Zi Linling's expression turned serious. "You're taking me to the Demon Seal Land. Aren't you afraid your people will blame you?"
Shi Jian shook his head. "My people are fair-minded. As long as you don't release the demon, they won't trouble me, at most they'll just nag me a bit."
However, thinking of his father and the elders' incessant chattering, a trace of fear flashed in Shi Jian's eyes.
From Zi Linling's vantage point, she caught that flicker of fear.
She found it amusing.
She hadn't expected this stone giant, who stood over three meters tall, to have moments of fear.
But, such an expression made Shi Jian look rather cute.
That's right! Cute!
Even though "cute" might not be a word usually associated with a giant over three meters tall.
But at this moment, "cute" was the only word Zi Linling could think of.
She tried to maintain a calm tone. "Then let's go!"
Of course, Zi Linling had no intention of letting Shi Jian guide her for free.
Once Shi Jian brought her to the Demon Seal Land, she would offer compensation of equal value.
Shi Jian nodded and said, "Come up!"
He pointed to the collar around his neck.
The meaning was clear: he wanted Zi Linling to ride on his neck.
Just as Zi Linling was about to refuse, she heard Shi Jian say, "It's a long way to the Demon Seal Land, and I'm quite fast on foot, so you should come up, and I'll carry you!"
He finished speaking in one breath, and a faint blush appeared on his face.
Due to the height difference and the lighting, Zi Linling didn't notice.
Zi Linling hesitated for a moment, then finally nodded and hopped onto Shi Jian's shoulders, riding on his neck.
Although she could keep up with Shi Jian using her Phantom Dragon Step, it was a highly draining technique for both spirit energy and stamina.
No one knew what awaited them at the Demon Seal Land, so she needed to conserve enough spirit energy and stamina to deal with any unexpected situations.
She had a feeling that a great battle awaited her at the Demon Seal Land.
Therefore, riding on Shi Jian's neck, while somewhat awkward, was the best way to preserve her combat strength.
Zi Linling took a deep breath, dispelling the awkwardness in her heart, and said, "Let's go!"
Shi Jian nodded. "Hold on tight, I'm going to go full speed!"
The blush on his face became more pronounced, but due to the angle, Zi Linling couldn't see it.
It had to be said that the phrase "tall and strong" was a perfect fit for Shi Jian.
Shi Jian began to run at high speed, his movement creating a gust of wind.
With every stride, he kicked up clouds of dust, creating a sandstorm in his wake.
Zi Linling's ears were filled only with the whistling wind and Shi Jian's thundering footsteps.
Shi Jian sprinted forward, each step covering two to three meters, his speed not much slower than Zi Linling's Phantom Dragon Step.
After a moment of surprise, Zi Linling closed her eyes, focusing on recovering the stamina and spirit energy she had lost during their previous battle.
Shi Jian maintained this rapid pace for three days, and finally, a valley appeared before them.
Zi Linling's sense of danger intensified as they approached the valley.
She jumped down from Shi Jian's shoulder and, accompanied by him, walked into the valley with a frown.
With every step she took, the oppressive feeling in her heart increased.
It was fortunate that Zi Linling had honed her body and will through numerous trials on the Heaven Ascending Stairway, otherwise, this oppressive feeling alone would have suffocated her.
Within the valley, all the land was black, resembling an ancient forest that had just been ravaged by fire.
There was no sign of life here, and the silence was eerie.
Wisps of demonic energy permeated the valley.
This demonic energy carried an extremely chilling aura that made Zi Linling feel profoundly uncomfortable.
Above the valley, a transparent barrier shimmered.
Any demonic energy that rose to that point was contained within the barrier, not a single wisp escaping.
Zi Linling's attention was focused on the demonic energy in the air, so she didn't notice Shi Jian, who was beside her, glancing around.
Shi Jian looked curious, seemingly unaffected.
The deeper they ventured into the valley, the denser the demonic energy became.
Unbeknownst to her, memories of the original host's twelve years of suffering surfaced in Zi Linling's mind.
A feeling of unyielding grievance and sorrow inexplicably welled up within her. Then, a spark of anger ignited in her heart, and a sliver of killing intent emanated from her body.
Shi Jian, who was beside her, was startled by the aura of anger and bloodlust radiating from her, and he quickly asked, "What's wrong?"
Zi Linling jolted back to awareness, her body drenched in cold sweat.
Her previous state was clearly influenced by the demonic energy.
Even she had fallen prey to it; this demonstrated how terrifying the Demon Seal Land was.
Hearing the concern in Shi Jian's voice, Zi Linling shook her head apologetically. "I'm fine!"
Shi Jian lowered his head and gazed at Zi Linling for a moment before asking uncertainly, "Are you really alright?"
Zi Linling looked up, her eyes meeting Shi Jian's large, ox-like orbs.
She noticed a clarity in his eyes, devoid of any unusual emotions.
To her surprise, she nodded. "I'm fine! Are you?"
Shi Jian patted his sturdy chest proudly. "What could possibly be wrong with me!"
Zi Linling suddenly understood.
During their previous battle, she had discovered that Shi Jian couldn't sense divine consciousness or soul power.
At the time, she had found it odd. How could such a powerful member of the Stone Tribe lack such a sense?
Now she understood. The Stone Tribe had always guarded this place of exile. While they had other duties, guarding against demons was part of their mission.
Demonic energy could affect people's souls, causing negative emotions to fester.
Since the Stone Tribe lacked the ability to perceive souls and divine consciousness, they wouldn't be affected by the demonic energy.
Therefore, it was likely that the Stone Tribe wasn't naturally without this perception, but rather it had been stripped away.
Upon realizing this, Zi Linling was startled.
Such a powerful race, having their perception stripped away so silently, indicated the immense power of the perpetrator!
And the only being powerful enough to make the Stone Tribe willingly accept their fate, besides their revered god, was no one else Zi Linling could think of.
However, she didn't voice her thoughts. Regardless of whether it was true, it was likely a secret of the Stone Tribe, something an outsider like herself shouldn't inquire about.
Zi Linling collected her thoughts and retrieved the Heaven and Earth Demonic Pearl from her colorful space. Then, she said to Shi Jian, "Since you're fine, let's continue forward!"