An island, lush with ancient trees, floated silently upon the water like a black water lily. The trees upon this island were impossibly vast, towering like mountains, yet their density was as thick as a meadow.

Countless multicolored flags were planted across the island. Etched upon them were images of wronged souls and ferocious ghosts. The banners fluttered in the wind, resembling myriad demons howling with ferocious grimaces, utterly terrifying to behold.

In the dense depths at the island's center, nestled among the thick foliage, were several huts constructed from deadwood. Most of these dwellings remained shuttered, with only the faintest signs of human presence visible in a precious few.

At this moment, a warrior of the Soul Clan knelt prostrate before the door of one such hut, speaking in the Soul Clan's tongue: "Master, news has arrived."

"Enter," a profoundly aged male voice resonated from within.

The Soul Clan warrior respectfully entered the hut. It was remarkably spartan inside, yet the walls were adorned with even more silken banners, all bearing the likenesses of vengeful spirits and tormented souls—a perfect reflection of the grim and dreadful mysteries cultivated by the Soul Clan.

Upon a meditation cushion sat an elder, his countenance withered, deep wrinkles scarring his face. He was as gaunt as a dried corpse, shrouded entirely in heavy black robes, appearing ready to crumble into the earth at any moment. Yet, his eyes were like cold, abyssal pools in the dead of night—profound, chilling, and utterly aloof.

"We have certain confirmation: Singh perished on Dragon Lizard Star. The Dragon Lizard Ancestor joined forces with Tu Shiqi and Ya Yun of the Profound Heaven Clan. Furthermore, the Dragon Lizard Clan has publicly announced its formal subjugation to the Profound Heaven Clan." The young Soul Clan warrior, whose cultivation had reached the second heaven of the Immortal realm, spoke with a face etched in cold malevolence. "Singh was utterly useless! He took Master's Soul Refining Cauldron, yet still failed!"

The elder remained perfectly composed, as if he had long anticipated this outcome. "Continue. I require more detailed intelligence."

The youth’s expression grew solemn. He proceeded to meticulously recount the entire battle that unfolded on Dragon Lizard Star.

The elder listened quietly. After a long pause, a flicker of interest crossed his features. "A minor warrior who has integrated a splinter soul of a Primal Being holds some interest. If his soul could be integrated into the Soul Refining Cauldron, it would certainly aid in its complete restoration, perhaps not far less potent than the soul of the Dragon Lizard Ancestor."

As he spoke, he opened his mouth and exhaled a single object resting upon his tongue.

It was none other than the Soul Refining Cauldron that had thrown Dragon Lizard Star into chaos!

The Primal Artifact, which had vanished without a trace since the conclusion of the battle on Dragon Lizard Star, had somehow returned to the tip of his tongue. He spat it out, and the Cauldron instantly swelled to an immense size, hovering over the island.

Countless intricate and profound Primal Runes etched upon the Cauldron's surface suddenly seemed to spring to life, transforming into sinister, bizarre visages that writhed and devoured upon the metal.

On the island, streams of souls streamed forth from the silken banners. Once the spirits departed, the images of fierce ghosts and wronged souls vanished from the fabric. From the heavens above, one would have seen thousands of spectral, vengeful ghosts numbly flowing toward the Soul Refining Cauldron, being drawn into its depths.

The Primal Runes on the Cauldron’s face, nourished by the ghosts and vengeful spirits, grew even more arcane and strange, as if charged with colossal power.

In a short time, the Cauldron had absorbed all the recently gathered fierce souls and vengeful spirits from the island's banners. A light flashed in the elder's eyes, and the Soul Refining Cauldron shrank once more, disappearing back into his mouth.

"Far from enough," he muttered. After a period of silence, he suddenly fixed a cruel gaze upon the youth. "Tate! You know precisely what I seek by coming to the Sea of Annihilation. You have managed affairs in this sea for many years; you should know how to satisfy me!"

The young Soul Clan warrior trembled internally, his demeanor snapping to instant seriousness. Without hesitation, he affirmed, "Master, rest assured. I know what must be done. Master requires war, the demise of living beings, to gather souls. I shall devise a plan for this!"

The elder smiled, a grin of immeasurable sinister eeriness. "Indeed, my good disciple. But instigating war in the Sea of Annihilation is no simple matter. Even for us, the Soul Clan, such actions require justification, a pretext. I expect you to handle this delicately, ensuring no other races seize upon evidence to accuse us of violating the established order."

"The death of our Grand Commander Singh provides an excellent reason and excuse. I will handle the matter with precision," Tate stated earnestly.

The elder nodded slowly, then glanced downward, his gaze seemingly piercing through the island to the deepest abyss below. "Remember, do not disturb the old monsters dwelling beneath the depths; that would invite grave trouble."

"Understood."

...

In a remote corner of the Sea of Annihilation, a tiny island drifted alone on the surface, perpetually engulfed in storms, ravaged by chilling, fierce winds.

This was clearly no place suited for living beings. Any cultivator whose realm was slightly lower would almost certainly perish here, unless one had achieved the Immortal realm to survive unharmed.

Upon the island's barren mountaintop, Audrey stood alone, her brow deeply furrowed as she gazed into the distance.

She had arrived at the Sea of Annihilation six months prior. Upon arrival, she had chosen this secluded island for her temporary residence. The cultivation environment here was harsh, and its location remote, ensuring she remained unnoticed.

After parting ways with Shi Yan, she had journeyed alone toward the Sea of Annihilation, following the direction indicated by Tu Shiqi.

Along the way, she had encountered various perils and ill-intentioned individuals, all of whom she had slain.

Currently, her cultivation had reached the third heaven of the Prime God realm, and she advanced rapidly every day. Moreover, she possessed an Immortal Pill; given enough time, she would soon be able to challenge the Immortal realm.

Her current achievements were entirely due to integrating the soul of her ancestor, Ming Hong, and accepting the Seven Fierce Souls of Singh, thereby grasping the profound secrets of Soul Clan cultivation.

The Soul Clan was a peculiar race centered on cultivating the Soul Altar. Their understanding of this discipline placed them far ahead of other major races, leaving even smaller clans far behind.

The Nether Emperor Clan, legend held, was conceived by the Desolate Clan with the Soul Clan as its blueprint. The Nether Emperor Clan's souls and physiques bore similarities to the Soul Clan, and even their cultivation methods shared numerous commonalities.

Tu Shiqi and his wife had gifted her souls from the Soul Clan, and Singh himself was a Grand Commander. By refining these souls, Audrey had gained a profound comprehension of the Soul Clan's mystery regarding the Soul Altar. Her realm had progressed by leaps and bounds.

As for the missing divine power, Ming Hong and those individual fierce souls served as her fount of strength. Realm breakthroughs were merely a matter of condensing divine power and comprehending profound principles; when both ceased to be obstacles, Audrey's rapid ascent was only natural.

With a mere thought, clusters of fierce and vengeful souls surged forth beside Audrey, numbering in the tens of thousands at a glance, resembling dense clouds gathered together—a spectacle both magnificent and terrifying.

Among them, the fierce soul transformed from Ming Hong became the master of the other spirits, coalescing into the form Ming Hong held in life—that of an elderly Nether Emperor Clan member. "The location of the Domain Gate is in a tributary at the bottom of the Sea of Annihilation, an extremely secluded spot. When I first entered via the Gate, I became lost near the edge of the seabed in the Sea of Annihilation, and emerged elsewhere."

Audrey frowned. "After you, many others from our Desolate Domain reached the Immortal realm. They too must have passed through the Domain Gate into the Void Sea of Nothingness. Have they never encountered the beings of the Void Sea of Nothingness? Wouldn't that be strange? According to you, the Sea of Annihilation is vast, teeming with life. How did they fail to meet anyone?"

Ming Hong managed a bitter smile. "Because we were all mistaken back then. Those who came later must have also taken the wrong path."

Audrey looked to him, seeking clarification.

"You cannot possibly imagine, the Sea of Annihilation is actually connected to our Desolate Domain. The Domain Gate lies at the very extreme edge of our realm barrier, where it intersects with the Void Sea of Nothingness. Both sides of the gate are vast oceans, and we cross that ocean to enter the Void Sea of Nothingness. However, after crossing the ocean from our side, one discovers another great river leading to an ocean that chills the heart..."

Seeing her confusion, Ming Hong used clusters of soul-stuff to sketch first a vast ocean, then drew a network of rivers converging toward that central sea.

"All these rivers flow into the Sea of Annihilation; strictly speaking, they are part of it. The other end of one of these rivers connects to the Domain Gate of our realm. One side of the gate leads to an ocean within our domain; the other side leads to a tributary of the Sea of Annihilation within the Void Sea of Nothingness. After passing through the gate, we never followed the river into the depths of the Sea of Annihilation. No one entered the seabed of that sea because it was impossible—the water pressure halfway would have crushed us. We took forks in the path, moving away from the Sea of Annihilation toward safer, yet sparsely populated, regions of the Void Sea of Nothingness."

"That region is a desolate corner of the Void Sea of Nothingness, already far removed from the Sea of Annihilation, where few beings venture. That is where I ended up back then. I suspect most of the Desolate Domain people who entered the Void Sea of Nothingness after me did the same, heading for that uninhabited zone. Only one person, perhaps, chose the correct path immediately upon entering the Void Sea of Nothingness, proceeding directly into the seabed of the Sea of Annihilation and subsequently surfacing upon its waters." Ming Hong's expression became peculiar.

"Who was that?" Audrey asked, surprised.

"Xue Ye (Blood Thirst). He was the only one who, after piercing the Domain Gate, followed the correct trajectory along the river directly into the seabed of the Sea of Annihilation. Because of his realm and power, he could withstand the terrifying underwater pressure. Thus, he took the right route, appearing instantly in the seabed of the Sea of Annihilation, reaching the surface in a prosperous and bustling area of the Void Sea of Nothingness."

Ming Hong displayed reverence, praising, "It was only later, through some of Singh's searches, that I learned he briefly visited there. I learned the Blood Devouring Clan fought him and suffered many casualties. He even battled Han Tian of the Profound Heaven Clan and arguably won. However, Singh never knew his true identity. Xue Ye, despite indirectly preventing our Nether Emperor Clan from flourishing for ten thousand years, truly possessed the most terrifying strength in our entire domain!"

Audrey too felt a profound respect.

"I know the direction of the Domain Gate; I can take you from this place back to the Desolate Domain. I have been awaiting this day, but I do not know what makes you hesitate. You have lingered here for half a year; what are you waiting for?" Ming Hong inquired, puzzled.

"I am waiting for someone, waiting for him to return with me," Audrey replied.