After breaking through to the Immortal Realm, he was either fighting or engrossed in comprehending the profound mysteries of the realm; there was not a moment of leisure, nor had he ever let his guard down.

This island belonged to the Phantom Clan, designated specifically for gathering intelligence. Of course, it was also used to win over hearts and promote affairs beneficial to the clan. For instance, when Mei Ji visited the Water Clan to have a private meeting with Yuan Mo, she successfully rallied them, turning the Water Clan into a vassal force of the Phantom Clan.

In the Sea of Ruin, and its surrounding areas, several second-rate races were allied with the Phantom Clan. Mei Ji’s presence was also vital for maintaining close ties with those races.

Inside an elegant pavilion, Shi Yan sat quietly, his expression calm, repeatedly replaying the string of recent events in his mind.

He pondered many things.

The Dragon Lizard Ancestor of the Dragon Lizard Clan, Tu Shiqi and Ya Yun of the Profound Heaven Clan, the lost Xing Ge, Audrey whose mind was invaded by Ming Hong, and recently, Little Skeleton and the Devouring Race, including Mei Ji…

"The Immortal Realm is still too low," he muttered.

After a long while, a bitter smile touched his lips, followed by a faint sigh.

If he had reached the Domain Ancestor Realm, he would have no trouble on Dragon Lizard Star. He could have easily intimidated Xing Ge and Ming Hong, and Mei Ji wouldn't have treated him like a coveted prize, desperately trying to refine and absorb him. If he had reached the Domain Ancestor Realm, within the Sea of Ruin, that Ye Bole certainly wouldn't dare utter nonsense or divulge the origins of his whereabouts. Even if he did, with Domain Ancestor Realm cultivation, Shi Yan wouldn't fear any challenge in the Sea of Ruin.

But now...

He quickly settled on a direction: finding Audrey as soon as possible to confirm the location of the Domain Gate. Even if he didn't return to the Barren Domain immediately, at least he would have a fallback route.

He needed to be stronger!

An Immortal Realm expert might be considered a top-tier powerhouse in the Barren Domain, but they were far from the pinnacle in the Void Sea of the Nine Heavens. If he wanted to secure his future, he could only strive continuously and enhance his strength.

He performed an internal inspection, reviewing his viscera, bones, and soul one by one. His brow gradually smoothed out.

Given the Devouring Profundity he cultivated, the simplest method for continuous growth was consumption—devouring!

He quickly made up his mind. His realm had long been stable during his journey to the Sea of Ruin; what he lacked now was power. He needed power to fill himself, and he needed power to help Little Skeleton's parents!

Several days later, he still hadn't received any message from Mei Ji. Since returning to the island, Mei Ji had separated from him and hadn't seen him once. He summoned Yu Lian, a young girl from the Phantom Clan, who timidly approached. "Why did you summon me? Lord Mei Ji instructed you to cultivate peacefully on the island and try not to leave. Once we have news of the woman you seek, we will notify you immediately."

"Which region in the Sea of Ruin is the most chaotic?" Shi Yan suddenly asked.

"Meaning?" Yu Lian was startled.

"Where are the fights most frequent, where do people die often?" Shi Yan clarified.

Yu Lian pointed downwards without thinking, "The seabed!"

"The seabed?" Shi Yan paused.

"The seabed of the Sea of Ruin is vast and boundless, attracting many warriors to explore. Deep within the seabed, miraculous materials and rare treasures sometimes appear, instantly triggering fierce scrambles. The seabed is the most brutal battlefield; generally, we avoid entering it lightly, precisely because of the savage combat there," Yu Lian replied.

"Which part of the seabed sees the most frequent fighting?" Shi Yan asked again.

"That’s hard to say." Yu Lian frowned. "The seabed is too immense. Warriors exploring inside are very dispersed; sometimes, it takes ages before one runs into anyone."

Shi Yan nodded, pondered for a moment, and suddenly declared, "Tell Mei Ji I need to go out for a bit."

With that, he ignored Yu Lian’s dissuasion, transforming into a streak of electric light and heading outside the island.

The Phantom Clan island was surrounded by numerous restrictions and barriers, but these were purely defensive measures against the outside world; entering from the exterior was difficult and fraught with obstacles. However, leaving was completely unobstructed, which is why he could easily depart the island.

Yu Lian couldn't stop him, nor could she exert any force to restrain him; she could only watch as Shi Yan vanished.

She stood stunned for a moment, then reacted, rushing off to see Mei Ji, explaining everything Shi Yan had done and the questions he had asked before leaving.

Mei Ji, clad in silk brocade garments, sat upright in a secret chamber of the main hall, holding a yellowed ancient scroll. Upon hearing Yu Lian's report, she waved a hand, saying, "I understand. You may leave."

Yu Lian quietly departed.

Mei Ji set down the scroll, her charming face clouded with confusion. After thinking for a while, she murmured, "This kid has too many secrets, but why would he choose the most chaotic and treacherous area? Is there some deeper significance?"

Thinking this, her mind stirred. She emerged from the secret chamber, summoned a few trusted aides, gave them instructions, and then also left the island.

The seabed.

A figure shrouded in starlight slowly descended towards the ocean floor. The azure surface of the water was overhead, while the seawater grew darker and darker, accompanied by steadily increasing water pressure.

Within the light shield, Shi Yan observed his surroundings as he sank.

Water was everywhere; not a single fish could be seen. His spiritual sense radiated outward, met only by a chilling, biting coldness.

He extended a single finger from the light shield, immersing it in the seawater. He immediately felt how intensely cold the water was—a coldness that seemed capable of penetrating bone, sinking into marrow and mind.

He retracted his finger, slowly calmed himself, and closed his eyes.

Using his soul power, he quietly sensed the surrounding environment, hoping to locate any gathering of people, preferably a conflict zone. He needed conflict, needed the energy generated by death.

He continued to sink deeper into the seabed, his brow tightly furrowed.

According to Mei Ji, some said the Sea of Ruin was shaped like a funnel, with the surface being the narrow tip. The expanse of the seabed was hundreds of times greater than the surface, comparable to the limitless domain worlds.

He hadn't entirely believed it before.

Now, he was beginning to.

Because he was also a warrior cultivating Spatial Profundity, his soul perception and divine sense detection speed were ten or even a hundred times faster than ordinary warriors!

Yet, judging by the limits of his soul and divine sense detection, he still couldn't cover even a fraction of the Sea of Ruin. Under the limit of a single scan of his divine sense, he still felt an endless void.

After a long time, he directed a thread of divine sense into the Heavenly Illusion Star Array, found the time marker, and realized that three days had passed since he sank to the seabed.

He was still sinking. Just how deep was this seabed?

However, the speed of his descent was gradually slowing, becoming sluggish, because the water pressure on the seabed was becoming increasingly terrifying. Even with his cultivation realm, he began to feel the strain.

One day, he abruptly stopped sinking, pausing momentarily in the center of the water.

His divine sense, which had been spreading outward, suddenly shifted direction, probing deeply toward the ocean floor below.

Divine sense was unrestrained by water pressure and traveled extremely fast. He searched this way.

"Eh!"

He suddenly opened his eyes, a brilliant light flickering within them, and his divine body shuddered abruptly.

He looked down at the seabed below in horror, focusing on a specific direction, his expression utterly bizarre.

Deep in the seabed, he sensed a familiar aura. At some location far below in the ocean, it was as if a voice was calling out, sending him an intense mental signal!

More accurately, it was sending a thought to his Sub-Soul. That familiar aura originated from his Sub-Soul's sensing!

His Sub-Soul had merged with the Divine Grace Continent; it was one of the Barren Sprouts, a fragment of a Primordial Creature!

What was that familiar aura, that powerful mental signal?

He knew the location was extremely far away. Based on the range of his divine sense, reaching it might take about ten days of travel. He pondered, his brow tightly furrowed, secretly astonished.

The Primordial Era was an era of ruin. In that era existed powerful Primordial Creatures, the ancestors of countless beings, and the darlings of the world. These terrifying beings, inherently immensely powerful, were still synonymous with ultimate strength, even as the martial warriors' profound meanings evolved to the present day.

What object could evoke such familiarity in his Primordial Creature Sub-Soul and transmit such a strong signal to him?

After only a few moments of hesitation, he made a decision and immediately acted.

He flew toward the area his divine sense perceived. That region was far from him, deeper into the seabed. His speed of flight through the water grew increasingly sluggish; the crushing water pressure caused the light shield woven from starlight to show signs of imminent rupture.

A few days later, he was forced to pause again. He condensed divine power and wove it using Starry Profundity to gather a new light shield.

Somewhere on the seabed.

Shields shimmering with various lights drifted about. In the center of each variously colored shield was a robust man.

If Shi Yan had been present, he would have recognized those individuals as people he had seen before. The leader was none other than Ye Bole, his upper body bare, revealing naturally fine, dense beast-like markings. His expression was solemn as he rapidly traversed the seabed.

Beside him, within a vibrant emerald-green light shield, a small, thin alien warrior's eyes flickered, seemingly confirming something, his face gradually growing anxious.

"It should be nearby, it should be right around here! How could something go wrong? Last time I came, it was definitely close by!" This small alien warrior often moved along the seabed. The last time he came with several companions, they accidentally glimpsed a Primordial Ruin, but before they could approach, their souls suddenly became dizzy, and they instantly lost consciousness, only waking up later floating near the surface.

Ye Bole suddenly stopped, his expression grim, and he barked, "I hope you can lead us correctly. Otherwise, you know the consequences!"

At these words, the thin alien warrior's face changed drastically, and even the luster of his emerald-green light shield swayed, becoming extremely unstable.

In another part of the seabed.

A group of warriors with stern expressions gathered around a tall woman, also moving around, seemingly searching for something.

Regardless of gender, these individuals were covered in thick black scales, like innate armor. They were tall, their bodies exuding dense demonic energy, giving off an aura of extreme danger and terror.

The leading woman was tall, appearing clad in thick black scales, but upon closer inspection, one would realize those black scales were fused with her skin—they were part of her very flesh.

They were members of the Black Demon Clan.