A colossal star suddenly burst forth in the Divine Grace Star Domain, striking Gui Liao with shock and rage; for the first time, a sense of unease settled upon him. The Divine Grace Continent had actually detached itself from the Barren Domain!

With a mere flicker of his soul, the entire star domain materialized in his mind—the distribution of cultivators across every star, the hierarchy of their realms—all cataloged in his consciousness. Here, he was the sole deity!

“Even that little girl has been taken away!” Sensing no trace of Audrey, his expression turned colder and more severe. He did not immediately venture deep into the Void Domain, aware of Hui’s presence there. He knew that with his power not yet fully recovered, rushing in might not yield any advantage. He began the process of merging the realms!

The three great star domains—Divine Grace, Ancient Demon, and Ancient God—under the impulse of his will, spirit, and soul, moved toward coalescence like three immense nebulae gradually interlocking. The thick celestial barriers separating the three domains softened like water at the shift of his thought, slowly dissolving into nothingness. With the barriers gone, their integration became effortless. He was employing monumental divine ability and supreme magic to restore the Barren Domain to its original form!

From deep within the massive ancient continent, tremors of souls and life began to emanate. The continent turned, altering the very structure of the star domain situation. Gui Liao, as the external manifestation of the Barren, began traversing the merging domains. The powerful cultivators who had not been taken by Xuan He, Shi Yan, or Ming Hao were annihilated by him using the same methods, allowing their power to dissipate and become the purest essence of the Barren Domain.

Some of these were those whom Ming Hao, Xuan He, and the others had warned, but they had chosen not to heed the advice and leave together. Others could not relinquish their wealth, status, or the future of their descendants, choosing instead to linger in place. A further contingent believed they could evade his purge by hiding in the many strange and perilous forbidden grounds scattered throughout the star domain, thinking they could escape disaster. In the end, none were spared. As Gui Liao moved, they vanished one after another.

Deep within their souls lay the indelible mark of the Barren. This mark had been ingrained since the dawn of their lives, utterly impossible to erase. Through this mark, Gui Liao could effortlessly obliterate them, leaving them no capacity to resist. Unless one reached the Domain Ancestor realm, perhaps a slight resistance might be possible. Yet, even beings as formidable as Bloodlust, after attaining the Domain Ancestor level, failed to escape their fate and were ultimately extinguished. —At that time, the Barren had not yet fused its three avatars; it had destroyed Bloodlust merely by leveraging the hands of the Divine Race and other powerhouses. Now, he acted in person; no one could escape!

Gradually, the three continents of Divine Grace, Ancient God, and Ancient Demon merged into one, becoming the true Barren Domain. Every cultivator within this realm who had refined a Soul Altar perished under Gui Liao’s relentless pursuit. Paradoxically, due to the demise of these powerhouses, the Barren Domain’s ambient energy became unusually rich, and numerous marvelous life-bearing stars began to appear. The Life Ancient Tree upon the ancient continent grew denser, more luxuriant, becoming increasingly vast enough to shroud the heavens, suffused with an intensely potent aura of vitality. … The Void Turbulence Domain.

In this bizarre region where no life-bearing stars normally existed, a solitary planet hurtled onward. Its surface was tightly encased by layers of brilliant yellow, silver, and orange-red shields, securely wrapping the celestial body. The frozen torrents from outside the domain, meteorite impacts, and the sweeping gales raged across the cosmos, battering this planet. However, beneath those immense light barriers, the space surrounding the planet erupted in the most dazzling fireworks; the interior of the world remained entirely unaffected.

Millions of cultivators were gathered on the planet. Most possessed refined martial realms, yet many had never had the chance to visit the Void Turbulence in their entire lives. Now, staring at the strange scenery within the surrounding turbulence, watching the terrifying energies constantly assaulting their star, they were all struck dumb with awe. They finally realized the magnitude of the place they had been brought to, far from their familiar star-scape.

Many of these individuals had placed their trust in Shi Yan, choosing to believe him. Some, even now, refused to accept that the catastrophe he had spoken of was unfolding within their own stellar expanse. Above Undying Island.

Deep within masses of swirling clouds, Shi Yan, Xi Luo, Mandis, and other powerhouses sat, each refining their strength. Beams of light, like smoke signals, shot vertically into the heavens. These pillars of light ascended and merged with the light barrier surrounding the star cloud mass, strengthening its defense against the external dangers of the Void that threatened to shatter it.

Beside them, Audrey remained unconscious, watched over by Ming Hao and Adela to prevent any mishap. Ming Hong’s tiny silhouette emerged from Audrey’s shoulder. Terror was etched onto his face; he was extremely weak, and his soul flickered precariously, as if the flame of his spirit had been affected by some external force. Ming Hao and Adela immediately channeled energy to protect him, stabilizing his soul against dissipation.

Only then did Ming Hao inquire, asking what had transpired. As Audrey’s soul-slave, he was psychically connected to her, able to vaguely perceive what she sensed. His appearance now clearly meant he had something crucial to relate. Ming Hong first glanced at Shi Yan and spoke with genuine admiration, “It is thanks to him. If he hadn't acted decisively, if he hadn't drawn the Divine Grace Continent over, all of us would likely have been killed…” This was the first sentence Ming Hong uttered.

Shi Yan, currently focused on linking the Divine Grace Continent to shield it from the dangers of the Void Turbulence Domain, did not hear the praise. “What exactly happened?” Adela asked urgently.

“Only after leaving the Barren Domain was I able to break free from that nightmare’s restraint and emerge from Audrey’s mind,” Ming Hong stated gravely. “From her nightmare, I could witness the scenes unfolding in the Barren Domain right now—it is truly a catastrophe worthy of annihilation! Any cultivator possessing a Soul Altar in the Barren Domain could not escape death! Now, the void barriers of the Divine Grace, Ancient God, and Ancient Demon star domains have dissolved, fully merging into one—that is the Barren Domain’s true appearance. Previously, because the Barren was split into five parts, complicated by the interference of the avatars, many smaller star domains emerged. Now, all that is gone; there is only one Barren Domain…”

Xuan He, Ming Hao, Adela, Dicarlo, and the others stood close by, listening to Ming Hong’s account. Every face turned pale. They finally confirmed Shi Yan’s suspicions. Shi Yan was correct; his decisiveness had allowed them to survive this ordeal, sparing them death within the Barren Domain. Without Shi Yan, they would still be stumbling blindly, unaware of the future, heading toward their end in fear and despair, just like those who had perished. When Ming Hao, Xuan He, and Frelit looked at Shi Yan again, genuine respect shone in their eyes. They were finally convinced beyond doubt.

“Uhh…”

Suddenly, a faint, dreamlike murmur sounded from the two coffins situated next to the little skeleton. The little skeleton leaped up with sudden, overwhelming ecstasy, trembling with excitement. “They are awake! My parents are finally waking up!”