Countless warships were anchored on the star’s surface, a menagerie of peculiar vessels, many showing signs of heavy damage and crude repairs.
Warriors from every faction and race imaginable swarmed the Demon Blood Star, practically filling the celestial body. The local population had swelled dramatically, with beings the size of ants scurrying across every visible surface.
Even before landing, Shi Yan noticed the star’s defenses had become significantly tighter. Patrol chariots zipped through the atmosphere, and threads of consciousness, like an omnipresent net, swept outwards.
He felt utterly exposed, as if nowhere was safe.
It was clear that the Demon Blood Star had become the last hope for the myriad powers of the Mayar Star Domain, a rallying point for all races preparing to stand against the Gods.
The atmosphere on the Demon Blood Star was volatile, a chaotic mix of desperation and tension. Under the immense pressure exerted by the Gods, many individuals were pushed to the brink, leading to frequent outbursts of violence—a mere disagreement could instantly spark a brutal fight.
As soon as Shi Yan and Yang Qingdi materialized, a member of the Demon Race spotted them, shouting commands from a patrol chariot as he aggressively drove toward them.
The Demon Race warrior, a member of the Tyrannosaurus Clan, recognized Shi Yan from a previous encounter. Upon realizing who it was, he erupted in ecstasy, whooping loudly as he forced his chariot closer.
Accompanying him in the patrol chariot were warriors from several other factions. Seeing his frantic state, they were momentarily stunned, initially thinking he had gone mad. They immediately positioned themselves defensively, their gazes fixed on Shi Yan, ready to apprehend and interrogate him.
The Tyrannosaurus roared an insult at the others before quickly smoothing his expression, bowing obsequiously and licking his lips. “You have finally returned, Lord! Please, board the chariot.”
Those he had just cursed stood dumbfounded. This warrior belonged to the usually arrogant and haughty Tyrannosaurus Clan. How could he be so subservient and fawning toward a human youth? Had the pressure from the Gods finally caused a mental breakdown?
Shi Yan smiled, nodding toward the warrior before stepping into the chariot alongside Yang Qingdi.
The Tyrannosaurus immediately barked orders, displacing the driver, and took the reins himself, tearing directly toward the heart of the Demon Blood Star.
At the Blood Pools of the Demon Blood Star.
The Blood Demon was submerged deep within the viscous, bubbling crimson liquid. His vital energy surged, utilizing the unique properties of the pool to amplify his essence and strength.
Unfortunately, the pool’s effects were limited. The vitality it generated was insufficient to help him refine more of the Undead Demonic Blood needed to fully cleanse his body and unleash the true, terrifying might of the Undead Demon Race.
Beside the pool.
Gute and Bass of the Demon Race stood with grim expressions, sighing frequently, seemingly resigned to the current predicament.
Recently, the influx of warriors onto the Demon Blood Star had intensified. Remnants of various major powers were congregating here, gradually claiming the entire planet as their own.
Those who had failed in their battles against the Gods dared not remain on their home worlds, traveling vast distances to make this place their sanctuary.
Races such as the Flame, Ice, and Wood Clans, who had previously banded together to fight the Gods in another sector of the Mayar Star Domain, had also been defeated. Their scattered fleets had arrived after arduous journeys, and all these defeated remnants were now crammed onto the Demon Blood Star.
The Demon Blood Star was suddenly dangerously overcrowded.
The sheer stress of their devastating defeats left many on the verge of despair, often leading to hysterical, violent outbursts. On the Demon Blood Star, even minor clashes could instantly escalate into mass slaughter.
In the recent period, hundreds of lives had already been lost across various factions due to petty conflicts. Every single being was wound tight with anxiety. If it weren't for the looming, colossal shadow of the Gods, the situation here would likely have descended into irreversible chaos.
The leaders of these various factions were former warlords and power players within the Mayar Star Domain, some possessing status and influence even greater than that of Blood Demon, Bass, or Gute.
With their arrival, the trio found themselves constrained in many aspects, unable to effectively manage the newcomers. They watched helplessly as their world was gradually occupied by these desperate refugees.
The Blood Demon was singularly focused on breaking through to the third heaven of the Primal God realm, believing that only overwhelming power could allow him to reclaim true authority. He had consulted extensively with Fu Wei of the Medicine and Artifact Pavilion, constantly seeking updates on the Gods' movements.
Gute and Bass had come to the Blood Pool to confer with the Blood Demon about urgent matters. Seeing him deep in focused cultivation, they refrained from disturbing him and simply observed quietly from the sidelines.
Boom! Boom!
The roar of a chariot suddenly thundered overhead, a deafening barrage accompanied by frantic, high-pitched cries.
Gute’s face contorted instantly. He sprang to his feet, cursing under his breath. “Those damnable outsiders! Do they think the Demon Blood Star is their personal estate? The Blood Pool is a restricted area, yet they dare act so recklessly here! Damn it, we should just drive them out to fend for themselves!”
Bass erupted in fury as well, shaking his head and roaring upward.
A fierce dragon’s roar materialized into a startling, transparent shockwave of sound, aimed directly at the approaching chariot. Bass was genuinely enraged.
No one knew that, during this recent period, Gute and Bass had done nothing overtly different, yet their cultivation base was quietly advancing. Sometimes they would awaken feeling inexplicably stronger, dismissing it as a momentary illusion. However, in recent skirmishes, this explosive surge of power had genuinely startled them.
—This was precisely why the Blood Demon was so desperate to cultivate in the Blood Pool.
Historically, the Blood Demon, Bass, and Gute were close comrades whose combat prowess was nearly identical; they had fought each other for years with negligible differences in strength.
Yet, in his recent bouts with Bass and Gute, the Blood Demon clearly felt overmatched, finding himself lacking the necessary power. He was the first to recognize that Bass and Gute had grown significantly stronger, and he had even questioned whether they had acquired some divine medicine or resorted to forbidden Demon Race cultivation techniques.
Once Bass and Gute swore they had not dabbled in dark arts, the Blood Demon could no longer remain idle, retreating into the Blood Pool for intense solitary training.
He sensed enormous pressure emanating from them.
However, Bass and Gute were also under immense pressure—pressure no less severe than the Blood Demon’s.
Bass and Gute communicated frequently with Ghost Fang. Over the past while, they noticed subtle, almost daily shifts in Ghost Fang’s spirit and vitality. That aura of rapidly escalating power could not be hidden. From Ghost Fang, Bass and Gute absorbed an even deeper sense of strain.
The transparent shockwave rocketed toward the heavens, imbued with violent, ferocious energy capable of shattering the chariot instantly.
“Th-this…”
Onboard the chariot, the Tyrannosaurus warrior’s face drained of color. Watching the sonic wave approach gave him a chilling sensation that prickled his scalp.
Every person from the other factions aboard the vehicle turned pale, exhibiting profound fear and unease.
After Shi Yan and Yang Qingdi boarded, Shi Yan urged the warrior to immediately seek out the Blood Demon. Knowing the Blood Demon was at the pool and aware of Shi Yan’s status, the Tyrannosaurus had deliberately violated multiple Demon Blood Star regulations by driving straight toward the location.
The warriors from the Medicine and Artifact Pavilion and the Divine Light Sect riding along were petrified, unsure what madness had seized the Tyrannosaurus.
Now, trouble had arrived. Bass, rising from the depths of the Blood Pool, had launched a furious attack intended to obliterate the chariot.
“It’s fine.”
Shi Yan remained perfectly composed. He opened his mouth and exhaled a sphere of stellar light. The sphere rotated slowly, suffused with magnificent starlight, and flew directly into the oncoming transparent shockwave.
A dragon’s roar echoed earth-shakingly.
The stellar sphere instantly shattered, spilling billions of tiny motes of starlight that rained down like fine mist.
Bass’s transparent sonic wave was met head-on and completely canceled out.
“Who dares cause chaos above the Blood Pool? Do you not know this is forbidden territory? Whoever you are, you will face the consequences!” Bass’s expression darkened upon seeing his attack neutralized, and he bellowed.
Fear gripped the faces of everyone on the chariot. Many warriors from the Medicine and Artifact Pavilion and the Divine Light Sect looked utterly desperate, believing they had angered the old dragon and were doomed. They knew the savagery of the Evil Dragon and Tyrannosaurus Clans, and the sheer terror inspired by those two ancient reptiles.
“Senior Bass is as hot-tempered as ever,” Shi Yan boomed with hearty laughter.
Bass, whose face had been grim, paused in confusion at the sound of the laugh, finding the tone strangely familiar. As the chariot slowed and approached, and Shi Yan’s true appearance was revealed, Bass suddenly jumped up, roaring with delight. “Damn it, it’s you, kid! You’ve returned!”
Gute, too, showed genuine relief and smiled.
The two old dragons instantly soared into the sky, landing on the chariot with a thud. They grabbed Shi Yan’s shoulders with familiar warmth, physically pulling him out and examining him with beaming, curious eyes, pinching his flesh and testing his joints.
The warriors from the Medicine and Artifact Pavilion and the Divine Light Sect stared, dumbfounded, as if they were looking at a monster.
“Greetings, Patriarch. Greetings, Senior Bass,” the leading Tyrannosaurus warrior said, bowing respectfully.
Gute waved a dismissive hand. “Go on, all of you. You’re blocking the view.”
“As you command.”
The Tyrannosaurus warrior resumed control of the chariot and roared back into the sky.
“Who is that guy?”
“Yes, the two Demon Race seniors seem very familiar with him? What’s going on? What is his background?”
“What is his actual identity?”
The Tyrannosaurus warriors looked upon the remaining group with cold arrogance and scoffed, “The one who vanished ten years ago…”
A collective gasp swept through the onlookers.
“Lianna’s master?”
“It’s really him!”
“Heavens, he’s back!”
Everyone was instantly galvanized, leaping from the chariot to rush off and relay this news to their respective superiors.
Excitement surged.
Lianna’s current fame surpassed that of the Blood Demon, Gute, and the leaders of all other factions. Yet, the fact that Lianna answered to one person had always been shrouded in mysterious legend.
The man who, a decade ago, first resisted the Gods, sealing the Void Passage and reclaiming the Soul Eater Jellyfish, had become a legend across the Mayar Star Domain. This legend had only grown more enigmatic with each of Lianna’s subsequent victories.
Now, that figure had returned.
At the moment they needed strength most, in their darkest despair, this legendary figure, missing for ten years, had returned to the Demon Blood Star!
PS: Third update. Continuing tomorrow~