A member of the Dragon Lizard clan escorted Audrey and the three members of the Sky Eye clan to a heavily guarded stone chamber, barking the order sternly.

Outside the chamber, dozens of Dragon Lizard warriors kept watch—individuals recently assigned by another Dragon Lizard leader from elsewhere.

Among them, at least six had reached the Immortal Realm, exerting an overwhelming deterrent presence over the captives.

"We've been imprisoned," Evelyn sighed, gazing at the layers of barriers at the doorway and the vigilant Dragon Lizard clansmen, knowing they were no longer masters of their own fate.

Audrey, clad in a simple white dress, sat calmly in the spacious stone room, her expression composed. "Don't worry. As long as Shi Yan and the Old Ancestor of the Dragon Lizards reach an understanding, we will all be safe."

"I only fear something might go wrong," Adams offered a wry smile.

He fully understood the Dragon Lizard clan's actions. If Shi Yan and the Old Ancestor's discussion went well, they would be unharmed; otherwise, they would be the offering the Dragon Lizards made to the Earth Ghost clan, destined to be tortured to death. Everything hinged on Shi Yan's strategy.

Audrey felt exceptionally relaxed. Throughout the escort, she sensed an unseen pair of eyes constantly observing them. With her soul's peculiar perceptive ability, she knew that Tu Shiqi and Ya Yun were certainly monitoring their movements through some secret means.

Tu Shiqi and Ya Yun were members of the Profound Heaven clan, one of the Seven Great Clans, possessing cultivation at the peak of the Immortal Triple Heaven. Rescuing them would be no difficult task for them. She also sensed that Tu Shiqi placed great importance on his relationship with Shi Yan, and if the situation turned dire, members of the Profound Heaven clan would inevitably intervene.

Her intuition was spot on!

At that very moment, in their own stone chamber, Tu Shiqi, who had been meditating with his eyes closed, suddenly snapped them open and chuckled. "The Dragon Lizard clan's methods are indeed lacking. I've located the position and placed a wisp of my soul within it. The moment anything feels off, I can strike."

Hearing this, Ya Yun relaxed. "We probably won't even need to act."

"Indeed. If that kid truly manages to meet the Old Ancestor of the Dragon Lizards, things could take a staggering turn. All we need to do is wait patiently for the Old Ancestor's invitation," Tu Shiqi smiled.

"Let's prepare ourselves. This time, we must make Singh taste bitter defeat!" malice flashed in Ya Yun's eyes.

A corner of Dragon Lizard Star.

Singh hovered above countless spectral phantoms, his expression cold and grim, radiating intense soul-snatching fluctuations. Beneath him, innumerable fierce ghosts shrieked mournfully.

A Soul clan member, gliding like a shadow, drifted near and reported respectfully, "Commander, we have the latest intelligence. Balago of the Earth Ghost clan has run into trouble."

Singh snapped out of his cultivation, knitting his brows in annoyance. "What trouble? Balago is a piece of trash. If he can't find the whereabouts of the Profound Heaven clan members, and has no leads on anything that confuses souls, then trouble is his problem. Such a figure isn't worth our attention."

"One of his clansmen reported that they discovered a Divine Bewitchment Eye belonging to the Sky Eye clan. It is rumored to be capable of confusing the spiritual consciousness of Immortal Realm martial artists. Balago, greedy for treasure, took three clansmen to seize it and hasn't returned since. Even the Soul Lamps connected to their souls have all been extinguished," the subordinate explained carefully.

"Hmm?"

Singh's expression tightened, and a faint, eerie light flickered in his eyes. "The extinction of the Soul Lamps means their souls have dissipated. The secret technique practiced by the Earth Ghost clan was passed down from our lineage. Unless specifically targeted by unique methods, their souls should be able to scatter and escape. Who did Balago encounter?"

"Balago is at the Immortal Second Heaven cultivation level. Given his connection to our clan, few on Dragon Lizard Star would dare attack them, nor would many possess the strength. The Earth Ghost clan has been actively searching for those two from the Profound Heaven clan nearby recently. Could they have accidentally stumbled upon something and been wiped out?" The subordinate clearly suspected the wrong thing.

Singh’s divine sense shifted. The countless ghosts and fierce spirits beneath him all submerged into the black robe covering his body. He floated closer to the Soul clan member and asked, "You mentioned Balago discovered a Divine Bewitchment Eye? Is that thing truly effective?"

"According to the Earth Ghost clan member’s report, it should be effective; otherwise, Balago wouldn't have been so delighted," the subordinate replied.

Singh pondered for a few seconds. "...The Divine Bewitchment Eye, perhaps the Profound Heaven clan was involved. Hmm, I need to have a serious talk with the Dragon Lizard clan members to figure out exactly what happened."

With that, Singh transformed into a shadowy streak and suddenly vanished from the spot.

The magma pool deep beneath Dragon Lizard Star.

The avatar of the Old Ancestor of the Dragon Lizards looked at Shi Yan in astonishment and confusion. "Boy, what nonsense are you spouting? I have a friendship with Singh. Though not intimate friends, he wouldn't plot against me, would he?"

"When we arrived, we encountered a strange stone on the way. Initially..."

Shi Yan took a deep breath and recounted the entire journey, emphasizing the appearance and characteristics of the three-legged giant cauldron and the profound mystery of the runes engraved upon it.

Dulle knelt on the ground, listening in horror. At this moment, he couldn't help but interject, "Old Ancestor, based on what he describes... that giant cauldron is likely the Soul Refining Cauldron of the Soul clan. The Soul Refining Cauldron is a Primordial Divine Artifact of the Soul clan; it can absorb soul consciousness to form mysterious Primordial Runes and possesses terrifying destructive power!"

After hearing Shi Yan's account, the Old Ancestor of the Dragon Lizards did not answer immediately. Hearing Dulle's cry of alarm, his expression finally changed. At this point, he could no longer afford to question Shi Yan about Dark Energy; he immediately declared, "Regardless of whether what you say is true, I must inspect it thoroughly."

With that, his avatar plunged directly into the magma pool.

Deep within the fiercely churning, massive magma pool, a supremely terrifying low roar could faintly be heard—like a colossal ferocious beast stirring its body and releasing its power.

A terrifying energy fluctuation, potent enough to instantly shatter Dragon Lizard Star, emanated from the depths of the pool. The entire star rumbled as if exploding, and the countless fragments of stars clinging to Dragon Lizard Star seemed poised to collapse at any moment, creating an atmosphere of extreme dread.

If the Soul Refining Cauldron truly existed, it was inside his main body. If Singh intended to target him, suddenly striking and causing the Cauldron to sabotage his core from within, absorbing his remnant soul essence, he would immediately be crippled, effectively strengthening the artifact.

The more powerful the souls absorbed by the Soul clan's Soul Refining Cauldron, the more terrifying the Divine Artifact would become. The reason that Soul Domain Ancestor-level expert lent this artifact to Singh might have been fueled by the desire to use the demise of the Old Ancestor of the Dragon Lizards to enhance the artifact's power. After all, an existence at the peak of the Immortal Realm was extremely rare in the sea of stars, and a soul was prime nourishment for the Soul Refining Cauldron.

"Aoo!"

A heaven-shaking howl suddenly erupted from the magma pool. Then, the avatar of the Old Ancestor of the Dragon Lizards reappeared, his face ashen, veins writhing like earthworms on his forehead, radiating extreme agitation and fury.

"Old Ancestor?" Dulle inquired softly.

"This boy didn't lie. There is indeed an anomalous object within my main body's abdomen! It must be the Soul Refining Cauldron of the Soul clan. However, I cannot force it out immediately, lest I alert him and allow Singh to become wary and attack me prematurely!" The Old Ancestor of the Dragon Lizards was seething with rage.

For years, he had considered Singh a friend he could interact with and had hoped to maintain good relations with the Soul clan. The reason he had hesitated to officially join the Soul clan was that he still held a sliver of hope: obtaining the true meaning of Dark Energy through the Immortal Elixir. If that truly failed, he would seriously consider joining the Soul clan.

He hadn't expected Singh to have a contingency plan ready. His visit here clearly held malicious intent, and the Soul Refining Cauldron was his hidden weapon. If he continued to delay, he risked becoming a sacrificial offering to the Soul clan's artifact—how could he not be enraged?

"Stripping this thing from my main body without Singh's knowledge will be troublesome. I need to plan carefully," the Old Ancestor, though extremely volatile, quickly calmed down and began devising a proper method to handle this complication.

"If you wish for Singh to die, you might need allies. Hmm, if you don't mind, I can introduce you to two. They also wish for Singh's demise, and they can guarantee that after Singh is dead, you won't have to fear retaliation from the Soul clan, providing security for your Dragon Lizard clan," Shi Yan said with a light smile, delivering the critical piece of information at the opportune moment.

The Old Ancestor of the Dragon Lizards paused, then suddenly said, "Boy, it seems you had this planned all along. Tell me, who are you intending to introduce me to?"

"What about members of the Profound Heaven clan?" Shi Yan stated gravely.

A peculiar light flashed in the Old Ancestor's eyes. He pondered for a moment, keenly grasping the key point, and then suddenly chuckled, "Are you referring to that couple, Tu Shiqi and Ya Yun? Singh and the Earth Ghost clan members both told us to help track the movements of these two. Did they suffer a loss at Singh's hands?"

"I knew I couldn't fool the Old Ancestor," Shi Yan replied with a smile. He understood that an ancient monster like the Old Ancestor of the Dragon Lizards was certainly not foolish. Singh could plot against him only by relying on a Primordial Divine Artifact and exploiting his moment of vulnerability while feeding. This entire affair must have been planned for some time. Otherwise, plotting against this old monster would have been difficult indeed. The fact that Singh resorted to using a Primordial Divine Artifact demonstrated how nervous he was about the Old Ancestor, knowing this fellow was not easy to handle. That Singh could grasp the situation in just a few words also attested to his formidable nature.

"Singh harbors malice toward me, how could I let him off easily? Hmph, I will make him realize the cost of plotting against me! Although the Soul Refining Cauldron of the Soul clan is a Primordial Divine Artifact, now that I know about it in advance, he won't destroy me!" Having said this, he nodded toward Shi Yan. "Very well, have those two come see me. I am interested in having a good talk with them."

Hearing this, Shi Yan felt completely reassured. He knew the Old Ancestor of the Dragon Lizards now harbored the intent to kill Singh. This was Dragon Lizard Star, his territory, and gaining his approval would make everything much easier.

"They are currently..."

Shi Yan informed Dulle of Tu Shiqi's location. Dulle was surprised, finally realizing that the people Shi Yan had mentioned earlier were the two experts from the Profound Heaven clan. Under the Old Ancestor's directive, Dulle respectfully departed to invite the Tu Shiqi couple over.

"Good. Now, talk to me about Dark Energy," as soon as Dulle left, dazzling beams of light burst from the eyes of the Old Ancestor, focusing intensely on Shi Yan as he commanded.