"The Barren Domain is the realm condensed by the Primordial Being, Desolation. It vanished many years ago... are you truly from the Barren Domain?" Her expression grew intensely grave, her face transforming in shock as she fixed a deep gaze upon Audrey. "How did you get here?"

Inside the stone cavern, Shi Yan held his breath, focusing entirely on gathering his divine power, melding his essence, spirit, and will into a single stream that permeated the Spatial Lock, exerting his utmost willpower to shatter the profound mystery of its spatial bonds.

"We were lost, and an accident occurred during our arrival. We don't know how we got here, nor do we know how to return," Audrey replied casually, unprepared for the old woman's intense reaction. She paused, looking at the crone with curiosity. "You seem incredibly surprised by the Barren Domain? According to my Tianmu Clan friends, the Barren Domain is an extremely obscure realm; even its language is rare. By their account, compared to countless other domains, the Barren Domain is quite commonplace. Why such a strong reaction?"

The old woman scoffed, a cold dismissal in her tone. "The Tianmu Clan? What insight can such a low-tier, minor race possess? When it comes to the matters of the Barren Domain, aside from the powerhouses of the Seven Great Races, how many truly grasp the inner truths? You don't know how you arrived? Nor how to return? Truly..."

She took a deep breath, her face stern. "For many years, the clansmen of the Seven Great Races have never ceased their search and investigation of the Barren Domain. The Soul Race and the Devouring Race have been the most active, because only the people of the Seven Great Races understand what the Barren Domain truly signifies."

Audrey was taken aback. "What does the Barren Domain signify?"

She looked at Audrey with profound meaning, pausing to deliberate for a moment before speaking. "Desolation was one of the exceptionally formidable Primordial Beings. In the current vast Star River, the Primordial Beings still alive can be counted on one's fingers; most remain hidden, and no one dares provoke them. Desolation was once renowned among the Primordial Beings. What the Seven Great Races currently know is that Desolation suffered grievous injuries, its physical body shattered, placing it in its weakest state."

She paused, gathering her thoughts, and continued softly. "Do you know what a heavily wounded Desolation means to a Domain Ancestor powerhouse? If Desolation could be refined, the strength of a Domain Ancestor powerhouse would be massively enhanced. A normal expert at the Third Heaven of Immortality, upon refining Desolation, could instantly possess Dark Energy and break through to the Domain Ancestor realm."

"It is rumored that Desolation was once immensely powerful, a peerless supreme existence among the Primordial Beings. It held at least two Primordial Divine Artifacts. To refine them and claim those Primordial Divine Artifacts for oneself—this is an irresistible temptation for any powerhouse among the Seven Great Races."

"Two Primordial Divine Artifacts?" Audrey was aghast.

"One is the Life Soul Tree, and the other is the Origin Seal of Profound Meaning, both miraculous creations born from Primordial Divine Artifacts. The Life Soul Tree is profoundly unfathomable, capable of evolving all manner of new living races, containing the deepest mysteries of the soul and life of heaven and earth. As for the Origin Seal of Profound Meaning, countless true meanings of profound principles are imprinted within it; those who merge with it can gain insight into the wonders of numerous profound principles."

"The Life Soul Tree is an immensely massive ancient tree, and the Origin Seal of Profound Meaning is like an ocean, engraved within it with strange and unique profound meanings. You, being a creature of the Barren Domain, must be a new race Desolation created using the structural framework of the Soul Race's life force via the Life Soul Tree and its grand divine power. Because your physique is very similar to the Soul Race, I surmise that many warriors in your Barren Domain are proficient in profound principles like lightning, wind, frost, and flame. Those principles were all disseminated from the Origin Seal of Profound Meaning."

The old woman narrowed her eyes, studying Audrey slowly as she explained leisurely.

Audrey's body trembled slightly, her bright eyes shining with extreme astonishment, clearly deep in thought.

She believed everything the old woman said without question.

During the last time Desolation opened, she had personally entered its interior. At the very center of the divine mountain formed by Desolation, she had witnessed an ancient tree of unimaginable size, its roots plunging deep into the planet's core. That Origin Fruit had indeed sprouted from that very tree. The ancient tree pulsed like a network of veins throughout the interior of Desolation, possessing incredibly miraculous life functions.

That ancient tree had given her an unparalleled sense of shock then, and only today did she learn that it was the Life Soul Tree, a true Primordial Divine Artifact capable of evolving new life races. And the Nether Sovereign Race, they were actually reconstructed by Desolation using the Soul Race of the Seven Great Races as the standard template.

As for the Origin Seal of Profound Meaning, she understood it clearly in her heart. As the fuse for the Divine Radiance Continent, the master of Heavenly Fire, the source of profound meaning where her soul could freely enter—that was the other Primordial Divine Artifact the old woman spoke of, the Origin Seal of Profound Meaning, imprinted with countless true meanings of profound principles.

The source of profound meaning resided within Desolation. In her view, it was the origin of the rules of profound meaning, fused with the soul of Desolation, providing the billions of beings in the Barren Domain with numerous profound principles to choose from, resulting in the Barren Domain’s vast array of profound principles and diverse choices for its warriors.

Today, through the old woman's words, her understanding of Desolation became profoundly sharp for the first time.

"Xingge of the Soul Race is leading the charge. He even refined the soul of a Barren Domain powerhouse into a fierce soul and has been relentlessly pressing to find the Gate of the Barren Domain. Xingge is at the peak of the Immortal Realm, his cultivation profound and flawless, and he understands Desolation quite well. If he could enter the Barren Domain and refine Desolation, seizing both Primordial Divine Artifacts, he could immediately break through to the Domain Ancestor realm, becoming the ultimate existence of the Soul Race." The old woman pursed her lips and gave a cold snort. "It's a pity that the fierce soul is also peculiar; its soul imprint and memories are unified. If it loses control, or is targeted by soul-searching secret arts, it immediately self-destructs its soul. Xingge lacks the ability to extract the location of the Barren Domain Gate without harming its soul. However, the Domain Ancestor powerhouses within his clan could do it. But Xingge doesn't wish to share the secrets of the Barren Domain with anyone—he has kept this matter secret and hasn't reported it, desiring to monopolize the spoils of the Barren Domain..."

"What was the name of the one Xingge of the Soul Race refined into a fierce soul?" Audrey hastily inquired.

"His name was Ming Hong. He lost his physical body long ago, only his soul form remains. When we battled Xingge, he released the fierce soul to attack us. Although Ming Hong was not in control of himself, he hadn't lost his consciousness, so he revealed a small piece of information to us, hoping we could rescue him. Alas..."

At this point, the old woman sighed, her expression growing somber as she gazed at the Spatial Lock.

It seemed something extremely important to her was trapped within the Spatial Lock, causing her great distress and worry.

"That Ming Hong is an ancestor of my people," Audrey suddenly stated.

The old woman froze for a moment, then let out a strange laugh. "What a coincidence. You don't know the way to come or go, and Ming Hong knows the secret but guards it staunchly. Well, here is a piece of advice: absolutely, under no circumstances, communicate using the Barren Domain language again. If the Soul Race clansmen discover it, you two lovebirds will lose your lives."

Audrey's delicate face flushed slightly, but she offered no defense. "Can you... fight Xingge? Can you kill him?"

"Kill him?" The old woman’s face twisted into one of bitterness, and she shook her head. "We were defeated, which is why I am forced to remain in hiding, fearful of being recognized by the Soul Race clansmen. I cannot decipher Dragon Lizard's true stance either; I only know he is close with Xingge, so on his Dragon Lizard Star, I must proceed with extreme caution."

Hearing this, Audrey was certain the old woman's origins were extraordinary. Based on the mysteries she revealed concerning Desolation, only the clansmen of the Seven Great Races should possess such knowledge. Moreover, she had fought Xingge. She was undoubtedly one of the Seven Great Races, but due to her defeat and other unknown reasons, she was forced to conceal herself and dare not reveal her true identity.

While the two conversed, Shi Yan remained still and silent, all his power channeled into the Spatial Lock.

At this moment, the Spatial Lock radiated a magnificent, dazzling light, illuminating the entire stone chamber until it shone brilliantly. The old woman's expression became animated, her eyes filled with anticipation, murmuring, "Good lad, your power is truly extraordinary. It seems this old man has hope of escaping!"

"Old man? Is your partner trapped inside?" Audrey seized the opportunity to ask.

The old woman gave a wry smile and admitted, "We fought Xingge together. To strike Xingge hard, he sustained severe injuries himself. The Spatial Lock has a peculiar effect: anything hidden inside—the power draining away, the fragmented soul energy—will not dissipate but will be enveloped by the internal space. Once he stabilizes inside, he can quickly reassemble his dissipated power and fully recover."

She sighed. "But when I enveloped him with the Spatial Lock, I was attacked by Xingge, and the key was shattered. So he has been trapped inside. By now, he should have fully recovered, but he cannot break the spatial seal himself. If the internal space shatters, he will also perish. He must be freed by external force, but I don't understand the profound principles of space, so..."

Audrey understood everything perfectly now.

If the old woman's partner hadn't been trapped, she likely wouldn't have dared venture to Dragon Lizard Star, considering Dragon Lizard's history with Xingge and the possibility of Xingge being present. She had no choice but to conceal her identity and hide in the encampment of a third-rate minor power, using the Illusory World Stone to lure someone proficient in the profound principles of space to help her break the Spatial Lock and release her partner.

This explained why she brought Shi Yan into the cave, immediately and cautiously erecting over a dozen layers of barriers, and generously offering him Condensed Spirit Pills to break the Spatial Lock.

Her status and cultivation must have been high; thus, she was wealthy and extravagant, offering great benefits from the start.

"Crack! Crack! Crack!"

Just then, a strange crisp sound emanated from within the Spatial Lock. The minute spatial thread patterns on the lock’s surface actually began to shatter slowly.

Immediately afterward, streams of intense light burst forth, and a marvelous spatial gate slowly solidified.

A tall figure suddenly walked out from the gate. As soon as he appeared in the stone cavern, he shouted, "Ya Yun, what in the blazes are you doing? Why did it take you so long to let me out? I didn't get killed by Xingge, but I was nearly suffocated to death by you!"

The old man was slender but exuded vigorous spirit; his bald head shone brightly. He wore gorgeous brocade robes, the hems embroidered with strange, ancient runes. After emerging, he bellowed a few times, then exclaimed, "What happened to you to look like this?"

The hideous old woman let out a breath of relief, her body shook, and she transformed into a dignified woman who appeared to be only in her late forties, still possessing a lingering allure. Under the old man's shouting, she looked somewhat embarrassed. "The key to the Spatial Lock was accidentally shattered by Xingge. I... I found a child who cultivates the profound principles of space to release you."

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