The Shadow Clan is quite unique among the Seven Great Races; while most races are male-dominated, the Shadow Clan is the exact opposite.
Within the Shadow Clan, females hold the dominant position—a matriarchy where women rule and men are subservient. Shadow Clan women occupy all the key posts, and the majority of those with profound cultivation levels are female. Women, in the Shadow Clan, are the true sovereigns, the supreme overlords.
Shadow Clan women are renowned for their mesmerizing allure; every one of them possesses outstanding beauty, a graceful physique, flawless complexions, and mastery over seductive arcane arts. Their aptitude for cultivation is also extraordinary, and the clan is teeming with powerhouses, most of whom are women.
The moment this Shadow Clan woman, whose face was obscured by a grotesque mask, revealed her identity, the numerous warriors gathered near the stone hall were instantly galvanized. Their gazes, fixed upon her delicate figure, burned with **intense heat. Some secretly swallowed, wishing they could devour her whole.
The woman let out a light giggle, completely unfazed by the lecherous behavior of the crowd. She merely turned toward the Ancient Ancestor Dragon Lizard and chirped sweetly, “I come with sincerity, very interested in the Immortal Elixir you possess. I wonder what the Ancestor is prepared to exchange for it?”
“Any material, classic text, or cultivation insight that aids my breakthrough to the Ancestor Domain Realm. If I examine it and find it beneficial, it can be exchanged for the Immortal Elixir.”
The Ancient Ancestor Dragon Lizard’s pupils were scarlet, his clone’s muscles knotted, appearing as if cast from solid steel, giving an exaggerated sense of powerful robustness. As he spoke, he glanced down toward Audrey and Shi Yan inside the stone hall, his expression suddenly shifting, a strange light flickering in his eyes.
Inside the cultivation chamber within the stone hall, Shi Yan was currently enveloped in clusters of multi-colored flames—bright yellow, fiery orange, emerald green, azure blue. These flames danced and spun around him like vibrant butterflies, rendering the cultivation chamber spectacularly marvelous.
A fluctuation, suddenly cold then abruptly hot, emanated from within those flames. Gradually, the fire attributes synchronized, turning into a scorching, blazing red!
“Hiss! Hiss! Hiss!”
The stone hall, meticulously constructed from rare Profound Iron Cold Jade, began to melt as if frost had dropped into boiling water. The majestic hall resembled an ice cream bar under intense heat. In mere moments, the stone dissolved into molten liquid. Strangely, Audrey, seated opposite Shi Yan in solemn cultivation, remained perfectly unharmed by the Heavenly Fire. Only a faint blush graced her cool countenance; her composure remained utterly steady.
The wisps of soul thread drifting from her body were swiftly drawn back into her form. She exhaled a breath of stale air with relief. Her tightly closed eyes were the first to open.
A chilling gleam flashed, and she abruptly stood up. In a blur of movement, she settled instantly behind Shi Yan, her expression wary.
The Sky-Eye Clan members—Evelyn, Adams, and Marisha—were suffering immensely due to the stone hall’s dissolution. Unable to bear the scorching heat of the Heavenly Fire, they could only retreat temporarily.
As the stone hall melted away, Shi Yan, who had been sitting cross-legged with his eyes closed, was fully exposed before everyone.
All eyes immediately converged upon him. Gazes varied, yet beneath them lay a shared, quiet confusion, for the aura of Origin Fire clearly originated from a Primordial Being, yet Shi Yan was distinctly not a Primordial Being. This left them utterly baffled.
Of course, not everyone was completely clueless. Once Shi Yan was revealed, both Singh and the Shadow Clan woman’s eyes lit up, as if Shi Yan had triggered a recollection of something important.
Especially Singh; he suddenly burst into a sinister cackle, his cold eyes shining with greed. He licked his lips and sneered, “A strand of a Primordial Being’s split soul has been merged—excellent, truly excellent! Heh heh!”
The Shadow Clan woman’s beautiful eyes also sparkled, and she quietly edged forward, closing the distance to Shi Yan by another step.
The Ancient Ancestor Dragon Lizard frowned, his voice hoarse as he sharply warned, “Gentlemen! I reiterate once more: this young fellow is an honored guest of my Dragon Lizard Clan! Anyone acting against him is issuing a challenge to the Dragon Lizard Clan!”
He had been earnestly entreated by Tu Shiqi and Ya Yun to guarantee Shi Yan’s safety before stepping forward. Furthermore, the matter of the Soul Refining Cauldron being hidden within his body was only discovered because Shi Yan alerted him, saving him from Singh’s ambush.
In his heart, the Dragon Lizard Ancestor felt he owed Shi Yan a favor, which was why he willingly took on this responsibility.
“Brother Dragon Lizard, Brother Dragon Lizard, it seems your breakthrough to the Ancestor Domain Realm truly has hope now. I wondered what you were hoarding for so long; it turns out you found such a promising seedling. Truly enviable,” Singh suddenly laughed menacingly, his chilling laughter sending shivers down one’s spine.
He naturally assumed Shi Yan was merely the crucible the Dragon Lizard sought to refine to break through his realm. He believed the Dragon Lizard was nurturing Shi Yan only to refine and absorb him, thereby integrating the Primordial Being’s split soul into his own life imprint.
Nearly every Primordial Being could perceive the true essence of Dark Energy. Shi Yan’s cultivation realm was low; he hadn't unified the Heavenly Fire, nor had he activated the memory-soul of that Primordial Being’s split soul. If the Dragon Lizard refined him, unlocking the essence of the split soul, he might instantly break through to the Ancestor Domain Realm and grasp the profound mysteries of Dark Energy.
Singh believed he had deciphered the Dragon Lizard’s plan: the secret to cultivating Dark Energy must reside within the Primordial Being’s split soul.
Internally, Singh sneered, his every pore trembling with excitement, feeling that this trip to Dragon Lizard Star would yield immense rewards.
With the Soul Refining Cauldron in existence, he was certain the Dragon Lizard could not escape his grasp. Once the Dragon Lizard died, he would then kill and refine Shi Yan, unlocking the secret of the Primordial Being’s split soul, allowing him to break through to the Ancestor Domain Realm and become one of the supreme powerhouses of the Soul Clan. Nothing could be more perfect than this outcome.
“Ancestor, with him in hand, do you still need secrets and materials concerning the Ancestor Domain Realm?”
The masked woman of the Shadow Clan held the same view as Singh; she too regarded Shi Yan as the crucible the Dragon Lizard had painstakingly sought for his breakthrough. After a moment’s pause, she couldn't help but frown, feeling this trip might have been in vain.
The surrounding alien clan members, initially surprised and confused, upon being prompted by Singh and the masked woman, suddenly understood everything. They all looked at the Dragon Lizard with strange expressions, convinced that Shi Yan was the Dragon Lizard’s cauldron, meant to facilitate his breakthrough.
Consequently, their gazes toward the Dragon Lizard were tinged with jealousy and envy.
The Ancient Ancestor Dragon Lizard was utterly speechless, yet as they spoke, a truly wicked thought sparked within him. He looked at the meditating Shi Yan, his eyes flickering uncertainly.
When he realized Shi Yan had merged with a split soul of a Primordial Being, he knew that if he could refine Shi Yan and activate that split soul, it might indeed aid his breakthrough to the Ancestor Domain Realm. However, Tu Shiqi and Ya Yun had specifically instructed him to protect Shi Yan’s life, and he had just reached an agreement with the Profound Heaven Clan—this left him deeply hesitant.
Gazing at Shi Yan, he struggled with an internal choice, his expression fluctuating between dark and light.
Audrey’s expression tightened, her heart filled with helplessness and bitterness. She perceived the Dragon Lizard’s hesitation, and she recognized the intentions of Singh and the Shadow Clan woman. She realized the situation was dire and felt overwhelming anxiety.
Now that Shi Yan’s extraordinary subsidiary soul was exposed, the powerful figures present had awakened their greed. These were all beings of high cultivation, far beyond her current capability to resist—even though she had just broken through to the second heaven of the Prime God Realm.
She felt an overwhelming sense of powerlessness. Looking at Shi Yan, then at the Dragon Lizard, Singh, and the masked Shadow Clan woman, she knew she could stop none of them.
Just then, a thought struck her mind, and she abruptly looked toward Shi Yan beside her.
“Whoosh! Whoosh!”
Clusters of five-colored Heavenly Fire, like swallows returning to their nests, instantly plunged back into Shi Yan’s body, and the tightly closed eyes of Shi Yan suddenly snapped open.
His gaze was calm and detached; the fluctuations of his aura were completely concealed. He simply stood up silently.
“He broke through!”
“So fast! To break through a realm so quickly is simply unbelievable!”
“Truly astonishing. It took me three full years to break through to the Immortal Realm!”
“It took me over a year!”
“Why is he so fast?”
“It seems the Ancient Ancestor Dragon Lizard paid a heavy price, giving up one Immortal Elixir. The benefits of the Immortal Elixir for breaking through the Immortal Realm are immense; it even drastically shortens the process…” The surrounding members of the various clans whispered among themselves, their eyes filled with wonder.
The masked woman of the Shadow Clan also had bright, sparkling eyes and nodded approvingly. She chuckled sweetly, “The Immortal Elixir lives up to its name; it is truly miraculous, capable of shortening the process this much. No wonder so many people were drawn here.”
“Once a cauldron at the Immortal Realm level is absorbed and merged, the effect will be even more pronounced! Haha, Brother Dragon Lizard, allow me to congratulate you in advance on entering the Ancestor Domain Realm very soon!” Singh roared with laughter, repeatedly bowing toward the Ancient Ancestor Dragon Lizard with a smile that was thoroughly repulsive.
Many people turned their attention to the Dragon Lizard Ancestor, whose face was also quite strange, his heart seemingly struggling in pain, unable to make a decision.
Shi Yan, however, was unusually composed. He stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Audrey, surveying the hundreds of alien clan members gathered around, looking at Singh and the masked woman, but pointedly avoiding the Ancient Ancestor Dragon Lizard. Gradually, a strange smile spread across his face.
Behind him, the Void Sea suddenly churned with peculiar fluctuations. Nearby stray Spatial Blades, resembling the scythes of the Grim Reaper, suddenly drifted over and hovered directly above his head.
Distant meteorites and stellar fragments, for reasons unknown, began to rumble and roll closer, sounding like a rain of debris ready to descend and shroud the entire area. The meteorites and star fragments did not fall, however; they simply positioned themselves alongside the Spatial Blades, frozen perfectly still.
“Crack! Crack! Crack!”
Under Shi Yan’s feet, the earth split and shattered astonishingly. The fissures grew from small to large, and in a very short time, the Dragon Lizard Continent seemed torn apart, dividing into countless pieces!
Shi Yan stood unmoved, his faint smile unwavering. He then turned his head toward Audrey and said mildly, “Relax. Many people here are qualified to defeat me, but to kill me? Heh heh, nobody here is qualified yet!”
As he spoke, dozens of massive Spatial Blades above his head spun in response, undulating restlessly around him like colossal chariots in motion.
The giant meteorites and star fragments also seemed activated, swirling powerfully in the void.
Remarkably, the Spatial Blades, meteorites, and star fragments did not conflict with each other; not a single collision occurred between them.
The Shadow Clan woman’s bright eyes flashed with astonishment. She stared deeply at the Spatial Blades, meteorites, and star fragments, then suddenly her delicate body shook, and she gasped inwardly: “Space and Star Essences harmonized flawlessly!”
Even Singh’s expression changed, and he felt a wave of hidden alarm.
In the Void Sea, meteorites and star fragments are omnipresent, and Spatial Blades are the deadly knives that claim martial artists’ lives. Those who cultivate these two Essences and can manipulate meteorites, star fragments, and Spatial Blades are considered the most feared opponents in the Domain Sea. Furthermore, the Essences of Space and Stars are reputed to be the most mysterious and terrifying. The Void Sea amplifies the power of their Essences, making cultivators of these two paths notoriously difficult to deal with.
The fact that Shi Yan cultivated both Space and Star Essences simultaneously stunned many.
Even the Dragon Lizard instantly dismissed his wicked thoughts, laughing heartily, “This young brother has shown me kindness; how could I repay gratitude with treachery and commit shameless acts?”
…(To be continued)RQ
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