Yi Tianmo reined in his soul, and the five demons, having ceased their pursuit upon the ground, settled back within his Sea of Consciousness without truly escaping.

Shi Yan remained frozen in that peculiar, motionless posture, looking utterly bereft of spirit, yet the fluctuations within his Sea of Consciousness persisted, and his breathing remained deep and even. Aside from the complete exhaustion of his vital essence (Jing Yuan), there appeared to be no other anomaly in his body.

Yi Tianmo, his expression shifting to deep gravity after withdrawing his soul, looked utterly astonished.

"What's going on?" Kabba and Zha Meng inquired simultaneously, their faces etched with confusion.

"This looks troublesome," Yi Tianmo murmured, extending a hand to press against Shi Yan's arm. He released his own vital essence, allowing it to flow into Shi Yan's body.

The vital essence, like fine silk—agile and keenly perceptive—drifted slowly through the meridians across Shi Yan’s chest, gradually spreading toward the rest of his body.

However, when his essence attempted to travel toward Shi Yan’s right arm, it encountered layer upon layer of obstruction. The essence he sent forth seemed blocked by sturdy walls, utterly unable to penetrate.

Yi Tianmo persisted, moving his vital essence along other channels within Shi Yan’s frame, only to discover that everywhere except the right arm, the flow was unimpeded.

This observation gave Yi Tianmo pause. He released several more wisps of silk-like vital essence, directing them all toward the troublesome right arm.

Seven strands of vital essence, spreading out, simultaneously surged toward Shi Yan's right arm.

Boom!

A dull, muffled explosion suddenly erupted from within Shi Yan’s arm.

Purplish-red light swirled across the limb, and amid waves of strange, vibrating tremors, the vital essence Yi Tianmo had pushed in abruptly shattered, fragmented, and consumed until nothing remained.

An exceptionally bizarre aura suddenly billowed forth from that arm, quietly surging toward the palm Yi Tianmo had placed upon it.

Yi Tianmo’s expression changed drastically. He snatched his hand back quickly, whispering, "Peculiar!"

Zha Meng and Kabba were even more bewildered. "Old Yi, what are you doing?"

"Nothing," Yi Tianmo sighed, helplessness coloring his tone. "It seems I cannot rouse him. I don't know what happened, but his current condition resembles Zou Huo Ru Mo (Going Astray in Cultivation), yet it isn't quite the same. I wonder if he’s deliberately cultivating some secret technique that led to this state."

Hearing Yi Tianmo say this, Zha Meng and Kabba fell silent.

Their understanding of various forms of power was not as profound as Yi Tianmo's. Seeing that even he was stumped, they knew they were likely helpless as well.

The three fell silent, gazing at Shi Yan with furrowed brows, suddenly feeling utterly at a loss.

It was then that Xia Xinyan, Ye Changfeng, and the others, having waited long for Shi Yan to emerge, could no longer restrain their curiosity and came over to investigate.

As the group entered, their eyes immediately fell upon Shi Yan, stiff and fixed in that strange pose, prompting gasps of alarm.

The three from Yi Tianmo frowned, subtly forming a perimeter around Shi Yan, preventing anyone from getting close.

Even Xia Xinyan was stopped by the trio, forbidden from approaching rashly.

Xia Shenchuan also arrived upon hearing the commotion, looking curiously at Shi Yan, who was encircled by the three. "What's wrong?"

Ye Changfeng, Lin Yaqi, and Cao Zhilan all wore expressions of utter confusion. Shi Yan had been perfectly fine just last night; how could he be like this after a single night? What on earth had happened?

No one understood.

"We arrived this morning and found him holding this posture, as if... as if he's experienced Zou Huo Ru Mo," Yi Tianmo deliberated for a moment before speaking plainly. "I probed his soul and found no anomalies, but it seems his entire stock of vital essence has been drained, as if he fought a prolonged battle to the point of exhaustion."

"How is that possible?" Xia Shenchuan exclaimed in surprise. "This area was perfectly quiet last night; he couldn't have been fighting. Could it truly be Zou Huo Ru Mo?"

Everyone looked surprised. Seeing that Shi Yan's breathing continued and his heartbeat remained strong, they weren't overly concerned for his immediate life, but being unable to wake from this state for too long was certainly not good. However, since Yi Tianmo claimed he was helpless, the curious crowd wisely held their peace and didn't press forward to examine him.

"Shall I take a look?"

After a moment of thought, Ye Changfeng suddenly volunteered. "Though I don't know what happened to him, I have some familiarity with various states of Zou Huo Ru Mo. Let me examine him; perhaps I can confirm something."

Yi Tianmo’s brow remained deeply furrowed.

Xia Shenchuan also knitted his brows.

Everyone knew that Ye Changfeng and Shi Yan hadn't known each other long and weren't particularly close associates. If Ye Changfeng harbored ill intentions and seized this opportunity to strike at Shi Yan, the latter would likely face certain death.

Holding this caution close, no one dared to agree immediately; they all fell into thought.

"Let him try," Xia Xinyan spoke decisively at the crucial moment. "We are all watching; he can't cause any major trouble. It’s better than wasting time. If Shi Yan truly is suffering from Zou Huo Ru Mo, the sooner we find a solution, the better."

"This person... is he really from that place, the Dark Magnetic Miasma?" Yi Tianmo suddenly asked, looking toward Xia Shenchuan after a long silence.

Last night, he had spoken with Xia Shenchuan and learned something about Ye Changfeng.

Yi Tianmo, Kabba, and Zha Meng were intensely interested in the central region of the Divine Grace Continent lying beyond the Dark Magnetic Miasma. Yi Tianmo sought out Xia Shenchuan because he knew Xia Shenchuan was the head of the Xia family and hoped he might offer some guidance.

When the three inquired about that area, Xia Shenchuan was secretly startled. Recalling the sudden arrival of Ye Changfeng and the other person, he mentioned them casually.

This put Yi Tianmo's trio on high alert. They questioned Xia Shenchuan in detail about Ye Changfeng, even forming the notion of speaking with him.

"Yes, he said so himself," Xia Shenchuan nodded.

The three leaders of the Yin Specter Tribe—Yi Tianmo, Kabba, and Zha Meng—their eyes visibly brightened, all turning to look at Ye Changfeng.

"In the central continent beyond the Dark Magnetic Miasma, is there a place called the 'Ancient Tomb of Heavenly Yin' (Tian Yin Gu Zhong)?" Yi Tianmo suddenly asked, drawing a deep breath.

Ye Changfeng and Lin Yaqi’s expressions shifted dramatically.

"You know of the Ancient Tomb of Heavenly Yin?" A divine light seemed to flash in Ye Changfeng's eyes. "The Ancient Tomb of Heavenly Yin is one of the Three Great Forbidden Zones; it’s quite famous and mysterious over there. Rumor has it that the tomb has always been sealed, completely inaccessible. How could you know of it?"

Yi Tianmo, Kabba, and Zha Meng exchanged a glance and subtly nodded, seemingly confirming Ye Changfeng's identity.

"You try it, but don't try any tricks," Yi Tianmo didn't answer Ye Changfeng’s question. He stepped aside, gesturing toward Ye Changfeng. "Be careful. Do not send your soul into his Sea of Consciousness; otherwise, the soul you release might not return. Furthermore, the anomaly in his body is localized to the right arm; if you intend to find the issue, you might as well target that area directly."

Ye Changfeng looked deeply at him and asked again, "How do you know about the Ancient Tomb of Heavenly Yin?"

"Through ancestral records," Yi Tianmo replied after a moment's pause, his voice cold.

Ye Changfeng’s eyes lit up. He gazed intensely at the three, as if realizing something. He stopped asking questions and walked directly to Shi Yan’s side, reaching out to grasp Shi Yan’s arm.

A ball of golden flame instantly burst forth from his palm.

The flame resembled scales, covering the back and palm of his hand piece by piece. In an instant, Ye Changfeng's hand appeared to be encased in golden, scaled gauntlets, with clusters of tiny golden flames dancing incessantly, as if alive and cheering upon his hand.

The faces of Yi Tianmo, Kabba, and Zha Meng turned pale. They stepped back several paces, crying out in shock, "Heavenly Fire!"

Cao Zhilan, Xia Xinyan, and Xia Shenchuan also recoiled in alarm, hurriedly retreating for fear of being splashed by any errant droplets of the Heavenly Fire.

"Relax, I can control this Heavenly Fire at will; I won't let even a trace of uncomfortable aura leak out," Ye Changfeng smiled. He gripped Shi Yan's arm and closed his eyes, sensing something.

The three leaders of the Yin Specter Tribe looked somewhat displeased. They quickly tried to sense the surroundings secretly, only to discover that there was indeed not a single trace of an uncomfortable Heavenly Fire aura emanating within the hall.

The three were secretly amazed, looking at Ye Changfeng with undisguised awe.

The aura of Heavenly Fire was extremely domineering and vigorous. To be able to release the fire while simultaneously suppressing all its ambient presence indicated that Ye Changfeng's application of the Heavenly Fire had clearly reached an extremely refined level.

The three understood that in terms of mastering the use of Heavenly Fire, Ye Changfeng was far superior to Shi Yan.

Cao Zhilan felt a sharp intake of breath, her beautiful eyes wide with astonishment as she secretly tried to guess Ye Changfeng's true identity.

Xia Shenchuan and Xia Xinyan, however, were not overly shocked, knowing Ye Changfeng's background and the mystery surrounding the Dark Magnetic Miasma. Upon realizing that the aura of the Heavenly Fire released by Ye Changfeng posed no threat to them, they quietly moved closer again, watching him intently beside him.

Under everyone’s focused gaze, Ye Changfeng kept his eyes closed. A few glistening beads of sweat appeared on his face, which was exquisitely beautiful—even more so than a woman's. The hand gripping Shi Yan's arm trembled slightly, suggesting he was exerting considerable effort.

Lin Yaqi watched with surprise. Seeing Ye Changfeng look so strained seemed incomprehensible to her. She knew Ye Changfeng's strength better than anyone. In her estimation, Shi Yan’s strange condition from Zou Huo Ru Mo shouldn't require Ye Changfeng to exert himself this much; a slight probe should have revealed the general situation. Yet Ye Changfeng’s performance was startling, which in turn made her curious about Shi Yan.

Sweat continued to pour down Ye Changfeng’s face, his expression growing increasingly grave, but his eyes remained shut. He uttered no words, leaving everyone wondering if he had discovered anything.

The hall fell silent again, everyone watching Ye Changfeng, watching the oddly positioned Shi Yan.

At that very moment, Yi Tianmo's face suddenly changed. He abruptly looked up toward the ceiling of the hall and spoke with chilling coldness, "That person has returned."

Zha Meng and Kabba’s eyes sharpened. They immediately sat down cross-legged, releasing their souls to form a spiritual defense line against the intrusion of that entity.

"None of you release your divine sense to probe, and do not step outside this circle."

Yi Tianmo's expression was intensely serious. He flicked his fingers, sending out streaks of strange light that interconnected to form a shimmering circle which suddenly dropped to the ground, enclosing the entire group.

Having completed this, Yi Tianmo also sat down, closed his eyes, and began to confront the enemy.

PS: Happy Qixi Festival. I got up early to write this; it was hard work! Uh, how about some recommendation tickets? Everyone has them, don’t be stingy! Bows (To be continued)