Not long after he departed, the Dragon Lizard Ancestor, Tu Shi Qi, and Ya Yun descended, pausing over the submerged ruins.

Here, they sensed the dissipating aura of Ling Mei, finally confirming her demise.

“We don’t know who struck the fatal blow.

Not everyone is fully aware of the deep connection between Ling Mei and the Heaven Shaker Ancestor, so the killer might not have known either.” Ya Yun’s heart remained tightly strung with a persistent, unsettling anxiety.

“Most of the outstanding talents from the generation of the Heaven Shaker Ancestor’s son perished in battle, and some others shattered their souls breaking through, leaving only mediocrities alive.

However, the grandson generation boasts a few brilliant figures, with Ling Mei being the most prominent among them.

The Heaven Shaker Ancestor had pinned high hopes on her, stationing her in the Sea of Destruction for concentrated nurturing.

She lived up to those expectations, achieving notable success in the Sea of Destruction over the years, gradually ascending to the peak of the Immortal Realm, which greatly pleased the Heaven Shaker Ancestor.

Now…” Ya Yun could not continue.

Tu Shi Qi’s expression was equally grim.

“This is serious.

If the Heaven Shaker Ancestor wasn't in seclusion, he would know by now.

Even if he remains unaware, the higher powers will spare no effort.

Since we are precisely in the Sea of Destruction, we bear an even greater responsibility!” “If we cannot give the Heaven Shaker Ancestor a satisfactory accounting of this matter, once he learns of it, he’ll likely tear the Sea of Destruction apart.

We must commit all our strength!” Ya Yun asserted.

Soon, they reached a consensus: all members of the Profound Heaven Clan active within the Sea of Destruction were ordered to search for anything related to the Primordial Ruins.

…… On the main island of the Devouring Clan within the Sea of Destruction, a gaunt elder among them stared blankly, softly crying out Gan Fu’s name with profound grief etched on his face.

He was Gan Fu’s lifelong partner, Qi Mo, who cultivated the Chaos Mystery and, like Gan Fu, had grasped the profound secrets of Dark Energy.

He stood half a step into the Domain Ancestor realm.

He had just returned from the Devouring Clan headquarters, bringing a vast quantity of supplies, intending to attempt condensing his own Domain World alongside Gan Fu.

Upon his return, a wave of unease struck him, and he discovered the soul link with Gan Fu was severed.

He immediately realized Gan Fu had met with disaster.

He called out Gan Fu’s name repeatedly, the low cries carrying soul fluctuations that permeated the depths below.

Through this method, he gradually pinpointed the location where Gan Fu had met his end.

He immediately issued the same command as Nepton and Tu Shi Qi: the entire clan mobilized! …… During the same period, the high echelons of the Black Demon Clan and the Ancient Demon Clan also issued orders, commanding their people within the Sea of Destruction to mobilize and hunt for the culprit.

The simultaneous death of emerging generation powerhouses across five factions—the Devouring Clan, Soul Clan, Profound Heaven Clan, Black Demon Clan, and Ancient Demon Clan—and the subsequent unified orders to track the killer were exceedingly rare events in the long history of the Sea of Destruction.

The five clans also simultaneously posted massive bounties; anyone providing information, once verified as accurate, would receive generous rewards! The Profound Heaven Clan offered an Immortal Pill and a bottle of Spirit Condensing Pills as rewards.

The Soul Clan rewarded with five Heavenly Soul Beads, which were beneficial to all cultivators in the Immortal Realm and exceptionally useful for repairing the Soul Altar.

These Heavenly Soul Beads were personally refined by the Domain Ancestor, Nepton! In his rage over his partner Qi Mo being killed, the Devouring Clan elder offered up numerous materials he had prepared for tempering his Domain World during his breakthrough to the Domain Ancestor realm as rewards for informants.

The Black Demon Clan presented three medicinal guides for body refinement.

These guides could condense flesh and blood power, aiding in physical transformation and potentially enhancing the insight into Dark Energy.

The Ancient Demon Clan contributed a suit of divine armor crafted from a fragment of a Primordial Artifact.

Reportedly, this armor could withstand three attacks from a Domain Ancestor expert, making it a vital life-saving treasure! The lavish offerings from the five great clans shocked the entire Sea of Destruction, igniting envy in countless martial artists.

The Immortal Pill, Spirit Condensing Pills, Heavenly Soul Beads, medicinal guides that enhanced Dark Energy insight, and divine armor capable of blocking three Domain Ancestor strikes—these were treasures of extreme rarity! General excitement soared! Regardless of whether they knew the truth, everyone was driven frantic by the rewards offered by the five clans, swarming the depths and surfaces of the sea.

Suddenly, countless powerful martial artists and solitary cultivators emerged from their hermitages.

Soon, news regarding the Mystery Rune Pagoda and the Primordial Source Runes spread, an even more explosive revelation that spurred the truly powerful races and numerous factions within the Sea of Destruction into action! Those influential figures who understood the precious nature of the Mystery Rune Pagoda finally grasped why the five clans were spending fortunes to find people.

They understood that the massive mobilization was not solely due to the loss of their clansmen, but for the Mystery Rune Pagoda itself! The Sea of Destruction was utterly boiling! …… In the deepest reaches of the sea.

Ming Hong, transformed into a terrifying, ferocious spirit soul, dragged Audrey’s lamenting Soul Lotus Platform like a monstrous dragon, speeding in one direction.

The God Lord and Ming Hao followed closely behind.

Shi Yan and Mei Ji remained within a light barrier, deliberately trailing at the rear, not rushing to close the distance with those ahead.

Inside the light barrier, a delicate, water-drop-shaped jade ornament worn on Mei Ji’s fair chest suddenly emitted a sound like trickling spring water.

Mei Ji frowned, her slender fingers tapping her chest, causing the jade ornament to sink slightly into her tender flesh, which made her twin peaks appear even more prominent.

Mei Ji’s seductive, enchanting face gradually clouded over as she listened to the news relayed from her subordinates through the ornament.

Her heart sank lower and lower.

“What’s wrong?” Shi Yan asked, surprised.

Mei Ji’s expression was dreadful.

She took a deep breath, her brow tightly furrowed.

“Move forward and close the gap.

It seems they should know about some things…” “Very serious?” Shi Yan sensed the danger, his own face growing grave.

Mei Ji offered a wry smile and nodded.

Shi Yan said no more.

The light barrier shot forward like a meteor, slicing between Audrey and the ranks of Ming Hao and the God Lord.

“Everyone, slow down for a moment.

This situation might be a bit tricky.” Audrey, Ming Hao, and the God Lord temporarily eased their pace, looking towards Shi Yan and Mei Ji in surprise, unsure what had transpired.

“The Profound Heaven Clan, Devouring Clan, Soul Clan, Black Demon Clan, and Ancient Demon Clan have all simultaneously issued massive bounties, asking every martial artist in the Sea of Destruction to provide information on us.

That Nepton is incredibly powerful and even managed to conjure an image of Shi Yan—I don't know how he achieved that,” Mei Ji muttered, her brow knotted.

“The fact that the Mystery Rune Pagoda and the Primordial Source Runes are on us has somehow also spread.

The entire Sea of Destruction is in an uproar now.

Every clan and force on the surface and below has been alerted; all martial artists in the Sea of Destruction are hunting for us.” At these words, everyone gasped, realizing the terrifying implications.

“How many martial artists, how many experts are there in the Sea of Destruction?” The God Lord, having little familiarity with this territory, hadn't grasped the severity and asked casually.

“There are roughly tens of millions of martial artists in the entire Sea of Destruction, though the majority are lower-level, mostly at or below the Divine King realm.

There should only be tens of thousands at the Origin God and Primeval God realms.

And certainly over a thousand at the Immortal realm.

As for Domain Ancestors… as far as I know, there are three.

Including Nepton, that makes four,” Mei Ji stated gravely.

The God Lord smacked his lips together, falling silent.

“And that’s not all.

Once news of the Mystery Rune Pagoda spreads, even more experts will flock here.

Those roaming elements in the surrounding regions, if they hear of this and feel confident, will certainly harbor thoughts and take action to seize it,” Mei Ji said with a faint, strained smile.

“Is the Mystery Rune Pagoda truly that precious?” Ming Hao looked toward Ming Hong.

Ming Hong considered it for a moment.

“Among the Seven Great Clans, not a single one possesses a complete Mystery Rune Pagoda.

The Primordial Source Runes refined within the Pagoda offer immense aid even to Domain Ancestors.

Ultimate Divine Abilities… sometimes even Domain Ancestors struggle to grasp them, potentially taking tens of thousands of years to touch the key.

But a single Primordial Source Rune can resolve this issue, greatly boosting a Domain Ancestor’s strength.

Although it requires a massive resource equivalent to an entire Domain World to consume.

However, compared to tens of thousands of years of painful, fruitless exploration by a Domain Ancestor, this method is undoubtedly far more effective and practical!” “In the boundless, endless Sea of Stars, Domain Worlds are countless.

The Seven Great Clans each control dozens of Domain Worlds.

To them, a Domain World isn't truly that precious; it's enough to sacrifice and squander in pursuit of power.” Listening to Ming Hong’s explanation, the God Lord and Ming Hao looked at Shi Yan, their eyes flashing with fervent desire.

At that moment, their guts churned with regret—regret for not acting sooner, allowing Shi Yan to seize the opportunity first; regret for not obtaining the Mystery Rune Pagoda themselves.

“If you two can gather the massive resources needed to refine a Primordial Source Rune on your own in the future, and are willing to spend the time slaughtering an entire Domain World to collect compatible Human Slaves, I will consider fulfilling your wish and helping you refine a Primordial Source Rune,” Shi Yan stated, seeing the greed in their eyes and fearing they might act rashly.

“Wiping out a Domain World’s populace carries no burden for me.

Remember this promise today!” the God Lord said seriously.

Ming Hao pondered for a moment, then, for the first time, revealed a smile toward Shi Yan, bowing deeply.

“Your subordinate requests the Sovereign’s fulfillment.” Shi Yan sneered inwardly, thinking that once he was powerful enough, who would care about the fates of these two? Even if he did help them, he would ensure they paid a blood-curdling price! Thinking this, he remained outwardly composed.

“Let’s survive this immediate crisis first.” “How much further is it to the Desolate Domain from here?” Audrey inquired.

Ming Hong did not answer immediately, calculating internally before speaking.

“At our current speed, it will likely take another two to three years.

The water pressure at the bottom of the Sea of Destruction is terrifying.

Spatial teleportation would instantly explode our souls, so Ming Hao cannot assist.

If we travel via the surface, we’ll be surrounded by enemies, making it even harder.

Once a Domain Ancestor intercepts us, none of us will escape death.” Shi Yan knew his assessment was correct.

The abyssal water pressure in the Sea of Destruction was indeed horrific.

Even here, he dared not easily tear open space, lest the pressure and spatial turbulence crush him into dust.

“Seen this way, we must travel along the seabed.

Moreover, the seabed is far more expansive than the surface, and the terrifying water pressure severely restricts vision and divine sense detection—which actually benefits us more,” Mei Ji observed.

“From this moment on, we must unify our objectives and define a single path,” Shi Yan’s tone became strangely calm.

“From this point forward, every single person we encounter, regardless of who they are, must be killed! We absolutely cannot allow even a sliver of information to leak out! Otherwise, true powerhouses will pinpoint our location, leading to an endless stream of trouble until we are surrounded and annihilated.” “Agreed!” the God Lord said coldly.

“Agreed,” Ming Hao responded indifferently.

“Understood,” Audrey nodded.

Everyone turned to Mei Ji.

Mei Ji’s face turned pale.

“If we run into my Phantom Clan members, if we run into my friends, then…” “Either you die immediately, or you watch them die later.

You choose,” Ming Hao addressed Mei Ji, but his eyes were fixed on Shi Yan.

The God Lord, Audrey, and Ming Hong also looked toward Shi Yan.

Because the decision to slaughter every obstacle in their path was Shi Yan’s decree, and Mei Ji was someone Shi Yan intended to protect… Shi Yan nodded, addressing Mei Ji.

“If you cannot bring yourself to be ruthless, I will have to be ruthless first, right here… I will personally kill you now.” “Fine, I agree too,” Mei Ji replied quickly, chilled to the bone by the sudden shock.

In Shi Yan’s eyes, she truly saw intense killing intent… ps: This is the second update.

Double monthly ticket voting is ending soon, I earnestly request you cast a monthly ticket~~ (To be continued)RQ