The plan, which should have been perfect, began to show a slight deviation the moment Azure Dragon set foot in the Ancestral Land again.

That day, he observed that on the myriad islands across the five seas of the Boundless Ocean, human warriors were surviving and active—this most common yet astonishingly fertile race had now become the new masters of the Boundless Ocean.

It was then he realized something was amiss, understanding a major flaw in his flawless plan.

Shi Yan was not of the Celestial Demon Clan.

He would not prioritize the interests of the Celestial Demon Clan, nor would he dedicate the entirety of the Ancient Continent solely to strengthening them, nor would he consistently safeguard the welfare of their kin in every matter.

Only if Shi Yan were a Celestial Demon clansman and the inheritor of Bloodthirst would the plan truly be perfect.

Recognizing the defect, he immediately sought out Shi Yan and took him from the Undying Island. As a measure against future trouble, he extorted the Boundless Ocean and the Dark Magnetic Mist from Shi Yan, aiming to force his compliance while Shi Yan was still insufficiently powerful and lacked deep comprehension of the Ancient Continent's intricacies.

If Shi Yan had agreed, the plan’s flaw could have been remedied, allowing the Celestial Demon Clan to retain dominion over the continent's most abundant territories.

Unfortunately, Shi Yan did not yield, yet he dared not kill Shi Yan; the matter was thus shelved indefinitely.

Afterward, he racked his brain and conceived a new scheme: activating the Spirit Gathering Ancient Formation using the core of the Celestial Demon Sacred Land to draw in energy from the vicinity of the Boundless Ocean, thereby shaping the region around the Celestial Demon Mountain Range into the most suitable place for cultivation in the world.

If Shi Yan refused to cede the Boundless Ocean and the Dark Magnetic Mist, he would benefit the Celestial Demon Clan in his own way.

Everything he did was for the Celestial Demon Clan, for the prosperity of the race, for the future of his people. For this cause, even knowing Shi Yan's discontent, he insisted on proceeding forcefully.

In truth, the moment he resolved to act, he had anticipated Shi Yan's resistance.

This was because his actions meant seizing energy that did not belong to the Celestial Demon Mountain Range, pilfering the strength of the Boundless Ocean that rightfully belonged to all the islands, all to secure welfare for the Celestial Demon Clan alone.

He was unafraid of Shi Yan’s resistance because, during their previous encounter, he had discerned that Shi Yan’s integration with the Ancient Continent was incomplete. He was confident he could suppress Shi Yan’s opposition and finalize matters before Shi Yan grew too strong.

This was his original grand design.

But now, watching the visions of the White Tiger and Vermilion Bird just surfacing around Shi Yan, he wavered momentarily before a wave of bitterness washed over him, eliciting a deep, silent sigh.

He knew what those apparitions signified.

They were the mark of advanced fusion of the Origin Flame, the ability to draw upon the continent's energy, and the skillful mastery thereof. Shi Yan was now steadily grasping the secrets of presiding over this world; trying to imprison him now would likely prove exceedingly difficult.

On this continent, Shi Yan was a god—perhaps a nascent god, not yet a true deity, but even a false god was formidable.

Were they outside this continent, with his Immortal Realm cultivation, imprisoning Shi Yan would be as easy as crushing an ant.

But here, in Shi Yan’s domain…"……," he suddenly felt a sharp headache.

Thus, he did not resort to immediate force. He invoked the Ancestral Land and its connection to the Celestial Demon Clan, intending to make Shi Yan feel morally compromised, to make him believe the continent rightfully belonged to them, thus eliciting guilt and prompting him to yield voluntarily.

"We were born from this place; this is our homeland. Only our Clan can be considered the masters here. Our Clan has the right to utilize everything here, and only our Clan possesses that qualification!"

His face contorted in fury, his voice booming like thunder, shaking the void above the Boundless Ocean, causing lightning to flash and the firmament to appear on the verge of collapse. "The survival of any other riff-raff here is due only to the leniency of our Clan!"

He spoke with righteous indignation and towering moral authority, his voice ringing true.

Shi Yan watched his dramatic performance with composure, inwardly cursing, and responded calmly, "What qualification does a deserter who long ago abandoned his homeland have to utter such words? Among the four great races, only your Celestial Demon Clan wanders the starry seas, constantly draining the Life Star to sustain your race's continuity and might. Though you were born from here, you are unworthy to be called its masters."

He looked into the distance. "Every other race living on this land has done so for longer than you. They have endured numerous cycles of energy depletion, never truly abandoning this place. They are more suited to remain here than you. If I had not seized the Primordial Fruit, where would you be now?"

At these words, all the members of the Celestial Demon Clan erupted in explosive rage, their demonic eyes flashing with extreme, savage ferocity.

The Sacred Beast Azure Dragon was also furious. A clear, sharp dragon roar agitated the Divine Thunders of the Nine Heavens. Streams of lightning descended from the sky, their terrifying aura of world-destruction suffusing the deep celestial expanse, instilling dread in every corner of the continent. Many mortals immediately knelt, bowing to heaven, believing the heavens were enraged and begging for divine mercy.

When Azure Dragon was enraged, the world changed color; it seemed as if the continent was about to shatter and explode completely.

With his Immortal Realm cultivation, Azure Dragon had destroyed countless stars throughout his long existence; obliterating a Seventh Level Life Star would take him little effort.

From the moment he was born, he understood the power of thunder, like a deity of celestial lightning. At this moment, in his roar, the fluctuations in the sky above the continent resembled a divine punishment cast down by the gods, terrifying to the extreme, plunging all living beings on the continent into inescapable terror, a sense of ultimate cosmic doom.

"If you truly dare destroy the ancestral star, I will admire you completely." Amidst Azure Dragon's towering wrath, Shi Yan sneered sarcastically. "Continue to unleash your fury, continue to summon the power of lightning from the deepest reaches beyond this domain. I want to see how your Celestial Demon Clan will survive after the heavens collapse..."

At this statement, the elder demons of the Celestial Demon Clan were instantly struck by utter horror, falling to their knees and crying out repeatedly, "Sacred Ancestor, calm your anger! Sacred Ancestor, calm your anger!"

They feared this outcome more than Shi Yan did.

"With my Immortal Realm cultivation, condensing billions of forces into a single point is effortless."

Azure Dragon narrowed his eyes, countless primordial demonic runes springing to life within his pupils. The lightning summoned from the depths of the cosmos suddenly solidified, transforming into a bolt of electric light imbued with vast energy, shooting toward Shi Yan's body.

Inside that bolt of light was like a strange world, where billions of arcs of lightning writhed like dragons and snakes. Within those arcs, one could even discern the appearance of Azure Dragon in various stages of his life—as a cub, youth, young adult, mature, and aged—encapsulating the opportunities of his entire life, covering every phase of his existence.

As that electric light launched, the Celestial Demon elders at the Quasi-Immortal level, like Tian Yin and Bie Wu, showed expressions of terror, sensing a fear that even they might be annihilated.

Yet, Shi Yan remained completely still, raising his head to face the descending lightning. "I stand here motionless. Do you dare kill me?"

He was the Divine Thought Continent, the inheritor of Bloodthirst. If he perished, the hope of the Celestial Demon Clan would be instantly severed! The Bloodthirst lineage would never forgive the Celestial Demon Clan either!

Without a second thought, he knew Azure Dragon absolutely would not dare strike a killing blow!

"I indeed dare not kill you, but I can imprison you!" Azure Dragon sneered.

"Can you truly imprison me?" Shi Yan let out a hollow laugh. "The Nine Heavens Divine Thunder Annihilation Seal, right? The divine ability you first comprehended. This sealing technique can bind all things, can bind Immortals, and can even bind heaven and earth, correct?"

Azure Dragon's expression shifted slightly. "The 'Nine Heavens Divine Thunder Annihilation Seal' was indeed the thunder-based sealing art he first discerned. This technique can bind everything in the world, being a primal divine power. However, its execution requires the continuous summoning of thunder energy from the world's source, making its speed slightly slower, which is why Shi Yan has had time to act freely until now."

Shi Yan’s knowledge of this sealing art suggested that after fusing with the Origin Flame, he had gained a profound understanding of the secrets behind the White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and many Celestial Demon Clan divine abilities. A sense of foreboding arose in his heart.

"Your Nine Heavens Divine Thunder Annihilation Seal can indeed bind the world, but this is my world!"

Shi Yan suddenly let out a cold laugh.

Amidst his laughter, the boundless world energy of the Boundless Ocean instantly contracted into a single stream, a torrent of energy he grasped in his palm, resembling a whip.

With a flick of his wrist, the whip cracked through the void, tearing open seams of fissures. At this moment, the void appeared like cloth shredded by a sharp blade, revealing lines upon lines.

Holding the whip forged from the power of the Boundless Ocean, he darted through the void fissures, his cold laughter echoing. "In my domain, if you wish to fight me, even as an Immortal, you can only watch as I roam freely. What can you do to me?"

The bolt of light, transformed by the "Nine Heavens Divine Thunder Annihilation Seal," weaved between the void fissures but could never lock onto Shi Yan's trace.

Azure Dragon’s face darkened.

He was overcome by a feeling of helplessness.

In his Immortal Realm cultivation, throughout his long and vast years, such moments of powerlessness were exceedingly rare...

Merging with the Origin to become the master of the continent, presiding over a domain where he could utilize everything at will, drawing out the world's energy, being the world itself...

He recalled a past statement made by Vermilion Bird; at this moment, he understood its meaning profoundly.

"Today, I am merely at the First Heaven of the Primordial God Realm; the degree of my Celestial Fire fusion has not yet reached its peak; there are still steps to climb. But here, now, you cannot pose a threat to me. When my realm advances further, when my Origin fusion reaches its zenith, what will you use to fight me!?"

In the numerous void fissures, Shi Yan's stern silhouette flickered in and out of view, as if reflected in countless mirrors. He looked at the Sacred Beast Azure Dragon, at the Celestial Demon Clan lineage, and grinned menacingly. "If your Celestial Demon Clan truly wishes to oppose me, you should choose another location. Here, are you attempting to bring about the annihilation of your entire clan!?"

As the words fell, a strange vibration echoed from all corners of the continent. The depths of the Celestial Demon Mountain Range shook violently, as if a terrifying fierce beast were about to surge from the deep abyss, threatening to crush the mountains entirely.

All the Celestial Demon Clan members in the Celestial Demon Mountain Range instantly turned pale with horror. The movement rising from the earth was the might of the heavens, the wrath of nature itself!

It was the roar of a world master!

"Sacred Ancestor!"

"Sacred Ancestor!"

Many elder demons were struck by terror and the despair of imminent destruction, unable to stop their shrieks. They turned to look at the Sacred Beast Azure Dragon.

Shi Yan grinned coldly, watching the Sacred Beast Azure Dragon from within the void fissures.

The Celestial Demon Ancestor, who had reached the Immortal Realm, suddenly looked much older. He looked at his fearful and uneasy clansmen beside him, sighed deeply, canceled the Nine Heavens Divine Thunder Annihilation Seal, and bowed his head in defeat. "The Celestial Demon Clan will henceforth abide by the rules you have established to survive here. We will no longer act recklessly. This time, we admit our mistake."