The Old Ancestor of the Dragon Lizard, Tu Shiqi, and Uncle Ya Yun stood motionless, their faces stiff, caught in stunned silence.

After a long pause, the Old Ancestor of the Dragon Lizard sighed bitterly, "That brat… how did he end up with Mei Ji? I distinctly remember Mei Ji relentlessly pursuing him, sparing no effort to hunt him down, yet now they’re inseparable, like a couple. The way Mei Ji hangs on his every word is utterly bizarre."

Tu Shiqi also frowned, completely baffled. "Who the hell knows how that kid managed it."

"Could it be that Mei Ji is deliberately approaching him for the Ultimate Talisman Tower, trying to keep him alive to acquire it?" Ya Yun guessed.

At these words, the Old Ancestor of the Dragon Lizard and Tu Shiqi nodded secretly; they felt this possibility was the most probable.

"What do we do now?" the Old Ancestor of the Dragon Lizard looked helpless. "My true form didn't come. Not only is Mei Ji healed, but she's become even harder to deal with. If the three of us truly fight her to the death, I think our chances of defeat are higher."

"Let's wait for the experts from the clan to arrive," Ya Yun sighed.

"Experts might not arrive soon, and even if they do, they might not make it in time. This situation is truly difficult," Tu Shiqi mused for a moment, then gritted his teeth. "We have no choice but to leak the news!"

"What if someone else benefits for nothing? That old fiend from the Soul Clan is in the Sea of Annihilation. If he gets wind of this, he might be the first to arrive. If that old fiend gets the Ultimate Talisman Tower, we’ll all die of anger!" Ya Yun shook his head.

"I have a connection with someone in the Bone Clan. They've been desperately searching for someone who can perceive the Profound Secrets of Life recently. Just now, I noticed that Shi Yan not only perceives the Profound Secrets of Life, but the Primordial Runes within the Ultimate Talisman Tower he obtained are highly likely to be the Source Runes of Life!" Tu Shiqi's eyes lit up.

"You are correct. The Source Runes of Profound Secrets he obtained are indeed the Source Runes of Life; I can confirm that," the Old Ancestor of the Dragon Lizard nodded. "His Life Magnetic Field on this trip is too intense. It’s unbelievable; aside from the effect of the Source Runes of Life, I can’t think of any other reason."

"Then I’ll contact that friend in the Bone Clan and see if he’s interested," Tu Shiqi made up his mind.

...

On the surface of the Sea of Annihilation lay an island utterly covered in bones. The island was strewn with bone fragments from various races, all bleached stark white, with faint energy undulating around them.

This was the main island of the Bone Clan in the Sea of Annihilation.

Some time ago, a skull island anchored nearby, and a tiny Bone Clan youth stepped onto this bone island. The youth spoke the most ancient and enduring language of the Bone Clan, immediately sending shockwaves through the entire clan.

—The youth brought his parents, two Ancestral Domain experts who had fallen into a state of dormancy!

The entire skull island thrilled with excitement for the little skeleton, and he received the warmest welcome from the Bone Clan. That skull island was formally integrated into the main bone island, becoming part of it.

The members of the Bone Clan escorted the two dormant ancestors into the Burial Pool deep within the bone island, attempting to use secret methods to awaken them. Unfortunately, the ancestors had exhausted all their vitality, leaving behind only the faintest trace of soul aura. The Burial Pool could not revive the consciousness of the two ancestors.

The Bone Clan members quickly realized that to awaken their ancestors, they first needed to inject them with vitality.

Thus, they began seeking powerful perceivers of the Profound Secrets of Life, inviting them with generous rewards. Unfortunately, the number of cultivators practicing the Profound Secrets of Life was inherently small, and those who reached extremely high realms were even rarer. After this long period, only about a dozen perceivers of the Profound Secrets of Life had arrived.

The highest realm among these individuals was merely the Origin God level. Their Profound Secrets of Life were but a drop in the bucket for the little skeleton’s parents; it was far from the level required to awaken the ancestors.

Because two dormant Ancestral Domain ancestors had suddenly descended upon the bone island, all the Bone Clan’s focus had been directed there, causing them to pay less attention to the matter of the Ultimate Talisman Tower beneath the sea, and they had not dispatched many clansmen to the depths.

In the center of the bone island, beside the Burial Pool paved with jade stones, the little skeleton sat, gazing at the two coffins submerged in the pool, his eyes dull with sorrow.

"Child, please do not be sad. We will surely awaken them," an old Bone Clan member comforted him softly in the language of the Bone Clan. "The true powerhouses of the clan will arrive soon. They will have a way."

The little skeleton nodded faintly.

One day, as the little skeleton sat quietly, a white light suddenly manifested from the sky. A massive skull island gradually emerged and anchored nearby.

On that skull island were numerous powerful Bone Clan members, supporting a small, withered old man of the Bone Clan, who slowly descended from the sky.

The Bone Clan members on the bone island knelt down in unison, cheering to welcome the arrival of the clan elder.

The descending elder was barely a meter tall, shorter than the little skeleton. He held a strange bone staff, and at a quick glance, he appeared to have three bone legs.

The elder landed, his eyes flashing brightly. In a ghost-like movement, he appeared beside the little skeleton, extending his jade-like bone hand to gently stroke the little skeleton’s skeletal frame, murmuring, "Fine material, beautiful jade. Truly worthy of being their child. I never expected them to reveal themselves now."

"You know the identity and origin of my parents?" the little skeleton asked in the language of the Bone Clan.

The old man’s eyes were filled with fatherly affection. "Of course I know. They are my elders. Since you are their child, you and I are of the same generation."

With that, he pulled the little skeleton toward the two coffins, looked down at them, and said, "They require a massive influx of life energy to awaken. If I practiced the Profound Secrets of Life, I could awaken them, but alas, I am not..."

He looked at the person beside him. "In all this time, have any powerful perceivers of the Profound Secrets of Life come?"

"No," they all shook their heads.

The old Bone Clan member showed disappointment. "We will wait a while longer, then I will take them back to the main clan, so more clansmen can find a solution."

The elder then temporarily resided on the bone island, personally teaching the little skeleton the common knowledge of the human world, recounting many secret histories, and explaining the wonders of Profound Secrets and Dark Energy. The elder was one of the Ancestral Domain experts of the Bone Clan, a figure renowned throughout the vast Star River.

Under his tutelage, the little skeleton gained an understanding of the Bone Clan and a deep comprehension of the Void Sea of Desolation. His progress in Profound Secrets was also meteoric.

A hidden bone pool on the bone island was restarted. Under the elder’s command, the numerous rare materials collected by the island were dissolved into the pool to refine the little skeleton's bone body.

Streams of milky-white liquid permeated the little skeleton's frame. His white bones grew more crystalline, emitting a brilliant starlight. "To perceive Dark Energy, the Life Magnetic Field must first evolve to a sufficient degree. The body must be tempered first. The body your parents bestowed upon you is excellent; in our clan's history, you are the luckiest fellow. With the help of the bone pool, you can grow faster..."

The elder sat nearby, watching the liquid flow into the bone pool, observing the little skeleton circulate the starlight energy to absorb it, patiently explaining everything.

"Elder, I have a report," a Bone Clan member requested an audience from afar. Upon receiving permission, he approached. "Tu Shiqi of the Profound Sky Clan contacted me, saying he discovered traces in the deep sea. He claims the person the five races are seeking practices the Profound Secrets of Life, and furthermore... the Primordial Source Rune he obtained is the Source Rune of the Profound Secrets of Life. That person seems to be named Shi Yan. Tu Shiqi and the others are unable to capture him and heard you have arrived in the Sea of Annihilation, so they are asking if we are interested?"

"Shi Yan?" The little skeleton cultivating in the bone pool suddenly had his eyes gleam. "He is the person I mentioned! He's the one who brought me back. He said he would help me awaken my parents!"

"Are you sure it's him?" The elder’s pupils deepened, burning like demonic fire.

"It is him. I heard that woman call him that name. That woman is called Mei Ji," the little skeleton said.

The elder looked at the messenger beside him.

The messenger nodded repeatedly. "Yes, it is precisely Mei Ji of the Phantom Race. They are together!"

"A cultivator of the Profound Secrets of Life, who happens to possess the Primordial Source Rune of the Profound Secrets of Life, and brought you here—it seems fate has decreed it," the elder nodded. "Contact that Tu Shiqi and tell him we are interested. Tell him I will personally enter the deep sea and have him relay the approximate location to me."

"Understood." The messenger respectfully withdrew.

"He helped me; I want to ensure he is well taken care of," the little skeleton stated.

The elder was very calm. "Repaying kindness is a virtue of our Bone Clan. We do not engage in despicable acts. I will bring him here. Once I find him, he will be safe."

"Thank you," the little skeleton said.

"Counting back, I am your cousin. My name is Xiluo. Your uncle and aunt fell dormant after you were born, so they didn't give you a name; no rush for that now, we can wait until they wake up to name you," Xiluo said seriously. "You are my cousin, my closest kin. Our Bone Clan has few members; we must be united and not fight amongst ourselves. This is the main reason why, despite having the fewest members, we can stand proud in the Void Sea of Desolation."

"I know," the little skeleton replied.

"Alright, continue your cultivation in this bone pool. I will head to the seabed and bring that person over." Xiluo stood up, even shorter than the little skeleton, but his aura commanded extreme reverence from the surrounding Bone Clan members.

"Cousin, be careful," the little skeleton suddenly said.

"Rest assured. Here in the Sea of Annihilation, for now, no one is my match," Xiluo declared proudly, slowly stepping off the bone island and descending alone into the depths of the Sea of Annihilation.

...

Beneath the waves, Tu Shiqi, Ya Yun, and the Old Ancestor of the Dragon Lizard remained deep within the sea moss. Tu Shiqi held a stone, concentrating on sensing something.

Ya Yun and the Old Ancestor of the Dragon Lizard watched him silently, knowing he was communicating with the Bone Clan members, and they also secretly held expectations, hoping for a favorable outcome and wishing the Bone Clan would dispatch experts to assist them.

"Xiluo is coming personally!" After a moment, Tu Shiqi’s expression shook, his face extremely excited.

"Xiluo?" The Old Ancestor of the Dragon Lizard gasped. "Is it really Xiluo, one of the Ten Great Ancestral Domain experts?"

"It’s him!" Tu Shiqi nodded emphatically.

"It’s going to be lively down here in the depths! The Sea Shark Emperor, Naphton, and Ferrell have already shown themselves one by one, and now Xiluo has descended too. This is truly interesting," the Old Ancestor of the Dragon Lizard sounded slightly exhilarated. "I eagerly await battles between Ancestral Domain experts. Perhaps I can glean insights into Dark Energy by observing them... (Continuing yesterday's entry, quietly asking for monthly tickets~~ (To be continued) RQ

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