Feng Jue sat alongside the assembled Divine Race Elders beneath the towering, formidable statues. Each face was grim, etched with silent tension, as if awaiting some inevitable decree.

Suddenly, a streak of starlight pierced the gloom, plunging directly into the temple—it was Xing Huo.

Xing Huo’s complexion was ashen, his smile a chilling, spectral thing. He casually tossed Hei Ge aside.

Hei Ge immediately collapsed onto his knees, prostrating himself before the divine statues and the circle of elders. Head bowed, he offered no word. This battle, he had failed again. He had no defense, only the silent dread of the elders’ judgment.

Xing Huo then turned his gaze upon Feng Jue, a flicker of lethal intent igniting in his eyes. “We gave him the chance. He failed to seize it. He is no longer qualified to lead our race in the future.”

“What are your thoughts?” Feng Jue inquired, turning to the other elders.

One by one, the elders nodded in agreement. Their looks toward Hei Ge were cold and merciless. In that moment, Hei Ge seemed to them like an outsider, someone they no longer held in their consideration.

Hei Ge suddenly lifted his head, his face spectral, sensing the impending doom. A chill shot through his heart. He lunged upward, attempting a desperate flight out of the temple.

Feng Jue let out a soft sigh and raised a hand. A desiccated spectral hand materialized from the void, instantly yanking Hei Ge back. Feng Jue looked up toward the statue beside him, his own expression hardening with resolution. “Let him… prepare for the Soul Descent.”

When speaking of “Him,” Feng Jue displayed a rare reverence, suggesting that this figure held unparalleled prestige and power within the Divine Race, compelling even the Grand Elder of the council to exhibit due deference.

Hei Ge’s face turned the color of dead ash. He couldn't help but scream, “No!”

“Silence!” Xing Huo hissed coldly. A frigid, cryptic symbol flashed and sealed itself over Hei Ge’s mouth, rendering him utterly incapable of utterance.

The Divine Race Elders began to manifest their Soul Altars. Their altars were wildly varied, imbued with countless arcane mysteries. These floating altars gradually coalesced into an intricate, profound formation, from which intensely terrifying energy fluctuations began to emanate.

The towering statues that had stood in the temple for years seemed, in an instant, to awaken. Wisps of soul-thought, like memories scattered for ages, emerged from within the statues. These wisps were nurtured within the formation at the center of the elders’ altars.

Wisp by wisp, the soul-thoughts slowly condensed, forging an ancient soul that had vanished long ago. A vast, primeval, awe-inspiring soul-aura suddenly burst forth.

Every elder now wore solemn expressions; the Prime Souls within their own Soul Altars showed a degree of submission.

After long coagulation, the ancient soul transformed into a swirling mass of inky black cloud. Under Hei Ge’s gaze of utter terror, it shot directly into his mind, surging into his Soul Altar.

Hei Ge’s Origin Realm underwent a cataclysmic upheaval. His cultivation ascended at an astonishing pace: Prime God First Heaven, Prime God Second Heaven, Prime God Third Heaven. Barrier after barrier of realm and power shattered as if ground to dust, propelling him to an unimaginable height in mere moments.

Hei Ge remained with his eyes tightly shut, as if assimilating the influx. Slowly, he settled into silence, solidifying his newly attained heights.

All the Divine Race Elders gazed deeply upon the new “Hei Ge.” Once they retracted their Soul Altars back into their divine bodies, the elders immediately knelt down in unison, their voices filled with awe: “We welcome the return!”

The “Hei Ge” remained unmoved, still immersed in the integration and recovery of his new form, paying the elders no mind.

The Divine Race Elders exhibited no impatience, maintaining their respectful postures in silent vigil, awaiting the slow recovery of that being. They understood perfectly: before that person awakened, their council held absolute authority within the Divine Race. But once He woke, the council would forever be mere adornment to Him, requiring the utmost piety and obeisance. This unfamiliar feeling of having to bow and scrape had not visited their hearts in ages, making them distinctly uncomfortable.

Before that person awoke, their council ruled as the foremost authority in the universe; but that was no longer the case.

After an immeasurable pause, that being opened his eyes. The gaze was utterly unremarkable, vastly inferior to the deep wisdom that had previously characterized Hei Ge. It was the look of the most common mortal, devoid of any strange luminescence. He surveyed Feng Jue, Xing Huo, and the others, his sight sweeping over each elder in turn, and commanded: “In My name, summon the Four Great Heavenly Kings to return.”

“Yes!”

Feng Jue, Xing Huo, and all members of the council nodded deferentially, daring not to disobey in the slightest.

The ruined manor lay scattered across the land. Many pavilions were shattered heaps, the flagstones pitted and scarred, the ornamental rockeries and pavilions reduced to wreckage.

The battle with Hei Ge had certainly leveled the location, utterly destroying a once tranquil courtyard. Yet, the emissaries from the Thousand Illusions Sect, the Shattered Hall, the Celestial Water Palace, and the other assembled factions seemed unconcerned. They gathered in a main hall, its ceiling crisscrossed with fractures.

There were no servants present; only Mu Wei, Jiao Mu, Bai Yefeng, and the others remained. No one offered refreshments or welcome.

Gu Lian, Xing Ming, and Laina stood as representatives for the Thousand Illusions Sect, the Shattered Hall, and the Celestial Water Palace, respectively. These three factions were the most formidable powers in the Star River, second only to the Four Great Races, holding undisputed dominion in the cosmos—powers even the Divine Race would not easily provoke.

They waited in the hall for Shi Yan to recover and join them, showing no sign of impatience.

Mu Wei, Bai Yefeng, Jiao Mu, and Sang Ji, all seeking favors, stood to the side with wry smiles, detailing the dire situations in their respective star domains and stressing the immense pressure they faced from the Divine Race.

Gu Lian, Xing Ming, and Laina listened with polite smiles, offering no promises, which subtly agitated Mu Wei and his companions.

Audrey and Jilata were also at the manor, but they did not attend this strategic meeting. Regarding the conflict between the Bloodthirsty lineage and the Divine Race, the Nether Emperor Clan was entitled to neutrality. If they chose not to intervene, neither side would seek retribution afterward.

The Thousand Illusions Sect, the Shattered Hall, and the Celestial Water Palace lacked the standing for such neutrality. Though they commanded respect in the star sea, they did not align with the Four Great Races and lacked the deep-rooted foundation to stand as equals with the Divine Race or the Bloodthirsty faction.

They needed to make a choice.

Beside her master, Laina, Cecilia’s clear eyes shone with a seductive luster, a faint smile playing on her lips. She appeared to be in excellent spirits.

“Sister Cecilia, you know… that person?” A young woman standing near Gu Lian of the Thousand Illusions Sect raised an eyebrow and inquired sweetly.

This girl appeared to be about twenty, clad in a light-green short dress. Her skin was fair, her eyes bright, and when she smiled, two dimples appeared at the corners of her mouth, making her look endearingly playful. She was Gu Ling, Gu Lian’s daughter, and she shared a history with Cecilia. Seeing Cecilia’s current lovestruck demeanor, Gu Ling was secretly amused and couldn't help but ask.

Gu Ling had witnessed the battle between Shi Yan and Hei Ge, and her heart was profoundly shaken. As a member of the Thousand Illusions Sect, she knew the terrifying might of the Divine Race. For millennia, the Divine Race had continually proven themselves the supreme power of the universe.

Gu Ling had only heard fragmented tales of the Bloodthirsty lineage from her elders. Never having lived through that era, she held a measure of skepticism toward the stories. She lacked any real connection to this terrifying entity that had once overshadowed the Divine Race, forcing them to unite various powers to achieve victory.

She had even suspected her predecessors had exaggerated the tale.

It was only after Shi Yan’s victory over Hei Ge that Gu Ling suddenly understood. The force that so terrified her elders seemed genuinely that dreadful. She was intensely curious about the legacy of the Bloodthirsty faction and wondered what made this man so exceptional—what right he had to such terrifying power after defeating the future leader of the Divine Race.

“Naturally, I know him,” Cecilia replied with a radiant smile. “You never trained on the Ancient Continent, so you wouldn’t be familiar with him. If you had the chance to go to the Ancient Continent back then, you would know he is far superior to Hei Ge.”

Gu Ling giggled, then suddenly lowered her voice conspiratorially. “Sister Cecilia, between you and… him, is there perhaps…?”

Cecilia’s cheeks flushed slightly. She pursed her lips and chuckled softly without answering.

The two women stood behind the elders, deliberately keeping their voices low as they shared girlish secrets, mindful of the volume.

However, near them, the younger members from the Shattered Hall and the other factions were keenly listening. Upon hearing the words regarding Shi Yan, and seeing the blush of shy delight on Cecilia’s face, the young men who prided themselves on their charm and looks all grew cold-eyed, unable to suppress low, internal snorts of disdain.

While the younger generation conversed in the rear, the elders in the front were also speaking in hushed tones. Gu Lian was currently asking, “Laina, your disciple trained with him on the Ancient Continent. Did he… ever meet the Sovereign of the Bloodthirsty lineage?”

“I do not know anything about that,” Laina shook her head.

Xing Ming, standing nearby, showed a flash of disappointment. He looked toward Mu Wei and Bai Yefeng. “Brother Mu, Brother Bai, has that Shi Yan… been formally presented to the Bloodthirsty Holy Land, made his formal debut?”

“We are unaware,” Mu Wei and Bai Yefeng replied simultaneously.

Xing Ming frowned slightly.

“The Bloodthirsty lineage is structured around Eight Great Mysteries, forming Eight Great Factions, each led by an Archon. Every Archon is a towering powerhouse—fierce, untamable, and brutally domineering. Those individuals never respected one another. Only when the Bloodthirsty Prime held sway were they coerced into cooperation. Now that the Bloodthirsty Prime is gone, who can genuinely unite those Eight Great Inheritances?” After a pause, Xing Ming stated gravely, “Precisely. The moment the Bloodthirsty Prime perished, the Eight Factions immediately fragmented, fighting amongst themselves. They never cooperated. If that hadn’t been the case, even without the Bloodthirsty Prime, that lineage would not have been so easily routed. The only time those Eight Archons united was to launch a single, devastating strike that breached the Divine Race’s Ancient God Continent. If they could have maintained that unity, even without the Bloodthirsty Prime, the Divine Race might not have prevailed.” Gu Lian’s expression was complex.

“Can the current Shi Yan truly gather the Eight Factions and bring them to unity?” Laina’s face was also laced with weariness.

Xing Ming, Gu Lian, and Laina exchanged a look, recognizing the mutual hesitation in each other’s eyes, and sighed internally. They knew well the immense power held by the Eight Great Bloodthirsty Inheritances, each fiercely independent. Only when the Bloodthirsty Prime existed did the Eight stand unified. Once he died, the Eight plunged into a vicious struggle for dominance, allowing the Divine Race to seize the opportunity to crush them one by one.

Even so, their final combined assault inflicted a devastating price upon the Divine Race, managing to strike directly at their ancestral star. If the Eight Great Factions could unite to resist the Divine Race, they would naturally favor the Bloodthirsty lineage. But if those Eight remained as unconvinced and self-serving as before, or even continued their internal conflicts, then… they might favor the Divine Race’s victory instead.

This was the source of their ongoing indecision. They harbored no doubt about the inherent strength of the Bloodthirsty lineage; they knew how formidable those Eight Factions were. In fact, it was their very power that made the situation so critical if they could not align.

“We must wait for that boy named Shi Yan to give us an explanation,” Gu Lian finally said.

ps: Ugh, today I drove my wife and son back to their hometown. The traffic was bumper-to-bumper, the congestion was endless—I’ve never seen so many people. My entire day was lost to the road; I’m utterly exhausted, body and soul. I’ve managed to cobble together just this one chapter. It’s only one chapter today, but I’ll start the surge tomorrow!! Damn this major holiday; it’s hard even to get home. Every time it’s the crucial start of the month, something happens to me, like a curse. Ah, I weakly, weakly, weakly beg for everyone’s guaranteed monthly tickets~~ (To be continued)

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