A lava cave plunging straight toward the earth’s core, the interior roiling with heat, studded with pools of molten rock. The liquid shimmered with a golden-red hue, emitting powerful, surging waves of energy.

The cavern was immense, seemingly a realm unto itself, containing hundreds upon millions of lava pools that subtly coalesced into a profound and mysterious formation. Within the largest pool at the center, a figure was submerged, his handsome face etched with resolute endurance, eyes tightly shut.

He suddenly opened his eyes, and a searing crimson light shot forth.

This light seemed to activate the restrictive formations throughout the cavern, causing all the lava pools to erupt in violent boiling.

From these pools, the magma condensed and gathered, forming ribbons of crimson flame that drifted out, twining themselves around the figure’s ** divine body.

These scarlet flame ribbons battered his physical form, purging impurities and inciting the growth of power.

The lava pools rapidly depleted, desiccating entirely within mere tens of seconds, despite their uncountable number.

However, after about half an hour, fresh magma surged from the planet’s core, refilling the pools.

Once the lava pools were replenished, the youth resumed his arcane focus, condensing a secret art to gather more of the magma’s scorching heat, transforming it all into crimson flame ribbons to temper his divine body, refining his physique toward perfect refinement.

A spectral figure materialized abruptly, like a wisp of lingering soul, hovering above the cavern with a grim expression as he watched the youth in the central lava pool.

After a long silence, he gave a soft snort. “Heige!”

The youth snapped his head up, a flash of crimson fire vanishing instantly from his eyes. His demeanor settled into calm. He slowly levitated slightly, bowing respectfully. “Great Elder.”

Feng Jue regarded him coldly. “Have you reflected upon the failures of the Ancient God Continent?”

Heige nodded slightly. “I know I was wrong.”

“Wherein lay the error?” Feng Jue’s brow furrowed deeply.

“I wrongly underestimated the opponent’s strength,” Heige stated after several seconds of contemplation.

Feng Jue stared at him, a strange color flickering in his pupils. After a pause, he spoke coldly, “You have broken through to the Prime God realm, reforged your divine body, and your profound insights have grown sharper. But that Shi Yan remains your obstacle. You must personally slay him; no one else can aid you. Only by defeating him and shattering his Soul Altar can you advance further in your insights.”

Ten years prior, Heige had already been halfway to the Prime God realm. His insights, power, and divine body met the standards for breakthrough, yet he forcefully suppressed his cultivation, maintaining the peak of the Void God realm to secure the Origin Fruit in the Barren Lands.

Returning from the Barren Lands, he ceased suppressing his essence. He broke through to the Prime God realm in a short span, using the Divine Race’s secret arts to temper the physical shackles and re-refine his Soul Altar, elevating his insight realm step by step.

But the failure on the Ancient God Continent had become a deep-seated obsession, constantly affecting his state of mind and cracking the foundation of his formerly arrogant confidence.

Feng Jue knew well that this crack could potentially stall his future breakthroughs, arresting the speed he had previously maintained.

Heige had already integrated the essence of the Ancient God Continent; he was the future safeguard of the Divine Race’s prosperity. Feng Jue could not allow Heige to falter. Knowing the root of Heige’s malaise, he instructed, “Go to Giant Wave Star. There is someone there you must kill. Only by destroying him can you regain your former mindset.”

“I will never disappoint you!”

Heige hissed the words, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes. He thought inwardly, Shi Yan, I hope you are ready.

…

The Divine Favor Continent.

Audrey had long since awakened. She continually nourished her main soul with vengeful spirits and fierce souls. Her nascent Prime Realm was dark and indistinct, yet it radiated a chilling aura that inspired profound dread.

This coldness seemed to penetrate the very depths of one’s soul, capable of freezing their Altar.

After an immeasurable period, her beautiful eyes opened, and a trace of joy escaped her lips. “Mother, I have broken through to the Prime God realm.”

Adela nodded with a gentle smile. “With your aptitude and talent, I am not surprised you reached the Prime God realm. How does it feel?”

Audrey commanded her thoughts, closed her eyes to sense, and replied happily, “Excellent. By the way, while I was cultivating, did you help me add many souls? When my Prime Realm began to coalesce, I felt my Altar change. I used our Nether Sovereign Clan’s secret method to temper the Altar, allowing it to evolve once more.”

“During that time… there were indeed some changes,” Adela’s eyes flickered. Suddenly, she said, “As always, go to Giant Wave Star. Visit the Merchant Guild and purchase those divine liquids required to stabilize the Altar.”

Audrey rose, ready to depart. She had visited Giant Wave Star many times; the route was well-worn.

Ever since breaking through to the Divine King realm, she always made a trip to Giant Wave Star after ascending, seeking several rare essences needed to stabilize her Altar. The Nether Sovereign Clan’s Altar tempering secret art was highly specific: every time the Altar evolved, it required certain miraculous essences for nurturing.

“Wait a moment,” Adela called out, frowning slightly. “I heard that the forces whose territories were recently invaded plan to hold a secret meeting on Giant Wave Star. Many interested parties might also converge there. Be extremely careful.”

“I will.”

“I have instructed Jilata; he will accompany you.”

“Ah, does this trip require Jilata’s company?”

“It does!”

“Oh.”

…

Giant Wave Star.

This was an unimaginably vast Level Seven Life Star, considered second only to the Ancient God Continent in terms of vitality. The ambient energy was intensely rich.

It sat at the center of the Giant Wave Star Domain, surrounded by dozens of other life stars, which orbited it as if holding a court. Adjacent to Giant Wave Star was the Domain Sea, where millions of battleships and starcraft from various domains traveled monthly. Billions of martial artists from every faction and race arrived daily.

The Domain Sea near Giant Wave Star was universally acknowledged as the liveliest and most extraordinary nexus in the cosmos, far surpassing any Domain Sea under the Divine Race’s control.

This unparalleled hub was due to one entity within the Giant Wave Star Domain—the Giant Wave Merchant Guild.

The Giant Wave Merchant Guild operated much like the Medicine and Artifact Pavilion, focusing on buying and selling all manner of cultivation materials: ores, divine weapons, insight inheritances, Five Element Oddities, monster beast skeletons, souls, and even entire life stars.

The Guild’s scale vastly exceeded that of the Medicine and Artifact Pavilion; compared to the Giant Wave Merchant Guild, the Pavilion was like an ant next to an elephant, operating on entirely different tiers.

The Guild’s trade routes spanned every star domain in the universe; their shops existed in every remote corner, and every faction or race that wasn’t entirely stagnant knew of the Giant Wave Merchant Guild and maintained intricate connections with it.

If the Medicine and Artifact Pavilion’s reach covered the entire Maya Star Domain, the Giant Wave Merchant Guild enveloped the entire cosmos—that was the difference.

The Merchant Guild maintained amicable relations with the ruling classes of major star domains. Factions from the Wudong, Mot, Tumu, Sirius, and Black River Star Domains, among others, engaged in frequent exchange. Even many families within the Divine Race maintained close ties with the Guild.

This organization never involved itself in stellar warfare, acting purely as merchants facilitating the trade of resources across star domains.

No one dared to offend this Guild. Even the omnipresent Divine Race, in all its might across the Barren Lands, never ordered a slaughter of the Giant Wave Merchant Guild’s establishments.

Many people secretly speculated that the Guild had deep, hidden ties with the Divine Race, suggesting the mysterious Guild Master might even be an Elder of the Divine Race’s Elder Council.

Rumors surrounding the Guild Master were abundant: some claimed he was a member of the Undead Demon Race, others suggested the Celestial Fiend Race…

This individual was intensely secretive, often in secluded retreat. Even powerful leaders of major factions found it difficult to secure an audience, and very few knew his true designation.

This Guild was said to have emerged tens of thousands of years ago, witnessing the rise and fall of the Four Great Races and the ascent of the Bloodthirsty Lineage. The Guild Master’s position was passed down through generations; each successive leader possessed immense strategic vision, ultimately guiding the Guild to its current zenith.

Near Giant Wave Star, besides the Domain Sea allowing passage for massive battleships, spatial transportation arrays were established throughout the planet’s regions.

These spatial arrays could only transport living beings, not massive vessels, but the four arrays remained ceaselessly busy. Every day, powerhouses from major star domains arrived via these arrays or departed the same way. The arrays offered superior speed and convenience compared to the Domain Sea, allowing direct transit to designated coordinates without the subsequent relocation required after emerging from the void.

Giant Wave Star hosted four spatial arrays, named Heaven, Earth, Profound, and Yellow. Each location contained dozens of arrays of varying sizes—some capable of transporting only one or two individuals, others able to move thousands or tens of thousands at once.

Naturally, all travelers utilizing the Heaven, Earth, Profound, and Yellow arrays were required to pay a certain amount of Divine Crystals to the Giant Wave Merchant Guild. The cost varied based on the size of the array and the distance of the transit.

…

On this particular day.

At the Profound spatial array on Giant Wave Star, an inconspicuous, small formation suddenly shimmered with an unusual light, its structure subtly wavering.

This formation was unique: four-cornered, with a ferocious beast statue seated at each vertex. Each statue held an illusory crystal in its maw, its eyes gleaming dimly, while blocks of Divine Crystals lay beneath its feet. As the strange formation pulsed, roars and howls emanated from within the four statues.

The roaring gradually ceased. The Divine Crystals beneath the beasts’ feet dissolved into fine ash, and two figures abruptly materialized.

Members of the Giant Wave Merchant Guild nearby skillfully retrieved new Divine Crystals to replace the ashes beneath the statues, ensuring the formation could immediately be reactivated.

A Guild attendant, casually turning a piece of obsidian in his hand, announced clearly, “Payment required: three thousand high-grade Divine Crystals.”

Shang Chen offered a faint smile and raised his hand, sending forth a bright yellow cloud piled high with Divine Crystals that glittered under the light of the nine blazing suns overhead. “How about that?” he asked Shi Yan, looking over.

He had only given a brief overview of Giant Wave Star during the journey, hoping Shi Yan would gain a more direct understanding.

Shi Yan looked back at the strange formation. His eyes widened in surprise. “… Drawing the array with the spirits of ferocious beasts—whoever laid out this teleportation array is incredibly skilled and subtle.”

“The Giant Wave Merchant Guild has several experts who cultivate Space Insight, one of whom has reached the third Heaven of the Prime God realm, a deeper level than Belor. These arrays were constructed by their Space Insight disciples. Besides this site, there are three other locations, each identical to this one, hosting dozens of varying-sized arrays,” Shang Chen explained.

“This Guild is formidable,” Shi Yan quietly nodded… Uh, just one chapter today, I’ll make up the rest tomorrow~~~ Wry smile (To be continued… RQ)