Musical Martial Soul

Shi Yan and Di Ya Lan entered the tree hollow together.

"What happened?" Mu Yu Die, who was anxiously waiting inside the tree hollow, asked with a hint of surprise. "I just heard a rumbling sound. Did a Yao Beast pass by here?"

Shi Yan sat down in the tree hollow and silently sensed the abundant Essence in his acupoints, not replying.

Most of the Essence from the five Martial Artists had dissipated; he had only absorbed a small portion.

However, because one of the five was a Human Position realm expert, even a small portion of Essence flowing into his body was quite considerable.

But Shi Yan was worried, unsure when the negative energies would act up, so he remained cautious.

Seeing that he had no intention of speaking, Di Ya Lan explained the entire incident.

After hearing her explanation, Mu Yu Die's face turned bitter, appearing troubled. These were dangerous times, and now with Yao Beasts rampaging, she felt her future growing dimmer.

Dawn was breaking, and the sun slowly rose. The three of them didn't rest further and continued to talk in low voices within the tree hollow.

Previously, with Luo Hao and the others around, Shi Yan hadn't had many opportunities to interact with the two women, nor did he know much about their situations. But now that Luo Hao and the other two were dead, Shi Yan felt he should get to know them better, otherwise, he might be at a disadvantage later.

"Why did people from 'Dark Nether' want to capture you?" Shi Yan asked, frowning deeply. "Are you all from the Blazing Fire Empire?"

Mu Yu Die nodded, sighing softly. "It's all because of me..."

"What's going on?" Shi Yan had known Mu Yu Die was extraordinary. Hearing her willingness to explain, he naturally wanted to understand the details.

"Sister Lan, you tell him," Mu Yu Die glanced at Di Ya Lan and sighed softly again.

"You don't even know Little Die's background?" Di Ya Lan asked, somewhat surprised, looking at him strangely. "Even though you're from the Merchant Alliance, you must have heard of General Mu Ku of the Blazing Fire Empire, right?"

"Mu Ku? The commander of the Blazing Fire Empire's Azure Eagle Legion? The Iron-Blooded Eagle King?"

Shi Yan was startled and paused for a moment before calmly nodding with a serious expression. "So she's the granddaughter of the 'Iron-Blooded Eagle King.' I understand now."

Memories related to the "Iron-Blooded Eagle King" Mu Ku were gradually unearthed. Thinking about it carefully, Shi Yan began to get a clearer picture.

In another Shi Yan's memories, there were recollections of the "Iron-Blooded Eagle King" Mu Ku. The "Iron-Blooded Eagle King" was the commander of the Blazing Fire Empire's Azure Eagle Legion, a Nirvana realm cultivator, and a powerful figure with real authority in the Blazing Fire Empire!

Not only in the Blazing Fire Empire, but even in the Merchant Alliance and the Divine Grace Empire, the "Iron-Blooded Eagle King" was renowned.

Mu Ku commanded his troops like a god. In the conflicts between the Blazing Fire Empire and the Divine Grace Empire, Mu Ku was always present. On the battlefield, Mu Ku was known for his cold-blooded ruthlessness, killing without batting an eye, his hands stained with blood.

While cold-blooded and ruthless towards outsiders, Mu Ku was also arrogant within the Blazing Fire Empire, offending many powerful figures.

Three years ago, during a clash between the Blazing Fire Empire and the Divine Grace Empire, Mu Ku was ambushed and surrounded by five Nirvana realm Martial Artists.

Because Mu Ku had offended many people during his lifetime, his death led to the immediate downfall of the Mu Family. Within days, many direct relatives of the Mu Family were executed, and the once vast Mu Family rapidly declined.

"I've heard of the 'Iron-Blooded Eagle King's' exploits," Shi Yan said after recalling for a moment, nodding gently.

"Little Die is the Eagle King's granddaughter and currently the sole survivor of the Mu Family. 'Dark Nether' is an assassin organization of the empire, and 'Dark Nether' was directly involved in the Mu Family massacre. The reason Little Die is still alive is that on the day of the Mu Family massacre, Little Die's Martial Soul displayed immense power. Little Die's Martial Soul is related to music; her zither music can kill people invisibly..."

"You mean Miss Mu's Martial Soul can kill people through zither music?"

"Yes. Little Die's zither music can not only pacify those who have gone berserk but also cause their internal organs to explode. The reason 'Dark Nether' wants to capture Little Die is that their Nether Lord is currently cultivating an evil Martial Skill and frequently falls into a state of delirium. The Nether Lord fears dying from going berserk and wants to use Little Die's zither music to stabilize his mind."

"I understand," Shi Yan nodded.

'Dark Nether' was the assassin organization directly involved in the massacre of the Mu Family. Mu Yu Die wished for all members of 'Dark Nether' to die. Now that the Nether Lord wanted to use her to cultivate an evil Martial Skill, Mu Yu Die naturally refused to comply, even if it meant death.

However, 'Dark Nether' had immense influence in the Blazing Fire Empire, so she had no choice but to seek refuge in another country.

After understanding Mu Yu Die's background and identity, Shi Yan asked, "Why can't Miss Mu use her Martial Soul now?"

"Little Die's Martial Soul is somewhat special. Every time she activates her Martial Soul to unleash its power, several of her meridians snap like guitar strings. Before the meridians are reconnected, Essence cannot flow smoothly. If she forcefully mobilizes Essence, she will be severely injured, and her Martial Soul's recovery will be even slower."

Di Ya Lan's expression turned somber. "Two months ago, just as we were about to enter the Gloomy Forest from the empire's border, we were pursued by people from 'Dark Nether.' We lost several comrades then, and Uncle Luo couldn't hold on any longer. Little Die had no choice but to activate her Martial Soul. Although she killed many people from 'Dark Nether,' Little Die's own meridians were also broken and haven't recovered yet."

"Your Martial Soul requires meridians to cooperate when activated?" Shi Yan was stunned and asked in surprise, "Are you playing a zither string or your meridians?"

"I can't explain it," Mu Yu Die replied listlessly, her complexion not good.

"The damage to your Martial Soul..." Shi Yan frowned, pondered for a moment, and then suddenly blurted out, "Perhaps I can help a little."

Mu Yu Die and Di Ya Lan's eyes lit up simultaneously, and they looked at him intently.

"Ahem..." Shi Yan had just said it casually, but seeing their gazes, he felt a bit awkward. "Well, didn't Sister Lan suddenly awaken her Martial Soul? The medicinal effects on my body might help the Martial Soul recover. I think..."

"Don't even think about it!"

Mu Yu Die retorted fiercely, glaring at him. "Don't bring your disgusting ideas to me!"

She had clearly seen how Di Ya Lan awakened her Martial Soul. She would rather die than give up her purity.

"I was just saying, don't take it seriously," Shi Yan said indifferently, looking up at the entrance of the tree hollow. "It's almost noon, and I haven't heard any more disturbances from Yao Beasts. Let's continue on our way."

"Okay," Di Ya Lan smiled softly.

The three of them emerged from the tree hollow and continued their journey through the Gloomy Forest, with Di Ya Lan still carrying Mu Yu Die on her back.

After a night of predation, the Yao Beasts seemed to be truly resting. The three of them encountered no high-level Yao Beasts along the way. However, the fresh human skeletons that occasionally appeared in the forest served as a stark reminder of how ferocious the Yao Beasts had been the previous night.

As evening approached.

The purification speed of Essence within Shi Yan's acupoints gradually accelerated, and various negative forces surged into his mind again, giving him a violent urge to vent.

He knew that Mu Yu Die's zither music could calm his negative emotions. However, in the silent forest, the zither music might also attract the attention of Yao Beasts and the pursuers from 'Dark Nether.'

Having had the experience of venting on Di Ya Lan last time, Shi Yan hesitated for a moment. His fiery gaze lingered on Di Ya Lan's breathtaking figure for a while, and he made up his mind.

Night fell.

In a hidden valley, Mu Yu Die curled up in the dense branches of an ancient tree, her face flushed, glaring hatefully at a bush ten meters away.

The leaves of the bush rustled constantly, and muffled, suppressed moans could be heard intermittently...

"You disgusting couple!" Mu Yu Die bit her lower lip and cursed fiercely.

After a long, drawn-out cry, the bush gradually quieted down.

A few minutes later, Shi Yan and Di Ya Lan emerged from the bush, their clothes in disarray.

Shi Yan's footsteps were steady, his expression indifferent, as if nothing had happened.

Di Ya Lan's long hair was dusted with grass, her skin flushed, her beautiful eyes shimmering with passion, and a smile played on her lips.

"Miss Mu, not resting yet?" Shi Yan asked casually, looking up as he approached and saw Mu Yu Die staring at him with disdain.

"Hmph!" Mu Yu Die retorted with a straight face, "Shameless!"

"Oh?" Shi Yan smiled, unconcerned. "Perhaps we won't even see tomorrow's sun, so who cares? It's better to enjoy the moment, why worry so much?"

"Yes, maybe by this time tomorrow, we'll be three corpses. I can't worry about so much," Di Ya Lan said, walking over gracefully, showing only a slight hint of embarrassment.

Hearing them say this, Mu Yu Die was stunned. She seemed to recall their current predicament and didn't know how to retort.

"Sister Lan, focus on your cultivation. Perhaps you can make further progress," Shi Yan said with a knowing smile.

"Mm, I understand." Di Ya Lan's expression stirred, and then she smiled enchantingly, "You really are surprising, hehe!"

With that, Di Ya Lan climbed the ancient tree where Mu Yu Die was, found a densely leaved branch, and sat down. Ignoring Mu Yu Die's puzzled gaze, she began to cultivate peacefully.

Shi Yan did not climb the tree. He sat cross-legged at its base.

Thanks to his intimacy with Di Ya Lan, the negative emotions emanating from his acupoints were completely vented. Most of the strange power that overflowed from his acupoints flowed into his body, nourishing the Martial Soul within him.

Only a small portion, along with his Essence, entered Di Ya Lan's body, benefiting them both.

Closing his eyes, Shi Yan felt the strange power changing his flesh and blood. He slowly circulated his Essence in a Great Heavenly Cycle.

An hour later, Shi Yan sensed that the strange power had completely permeated his flesh and blood. He couldn't help but secretly activate his "Petrifying Martial Soul."

With a thought, his exposed arm began to petrify, gradually turning dark brown.

Dark brown?

Shi Yan suddenly opened his eyes, his pupils bright as stars. He stared at his arm in disbelief, examining it closely.

Dark brown! It was really dark brown!

Shi Yan was so excited he almost wanted to roar to the heavens. At this moment, he finally understood how wonderfully that strange power aided the Martial Soul in his body.