Shiro and the Bone Race clansmen subsequently plunged into that water vortex, vanishing alongside Mantis, Meiji, and the others.

Shen Ren's expression grew heavy, indecision clouding his mind. "If what Mantis said is true, stepping into the Desolate Domain could mean certain death for us. The Primal Creatures... are not easy opponents, and neither are the true powerhouses of the Devouring Race. Have you thought this through clearly?"

Hundreds of water vortexes ahead, the Sea Shark Emperor's gaze was grim as he genuinely pondered the situation. After a long pause, he declared with resolve, "We risk it all!"

"Good!" Shen Ren said no more.

The two then surged inward.

Flashes of light streaked past, and Shiro, Mantis, and the others materialized on the outer domain river where Ming Hao and Xuan He had previously lingered. The moment they arrived, they all instinctively sought to unleash their soul consciousness to search.

Yet, they found Shi Yan standing at the threshold of the domain gate, upright like a sharp, piercing spear.

"Shi Yan!"

Meiji couldn't help but cry out, her enchanting, captivating face alight with joyous relief. If Mantis, Shiro, and the others hadn't been present, she would have thrown herself directly into Shi Yan's embrace without restraint.

Time flowed like a rushing river, and in the blink of an eye, decades had slipped away.

Meiji had grown even more **bewitching, like the most resplendent flower caught in its most beautiful and moving moment. Her bright eyes shimmered like flowing water, radiating deep affection, the kind that could melt the hardest heart of any man.

Her dress, a long gown of rose-red, accentuated the curves of her perfect physique to an astonishing fullness, and the rich crimson hue around her lips was enough to make any man’s blood surge uncontrollably.

"You have finally broken through to the Domain Ancestor realm," Shi Yan smiled brilliantly, then nodded in greeting to Mantis, Shiro, and the rest. His eyes brightened as he looked toward the little skeleton and laughed, "You came too?"

"Shi Yan, can you save my parents?" Behind the little skeleton, the Bone Race clansmen carried two coffins. Inside those coffins rested his parents, currently in a state of dormancy.

"If my energy is sufficient, I believe it shouldn't be a problem. Rest assured, as long as there is a fierce battle and enough energy for me to absorb, I can awaken them," Shi Yan gave a definite answer. "The Primal Source Talismans I obtained from the Profound Truth Talisman Tower happen to be a unique divine ability related to the Profound Truth of Life. It is perfectly suited to address your parents' condition."

Shiro and Gai, the two Domain Ancestor powerhouses of the Bone Race, felt their eyes light up; simply based on Shi Yan's words, they felt the journey was worthwhile.

"Do you know that the powerhouses across the entire Void Sea are searching for your trail, scouring for the Gate to the Desolate Domain?" Mantis, who appeared to be only eleven or twelve, was petite and exquisite, yet her gaze was deep and distant. "You circled through the Sea of Annihilation, causing the entire Void Sea to boil. You truly dare to stir up trouble, young man."

"You flatter me," Shi Yan’s mouth was filled with bitterness. "And I very nearly lost my life in the process. Fortunately... I am still alive. As long as I live, there is always hope for a comeback."

"Good mentality," Mantis said with a surprised smile.

"Let's discuss the terms first," Shi Yan cut to the chase, focusing intently on Shiro and Gai. "I can awaken them, and I possess the Profound Truth Talisman Tower. I can promise you that if you can later find the talisman seals needed to refine Primal Source Talismans, I can refine them for you."

Shiro and Gai exchanged a glance and both nodded happily, waiting for him to elaborate further.

"Likewise, I can refine Source Talismans for your Phantom Race. In this Desolate Domain, I am essentially the host. I can explain the situation in detail so you can form a rough plan," Shi Yan then looked at Mantis and said, "My demands are very simple. Both Primal Creatures, Hui and Shi, are severely injured and have not fully recovered. You will join forces with me to target them. As for the outcome, we will need to discuss and assess the situation as it unfolds. I hope you will not destroy the structure of the Desolate Domain, nor attempt to treat it as your private garden for rampant invasion. I expect you to maintain everything here as it is."

"Isn't that just asking us to eliminate or drive out anything that doesn't belong in the Desolate Domain? Is that the meaning?" Mantis interjected.

"You could put it that way," Shi Yan did not hide his meaning. "I am a native of the Desolate Domain. My family and friends are here, and I do not wish for them to come to any harm."

"What about the Desolate One?" Shiro asked in a deep voice. "He is the Lord of the Desolate Domain, currently in a state of fragmentation. How is he supposed to deal with this?"

"The Desolate One... leave him to me. That is also one of my demands!" Shi Yan stated forcefully.

"What do you think?" Mantis stroked her chin with an aged air, looking at Shiro. "Two Primal Creatures. If our two races handle them separately, it's easier to divide the labor. I know your Bone Race has some connections with the Devouring Race, so you're probably more interested in Shi, right?"

"The heavily wounded Shi, Gai and I can attempt to kill and refine. We only hope the Domain Ancestor of the Devouring Race coming is not Ega. If Ega himself arrives, things will become considerably more troublesome..." Shiro said.

"Is Ega truly that powerful?" Shi Yan was startled.

He had spent some time exploring the seabed of the Sea of Annihilation and knew Ega was the top powerhouse of the Devouring Race, one of the Ten Great Domain Ancestors, on par with Mantis and Shiro—notoriously difficult to deal with. It was just that he heard the Devouring Race's Profound Truth inheritance was incomplete; he didn't believe Ega, who hadn't cultivated the Profound Truth of Devouring, could truly be so terrifying.

"Ega is indeed very strong," Shiro’s eyes, set in his face of bone as white and crystalline as jade, were like gems. "I have fought him before, and I’m not confident I can defeat him; we are evenly matched. If he is the one who comes, it will indeed be difficult..."

"What if you and I join forces?" Mantis proposed.

"That would naturally be no problem," Shiro replied.

"Can you agree to my conditions or not? If yes, we start preparing immediately. If not, we drop the matter!" Shi Yan urged.

"We agree!"

"We agree!"

"Then let's talk somewhere else."

Shi Yan activated the Profound Truth of Space, tearing open the fabric of reality right there to communicate with the Continent of Divine Grace.

The group passed through, appearing directly on Undying Island on the Continent of Divine Grace. Upon setting foot on Undying Island, Shiro and Mantis both showed expressions of astonishment. "The elemental energy of heaven and earth here is incredibly dense. This continental star is truly rare and highly suitable for cultivating profound truths. It is worthy of being formed from a clone of the Desolate One!" Mantis praised.

On Undying Island, Dicaro, Xuan He, Pheret, Audrey, Blood Demon, and the others had gathered, waiting anxiously. When they suddenly saw Shi Yan arrive with a group, their expressions were greatly shocked.

"What is the situation now? Is Ming Hao... still alive?" As soon as Shi Yan appeared, he immediately pressed for an answer.

Ming Hao cultivated the Profound Truth of Soul Control; his soul could manifest into thousands of forms, making him one of the most difficult entities among the Eight Great Evil Powers to kill. He also mastered spatial power, another profoundly difficult mystery to target. Furthermore, Ming Hao had now grasped the subtleties of dark energy. Shi Yan couldn't believe he could have been killed so quickly.

"We can't contact him for the moment. Even if Ming Hao isn't dead, he must be completely suppressed and will be gradually refined and killed. He has countless souls; as long as one wisp escapes, he can reform. I only fear that if he had gathered all his souls before the attack, no single soul managed to flee," Xuan He frowned, his expression grave.

"Who are they?" Adela looked at Shiro, Mantis, and the others, her face subtly changing. She instinctively felt a chilling dread in her soul.

This was an invisible deterrent force pressing upon their spirits!

Those with low cultivation, those not yet reaching the Beginning God realm, standing next to Shiro and Mantis felt nothing at all. But those like Adela, Dicaro, and Pheret, who had already reached Immortality, possessed acute senses and could faintly detect terror-inducing auras emanating from Mantis and the others.

Those fluctuations made their soul altars seem unable to remain calm, trembling slightly in small increments.

"Friends from the Void Sea," Shi Yan understood their surprise and explained, "They will join us to counterattack those two star domains. I... can only rely on external power because we are still too weak."

At these words, Xuan He, Pheret, and the others looked dejected.

In the Desolate Domain, they had once been top-tier existences. Xuan He and Pheret had always aimed to kill the Divine Lord Brian and destroy the God Race. However, the ways of the world are unpredictable; now, the Divine Lord had been betrayed by his own kin and was being hunted by the Four Heavenly Kings in concert. Their long-time adversaries had become fellow sufferers.

Those who were previously overlooked had suddenly bared their fangs, displaying their ferocity and completely dominating the situation.

This was somewhat difficult for their proud natures to accept, yet it indirectly spurred them on, making them yearn for greater power and higher realms.

"Leave them on the Continent of Divine Grace. Let our Myriad Ancient Demon Star Domain go find Putai first," Shi Yan proposed.

He was referring to the two coffins belonging to the Bone Race, considering them a burden that didn't need to be carried everywhere.

Unfortunately, Shiro and Gai insisted on keeping the two coffins within sight at all times, refusing to trust the Continent of Divine Grace with their protection; they trusted only themselves.

"Let's go! To that Ancient Demon Star Domain you mentioned!" Mantis commanded crisply.

With the agreement reached between the Phantom Race and the Bone Race, and Shi Yan leading the way, they departed from the Continent of Divine Grace, bringing Xuan He, Pheret, Dicaro, Adela, and the others, all heading toward the Ancient Demon Star Domain.

...

In the merged Ancient Demon Star Domain, a dark abyss enveloped the Ancient Demon Continent like a thick, pitch-black ocean, breeding endless malice within.

In the pitch-black darkness where one could not see one's hand before one's face, a slightly weary voice drifted out, "To cultivate the Profound Truth of Soul Control to this extent, and to blend it seamlessly with the Profound Truth of Space—your talent is astonishing. Even within my Devouring Race, no one has reached your height in the Profound Truth of Soul Control. It is a pity that you have not yet entered the Domain Ancestor realm, otherwise, I would have no means of dealing with you. I finally ask you, on behalf of the Progenitor, are you willing to submit to our Progenitor and have him alter your imprint, becoming a loyal servant of my Devouring Race?"

"I refuse," the voice of Ming Hao in the darkness was weak, as if his soul was about to scatter.

"A futile persistence, a pathetic loyalty. Then I have no choice but to destroy you."

"If you wish to completely exterminate me, you too will have to pay a price."

"I have no other choice. Your threat is too great. Once you reach the Domain Ancestor realm, I will never have another chance to kill you, so I must do it sooner rather than later."

"Then come."

...(To be continued. If you enjoy this work, you are welcome to cast recommendation votes and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)RQ