unsafe.

Leaving He Qingman behind, Shi Yan shot off like a bolt of lightning toward the hottest direction in the desert.

His figure surged through the scorched sands, and he clearly felt the pain in his injured foot diminishing; the wound was steadily mending.

Within his acupoints, the vital essence from Xie Kui and the others was being rapidly purified, and various negative emotions began to seep out of his channels.

Shi Yan suppressed it fiercely.

Perhaps because he had broken through to the high-tier realm, or perhaps because his nerves had become tougher, the negative emotions emerging from his acupoints this time did not drive him mad.

He managed to withstand it.

Aside from heavy breathing and a flushed face, he only experienced a throbbing headache. This time, the negative emotions failed to drag him into the endless abyss or cause him to pass out.

After a long while.

The familiar, peculiar energy indeed surged into his acupoints. All seven hundred and twenty of his acupoints simultaneously exuded that energy which refreshed Shi Yan’s spirit. Feeling that energy flowing through his body, he felt incredibly warm and comfortable, as if bathing in a hot spring.

This time, the Petrification and Undying Martial Souls did not share this strange power. Instead, the tendrils of energy from the acupoints surged toward his heart.

Star Martial Soul!

Shi Yan's pupils contracted, and he couldn't help but curse, immediately attempting to use his consciousness to manipulate and redirect the flow of that peculiar energy.

Unfortunately, before he could interfere, a powerful suction force emanated from his heart, completely absorbing all the strange energy, leaving not even a trace behind.

He stopped abruptly.

Clenching his jaw, Shi Yan secretly observed. He noticed that while the starlight dots within his heart had become significantly denser, there seemed to be little other change. The Star Martial Soul in his heart could not gather stellar power in this desert, and since he lacked the method to activate it, channeling this strange energy into it was simply a waste.

At least, until he obtained the spiritual manipulation techniques for the Star Martial Soul from the Three Gods Sect, this Martial Soul was merely a hindrance to him—it provided no boost to his power whatsoever.

"Whoosh! Whoosh!"

The Earth Core Fire once again flew out of the Blood Vein Ring. Upon confirming there were no living beings near Shi Yan, it spontaneously emerged without needing his summons.

Transforming into a brilliant burst of firelight, the Earth Core Fire began leading the way again, eagerly heading towards the hottest region of the desert.

Shi Yan could only follow behind helplessly.

He had no objective in this desert, no other direction to take. The guidance of the Earth Core Fire was, for him, at least a path into the unknown. Perhaps the area that interested the Earth Core Fire might hold something that would catch his eye.

Holding this thought, even without knowing what lay ahead, he secretly followed.

Time slipped by swiftly.

In this desert, he had no idea how long he had been following the Earth Core Fire. He had consumed three Return Essence Pills because his vital essence had been depleted.

All his essence was used for the rapid journey, and it had run dry three times. In Shi Yan's estimation, he must have traversed at least half a month in this desert.

This bizarre space lacked the sun, moon, or stars; there was only a perpetually red sky.

After such a long journey, he was drawing closer to the hottest point in the desert. The Earth Core Fire grew increasingly agitated; Shi Yan could even sense the slight trembling of its soul.

However, Shi Yan was growing weaker.

The closer he got to that scorching epicenter, the more the terrifying heat waves forced even him—whose body had been tempered by Heavenly Fire—to expend vital essence solely for resistance.

After traveling for some more time, just as he felt he could no longer hold on, Shi Yan finally saw the destination the Earth Core Fire had longed for, accompanied by the soul's joyful cry.