In a secret chamber at the island's base, a hexagonal purple crystal hovered in the center, rotating slowly.

The walls of the chamber were inlaid with countless smaller crystal blocks, which refracted dazzling beams of light under the illumination of the central crystal, transmitting complex and detailed messages.

Yu Lian and two charming Phantom Clan maidens were busy in the chamber all day, not daring to rest for a moment.

“Sister Yu Lian, do you really think Lady Mei Ji is with that Shi Yan?” a sweet and naive Phantom Clan maiden asked curiously, skillfully manipulating a crystal with her ten fingers, sending arcs of electric current from her fingertips.

“Little Meng, what do you think?” Yu Lian replied with a smile.

“I think it’s impossible,” Xiao Meng shook her head. “Lady Mei Ji is the most outstanding woman in our clan now. Hou Saen and Ba Tu Mu are obsessed with her, and she is already at the third level of the Immortal Realm, holding the greatest hope of entering the Domain Ancestor realm. That Shi Yan… seems to be only at the first level of the Immortal Realm, right? Why would Lady Mei Ji be hiding with him?”

“Because he might possess the Rune Talisman Tower of Profound Mystery,” Yu Lian smiled. “Of course, this is all speculation; no one knows the true situation yet. What we must do is transmit the latest news from the five clans so that Lady Mei Ji can keep herself fully informed.”

The other maiden, who had remained silent until now, suddenly interjected: “Lady Mei Ji hasn't responded at all.”

“She probably can’t respond easily,” Yu Lian frowned, looking at the massive purple crystal suspended in the void. “This ‘Spiritual Message Purple Crystal’ transmits messages to Lady Mei Ji. As long as Lady Mei Ji is within the range of the Sea of Destruction, she will surely receive them. However, by only passively receiving information, Lady Mei Ji will not expose her location. Once she replies to us, this ‘Spiritual Message Purple Crystal’ can immediately pinpoint Lady Mei Ji’s position…”

“What’s there to be afraid of? We would never betray Lady Mei Ji!” Xiao Meng chirped.

“Of course we wouldn’t, we’re just afraid… someone might trace this link to find Lady Mei Ji,” Yu Lian sighed inwardly.

Recently, the clans of the five tribes had continuously sent people to exert pressure, demanding they hand over the “Spiritual Message Purple Crystal.” They intended to use it to lure Mei Ji, capture her, and pinpoint her location.

Yu Lian felt the pressure mounting. Two days ago, she transmitted a message to her own clan. After the clan’s strong practitioners learned of the matter, they took it very seriously and had dispatched powerful figures themselves.

However, the Phantom Clan Island was quite distant from the Sea of Destruction. Even if the strong practitioners traveled non-stop, it would take a long time to reach the Sea of Destruction. During this period, it was hard to guarantee that the strong practitioners of the five tribes could remain patient.

—After Mei Ji left, the main island lacked any true powerhouse stationed there. If an enemy broke in, they would be extremely vulnerable.

The three maidens conversed in low voices within the secret chamber, collecting the latest news through the tiny crystals, organizing it, and channeling it into the massive ‘Spiritual Message Purple Crystal,’ ensuring every member of the Phantom Clan was aware of the current situation.

A small crystal suddenly flared brightly. Xiao Meng snatched it, and a thread of green light merged into her palm. She closed her eyes to sense it, and her pretty face changed drastically: “Hou Saen and all his subordinates died tragically! This is the latest news from the Ancient Demon Clan—their soul lines have snapped; it’s confirmed their souls have been utterly destroyed!”

At these words, Yu Lian’s expression turned horrified. “The Ancient Demon Clan might erupt in fury and target us here!”

“Boom!”

A violent tremor shook the island, tearing apart several defensive barriers. A furious roar echoed from the sky.

The sound of exploding thunder boomed, overwhelming everything, as if the entire world was covered in celestial lightning, causing the three maidens in the secret chamber to turn pale with terror.

“Feier! It’s Feier, who has always been close to the Ancient Demon Clan!” Yu Lian shrieked. “Feier is one of the three Domain Ancestors of the Sea of Destruction. He has been cultivating deep beneath the ocean for years, rarely appearing on the surface. His arrival now must be because of Hou Saen’s death! He was certainly asked by the Ancient Demon Clan to take action! His goal here must be the ‘Spiritual Message Purple Crystal’!”

“What should we do?” Xiao Meng was on the verge of tears. “Even if Lady Mei Ji were on the island, she wouldn't be Feier’s match, let alone us!”

Yu Lian frowned deeply, pondering desperately, then her face hardened with resolve: “It has to be this way!”

Her fingers moved with incredible speed, sending a message into the ‘Spiritual Message Purple Crystal’: Lady Mei Ji, Feier has invaded the island. He might use the ‘Spiritual Message Purple Crystal’ to transmit false information to lure you into a trap. From now on, you must not believe any message coming through!

After channeling this message into the ‘Spiritual Message Purple Crystal,’ Yu Lian cried out sharply: “Everyone, attack together! Cut off the connection to all the message crystals here, and shut down the central ‘Spiritual Message Purple Crystal’ too!”

Xiao Meng and the other maiden immediately reacted, frantically working. In the secret chamber, the glowing crystals embedded in the walls lost their luster, like lanterns whose flames had been extinguished.

Meanwhile, a middle-aged man with long, ash-brown hair cascading over his shoulders and an ancient appearance floated in the sky, striking down with a single punch.

Innumerable thunder orbs fell like rolling meteors, shattering the barriers and restrictions of the Phantom Clan's main island into dust. Those thunder orbs, as if possessing eyes, flew across the island, finding and obliterating individual Phantom Clan members into fine powder.

His expression calm, he descended onto the island carpeted with fallen flowers like a thunder god. A bolt of lightning shot from his eyes, causing the palaces on the island to explode and be razed to the ground.

In a flash, his figure appeared in the secret chamber below. He frowned slightly, and three thunder orbs flashed out. Yu Lian and the two women were enveloped by the orbs, their souls instantly scattered and dissipated.

Thus, all life on the Phantom Clan’s main island perished, none escaping to the heavens.

This man’s eyes held a strange light as he glanced at the numerous crystals in the secret chamber. He noticed a message flickering and vanishing within the central hovering crystal. He captured it with his soul, and his expression shifted slightly; he realized he was a step too late, having allowed Yu Lian to release the message.

With a cold snort, thunder orbs rolled around him, instantly blowing up the large central crystal and all the smaller ones. He transformed into a streak of lightning, soaring upwards. The island beneath him began to experience world-shattering turbulence, and before long, the island fractured into countless pieces, slowly sinking into the seabed.

The Phantom Clan’s main island thus vanished.

...

Deep beneath the sea.

Mei Ji’s body shuddered, a strange light appearing in her beautiful eyes. She retrieved a palm-sized purple crystal from the cuff of her sleeve.

Inside this purple crystal, tiny points of light gradually extinguished. Every time a light point went out, Mei Ji’s face turned paler, and her delicate body trembled.

Shi Yan frowned, observing the changes in Mei Ji’s expression, inwardly astonished.

“Yu Lian, Xiao Meng, they are all dead, all killed. The light spots inside the purple crystal represent their lives; when they extinguish, it means their souls have completely dissipated.” Mei Ji’s eyes welled up, biting her lower lip, feeling completely drained of strength.

Shi Yan was momentarily stunned. He recalled the Phantom Clan maiden named Yu Lian, who had cheerfully tried to probe him about his relationship with Mei Ji just a short while ago. Now, in the blink of an eye, the island covered in blooming flowers was a graveyard, slaughtered clean.

He held a degree of goodwill toward those Phantom Clan maidens because they had continuously transmitted news, informing Mei Ji about the movements and deployment of the five clans.

Thanks to their detailed and timely intelligence, he and Mei Ji could accurately gauge the severity of the situation and avoid areas dense with enemy forces, selecting safer routes for their escape. Now that those women were all dead, he and Mei Ji were like a pair of eyes ripped out, unable to receive the latest updates on the distribution of the five clans or the arrival of experts.

“Who did this?” Shi Yan asked in a deep voice.

“Feier!” Mei Ji ground her teeth. “Yu Lian knew escape might be difficult, and at the critical moment, she transmitted the news of Feier’s arrival. She warned me to be careful, telling me that from then on, all received messages could not be trusted. She… knew she couldn't escape death and feared we might be deceived, managing to send out that last message.”

“Feier? Who is that?” Shi Yan asked, confused.

“One of the three Domain Ancestors of the Sea of Destruction. The Sea Shark Emperor, Feier, and Ricardo are all Domain Ancestors at the first level of the Heaven Realm. These three spend most of their time cultivating deep under the sea, only venturing to the surface to collect materials when they require special cultivation resources.”

“Feier cultivates the Lightning Profound Mystery. He has close ties with the Ancient Demon Clan; rumor has it he was born from the union of an Ancient Demon ancestor and a human woman. Due to this bloodline connection, although he isn't a pure-blooded member of the Ancient Demon Clan, he stays very close to them. Hou Saen and Ye Boler, whom we killed, usually visited him deep underwater during the Ancient Demon Clan’s special festivals, presenting lavish gifts and honoring him as an elder. He rarely concerned himself with the Ancient Demon Clan’s troubles, but this sudden move, slaughtering our island, might be because of the tragic deaths of Ye Boler and Hou Saen.”

After a pause, Mei Ji’s eyes dimmed. “Yu Lian, Xiao Meng, and the others were indirectly killed because of us.”

Shi Yan sighed softly, offering comfort: “With your current realm and cultivation, as long as you continue to cultivate diligently, you will surely have opportunities for revenge in the future.”

“I understand,” Mei Ji wiped away the tears at the corner of her eyes, gritting her teeth. “I swear! I will definitely avenge them, and one day I will kill Feier, using his life to honor those little girls, Yu Lian and the others!”

“They died because of us; I also bear responsibility. This Feier, I... have noted him down,” Shi Yan said lowingly.

“From now on, we can no longer rely on my clan’s news; even if news arrives, we cannot trust it anymore,” Mei Ji suppressed the pain in her heart and organized her thoughts. “Even Feier has made a move; this indicates that the true peak experts of the Sea of Destruction have begun to target us personally. Our situation will become even more difficult going forward. We must not allow anyone to lock onto our location, or any Domain Ancestor arriving would turn all our efforts to dust.”

“Yes, to be safe, we should alter our appearances too,” Shi Yan said calmly.

“Right, we cannot afford the slightest lapse now! Every minor detail that can conceal our traces must be treated with extreme caution!”

...(To be continued)RQ