Another hour passed before Feng Wang finally emerged from the gaps in the wilted vines. It flapped its wings rapidly, tracing a complex pattern in front of Xie Zhaolin.
She frowned slightly.
The message from Feng Wang was clear—the teleportation array was completely destroyed, and the original path leading to the cliff top had been entirely altered. There was no way out.
Mo Yan slumped against the rock wall, watching Feng Wang's movements, his face twitching with frustration.
Xie Zhaolin's gaze fell on him, suddenly realizing something crucial—since Mo Yan had restored his Golden Core stage cultivation, it wasn't impossible for him to just fly her out of here. But when she looked up at the cavern ceiling, dense, wilted vines formed a massive net, sealing it completely.
Mo Yan immediately understood her intent. Dark-gray demonic qi condensed in his palms into a massive blade, slashing hard at the cavern ceiling.
Boom!
The deafening impact echoed, yet the seemingly withered vines didn't budge an inch, not even leaving a scratch!
Mo Yan's pupils constricted. Refusing to believe it, he swung again. This time he gave it full power, the demonic qi almost solidifying into a tangible sword.
Bang!
Even stronger impacts followed, but the vines remained intact. Instead, Mo Yan felt the recoil numb his hands, almost losing grip of the blade.
"This…" Mo Yan was shocked. With his Golden Core cultivation, he couldn't damage these seemingly lifeless plants?
Refusing to give up, he shifted techniques, turning the demonic qi into dozens of sharp spears, striking from multiple angles.
Still, nothing changed.
Xie Zhaolin watched quietly from below, a glint of understanding in her eyes. The toughness of these vines was exactly like that of the strange black orb.
Mo Yan panted heavily, returning to the ground. Defeated, he said, "Master, these vines…"
"I see them," Xie Zhaolin interrupted calmly. "No need to try further."
Her gaze shifted to the black metallic orb. Since the vines shared the same material, the key to breaking them had to be here. At least, since outside forces couldn't destroy them, this place was safe for now. Any danger beyond Golden Core stage wouldn't reach them, and as for Nascent Soul experts—if they really showed up, escape wouldn't be an option.
Better to focus on studying the strange black orb.
Xie Zhaolin was almost certain it had some connection to the Rebirth Flower, but Mo Yan knew nothing, leaving her to explore alone. She tried storing the orb in her storage ring, but it wouldn't fit. It seemed this strange thing could only exist exposed, refusing any form of confinement.
Resigned, she decided to study it on the spot.
Sitting cross-legged, she placed the orb before her, probing with baleful qi, spiritual energy, and divine sense in turn. All attempts vanished like water into sand—the black metallic surface seemed bottomless, swallowing every probe.
With nothing to discover for now, Xie Zhaolin turned to cultivation. She had been suppressing her power, and this was the perfect chance to break through mid-Foundation stage. In this strange cavern, strengthening herself was priority.
Time flew during cultivation, and three days passed in a blink. Sweat beaded her forehead, her brows furrowed occasionally. The breakthrough brought familiar pain, but surprisingly, it was no worse than when she first broke through Foundation stage, far less unbearable than expected.
This only confirmed her suspicion—the Rebirth Flower's power was linked to this black orb.
Two more days passed.
Click.
With a soft sound, the last barrier inside her shattered.
Mid-Foundation stage—done!
"Congratulations, Master, on your breakthrough!" Mo Yan hurried over to celebrate.
Xie Zhaolin nodded lightly, her gaze falling on the silent black orb. The surge from her breakthrough hadn't stirred it at all. She sighed quietly, taking a few pills to stabilize her realm.
Mo Yan stepped back, keeping watch, secretly amazed. A fifteen-year-old reaching mid-Foundation stage, even among gifted demons, was a rare prodigy. He glanced at Xie Zhaolin, resting and regulating her energy. Her calm face, her flowing spiritual energy—it didn't look like she had just broken through. Such stability rivaled cultivators who'd trained for centuries.
"No wonder she cultivated the Xuanyin Foundation Technique as a mortal…" Mo Yan thought bitterly.
He remembered when he broke through mid-Foundation stage—he was thirty-five, already a top talent among demons. He almost went mad and had to meditate half a year to stabilize. And this girl, only fifteen, could immediately enter energy regulation. That composure, that talent…
"The human race can really produce freaks like this…" he thought, then shook his head. What were human and demon races when faced with absolute talent? Ridiculous.
Days passed, turning into half a month.
The black orb remained motionless, as still as a chunk of ordinary metal.
Mo Yan grew anxious, pacing the cavern and trying repeatedly to find a way out, but the vines blocked every path. Xie Zhaolin stayed calm, her days split between cultivation and studying the orb. Since escape wasn't an option, worry was useless. Better to use this rare quiet to improve herself.
Two months flew by.
Xie Zhaolin's cultivation fully stabilized at mid-Foundation stage, Mo Yan's injuries healed, and his Golden Core stage power was fully restored.
Even better, the five beast souls showed noticeable improvement in intelligence. Though their cultivation hadn't grown much, their combat awareness and coordination reached new heights, boosting overall battle power significantly.
One day, Xie Zhaolin was cultivating as usual in the cavern.
Thump—
A faint but clear sound reached her ears.
She snapped her eyes open, frowning. Tilting her head to listen, she only heard the usual dripping of water.
"Just my imagination?" she murmured, lightly rubbing her knees, about to resume meditation.
Thump.
Again.
This time she heard it clearly—it came from the black orb, silent for so long!
Xie Zhaolin couldn't help but stand and walk slowly toward it. As she approached, the thumping grew louder, stronger. An inexplicable impulse urged her to reach out, her hand slowly moving toward the orb.
"Master, watch out!" Mo Yan shouted, but it was too late.
The moment her fingers touched the orb, a powerful suction erupted!
Her palm stuck fast, and she was pulled uncontrollably toward the orb!