"What's going on?" "The Blood Demon seems on the verge of a breakthrough..." "A breakthrough now? He really dares!" "Indeed, the God Race warships could arrive at any moment; it’s certainly not an ideal time." "If he manages to break through successfully, I’m truly looking forward to seeing him at the third heaven of the Primeval God realm." "Some people likely don't want the Blood Demon to succeed." "..." A clamor arose, as the leaders of numerous factions, drawn by the towering pillar of blood-red energy, gathered around the periphery of the Blood Pool, gazing intently inward while whispering amongst themselves.

These were all forces situated closest to the Blood Pool. Suddenly, a majestic physique engulfed in flame descended like a fiery meteor, instantly suspending itself proudly above the assembled crowd.

"Yan Chi, the Patriarch of the Flame Race!" The leaders of the lesser factions below gasped in unison, their faces alight with reverence, causing the surrounding noise to subside slightly. The Flame Race was recognized throughout the Mâra Star Domain as the most formidable species!

Although the Demon Race and the Fiend Race were powerful and held vast influence across the Mâra Star Domain, they still could not match the Flame Race. Powers considered formidable within the domain—such as the Divine Radiance, the War Alliance, the Wood Race, and the Ice Race—were all eclipsed by the Flame Race.

There was a pervasive notion: the Flame Race was indigenous to the Mâra Star Domain; the domain itself belonged to them, unchanged for ten thousand years! Yan Chi, the Flame Patriarch, was a powerhouse at the third heaven of the Primeval God realm, widely acknowledged as one of the strongest combatants.

In the current conflict against the God Race, the Medicine Altar, Divine Radiance, War Alliance, Fiend Race, and Demon Race had united as one bloc to resist the God Race. The Flame Race, however, formed a separate contingent, allied with the Wood Race, the Dark Spirit Race, the Ghost Mark Race, and others, with the Flame Race serving as the absolute core strength.

If Liana’s Bloody Legion caused the God Race immense trouble, then the Flame Race acted as the crucial stumbling block, hindering the God Race’s advance during the initial stages. The Flame Race was also among the first factions to declare their resolve to defend the Mâra Star Domain to the death.

Yan Chi had long since proclaimed that the Flame Race would never abandon their home, even if it meant racial annihilation. This stance earned the Flame Race the deep respect of many powers in the Mâra Star Domain.

Had the God Race not continually reinforced their forces, the Flame Race could have held out longer. Regrettably, a battle six months prior resulted in a crushing defeat; their race suffered a great massacre, forcing them to temporarily relocate to Blood Demon Star to join forces with the Blood Demon faction, preparing for a desperate final stand against the God Race.

Yan Chi appeared like a figure sculpted from fiery rock, bearing a miraculous solar totem upon his chest. This race worshipped the sun and could absorb solar divine power, yet their profound insights were not restricted solely to the might of the blazing sun.

The Flame Race cultivated various overbearing and intensely forceful profound insights—such as the essence of metal sharpness, the gravity of solid earth, and surging gravitational force. They could master all these, integrating them seamlessly with their solar divinity, truly renowned for their supreme ferocity and astonishing combat prowess.

With Yan Chi’s appearance, the leaders of the lesser factions held their breath, looking up at him, sighing inwardly. It was a pity that this race was neither adept at large-scale coalition warfare nor skilled at aligning with external domain powers.

The Flame Race was too arrogant; they had sealed off the void passages connecting the Mâra Star Domain to other outer regions themselves. While undeniably powerful, the race suffered from too many inherent flaws.

If the Flame Race had actively fostered alliances with other domains, or if they had dedicated themselves to mastering combined warfare, this conflict would not have turned so easily against them. Yan Chi stood beneath the dark crimson sky, resembling a piece of fire-stone capable of burning for ten thousand years, inspiring both awe and profound regret.

A chilling aura permeated the air as another figure swept in from a distance: an elder woman of the Ice Race, radiating an intense coldness. This was Bing Jie, the current Ice Matriarch, infamous for her severe coldness and generally disliked.

The Ice Race territory was not far from Blood Demon Star. Before the God Race invasion, the Ice Race frequently clashed with the Blood Demon, Guter, and Bass; long-standing grievances existed between them, only mitigated by the shared enemy in the God Race.

Initially, Bing Jie had not aligned with the Medicine Altar or the Blood Demon, instead siding with the Flame Race. It was only after the devastating defeat that she was forced to retreat to Blood Demon Star, not even daring to return home for fear of being singled out and captured.

Upon arrival, Bing Jie gave Yan Chi a slight nod, then turned her icy gaze toward the Blood Demon’s direction and remarked acidly, "Even at a time like this, he still has the heart to cultivate? I truly don't know what he's thinking!

How much impact can individual strength truly have in a domain-wide conflict like this? Even if he breaks through to the third heaven of the Primeval God realm, he’ll still be ganged up on and killed." Bing Jie’s malicious tongue was known far and wide.

Everyone knew her inherent dislike for the Demon Race, so her words caused no surprise. A figure shimmering with crystalline light materialized at that moment, positioning herself between Yan Chi and Bing Jie.

She was a woman of the Crystal Race, her skin appearing almost transparent. If not for the thick, gauzy robes she wore, one might clearly see her internal organs.

She was a woman of stunning, delicate beauty; the exposed skin of her neck and arms revealed the delicate tracery of her veins and sinews beneath a translucent surface, showcasing her crystalline bones. It was truly marvelous.

This was Jing Yuwan, the Crystal Matriarch. The Flame Race, Ice Race, and Crystal Race formed a separate alliance, alongside the factions led by the Medicine Altar, Divine Radiance, and the War Alliance, all of whom had been defeated by the God Race.

"The God Race won't arrive too quickly. If he can break through to the third heaven of the Primeval God realm, it will be a massive asset.

I just fear failure; if he fails, the blow to morale will be immense." Jing Yuwan frowned deeply upon arriving, pursing her lips in a soft sigh, appearing rather helpless. "The Demon Race is the Demon Race—a thoughtless species.

To rely on them to reverse the situation shows that everyone has lost their minds! Hmph!" Bing Jie snapped coldly, her icy voice carrying clearly to everyone present.

Yan Chi frowned but remained silent. He knew Bing Jie had consistently disagreed with relocating to Blood Demon Star.

She believed they should seek out a perilous hidden location to make their final stand against the God Race, arguing that the Ice Race territory was ideal. Bing Jie had vehemently demanded they all move to the Ice Race domain to consolidate forces for the confrontation.

This suggestion had been vetoed by Yan Chi. Since arriving at Blood Demon Star, Bing Jie had been the most restless among them.

Recent disturbances on the planet had all been connected to members of the Ice Race. The reason for this was that Yan Chi understood Bing Jie believed their alliance should view their faction as the leaders, rather than the group led by the Medicine Altar.

Currently, the forces on Blood Demon Star were complex and intertwined. Many large and small factions had converged here, united solely by the goal of resisting the God Race, yet their lines of authority remained ill-defined.

There were essentially three power blocs on Blood Demon Star: one led by the Flame Race, Ice Race, and Crystal Race; another led by the Medicine Altar, the War Alliance, and the Divine Radiance, along with the Fiend and Demon Races; and a third, even larger entity composed of the mixed remnants of various other forces that fought independently against the God Race and only sought refuge on Blood Demon Star after their defeat. This third contingent was highly dispersed but vastly numerous; if they could be molded into a single cohesive force, they would be terrifying.

Presently, the faction led by the Flame Race, Ice Race, and Crystal Race, and the faction led by the Medicine Altar and the War Alliance, were both vying to absorb this scattered power, seeking leadership rights in the defense against the God Race. This internal struggle manifested as numerous undercurrents and skirmishes on Blood Demon Star, often sparked by overly zealous warriors from the Flame Race or the Medicine Altar.

Bing Jie continued her sharp, mocking tirade. The leaders of the smaller factions below listened, none daring to speak, their brows furrowed as they seemed to contemplate deeply.

Contemplating which faction they should ultimately pledge allegiance to. As silence settled over them, Fuwei, Bettina, and Feng’an from the Medicine Altar, along with Feng Han, Miao Rong, and Qi Ze from the War Alliance, and Lin Xin, the mistress of Divine Radiance, also arrived in a united front, manifesting in the void along the edge of the Blood Pool.

None arrived in chariots; all suspended themselves in the sky, as if showcasing their individual strength. As soon as Fuwei, Feng Han, and Lin Xin appeared, Bing Jie’s expression chilled, and she abruptly fell silent.

Following this, the contingent of Yan Chi, Bing Jie, and Jing Yuwan; the contingent of Fuwei, Feng Han, and Lin Xin; and the leaders of the smaller factions all fell silent, their gazes converging sharply on the Blood Pool, focusing intently on two individuals. One was the Blood Demon, and the other was Shi Yan.

The reason for their urgent arrival, aside from the earth-shattering anomaly surrounding the Blood Demon, was that they had all received intelligence: they knew Shi Yan had returned. Fuwei, Feng Han, and Lin Xin were intimately familiar with Shi Yan, aware of his capabilities and his close ties to Shang Chen.

Shi Yan’s sudden reappearance at this critical moment for the Mâra Star Domain’s survival signaled something extraordinary to them, prompting their immediate presence. Yan Chi, Bing Jie, and Jing Yuwan also knew of Shi Yan.

One credential alone was enough to command their utmost caution: he was Liana’s master. Shi Yan’s other identities held little importance in their eyes, but the status of being Liana’s master compelled them to treat him with extreme circumspection!

This was because Liana’s Bloody Legion had proven more than capable of engaging the God Race in hard combat on multiple occasions; only Liana possessed such ability! Now that Liana’s master had returned, how could they dare to treat the situation lightly?

Under the dark crimson sky, numerous figures of powerful beings hung suspended. Along the edge of the Blood Pool, the stern-faced leaders of the various minor factions critically assessed the unfolding situation.

The atmosphere abruptly grew heavy. Just then, the focus of everyone’s attention, Shi Yan, impassively walked away from the immediate vicinity of the Blood Pool.

He drifted to a spot ten thousand meters away from the pool's edge, floated into the air, and extended one finger, tracing a circle in the void around the pool. A circle of blood-red light formed.

The circle, solidified from crimson blood, emitted a stench that assaulted the heavens, glowing with a bizarre, scarlet luminescence. Positioned ten thousand meters outside the Blood Pool, the circle was dripping with blood, a shocking sight.

Everyone watched, utterly astonished, somewhat confused as to why he had suddenly drawn this ring. However, observing the gore-soaked light circle and the faint, misty blood-red glow emanating from it, many faces shifted, their brows deeply furrowed.

Even Guter and Bass were momentarily stunned, the two old dragons rubbing their heads, unsure of Shi Yan’s hidden intention. As the blood-colored halo stabilized, Shi Yan descended from the sky once more.

He raised his head to look at Yan Chi, Bing Jie, and Jing Yuwan, then at Fuwei, Feng Han, and Lin Xin, finally glancing over the heads of the lesser faction leaders at the periphery. He spoke one calm sentence: "Cross this blood line, and you die."