Xize didn't move an inch, yet those successive fist imprints materialized like separate realms of Thunder, weaving an infinite tapestry of marvels that sealed off the very space where Xiaoyao stood.

"You surpass your father; among the three of you, you are the closest to the Second Heaven of Immortality. You have grasped the profound essence of the Thunder Extreme, yet your soul has failed to fully transform." Xiaoyao looked deeply at Xize, his expression full of admiration. "But it is still not enough to stop me. After all, I am a full realm above you. I spent seven thousand years achieving this breakthrough, so you can only watch me kill him."

Xiaoyao smiled faintly as he turned his gaze toward Xing Ming.

A crescent moon pattern emerged on Xing Ming's chest. That pattern pierced his heart, shattering his physical body, and shot like lightning into Xing Ming’s altar, obliterating it.

Xiaoyao tilted his head, and a radiant, pure, and flawless full moon manifested, coalesced from billions of divine powers. The moon shifted slightly, nurturing limitless wonders that dissolved the very fist imprints Xize had hurled at him.

While engaging Xize, he had already been siphoning off attention to kill Xing Ming. Unless Xize’s Thunder-Aura of intent completely drained his focus, he could not prevent the killing of Xing Ming.

Clearly, Xize still lacked the necessary degree of power to render Xiaoyao incapable of multitasking.

Thus, Xing Ming was dead.

Xing Ying’s face was smeared with grime and blood. She stopped kowtowing to Xize, her face turning ashen, her eyes pale as she watched her father's life essence cease, as if her soul had departed.

"Xize!" Ling Xiang suddenly roared.

Xize, his face set with grim determination, prepared to attack regardless of the cost. Upon hearing the shout, his eyes flickered slightly, as if struggling intensely with an inner conflict.

"Xize!" Ling Xiang roared again.

The tension in Xize's body suddenly snapped. His expression shifted for a moment before slowly regaining its composure.

Xiaoyao showed approval. His sinuous eyes moved, and he suddenly spoke, "I came here to discuss matters with your Thousand Illusions Sect, Shattered Palace, and Heavenly Water Palace. We, the Divine Race, will exchange an entire star domain for the Bloodthirsty Remains you possess, and the deal can be settled immediately."

Ling Xiang had already guessed his purpose for coming. Upon hearing the offer, he managed a wry, helpless smile. "We have already handed those Remains over to the new Bloodthirsty Sovereign. The terms have been settled."

Xiaoyao’s eyes narrowed, and only then did he realize that Luolin was absent. Moonlight flowed within his pupils, and after a long moment, a thought struck him, and he chuckled lightly, "Huanxing truly lives up to its name; it managed to deceive even me for a moment."

He took a step, and his figure began to dissolve, inch by inch.

Xize and Ling Xiang exchanged a glance, their spirits startled, and they too vanished, heading toward Shi Yan's location.

Gu Lian, Ban Yu, and the others also hurried away, gathering toward the palace Huanxing had prepared for its distinguished guests.

...

On the other side.

"Xiaoyao has arrived. Take these three boxes of Bloodthirsty Remains and leave Huanxing immediately. I have communicated with Xize and Ling Xiang; if your conflict with the Divine Race escalates, the three of us will respond." Luolin suddenly appeared, thrusting three boxes of Heavenly Fragrance Serenity Jade into Shi Yan's hands without preamble, urgently pressing him to leave.

"Xiaoyao? The Heavenly King Xiaoyao of the Divine Race?" Shi Yan asked with forced calm.

"Hurry up and go! The layered illusions of Huanxing probably won't confuse him for more than a few seconds. Don't you cultivate the Profundity of Space? You need to shatter space and return to the Origin Continent at once," Luolin urged.

Shi Yan looked up at the sky, his spirit stirring. His face instantly became terribly grim.

Given his connection to the Divine Grace Continent, he could return with even the faintest residual power, even from the center of spatial turbulence. But now, when he attempted it, he found space had become crushingly heavy, as if pressed down by countless mountains, utterly immovable.

He immediately realized it was too late; Xiaoyao had already fixed his gaze upon him.

"Xiaoyao is here; I can't leave," Shi Yan looked at Luolin, frowning deeply, then suddenly spun around, enveloping Ouyang Luoshuang in an embrace. He placed one hand against her back, subtly activating his power, and whispered near her ear, "I’m sorry."

Ouyang Luoshuang was currently steeped in shock, stunned by Luolin’s words. Her own Master claimed the name Xiaoyao, while the person Shi Yan and Luolin spoke of was Heavenly King Xiaoyao, the pinnacle existence of the Divine Race. She was struggling to sort out her thoughts.

She hadn't anticipated Shi Yan's sudden move. By the time she realized what was happening, it was too late; her body was instantly restrained by Shi Yan. A chill ran down her spine, and she hissed, "What are you doing?"

"I told you before that I might have to use you; this is the moment," Shi Yan apologized with a bitter smile. A strange light flared in his eyes as he snatched the three boxes of Heavenly Fragrance Serenity Jade Luolin had thrown toward the space he was carving out for his Primordial Realm. His expression then gradually turned cold, a chilling aura of killing intent swirling around him, exuding an air of ruthless frostiness. "I apologize."

It was at this precise moment that Xiaoyao tore through the void and stationed himself before Shi Yan.

"Master..." Ouyang Luoshuang's eyes sharpened, and she whispered softly.

Xiaoyao squinted, looking at her, then at Shi Yan. "You are the inheritor of Bloodthirst?"

Shi Yan nodded.

"You only possess the cultivation of the First Heaven of the Origin God; your realm is too low. Killing you would be effortless for me. Hmm, hand over the Bloodthirsty Remains, release my disciple, and I will let you leave. I keep my word," Xiaoyao stated calmly.

"I want to leave easily, and I want to take the Bloodthirsty Remains with me. What do you propose?" Shi Yan said coldly.

"Then you are courting death," Xiaoyao shook his head.

At this point, Ling Xiang and Xize also arrived. Gu Lian and Ban Yu stood at a great distance, all watching the scene with complex expressions.

None of them had expected the confrontation they witnessed upon arrival. They were all momentarily stunned.

Before Xiaoyao appeared, Shi Yan had claimed Ouyang Luoshuang was his woman, forcing Xize to apologize, and making Xing Shang sever his own arm. But now, he was holding Ouyang Luoshuang hostage, displaying a cold ruthlessness as if negotiating her life against Xiaoyao. How cold and heartless must this man be to betray so quickly?

To sacrifice even his own woman at a critical juncture—how vicious and despicable could he be?

Many showed expressions of disdain, secretly scorning him. They felt they had misjudged him entirely and were deeply disappointed.

Only a few—Xize, Ling Xiang, Luolin, and Gu Lian—nodded subtly. They saw that Shi Yan’s current actions were the only way he could negotiate with Xiaoyao. They secretly appreciated Shi Yan’s sudden display of calculated ruthlessness, believing that only such characters could truly contend against the Divine Race.

"I possess dual souls; you are aware of this. If you kill this soul, I will still exist. However, your disciple likely cannot be resurrected. Well, I don't know how much you value your apprentice; perhaps you don't care if she lives or dies..." Shi Yan looked at Xiaoyao. "If that is the case, I will simply have to accept defeat."

"I know what transpired from the souls of Xing Shang and Wei Yun. Although you and my disciple were not lovers, you were friends; otherwise, you wouldn't have saved her. For saving her, hand over the Bloodthirsty Remains and leave on your own. Have I made myself clear?" Xiaoyao narrowed his eyes.

"I demand to leave with the Remains," Shi Yan insisted.

"I trust you will not harm a friend; therefore, your threat seems laughable to me," Xiaoyao replied serenely.

"Is that so?" Shi Yan's eyes turned cold. A bone spur abruptly materialized in his hand. With a flick of his wrist, the spur plunged directly into Ouyang Luoshuang's abdomen.

Ouyang Luoshuang instantly went rigid, her bright eyes trembling. She had not expected Shi Yan to genuinely attack her. Feeling the sharp pain in her abdomen, she ground her teeth in hatred, silently cursing him, resolving that if she ever escaped, Shi Yan would pay dearly.

At this moment, she understood the true meaning behind his earlier strange words; she grasped what Shi Yan meant by 'utilization.' Although Shi Yan had guaranteed he wouldn't actually kill her, the physical harm to her divine body was undeniably real. She hated Shi Yan's cold-blooded ruthlessness for actually being able to strike her.

Shi Yan felt Ouyang Luoshuang stiffen. Their bodies were pressed close, and he could perceive her inner hatred and even the subtle movements of her spirit.

Perhaps it was because Ouyang Luoshuang had recently entered his Primordial Realm; the subtle connection between their minds seemed not entirely severed.

But he had no choice. Knowing Ouyang Luoshuang would surely confront him afterward, he had to brace himself. Since space here was sealed and Xiaoyao was a Second Heaven of Immortality, Ouyang Luoshuang was his only path to escape—his last resort for self-preservation. Fortunately, he had decided this the moment he guessed her Master was a great figure of the Divine Race, allowing him to strike without hesitation.

Ban Yu, Gu Lian, Gu Ling, and the others nearby stared in terror, transfixed by the bloodstain on Ouyang Luoshuang's abdomen.

They hadn't believed Shi Yan would actually dare to strike!

Xiaoyao also hadn't expected him to dare. The instant the blood bloomed on Ouyang Luoshuang’s abdomen, he hesitated.

He had speculated that Shi Yan might not actually kill her, perhaps that his current action was the extreme limit and he wouldn't press further. But this was merely an inference derived from the memories of Xing Shang and Wei Yun; he couldn't be completely certain.

Truthfully, he was unfamiliar with Shi Yan, unfamiliar with what kind of person the current Bloodthirst inheritor truly was.

Ouyang Luoshuang, however, was the only person he had encountered in ten thousand years whose path of cultivation was so perfectly attuned to his own. Because of this, even though Ouyang Luoshuang was not a member of the Divine Race, he was utterly determined to impart his profound mysteries to her, training her as his sole true disciple.

The fact that he had refined the moon to enhance her cultivation demonstrated how extremely he cherished and valued this disciple acquired in his later years.

He did not want to lose this apprentice, so he dared not gamble.

"When I confirm my safety, she will be free," Shi Yan, noting his hesitation, did not wait for Xiaoyao to decide. Holding Ouyang Luoshuang, he shot toward the sky, rushing out of Huanxing.

Xiaoyao had sealed space and could not tear open portals for instant relocation, but conventional flight was unobstructed. Shi Yan intended to leave this immediate area, and the moment he found space unaffected by Xiaoyao’s sealing, he would open a passage back to the Divine Grace Continent.

Once back on the Divine Grace Continent, within his own domain, even if Xiaoyao pursued him, he would dare to fight him head-on. He had battled the Azure Dragon and knew well that on the Divine Grace Continent, even if outmatched, he could still retreat with composure.

Xiaoyao watched him carry Ouyang Luoshuang toward the edge of Huanxing, his expression extremely grim and cold, suppressing a furious rage to the utmost. He did not linger another moment on Huanxing but shot out after Shi Yan, continuing to seal space around them, observing covertly. The moment he confirmed Shi Yan wasn't actually planning to kill Ouyang Luoshuang, he would erupt in force.

...