A fortnight passed in the blink of an eye. Shi Yan remained secluded in the secret chamber for the entire half-month, immersing himself day and night in the soul codices of the Yin Specter Clan, forsaking both food and sleep.

After the half-month drew to a close, Shi Yan quietly emerged from the chamber, without notifying Cao Zhilan or the others, and departed the ancient structure alone. Walking along the thoroughfares of the old city, he hadn't taken many steps when Yu Rou, the matriarch of the White Wing Clan, materialized abruptly beside him, smiling sweetly, “Shi Yan, why the sudden outing?” “Felt like stretching my legs outside, yes, to observe the Yin Beasts beyond the city walls, and practice manipulating the Celestial Fire.

Of course, you’re welcome to accompany me,” Shi Yan replied with a slight smile. “I’ll go with you.

If any danger arises, I can assist you instantly. You are the lifeline for both our clans now; your safety is paramount.

I wouldn't want anything happening to you,” Yu Rou stated with genuine concern and earnest words. “No problem.” Accompanied by the gentle Yu Rou, Shi Yan soon exited the city gates.

When Kabar and the others of the Yin Specter Clan received word of Shi Yan leaving the city, although somewhat surprised and perplexed, they didn't press the issue, relying on Yu Rou’s presence to accompany him, and thus imposed no restrictions on Shi Yan’s movements. Di Shan, also within the city, received intelligence of his departure immediately but offered no obstruction either.

Upon reaching the outskirts, Shi Yan, with Yu Rou by his side, headed directly toward the direction of the Yin Beast Mountain. After more than a month, the Yin Beasts on Yin Beast Mountain had once again begun to stir up trouble, flying out from the mountain in all directions and roaming across the various regions of this forsaken land.

Shi Yan extended his divine sense, quickly locating a gathering point of Yin Beasts. About ten or so Yin Beasts were near a pool of water; several were frolicking in the depths, entirely unaware of the imminent peril.

“The Yin Beasts primarily reside on Yin Beast Mountain, cultivating the ambient Yin Qi of the mountain. However, many also require other materials for their cultivation.

Some of the fish in the water, and even the stones at the bottom of the pool, benefit the cultivation of certain Yin Beasts. Thus, they cannot subsist solely on the Yin Qi from the mountain,” Yu Rou explained softly.

Shi Yan nodded, his figure flashing, suddenly shooting toward the pool like lightning. With a mere thought, streaks of dazzling, fiery light erupted violently from his palms, appearing like a rainbow flung across the heavens, hurtling directly towards the Yin Beasts.

The scorching flame power of the Celestial Fire could incinerate everything; this heat was unbearable to any living creature, and Celestial Fire was the nemesis of Yin Beasts. But as these fiery beams streaked across the sky, the Yin Beasts instantly panicked and began fleeing toward Yin Beast Mountain.

Shi Yan’s expression was cold, a grim smile playing on his lips as he slowly closed his eyes. His Primary Soul shifted unpredictably within his Sea of Consciousness, pouring various thoughts and intentions into his divine sense.

Wisps of divine sense dispersed, attaching themselves to each streak of Celestial Fire light. The Celestial Fire traversing the air seemed to gain a life of its own, its trajectory cunning and evasive, displaying miraculous unpredictability.

Before long, the condensed beams of Celestial Fire wove together into a dazzling net of light, descending from the sky to envelop every single Yin Beast. “Hiss!

Hiss! Hiss!” The Celestial Fire burned against the bodies of the Yin Beasts, causing their forms to ignite immediately, emitting multi-colored smoke, their bodies rapidly dissolving.

Shi Yan remained motionless, continually augmenting the intensity of the Celestial Fire by attaching his divine sense to each light strand. Ever since his Primary Soul settled in his Sea of Consciousness, his overall perception had abruptly amplified several times over, making the control of the Celestial Fire far more practiced than before.

His divine sense swept out, and every movement in the surrounding environment felt imprinted upon his heart, allowing him to perceive every anomaly with acute clarity, missing nothing. The strength of his divine sense dramatically enhanced his mastery over the Celestial Fire.

Under the influence of his Primary Soul, his divine sense became a flexible and precise extension of his consciousness, ensnaring every Yin Beast. In a short time, the ten or so Yin Beasts, consumed by the flames of their natural enemy, dissolved into light smoke and vanished completely.

One by one, brightly colored, crystalline Demon Crystals, acted upon by the force of his body, hovered above the pool like strange stars. Finally opening his eyes, Shi Yan smiled faintly and calmly reached out to seize the Demon Crystals.

The Demon Crystals suspended in the air, upon the extension of his large hand, seemed drawn by an invisible force, flying one by one into his palm, quickly vanishing into the Phantom Void Ring on his finger. “Twelve Demon Crystals.

Hmm, a decent haul, but still not enough…” he murmured under his breath, then released his divine sense again, extending it further into the distance. A few minutes later, Shi Yan’s eyes brightened, and he instantly activated the Lightning Speed Transformation, rapidly departing.

Yu Rou, the White Wing Matriarch, stared after the direction Shi Yan departed with wide, contemplative eyes, a thoughtful expression on her face. Her cultivation was profound, and she had been secretly observing Shi Yan’s activities recently.

She was intimately aware of the condition of his body and the progression of his realm. Through Shi Yan’s effortless slaughter of the Yin Beasts this time, she realized that Shi Yan had entered a higher echelon, both in his cultivation realm and in his mastery over power.

The streaks of Celestial Fire Shi Yan released this time showed not a single waste; as they zipped through the void, no Celestial Fire energy dissipated. When they formed the net of fire, the energy seemed to coalesce into some miraculous formation, causing the Celestial Fire's power to instantly condense several times over.

Such progress made Yu Rou realize that Shi Yan’s intensive cultivation during this period had not been in vain; in just over a month, Shi Yan had clearly reached a new level in his comprehension of power. “Not bad, but still insufficient.

I hope you can display even greater strength soon; otherwise, I still won’t be able to convince that stubborn fellow Di Shan…” the White Wing Matriarch muttered softly, before letting out a faint smile. Her wings fluttered gently, and with something akin to teleportation, she quickly caught up to Shi Yan.

For a whole day, Shi Yan roamed around the vicinity of Yin Beast Mountain, actively seeking out packs of Yin Beasts. Whenever he located a group, he would unleash the Celestial Fire, skillfully employing its power to bind and restrict the beasts, burning them slowly to ash, and subsequently claiming their Demon Crystals.

By this time, his Phantom Void Ring held nearly a hundred Yin Beast Demon Crystals of various grades, the lowest being Third Grade and the highest Sixth Grade—a very fruitful harvest. “That should be enough,” Shi Yan murmured, looking up at the towering Yin Beast Mountain.

He then turned to Yu Rou, saying, “That’s enough for today; we can head back.” “Shi Yan, sense it—see if there are any changes to Yin Beast Mountain?” Yu Rou hesitated for a moment, then suddenly added, “You can absorb the Heaven and Earth Yin Qi from that mountain, so you must be extremely sensitive to it. Check if the Yin Qi around Yin Beast Mountain has grown denser or thinner.” “Alright.” Shi Yan didn't know Yu Rou's exact intentions, but he readily agreed.

He sat down on the spot, paused for a moment, then released his divine sense, urging the Yin power from the Yin Pearl in his chest to mix with his divine sense, slowly wafting towards Yin Beast Mountain. Soon, Shi Yan frowned, then stood up unhurriedly.

“The lightning and thunder outside the perimeter of Yin Beast Mountain seem to have weakened considerably, but the Heaven and Earth Yin Qi within the mountain is growing increasingly dense. I suspect there is something strange deep inside Yin Beast Mountain…” “Yes, your feeling is correct.

Look at the sky above the peak of Yin Beast Mountain?” Yu Rou pointed toward the spire piercing the clouds, her expression solemn. “Have you noticed anything?” Shi Yan looked up, electrical light flickering in his pupils, as pinpricks of light continuously gathered in his eyes.

Above the ten-thousand-foot peak of Yin Beast Mountain, the area where gray clouds condensed was latticed with lightning and thunder. These bolts seemed to tear through the heavens, and as they roamed, they appeared to be slicing through space itself, revealing dazzling fissures.

“The space over there seems… increasingly unstable,” Shi Yan stated gravely after observing for a long time. “You observe with great detail.” Yu Rou smiled wryly and nodded.

“Even those lightning bolts seem capable of tearing space. This means the space here is growing fragile.

A single terrifying burst of energy might destroy this entire dimension. Once space shatters, everything within it will instantly turn to dust; no living being will escape.” Shi Yan’s expression changed.

“The anomalies at Yin Beast Mountain these past few weeks have directly caused the space above its peak to become increasingly fragile. I’m not trying to frighten you, but if we don’t find a way to leave in another two months, all the people of our two clans will have their souls scattered the moment the space collapses!” Yu Rou said with a bitter smile.

“With your and Di Shan’s Divine Realm cultivation, even you cannot escape?” Shi Yan asked, genuinely astonished. Yu Rou sighed in resignation, shaking her head.

“You don’t know. This forsaken land is specifically targeted against our two clans.

We have lived here for tens of thousands of years, and some among us have reached the True God Realm. However, the moment someone steps into the True God Realm, terrifying destructive divine light erupts from the heavens above Yin Beast Mountain.

One beam falls, and the person who achieved the True God Realm has their soul annihilated.” “What?!” Shi Yan cried out in shock. “Entering the True God Realm implies mastery over time and space.

Martial artists at this level, once their cultivation stabilizes, could potentially leave this dimension entirely. The firmament above Yin Beast Mountain holds a divine restraint upon us; it constantly prevents any member of our clans from departing this place.

As soon as someone achieves the True God Realm, they face only one outcome: soul dispersion.” Yu Rou’s gaze dimmed. “Over the years, many powerhouses from our clans, knowing that reaching the True God Realm might mean instant demise, still strove for it.

They did this because they believed if a True God could withstand that divine light strike and survive, they might use their power to liberate our clans from this wretched place. But alas, all those ancestors failed…” Shi Yan’s expression became complex; it was the first time he felt that these two clans were truly pitiful.

“The ancestral teachings left by our forebears tell us that if Yin Beast Mountain undergoes the kind of transformation happening now, it signifies an opportunity for our two clans. If we seize this opportunity, our clans can truly escape this place.

But if we fail to seize it, our clans will vanish forever in the river of history.” Yu Rou looked at him deeply, her tone grave. “Shi Yan, you are our opportunity.

I sincerely hope you can help our two clans break free. I don’t know what others think, but I can guarantee you this: if you accomplish this, I will use all my power to protect you!” Shi Yan’s demeanor turned solemn, and he stated firmly, “I will exert my utmost effort.” ……