After being reborn, the villain comes with a spoiler tag.

Huo Yu and Long Yucheng did not go far. Their destination was the valley where Huo Yu had swiftly annihilated the two Hou beasts.

Upon stepping into this place again, the once scorching and violent fire elemental energy had vanished, leaving only a deathly stillness like that after a catastrophe.

However, that brief but earth-shattering battle has completely reshaped the landscape here.

The mountain walls on both sides of the valley were once melted into crimson lava by extreme heat, but now they have cooled and solidified into a smooth and dark obsidian shell, reflecting a cold glimmer in the dim light.

The valley floor has completely transformed into a vast, crystal-clear lake, as smooth as a mirror, clearly reflecting the low, lead-gray sky above.

Walking on this enormous mirror, you are stepping on a complete reflection of the sky, surrounded by distorted mountain wall reflections. The boundary between heaven and earth is blurred here, and between reality and illusion, it seems that if you take the wrong step, you will fall into another mirror world.

"Senior brother, why are we going back here?"

Long Yucheng stepped onto the Crystal Mirror Lake with some curiosity. The black and white reflections of the two were clearly reflected in the deep "sky" at his feet, the ink and white contrasting as if they were the boundary between light and shadow.

Huo Yu looked up at him, and the white-clad figure in the mirror also raised his gaze at the same time, silently gazing at the black-clad youth in the reflection.

"Here,"

Huo Yu's voice broke the silence of the mirror world.

"It was the place where I first sensed something unusual about Black Mountain."

Long Yucheng's expression suddenly turned serious, and his relaxed smile vanished instantly.

He immediately focused his mind and held his breath, immersing himself in his senses to carefully examine every flow of energy around him. However, after a few breaths, a hint of confusion and bewilderment appeared on his face:

"...Strange, I didn't notice anything unusual?"

Huo Yu didn't offer any further explanation, but simply turned and walked deeper into the valley. His snow-white robes brushed against the mirror-like surface, drawing a cool, clear arc.

"Come with me."

The two walked side by side on Mirror Lake and soon arrived at the entrance to the lair where they had previously discovered the Hou beast cub.

Led by Huo Yu, Long Yucheng followed him without hesitation into the narrow crevice hidden behind jagged rocks. The passage was extremely cramped at first, but gradually widened as they went further in.

Before long, the view opened up before them, and the two found themselves in a rather spacious natural cave.

"Something does seem off here."

Long Yucheng stopped beside Huo Yu and cautiously surveyed the interior of the spacious cave.

The surrounding rock walls had a charred, blackened appearance, as if scorched by long-term high temperatures, and a faint smell of sulfur filled the air. However, behind this seemingly ordinary scene, he keenly sensed an inexplicable sense of disharmony.

That feeling was elusive and elusive, causing Long Yucheng to frown slightly, trying to grasp that glimmer of inspiration:

"But I can't quite put my finger on what's wrong."

Huo Yu also silently surveyed his surroundings, his gaze calm.

The last time he came to this place, he was preoccupied with Long Yucheng, who was gradually approaching him, and with Chi Shao present, he had no intention of exploring the surroundings in depth.

Now, returning to this place, Huo Yu almost immediately sensed that strange feeling again—

A subtle aura, which he could not describe precisely in words but was certain he had never felt anywhere else, was silently permeating every inch of the cave's air.

Long Yucheng pondered for a moment, then his eyes suddenly lit up, as if he had thought of something:

"Right, hasn't it always lived here? Maybe it knows something!"

Before he finished speaking, the silver beast-taming ring on his wrist began to glow faintly.

The next moment, a fawn-like beast cub covered in dark red scales suddenly appeared in the open space between the two.

The little Hou beast, which had completely become Long Yucheng's spirit pet, sensed the suppression of the source energy from its side as soon as it appeared, and instinctively tried to crawl down in Huo Yu's direction.

Long Yucheng chuckled and reached out, pulling it close to him. They stared at each other, and he tried to communicate with it through his divine sense.

However, after trying for a while, he finally had no choice but to put the little guy back on the ground, looking at Huo Yu with a hint of frustration:

"No... It might understand what I mean, but I can't decipher the message it's trying to convey at all."

Upon hearing this, Huo Yu's gaze also fell on the Hou beast cub that had immediately shrunk behind Long Yucheng as soon as it was put down.

Under Huo Yu's calm gaze, the little beast trembled even more violently, its scales standing on end, and a faint, fearful whimper escaped its throat.

It seemed to have gone through a brief but intense internal struggle, its limbs constantly digging and scratching at the ground. Finally, as if it had made up its mind, it started running towards the center of the nest.

"what?"

Upon seeing this, Long Yucheng's eyes immediately lit up with surprise.

The young Hou beast quickly ran to a seemingly ordinary stone wall before stopping, turning to look at the two of them, and letting out two short "howls," as if calling them over.

Huo Yu and Long Yucheng exchanged a glance, and the young man in black couldn't help but chuckle:

"I spent so much time trying to communicate, but it turns out that it was not as effective as a single look from my senior brother."

A faint smile flashed across Huo Yu's eyes. Without saying anything, he strode toward the stone wall indicated by the Hou beast.

As the beast approached, it nimbly darted behind Long Yucheng, peeking out only half its head, nervously observing Huo Yu's actions.

Huo Yu scanned the spot where it had been with his divine sense and discovered a crack at the junction of the ground and the rock wall.

The rift was exceptionally narrow, too narrow even for a small Hou beast cub to pass through. However, upon closer inspection, it could be sensed that it connected to another unknown space.

Huo Yu's demonic power instantly began to gather, and he was preparing to break through the stone wall with his force.

"Senior brother, wait!"

Long Yucheng stepped in front of him first, his expression serious and determined.

"I wonder what's hidden behind this. Let me lead the charge."

Huo Yu's gaze lingered on the young man's face for a moment. Seeing that he had made up his mind, he nodded slightly and agreed to let him take action.

However, the demonic power gathered around Huo Yu did not dissipate; instead, it became even more concentrated, like a bowstring drawn but not released, ready to deal with any threat that might emerge the moment the stone wall broke open.

A flash of light appeared in Long Yucheng's hand, and a long sword was already in his grasp, but it was not the Shadowless Sword he usually used.

This sword has a long blade and a deep, restrained azure color. Most remarkably, there are neat, scale-like patterns on the blade – this is the same sword Wufeng that Long Yucheng obtained from the ruins of the ancient immortal realm.