Minghao’s ability to immediately reveal Randolph’s origins made the situation painfully clear: Randolph must have been someone he secretly arranged to be there alongside him.

Shi Yan looked at Minghao, then glanced at Xuanhe and Philete, his spirit slightly shaken.

According to Xuanhe, they had only arranged for Thore and Bantung, believing that if Thore and Bantung secured the leadership of Darkness and Corrosion respectively, coupled with their own support, it would guarantee half the people would back him in ascending the Sovereign Lord’s throne.

However, looking at the current situation, Minghao was clearly a step ahead in skill.

Had it not been for the unexpected variable of Yang Qingdi, and the profound essence spirit he obtained from Senluo, the leadership of Despair would have been taken by Baku//Fastest text update www.shumilou.com no pop-ups no ads//, and the new leaders of Destruction and Chaos would almost certainly be taking orders from Minghao. Coupled with Randolph replacing Thore, Xuanhe and Philete had, in effect, already failed.

At this moment, Shi Yan’s expression grew grim as he gazed deeply at Minghao.

He finally understood that Minghao, the leader of the Eight Retainers, truly lived up to his title. Regardless of whether Xuanhe and Philete admitted it or not, Minghao’s capabilities and methods within the Bloodthirsty lineage were clearly a cut above theirs.

From this competition for leadership, he saw clearly now: this Minghao, who didn't hold him in high regard and didn't wish to see him ascend, would absolutely not allow him to become the new Sovereign Lord smoothly.

He instinctively turned back, looking toward Yang Qingdi’s direction, then cast his eyes toward Bantung, who was cultivating Corrosion, silently holding onto a sliver of hope. He hoped Bantung would emerge victorious, because Yang Qingdi's success was certain. If Bantung also won, combined with Xuanhe and Philete, he would secure at least half the support, leaving room for maneuver.

If Bantung also failed, with five great leaders opposing his ascent, he would forfeit his qualification to inherit the Blood Ring. According to the agreement among the Eight Retainers back then, he would have to hand over the Blood Ring, and even the Devouring Inheritance would be reclaimed.

That would mean death for him!

“Boom!”

While he was deep in somber contemplation, Thore once again violently slammed against the membranous flesh of the black-armored dragon below. Intricate and marvelous patterns were engraved upon this membrane. As the patterns were activated, they instantly erupted with a wave-like counterforce. Hit by this power, Thore’s entire skeleton cracked audibly, as if his bones were about to shatter into dust.

Thore was already a mess of blood and torn flesh, beyond recognition, yet Xuanhe and Philete offered no comment. He continued to recklessly slam against the membrane, attempting to breach the barrier to fight Randolph again.

Shi Yan had heard Xuanhe say that unless it was an Immortal Realm expert of profound attainment, no one could tear through that membrane, as it was prepared to counter the Divine Race’s assaults, and they understood the membrane’s defensive strength intimately.

Watching Thore’s impacts, watching the rebound force of the membrane, everyone knew Thore could not possibly succeed.

Minghao did not continue speaking. His eyes gazed downward languidly, the corners of his mouth curling into a sharp, indifferent angle.

Nearby, dozens of the inheritors of the Eight Great Bloodthirsty Legacies stood watching from afar. None of them spoke, all silently focused on Thore, watching as he gradually exhausted his strength while still battering the barrier.

Liana’s palms were bleeding profusely where her nails dug in. The scar on her cheek writhed like a strange snake, utterly horrifying. She stared intensely at Xuanhe and Philete, her breathing growing heavy, the light in her eyes terrifying, like a repressed volcano on the verge of eruption.

Xuanhe and Philete remained unmoved, not sparing Liana’s gaze a second thought. These two had blood on their hands countless times ten thousand years ago; their hearts were utterly cold and merciless. How could they possess any mercy?

They had invested vast amounts of energy and precious celestial treasures into cultivating Thore, banking on his victory to seize the leadership of Darkness.

Now that Thore had been defeated, they were furious. In their minds, they had already condemned Thore to death, preparing to watch him perish right there and then.

Liana’s repressed rage and volatility finally erupted to its absolute peak.

She completely disregarded where she was, ignoring the silent assent of Xuanhe and Philete for Thore to die. After a ghostly shriek, she rushed toward Thore as if possessed by a demon.

“No!”

Thore suddenly turned his head, roaring through a mouth full of blood, veins bulging on his forehead. He shouted in terror, “Please, my esteemed Lords, spare this junior. I have failed to meet your expectations. I will die now. Please, look upon her exceptional talent and grant her a path to live!”

Thore had followed Xuanhe and Philete for some time and deeply understood their cruel bloodlust when dealing with enemies. Seeing Liana defy their will, Thore was gripped by extreme fear.

He finished his plea rapidly, immediately closing his eyes. An abnormal tremor resonated from his Soul Altar, and his divine body began to swell rapidly like an overinflated balloon.

Liana’s eyes seemed ready to weep blood. She knew Thore intended to self-detonate and die, yet hated that she was unable to move; she had been instantly immobilized by Xuanhe.

She looked at Thore, the despair and sorrow flowing from her eyes sending shivers through the heart.

Under everyone’s gaze, Thore’s body expanded, the Soul Altar vibrating violently, poised for self-destruction at any moment.

At this point, Xuanhe, Philete, and Ming all remained indifferent. The surrounding cultivators practicing the Eight Great Mysteries, having no kinship with Thore, also watched coldly, silent.

“Whoosh, whoosh!”

Just as Thore was about to destroy himself, suddenly, billions of starlights descended like rain, all plunging into Thore’s body.

His continuously swelling flesh miraculously contracted back to normal under the moistening effect of the starlight.

In an instant, countless specks of starlight flowed over Thore’s entire body. The starlight washed away the filth from his divine body. Above Thore’s head, a brilliant cluster of light, clearly a real star, radiated a pure and gentle aura, nourishing his Altar Wind and protecting his main soul from annihilation.

Liana, whose eyes had been bloodshot and nearly bursting, suddenly froze, momentarily lost.

A cold glint flashed in Minghao’s eyes. He looked grimly toward Shi Yan and sneered, “Benevolence of a woman!”

Xuanhe and Philete also frowned, looking at Shi Yan, who had walked over to stand beside Thore. Their expressions showed displeasure, clearly unhappy that he had interfered without permission and stopped Thore’s self-destruction.

“Liana swore allegiance to me in her early years. I cannot ignore her affairs. The reason I delayed acting was to see just how heartless you all could be. Now, I have seen.”

Shi Yan approached Thore. A few drops of Undying Demon Blood bloomed from the tip of his left finger. This demon blood contained surging vitality and instantly merged into Thore’s body, helping to stabilize his injuries so his divine body would not shatter, thus saving the physical shell from being ruined.

As he spoke, Minghao, Xuanhe, and Philete all wore grim expressions, watching him coldly.

Shi Yan suddenly broke into a mocking smile, shaking his head. “What you did today might have been your style back then—the normal operating procedure internally when he was still around. But back then, you dominated heaven and earth, possessing transcendent power across all races and star domains; you could afford to play games like this. But how many inheritors are left in this lineage now? How many have reached the level of Progenitor God? If you still cling to the methods of the past, you might not even have to wait for the war with the Divine Race; you’ll wipe yourselves out first.”

He was truly disheartened.

From the words of Gu Lian, Xing Ming, and Laina, and from the mouth of the Sacred Beast Azure Dragon, he had already guessed that the Eight Retainers had conflicts among themselves and were constantly vying for advantage.

But he thought that after ten thousand years, this lineage had weakened too much and should unite. They shouldn't be engaged in endless internal strife as before.

He was wrong. Since arriving here, Ming, Xuanhe, and Philete had been in contention, and the competition for the great leadership positions was a struggle for survival.

Now, because Thore disappointed Xuanhe and Philete, they naturally deemed that Thore should no longer live and should self-destruct to quell their dissatisfaction.

It was almost unbelievable to him.

He finally understood why Gu Lian, Xing Ming, and Laina had been evasive when he asked about his chances of becoming the Sovereign Lord—it was because they knew that even when the Bloodthirsty faction was alive and well, those eight were already fighting, and they hadn't stopped to this day.

They were already remnants; only three of the original Eight Retainers remained, yet these three were still locked in internal struggle, casually abandoning and discarding those they had cultivated—even though Thore was a powerful expert at the Second Heaven of the Progenitor God realm...

He felt that even if he ascended and became the new Sovereign Lord, there would be absolutely no hope of resisting the Divine Race. He truly saw no hope at all.

If the concepts held by the three great leaders—Ming, Xuanhe, and Philete—did not change, if this faction continued to fight internally, if they still could not unite even now, then he had no reason to remain.

“You all carry on. I regret I cannot accompany you further. I have finally understood—I should never have come here.” Carrying Thore with one hand, he glanced at Liana. “I voluntarily give up the position of Sovereign Lord. This Blood Ring originally belonged to your masters; I now return it whole.”

“No!”

The spirit of the Blood Ring transmitted a violent soul fluctuation. It had never been this proactive before.

Unfortunately, Shi Yan completely ignored it, directly pulling off the ring and tossing it toward Minghao. “Didn't you want to snatch this ring in Black Iron City? Now I grant your wish. You are the head of the Eight Retainers; this ring goes to you now.”

“No! Don’t let him touch me! I beg you!” The Ring Spirit’s plea reached Shi Yan’s mind, filled with unprecedented fear and anxiety. It seemed terrified of Minghao, shouting frantically.

—In a way only Shi Yan could hear.

“Since you refuse to serve me as master, I will fulfill your wish and let you return to the hands of your master’s strongest subordinate. You can trade with him; he is far stronger than me, and he shares your goal. You can gather all the remains of that person. I believe he will be very interested in the conditions you offered me,” Shi Yan responded with a cold laugh.

“I recognize you as master! I willingly recognize you as master! Please take the ring body back! Do not let him touch me!” The Ring Spirit screamed wildly, its terror reaching an extreme.

A strange light suddenly flickered in Shi Yan’s eyes. Listening to the spirit’s frantic soul cries, he suddenly felt something was profoundly wrong.

Back then, when the Ring Spirit first encountered that finger from the Bloodthirsty lineage, it instantly severed its connection with him, later declaring its desire to cut ties and cease serving him as master, righteously stating it only had one master.

But now, to prevent Minghao from touching it, it was shouting its willingness to re-pledge allegiance to him.

To return to his possession, this Ring Spirit seemed willing to overturn all its previous solemn pronouncements. This spirit… made him feel uneasy.

Ahead, Ming’s pupils were dark, his expression extremely bizarre. A faint specter flickered in his eyes, and bursts of pure, profound soul energy suddenly climbed rapidly over his body.

He had locked onto the Blood Ring. No matter how much the ring struggled, it could not break free. He gathered the scattered souls from outside the domain one by one and seized the Blood Ring in his grasp.

Then, the specter in his eyes actually drilled out and suddenly plunged into the interior of the Blood Ring.

“Just as I thought,” Ming suddenly sneered grimly. “You are not it at all!”