The searing magma pool, its churning depths blood-red, cast a ruddy glow upon the surrounding stone.

Deep within that magma expanse, terrifying energy fluctuations could occasionally be sensed. He knew clearly in his heart that the true body of the Old Ancestor Lizard lay hidden there, digesting the fragments of stars and the essence of the rocks it had recently consumed, striving desperately to breach the Domain Ancestor realm.

The energies of heaven and earth divided into countless forms: wind, rain, thunder, lightning, mountains, rivers, lakes, stone, and swamp—all possessed inherent energy. Warriors, alien races, and fierce beasts held energy within their very forms; so too did crystal stones, rare treasures, and armor. The manifestations of energy were myriad and strange.

Yet, nearly all known energies could be classified as positive energy: the explosion of a meteorite, the destruction of a star, the might of lightning or frost—all were positive energy.

This was the energy mastered by the vast majority of warriors, filling the ancient Divine Tree and granting them marvelous divine abilities through which they enacted their profound doctrines.

However, possessing only positive energy could not bestow upon a warrior the power of creation, the ability to condense new domains, or the power to extinguish a sea of stars with a mere thought.

According to the beings of the Primordial Era, there existed another form of energy, known as Negative Energy, or Dark Energy. This was a mysterious force, intangible and invisible, impossible to sense directly, yet it undeniably existed, perpetually influencing the existence and balance of the innumerable domains within the cosmos, holding a dominant position.

Sadly, few could perceive the true essence of this energy, and those who understood its profound mysteries were usually beings of the absolute pinnacle, rarely volunteering such knowledge to outsiders.

The Old Ancestor Lizard had been trapped in the Immortal realm for years, a single step separating him from achieving Domain Ancestor status. Yet, this minuscule step felt like an uncrossable chasm, fostering a sense of inevitable failure.

He looked at Shi Yan, his excitement barely concealed. He stated with resounding clarity, "You possess only the cultivation of the Beginning God realm. I am intensely curious: how can you command Dark Energy?"

As he spoke, a wisp of gray, hazy divine sense from the Old Ancestor Lizard forcibly drilled into Shi Yan’s mind, wandering through his Sea of Consciousness before deliberately retreating. Immediately afterward, the Old Ancestor Lizard grew even more excited. His gaze burned fiercely, "Excellent! It is indeed Dark Energy!"

"To be honest, this energy was not obtained through comprehension," Shi Yan knew the old monster’s insight was extraordinary, and he dared not attempt to deceive him with lies. He spoke calmly, "I acquired this Dark Energy from a Primordial Being. One such being was gravely wounded, near death. Its vital essence was rapidly draining away. I happened to be cultivating nearby and, strangely, absorbed the vital essence from its form. Following that, my meridians, flesh, bones, and soul all underwent a transformation, and then... my Sea of Consciousness inexplicably changed."

This statement was half-truth, half-lie.

The Dark Energy had indeed come from Huī, but he had utilized the Profundity of Devouring, employing the corrosive nature of Huī’s true body to successfully evolve his own being across the board, thereby obtaining the energy.

"A Primordial Being?" Astonishment flashed in the Lizard’s eyes. "What was that Primordial Being called? And where do you hail from, that you encountered such a being?"

Shi Yan frowned. He could not elaborate on this matter, saying faintly, "Forgive me, I cannot reveal everything. I have merely informed you of the origin of the Dark Energy, and I can also tell you that it was an accident—I was extremely lucky to obtain it. This matter cannot be widely publicized."

He perceived that the Lizard also sought to obtain Dark Energy through the Primordial Being, thereby breaking through his bottleneck.

"Then what assistance can you offer me?" The Lizard’s expression darkened, clearly indicating irritation. "Based on your account, your Dark Energy arrived inexplicably. I suspect even you do not grasp the mystery of this energy. What can you possibly tell me?"

"I can attempt to transfer a wisp of Dark Energy to you, allowing you to explore it slowly, to comprehend its profound mystery on your own," Shi Yan had already formed a plan before arriving here. He spoke slowly, without haste.

"Transfer a wisp of energy to me?" The Lizard froze, his eyes filled with mockery. "Do you think it can be resolved that simply? As far as I know, there are only two ways to obtain Dark Energy. One is the method you mentioned, acquiring it from a Primordial Being. The other requires personal comprehension. You are not a Primordial Being, and I cannot defeat and fuse with one in the future. What good is the Dark Energy you transfer?"

"How do you know I am not a Primordial Being?" Shi Yan grinned.

"My ancestor was a Lizard. Do you know how vast my ancestor's true form was? Never mind my ancestor—do you know how immense my own true form is? Every Primordial Being is a colossal entity, larger even than a star. You, humph, you are far from it!" The Lizard was openly contemptuous.

"Well, even if I am not a Primordial Being, the Dark Energy I transfer should be of some help to you," Shi Yan was unconcerned. He suddenly closed his eyes, sat down before the Lizard, and concentrated on condensing the Dark Energy within his Sea of Consciousness, shaping a single wisp, wrapping it in a spatial imprint.

A ripple of energy suddenly radiated from him, surging toward the Old Ancestor Lizard’s eyes.

The Old Ancestor Lizard frowned, blinked once, and drew the invisible bundle of imprints into his mind.

"Hiss!"

A sharp, explosive sound echoed in the Old Ancestor Lizard’s mind as the spatial imprint bundle disintegrated. A strange surge of energy instantly permeated him. Just as he tried to grasp it, he realized the energy simply dissipated.

Shi Yan also paused, his face a mask of confusion. The wisp of Dark Energy he had encased in divine spatial power was not branded with his soul. He hadn't anticipated that the moment it left his control, it would instantly vanish, failing to provide the Old Ancestor Lizard with any aid whatsoever.

"Is this your method?" The Old Ancestor Lizard’s expression turned ugly.

Shi Yan could only offer a wry smile, racking his brain for a solution.

Just then, Dulle, accompanied by Tu Shiqi and Ya Yun, descended from a cave overhead. Tu Shiqi glanced at Shi Yan, then at the Old Ancestor Lizard, and smiled leisurely, "Are you discussing the profundities of Dark Energy?"

The Old Ancestor Lizard snorted coldly.

"Although the Old Ancestor’s true form is incomparably powerful and contains terrifying strength, the degree of your life essence transformation is still slightly inferior," Tu Shiqi chuckled to himself. As he spoke, he tossed out a jade box. The box landed on the ground before the Old Ancestor Lizard, its lid flipping open automatically. It seemed to hold some strange object, yet it was impossible to see...

But the object’s existence was evident from the subtle indentations and minute wrinkles inside the box.

Shi Yan blinked, a thought moving in his mind. The Dark Energy in his Sea of Consciousness suddenly flowed into his pupils, and he instantly saw a bone within the box.

He looked at Tu Shiqi in astonishment. "A bone?"

This bone was like the bone from the Bloodthirsty creature long ago—it seemed to exist invisibly, undetectable by ordinary divine sense. He activated the Dark Energy slightly, and only then could he perceive its reality.

"Yes, it is a bone—the skeletal remnant of a Domain Ancestor-level expert who perished. This bone is also called Dark Material, or Negative Substance. Only those who have attained the Domain Ancestor realm and comprehend Dark Energy, whose life has evolved to a certain extent, can produce such a thing."

Tu Shiqi had come prepared. "According to Lord Hantian of our Profound Heaven Clan, before one can comprehend Dark Energy, one must evolve their life level to an entirely new stage. Only when the physical body and soul transform together, reaching a new height of existence, is it possible, is there any hope, of comprehending that energy. The Primordial Beings were all beings whose life had evolved to its peak, which is why they could grasp this power. If we wish to reach that stage, the first step must be to temper the physical body, temper the soul, and evolve the origin of life!"

Shi Yan was thunderstruck. "Before I possessed Dark Energy, my form—my flesh, meridians, bones, and soul—did indeed undergo a violent change. After that transformation, I gradually became aware of my body's strangeness and discovered an unfamiliar power within my Sea of Consciousness."

He looked toward Tu Shiqi.

The Old Ancestor Lizard stood stunned, lost in thought, as if a deep, hidden secret within him had been touched.

He suddenly recalled that when he was extremely weak in his youth, the Primordial Being 'Lizard' had admonished him never to slacken in condensing and tempering his physical body and soul, urging him to hammer every inch of muscle, cell, and bone through countless trials, awaiting the opportunity for the sublimation of body and soul.

'Lizard' had told him, when he was extremely weak, to continually cultivate his body and soul, not just blindly amass more power, saying that once the soul and body transformed to a certain degree, he would see marvels invisible to others.

His ancestor's instruction had been given so long ago that the Old Ancestor Lizard had long forgotten it.

Today, when Tu Shiqi voiced Hantian’s realization, the Old Ancestor Lizard was jolted awake as if doused with cold water. Tears welled up in his aged eyes. "So, my ancestor long ago pointed out the direction for me. Alas, I focused only on accumulating power, gradually forgetting my ancestor’s charge, not realizing that the body and soul are the root source. How pitiful—this is my greatest tragedy; I have failed my ancestor!"

"This should be the correct first step. I wonder if Xinge knew this? He never reminded you?" Tu Shiqi felt a pang of pity for the Old Ancestor Lizard. He had always favored friendly relations with the Soul Clan, and his relationship with Xinge was also good. Over the years, Xinge had visited him several times, and Tu Shiqi had repeatedly inquired about this matter, yet he had never received a single useful reminder from Xinge.

Tempering the body and soul, evolving the life level, was the crucial first step to comprehending Dark Energy. The high echelons of the Seven Great Races all knew this, and now they were intentionally or unintentionally guiding their descendants to treat the tempering of the body and soul with the same gravity as the accumulation of power.

Xinge, being a powerhouse of the Soul Clan, naturally knew this and must have consistently pursued the tempering of his own body and soul.

—But he had never mentioned a word of it to the Lizard.

"Xinge knew about this step?" The Lizard’s eyes rolled, malevolence faintly flickering.

"In the Seven Great Races, this step is common knowledge. Although it is only the initial phase, the Seven Great Races are all researching it and believe it to be the correct direction," Ya Yun interjected calmly.

The Old Ancestor Lizard remained silent, his breathing ragged, sharp malice gleaming in his eyes. After a long pause, he suppressed the urge to immediately seek out Xinge for a fight to the death.

An orange-red jade bottle suddenly flew out of his hand and hovered before Shi Yan. "Inside is an Immortal Pill that can help you break through to the Immortal realm. Consider it payment for your reminder and introduction. Hmm, I have urgent matters to discuss with the two from the Profound Heaven Clan. Dulle, see to his arrangements," the Lizard commanded.

"As you wish," Dulle replied respectfully.

... ps: Apologies, only one chapter today, I will make up for it tomorrow~~(To be continued)