Rays of light, like flowing springs, condensed and descended from the luminous screen, plunging into the open windows of the Mysterious Runic Pagoda.

Terrifying water pressure crashed down—billions of tons of water descended from above, instantly submerging this Primordial Ruin. Without the protection of the light screen, under the abyssal pressure, everyone felt their breath constrict, their divine bodies squeezed as if by two towering mountains. They were forced to condense divine power, re-forming luminous shields to enclose themselves.

In an extremely short span, the heavenly light screen dissolved entirely into the Mysterious Runic Pagoda. The Pagoda grew intensely radiant, its imposing aura skyrocketing dozens of times!

The Divine Lord and Ming Hao’s eyes flickered with terror. Ming Hao’s avatars began to dissipate, and the Divine Lord’s physical body started to shatter, on the verge of being crushed to dust.

“Shi Yan!”

Audrey’s cold call, like a shard of frigid current, suddenly struck toward Shi Yan.

Within that voice resonated the fundamental fluctuations of the Divine-Manifold Continent, fused by Audrey, creating an ineffable connection with Shi Yan’s subsidiary soul. Her will, merged with that of the Desolate Soul, surged forward, jarring Shi Yan’s violent and frenzied consciousness just enough to flash a moment of clarity in his eyes.

“The light screen is broken! We can go home!” Seeing him awaken instantly, Audrey pressed the advantage, “We can’t waste any more time down here. Let’s go home, right now!”

The scarlet bloodlust gradually receded from Shi Yan’s eyes as his rationality slowly returned. He remained seated atop the Mysterious Runic Pagoda, looking down from on high.

After a moment of contemplation, he departed the spire. Just as the Divine Lord and Ming Hao neared collapse, he waved his hand and grasped. Miraculously, the Mysterious Runic Pagoda shrank, becoming no larger than a palm in mere seconds before he inducted it into his Primordial Realm.

Ming Hao and the Divine Lord secretly breathed a sigh of relief, exchanging bitter smiles filled with inexpressible dejection.

Twenty thousand years prior, the Bloodthirsty horror erupted, overturning the established dominion of the Nether Emperor Clan over heaven and earth. This suffocated the clan, forcing numerous powerful Nether Emperors either to perish or, like Ming Hong, flee to the outer domains to escape his sharp edge.

For reasons unknown, Ming Hao submitted beneath the Bloodthirsty’s banner, waging war for him across the realms, helping the Bloodthirsty lineage become the overlord of the Desolate Domain, enslaving all creation.

Ten thousand years later, the Divine Lord, Brian, was favored by destiny. He seized the Origin Fruit, acquiring the subtle inheritance power of the Desolate Soul. Following the guidance of the Desolate, he seized the moment to strike down the heavily wounded Bloodthirsty, allowing the Divine Race to supplant the Bloodthirsty lineage and reverse the cosmic flow.

However, whether it was Ming Hao or the Divine Lord, their entire lives had been firmly suppressed by the Bloodthirsty.

The Divine Lord’s eventual victory was not due to his own superior might, but clearly by capitalizing on another’s weakness. Even so, afterward, the Divine Lord’s physical body had disintegrated into ash, leaving only a thread of residual soul to survive. It took another ten thousand years for him to re-enter the world via the body of Heger.

The Bloodthirsty was the insurmountable mountain range they could never cross in their lifetimes!

Years later, when the Bloodthirsty’s influence had vanished, and they believed they could finally command the universe, Shi Yan had gradually grown powerful…

Today, Shi Yan possessed the realm of the First Heaven of Immortality. Though he had achieved this by cleverly borrowing external power, he was genuinely and solidly pressing down on them, crushing them with relentless bombardment until they were left without recourse!

Believing they could finally lift their heads in the world, believing they could escape the nightmare of the Bloodthirsty and dominate the cosmos, the two looked upon Shi Yan now, their hearts bitter and dispirited, sighing inwardly.

They both realized that while the Bloodthirsty had perished, he had left behind a difficult problem before death, planting the seed that was Shi Yan. Initially, they had scorned this seed, utterly dismissing it, treating it as a mere pawn.

In the blink of an eye, this seed had sprouted and grown into a colossal tree that blotted out the heavens, its shade gradually obscuring their own brilliance once more.

For them, having waited ten millennia, just as they were about to rule the world, seeing Shi Yan catch up with such astonishing speed—how utterly tragic!

As the Mysterious Runic Pagoda vanished into Shi Yan’s Primordial Realm, he forcibly suppressed the violent, bloodthirsty urges within him, stating coldly, “Like you two, I also wish to return to the Desolate Domain quickly and change the situation there. If you still believe you can mold me at will, bind me arbitrarily, or slay me at leisure, then let me tell you: you may be overestimating yourselves.”

With that, he spared Ming Hao and the Divine Lord another glance. Rings of stellar halos condensed, forming a luminous film over his divine body. He stepped forward, landing beside Audrey and Mei Ji. “Withdraw immediately!”

“What about her…?” Audrey’s wariness was palpable as she subtly glanced towards Mei Ji.

“We take her with us,” Shi Yan said calmly. “Do you have an objection?”

“No objections, none at all,” Mei Ji quickly declared.

“In my opinion, killing her is cleanest. She isn't from our Desolate Domain. Keeping her with us, if she learns the entrance to the Desolate Domain, could cause trouble later,” Ming Hong suggested.

“There is one point in what she said that I agree with: the Mysterious Runic Pagoda must refine Primordial Runes of the Beginning, which we cannot achieve alone. We must rely on the Seven Clans and select collaborators from among them in the future. She is an excellent potential collaborator,” Shi Yan stated.

Mei Ji’s heart stirred with ripples, her beautiful eyes brimming with sheer delight, her long lashes fluttering, even her delicate body trembling slightly.

She knew precisely what the Mysterious Runic Pagoda signified, the profound mystery of the Primordial Runes of the Beginning—a marvelous object that could greatly aid their Clan Ancestor, allowing him to pierce the ultimate divine abilities and master the laws governing an entire concept. It was an exceedingly rare and wondrous thing!

If the Phantom Shadow Clan could utilize the Mysterious Runic Pagoda to forge the Primordial Runes of the Beginning for their Ancestor, the Ancestor’s strength would vastly increase. The entire clan would be strengthened, benefiting immensely, perhaps becoming the most formidable force among the Seven Clans!

Mei Ji’s smile bloomed like a flower, as if she were seeing a beautiful future. Her voice trembled slightly, “Rest assured! I swear to stay with you until death, I will never voluntarily leave!”

She was exceptionally decisive and intelligent. Knowing what the others worried about, she acted without hesitation. She instantly condensed a wisp of her soul imprint, which formed a triangular ice crystal that floated before Shi Yan. “This is a sliver of my soul imprint. Keep it safe. If I harbor any ill intent, with a mere thought from you, this crystal will shatter, and my soul will dissipate!”

Shi Yan was stunned.

Audrey, Ming Hong, and even the Divine Lord and Ming Hao below looked on in astonishment, their expressions softening slightly at Mei Ji’s display.

This woman truly was an extraordinary figure!

They almost simultaneously affirmed Mei Ji’s power. Seeing her voluntarily surrender her soul imprint, no one voiced further objection. Even Brian nodded secretly, highly impressed by the woman’s mettle.

There were those who handed over soul imprints, but most were forced into it. A proactive gesture like Mei Ji’s was genuinely rare.

“Whoosh!”

The triangular ice crystal hovered above Shi Yan’s sea of consciousness, and a strange connection suddenly surged into his heart.

He looked at Mei Ji, his gaze brightening slightly, realizing that he suddenly felt a strange intimacy with her.

Mei Ji laughed charmingly and bowed gracefully, smiling sweetly, “My life is in your hands from now on; please take good care of me. You must also live well, for if you die, I will perish with you.”

Shi Yan nodded inwardly, also amazed by her courage. Then his expression darkened, and he looked toward Audrey, Ming Hao, and the others. “Any more opinions?”

This time, no one spoke. Everyone was awed by Mei Ji’s move; no one dared to instigate trouble further.

“Then hurry up and leave?” Shi Yan snorted impatiently.

“I will lead the way,” Ming Hong suddenly shuddered, transforming from a small bat into a ferocious vengeful spirit. “Ming Hao and the others used incorrect and secluded paths to exit the domain gate before. This is the Sea of Annihilation; they are not familiar with it. However, after being refined by Xinger, I often operated in the Sea of Annihilation. Follow me.”

Transforming into a wisp of ghostly shadow, Ming Hong pulled Audrey’s vengeful spirit lotus platform and sped away into the deep waters.

The Divine Lord and Ming Hao followed without a word, like two afterimages trailing behind Ming Hong.

“Thank you,” after they had left ahead, Mei Ji suddenly let out a soft, alluring whisper. As Shi Yan paused in surprise, her voluptuous, seductive body deliberately leaned close, burrowing into the stellar light shield around Shi Yan. Her soft lips lightly brushed his left cheek like a dragonfly kissing water, and she said tenderly and sincerely, “Without your protection, I would meet the same fate as Batuum and Ling Mei—utterly doomed to die.”

Shi Yan subconsciously touched his cheek and said calmly, “When I was surrounded and attacked, you protected me with all your might, fighting desperately for me and Ling Mei. Whatever your reason, even if it was… purely to scheme for the Mysterious Runic Pagoda, I still owe you a favor. I dislike owing anyone anything, especially favors, so I am returning it to you…”

As he spoke, the stellar shield carrying him and Mei Ji swiftly floated toward Audrey’s group.

“Fine, then we are square,” Mei Ji lowered her head, a trace of disappointment flashing in her eyes.

Shi Yan nodded. “Past matters are settled. As for the future, we’ll see…”

Mei Ji’s heart fluttered, and she suddenly looked up, a glimmer of surprised joy sparking in her eyes.

…

Several hours later.

A sea of souls, turbulent with surging, ferocious ghostly spirits, suddenly descended upon the ruins. Napton, the Ancestor expert of the Soul Clan, squinted, seated within the soul sea, resembling the most savage demonic soul or spectral phantom.

He sensed subtly, murmuring, “It is here.”

He circled the ruins of the Primordial Ruins, arriving at the spot where Tate perished. His eyes suddenly brightened. He ceased concerning himself with Tate’s death and instead stared fixedly at the area where the Mysterious Runic Pagoda had been extracted, examining the distinctly unusual markings. “It really is the very site of the Mysterious Runic Pagoda!”

Saying this, countless souls flew out of the soul sea beneath him, stretching in all directions, searching for something.

After a while, he still found no trace of a soul magnetic field fluctuation, and his expression slowly turned grim. “You must still be in the Sea of Annihilation. I refuse to believe I can’t track you down!”

He pondered for a moment, and a pitch-black soul bead materialized before his eyes. Within the bead, a faint, eerie light shimmered, shifting to show the faces of various Soul Clan members. “All clan members in the Sea of Annihilation, search immediately! Find them for me…”

He inhaled deeply, and his eyes suddenly widened. Over the location of the Mysterious Runic Pagoda, faint, strange currents of water stirred, slowly condensing into the visage of Shi Yan. This face seemed imprinted, dropping directly inside the soul bead. “Find this person! Mobilize every single clan member!”

Having issued the command, he closed his eyes and sensed deeply. “A mere brat at the First Heaven of Immortality level actually managed to imprint his aura onto the Mysterious Runic Pagoda. What a waste of heavenly treasure… There’s an extra chapter today, please vote for monthly tickets, ahhh~~~~~~~ (To be continued) RQ