The younger brother subconsciously picked up the bead.
The bead felt cold in his hand, and he couldn't tell what material it was made of.
Its surface was very smooth, without a trace of bloodstains.
The younger brother studied the bead carefully for a long time but couldn't figure anything out.
There were no fluctuations in spiritual energy, so it shouldn't be any kind of cultivation material.
Could it be... a defensive magical artifact?
Thinking of this, the younger brother quickly injected a bit of his true energy into the bead.
As the true energy flowed in, a series of virtual images appeared above the bead—it was the entire process from Duan Minggui's appearance to his death!
"So it's a recording device..." The younger brother was greatly disappointed. "Now that he's dead, what use is this thing... I was just cannon fodder back then..."
Suddenly, he thought of something!
While he couldn't avenge himself with his current abilities, others could!
His gang leader's elder brother was an important member of the Heavenly Eagle Gang, and it was rumored that he would soon be admitted into the Lingxiao Hall!
If he presented the corpse and this bead, wouldn't that be a great contribution!
This was his chance to climb the ladder!
After securing the bead and Duan Minggui's corpse, he hurried away.
As for the other corpses on the ground, he didn't even spare them a glance...
Meanwhile.
Riding on the back of the Kevan Beast, Huang Huihong and the Hong Ying sisters felt their hearts pounding.
In fact, after obtaining the Black Soul Grass, they had already planned to leave.
They were self-aware and knew that the three of them were not qualified to explore further.
There was also their fear of Ye Fan...
Although Ye Fan seemed to have no ill intentions, in their eyes, Ye Fan was already equated with a terrifying powerhouse!
Especially the pill he had taken out earlier.
Even though they couldn't understand what it was, the fluctuation of true energy and the refreshing aroma alone indicated it was definitely a high-level item!
It was so advanced that they would never have the chance to even dream of possessing it in their lifetimes!
Someone who could casually produce such things for a demonic beast must have unfathomable reserves!
Even if the other party seemed harmless, staying near such a being still filled them with immense nervousness and fear...
When Ye Fan casually said "Let's go" before they departed, they mistook it as a command from Ye Fan.
When a powerful being commands, how could they dare not obey...
Perhaps...
Following along to broaden their horizons wouldn't be bad...
The three could only comfort themselves this way.
As they flew, the Kevan Beast tried to turn its head to look at Ye Fan.
More accurately, it wanted to look at the pill Ye Fan had taken out earlier...
"Slap!"
Ye Fan swatted its head. "Focus on flying, be careful not to crash!"
The Kevan Beast could only obediently turn its head back, its large eyes filled with grievance.
"Bao wu... Bao wu..."
It cried out mournfully, shedding a large stream of tears...
It looked like a child longing for candy but fearing being tricked by an adult...
Around five in the afternoon, the Kevan Beast landed in front of a large hall.
As soon as Ye Fan and the others dismounted, the Kevan Beast immediately nuzzled Ye Fan with its head.
While nuzzling, it kept crying "Bao wu..."
"Alright, alright, I won't tease you anymore." Ye Fan chuckled, took out a pill, and stuffed it into the Kevan Beast's beak.
"Bao wu—!"
The Kevan Beast's feathers bristled with excitement. It snatched the pill and shot off like an arrow!
Watching the Kevan Beast fly away, the little demon girl's eyes were filled with reluctance.
Uncontrollable tears flowed slowly down the corners of her mouth...
"Sniffle..."
"This is it..." Looking at the grand hall not far ahead, Ye Fan couldn't help but sigh.
This was the most important location in the entire ruins, and where Master Xie Yan had made his last stop!
The hall appeared to be quite large, about a hundred zhang in length and width.
The most striking feature was the raging flames surrounding the hall.
Black flames!
According to the records in the handwritten notes from the ghost cultivator's den, Master Xie Yan's last appearance was tens of thousands of years ago.
For a full ten thousand years, these black flames had been burning fiercely without any sign of subsiding!
Their terrifying power was evident!
Moreover, these flames not only possessed no heat but also emitted waves of chilling, evil aura.
Even the little demon girl, with her most formidable cultivation, began to feel uncomfortable.
"These flames are so strange, and they feel very evil..." the little demon girl said, moving closer to Ye Fan.
It was simply too cold!
At first, she hadn't felt anything.
But in such a short time, she had started shivering!
It was a coldness that penetrated to the bone, making her feel as if her entire soul was about to freeze solid!
Perhaps, in her subconscious, only Ye Fan's warm chest could dispel this chilling cold...
If the little demon girl was like this, there was no need to mention Huang Huihong and the Hong Ying sisters.
The three of them collapsed to the ground, curled up into balls...
In addition to the cold, these flames also emitted an extremely unsettling aura.
It was the feeling of the purest evil...
An boundless fear inexplicably surged in the hearts of the three, instantly amplified to the extreme!
They could barely even think now.
Their trembling was merely a physical, instinctive reaction...
Actually, all of this was within Ye Fan's expectations.
Ever since he had seen the book in the attic interlayer, Ye Fan's estimation of Master Xie Yan's power had increased by several notches.
Being able to obtain ink infused with the leaves of the World Tree was no longer a matter of luck!
What truly surprised him were the reactions of Shanjī and Xiāngjiāo Jūn—the two brothers were currently clinging to each other and trembling vigorously.
Although these two had impure bloodlines, they were descendants of the Vermilion Bird and the Tree of Life.
Even with diluted bloodlines and insufficient cultivation, this reaction was a bit too much.
Flames casually thrown out tens of thousands of years ago could reach this level...
It seemed he had underestimated this "Squinty Grandpa" before...
Moreover, the black, evil flames gave Ye Fan a faint sense of familiarity...
"Waaaaaaahhhhhhhh—!"
The system's ghostly wail sounded in Ye Fan's mind without any warning.
It startled Ye Fan so much that he almost shivered...
[Energy! So much, so much, so much energy!!!]
[Mine, all mine—!]
[I'm rich, I'm rich—!]
...
By the end, its voice even cracked.
Golden light shot out from Ye Fan's forehead, connecting to the Xie Yan flames ahead.
The black Xie Yan flames, along with the golden light, flew back into Ye Fan's forehead.
Ye Fan felt a sensation of alternating heat and cold in his head, like some kind of ice-and-fire dual heaven...
He knew this was a physical reaction caused by too much energy flooding in at once.
Fortunately, he was a monster with abnormally strong mental fortitude.
If it were the little demon girl or others, they would have exploded on the spot...
[Mwahaha, this feels so good!]
[Energy replenishment in progress, current progress 65%...]
[You lazy bum, you've finally done something useful this time!]
[Energy replenishment in progress, current progress 130%... sizzle...]
The system's emotional, anthropomorphic girl voice and mechanical voice alternated, occasionally accompanied by the crackling sound of short-circuiting electrical appliances...