The surrounding martial artists, scattered outside, were swept over by the cloud of souls. Initially cursing, they dared not voice any anger upon seeing that the newcomer was Naputon.

Naputon hovered in the air like a dark cloud, seated coldly atop a cluster of malevolent phantom wisps, frowning as he observed the battle between the Sea Shark Emperor and Ferrel.

He scoffed, casually reaching out. A gigantic ghostly claw, formed from vicious souls and specters, suddenly clamped down on a cultivator at the Immortal First Heaven realm.

The man was dragged before Naputon by the spectral claw, looking terrified and crying out repeatedly, “Senior Naputon, I haven’t offended you. I have always shown deep reverence to your Soul Clan, I…”

“Silence!” Naputon’s expression flickered, and the man immediately dared not speak further, trembling under the spectral grip. “Why are the Sea Shark Emperor and Ferrel fighting?” Naputon inquired coldly.

The man reacted swiftly. “I don’t know, I truly don’t know. They started fighting right after I arrived. Who knows the reason for their battle?”

“Ghosts? I dislike hearing that word mentioned in my presence!” A chilling, cold light flashed in Naputon’s eyes. The massive spectral claw tightened, and the man’s divine body instantly exploded, flesh and blood scattering as he was crushed into nothingness. “Begone! A mere Immortal First Heaven realm cultivator, aspiring to spectate here? A fool courting death!” Naputon cursed in a sinister tone.

As the man’s divine body disintegrated, his Soul Altar manifested. His main soul, still timorous, quickly fled far away.

Naputon surveyed the area. Every individual whose gaze met his instinctively averted their eyes, fearing to be singled out by him.

Among the Seven Clan Domain Ancestors, Naputon was known for his volatile moods and sudden acts of violence. Few dared to provoke him, and no one could fathom his thoughts, so most tried to avoid contact to steer clear of unnecessary trouble.

“Can anyone tell me why the Sea Shark Emperor and Ferrel are fighting?” Naputon raised his voice. His gloomy tone flickered strangely, as if a phantom were whispering in everyone’s ear, sending chills down many spines and leaving their backs cold.

At this moment, the Sea Shark Emperor and Ferrel fought with full power. The Domain of Water and the Domain of Thunder collided violently, making the surrounding sea area appear on the verge of annihilation.

The two were too preoccupied to pay attention to anyone else and thus could not answer Naputon’s query. Naputon’s gaze flickered as he searched the surrounding crowd. Suddenly, he spotted the couple Tu Shiqi and Ya Yun. His expression abruptly turned icy, and he let out a cold, sinister laugh. “I didn’t expect you two to be here at the Sea of Ruin either. Back on Dragon Lizard Star, you two joined forces to kill Singh, didn’t you?”

A sharp, ruthless light flared in his eyes, and Naputon roared, “Singh was one of my Soul Clan members. Although he was only a commander, he borrowed my Soul Refining Cauldron. Even if he was my subordinate, you dare to kill him? You clearly have no regard for me. I will teach you a lesson on behalf of Hantian!”

Tu Shiqi and Ya Yun had been trying to hide since his arrival, fearing to be noticed.

Unexpectedly, they failed to evade his sight and were locked onto by the old fiend. Hearing his accusation, Tu Shiqi and Ya Yun felt a headache brewing, knowing they were likely to suffer a severe blow from this ancient being.

Just then, an elderly man with a strangely ancient appearance, slender in build, and long snow-white hair draping over his shoulders, slowly walked forward. As he passed, the scattered onlookers instinctively gave way, revealing looks of awe and fear.

“Ricardo!”

“Ricardo!”

“Ricardo is here too!”

Ricardo was one of the three Domain Ancestors of the Sea of Ruin. He was known for being a loner, rumored to have some connections with the Dark Demon Clan, and specialized in cultivating the profound mysteries of flame.

He walked directly to Tu Shiqi and Ya Yun’s side, glanced at Naputon, and said, “You are a Domain Ancestor. Isn’t attacking them an instance of bullying the weak?” After a pause, he added calmly, “I had the honor of meeting Senior Hantian several times in the past. I hope you will grant me this favor and refrain from acting against these two.”

“As for Singh, he was at the Immortal Peak realm. His battle with Tu Shiqi was fair; it’s no one’s fault that he was defeated and perished.”

Tu Shiqi and Ya Yun were momentarily stunned, having never expected Ricardo to defend them. They knew Ricardo was connected to the Dark Demon Clan and held no friendship with their Xuantian Clan. They hadn't anticipated that, at this critical moment, Ricardo would spare them thanks to a past gesture from Hantian.

Naputon stared coldly at Ricardo. After a long silence, he let out a cold, eerie chuckle. “Very well, I will grant you, Ricardo, this face. I hope you’ll extend me the same courtesy when we settle matters later!”

“Easily said,” Ricardo replied placidly.

“Boom! Boom-boom! Boom-boom-boom!”

Thunder continents shattered one after another, sending arcs of lightning shooting out that pulverized the water bubbles condensed by the Sea Shark Emperor.

The Sea Shark Emperor moved within one water world after another, his expression volatile, a stark contrast to his usual low profile. The intense, violent aura radiating from his pair of scarlet eyes astonished many onlookers.

“Is that truly the Sea Shark Emperor?”

“It is indeed different from his previous demeanor.”

“So powerful! He should be slightly stronger than Ferrel—this is the Sea of Ruin, where he cultivates water power!”

Amidst the murmurs, observers gradually realized that the usually unassuming Sea Shark Emperor might actually be the strongest among the three Domain Ancestors of the Sea of Ruin.

More martial artists gathered.

Among them were the God Lord and Ming Hao. They stood quietly in an inconspicuous corner of the crowd, watching the fight between the Sea Shark Emperor and Ferrel from afar, their faces filled with yearning.

“Now that’s more like it!” Battle intent flared in the God Lord’s eyes as he recalled his fierce battle with Bloodthirsty in the past. “Worthy of being a Domain Ancestor. Though perhaps not as formidable as Bloodthirsty back then, that aura… it is indeed exactly the same!”

“Perceiving Dark Energy, breaking through to the Domain Ancestor realm—yes, I think we can achieve that too,” Ming Hao stated impassively. “Find the right direction, and cultivation becomes twice as effective with half the effort. Perhaps before long, there will be a brilliant chapter for us on the stage of the Void Sea Domain!”

“I firmly believe it!” the God Lord affirmed.

Martial artists continued to stream in from the distance. He and Ming Hao did not stand out and thus did not attract the attention of those with hidden agendas.

After a while, even Qimo of the Devourer Clan arrived with his subordinates. Upon arrival, he immediately began shouting everywhere, inquiring about the reason for the Sea Shark Emperor and Ferrel’s battle.

Gradually, everyone became perplexed, unable to grasp why the two Domain Ancestors were fighting.

There was clearly no trace of Shi Yan or the Profound Mystery Talisman Tower nearby.

Everyone started paying close attention, searching the vicinity for any clue. They needed to first understand why the Sea Shark Emperor and Ferrel were fighting so they could determine whom to support and establish their stance.

Meanwhile, in that zone of shattered starlight and debris, Shi Yan opened his eyes, sensing the fluctuations in the seawater. “The Sea Shark Emperor and Ferrel have started fighting.”

“The Sea Shark Emperor is truly kind to you. By provoking a fight with Ferrel, he is drawing all the powerful figures away, with the clear goal of allowing us to slip away unnoticed,” Mei Ji reminded him.

Shi Yan nodded, stood up, and said, “I understand. That’s why I must go back!”

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