Once Yebole parted ways with Mei Ji, the colossal cold-iron ship hurtled toward the Ancient Demon Race's stronghold in the Sea of Destruction, which was itself a massive island.

He proceeded directly into the belly of a mountain on the island, where a hidden world opened up—a maze of crisscrossing stone paths and numerous expansive stone chambers.

Entering one of these chambers, Yebole, without a word, began poring over documents. Soon, he found a painting, and the person depicted was unmistakably Shi Yan!

Yebole sneered, "It really is that brat!"

When conversing with Mei Ji, he had only spared Shi Yan a single glance before looking away, feigning indifference. Yet, in that brief instant, he had thoroughly gauged Shi Yan’s depth and deduced his origins and identity: "A mere youth who has merged with a fragment soul of a Primordial Being, and still only at the first level of the Undying realm. What a massive piece of ripe meat. Tat has offered a hefty price for information; should I give it to him or not?"

He hesitated for only a few seconds before making his decision, grinning wide: "Making money is naturally the top priority. I’ve already repaid the favor owed to Mei Ji. Oh, and there’s that little skeleton, and the two people the Devourer Race is searching for are also connected. This trip is quite fortunate; I've already made two profitable ventures just arriving in the Sea of Destruction, haha!"

Quickly, he contacted Tat from both the Devourer Race and the Soul Race, disseminating the information he had gathered.

"Lord Mei Ji has returned!"

"Lord Mei Ji is home!"

"Welcome, Lord Mei Ji!"

On the island carpeted with flowers, countless handsome and alluring males and females of the Phantom Race cheered, their genuine laughter echoing along the path.

The men were incomparably dashing and elegant; the women were exquisitely captivating and peerless. A single glance would draw admiration for the Creator's immense favor upon this race.

The saying that the Phantom Race produced no ugly individuals was indeed true, Shi Yan thought, his eyes dazzled and his mind secretly astonished as he walked the path.

The cultivation levels among the men and women of the Phantom Race on this island were quite mixed, encompassing those at the Void God, Origin God, and even the Primeval God realms. These individuals were relatively young, dispatched by the clan to the Sea of Destruction to cultivate, survive, and gather intelligence from the area.

In the depths of the Vast Void Sea, only those who had reached the Undying realm could navigate without fear.

However, races with deep foundations like the Seven Great Races possessed powerful warships capable of resisting external dangers, allowing them to transport lower-level clansmen to any region. These young men and women of the Phantom Race had been ferried here via such risk-mitigating vessels.

The heavens and the seabed of the Sea of Destruction were fraught with peril; even Primeval God realm experts found it difficult to move freely.

Yet, on the surface of the Sea of Destruction, upon these islands, it was exceedingly safe; even God Kings could survive quite well.

This island served as the Phantom Race stronghold. Mei Ji was the island's leader, responsible for coordinating all intelligence and acting as its backbone, possessing the highest cultivation among them. In her absence, the men and women of the Phantom Race felt uneasy; now that she had returned, they all secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

As the most well-informed race, and specifically tasked with monitoring the Sea of Destruction, the Phantom Race naturally knew what had transpired on Dragon Lizard Star.

After Mei Ji disappeared, they had worried in secret about an accident befalling her. Her safe return brought them immense joy.

Of course, many among them were also intensely curious about Shi Yan, stealing glances at him along the way.

Shi Yan, dressed in simple azure martial robes, possessed a robust physique and handsome features, attracting the shy, admiring gazes of several Phantom Race maidens.

Mei Ji walked directly toward the magnificent central palace. Its floors were paved with smooth, exquisite jade, adorned with countless finely carved trinkets, gems, and luminous pearls. She ascended to the main dais, seated herself in the seat of honor, and gestured for Shi Yan to stand aside, immediately commencing her study of the recent intelligence records without a word.

A few Phantom Race maidens, cultivating at the Origin God and Primeval God levels, chatted softly within the hall, occasionally letting their beautiful eyes drift toward Shi Yan, followed by low, sweet giggles that stirred the heart.

Mei Ji focused intently on the texts, paying no mind to Shi Yan. Her slender, pale fingers rapidly turned the pages, her brow gradually furrowing.

Upon reaching the final document, her expression suddenly turned icy, and she let out a sharp cry: "Damned Yebole, to be so ungrateful!"

Shi Yan looked up at her.

"Yebole has released your information, claiming you are the one who fused with the Primordial Being's fragment soul, and that you came here with me. At the very least, Tat of the Soul Race knows about this. Furthermore, Yebole claimed that the deaths of Nazario and Bastos are also connected to us," Mei Ji explained.

Shi Yan's heart chilled as he thought of the Ancient Demon Race man whose body seemed cast in iron. "If I see him again, I will try to kill him," he stated.

At these words, the chattering Phantom Race maidens in the hall instantly fell silent, looking at him with strange curiosity.

They knew Yebole’s background and cultivation—the Triple Heaven Undying realm. Even their own mistress, Mei Ji, could, at best, surpass Yebole; killing him was impossible. This young man of unknown origin, only at the First Heaven Undying realm, dared to boast so boldly, which struck them as rather absurd.

However, Mei Ji’s next sentence surprised them even more: "Wanting to kill him? Only if you can advance to the Second Heaven Undying realm. Right now, fighting him would, at most, leave you alive."

This made the maidens even more amazed, their gazes toward Shi Yan filled with deep confusion.

Mei Ji set the texts down and addressed the maidens beside her. "A girl left Dragon Lizard Star named Audrey; she should be heading to the Sea of Destruction. Keep an eye out for her." She casually picked up a piece of jade. "Imprint her appearance onto this so it’s easier to search; we will try our best to find her."

Shi Yan complied with her instruction.

"You won't get news quickly, so you must wait. As for how long, I cannot say," Mei Ji informed him.

Shi Yan nodded in understanding.

"You had best not leave this area for the time being. I fear some people might have designs on you. This is the Phantom Race's stronghold. Unless the clansmen of the Seven Great Races desire total war between the two clans, they will not break our agreement and trespass here. You will be safe here," Mei Ji added.

Shi Yan frowned slightly but offered no reply.

"My Lady, while you were away, that Batuum... sent someone," a Phantom Race maiden seized the moment to speak while Mei Ji paused.

Mei Ji's expression immediately turned extremely grim, her demeanor visibly irritated. She snapped, "Do not mention that person to me again!"

The maidens fell silent as if struck by fear, trembling as they agreed, each privately lamenting the situation.

"Yu Lian, arrange temporary lodging for him on the island," Mei Ji waved her hand.

A Phantom Race maiden at the Primeval God realm bowed respectfully, nodded, and then turned to Shi Yan, "Please follow me."

Shi Yan followed her silently out of the main hall toward an elegantly constructed jade tower elsewhere. Midway, he asked out of curiosity, "Who is Batuum? Why does our Lady become so agitated upon hearing his name?"

Yu Lian appeared to be about eighteen or nineteen, dressed in a vivid emerald gown, looking delicate and charming. She glanced back stealthily behind her and whispered, "We can discuss it later."

Shortly after, she led Shi Yan to a pavilion. "Batuum is a terrifyingly powerful expert. He is not a member of the Seven Great Races; he cultivates alone, his methods are brutal, and he is absolutely one of the most fearsome figures in the Sea of Destruction. He has grasped the true meaning of dark energy and will become a Domain Ancestor expert within ten years at most. He usually lives on the seabed of the Sea of Destruction. Once, when he came up to trade for cultivation materials, he saw Lord Mei Ji and was instantly smitten, pursuing her relentlessly for years. He even petitioned our clan, saying if they married Mei Ji to him, he would serve the Phantom Race."

"A near-Domain Ancestor expert..." Shi Yan nodded. "This man is destined to be a Domain Ancestor. What do the elders of your clan think of this matter?"

"The higher-ups considered it feasible and transmitted word down, instructing Lord Mei Ji to treat the matter seriously. But the Mistress strongly disagrees, leading to a major rift with them," Yu Lian sighed. "Although Batuum's cultivation is profound and his power terrifying, he is truly... extremely ugly. The Mistress's refusal is understandable; if I were her, I wouldn't agree either. If he were even slightly handsome, I might consider it given his superb cultivation, but his appearance..."

The maiden clearly sided with Mei Ji, secretly bristling at her clan elders' decision, pouting as she complained.

"What was the outcome?" Shi Yan pressed.

"The higher-ups and Lord Mei Ji remained deadlocked for a time, then the superiors offered a compromise: if Lord Mei Ji could reach the Domain Ancestor realm before Batuum, they would not force the issue; otherwise, they would compel her to agree. The Mistress actually agreed to this! I truly don't know what she's thinking. She hasn't grasped the secret of dark energy; how could she break through to the Domain Ancestor realm faster than Batuum? We all believe she is just stalling, and we worry she might do something drastic," Yu Lian sighed inwardly.

Shi Yan suddenly understood.

He finally comprehended why Mei Ji reacted so desperately upon discovering he had fused with the Primordial Being's fragment soul—there was this massive entanglement underlying it all.

To quickly advance to the Domain Ancestor realm, there was no faster method for Mei Ji than refining him. Under pressure from her clan, she might indeed do anything to resist an arranged marriage.

"Batuum now regards the Mistress as his possession. He has spread the word throughout the Sea of Destruction that the Mistress is destined to be his woman, and he frequently harasses her. He must believe that the Mistress cannot possibly break through to Domain Ancestor faster than him, so he thinks his future is sealed," Yu Lian continued. "He came again after the Mistress left and told us he is even closer to breaking through to Domain Ancestor; he is already refining his own Domain World. He intends to become the master of a realm first. Once his Primordial World fully transforms into a Domain World, he will be a true Domain Ancestor."

Shi Yan understood; Domain Ancestor experts must reforge their Primordial World into a Domain World before they can truly be called Domain Ancestor warriors.

He sighed inwardly, realizing that Mei Ji, despite belonging to one of the Seven Great Races, was also not master of her own fate—a pitiable soul indeed.