In a corner of Black Iron City, atop a tower hundreds of feet high, two figures gazed down below.

Not far beneath them lay the manor, from the depths of which the earth-shattering baleful energy had just erupted. "Master." Cecilia let out a soft cry, her charming, delicate face pale. "That Giant Troll Shadow just now—what was it?" She had just located the manor where Sha-shui resided.

While observing it with Lena on the tower, contemplating when to enter, a fierce, malevolent aura suddenly soared skyward, seeming to engulf the entire Giant Wave Star, shaking the minds of all the powerful beings.

Being so close, if her Master, Lena, hadn't intervened, her spirit might have shattered under that pressure.

Now, standing on the hundred-foot-high tower, Cecilia gazed toward the manor in the distance, covering her mouth in profound shock.

Near the manor, within a hundred-mile radius, lay hundreds of thousands of martial artists' corpses.

The postures of these martial artists were bizarre and varied—some looked as if they were buying supplies, others were engaged in pleasure, yet they remained frozen in their original poses, their altars utterly pulverized, all vitality gone.

Those who had only just attained the Soul Altar state in the Void God realm were wiped out in swaths, scattered throughout the periphery of the manor. "It's that person's aura." Lena was also deeply horrified, her face grim. "He perished countless years ago, how can his aura still manifest?" "Is it the Lord of Bloodthirst?" Cecilia inquired. "It must be him." Lena mused for a long moment. "When this person dominated the heavens and earth in those days, I was still young, my realm not yet matching yours.

But my Master's Master participated in that battle, joining forces with the Divine Race to strike against him.

Shortly after my Master returned from that battle, both her form and spirit were annihilated, corroded to death by the residual power of that man.

Before she died, she mentioned that the man’s physical body shattered before his demise, transforming into countless severed limbs that vanished into the void’s gaps.

For many years, the Divine Race has been searching for the whereabouts of those severed limbs, all without success." Lena paused for several seconds, staring deeply at the manor below. "That recent aura must be from a remnant of his body." Cecilia’s face turned ashen with terror. "A mere severed limb, yet the fierce, violent aura it released shattered the altars of all martial artists below the Void God realm?" "Indeed." Lena showed a look of lingering fear. "I never met that person in life.

My Master joined the Divine Race and the peak experts of the major star domains in battle, shattering several star domains.

The shockwaves, transmitted from an infinite distance away, caused the demise of many nearby martial artists.

A single severed limb belonging to that ferocious god truly possesses such terrifying power." Cecilia was utterly terrified. "Master, you have one foot already stepping into the Immortal realm; that person...

what realm was he truly in? How could he be so powerful?" After a long, long pause, she asked with a bitter expression.

Lena offered a wry smile. "My Master was also in the Immortal realm back then, which is why she qualified to participate in his execution.

Yet, she was struck by a corrosive force from that man.

After returning, all efforts to remove it failed, and eventually, her altar rotted, and her soul perished.

Do you still need to ask how strong that man was?" "What realm exactly was he?" Cecilia asked again. "Don't ask too many questions.

The more you know, the greater the pressure on you, which will only impede your progress toward your own realm," Lena sighed. "Only when I break through that final barrier and truly step into the Immortal realm might I know how strong he was..." The center of Black Iron City's Merchant Guild.

Tie Dun's forehead was slick with sweat as he looked toward the direction of the manor, speaking to the person before him, "Elder Xing Huo, you sensed that aura too; I don't need to say anything more, do I?" He carefully secured a brocade box, a flicker of joy in his eyes.

Inside the box was the promised item from Feng Jue, one that could help him break through to the second heaven of the Origin God realm.

Xing Huo, like a block of ice, nodded without exchanging further words with Tie Dun.

He merely glanced at the massive mirror at the center of the secret chamber before vanishing in a flash.

Long after Xing Huo left, Tie Dun opened the mirror and reported respectfully, "Guild Master, a major incident occurred in Black Iron City.

The jade casket sent over...

has been opened." Beneath the manor.

Shi Yan crawled out of a stone passage, his hair disheveled and face covered in grime.

Sha-shui, his chest stained with blood, looked weakly toward him, managing to gather some energy, his voice hoarse, "You're finally out." Mu Wei, Bai Ye Feng, Wu Lie, Jiao Mu, Sang Ji, and the others, along with Wu Feng, Mo Fu, Jiao Shan, and a few more, stood nearby.

The younger ones like Wu Feng all looked listless and injured. "I think we should leave Black Iron City quickly!" Wu Lie roared.

Shi Yan shot him a glance. "The moment you opened that jade casket, hundreds of thousands died in Black Iron City.

The Giant Wave Merchant Guild is likely going to start killing people," Bai Ye Feng explained with a wry smile.

Shi Yan frowned, remaining silent.

He was sent to the Giant Wave Star by Shang Chen, who was entrusted by Feilite.

The Bloodthirst lineage sending him here naturally had deeper implications.

That finger...

whether it was the purpose the leader of the Bloodthirst lineage intended for him, he couldn't be certain.

But hearing that hundreds of thousands of martial artists perished because the jade casket was opened sent a shock through his heart, giving him a bad feeling.

Now that the Spirit of the Ring was locked onto that finger, he dared not touch the jade casket easily, nor could he glean any secrets from the ring spirit.

A feeling of confusion about his future path washed over him. "Black Iron City was never the place for us to discuss major affairs.

We are only here waiting for you.

The people from the Myriad Illusion Sect and the Shattered Hall are in Cold Iron City.

Let's go to Cold Iron City," Mu Wei suggested, a faint, subtle light flashing in his eyes. "Myriad Illusion Sect, Shattered Hall, Cold Iron City?" Shi Yan looked bewildered. "The Myriad Illusion Sect and the Shattered Hall are two extremely powerful factions between the star domains.

In fact, the alliance formed by our few star domains to counter the Divine Race was primarily initiated by them.

However, the trial-takers from the Myriad Illusion Sect and the Shattered Hall who entered the Barrens were killed early on and never managed to contact you or enter the Marya Star Domain.

This time, the Divine Race attacked us but didn't wage a full-scale slaughter against the Myriad Illusion Sect and the Shattered Hall.

Before we came, we contacted them and invited them to jointly resist the Divine Race." Mu Wei explained briefly. "But the forces of the Myriad Illusion Sect and the Shattered Hall insist on meeting the person in charge of the Bloodthirst lineage, saying they need to discuss matters with your line before deciding what to do." "The Myriad Illusion Sect and the Shattered Hall possess immense power.

Aside from the Divine Race and the Four Great Races, they are the most formidable powers in the Star Sea," Bai Ye Feng interjected. "If we have the backing of the Myriad Illusion Sect and the Shattered Hall, the crisis posed by the Divine Race can certainly be resolved!" "You caused such a massive disturbance in Black Iron City; we definitely can't stay here now.

What do you think?" Mu Wei’s eyes held a subtle glint.

Sha-shui looked at Mu Wei, a sinister glint flashing in his pupils.

He constantly felt that Mu Wei was harboring some ulterior motive, and Bai Ye Feng also seemed somewhat off...

Sha-shui had communicated with Mo Fu and knew that Bai Ye Feng used to look down on Mo Fu, considering him too dissolute to inherit the legacy of the Black Wind Old Monster.

Yet, regarding the Marya Star Domain matter, Bai Ye Feng surprisingly agreed with Mo Fu's decision and actively courted a not-insignificant faction.

Mu Wei and Bai Ye Feng shared striking similarities in some respects; they were extremely focused on uniting various forces and were the most enthusiastic about convening for important discussions on the Giant Wave Star.

It could be said that the success of this gathering on the Giant Wave Star was entirely due to the active planning of Mu Wei and Bai Ye Feng.

Even the contacts with the Myriad Illusion Sect and the Shattered Hall were initiated by these two.

Seeing Mu Wei and Bai Ye Feng coordinating their efforts, vehemently urging Shi Yan to travel to Cold Iron City, Sha-shui developed the illusion that the two were tacitly in league, having pre-arranged many things.

He felt they were concealing something, harboring secrets they wouldn't share when dealing with Shi Yan.

Sha-shui looked toward Shi Yan.

Shi Yan’s expression was indifferent, seemingly contemplating something in silence, hesitating on whether to trust the proposal from Mu Wei and Bai Ye Feng.

Just as he was wavering, a flaming meteor streaked toward them, bringing with it an intensely chilling aura, like frost mist spreading out, instantly chilling everyone's hearts, their souls feeling the onset of freezing.

Whoosh! A figure flashed out of the manor—it was Xing Huo, the Elder of the Divine Race Council.

He glanced dismissively at Mu Wei, Bai Ye Feng, Jiao Mu, Sang Ji, Wu Lie, and the others, narrowing his eyes as he spoke, "Capture this child for me, and hand over that jade casket.

I, Xing Huo, guarantee here that our clan’s warship will immediately withdraw from your star domain and cease all further attacks." His faint eyes radiated streaks of icy coldness, transforming into billions of frigid threads that enveloped the entire manor.

Those targeted by his gaze felt their meridians, divine power, and blood slowly stagnate.

The operation of profound truths within their altars became restricted, giving them the desperate, disheartening sensation of gradually losing their power and reverting to mere mortals.

Shi Yan felt this sensation most intensely.

Under Xing Huo's chilling gaze, wisps of cold threads appeared within his Sea of Consciousness.

These threads seemed to possess independent consciousness, emitting piercing, cold, sharp cries within his Sea of Consciousness, raging and weaving through it, freezing strand after strand of his divine sense.

An essence imbued with life consciousness—this was the unique hallmark of those nearing the threshold of the Immortal realm.

This Xing Huo, even if not a true Immortal expert, had clearly grasped several subtleties of the Immortal realm.

The shrill cries of the cold threads echoed in his divine sense; his consciousness slowly froze.

Even his thoughts seemed locked, his mind gradually becoming ice-bound. "Your Divine Race waged a great massacre against our Wu Dong Star Domain.

Now, with a mere word, you expect us to pretend nothing happened? It's not that simple!" Mu Wei snapped coldly. "If you, Xing Huo, had truly entered the Immortal realm, you could indeed act as you please today.

Unfortunately, you have only taken one step; there is still one step before you truly cross into immortality!" "Indeed.

We’d like to see if you can truly act so arrogantly in front of us!" Bai Ye Feng chuckled.

Sha-shui looked confused.

He hadn't expected that under Xing Huo's pressure, Mu Wei and Bai Ye Feng would be the first to react, which made him even more astonished. "Heavenly Gu Soul Devour!" Mu Wei sneered.

His divine body trembled, and countless Gu worms poured out from within his body, densely packed like clusters of dark clouds.

These Gu worms were bizarre in appearance, emitting mournful shrieks that pierced eardrums as they surged toward Xing Huo.

Bai Ye Feng's eyes sharpened.

In the sky above his head, billions of lightning bolts instantly generated, resounding with thunderous explosions that shook Black Iron City to its foundations.

Countless arcs of lightning, like rainbow rivers, shot down indiscriminately toward Xing Huo, attempting to annihilate him in one strike.

Simultaneously, Shi Yan narrowed his eyes and called out to his auxiliary soul across realms.

Within his Sea of Consciousness, an illusory soul formed from clusters of flames suddenly materialized.

Billions of tiny flames fluttered above his Sea of Consciousness like fireflies, igniting it within a mere breath.

His frozen consciousness immediately recovered.