The Chen family has lived on this celestial body for generations, with a history stretching back tens of thousands of years. Legend has it that in the very early days, there were no mineral-rich planets near Tianxiao Star—only dead stars and countless massive asteroids that completely clogged the interstellar shipping lanes.

In the past, the Chen clan remained isolated, cultivating on Tianxiao Star and venturing out rarely. They only traveled to the market in the Lei Xiao Star Domain when they needed to trade for cultivation materials.

According to the Chen family ancestors' records, one day, roughly ten thousand years ago, the cosmic barrier surrounding their sector underwent a massive upheaval. Lightning flashed and thunder roared as if the apocalypse had arrived. The Chen family elders were gripped by terror. Upon investigation, they discovered that an entire section of the void barrier had ruptured, unleashing blinding arcs of electric light, killing many of the investigating Chen ancestors in the process.

Those fortunate enough to survive fled back with all speed, never daring to look back again.

Afterward, within the star sea near Tianxiao Star, waves of destructive power, accompanied by ceaseless thunder and lightning, perpetually emanated from the clogged asteroids and dead stars.

Yet, no one from the Chen family dared approach to observe.

It wasn't until those terrifying fluctuations subsided, several years later, that the Chen ancestors dared to venture out to investigate. What they found was that many of the asteroids that had previously blocked their navigation had fractured into countless fragments, and the star sea was now filled with violent electrical storms. Some dead stars had exploded and vanished entirely, while others had shifted their positions, as if they had endured a monumental transformation.

For the subsequent few hundred years, intense electrical currents continuously coiled around that region. Much more time passed before those furious torrents of lightning slowly dissipated.

Then, the Chen family members went to explore and discovered that many of the dead stars had changed; they were now suffused with electrical energy. Within the mountains and rivers of those celestial bodies, a substance called 'Wind-Thunder Stone' had gradually condensed. This stone contained immense thunderous energy and could be treated as a Divine Crystal for martial artists who cultivated lightning power, making it quite valuable.

The dead stars had become mineral planets, and the massive quantities of Wind-Thunder Stone mined gradually enriched the Chen family, who relied on these ore veins to grow increasingly powerful.

To this day, the reason the Divine Race stations a small contingent on Tianxiao Star is precisely because they covet the abundant Wind-Thunder Stone, enslaving the Chen people to mine it so the Divine Race warships can transport it away.

"Wind-Thunder Stone..."

Shi Yan’s heart stirred. He nodded inwardly, having grasped the essential thread of the narrative.

Through Chen Lei’s account, he was certain that the formation of the Wind-Thunder Stone was almost certainly linked to the remains of the Primordial Thunder Dragon. Perhaps within those mineral planets lay the slumbering corpse of that ancient creature. The Primordial Thunder Dragon was an immortal being; its skeletal remains contained terrifying lightning energy that, lingering deep underground for eons, naturally caused changes in the mountains and rivers, leading to the creation of the Wind-Thunder Stone.

"Take me to the mining area," he instructed Chen Lei.

Chen Lei showed a look of hesitation.

"Hmm?" Shi Yan frowned slightly.

"It's not that we cannot take you, it's just... the Divine Race guards those mining areas. If your identities and appearances are revealed, it might... cause a great deal of trouble," Chen Lei explained.

"What are the cultivation realms of those guarding the mines? What is the highest level?" Shi Yan inquired.

"They are about the same level as us, but a Divine Race member of the same realm is certainly much stronger than us. The highest-ranking one is at the Second Heaven of the Void God realm, stronger than me," Chen Lei replied.

"Too weak. Not even enough to recover one-tenth of my strength," Shi Yan muttered, then followed up, "Take us there. You don't need to worry about the Divine Race matters; we will handle them."

Chen Lei’s eyes brightened, and she nodded happily, "That would be best."

Ever since she perceived Ouyang Luoshuang’s Initial God realm cultivation, she had secretly harbored the ambition to utilize Shi Yan and his companion’s power to change the Chen family's current predicament. Seeing Shi Yan proactively offer to confront the Divine Race was exactly what she desired.

Chen Lei gave directions and personally escorted Shi Yan and Ouyang Luoshuang onto a war chariot, heading toward the mining planet guarded by their clan.

Shi Yan stood on the war chariot, gazing at the void barrier where the remnant soul of the Primordial Thunder Dragon resided, secretly leaving behind a wisp of divine sense as a marker.

Not long after they departed, Dicaro shimmered out from a fissure in the star field barrier. With a sorrowful expression, he looked at the remnant soul of the Primordial Thunder Dragon and sighed, "Old friend, I have wronged you by keeping you confined all these years; it was not my intention. Your resurrection requires the source essence that nurtured you, so I cannot rush it, no matter how anxious I am. But if this endeavor goes smoothly, not only will you be resurrected, but you will also receive a significant fortune. Because the lucky soul who obtained the source essence of your ancestral ground has now also acquired the Origin Fruit—consider this your good fortune arriving."

Dicaro looked deeply at those ribbons of lightning and smiled faintly, "When you are resurrected, we shall share a drink and catch up. I await you."

He glanced distantly in the direction where Shi Yan had vanished, muttering something under his breath before condensing into a pinpoint of light and instantly disappearing.

The speed of the Golden Beetle war chariot suddenly decelerated.

Chen Lei pointed ahead, stating solemnly, "Ahead is the mining planet guarded by our Chen family. There are more than a dozen locations; look closely. Those planets seem interconnected, as if something glued them together—isn't that strange? It wasn't like this before; it only appeared after that massive transformation occurred..."

Shi Yan looked over and expressed surprise.

Ahead were several mineral planets. These planets bore no vegetation, no grass, no flowers, only undulating mountains and peaks. Chen Lei had said they transformed from dead stars, and looking at them now, it certainly seemed plausible.

Several of the mineral planets were bizarrely shaped—some elliptical, some conical, some resembling iron spheres. These planets should have existed independently, yet they appeared forcibly fused into a single, extremely ugly and peculiar mass.

Surrounding this massive, tumor-like cluster of planets were many scattered asteroids. Houses, some rudimentary and some slightly more opulent, were built upon these asteroids, with living beings moving in and out.

He closed his eyes and swept his senses across the area, immediately detecting numerous low-level martial artists on the main planetary cluster—presumably the Chen family members. Mining the ore of outer-space planets required martial artists; mortals could not survive without breathable air and sufficient strength for the labor.

Therefore, the Chen family martial artists, under coercion from the Divine Race, had naturally become mining slaves.

The clan members lived within the lightless depths of the mineral planets, extracting ore for the Divine Race.

The Divine Race members of the Bradley family were dispersed across the asteroids surrounding the main cluster. Those simple dwellings were theirs; they needed not engage in hard labor, spending their days cultivating, drinking, and amusing themselves while observing the Chen people.

Chen Lei looked at the dwellings outside the main mineral planet, focusing on the somewhat blurred figures of the Divine Race members. The scars on her face seemed etched with bone-deep hatred, her eyes burning with fury.

"You despise them deeply?" Ouyang Luoshuang asked quietly.

Upon hearing this, the Chen clansmen on all three Golden Beetle chariots clenched their teeth and simultaneously nodded affirmation.

"The highest among them is merely a Second Heaven Void God, the same as you, yet why don't you fight back?" Ouyang Luoshuang questioned.

A flicker of pain crossed Chen Lei's face. "We tried, and we were utterly defeated. I was imprisoned for three years. If they hadn't needed people to mine the ore, they would have executed a great purge and wiped out the entire Chen family. Our very reason for existing is to mine for them, to extract the Wind-Thunder Stone so they can transport it to the outside world for wealth, which provides their kin in the Ancient God Star Domain with meticulous cultivation care. Compared to them, we are merely humble slaves..."

Chen Lei gritted her teeth, her eyes filled with desolate helplessness.

"We could slaughter them all, even those stationed on Tianxiao Star, but aren't you afraid of their retaliation afterward?" Ouyang Luoshuang pressed.

"We heard they are currently struggling to manage their own affairs. Many of their warships left our Lei Xiao Star Domain recently; it seems there is fighting occurring elsewhere. We hoped to seize this opportunity to break free from their restraints and find a chance to leave. We truly do not wish to stay here any longer, because we are even losing the most fundamental guarantee for our cultivation; our realms are beginning to regress," Chen Lei said, her face twisted with bitterness.

"If you can cooperate with me wholeheartedly, I promise to grant your Chen family a path to survival, sending you to live in another star domain," Shi Yan suddenly offered.

At these words, Chen Lei and the other Chen clansmen’s eyes lit up. They looked at him excitedly and asked in unison, "Is that true?"

"This matter is effortless for me," Shi Yan smiled.

The Chen family members were ecstatic. Chen Lei immediately pledged, "We will certainly cooperate with you to the fullest!"

Shi Yan grinned, nodded once, and then transformed into a streak of starlight, shooting forward.

"Who goes there?!"

"Insolent!"

"Huh? It's that person! The one Lord Liteka was looking for!"

On the asteroids surrounding the massive mineral planet, numerous Divine Race members were instantly alarmed, shouting out one after another, their faces contorted with rage.

But the very next moment, a storm of blood and carnage engulfed them...

Shi Yan plunged into the carnage like a colossal blade of blood, and amidst the crimson light, one Divine Race member after another found their physical forms shattering, dying instantly.

Even though his divine power was heavily depleted, dealing with these martial artists whose highest realm was only the Second Heaven of the Void God was still incredibly easy for him. He secretly activated the Profound Meaning of Devouring; as he passed by each person, the power in his acupoints surged, and the vital essence of the Divine Race members was rapidly drained, turning them into desiccated husks in a short span.

The Divine Race member who had reached the Second Heaven of the Void God was approached by Shi Yan, who placed a hand on the man’s crown.

Under the watchful eyes of Chen Lei and the Chen family members, the Divine Race warrior's flesh and blood essence were extracted. The vitality within his divine body rapidly diminished; in less than a minute, the man dissolved into ashes, leaving behind not even a shard of bone.

Shi Yan did not even pause, merely summoning a black hole that drifted across the asteroids, swallowing every single soul altar it encountered.

In just a few minutes, all thirty-five Divine Race members were slain.

The Chen family members were utterly aghast.

Even Ouyang Luoshuang’s expression shifted slightly, making her question whether aligning with Shi Yan had truly been a wise decision.

Everything had happened too quickly. By the time the Chen family and Ouyang Luoshuang could process the events, every single Divine Race member was dead, their life essence completely drained, leaving behind gruesome remains.