Two elders of the Bone Race, dormant for ten millennia, their skulls faintly gleaming, showed signs of awakening.

Suspended mid-air, assisting Shi Yan in solidifying the light barrier to fend off the void turbulence, Xiluo and Gai felt a tremor of shock and surprised delight upon hearing the little skeleton's excited cheers.

Among the Seven Great Races, the Bone Race was renowned for its unity. Each member was inherently powerful, and their lineage was difficult to sustain; thus, internal strife was virtually unheard of. For the prosperity of their race, Bone Race members were fiercely self-sacrificing, willing to lay down their lives for continuity.

The fact that Xiluo and Gai traversed vast distances to the Barren Domain just to rouse these two elders underscored the profound solidarity of their kin.

"Is that about enough?" Xiluo turned to Mandiss. "May I descend now?"

Mandiss's small face was faintly slicked with sweat; she nodded gently, her eyes betraying a slight weariness.

Xiluo swiftly dropped to the land, arriving beside the little skeleton. His gaze fixed intently on the two elder figures. Under his watch, the two Bone Race members first emitted murmurs like a sleep-talk, then slowly opened their eyes. Their gazes lacked luster, their spirits still frail; a full recovery would likely take time.

They turned their attention to the little skeleton, and in both pairs of eyes bloomed an overwhelming, tender affection. "Father, Mother..." The little skeleton wept tears of joy.

"My child, seeing you safe is our greatest fortune. We never imagined... we would see the day we met you again," the female Bone Race member extended a crystalline finger-bone, gently tracing the smooth forehead of the little skeleton, sighing in the ancient tongue of the Bone Race.

In the firmament above, starlight surged around Shi Yan, weaving layer upon layer of light screens across the surface of the star.

After a long while, he finally steadied himself and nodded to Mandiss. "I am obliged."

"Don't mention it," Mandiss chuckled sweetly. "We are family; no need for formalities." She glanced sideways at Meiji, who blushed deeply, looking somewhat bashful.

Shi Yan descended from the heavens, observing the little skeleton softly conversing with its parents, and watching Xiluo, Gai, and the other Bone Race members sincerely paying respects to their awakened ancestors. He nodded inwardly, landing beside Xuan He, Chi Liet, and Ming Bi, and released a soul-based telepathic message.

Half an hour later, Yang Qingdi, Blood Fiend, Li Anna, Cato, Feilan, and the other cultivators of the Eight Great Profound Mysteries had all gathered.

They looked at Shi Yan with confusion, unsure why he had summoned them.

"In that Ancient Demon Star Domain, I killed Putai and merged his Profound Mystery soul-spirit. Putai's assimilation propelled me to the third level of Immortality. Afterwards, Xiluo and Mandiss joined forces against the 'Devourer,' bestowing upon me a massive influx of refined energy. That energy was immense," Shi Yan stated calmly, his eyes bright as diamonds as he looked deeply at everyone.

Xuan He, Feilan, and the others inwardly shuddered, their faces suddenly alight with ecstatic joy. They had previously received gifts from Shi Yan and naturally understood what was coming next.

They required no further elaboration from Shi Yan; one by one, they sat down, encircling him in the center.

"This influx of energy is colossal; refining it might take some time. You all must be adequately prepared," Shi Yan sensed inwardly, his expression growing solemn.

Many of those instantly killed by the 'Devourer' possessed incredibly refined realms, numerous Origin Gods among them. That energy was enough for Shi Yan to amass divine power to the peak of the third level of Immortality. More energy remained, which he could not immediately melt into his body but could greatly benefit those cultivating the Bloodthirsty Profound Mystery.

Shi Yan sat, closed his eyes, and began to digest the energy within his Soul Altar and acupoints.

Adela looked panicked, and high-level experts of the Nether Sovereign Race, like Jilata, showed signs of anxiety.

Audrey was beside them, seemingly trapped in a terrifying nightmare, unable to wake up, her condition worsening.

"Is there truly no way?" Adela stroked her daughter's long hair, her face etched with grim determination. "You two are soul-fused; can't you awaken her?"

Ming Hong, barely palm-sized like a miniature imp, perched on Audrey’s shoulder, shook his head bitterly. "I don't know why, but I cannot even perceive what is happening in her dreamscape. I know her current state might be linked to 'The Desolate.' As 'The Desolate' grows stronger, she... will weaken further, possibly even dying instantly."

Upon hearing this, the numerous powerhouses of the Nether Sovereign Race fell into despair.

"How can this be?" Adela shook her head incessantly, unable to accept the truth. "Both of you fused with the Primal Source; why is Shi Yan unaffected? He seems completely fine."

"This is truly hard to believe."

Ming Hong was equally bewildered. He glanced from a distance toward Shi Yan, who was currently purifying and absorbing the energy to distribute to the inheritors. Beside him, Xuan He, Ming Xin, Chi Liet, and the other cultivators of the Eight Great Evil Powers sat quietly, awaiting this once-in-a-millennium opportunity.

Shi Yan had been virtually untouched by the recovery of 'The Desolate' from beginning to end—it was almost unbelievable.

In the eyes of Ming Hong and Adela, Shi Yan and Audrey were fundamentally no different; both were fused with the Primal Source. But why was Audrey languishing in slumber while Shi Yan was safe and sound?

It made no sense!

"Perhaps, once he finishes absorbing the energy, he can give us an answer," Ming Hong stated after a long silence, his tone laced with resignation.

In another corner of the Void Turbulence Domain.

Upon a reddish-brown meteorite—immense in size—the true form of Xu coiled below. Twelve monstrous serpent heads loomed large, like a gigantic fierce beast supporting the rock.

The meteorite tumbled within the void turbulence. On its surface now stood Ziyao, Tian Xie, and the others—Ziyao's loyal followers.

Ziyao gazed at a spatial rift slowly solidifying in the distance, her eyes cold, yet a smile played on her lips. "Good thing we left when we did; otherwise, things would have been troublesome. The Barren Domain must already be starting to suffer widespread devastation. That entity... to recover its strength swiftly, it has begun slaughtering the energy bodies it has been cultivating."

Tian Xie stood respectfully beside Ziyao. Hearing this, he stammered in surprise, "Mistress, are you saying... it's running rampant in the Barren Domain?"

"Yes, all martial artists who cultivated to the level of solidifying a Soul Altar will perish," Ziyao nodded, smiling faintly. "It has nurtured them for so many years, fattening up the pigs and sheep, just for this moment. By extinguishing the beings of those Realms, it aims to restore its power rapidly. Ever since it split, it has been awaiting this day."

Tian Xie didn't fully grasp the implications. Fear flashed in his eyes, and he dared not press further.

"It cannot recover its full strength; otherwise, it would have pursued us directly into the Barren Domain. Hmph, I might have underestimated that fellow Shi Yan." Ziyao's smile was bright. She suddenly looked in one direction, murmuring, "My destined adversary, you actually brought the Divine Grace Continent here as well. It seems I must pay you a visit."

The colossal Heavenly Serpent beneath the meteorite writhed violently. The meteorite caught the current, moving with the swift, piercing momentum of a shooting star toward the position of the Divine Grace Continent in the void domain.

Shi Yan opened his eyes.

He rose calmly and composedly, surveying his surroundings. Xuan He, Ming Hao, Chi Liet, and the others were quietly comprehending and refining the power he had gifted them.

He looked upward. Layers of multicolored light screens encased the star, resisting the terrifying impacts from beyond the domain, ensuring that no living creature on the continent suffered harm.

Having assimilated and integrated the power of the Devouring Black Hole and his acupoints, his divine power surged to an extreme, reaching the very zenith of the Immortal Realm. The life fluctuations within his bones and flesh were intensely abundant. He felt confident that if he fought a Domain Ancestor martial artist now, he would not necessarily be at a disadvantage.

Swallowing Putai brought him immense benefits. The Eight Great Profound Mysteries that Putai had comprehended for years now wholly belonged to him. This was remarkably singular.

Because Putai was unique among all others, simply swallowing him, no matter the quantity, could not convert the other's Profound Mysteries into one's own. Only Putai was special; having cultivated the Devouring Profound Mystery himself, the Eight Great Evil Powers shared a mysterious connection with it. After being consumed by Shi Yan, it directly forged Shi Yan's brilliance.

Now, having reached the peak of Immortality and having long comprehended the esoteric nature of Dark Energy, he had a strong feeling that he could quickly ascend to the Domain Ancestor Realm!

Looking inward at his soul, his Origin World was like a vast, profound, infinite cosmic wilderness, studded with brilliant stars and expansive space. Barring the birth of life, this Origin World was not significantly different from most other Domain Realms.

He frowned, beginning to contemplate his next course of action—where to move this Divine Grace Continent.

Just then, Adela approached, her face ashen. "Come look at Audrey..." Shi Yan moved to Audrey's side. For some unknown reason, her eyes were tightly shut, her breath growing weaker, as if her life energy was being siphoned away, giving the impression that the fire of her soul might extinguish soon.

Ming Hong, Jilata, Dicarlo, and the Azure Dragon Sacred Beast and its retinue were all gathered around Audrey, utterly helpless.

They had tried numerous methods to wake Audrey, but all their efforts had failed.

"It's... it's causing mischief in secret. Every bit stronger it gets, Audrey grows weaker. Even across the void, it influences her. As it slowly grows more powerful, Audrey might be drained to death by it," Ming Hong looked at Shi Yan, his gaze strangely piercing. "Both of you fused with the Primal Source, yet Audrey suffers agonizingly while you are completely unharmed? Why?"

This was the confusion burning in everyone's minds.

Looking at Audrey, Shi Yan's eyes briefly brightened, and his heart gave a sudden thump. He finally understood the distinction.

Audrey was born in the Barren Domain. The moment her soul coalesced, 'The Desolate's' imprint existed within it. It could continuously influence the Primal Source's aura through that imprint on Audrey's soul.

Shi Yan finally understood why, before the Bloodthirsty annihilation, Xuan Shan, Laomuo, Xuan He, and the others were repeatedly instructed to guide the souls from beyond the domain and bestow the inheritance. The Bloodthirsty entity had true foresight, having already conceived of this day back in that era.

The reason he was completely unaffected, unconstrained by its gradually strengthening power, was entirely because his soul contained not a single trace of its imprint.

Because his soul was not born within the Barren Domain.