Lord God Brian stood, his eyes like the flowing radiance of sun, moon, and stars, and brilliant light spilled forth from his Divine Body. As if a luminous god had descended.

He looked at Ming Hao beside him, his expression indifferent. "We have been trapped for many years, and our Domain is in its most critical moment.

The Hui might already be incrementally devouring our Domain. If you don't wish to return and see only endless nothingness, see the annihilation of all races, you should know how to choose." After a pause, Brian took a deep breath and added, "There is something you have always clearly understood: if our Domain is destroyed and shattered, if the Desolate is devoured and killed by the Hui, all beings created by the Desolate, all souls born in the Desolate Domain, could instantly have their souls scattered." "Even you and I cannot escape the shackles of fate, unless we can break through to the Domain Ancestor realm in a short time; perhaps then there might be a sliver of life!" The ancient architecture, radiating a cold luster, was as magnificent as a mountain.

In the stone pile at the corner of the structure, Ming Hao was as small as an ant. He frowned deeply, remaining silent.

Shi Yan could perceive that Ming Hao was hesitating, weighing whether to accept the Divine Lord's suggestion. Trapped for decades, Ming Hao gradually understood that this perfectly preserved ancient architecture might be the key to leaving.

The Divine Lord Brian, having fused with the origin of the Ancient God Continent and a sliver of the Desolate's soul, was able to hear the call and arrive, likely being the key to unraveling this place. The Divine Lord's proposal was also tempting: he wanted Shi Yan's secondary soul, for the main soul containing the profound mystery of the Great Dao of Devouring to be released, allowing him to truly absorb the inheritance of the Bloodthirsty.

To say he wasn't tempted would be a lie, but Ming Hao still hesitated. Shi Yan was the chosen successor for the Bloodthirsty, the new Venerable Lord of this generation, who had also merged with a sub-soul of the Ancient Continent; he, too, was qualified to unlock the secrets of the ancient architecture.

Joining forces with Shi Yan to kill the Divine Lord, letting Shi Yan unravel the ancient architecture, was also an option. It was just that this path was extremely difficult.

He deeply understood the terror of the Divine Lord; having battled him here for many years, he knew the extent of the Divine Lord's power. Even with Shi Yan added, he felt there was still no chance of success.

He hesitated, glancing at Ming Hao, then looking toward Shi Yan. Suddenly, his expression froze, and he asked uncertainly, "Immortal already?" Decades had passed since he was shaken off by the Hui—less than a century.

In such a short time, Shi Yan had advanced further, breaking through to the Immortal realm, which greatly astonished Ming Hao. The Divine Lord also noticed this, his expression shifting slightly.

"You managed to break through to Immortal so quickly. If I don't kill you this time, I may never have another chance." He then looked at Ming Hao, "This is my opportunity, and yours too.

Miss this one, and you might truly serve him for life, truly attend to him like you served the Bloodthirsty ten thousand years ago. Ming Hao, I know you well; I know what kind of person you are.

What are you still hesitating about?" "Ming Hao, I saw Ming Hong; he is still alive, living in the Void Sea of Domains. He has now fused with Audrey," Shi Yan suddenly said.

Ming Hao's heart trembled. "The old man is still alive?" "Ming, kill him, take his main soul, and you can slowly search through these memories!" the Divine Lord said coldly.

"Is leaving this place that difficult? If it were so hard, how could I have entered so easily?" Shi Yan suddenly asked.

Ming Hao looked up, gazing deeply at him. "How did you enter?" "You weren't sent by the Hui?" This time, the Divine Lord was also surprised.

"I entered from the Sea of Destruction, descending from the outer light screen. Above us is the Sea of Destruction, one of the most prosperous and lively places in the Void Sea of Domains, where a hundred races stand tall," Shi Yan stated calmly.

Ming Hao and the Divine Lord's eyes both lit up. "You know the location of the Domain Gate that leads into our Domain, right?" Shi Yan felt a stir in his heart.

"Naturally, we do." Ming Hao looked at the giant ancient architecture behind him, then at the light screen overhead. "If we could leave this place, I could find the Domain Gate to return.

Since you could enter, you should be able to leave too. But we have tried, and no matter what, we cannot break the light screen above.

The pivot point for that screen is likely inside that structure." He pointed to the ancient architecture before them. "What is written up there?

Is it just a single Primordial script, and what meaning does it represent?" Shi Yan suddenly asked. "Ask him," Ming Hao frowned.

Shi Yan turned to the Divine Lord. "Among us, you have fused the most Heavenly Flames.

I have traveled in the Void Sea of Domains and learned something. If one can fully fuse the Heavenly Flames, one can truly unlock the fragmented soul of a Primordial Being, learn the ancient secrets, understand the Primordial script, and even gain insight into the true meaning of Dark Energy..." "Fully fusing the Heavenly Flames, can you truly comprehend Dark Energy?" Before Shi Yan could finish, Brian interrupted him excitedly, shouting, "Who told you that?" "The experts of the Seven Great Races in the Void Sea of Domains all unanimously agreed.

Someone knew I fused the fragmented soul of a Primordial Being and has been persistently pursuing me, wanting to refine my soul to break through to the Domain Ancestor realm," Shi Yan explained. "Domain Ancestor realm?" Ming Hao and the Divine Lord exchanged glances.

"After Immortal comes the Domain Ancestor realm. The Bloodthirsty...

must be a Domain Ancestor, and Dark Energy is the key to breaking through." Shi Yan was astonished. These two supreme beings in the Desolate Domain were actually confused about the realms.

It showed how far the Desolate Domain was detached from and how isolated it was from the Void Sea of Domains. "For the past ten thousand years, I focused mainly on the profound research of the Bloodthirsty's remains and never considered fully fusing the Heavenly Flames.

It seems I took the wrong path from the start. To think, the clear great path was right on me.

How ridiculous," Brian said with a wry smile, his expression becoming extremely strange. "I have been in the Void Sea of Domains for many years and never encountered any living beings; I thought the Void Sea of Domains was truly void.

Why is it that as soon as you arrived, you could see so many beings?" Ming Hao was confused. Shi Yan was also puzzled by this point.

He did not know that Ming Hong held the answer, did not know that the paths taken by all the predecessors were entirely wrong, that they had deviated to some remote corner far from the center of the Void Sea of Domains, and thus could not see those high-level beings wandering between the stars. "I don't know.

Perhaps when you meet Ming Hong, you can ask him," Shi Yan shook his head. "I am only a hair's breadth away from fully fusing the Heavenly Flames.

I have always restrained myself these years, not daring to take that final step," the Divine Lord said, looking at the ancient architecture before him, his face hesitant as he gazed at the incomprehensible runes. "What are you afraid of?" Shi Yan asked.

"If, as you say, upon fully fusing the Heavenly Flames, I can activate the fragmented soul's memories and gain insight into Dark Energy, with my current level of attainment, I can naturally break through smoothly to the Domain Ancestor realm and understand the mystery of the Primordial Runes. However, I cannot be certain that the 'me' at that time will still be me..." "You mean?" Ming Hao's expression subtly changed.

"If I fully merge with its fragmented soul, could that be exactly what it has always hoped for? Could I become a part of it and lose my self?

At that point, perhaps I would only be a component of its fragmented soul, and its fragmented soul would be the dominant one. Who can know?

I have hesitated to take that step all these years precisely because of this concern," the Divine Lord murmured softly. Ming Hao knitted his brows.

Shi Yan also fell silent. He could understand the Divine Lord's worry.

In fact, the Divine Lord's confusion also made him bewildered. He, too, constantly worried that one day, when his secondary soul's Heavenly Flames were fully fused, he would instantly lose his self and be replaced by the origin of the Divine Grace Continent.

It was just that his thoughts didn't extend as far or as deeply as the Divine Lord's. "I want to ask, how many souls do you have?" Shi Yan inquired.

"Naturally, only one," the Divine Lord answered casually, then added, "I know you possess dual souls. You are different from us.

The Great Dao of Devouring you cultivate is too sinister and terrifying; you are the sworn enemy of the Desolate. If you hadn't independently formed a secondary soul, the Desolate's fragmented soul, the origin of the Divine Grace Continent, might have been directly swallowed." The Divine Lord's eyes suddenly lit up as he thought of something, his heart stirring intensely.

He instantly knew what Shi Yan was about to say. Indeed.

Shi Yan laughed elegantly. "Then how can you kill me?

If you kill me and merge my fragmented soul, you will still be one soul. You will still be afraid; you still won't know what will happen after activating the fragmented soul's origin?

You won't know if you will be replaced? You fear, but I do not fear, because I have dual souls; I have one more choice than you!

Even if it happens as you say, at worst, I only lose my secondary soul; I won't die." Ming Hao also understood and looked at the Divine Lord. He said, "Since you are afraid, you truly need him to try first—let him merge completely with the origin first and see what happens." "Waiting for him to merge all the Heavenly Flame origins—who knows how many years that will take?

I have already waited ten thousand years!" the Divine Lord snorted coldly. "I only have the last two strands of Heavenly Flames left to fuse.

I think it won't take hundreds of millions of years," Shi Yan grinned. The Divine Lord fell silent.

After a long while, he sat down again amidst the pile of stones. "Perhaps I really should wait a little longer." He was still afraid—afraid that after all the Heavenly Flames were fused, he would be replaced by the origin of the Ancient God Continent.

The words left behind by the Bloodthirsty when he perished earlier had already made him aware that he was merely a pawn of the Desolate, a means to kill the Bloodthirsty. He could feel the Desolate's influence on his Domain at all times from the shadows.

Because he was clearly aware of the Desolate's existence and its terror, he was afraid. That was why he would rather spend ten thousand years deeply studying the Bloodthirsty's remains, attempting to comprehend Dark Energy through that method, rather than daring to take that final step.

In a certain sense, he believed the Bloodthirsty's path was correct; the Bloodthirsty's words before his demise had influenced him for ten millennia. Of course, if he managed to fuse all the Heavenly Flames, successfully gain insight into Dark Energy, and break through to the Domain Ancestor realm, and afterward he was still himself and had not become the origin of the Ancient God Continent or part of the Desolate—then that would be another matter.

If that were the case, the Bloodthirsty's last words would have been meant to harm him, deliberately misleading him, setting a trap to halt him for ten thousand years, forcibly keeping him stuck at the peak of Immortal, preventing him from breaking through to the Domain Ancestor realm. The Divine Lord himself could not judge which scenario would occur.

Only after Shi Yan fused his fragmented soul might he truly understand and know the Bloodthirsty's real intention back then.