Isle of Forbidden Ground. Shi Yan stroked the Blood-Patterned Ring, his brow furrowed as he ventured deeper into the island's interior. The island was shrouded in dark crimson clouds, which harbored malignant psychic energy capable of stirring murderous intent within his heart.

He cast aside the turmoil within, maintaining clarity in his mind, and in a sudden flash, he reached the core of the Bone Island.

A shock coursed through him, freezing him instantly, his face a mask of horror.

Within the Bone Island lay eight majestic altars, each soaring thousands of meters high and occupying acres of ground. They were forged from a peculiar material, neither metal nor jade, the color of dark, flowing blood, emanating an oppressive and terrifying aura.

The eight altars were arranged in the cardinal directions, their summits piercing the dark clouds overhead. They bore a seventy percent resemblance to the Soul Altar, yet lacked the Sea of Consciousness, the profound mysteries, and the Primal Void layers.

Crafted from the strange material, the altars were covered in intricate, convoluted patterns akin to those on the Blood-Patterned Ring, resembling a deep manifestation of the world's profound truths. Above each of the eight altars floated five blood-colored clouds, generating a marvelous aura that subtly resonated with the fluctuations within the altars themselves.

These eight altars corresponded to eight profound mysteries: Soul Control, Death, Corrosion, Darkness, Chaos, Destruction, Despair, and Corpse Power, each radiating a dense aura of that specific mystery.

The five blood clouds above the altars were the core markings of the Bloodthirsty lineage, whose miraculous function remained unknown.

Though no one had visited for ten millennia, the eight altars were untouched by dust, gleaming faintly within their pristine state, seemingly serving as a source of inheritance—as if merely entering and sitting upon an altar would grant the corresponding mystery.

Only the Altar of Despair appeared slightly different; a unique fluctuation leaked from it, seeming to drift toward every corner of the world, actively seeking a suitable successor rather than passively accepting a martial artist who entered. This fluctuation offered a special inheritance.

The altars pulsed with a mysterious energy, the signature of which was distinctly familiar—it was the same aura as the eight islands he had just visited before arriving here.

These eight altars appeared to be the very nexus of those eight islandsBook Network www.shushuw.cn - First Update. They could influence those islands, determining the flow of their internal energy and essence, a truly esoteric mechanism.

However, what astonished Shi Yan the most was not the eight altars themselves.

At the center of the eight altars stood a colossal statue of a demon god, even grander and taller than the altars, resembling a towering, majestic mountain. Compared to it, the giants he knew were mere ants, utterly insignificant.

The demon god statue was overwhelmingly magnificent and powerful, fashioned from the same material as the altars. Illuminated by the light filtering through the dark red sky, it glowed blood-red, inspiring a terrifying and ferocious impression.

The demon god's face was indistinct. It had twin horns on its head, a tail covered in grotesque barbs extending from its hips, broad wings on its back, and its entire body was sheathed in dense, naturally formed chitinous armor tightly fitted to its form.

From a distance, the statue appeared incredibly dominant and terrifying, tilting its head back as if roaring its defiance at the heavens.

The ten-thousand-meter-tall demon god was bound by long chains wrapped around its tail, shoulders, wings, and legs, each chain tethered to one of the eight altars.

Shi Yan only glanced at it once before his expression violently shifted, a profoundly strange sensation washing over him.

Years ago, upon entering the Land of Fallen Gods, he had discovered the peculiar formations the God Race used there: harnessing the Spirit-Sucking Demonic Flower to absorb the flesh and vital essence of strong cultivators from other races, thus rejuvenating the heavily wounded God Race members through nirvana.

That peculiar formation in the Land of Fallen Gods bore a faint resemblance to what he saw now, utilizing twelve chains connected to stone tablets to draw power.

Upon closer inspection, he realized the scale and complexity of this location far surpassed the God Race's Land of Fallen Gods. He had a strong feeling that the structure in the Land of Fallen Gods was merely an imitation, having failed to grasp the true essence of this place.

This was because the eight altars here did not feel like mere restraints designed to siphon power from the demon god statue.

On the contrary, in his eyes, the eight altars seemed to be nothing more than weapons for the demon god. It felt as if, with a slight exertion of power, the statue could brandish these thousand-meter-tall altars like implements, skillfully wielding the eight mysteries to unleash the ultimate power of the cosmos.

The chains linking the altars seemed to be infused with magical power transmitted from the demon god statue, activating the profound secrets within the altars.

To his perception, the demon god statue was the master, holding the initiative; the eight altars were merely its vessels, its divine weaponry.

He gazed deeply at the demon god statue, pondering silently for a long time, before suddenly shouting: "Lord of Bloodthirst!"

He experienced a sudden realization.

He recalled a phantom scene he’d witnessed in his mind many years ago while trying to unravel the mystery of the blood-colored markings: a giant roaring silently in a vast nothingness, its massive body entangled by countless chains, letting out an unyielding roar.

Now, looking at the scene before him, he finally understood.

"It is indeed the Master's effigy," the Ring Spirit transmitted mentally.

The next moment, a piece of a bloodthirsty finger and a bone flew out from within the Ring, instantly sinking into the center of the gigantic demon god statue.

Instantly, the majestic and immense statue seemed to come alive. Earth-shattering fluctuations erupted from within, a tremor powerful enough to shatter a Level Seven Life Star, causing souls to tremble and hearts to recoil in dread.

As the statue's internal fluctuations raged, the entire sea of blood in the Dark Abyss began to bubble violently, as if boiling over!

The demon god statue remained towering, its indistinct face roaring toward the sky, showing no other specific action.

However, the chains tethered to its shoulders, wings, tail, and legs began to pulse with a strange, bloody light. The blood-colored markings on the chains writhed like scarlet serpents, undergoing bizarre transformations.

"What's happening?" Shi Yan's face grew grim.

The domineering might emanating from the statue gave him the sensation of being crushed beneath billions of mountains, compelling him to bow down in worship.

Even with his Undying Body activated and his bloodline power surging, he could not withstand the pressure. He collapsed onto the ground, sweat pouring down him.

His bones began to creak audibly, as if they were about to be pulverized, soul and flesh alike, by the sheer majesty radiating from the demon god statue.

That pressure was more terrifying than Heavenly Might; his mental fortitude simply could not endure it.

"Frightening!" He trembled uncontrollably, constantly calling out to the Blood-Patterned Ring, desperate to understand what was occurring.

In his sight, the blood-red patterns on the eight chains writhed, gradually extending onto the eight altars. The altars began to float eerily, as if about to lift off.

Yet, after ascending mere meters, the eight altars seemed to lose their sustaining power and crashed back down with a resounding boom.

The Bone Island violently shook, and the sea of blood churned into colossal waves. The entire Dark Abyss seemed to rock.

Shi Yan spat out a mouthful of blood, his internal organs feeling displaced by the impact of the altars landing. His expression twisted in agony as he grit his teeth, blood trickling from the corners of his mouth, fighting desperately to remain conscious.

As the eight altars settled, the terrifying oppressive aura emanating from the demon god statue vanished without a trace.

At that moment, he heard the Ring Spirit's thought: "Only two bones... as expected, it is still far from enough..."

Shi Yan's face darkened, and he roared mentally: "What exactly is going on? What are you trying to do?"

The Blood-Patterned Ring fell silent.

After a long pause, it transmitted: "From now on, you will collect the Master's remains. For every piece of remains you acquire, you can gain another mystery, all derived from the eight vassals: Soul Control, Death, Corrosion, Darkness, Chaos, Destruction, Despair, and Corpse Power. You have only gained the Death mystery; you can cultivate the others—Soul Control, Corrosion, Darkness, Destruction—and by continuing to gather the Master's remains, you can incorporate all the mysteries the Master once commanded. How about it?"

Shi Yan froze.

"Breakthroughs in the Initial God Realm require the perfect comprehension of various mysteries. If I receive further mystery inheritances at this stage, won't I never be able to break through?" he asked, confused.

"The Master's primary mystery was Devouring. The fusion of the eight mysteries—Soul Control, Death, Corrosion, Darkness, Chaos, Destruction, Despair, and Corpse Power—still rendered him invincible. What you worry about may be a barrier for ordinary people, but you need not concern yourself."

The Ring Spirit paused. "You possess the Master's Devouring mystery. For those eight new mysteries, you merely need to devour them using the Devouring mystery to integrate them into yourself. As for future advancements and breakthroughs, I have my means to assist you. You only need to ascend to the position of Sovereign Lord and, utilizing the strength of the Bloodthirsty lineage, gather all of the Master's remains. Then, you can fuse all eight mysteries and truly inherit the Master's complete power."

"Once I devour them, the mysteries become mine?" Shi Yan was aghast.

"For the eight mysteries—Soul Control, Death, Corrosion, Darkness, Chaos, Destruction, Despair, and Corpse Power—that is correct. By activating these eight altars and awakening the inheritance source within, if you swallow and fuse them with the Devouring mystery, it will be equivalent to gaining an extra mystery," the Ring Spirit explained.

Shi Yan was utterly stunned.

When he fought Hage, he had directly swallowed the Gold Planet Hage nurtured within his Initial Realm, integrating it into his own Initial Realm.

At that time, he vaguely felt that the marvel of the Devouring mystery surpassed the limits of his imagination!

The fact that the Bloodthirsty lineage relied on the Devouring mystery to dominate the world, cultivating it as their primary mystery, suggested that it must be exceedingly strange and malevolent.

Now, he finally confirmed his suspicion: the Devouring mystery was indeed the strangest mystery in existence.

Worthy of being the universe's foremost mystery!

The Ring Spirit cast the two pieces of Bloodthirsty remains into the demon god statue, seemingly attempting to activate some mysterious ancient formation. However, because the remains lacked sufficient energy, they could not fully activate the altars' profound mechanisms, and the formation failed to initiate successfully.

It was clear that the Ring Spirit's main goal in collecting the Bloodthirsty remains was to activate this specific formation.

The Ring Spirit refused to disclose the formation's purpose, but it offered Shi Yan a temptation he could scarcely refuse: the integration of the eight great inheritances into a single being!

Even knowing the Ring Spirit intended to use him to achieve some secret goal beyond his knowledge, Shi Yan could not resist the allure of fusing the eight mysteries.

For the other seven mysteries—Soul Control, Corrosion, Darkness, Chaos, Destruction, Despair, and Corpse Power—he deliberated carefully for a while before agreeing: "I accept your terms."

"Then let us first secure the Sovereign Lord position!" The Ring Spirit sounded secretly elated.