The stone figure, silent as sculpture for a long, long time, opened its eyes amidst fragments of starlight and rose to its feet. It gazed upward at the warrior suspended in the seawater above, bound by serpentine ribbons of stellar light.
That captive was a practitioner of the Ice Power profound meaning, yet only held the Second Heaven of the Undying realm. He was a common member of the Ancient Demon race, covered in thick fur, with massive hands and a rugged, beast-like face, his eyes blazing with a chilling, sharp light.
"You... you are that Shi Yan! Hahahaha!" He glanced down, unable to suppress a burst of wild laughter. "Truly, the very thing I searched for relentlessly has appeared without effort!"
"Is that so? Are you surprised?" Meiji's seductive laughter emerged as she materialized from the shadow of a nearby shard of rock.
The man's expression abruptly changed; seeing Meiji was like encountering a vengeful spirit. He shot upward in a flash, attempting to flee the area.
He had once served as a guard near Hou Sai'en for a time, witnessing firsthand the occasion when Meiji tracked him down, severely wounding Hou Sai'en and nearly triggering a war between the Phantom Shadow tribe and the Ancient Demon race.
He knew that despite Meiji’s outwardly **sultry charm, she was actually cold-blooded and ruthless, her methods vicious and insidious. Thus, the moment Meiji appeared, the temples on his head began to throb violently.
However, the chains of starlight binding his divine body—like living sprites—pulsed with waves of anger, resentment, and agitation. When he struggled, he found he could not break free.
Shi Yan, below among the stones, seemed to have no intention of pressing the attack. A look of confusion crossed his face; he did not look up once, but another spark of starlight materialized at his fingertip.
An invisible ray of light shot down from the main soul, illuminating the river of stars layered in the profound meaning. The soul light penetrated the star river, continuing its descent, solidifying within the Sea of Consciousness.
A wisp of Divine Sense suddenly shot forth!
That Divine Sense branded itself onto the flow of stars, and instantly, the star flow seemed imbued with life, accepting the brand of his soul projection!
A wondrous sensation flooded his mind. Within the meteor darting from his fingertip, something akin to a secondary soul was forming—a part of his own soul, interconnected with his mind, possessing an independent will. It actively detached from his finger's guidance and rushed toward the Ancient Demon tribesman.
Shi Yan suddenly understood.
Profound Meaning has Spirit! This is the Profound Meaning having Spirit!
The profound meaning techniques he released possessed independent, complete intellect. They became miniature projections of the main soul, actively evading danger and seeking out the enemy's weakest point for a killing strike.
This was a wondrous mystery of profound meaning rules!
With a mere thought, his profound meaning shifted. A crimson handprint formed from the Death Profound Meaning flew toward the warrior above. The crimson handprint featured intricate, exquisite patterns; those lines seemed to come alive, radiating feelings of bloodlust, resentment, brutality, despair, and fear. These negative emotions coalesced into the Soul of Death—sinister, evil, and cold—unleashing a terrifying tidal wave of negativity.
"Boom!"
The incessantly chattering Ancient Demon warrior’s mind reeled violently. Invaded by negative emotions, his reason collapsed!
"Spatial Cross Slash!"
Shi Yan’s tone was calm. He changed his profound meaning technique again, and a crossed blade of light abruptly materialized. This light blade seemed forged from two threads of spiritual consciousness. Within his intent and awareness, he meticulously guarded against tearing or warping space, terrified of triggering a massive spatial change.
Each flight of the spatial light blade adhered strictly to spatial laws, moving with incredible speed, bordering on invisibility to the naked eye.
The cross-shaped light blade vanished in a sudden flicker.
The next moment, a deep, cruciform wound appeared on the Ancient Demon warrior's chest. The cut pierced his divine body, shattering his physical form.
The Death Mark descended upon his forehead, and the Soul of Death invaded. Consciousness within the man's Soul