With Medusa's departure, the valley became utterly silent and desolate, the spatial seal in the sky isolating the small valley from the rest of the world, so that no one would accidentally stumble upon this sanctuary. Yet beyond that, Medusa's departure had not stirred much ripple in the valley. The cave, piled high with rubble, remained unchanged, and the great luminous chrysalis deep in the valley showed no sign of breaking free. Though it appeared as before, those with exceptionally keen senses could detect two remarkably potent energies quietly gathering, poised and ready to burst forth at the moment of renewal. While the valley housed captive beasts, they dared not venture beyond the deep valley under the subtle pressure emanating from the chrysalis. They could only wander in the outer reaches, and even then, they kept their roars low, fearful of disturbing the presence within that commanded their deepest reverence. Thus, over time, the deep valley grew increasingly remote from both humans and animals. The wild grasses, infused with a dense energy, surged rapidly—so swiftly that eventually they overflowed the light cocoons, forming a lush green network that completely enveloped the mountain caves and the light cocoons. As a result, the valley took on a more desolate air, save for the vast, vibrant energy vortex hovering in the sky, which still radiated a touch of vitality. Time flowed swiftly within this isolated valley, day after day, season after season. Unnoticed, nearly six months had passed since Medusa's departure. By this reckoning, Xiao Yan and Zi Yan's period of seclusion had approached—or even surpassed—one full year. Yet despite this prolonged duration, no signs of any change emerged within the valley. The once-quiet, serene landscape seemed to have quietly forgotten the two. Over the past half-year, Medusa had not returned at all—no one knew what had befallen her. In the deep valley, the wild grasses continued to thrive. If nothing unforeseen occurred, they would soon completely cover the valley, spreading up the mountain slopes like a serpentine expanse, as if ignoring the green snakes that once dwelled there. The once-desolate valley passed through time quietly. Then, on a particular day, the monotonous valley began to show signs of change: the vast energy vortex slowly rotating in the sky suddenly ceased its motion, and then a torrent of powerful energy poured down like a sudden downpour, eventually forming two immense ribbons of energy—like mountain floods. One ribbon surged straight toward the mountain cave, now partially buried beneath the overgrown grass; the other descended directly onto the luminous chrysalis, concealed beneath the thick vegetation. These two energy ribbons, each stretching several zhang wide, sliced through the sky, tearing the air with sharp, resonant cracks—clearly demonstrating the immense energy contained within. Under the weight of this powerful energy, the grasses throughout the valley began to wither visibly, turning yellow within just a few breaths, until all of them were completely dried out. At the same time, the large, purple light cocoon and the stone-strewn entrance of the mountain cave slowly began to emerge. One ribbon entered the cocoon, the other penetrated the cave entrance, and thereafter, no further movements occurred. The energy vortex in the sky had completely dissipated, and the turbulent celestial energy throughout the valley gradually returned to normal. It appeared as though the two beings, each requiring such vast energy, had reached their saturation point. The luminous cocoon in the valley, after absorbing that vast surge of energy resembling a flowing waterfall, grew progressively deeper in hue. Subtly, intricate, almost unearthly characters began to emerge on its surface, faintly glowing with a shimmering radiance—remarkably magical. Since this transformation, the valley has remained utterly still, with no further signs of movement. In the span of just a single turn of time, nearly a month has passed. Within the mountain cave, once completely buried under rubble, the eyes that had remained closed for nearly a year finally stirred, trembling slightly, and slowly opened. As the eyes opened, blinding streaks of lightning surged across the dark irises, like thunderstorms sweeping through the valley. At that very moment, even the still air within the cavern resonated with a delicate crackling sound. With the eyes now open, a mighty aura that had slumbered for nearly a year stirred to life, rising like a great, awakened beast, slowly lifting its head toward the sky, and unleashing a thunderous roar that shook the very heavens. Under this磅礴 aura, several times stronger than ever before, even the mountain cave trembled subtly. Cracks as thick as arms spread out like a spiderweb from where the young man in black robes sat in meditation, eventually covering every corner of the cave. "Crack!" Suddenly, a faint sound echoed from the stone upon which he sat. Then, countless fine fissures appeared and rapidly spread across the entire stone surface, finally bursting into a cascade of fine fragments with a deep, resonant sound—transforming the stone into countless shards. Yet the young man in black robes remained completely still. His legs folded in the air, suspended effortlessly without any external support. "This... is the sensation of a Sovereign Realm cultivator, isn't it?" Xiao Yan slowly spread his hands, feeling the powerful qi surging within him like a flood breaking through its banks. A gentle curve formed at the corner of his lips as a sense of grandeur, as if the heavens and earth were all under his command, surged from his heart. At the same time, his formidable spiritual strength radiated outward from his body, sweeping in a storm-like manner in all directions, spreading with the speed of lightning. The robust spiritual energy quickly flowed out of the cave, enveloping the entire valley. As it scanned the valley, Xiao Yan saw the massive purple light cocoon nestled within it. Moreover, thanks to the sharp sensitivity of his spiritual perception, he could faintly sense a powerful life force coalescing and taking shape within the cocoon! The soul power spread throughout the valley, yet it did not cease there—it continued radiating toward the vast mountain range of beasts. As the soul power expanded, countless scenes reflected into Xiao Yan's mind. Naturally, the powerful beasts within the mountain range were not all ordinary, so Xiao Yan's resolute soul scanning could not go unnoticed. Consequently, thunderous roars erupted across the endless mountains, and countless lower-tier beasts trembled in response. Although these formidable beasts sensed Xiao Yan's soul scanning, most—except for a few with special divine effects—could not withstand any significant impact from it. Thus, under the relentless scanning, Xiao Yan's soul power encountered no resistance whatsoever. The profound spiritual force radiated outward, reaching and affecting every corner within a hundred miles. Yet it seemed there was a certain limit—when the spiritual force reached a particular mountain gully, it could no longer advance further. Observing this, Xiao Yan mentally stirred, and the spreading spiritual force instantly retreated like a tide, drawing back in a surge of lightning-fast motion, fully returning into his body within just a few breaths. As the spiritual force fully retracted, Xiao Yan slightly raised his head, exhaled deeply, and was about to further consolidate it within himself when suddenly, a distinct sensation stirred in his mind. With his fingers gently tracing the dense, silvery-white flame mark on his forehead, a subtle tremor quietly emerged from the depths of his spirit. Taking a deep breath of the slightly damp air, Xiao Yan's eyes flickered slightly before narrowing, and his spirit awareness surged suddenly, once again surging forth in a powerful wave—this time, however, it didn't spread outward but instead flowed like a flood directly into the flame seal on his forehead! As the spirit energy entered the flame seal, a deep, resonant boom erupted within Xiao Yan's mind, followed by a sudden darkness spreading across his vision—then, a narrow path paved with pale, crisp flame appeared before him, flanked on both sides by endless, profound darkness. The Flame Path stretched out seemingly without an end. As soon as Xiang Yan's soul stirred, he moved forward without hesitation, charging straight toward the path. At the point when his soul power had reached a certain level, he had begun to grasp its application more clearly—though subtly. Indeed, the path was extremely long, yet with the speed of his soul power, surpassing even lightning, it only took a matter of ten minutes before a hollow of flame appeared at the far end. Xiang Yan's soul paused slightly, then surged forcefully into the opening. The soul plunged into the hollow of the flames, and the brilliant, silver-white fire suddenly vanished, replaced instead by an overwhelmingly oppressive darkness. In this darkness, it seemed as though a vast hall stretched out before him—an immense hall so broad it was almost staggering. Stone pillars, each towering a hundred zhang high, rose skyward, supporting the colossal structure. Throughout the hall, countless luminous orbs glowed in emerald light were scattered. As Xiao Yan's soul swept through them, he was stunned to discover that within each orb lay a living soul. Xiao Yan's soul emitted a dazed, murmured voice. Just as those words fell, the space before him suddenly trembled and then burst like a shattered mirror, unleashing a terrifying soul force—strange, eerie, and profound—so intense that even the space itself could not withstand it. Upon mere contact, this force shattered Xiao Yan's soul remnant into nothingness. At the very instant his soul dissolved into nothing, Xiao Yan in the valley suddenly opened his eyes, beads of sweat covering his forehead, a hint of awe shimmering in his gaze. He was certain that the place he had seen through his teacher's lingering soul flame imprint was precisely the mysterious Hunshe Palace.