In a desolate meteor field southwest of the Ruin Sea, lightning raged like giant serpents, illuminating the meteorites as if they were repositories of intense electricity, silver arcs flickering across their surfaces.

Hazy, leaden clouds, like clumps of grey cloth, draped over the area, severely obstructing visibility.

Within a shield-shaped, grayish-white meteorite, Sea Shark Emperor and Shen Ren sat quietly in a space they had carved out, their auras distant, clearly deep in cultivation.

"Clang! Clang! Clang!"

The sound of crisp bells emanated from a ring on Shen Ren's hand. Shen Ren awoke from his meditation, his eyes somewhat bewildered. A flash of electric light seeped from his fingertip onto the ring, and immediately a message shot directly into his mind.

The confusion in Shen Ren's eyes vanished in an instant; his spirit jolted, and divine light erupted from his pupils. "Men of the Ruin Sea, a very strange message has arrived!"

The Sea Shark Emperor, who had been cultivating, was forced to pause. His expression was bitter. "Has something gone wrong? What are they doing? Didn't we explicitly warn them not to clash with anyone during this period before we left?"

Decades ago, the Sea Shark Emperor had strongly supported Shi Yan beneath the ocean, thus falling out with the Five Clans. He had even fought fiercely with Naputon and Ferrel. Afterwards, the Five Clans harbored extreme dissatisfaction toward the Sea Shark Emperor, and he understood that remaining in the depths of the Ruin Sea would inevitably lead to trouble.

Having no choice, he and Shen Ren left alone, coming to this perilous place for arduous cultivation, hoping to break through to a higher minor realm so they would no longer fear the threats from the Five Clans.

Both the Sea Shark Emperor and Shen Ren were members of the Sea Clan. Being forced to leave the Ruin Sea, cultivating here was quite difficult and unnatural for them. They had maintained no contact with their clansmen beneath the Ruin Sea, precisely to prevent any accidents that might expose their whereabouts.

They had also strictly instructed their people never to contact them unless they faced insurmountable trouble.

When Shen Ren received the message, the Sea Shark Emperor naturally assumed it was their clansmen beneath the Ruin Sea who had failed to heed his instructions to lie low and had stirred up some fresh trouble.

This left the Sea Shark Emperor deeply disappointed and helpless, feeling his clansmen were incompetent and failed to realize that during this period, they should all be in hiding. He and Shen Ren had been forced into exile; the clansmen should have been extremely cautious.

"It's really not them causing trouble. The children have been obedient..." Shen Ren's gaze dimmed.

He knew his clansmen. After he and the Sea Shark Emperor departed, they had forfeited many benefits. The factions that previously held grudges against the Sea Shark Emperor had begun attacking their clansmen, supported covertly by the Five Clans. Now, his people were struggling to survive beneath the Ruin Sea.

They were frequently forced to shift locations. If the depths of the Ruin Sea hadn't been so vast, those people might not have survived this long.

Shen Ren was acutely aware that the reason for this suffering was that he and the Sea Shark Emperor had sided with Shi Yan at a crucial juncture, which had infuriated the Five Clans.

"Then what is the matter?" the Sea Shark Emperor sighed softly. "If we calculate it properly, it is our fault. If we were still down there, who would dare offend them? But I don't regret it. Without the cultivation given by our benefactor back then, there would be no Sea Shark Emperor today; I should have died long ago. We owe him."

"We certainly do owe him," Shen Ren nodded, then his eyes brightened. "The message from the lads says someone found them and gave them the coordinates to a Domain Gate, asking us to go there. That place is the Domain Gate to the Desolate Domain!"

"The Domain Gate to the Desolate Domain?!" The Sea Shark Emperor was suddenly moved, his expression growing severe. "How is that possible? The clansmen of the Seven Clans are desperately searching for the Domain Gate to the Desolate Domain right now, and there has been no news yet. Who would be so kind as to tell us the location? How could they find it?"

"Because the person who contacted them is someone from the Desolate Domain," Shen Ren smiled. "It is Shi Yan."

The Sea Shark Emperor's body shook violently. "Are you certain it's him?"

"It is him. He summoned the Profound Meaning Talisman Tower right in front of the clansmen. He said he meant no harm and wants us to go to the Desolate Domain; he has matters to discuss with us." Shen Ren explained.

The Sea Shark Emperor pondered for several seconds, then nodded decisively. "We are returning to the Ruin Sea!"

...

Deep beneath the Ruin Sea.

In an extremely treacherous and mysterious location.

The water pressure here was terrifying, and the seawater possessed a strange, grayish-green hue. Numerous abyssal whirlpools yawned open like ferocious mouths—there were hundreds of them. Inside these whirlpools, it was as if gates to extraterritorial realms lay, leading to unknown destinations.

Many warriors of the Ruin Sea knew of this place. Superlative experts had once attempted to explore it, entering the depths of those whirlpools.

The result: they all vanished.

Over tens of thousands of years, even peak Domain Ancestors had ventured deep into those whirlpools. Some never returned, never reappearing in the Void Sea. Others entered true void space—a vast, blank expanse—and returned battered, their cultivation diminished.

The hundreds of whirlpools resembled monstrous, bizarre flower buds situated in this eerie locale. This was a forbidden zone within the Ruin Sea, a place where people often disappeared nearby, yet no traces of rare treasures were ever discovered.

Over time, no explorers dared approach this area, and it naturally became a desolate, uninhabited zone.

Today, near one of the strange water whirlpools, a skull drifted slowly into view from the distance. Initially minuscule, the skull grew immensely larger as it approached.

"Whoosh!"

The skull stopped. It was instantly recognizable as the Skeletal Island, common among the Bone Clan. The island moored itself there, and from the location of the skull's cranium, several Bone Clan members leisurely emerged.

The leader was Xiluo, accompanied by Gai, another Domain Ancestor of the Bone Clan, and about a dozen other Bone Clan experts. The coffin containing the Little Skeleton's parents was also brought along inside the skull. Xiluo and Gai looked upon the water whirlpools with astonishment.

"It's actually here. No wonder we couldn't find it. If one didn't know which whirlpool concealed the Domain Gate, even knowing the location, who would dare venture in rashly?" Gai exclaimed in surprise.

"One of our Bone Clan's Immortal experts also came here to explore, but unfortunately, never reappeared," Xiluo stated.

"Shall we go in now?" the Little Skeleton asked beside them, eyes full of hope. "Shi Yan is at the second layer of the Immortal Realm and has fused the Source Talisman containing the Profound Meaning of Life. He should really be able to awaken my parents, right?"

"That depends on the divine ability of his Life Source Talisman, but since he actively invited us, he must be confident," Gai explained.

Hearing this, a flicker of joy appeared in the Little Skeleton's eyes, and it nodded gently.

"We arrived a little early; there's no rush. We should wait for the Phantom Clan members. Mandiss said to wait here after we arrived, as she would be a bit later because the Phantom Clan is farther away," Xiluo said.

"Mm."

The Bone Clan members waited there in silence.

After some time, a massive crystal shuttle approached stealthily, like a torpedo. The shuttle was initially concealed, only revealing itself suddenly when it reached the side of the Skeletal Island. This startled quite a few Bone Clan members, who quickly became vigilant.

Only when Xiluo spoke to reassure them did they realize the newcomers were members of the Phantom Clan, and they relaxed.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

The crystal shuttle stopped, and the figure of a petite girl appeared first. She was followed by the captivating Meiji and about a dozen handsome men and beautiful women from the Phantom Clan. They were brightly dressed, possessed dazzling beauty, and exuded extraordinary auras, yet they all stood respectfully behind the little girl.

"Mandiss, you are a bit quicker than I expected." Xiluo gestured for everyone to disembark from the Skeletal Island. The Bone Clan members moved the coffin containing the Little Skeleton's parents out, and then Xiluo raised a hand and grasped; the Skeletal Island gradually shrank until it became a white dot, which he collected into his brow.

The Phantom Clan members disembarked from the crystal shuttle one by one. The little girl also smiled calmly, then opened her mouth and swallowed the massive crystal shuttle as if eating a crystal fruit, before speaking: "I was a bit impatient, afraid of being discovered, so I increased our speed slightly."

"It is not wise to linger here for long, lest our tracks are discovered and cause trouble. Perhaps... we should just go in?" Xiluo sought her opinion.

However, the young face of Mandiss held a solemn hesitation. "What if the location he provided is wrong or perilous—what if it's a trap? Aren't you afraid? Heh, your Bone Clan members truly aren't skilled in schemes and tricks. If Shi Yan intends to harm you, you might genuinely be fooled."

Without waiting for Xiluo's reply, Mandiss signaled to one of the people behind her and instructed: "You, go in and scout." She pointed her hand toward a central water whirlpool.

The handsome Phantom Clan man immediately rushed toward that whirlpool without a word.

Mandiss and Xiluo fell silent, awaiting the outcome.

After a long moment, Mandiss and Xiluo both shouted coldly: "Who is nearby?"

They simultaneously looked in one direction, their gazes cold and sharp, as if they might transform into savage beasts in the next moment and tear the newcomer to shreds.

Two figures gradually materialized. Shen Ren’s face was stiff, his soul trembling slightly, making his movements very cautious and uneasy.

The Sea Shark Emperor, also a Domain Ancestor, managed to remain composed under the intense scrutiny and intimidation from Xiluo and Mandiss. He bowed deeply from a distance and roared: "Greetings, Senior Mandiss, greetings, Senior Xiluo."

"Sea Shark Emperor!" Meiji cried out in shock. "How are you here?"

The Sea Shark Emperor thought for a moment, quickly grasping the situation, so he did not conceal anything. "Shi Yan sent a message summoning me. It seems... I am not the only one he invited." He understood now.

"That brat does remember old favors and your past benefits; that is not bad," hearing this, Mandiss nodded. "Since Shi Yan asked you to come, you are included. But do you know what awaits us in the Desolate Domain?"

"What?" The Sea Shark Emperor genuinely did not know the details.

"Three Primal Beings whose true strength is unknown, plus many Domain Ancestors from the Devouring Clan. There are many uncertain factors. Have you truly considered this?" Mandiss frowned.

The Sea Shark Emperor's heart shuddered; he was startled by her words. He had only received the message that Shi Yan wanted him to come, not realizing the situation in the Desolate Domain was so complex. This indeed made him hesitate.

"Take some time to consider it carefully," Mandiss murmured softly.

Just then, the handsome man who had entered the central whirlpool as she requested gradually reappeared, his face beaming with joy as he nodded: "The message is true; it is indeed the Domain Gate. No problem."

"Let's go," Mandiss smiled, waving her hand, leading the Phantom Clan members to surge into the water whirlpool first... Last night, feeling bored, I was chatting and joking in the reader group until past one in the morning. I woke up to find it was already past ten—I'm dead tired~~ Please cast your monthly votes~~ (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, you are welcome to cast recommendation votes and monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation.) RQ