They had not fully explained to Shi Yan the ancient entanglements between the Wing Clan, the Yin Mei Clan, the Marauders, and the Netherlings. Mo Qixiao’s sudden arrival, which clearly pointed out their connection, left Di Shan and Yu Rou awkward, unsure how to proceed with an explanation for Shi Yan.
“Master, this matter…”
Yu Rou hesitated for a moment, and with a subtle gesture from Di Shan, she finally spoke with reluctance, “In the distant past, we and the Demon Realm shared the same origins. However, that era is too ancient for us now—so ancient that we have never even encountered the Marauders. We even assumed they, too, must have forgotten us.”
Shi Yan was abruptly pulled from his deep contemplation.
Glancing at the two restless figures, he paused briefly, then immediately understood the source of their unease. He smiled faintly, shaking his head, “There’s no need to explain anything. Your past stretches back tens of thousands of years from the present moment.” After such a vast stretch of time, it is indeed natural to choose to forget some things. Rest assured, I won't read too much into your relationship with the Marauders.”
Yu Rou and Di Shan exchanged a surprised glance.
“In fact, back when I was in the Abandoned Lands, I had already suspected some connection between you and the Marauders,” Shi Yan chuckled. “When I discussed the situation in the Endless Sea with Yi Tianmo, mentioning the possibility of Marauders and Netherlings appearing there, I noticed Yi Tianmo’s expression was very strange, which raised my suspicion. But afterwards, I considered it again and didn't find it particularly problematic. If you truly intended to ally with the Netherlings or Marauders, I would be powerless to stop it; I would simply choose to leave early. For me, if the situation in the Endless Sea develops in the direction I hope, that’s naturally the best outcome. If it doesn't work out, worst case, I can slip away—it’s no great catastrophe…”
He was not a native of the Endless Sea, nor even of this world; he felt no intense sense of belonging to any single place.
He had come to the Endless Sea from that Merchant Alliance solely to leverage the power of the Yang Family to maximize his own strength, allowing him to break through to the next realm at the fastest possible speed.
Although he held a favorable impression of the Yang Family, he wouldn't risk his life over their crisis.
After all, he was not Yang Hai’s son, and he held no particular affection for Yang Qingdi, who often paid him close attention.
“Master is indeed detached,” Yu Rou murmured, increasingly finding Shi Yan unfathomable, a figure impossible for ordinary people to gauge.
“I do not wish to interfere with how you choose to interact with the Marauders from now on; you have your own judgment, which I understand and respect,” Shi Yan mused for a moment, then continued slowly, “However, when you make a decision, I hope you inform me first so I can be mentally prepared. That request isn't excessive, is it?”
“Master worries too much,” Di Shan bowed slightly, his words heartfelt. “I have already sworn to serve you as Master, and I will never be faithless. No matter what happens in the future, I will stand by your side. This will not change unless you die.”
Yu Rou also stated her allegiance with earnest gravity, firmly resolved to stand with him.
Shi Yan’s expression softened, and he nodded inwardly, though he didn't outwardly display his emotion. “I understand.”
After a brief pause, he gave a wry smile. “Perhaps, it won't be long before Mo Qixiao comes charging over madly—he might even target me as the primary objective.”
“Hm?” Di Shan and Yu Rou looked at him in confusion, not understanding why he would say that.
“You will understand when the time comes,” Shi Yan offered no further explanation.
Suddenly, Kaba’s brow shot up, and he shot to his feet. His tightly shut eyes snapped open, emitting a brilliant divine light from his pupils. Faint yet clearly perceptible soul fluctuations quietly retracted from the deep recesses of the earth.
Yi Tianmo and Zhameng’s faces changed. They also swiftly recalled their divine senses, momentarily drawing back all their unleashed soul power into their sea of consciousness.
“Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack!”
A rapid succession of dull, heavy explosions suddenly echoed from the base of Snow Dragon Mountain. The snow-capped mountain began to tremble violently, and dense ambient spiritual energy erupted outward from within it.
A thick white mist instantly enveloped the surroundings of Snow Dragon Mountain, continuing to spread outward until it gradually covered the entire Snow Dragon Island.
The Snow Dragon Island, whose ambient spiritual energy had not been particularly prominent before, was suddenly saturated with an extravagantly rich supply of it. The entire island instantly teemed with vitality. Even in the icy weather, everyone felt refreshed and exhilarated, as if standing at the heart of some sacred domain, enjoying the blessings of a miraculous cultivation ground in the Endless Sea.
“This… the concentration of spiritual energy here likely surpasses even our Heavenly Evil Grotto Heaven,” He Qingman suddenly stood up, taking deep breaths by the window, her expression deeply moved.
Pan Zhe was equally shocked, staring in disbelief at the spiritual energy spreading like white mist. He instinctively compared it to the Penglai Holy Land and found that the ambient spiritual energy here was in no way inferior to Penglai Island.
This discovery left Pan Zhe thoroughly perplexed as he looked up at the spreading energy from Snow Dragon Mountain, his mind full of confusion.
“Spiritual energy dense enough to form a mist, and capable of being released instantaneously—this is nothing short of miraculous,” Cao Zhilan’s stunningly beautiful face lit up with excitement. “It seems my judgment was correct; Shi Yan always pulls off astonishing feats. I genuinely wonder what he did to cause such a monumental change on Snow Dragon Island.”
Saying this, Cao Zhilan actually stepped out and moved swiftly toward Snow Dragon Mountain amidst the swirling snow flurry.
Midway, Cao Zhilan’s delicate body trembled. Her Ling Shen Martial Soul seemed to have perceived something.
She suddenly stopped, her eyes closed, her long eyelashes quivering softly.
After a moment, she opened her eyes, which shone brilliantly. Her speed instantly increased, like a streak of lightning, shooting directly toward the mountain peak.
“It’s beneath us! About three thousand zhang down. That entity is encased within a massive Dragon Crystal. If I’m not mistaken, that crystal belongs to an Ice Bone Crystal Dragon, but the creature inside is definitely not an Ice Bone Crystal Dragon. Its aura is one I have never encountered—it is extremely peculiar.”
Kaba’s breathing gradually steadied, and the spiritual probes he had sent out were completely retracted.
“It sensed our arrival and struck suddenly. Instantly, countless icy soul arrows erupted from the ground. The area where it resides is intensely cold. There, the power of our souls was severely weakened, yet it could draw upon the ambient spiritual energy and condense it into those soul arrows. It was terrifying; we were forced to retreat,” Yi Tianmo explained with a grim expression of helplessness.
Shi Yan was stunned, then immediately sent a message to the Profound Ice Cold Flame: “Did you feel that? Do you know what that creature is?”
“I don't know what it is, but it is certainly not human,” the Profound Ice Cold Flame replied after a delay. “The massive surge of ambient spiritual energy erupting from the earth’s depths indicates that this thing not only possesses ice-cold familiarity but can also gather spiritual energy. That is something our Heavenly Fire cannot do.”
“Then what is it?”
“I don’t know either.”
“Crunch! Crunch!” The sound of treading on snow suddenly echoed from the flat expanse of the snow peak.
Yi Tianmo frowned and spoke to Shi Yan, “It’s that girl, Cao Zhilan. She ascended from the mountain base when the massive spiritual energy erupted from the earth.”
Shi Yan’s brow furrowed.
Seeing that he gave no further instruction, Yi Tianmo and the others held back, waiting silently.
Not long after, amidst the swirling snowfall, Cao Zhilan, wrapped in thick fur-lined clothing, arrived gracefully before Shi Yan.
“What are you doing here?” Shi Yan’s face darkened as he looked at her coldly. “I believe I warned you that this snow peak is not to be trespassed upon lightly. Have you forgotten?”
“I remember,” Cao Zhilan replied with a soft, light laugh, showing no fear. “I came to the peak because I made a discovery, and I wanted to inform you.”
“A discovery?” Shi Yan’s expression shifted.
“Yes,” Cao Zhilan advanced gracefully, positioning herself directly between Yi Tianmo and Di Shan, appearing utterly heedless of the danger. “Are you all very curious why so much spiritual energy is erupting from these mountains? I know the Yin Mei Clan is incredibly skilled in soul cultivation, and I assume you made some finding beneath Snow Dragon Mountain, but I can assure you, you do not know what that thing beneath you actually is.”
“You know?” Shi Yan grew interested.
Nodding, Cao Zhilan smiled charmingly. “I truly do. In the Endless Sea, very few people know that entity. And I happen to be one of that small minority.”
“What is it?”
“Tell me if you promise to marry me.”
A flash of astonishment crossed the eyes of Di Shan, Yu Rou, Zhameng, and Kaba; they all stared blankly at Cao Zhilan.
Only Yi Tianmo, having witnessed Cao Zhilan’s boldness before, showed little reaction to her declaration.
Shi Yan frowned. “You seem very eager to dispose of yourself. Are you that anxious to be married?”
“Certainly not,” Cao Zhilan responded with a radiant smile. “Go inquire. Tell me, how many men in the Endless Sea desire to marry me? Heh, to put it rather boastfully, I believe even your Xia Xinyan has fewer admirers than I do in the Endless Sea. Do you believe me?”
“Can we not waste my time?” Shi Yan’s expression turned grim with impatience. “If you don’t want to say, then leave directly. I have no desire to entertain you.”
“Just kidding with you, so fierce! You will definitely bully me later,” Cao Zhilan coquettishly winked at Shi Yan. “If my guess is correct, the entity beneath Snow Dragon Mountain should be the Holy Spirit God of the Holy Spirit Cult—the previous generation’s.”
“Holy Spirit God?”
Shi Yan was utterly bewildered, frowning deeply. “Why would you say that? What is a Holy Spirit God, and why is it on Snow Dragon Mountain? More importantly, how do you know?”
“The Holy Spirit God is the deity worshiped by the Holy Spirit Cult. However, this deity is not real; it was refined by the Holy Spirit Cult through bizarre methods. The Holy Spirit God possesses the miraculous power to control and gather ambient spiritual energy. Wherever it is, it continuously sucks in the surrounding spiritual energy, condensing it…”
Cao Zhilan began to explain slowly.