Deep within the Sea of the Void Expanse, where the Devourers gathered, a vast, pitch-black cavern churned ominously.

Within the thick darkness, the Obscure Rune Pagoda was faintly discernible, seated majestically. Mysterious Primordial Runes flickered across its surface, shimmering with radiant light. Streaks of pure dark energy writhed upon the tower like earthworms, purifying a trace of soul imprint left by Hui within it.

The Devourer unleashed its icy, chilling, and malevolent soul will, tempering it again and again, finally managing to wipe away the mark Hui had left as the tower rotated.

Suddenly, a sincere call traveled from an immense distance. The giant tower, having just lost Hui’s soul imprint, was guided by that voice. Before the Devourer could react, it abruptly flew away from the area, traversing hundreds of millions of li in an instant, moving faster than space itself.

Tearing through layer upon layer of the void, the Devourer, which had already expended considerable strength fleeing the Desolate Domain, had just used a great deal of energy refining the soul imprint within the tower. It had only paused for a moment when it suddenly saw the tower take flight.

The Devourer’s power had not recovered in that instant, leaving it unable to restrain the structure. It watched helplessly as the tower passed through successive spatial barriers and vanished before its very eyes...

Roars echoed from the black hole as the Devourer, resembling a colossal octopus, called out to its kin.

Before long, Ega and Rabbitt, the two Ancestors of the Domain, arrived upon hearing the news. Ega bowed respectfully beside the dark abyss: “Ancestor, why this rage?”

“The Obscure Rune Pagoda has broken free of my control and is flying towards the Desolate Domain!” the Devourer’s voice boomed from the dark abyss. “It wasn’t Hui causing trouble; it was the tower’s new master. His connection to the tower was suppressed by Hui’s soul imprint. The moment I erased Hui’s imprint, that brat, for some inexplicable reason, issued a soul summons at that precise instant! Damn it!”

“In which direction is he?” Ega inquired.

“The void domain surrounding the outer layers of the Desolate Domain.”

“I will find a way to go there.”

“Find that brat before Hui does, or you might find it difficult to obtain the Obscure Rune Pagoda. This pagoda is of paramount importance; you must succeed!”

“Understood!” ... The Obscure Rune Pagoda pierced through layers of space, moving hundreds of millions of li in a blink, capable of tearing through the cracks between voids.

It transformed into a streak of crystalline light, flashing past in the sea of stars. Many martial artists caught sight of it along the way; all felt a sudden tremor in their souls, but by the time they realized a great treasure might be near, they found they could sense nothing at all.

The Obscure Rune Pagoda sped onward, continuously shattering space, and in a short time, it plunged into the Turbulent Void Domain surrounding the periphery of the Desolate Domain.

On a massive meteor, Zi Yao sat high upon a seven-colored crystal throne, her beautiful eyes swirling with profound light that pierced the heavens and earth. She released her spiritual consciousness, silently sensing, trying to locate Shi Yan’s trace within the Turbulent Void Domain.

“Hiss!”

A streak of crystalline light suddenly sliced through the space ahead. The flash made her soul tremble violently.

She snapped her eyes open, astonishing light erupting from them. Her lips curved in surprise: “The Obscure Rune Pagoda!” she shrieked. Initially bewildered, she quickly recovered, immediately using her spiritual consciousness to perceive the light’s trajectory. Then, her true form beneath the meteor shifted, instantly transforming the meteor itself into a shooting star.

This single shooting star closely followed the light formed by the Obscure Rune Pagoda, rapidly advancing toward Shi Yan’s location. ... The Continent of Divine Grace.

Adela, Ming Hao, Xuan He, and the others were gathered behind the Undying Island. They all stared intently at Shi Yan and Audrey, their expressions gloomy, heavy with deep worry.

Shi Yan’s soul had detached from the sacrificial altar and entered Audrey’s mind. They secretly hoped to see signs of Audrey improving.

Sadly, Audrey remained deeply unconscious, and even her breathing was gradually weakening.

In contrast, Shi Yan’s physical body was deeply furrowed in the brow, appearing to face a great dilemma, which caused their hearts to sink, making them even more anxious.

Dracula, Xi Luo, and Guy of the Bone Race, along with Mantis and Mei Ji of the Phantom Race, had also gathered there, watching Shi Yan use his soul projection to devour that portion of Audrey’s origin.

“Whoosh! Whoosh!”

Suddenly, within this Turbulent Void Domain, far from the Continent of Divine Grace, a fierce wave of fluctuation violently struck.

Xi Luo and Mantis’s expressions shifted simultaneously. After sensing it secretly, they found the incoming fluctuation extremely strong and potentially threatening to the Continent of Divine Grace.

Before Shi Yan acted unrestrainedly, he had entrusted the two with safeguarding the continent. Having promised, they naturally had to ensure the Continent of Divine Grace remained unharmed. As the violent fluctuation approached, Xi Luo’s expression turned solemn, and he declared, “I’ll go out and look!”

Xi Luo transformed into a golden arrow, piercing through the barrier light curtain on the surface of the Continent of Divine Grace. Only upon appearing in the center of the Turbulent Void Domain did his eyes immediately brighten, and he cried out in shock: “The Obscure Rune Pagoda!”

He instantly grasped the strangeness of the situation. After pondering for a few seconds, he urgently sent a message to Mantis: “Lower the barrier shield! The Obscure Rune Pagoda is returning!”

Mantis, inside the Continent of Divine Grace, was stunned by Xi Luo’s words. Without hesitation, she quickly began condensing Obscure power, cooperating with Xi Luo to cause the multiple layers of barriers on the Continent of Divine Grace to dissipate.

“Boom!”

The Obscure Rune Pagoda, which had been a streak of crystalline light, abruptly changed as it neared the Continent of Divine Grace, transforming into a towering giant structure.

The colossal pagoda slowly descended, sinking through layers of clouds toward the direction above Shi Yan’s head.

Most strangely, the pagoda paused momentarily directly above Shi Yan, as if contemplating something...

“This, this is?” Dracula of the Bone Race hesitated for a moment before realizing what was happening. “The Obscure Rune Pagoda integrated with Shi Yan’s secondary soul. Now, Shi Yan’s soul is in Audrey’s mind, and Audrey’s aura is clearly different from before.”

Upon hearing this, everyone was stunned, their expressions filled with confusion.

The one truly merged with the Obscure Rune Pagoda was Shi Yan’s secondary soul, while his primary soul was in Audrey’s mind. Yet, the Pagoda remembered the aura of Shi Yan’s main physical body. This caused the Pagoda confusion; it didn't know whether to fall into Shi Yan’s body or enter Audrey’s mind.

Everyone held their breath, staring blankly at the Obscure Rune Pagoda, waiting to see what move it would make.

“Whoosh!”

The Obscure Rune Pagoda transformed again into a streak of light and actually descended toward Audrey’s mind, sinking into her soul altar.

The crowd couldn't help but cry out. ... Within Audrey’s soul altar.

Shi Yan’s soul, like a faint shadow, paused before Audrey’s Primordial World, which resembled a Nether Purgatory. He sent a call toward her main soul, which floated above the Primordial World.

Audrey sent no reply, but the Obscure Rune Pagoda transmitted a response, seeming to approach him rapidly from the outside.

As Shi Yan was stunned, a terrifying fluctuation erupted from the Soul Refining Cauldron within the dark recesses of Audrey’s Primordial World. Immediately, countless snake-like, winding soul lines, carrying a terrifying aura of entanglement, rushed to bind his soul, intending to drag his soul into the Soul Refining Cauldron and refine it.

The Soul Refining Cauldron was a divine artifact of the soul type. Having fused with Audrey’s origin, the moment Shi Yan appeared there, the Cauldron instinctively treated him as an enemy.

Without needing a single thought from Audrey, the Soul Refining Cauldron launched an attack on Shi Yan within Audrey’s soul altar.

This was almost impossible to resolve!

To be treated as the master by a mere wisp of soul within another person's soul altar, especially when that master possessed a soul-type Primordial Divine Artifact—this was practically courting death.

As the terrifying aura released from the Soul Refining Cauldron slowly drifted toward him, Shi Yan’s soul trembled. He continuously transmitted messages to Audrey, but finding no response, and seeing the situation deteriorate, he dared not linger. He prepared to retreat from Audrey’s soul altar.

Just then, a strong light, like a world tearing through the haze, suddenly flashed brilliantly.

The enormous Obscure Rune Pagoda abruptly phased in from the outside world, acting like armor capable of defending against all things, enveloping his soul. Under the shroud of the Obscure Rune Pagoda, the soul offensive released by the Soul Refining Cauldron was actually unable to penetrate it, unable to inflict damage on his soul.

Shi Yan suddenly felt a sense of blood connection, as if, at this moment, he had truly merged with the Obscure Rune Pagoda.

Before, because the Obscure Rune Pagoda contained the soul imprint left by Hui, that previous integration had not been complete; impurities existed within the tower, and until they were removed, true fusion was impossible.

Now, the impurities—Hui’s soul imprint—had been tempered repeatedly by the Devourer, finally being completely erased.

He had lost the Obscure Rune Pagoda for a period and thought he would never obtain it again. Unexpectedly, this misfortune turned into a blessing: the Pagoda, now purged of impurities by the Devourer, had, strictly speaking, only today truly merged as one with him. The truly merged Obscure Rune Pagoda carried his soul aura and fluctuations, making it impossible for anyone else to easily seize it.

Unless he perished and his soul imprint completely scattered across the world, no one could ever take the Obscure Rune Pagoda from his grasp!

He suddenly understood.

Enveloped by the Obscure Rune Pagoda, he no longer feared the entanglement of the souls within the Soul Refining Cauldron. He could concentrate his attention on summoning Audrey.

“I am Shi Yan!”

“I am Shi Yan!”

“It is me!”

He called out again and again, hoping to establish a connection with Audrey, hoping to gain her active assistance.

After an unknown period, the Soul Refining Cauldron suddenly quieted, ceasing its attacks. As Shi Yan wondered why, he finally received a reply from Audrey: “Shi Yan, my situation is dire. It… is gradually growing stronger. It seems capable of locking onto my soul through my origin. I am being consumed bit by bit, and my consciousness is nearly fading...” Audrey’s telepathic message was intermittent, showing just how weak she truly was becoming.

“I entered here precisely to help you, but my method might harm you. I need your cooperation to let me fuse with your origin; otherwise, your soul will be exhausted until it is erased.” Shi Yan dared not hesitate, quickly and clearly stating the situation: “This is the only way. That origin is gradually merging, and its mark is within your soul; it can find you through that origin and slowly erase you.”

“Can you tell me why you are unaffected?” Audrey suddenly asked.

“My soul… does not belong to the Desolate Domain at all,” Shi Yan replied after thinking it over.

Audrey was silent for a few seconds. “Fine, I will cooperate with you... Uh, we have unexpected guests arriving, so just this one chapter for today. My apologies~~RQ

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