Mandyce gazed into the distance, toward the murky reaches above the Ancient Demon Continent, where Putai's expression was ferocious, his eyes blood-red. The brutal aura radiating from his divine body resembled the boundless Blood Sea of the Nine Netherworlds, vast and endless; even from this great distance, she could smell the stench of him.

Xilo of the Bone Clan looked equally grave. "Truly unexpected."

"You... all know Putai?" Xuanhe exclaimed in surprise.

"Putai is the Young Clan Master of the Devouring Race. Once, Putai was an exceptionally outstanding figure among the younger generation in the Void Sea, holding the promise of breaking through to the Domain Ancestor realm within ten thousand years. When Putai first rose to prominence, his fame was unparalleled; even Yebole, Lingmei, and Mei Ji did not possess cultivation talent as outstanding as his."

Mandyce glanced at Mei Ji.

Mei Ji nodded, her exquisitely beautiful face etched with worry. "Putai was once remarkably exceptional, but several hundred years ago, the Devouring Race announced that his cultivation had gone awry, leading to his accidental demise. Hundreds of years ago, Putai had already reached the third heaven of the Immortal realm—a step above my own level then. His supposed death caused others in the other clans to secretly gloat; even I breathed a sigh of relief at the time."

"So, he didn't perish from cultivation deviation but used a secret method to come to the Barren Domain and hide away. No wonder the Devouring Race wasn't shrouded in grief over his departure. When we first heard the news, we suspected Putai might be fine, but because he hadn't appeared in the Void Sea for several centuries, we gradually came to believe it was true." Mei Ji recounted Putai's glorious past, speaking with heavy gravity. "Putai descended here as a soul that had once reached the third heaven of the Immortal realm. Now cultivating in a new body, he appears to be only in the second heaven of the Immortal realm, but in reality, he can unleash the power and profoundness of the third heaven!"

She was warning Xuanhe and Fielite, telling them how formidable Putai had been, that he was far more powerful than they imagined!

"No wonder my brother was killed by Putai back then. No wonder the two Ring Spirits were successively swallowed by him. A soul reaching the third heaven of the Immortal realm descending—naturally, Xuan Shan and the Ring Spirits could not resist." Xuanhe recalled the past and suddenly understood, bitterness flooding the corners of his mouth.

"Putai is indeed extraordinary, but... Shi Yan is not weak either. You are clouded by concern," Mandyce chuckled lightly, comically patting Mei Ji's shoulder on tiptoe. "Silly girl. Shi Yan also masters the profound mysteries of Devouring and obtained the Talisman Pagoda of Profound Mysteries. His arcane wonders are so deep that even I cannot fathom their extent. You worry too much; this battle should be evenly matched."

Xuanhe, Fielite, Adela, and the others couldn't help but find her actions both amusing and awkward.

She stood barely four feet tall, looking like a delicate young child, yet she was patting the mature, tall, and gracefully built Mei Ji's shoulder to offer comfort, making the entire scene feel bizarre.

"Mmm, what Grandma says is right; I was too nervous." Mei Ji realized her error and managed a faint, embarrassed smile, gradually relaxing.

Grandma?

Xuanhe and the others' eyes nearly bulged out. They looked at Mandyce, then back at Mandyce, feeling a profound distortion in their established understanding.

"Let's wait and see," Xilo stated, his tone tinged with excitement.

Everyone watched intently.

"Whoosh! Whoosh!"

Figures arrived from every corner of this star domain; numerous warships, chariots, and flying chariots gathered like dark clouds...

Putai’s roaring thunder filled the entire star domain. He had also secretly issued commands for all forces who had pledged allegiance to him to assemble, preparing for a bloody battle. At this moment, thousands of powers across the star domain were allied with the Bloodthirsty lineage, submitting to Putai as the new sovereign of the Bloodthirsty lineage.

These included forces originally belonging to the Nether Emperor Clan, factions of the Undead Demon Race that once roamed the Star Sea, and powers previously held secretly by Ming Hao.

The powerful experts from these various factions had been conquered by Putai over the past century, now serving the Primordial Lifeform "Shi" as their new master, becoming Putai's loyal servants.

Thousands of massive warships, swiftly moving chariots, and flying carriages, along with lifelike bird-bone ships, converged from the major life stars. Millions of martial artists aboard these speeding vessels, radiating fierce auras, anchored themselves around