"What trouble?" Shi Yan's heart stirred, sensing a trace of seriousness in the other's tone. Dracula did not answer immediately.

He turned his head to look at Xuan He, Philete, and then at Yang Qingdi, Blood Fiend, and Ferlan—each of them bore a distinct crimson cloud mark centered on their brow, strikingly visible. That small marking clearly distinguished those of the Bloodthirsty lineage from everyone else.

Many years ago, every single servant of the Bloodthirsty entity, who had inherited one of the Eight Great Evil Powers, bore such a crimson cloud mark on their forehead. This mark was unique to the Bloodthirsty lineage, serving as the identification sign for the warriors of the Eight Great Systems to confirm each other's identity.

Could there be a problem? Shi Yan also tensed up.

"Let's talk somewhere else; this place... isn't very convenient," Dracula said, hesitant and thoughtful.

He immediately swept out toward the edge of Undead Island. Surrounding Undead Island were numerous islands of varying sizes, scattered like gravel, all equally brimming with energy.

Dracula landed on a relatively secluded islet. After settling, he took a moment to organize his thoughts.

When Shi Yan stood still, Dracula suddenly spoke, "You must have observed carefully: the subordinates of those Primordial Beings like Hui and Shi also bear similar marks. For instance, Hui’s soul slaves bear a mark of a dark cyan Heavenly Snake, and many warriors under Shi have forehead marks resembling a dark cavern." "That is indeed true," Shi Yan nodded.

"But the clan members of the Shi race, like Ega and Rabbit, do not have similar marks. Do you know why?" "Why?" "Ega and Rabbit were derived from the essence, blood, and soul refinement of Shi himself.

Shi truly viewed them as his descendants, so he naturally would not engrave a soul brand upon them. That brand is a slave brand!

Once formed, they become the master’s thrall, unable to ever break free!" Dracula took a deep breath, his expression solemn. "What is more severe!

The soul brand is exceptionally malicious; it is intrinsically linked to the master’s primary soul. Should the master perish or be destroyed, those subordinates could be affected instantly, leading to the collapse of their souls!

Shi treated the Shi clan members like Ega and Rabbit as descendants, not as slaves, hence the absence of the soul imprint..." He was the most ancient senior of the Bone Race, having survived for an extraordinarily long time. He was a highly intelligent being born after the Primordial Era, deeply knowledgeable about the brutality and tyranny of the powerful beings from that time.

The soul imprint was a unique identifier of the Primordial Beings! Once branded, the soul and life freedom were forfeited; one became a slave for life.

They might even perish upon the master's demise. This mark was a cage, capable of binding a warrior for their entire existence!

Hearing Dracula's explanation, a chill crept up Shi Yan’s spine. He finally understood why Dracula had sought privacy when discussing these matters away from Xuan He, Ming Hao, and Philete.

If Xuan He and the others realized that the mark on their brows signified a lifetime of servitude, how would they react? "This mark existed when I received the inheritance." Shi Yan gently rubbed his forehead with his finger.

His forehead was smooth; the mark resided deep within the central soul and didn't manifest outwardly like Xuan He's. It only flickered faintly when he channeled energy.

"If it is that serious, does this mean I am also someone else's soul slave?" Sharp light instantly shot from his eyes, and Shi Yan’s expression shifted. "This mark comes from Bloodthirsty.

He was not a Primordial Being; how could he know this? If the mark exists, does it mean he is still alive?" A cascade of perplexing thoughts flooded his mind.

He lightly rubbed the Blood Pattern Ring, searching through its memories. Having merged with Putai's Soul Altar, he had essentially absorbed all the memories of the Ring Spirit.

Now, he meticulously searched, discovering absolutely no mention of the mark in Putai's recollections—not a single clue concerning it, which made him increasingly uneasy. He sensed something was deeply wrong!

Dracula watched him, his pupils dark and distant. After a long moment, he spoke deliberately, word by word, "That crimson mark must have been condensed from the last wisp of Bloodthirsty's remnant soul!" Shi Yan's mind was struck by a massive tremor.

Bloodthirsty's remnant soul? The colossal demonic king who dominated the Desolate Domain for years and forced even Shi into silence—had he not completely dissipated even now?

Was he truly that ferocious? "Before speaking with you, I inquired of Xuan He and Ming Hao about the terror associated with that 'Bloodthirsty.' He was forged by the Primordial Being Huang using the essence blood of the Four Great Races, granted a soul's life, yet he was influenced midway by Shi, inheriting Devour and the Eight Great Evil Powers.

Bloodthirsty was, in essence, an evolution of a part of a Primordial Being's physical body! To call him not a Primordial Being is hardly accurate.

Having inherited Huang's physical form and the profound insights of Shi, it is hardly surprising he would know the soul imprint secret arts of the Primordial Beings." Dracula’s voice was low and solemn, his expression grave. "Given the mysterious nature of that soul imprint, if that imprint were equally malevolent, Xuan He, Philete, and others bearing the mark should have had their souls instantly scattered at the moment of Bloodthirsty's demise!" "Xuan He and the others are perfectly fine.

This leaves only two explanations. Either the mark he placed back then was not as toxic or evil, and not tied to the soul slaves' lives—in which case, even if he perished, the soul slaves would survive.

If that is not the case, only one explanation remains: he has not been completely extinguished; a sliver of remnant soul still exists, and the mark deep within your primary soul is the concentration of that remnant soul!" Pausing briefly, Dracula exhaled sharply. "If this is true, there may come a day when he reawakens, using that mark to replace you, and achieving rebirth using your flesh, blood, and soul altar!" Like a world-shattering thunderclap, it roared through Shi Yan's mind.

His expression gradually turned icy cold. Dracula watched him silently, saying no more.

He felt that he had explained enough. He believed that if Shi Yan was ruthless and decisive enough, he would know what to do next.

So, he remained silent, watching Shi Yan. Shi Yan, exuding a chilling aura like glacial ice, managed a chuckle after fifteen minutes.

"Regardless of the possibility, I must thank you. No matter which scenario is true, I will immediately start cutting off every possibility!" Dracula nodded slightly.

"Then I am relieved." He did not linger. Transforming into a streak of faint light, he vanished from the area in an instant.

After his disappearance, Shi Yan remained silent for a long while. Suddenly, he became like a ghost, sinking into the earth.

He lingered inside the island, and the moment his figure vanished, layers of thick, ominous clouds rolled over. Within these clouds, lightning crisscrossed and gale-force winds howled coldly, forming a barrier that shielded against conscious exploration, preventing anyone from delving deep.

Even martial artists of the level of Xi Luo or Mandis would find it difficult to penetrate easily, because this was the Continent of Divine Grace. His continent, exclusively his own!

Deep beneath the islet, the solid stones naturally split apart, forming a crude stone chamber as if fashioned by a deity. The chamber was completely sealed, admitting no air or light.

Shi Yan began his inner observation of the Soul Altar within this room, gathering his consciousness and thoughts until they transformed into surging waves that enveloped his primary soul layer by layer. Above the Origin Realm, the primary soul appeared almost transparent.

In its center, within the brow, a small crimson mark was visible, with many fine soul lines writhing like tiny snakes around its edges. "Devour!" A cold command echoed in his mind.

The Devouring Black Hole suddenly soared forth, transforming into a miniature, pitch-black vortex. It slowly merged into the center of his primary soul's brow, the black vortex directly facing the mark, to prevent any sudden mutation that might lead to unforeseen consequences.

Streams of starlight and flowing light were pulled in, along with the Profundities of Death and Darkness, which were deployed to construct a barrier within the Devouring Black Hole. With everything prepared, Shi Yan gathered all his conscious thought, condensing it into a stream as thick as a finger, which suddenly shot into the mark!

This was his first time entering the interior of the crimson cloud mark! A scarlet sea of clouds, thick as fresh blood, churned and gathered, forming a vast, hazy expanse.

As Shi Yan's consciousness seeped in, he suddenly felt a surge of irritability, as if he might lose control of his inner desires and sink irretrievably into endless slaughter! This was the influence of the crimson cloud sea upon his consciousness!

His soul consciousness hovered over the blood-red cloud sea. He observed in secret, silently sensing every subtle fluctuation of energy in this place, attempting to unravel the enigma that had troubled him for years.

Suddenly, the cloud sea began to roil, abruptly manifesting clear images one after another. In every image, there was an incredibly majestic and domineering man with a head of fiery red hair and eyes like crimson suns, slaughtering his way through countless warriors.

That invincible aura, looking down upon the heavens and the earth, was profoundly felt even through the images. Within Shi Yan's soul consciousness, the feeling was especially shocking, as if a primeval demon roared at the sky, intent on slaughtering all living beings and tearing the violent reality back into the world through the image!

It was an indescribable shock to the spirit! Scene after scene depicted the giant demon conquering the heavens and earth, forcing all beings into submission and worship.

Gradually, the images contracted and converged, transforming into one supremely clear tapestry. In this tapestry, the gigantic scarlet figure wrestled with a massive, octopus-like creature.

The battle raged fiercely, shattering the heavens and earth, exploding stars like mere light spheres... Shi Yan clearly understood that this was the battle between Bloodthirsty and Shi.

Watching the scene made his blood boil; it was as if he witnessed the peerless dominance of Bloodthirsty in his prime! This final image was Bloodthirsty's profound memory.

It contained no confrontation with the Divine Lord; there was no siege against him orchestrated by the Divine Lord and the combined power of various races. This proved...

Bloodthirsty never truly regarded the Divine Lord Brian as an equal adversary; the battle with Shi was the pinnacle of his life. It was an indelible, profound memory!

As the images shifted, the marvelous crimson cloud sea gradually thinned, and the mark etched deep in his soul began to dissipate little by little. Simultaneously, a faint, ancient voice echoed softly in his mind.

"My successor, you have finally managed to enter this place, which means you are only one step away from the Domain Ancestor Realm. This is the last trace of my brand; it will slowly vanish now, and I will finally be annihilated.

My entire life has been presented before you in the manner just witnessed; it will become the direction for your continued conquest. I have only one request for you—devour and refine both Shi and Huang!

My appearance, my existence, my entire life, were all sacrifices in their struggle! You are my successor, the hope I entrust; please help me destroy them utterly!"