Ming Hao, Xuan He, Phillett, and Shi Yan floated outside the forbidden grounds, locked in an unresolved dispute over the matter of the Cursed Relics.

"The Spirit of the Cursed can sense his remains. The more bones the Spirit obtains, the stronger its sensory ability will become," Shi Yan declared, flexing his arm. "Now that two segments of the relics have been secured, should we demand the ones held by the Myriad Illusions Sect, the Shattered Hall, and the Heavenly Water Palace be returned?"

"Once you ascend to the summit, you can demand the Master's remains. This should not pose much of a problem," Xuan He replied.

"Ascend to the summit?" Ming Hao's pupils were dim, his tone chillingly sinister. "I disagree. By what right should he ascend?"

"As long as five of the Headmasters agree to his becoming the Sovereign Lord, he will be the new Sovereign Lord. When Sen Luo, Laomo, and Gelu were here, we confirmed this matter. You were a participant; are you going back on the agreement made back then?" Phillett roared, glaring ferociously at Ming Hao.

"I naturally abide by what I agreed to, but currently, there are only three Headmasters. The others have yet to be chosen. Whether he can reach the summit depends on fate."

Ming Hao had no desire to elaborate. He let out a cold snort, his figure dissolving like smoke instantly.

Though he departed, his voice echoed from afar: "We will each be responsible for arranging the sealing of the islands, preparing for the selection of the Headmasters for the five islands: Destruction, Darkness, Despair, Corrosion, and Chaos."

"I will go make arrangements," Phillett nodded slightly to Shi Yan and then vanished as well.

Xuan He smiled faintly and explained, "Five Headmasters must endorse you before you qualify for the Sovereign Lord status. Phillett and I will naturally agree. Tuolei and Bang Teng will contest for the Darkness and Corrosion Headmaster positions; they are both at the Second Heaven of the Beginning God realm. I imagine that shouldn't be a problem..."

Xuan He meticulously recounted the rules they had established back then to Shi Yan. He also mentioned Yang Qingdi: "If he manages to seize the Despair Profundity Headmaster position, this matter can be settled. However, one person cultivating the Despair Profundity has already reached the Beginning God realm. That person... is not affiliated with me or Phillett; they should align with Ming Hao."

"Despair Profundity!" Shi Yan's eyes blazed with dazzling, strange light, and he grinned, "Let's go to that island. I have a way to help my Great-Grandfather secure the Headmaster position!"

Xuan He was stunned. He looked deeply at Shi Yan and nodded, "Good!"

Two streaks of strange light flashed, landing directly on the Island of Despair. On that island, dozens of cultivators practicing the Despair Profundity were scattered in isolation, Yang Qingdi being one of them.

He stood in a corner of the island, calmly observing a person in the distance, fervent battle desire blazing in his eyes.

That person was a member of the Ghost Rune Clan, his entire skin covered in cyan runes, his face likewise. At first glance, he appeared terrifyingly grim and sinister. He was at the First Heaven of the Beginning God realm, emanating an eerie aura of sparse vitality, despair, and desolation. He sat in a corner of the island, and from the surrounding terrain of white bones came strange, piercing shrieks, seemingly cries of desperate struggle.

He kept his eyes tightly shut, not sparing another glance at anyone else on the island, completely absorbed in his own state of enlightenment.

Yang Qingdi already regarded him as his primary opponent. As soon as he arrived, he targeted him, his entire being radiating manic battle energy, his Demonic Blood seeming to burn fiercely. Although he was only at the First Heaven of the Void God realm, the Demonic Blood of the Undying Demon Race flowed within him. After absorbing the Blood Essence Stones, the toughness of his physical body was extraordinary. Compared to the Ghost Rune Clan member, if nothing unexpected occurred, his divine body should have the upper hand, though his sheer power was far inferior due to the realm difference.

"Great-Grandfather," Shi Yan called out softly.

Yang Qingdi jolted violently, suddenly looking up, and couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, "When did you get here?"

"Just arrived," Shi Yan smiled. With a thought, his divine sense enveloped the Island of Despair, giving him a detailed understanding of the cultivators practicing the Despair Profundity there.

"The competition for the Headmaster position will begin soon. Those not participating should leave this island and wait temporarily on the islands belonging to Ming Hao, myself, and Phillett. You can only return after the results are decided," Xuan He announced, hovering above the island, his voice booming out.

"In previous Headmaster selections, life and death were irrelevant, but the circumstances are different now. The eight inheritors of the Profundities have been significantly weakened. Therefore, during the selection, if you feel your power is insufficient, simply leaving this island voluntarily will count as forfeiture, and your opponent cannot pursue you ruthlessly. Of course, if you insist on fighting—if you know you are outmatched but still cling to a sliver of hope and persist in the battle—then death is your fate..."

Xuan He explained the rules indifferently. As he spoke, many lower-realm martial artists voluntarily withdrew, heading towards the islands of Death, Soul Control, and Corpse Power.

In an instant, the vast majority of the dozens of cultivators practicing the Despair Profundity departed.

When Xuan He finished explaining the rules, only five individuals remained on the island. Among the five, Yang Qingdi, at the First Heaven of the Void God realm, was the lowest in cultivation. There were three others at the Third Heaven of the Void God realm, and the last was the Ghost Rune Clan member, at the First Heaven of the Beginning God realm.

Those three at the peak of the Void God realm intended to use the mysteries of the Despair Profundity to defeat the higher-realm opponent and contest for the Headmaster position. They were somewhat confident in themselves and, after hearing Yang Qingdi's detailed explanation of the rules, believed they could leave early if truly unable to compete, thus avoiding mortal danger.

As one martial artist after another departed, Shi Yan began his own action in a corner of the island. After exchanging a brief reunion with Yang Qingdi, he instructed Yang Qingdi to sit down, open his mind, and accept the Profound Meaning of Sen Luo's power.

Yang Qingdi complied without hesitation. As soon as he sat down, a mysterious fluctuation emanated from within the Spirit of the Cursed. The essence of Sen Luo's Profound Meaning power, collected and gathered by the Spirit of the Cursed, transformed into a stream of energy water and poured directly into Yang Qingdi's celestial spirit cap, entering his Soul Altar.

Yang Qingdi looked up at Xuan He, giving him a subtle glance, signaling Xuan He to wait a moment.

Xuan He nodded slightly. He, too, looked down in astonishment towards the area above Yang Qingdi’s head, his gaze filled with contemplation. After a long pause, a hint of sorrow appeared in Xuan He's eyes, and he sighed inwardly.

From that stream of energy water, he sensed the aura of Sen Luo. Sen Luo, once the Despair Headmaster, despite his solitary and extreme nature, had been quite friendly with him. Such pure and exquisite energy could only prove one thing: Sen Luo had perished completely. Although he had long known Sen Luo was likely dead, he had never truly confirmed it until now. Seeing this combined energy stream of Sen Luo's Primordial Realm, Profundity, and Despair power filled him with a sudden melancholy.

Just then, Ming Hao's voice rang out, "When does it start?"

As the voice faded, he stood beside Xuan He. "The islands of Chaos and Destruction are prepared under my arrangement. We only need the command from the three of us, and the contests for the Headmaster positions can commence. Phillett has also arranged the Darkness and Corrosion islands; we are just waiting on yours."

"Greetings, Benefactor," suddenly, the Ghost Rune Clan member, who had remained silent with his eyes closed, stood up as Ming Hao approached and bowed respectfully, speaking sincerely.

Ming Hao narrowed his eyes, nodding slightly. "Strive with all your might for the Headmaster position; that will repay my kindness. Work hard."

"Baku will certainly not disappoint the Benefactor's expectations," the man replied with utmost respect.

Xuan He looked down at the man, snorted, and then remarked, "It will be done shortly. You truly had arrangements prepared long ago. It seems you intend for Baku to win the Despair Headmaster seat."

Ming Hao’s expression remained unchanged. "Did you and Phillett not also arrange for Bang Teng and Tuolei to contest the Corrosion and Darkness Headmaster positions? Since you can arrange things, so can I. It depends on who arranges better... and more artfully."

He cast a cold glance at Shi Yan, an inscrutable expression flickering in his eyes. He then looked at the Blood Patterned Ring, and with a flicker, he vanished from the spot once more.

Below, intense fluctuations of despair erupted around Yang Qingdi. He appeared to be drowning in an endless ocean of despair, his expression contorted in agonizing struggle, as if trying to wrench his soul free from some distant place.

Shi Yan stood by his side, silently guarding him, his gaze coldly fixed on the four other cultivators practicing the Despair Profundity. Of those four, only Baku’s expression remained unchanged. The other three peak Void God experts looked on with astonishment, their eyes subtly wary as they gazed at Yang Qingdi.

They sensed the most profound and terrifying fluctuations of the Despair Profundity emanating from Yang Qingdi—a wave that tugged at their very minds, rendering their own Despair Profundities constrained everywhere they turned. It felt like a detection based on an inherent hierarchy, causing them secret dread and unease.

The three closed their eyes to sense it, their faces gradually paling, their minds reeling. They had quietly made up their minds: once the Headmaster contest began, they would try not to provoke Yang Qingdi first.

Xuan He’s eyes gleamed strangely. He nodded inwardly, his expression towards Yang Qingdi now tinged with a trace of reverence.

After a while, Yang Qingdi let out a roar like a ferocious beast. His Demonic Blood boiled, and he suddenly awoke. A scarlet glint appeared in his eyes. He took a deep breath, slowly calmed down, and then said to Shi Yan, "It's done."

Shi Yan glanced at him and found that he was still only at the First Heaven of the Void God realm, yet... the fluctuations around him were exceedingly profound, as if he were gradually climbing, his divine power undergoing a mysterious fusion, growing stronger with every passing moment.

"Should I... give you more time?" Shi Yan asked.

"No need."

Yang Qingdi shook his head and grinned proudly, "If you give me more time, the battle will lack challenge and become tedious. Now, before my realm power has fully merged, I am still at a disadvantage. Fighting like this is more exhilarating and will satisfy me more."

Shi Yan was surprised, then laughed, "Very well."

He withdrew and returned to the sky, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Xuan He, saying, "It can begin."

Looking into the distance, he saw that on the islands of Darkness, Destruction, Chaos, and Corrosion, contenders for the Headmaster positions were also awaiting, fierce auras soaring to the sky, ready to spill blood for the rank.

Feilan and Liana stood near the islands of Corrosion and Darkness, their expressions worried, staring intently into the island interiors where people they cared for resided.

"Ming Hao, Phillett, let the contests begin!" Xuan He suddenly roared out long and loud. The sound pierced the blood-red clouds like thunder, echoing across all the islands in the Sea of Blood.

In the distance, Ming Hao and Phillett responded with their own roars. Amidst the sounds of dragons crying and tigers howling, the Sea of Blood churned with colossal waves, and many whirlpools in the sky actually began to spin.

Their cries seemed to activate some mysterious array, causing immense changes in the Sea of Blood.