Upon the spatial grand array stone platform, crafted from Phantasmal Crystal, lines of starlight intertwined into a net, shimmering brilliantly at every intersection, dazzling the eye.

Suddenly, a halo of five-colored light emerged from the stone platform, and within it, a figure gradually shifted from indistinctness to clarity, as if rising from a water reflection into reality, until it was fully manifested.

Shi Yan, who had been sitting quietly for a long time, suddenly opened his eyes, focusing intently on the newcomer, and frowned, "You are a bit late."

Shang Chen smiled nonchalantly, "Yue'er is about to break through to the Primal God Realm. As her father, I naturally must guard her carefully. If it weren't for the message you transmitted, I would still be watching her and wouldn't have rushed to appear."

"It seems the tempering in the Wasteland had a profound impact on her cultivation. She obtained many rare treasures there, and her will has also become much more resilient. She has a completely new understanding of the profound meanings of Frost and Lightning. Breaking through is only natural." Hearing Shang Yingyue mentioned, Shi Yan's expression softened, and a gentle look entered his eyes.

When he contended with Hansen for the Origin Fruit, his Void Realm was nearly incinerated to ash by Hansen's Blazing Karma Fire. At that time, Shang Yingyue and Cecilia had fearlessly attempted to help him.

Regrettably, both were targeted by the Wasteland and struck down by two streaks of lightning, like falling stars, plummeting from the sky and immediately sustaining heavy injuries.

The actions of Cecilia and Shang Yingyue deeply moved him, warming his heart. He, who initially hadn't felt profound affection for Shang Yingyue and Cecilia, gradually began to form a new perspective on them.

Shang Chen keenly perceived the subtle shift in his expression and his heart sank, inwardly cursing the entanglement.

He never wanted Shang Yingyue to become entangled with Shi Yan. He understood Shi Yan's danger better than anyone, knowing that the path Shi Yan walked was one of no return. Unless he overcame every obstacle and succeeded, the myriad hardships along the way were enough to shatter his soul ten thousand times over.

He did not wish for women to grieve and weep over this, nor did he want the Anliya family to be implicated.

Struggles of that magnitude concerned the future structure of the universe; he could not even fathom them. Naturally, he did not want his own kin to suffer misfortune alongside Shi Yan.

"You came looking for me because of your great-grandfather, right?" Shang Chen calmed down and said gravely.

"I have found the Seven-Colored Ghost Flower," Shi Yan nodded.

"Your great-grandfather is sealed by me in the extreme cold glaciers of the Sinister Northern Domain. Shall we leave now?"

"I will point out the direction, and you pave the way. If you take me across the spatial domains with you, our speed will be much greater. I can also take the opportunity to brief you on the current situation in the Maya Star Domain."

"Good."

Shang Chen continuously indicated directions, and Shi Yan, using divine power as the foundation, rapidly constructed spatial bridges, carrying Shang Chen through continuous traversals, covering hundreds of millions of miles in an instant, spanning star after star.

Along the way, Shang Chen meticulously recounted the situation in the Maya Star Domain: the domineering invasion of the God Clan, as if entering an uninhabited land, until Liana led the counterattack of the Demon and Fiend Clans, gradually leading to the God Clan dispatching reinforcements, and the massive rout suffered by the Medicine Pavilion, War Alliance, Divine Light, and numerous other factions... Shang Chen's narration was detailed, as if witnessing each scene firsthand, with hardly any omissions.

Shi Yan listened quietly, his face grim. When they passed by Stars of Life, he would release his divine sense to investigate briefly.

All the Stars of Life were eerily silent. On the stars displaying strong life fluctuations, most were garrisoned by members of the God Clan.

Time silently slipped away.

One day, he and Shang Chen appeared in the far northern reaches of the Maya Star Domain, landing on an ice-bound star. From the outside, this star appeared as a colossal ball of ice, radiating an aura of extreme cold.

Upon reaching the surface of the star, one would discover that numerous glaciers dotted the icy, glittering land, undulating like forests of icy swords, imparting an intensely chilling sensation.

Shang Chen led Shi Yan to a remote glacier, carved into its depths, delving to the core of the ice mass to dismantle the various seals he had personally laid.

In the center of a blue-ice crystal, a gaunt figure, skeletal and bloodied, was revealed—it was none other than Yang Qingdi.

He had been frozen for many years; his bones, flesh, meridians, and even the altar of his mind within his sea of consciousness were frozen. His life force seemed extinguished, resembling a fossil encased in ice for ages.

"Give me that Seven-Colored Ghost Flower," Shang Chen reached out.

Shi Yan unhesitatingly retrieved the rare treasure he had obtained from Mia.

Holding the Seven-Colored Ghost Flower, Shang Chen’s expression tightened. His arm passed effortlessly through the frozen crystal, and he thrust the demonic flower, shaped like a woman's face, directly toward Yang Qingdi’s brow. The demonic flower instantly turned icy-blue and quietly shrank, smoothly sinking into the mark on Yang Qingdi’s forehead.

That mark was unmistakably a blood-red insignia, the unique marking of the Bloodthirsty lineage.

As soon as the Ghost Flower entered Yang Qingdi's mind, his frozen Sea of Consciousness erupted violently. Innumerable minute Corruption Soul Aphids let out despairing, low cries, terrified and anxious to escape.

Ying ying ying!

The Ghost Flower, within Yang Qingdi’s mind, sounded like a woman weeping, a sound capable of tearing the heart.

Surprisingly, those countless tiny Corruption Soul Aphids became utterly stiff, their minute bodies shattered by the weeping sound, their weak souls obliterated before they could muster any resistance.

As it cried, the Ghost Flower seemed to burn its energy, slowly shrinking and melting into a milky-white essence that flowed into Yang Qingdi’s altar. This essence had the miraculous effect of purging the tiny corpses of the Corruption Soul Aphids...

Green, bloody filth suddenly streamed from Yang Qingdi’s seven orifices; his eyes, nostrils, lips, and ears were streaked with blood. The minute remains of the Corruption Soul Aphids were amidst this green effluent, and billions of toxic spores were cleared away. Yang Qingdi's chaotic and muddled consciousness gradually regained its emotional coherence.

His Soul Altar slowly rotated, and the profound meaning of the Despair Realm rapidly ascended. Having endured this catastrophe, his cultivation achieved another astonishing breakthrough.

Kala!

The ice crystal dissolved, dripping droplets of clear water. Soon, Yang Qingdi’s wretchedly injured divine body was exposed.

"It will take him a considerable amount of time to recover; his physical injuries are too severe," Shang Chen said to Shi Yan. "Although he possesses the bloodline of the Undead Demon Race, giving him terrifying divine body recovery capabilities, his demonic blood is finite. The healing of his divine body requires accumulation of sufficient demonic blood—he is far behind you in this aspect."

"It's fine, I will help him recover quickly."

A sharply angled stone silently materialized in Shi Yan’s palm. The stone shone with the brilliant beauty of a ruby, releasing astonishing fluctuations of blood qi, with wisps of crimson threads drifting out from it.

Shi Yan pressed the blood-red stone onto the back of Yang Qingdi’s left hand. Blood flowed profusely on Yang Qingdi’s hand, where a single drop of demonic blood was struggling to repair the internal injuries...

As soon as the Blood Essence Stone landed on Yang Qingdi’s hand, it instantly connected with his bloodline. Countless drifting blood threads, like vibrant red hair, coiled around Yang Qingdi’s body. In a mere few breaths, Yang Qingdi was enveloped by the blood-red threads.

He was encased in a blood cocoon.

Surging flesh and blood essence rapidly generated; the blood cocoon was extraordinarily saturated with blood qi, equivalent to the entirety of a Primal God Realm expert’s flesh and blood essence.

"Blood Essence Stone!"

Shang Chen exclaimed in shock, then nodded secretly. He knew that Yang Qingdi's complete recovery had just become simple.

The Blood Essence Stone is a supreme treasure of the Undead Demon Race; it can rapidly condense Undead Demonic Blood. This is a wondrous object countless times more precious than the Undying Grass. If a member of the Undead Demon Race possesses the Blood Essence Stone, unless all their demonic blood is refined away, they might even achieve resurrection from death!

Let alone merely recovering from injuries.

Shang Chen ceased worrying about Yang Qingdi, his expression turning stern. "I have explained the situation in the Maya Star Domain clearly. What are you planning to do?"

"...What to do." Shi Yan pondered, his tone grave. "Naturally, I must resist. Do you have any good suggestions?"

The heavenly energy on the Divine Grace Continent was rapidly replenishing, but the continent had been depleted for too long. Restoring it to a state suitable for Primal God Realm cultivation would still take several years—it was somewhat difficult. Temporarily, he could not move his family and friends again.

If he had a few more decades or a century, the Divine Grace Continent would become like an ordinary Star of Life, suitable for the cultivation of most warriors. A century later, the heavenly energy of the Divine Grace Continent would continue to surge, making it a cultivation ground coveted by warriors across the universe, second only to the Wasteland. At that time, the Divine Grace Continent would bring him unimaginable benefits, meaning all those connected to him would receive heavenly blessings on the Divine Grace Continent.

But not yet.

"The native forces of the Maya Star Domain have been crushed by the God Clan, even their fighting spirit has been lost. Of course, their true strength was also inferior to the three great families," Shang Chen stated matter-of-factly. "Barring any accidents, the main forces of the Maya Star Domain will be purged, and the star domain will be forcibly occupied by the God Clan, just as the God Clan has invaded other star domains."

Shi Yan remained silent, knowing Shang Chen's words were true.

"You should start leveraging your influence," Shang Chen suddenly advised.

"My influence?" Shi Yan was taken aback.

"Exactly, your influence as 'Shi Yan'!" Shang Chen’s gaze was peculiar. "Do you realize how resounding your name is in the major star domains now?"

Shi Yan grew even more confused.

"Sha Jiu is a rising star of the Gu God Sect, the predetermined future leader of the sect. His journey into the Wasteland was his final tempering. As long as he emerges alive, Sha Jiu will be the future leader of the Gu God Sect, and the Gu God Sect is the number one power in the Wudong Star Domain—even the God Clan dares not provoke them easily!"

"The brothers Jiao Shan and Jiao Hai are sons of the Jiao Family Patriarch. The Jiao Family is the true overlord of the Sirius Star Domain. If Jiao Shan and Jiao Hai emerge alive, the future Patriarch of the Jiao Family will certainly be chosen from among them!"

"Wu Feng and Wu Bai are direct descendants of the Wu Family in the Mote Star Domain. Simply entering the Wasteland shows their status within the family; they are certain future leaders of the Wu Family."

"Mo Di is the biological grandson of Black River Old Monster from the Black River Star Domain. Black River Old Monster is the true ruler of the Black River Star Domain; his disciples are everywhere—Black River Old Monster is the brand."

"Fulle..."

Shang Chen looked deeply at him, naming one person after another, detailing the identity behind each name.

"Sha Jiu, Jiao Shan, Jiao Hai, Wu Feng, Wu Bai, Mo Di, Fulle, and the others represent the major powerful star domains of the universe. Without you, they should have been wiped out by the God Clan members in the Wasteland. Now, they have emerged alive, earned recognition from their families, and possess significant voice. And the God Clan has provoked these factions into mutual hostility..."

He paused, then smiled, "Most importantly, they are all looking for you. Sha Jiu, Jiao Shan, Wu Feng, Mo Di, and the others are all searching for you through their respective channels. After exiting the Wasteland, it seems... they still consider you their leader in their hearts."

Shi Yan stood there, stunned.