At the prow of a streamlined, fish-like warship, Potter looked grave, murmuring questions repeatedly.

Potter, the Grand Leader of the Flowing Light, held absolute authority within that alliance; the other leaders deferred to his every command. He was arguably the most powerful figure in the Illusory Mist Starfield, possessing the Triple Heaven of the Progenitor God realm, his reputation stretching far and wide.

Yet now, Potter was beset by a pounding headache.

His subordinate warriors were equally frazzled, each furiously tapping their communication stones, demanding clarity on the situation.

Potter had originally been stationed at the Flowing Light headquarters, deep in solitary cultivation, but the sudden upheaval in the Sea of Realms had forced him to rush over via an emergency spatial secret array.

The situation in the Sea of Realms was extremely anomalous!

Recently, an increasing number of warships had appeared within the Sea of Realms, each one bristling with warriors from various races, whose imposing presence and murderous intent were palpable.

Upon hearing this, Potter could not sit still. He immediately rushed over in person, summoning all the major leaders of Flowing Light to understand precisely what was occurring.

"Haven't they been identified yet?" Potter roared.

Fulang, the Flowing Light executive specifically responsible for intelligence gathering, snapped to attention. "We have confirmed quite a few by now," he reported hastily. "There are warships from the Wu Family of the Mort Starfield, the Gu God Cult warships from the Wu Dong Starfield, the Jiao Family vessels from the Sirius Starfield, and those belonging to the Black Wind Old Monster from the Black River Starfield. Furthermore, the Earth Sect from the Tu Mou Starfield is present, led personally by Young Master Fuller, and also..."

With every name Fulang uttered, Potter’s complexion shifted. The other leaders of the Flowing Light factions grew equally grim.

The Wu Family of the Mort Starfield, the Gu God Cult of the Wu Dong Starfield, the Jiao Family of the Sirius Starfield, the Earth Sect of the Tu Mou Starfield, the Black Wind Old Monster of the Black River Starfield—this roster practically encompassed the most formidable powers in the cosmos.

While Flowing Light was certainly robust, compared to these forces, they were still considerably inferior. Hearing the sheer magnitude of the incoming coalition left every high-ranking Flowing Light member feeling heavy-hearted.

"Damn it all!" Potter ran a hand through his hair in frustration. "Why would they all converge on our Sea of Realms simultaneously? Could it be... they have designs on our Illusory Mist Starfield? Impossible. I received no prior indication, nor have we committed any acts that would incite such universal wrath."

Everyone wore expressions of utter misery.

"Their fleet numbers are vast—hundreds of ships for each faction, tens of thousands of powerful warriors, with numerous experts at the Origin God, Void God, and Progenitor God realms," Fulang looked on the verge of tears. "With the strength of our Illusory Mist Starfield, I fear... we cannot hold them off. This combined force might even possess the capability to breach the Ancient God Starfield."

All the Flowing Light elites were consumed by terror.

"We cannot just wait for annihilation. Although they have made no aggressive moves yet, we must ascertain the situation first," Potter deliberated for a long moment, then stated gravely, "I will personally seek audience with them. You make the arrangements."

"Understood, my Lord!" Fulang acknowledged.

He immediately retrieved his communication stone and transmitted a brief message. Many Flowing Light warriors mobilized, boarding transports and drawing alongside the enemy warships, requesting parley with the spokespersons.

Half an hour slipped by in anxious waiting.

The Flowing Light leadership grew increasingly restless.

Fulang suddenly looked up, his expression bewildered, as he relayed to Potter, "They... they claim they are merely passing through and will not linger. They also stated they do not wish to waste time in dialogue with us."

"Passing through?!"

The assembly gasped in surprise, all wearing expressions of total incomprehension. "Passing through for what purpose?"

The scale of the Illusory Mist Starfield’s Sea of Realms was not among the universe's greatest. Compared to the Seas of Realms in the Mort, Wu Dong, or Tu Mou Starfields, the traversable void channels were limited; virtually every spatial route available to the Illusory Mist Starfield was also available to those other domains.

Potter simply could not fathom what route they needed to pass through by gathering here; he instinctively felt it was merely an excuse.

Until... a fluctuation resonated through the unique communication stone in his hand.

Potter’s expression sharpened. Gazing at the beautiful amber glow, he instantly adopted a serious demeanor. "Senior Sossia!"

At the mention of that name, every current high-ranking member of Flowing Light recoiled in shock, their faces instantly contorted with reverence as they listened intently.

"Potter, don't make such a fuss. The warships from the various starfields are indeed not targeting us at Flowing Light," Sossia, the grandmother of Shang Yingyue, spoke faintly. "Temporarily suppress any news leaks; they are traversing our Sea of Realms to borrow passage toward the Maya Starfield. Since we are geographically close to Maya, that is their justification. Whatever you do, do not act rashly and invite disaster upon Flowing Light."

The minds of the many Flowing Light powerhouses were reeling.

"What is everyone's view on Senior Sossia's assessment?" Potter suddenly felt a wave of relief.

The others exchanged glances, unanimously pledging adherence to the Senior's instructions, affirming their belief that Sossia would never mislead them.

"Then so be it. Everyone seal the news, provide them every convenience, and avoid instigating conflict," Potter commanded.

The assembly readily agreed.

In a secret chamber of the central palace on Cloudwater Star.

Rods of Ice Soul Cold Crystal emitted an intensely chilling aura, transforming the chamber into a land of extreme frost. Shang Qiu shivered violently, his teeth audibly clashing together.

"How could you cause such a commotion?" Anliya glared at Shang Chen. "Now that warships from so many factions are gathered in our Sea of Realms, if conflict erupts, we might not survive it."

Sossia also frowned deeply, letting out a small cough. "Little Chen, I am no longer young and cannot withstand too much shock. Tell me honestly... can you restrain those people?"

Shang Chen shook his head. "I cannot restrain them."

Anliya and her mother’s faces turned cold.

"However, you need not worry," Shang Chen continued, glancing at his daughter sitting motionlessly, seemingly encased in ice crystals. "They won't dare to act wantonly in our Sea of Realms. Leaders like Sha'i, Jiao Shan, and Wu Feng will keep them properly in check. Even if only for Yue'er’s sake, they won't dare overstep."

"Because of that boy?" Anliya scoffed lightly.

Shang Chen nodded with a wry smile.

"Sha'i, Jiao Shan, Jiao Hai, Wu Feng, Mo Di, and Fuller—these individuals are the future true power holders of their respective starfields. Since returning from the Ancient Continent, each has achieved breakthroughs in will, state of mind, and power, firmly securing their positions. They... all listen to that boy's command?" Sossia was astonished.

She was a high-ranking member of Flowing Fire, and she was acutely aware of how swiftly Sha'i, Jiao Shan, and Wu Feng had risen to prominence within their family powers, clearly on the cusp of taking the helm.

The idea that such figures would willingly submit to another and treat him as their leader seemed utterly absurd to Sossia.

Yet, Shang Chen nodded firmly. "They will listen to that boy. Otherwise, why would they travel all the way to our Sea of Realms, bringing their families' elites with them?"

"They truly intend to pass through our territory to enter the Maya Starfield? And they want to help that boy resist the Divine Race? This... how is this possible?" Anliya repeatedly shook her head, unable to accept it.

"I naturally would not deceive you. The sealed passages connecting this place to the Maya Starfield were opened personally by people I directed. They are delaying departure only because warships from a few more remote starfields have yet to arrive. Once their full strength is assembled, they will leave immediately," Shang Chen explained.

"Heavens! More warships are coming? What are they planning? Are they trying to invade the Divine Race’s ancestral star?" Sossia shrieked.

Shang Chen offered another wry smile.

There was one thing he hadn't mentioned: he had discovered that not only these starfields, but also the Celestial Demon Race and the Undying Demon Race seemed to be mobilizing covertly. Numerous hidden factions and secret cults, dormant for years, were also stirring in the shadows.

The combined might of those factions was, even to him, frighteningly immense. It was only now that he truly understood the terrifying, concealed power of the Bloodthirsty lineage.

He looked towards his seated daughter, murmuring inwardly: Perhaps uniting with that boy is not necessarily a bad outcome after all.

Ssssh-sss-sss!

A spatial bridge was erected. Two figures flashed across the void, then instantly coalesced new pathways of light, navigating onward continuously.

They were drawing closer to Demon Blood Star.

"Grand-great-uncle, how does it feel to break through to the Void God realm?" Shi Yan turned back and asked with a smile.

"It feels as though I have boundless, inexhaustible power at my command," Yang Qingdi replied, his expression cold and solemn. "And those Blood Essence Stones are even more miraculous. My divine body's blood has now been entirely replaced by Undying Demon Blood. This state of immortality... is truly potent; my strength can ascend to another level."

The Soul Rot Aphid in Yang Qingdi's mind had been completely purged. His Soul Altar had resumed function, and his consciousness, sealed for many years, was now fully active. His cultivation had leaped forward dramatically in the face of certain doom.

He had merely lacked power! Lacked surging divine energy!

The Blood Essence Stones, precious treasures of the Undying Demon Race, nurtured infinite vitality and essence, directly aiding his blood replacement and granting him the ability to transform his immortal body.

Yang Qingdi was now in the Void God realm, his Void Domain nascent, his mastery of the Profound Mystery of Despair terrifyingly potent, radiating an aura of extreme danger.

"Your vitality is extremely robust. Once you stabilize your realm for a period, you will discover even more exquisite aspects of the Void Domain," Shi Yan chuckled.

"Indeed, I can distinctly sense the difference. The perilous situation in the Maya Starfield is actually beneficial for advancing my realm," Yang Qingdi stated proudly.

After he and Shi Yan departed, he had obtained the inheritance of the Profound Mystery of Despair in the Maya Starfield. Subsequently, he roamed about challenging martial artists whose realms surpassed his own, suffering almost no defeats. Each time, he extracted new power from despair, forcing many higher-realm experts into bitter defeat.

The last challenger possessed a rare treasure containing the Soul Rot Aphid, which Yang Qingdi managed to kill, but unfortunately, he himself was also infected by the aphid invading his mind.

Fortunately, Shang Chen had received instructions from the Bloodthirsty lineage to temporarily seal the affliction, otherwise, his Soul Altar would have been devoured, and his consciousness utterly dissipated into the heavens and earth.

Talking and laughing, the two continued to traverse the void light-path, moving faster than light itself, spanning several life stars in a single instant, covering hundreds of millions of miles in a single breath.

A familiar star suddenly appeared in their view. Numerous warships from various factions were moored on its surface, and many familiar auras were instantly mapped within his sea of consciousness, bringing joy to his expression.

"We've arrived!"

Shi Yan suddenly relaxed.

PS: Second update~~ Asking for all kinds of votes!

For more novels, visit storyread.net.