The words of Tian Xie fell, and all those present sank into a profound silence, steeped in immense shock. From the serpent-head crown atop Hui’s main mind, Zi Yao looked down upon them, radiating an indifferent composure that signaled her control over the situation, allowing Tian Xie to unveil the bitter truth and shatter their psychological defenses.

Only by making them confront their sorrow would they relinquish their ingrained sense of belonging and reliance on Huang and the cosmos. Only then could they be successfully subjugated, made to act according to her will, and fulfill the secret ambition she had plotted for years.

—To fuse with Huang! At that moment, the shockwave struck them all, leaving them dizzy and lost regarding their futures.

The responsibilities, the struggles, the battles, the acts of guardianship—everything they had clung to in the past now seemed illusory, draining their will to fight, leaving them uncertain of their next step. “If you pledge allegiance to the Matriarch, I guarantee your safety, and what’s more, I will grant you an immense fortune, helping you break free from Huang’s shackles so you can truly soar across heaven and earth.” Just then, Tian Xie began her soothing, seductive persuasion.

Coupled with the boundless aura emanating from Zi Yao, some of the less resolute Divine Clan elders nodded dazedly, ready to submit. “Apologies, but your so-called immense fortune holds absolutely no appeal for me.” Suddenly, Shi Yan scoffed coldly.

With a shift in his thoughts, he tore open the spatial rift leading to Shen En Star once more, and the Endless Sea reappeared. “You still wish to remain a prisoner?” Tian Xie sneered.

Shi Yan curled his lip, ignoring her completely, and plunged headlong into the spatial rift. Perhaps everyone present could be considered Huang’s thralls, but he certainly was not one.

His soul was not a gift from Huang; he was independent, utterly unbound by Huang’s Destiny. He was not bound by any Primal Being either!

At this moment, he had just grasped Dark Energy, a force capable of turning decay into miracles. If given time to decipher its subtleties, in time, he could reach the heights of Shi Xue.

Moreover, he could evade Shi Xue’s tragic fate. Why would he pledge loyalty to Zi Yao and allow himself to be deployed at her whim?

Besides, that was not the true Zi Yao, but the awakened soul of Hui. “My spatial rift can hold for a while longer; she cannot destroy it.

Because it’s formed from the same type of energy, those who wish to leave should do so quickly,” Shi Yan said with a casual smile before stepping through the rift. Audrey’s delicate features shifted, and without a word, she surged forward at top speed.

She followed Shi Yan directly into the rift, vanishing in a flash. Concurrently, Xuan He, Adela, Pheliet, and Reddy followed without much hesitation, rushing forward.

They were already extremely close to Shi Yan. Their cultivation realms were profound and inscrutable.

As they exerted their full speed, they indeed vanished just before the spatial rift sealed. Zi Yao, perched above the crown, narrowed her beautiful eyes, a look of mockery flickering in her gaze, as if she had anticipated this.

Just before the spatial rift closed, a strange fluctuation suddenly vibrated violently within it. Immediately, the rift seemed to twist its direction, vanishing to an unknown destination.

“Matriarch?” Tian Xie frowned, seeking instruction. Zi Yao’s expression remained unchanged.

“They cannot return to Huang’s Primordial Realm. That little girl and Shi Yan have merged with the source of Huang’s split soul.

As long as they cannot return, Huang will have difficulty truly awakening. This conveniently aids our plans.” With that, she turned her gaze to the members of the Divine Clan, the Four Heavenly Kings, the Twelve Family Heads, and the Elders.

Suddenly, she announced, “Either pledge allegiance to me, or be destroyed by me. Choose for yourselves!” The Divine Clan members’ faces paled in horror.

…… In a vast expanse of grey mist, there was no sky and no ground, only drifting wreckage of stars, fragments of meteorites, and eerie, glowing spatial caverns that writhed slowly, like monstrous mouths ready to devour the unwary. A desolate, cold, and barren atmosphere permeated every corner.

In the distance, stellar debris and meteorite dust stretched endlessly, like wood shavings in an ocean. A nameless chill began to breed in his heart.

Standing atop a massive, cold, dark-red piece of stone, Shi Yan gazed into the distance, his face etched with horror. This was certainly not Shen En Star.

The moment he stepped into the spatial rift, he sensed that something was amiss—that an energy had disturbed the spatial fluctuations, causing the transfer to go awry. He did not know where he was.

He released his spiritual consciousness and found that his awareness stretched endlessly, like a lone boat in the deepest part of an infinite ocean, unable to detect any signs of life. “Thud!” Suddenly, from a brilliant diamond near him came a sharp sound, followed by a soft gasp.

He showed a flicker of surprise, and with a flash of movement, he arrived at the unpolished giant diamond, looking at Audrey falling from above, astonished. “How did you end up here too?” Audrey looked somewhat disheveled; her emerald green robes were torn in several places, the hem of her skirt split, revealing a stretch of fair, jade-like leg, radiating an alluring, soft glow.

Hearing Shi Yan’s voice, her expression calmed. “This is my first time on the Shen En Continent; I am very unfamiliar with this place,” she said.

As she spoke, she rose gracefully, her cool eyes shining with curiosity as she surveyed their surroundings. Soon, her expression became strange.

“This isn’t the Shen En Continent,” Shi Yan said with a wry smile. “Zi Yao interfered with the transfer.

I don't know where we are, and what surprises me most is that I can’t connect to the Shen En Continent; I can’t find a way back.” Upon landing, he had immediately tried to connect with the source of Shen En, but his mental projection vanished as if sinking into the sea, receiving no response whatsoever. This was an experience he had never had before.

In that universe, no matter which star field he was in, he could connect with the Shen En source with a mere thought, even amidst the void turbulence, instantly linking with Shen En and returning to Shen En Star in an instant. But here, his connection to Shen En seemed severed; he couldn't sense anything at all.

“Of course, this isn't the Shen En Continent. This is—the Void Domain Sea!” Audrey’s pretty face showed horror as she uttered the words, emphasizing each syllable.

Shi Yan shuddered, his face turning incredibly grim. “This is the Void Domain Sea?” Audrey gave a bitter smile.

“I’ve never been here either. But my mother told me this is precisely the Void Domain Sea, the most mysterious place in the cosmos.

If what Tian Xie said is true—that the universe we inhabit is merely Huang’s Primordial Realm—then this Void Domain Sea exists outside of Huang, and naturally, you cannot contact Shen En Star.” Shi Yan immediately understood. The reason he could instantaneously return to Shen En Star before was that he was within Huang’s universe.

That region of void turbulence did not belong to Huang, but it maintained a mystical link with Huang, with many channels for coming and going, allowing him freedom of movement. But this “Void Domain Sea” had no connection whatsoever to Huang’s Primordial Realm.

Here, hoping to return to Huang’s realm with a single thought was clearly a fool’s errand. “Are you the only one who came through?” Shi Yan pondered for a moment before asking.

“Xuan He and the others seemed to follow, but I can’t be sure if they entered. Even if they did, they are likely scattered across various corners of the Void Domain Sea, probably not having returned to the world we knew,” Audrey explained.

Shi Yan looked bitter, gazing at the unfamiliar grey surroundings. “How do we get back?” “Who the hell knows,” Adela shook her head.

After a pause, her eyes widened in surprise. “Shi Yan, that avatar of Hui—are you quite familiar with her?” “Of course, I’m very familiar with her; she was originally my…” Shi Yan answered reflexively, then abruptly cut himself off, forcing a dry laugh.

“She was originally a very good friend of mine. Who knew she was actually an evolution of Hui’s split soul?

Life is truly unpredictable.” “More than just a casual friend, right?” Audrey said with an air of knowing amusement, her expression light, but a trace of mockery played on her lips. “Any beautiful, attractive woman you get involved with is probably not straightforward.

I specifically investigated you after returning to the Netherworld Royal Clan; you are that type of person!” she stated with certainty. Shi Yan was speechless, his gaze turning odd.

“Are you that bored, investigating me for what reason?” “Who told you to be the new Sovereign Lord of Shi Xue,” Audrey countered with a pout. Shi Yan did not press the matter.

He focused his senses on their surroundings. He observed that the area was filled with violent power; the shattered star fragments, the remnants of meteorites, and unknown specks of matter were not stationary.

Sometimes, as the Domain Sea shifted or the surrounding spatial caverns contracted, they would suddenly change position. Not far away, a gleaming stone emitted intensely scorching heat, radiating a terrifying energy fluctuation.

He sensed it subtly, his eyes brightening, and he suddenly flew toward it. Audrey looked surprised, her delicate eyebrows slightly knitted, and gracefully followed.

Embedded within a fissure of a bright red rock was a scarlet stone the size of a fist. Within the stone flowed streams of scorching flames, releasing surging fire energy.

“This is a Solar Crystal Core. Although it’s only the size of a fist, it’s priceless, extremely valuable to those who cultivate the profound truth of fire,” Audrey explained softly after arriving, her eyes gleaming slightly.

“There are endless wonders in the Void Domain Sea. It is rumored that only those who have reached the Immortal Realm can survive here.

Yet, none of us seem to have entered the Immortal Realm, and you are of low cultivation—why are we still safe?” Shi Yan mused thoughtfully. “Perhaps we haven’t truly encountered danger yet.

Or perhaps we are only in the outermost fringe of the Void Domain Sea,” Audrey stated calmly. “It should be related to our fusion with the source,” Shi Yan offered a different opinion.

He raised his hand and snatched the Solar Crystal Core. He spat out a wisp of golden-yellow flame that coiled around the core, continuously burning and tempering the scarlet stone.

Gradually, the stone melted into a drop of flame, enveloped by his Heavenly Fire, and slowly dissolved. “My mother told me that the Void Domain Sea holds infinite mysteries, many fragments of divine weapons—far more formidable than the secret treasures we know—and countless unnamed rare artifacts left behind from the era when the star domains were destroyed long ago…” Audrey watched him fuse the Solar Crystal Core, her beautiful eyes showing a moving expression as she murmured.

“I believe that Spark obtained a piece of Celestial Ice Jade in the outer reaches of the Void Domain Sea and refined it into his Natal Supreme Treasure, granting it terrifying power. Zi Yao even confiscated that small piece of jade; it’s likely an artifact from the Primal Era.

This Void Domain Sea is probably the very ground where the Primal Beings fought,” Shi Yan mused. ……(To be continued)RQ