The scheme was Cilan's idea: to guide the world's energy away from this location, depleting it to force Shi Yan and his group to vacate their foothold, thus clearing the way for them to explore the Fallen Star River.

The Holy Land itself had no concept of fluctuating energy tides; they were merely utilizing the five hubs connected to it to siphon energy away, creating the illusion of depletion. Cilan secretly gloated over this stratagem, a plan wholeheartedly endorsed by Darsa and Vandler.

Unexpectedly, Shi Yan had flatly refused!

Cilan’s radiant face froze in a strained smile. She clenched her fingers tightly, suppressing a surge of anger. "You came to the Yunmeng Realm to cultivate; you must surely need a suitable treasure ground. Since the energy here is clearly depleted, why cling to it so stubbornly?"

"Our affairs are none of your concern," Shi Yan sneered, his voice stern. "If there is nothing else, you may withdraw!"

He was acting as the master of this place!

Vandler, Darsa, and the surrounding Cloud Clan warriors had their expressions darken, killing intent flaring in their eyes. They were genuinely enraged.

Too arrogant!

"Huh! Isn't that Darsa and Cilan?" a soft exclamation drifted from the depths of the sea of clouds.

A dozen figures subtly materialized—another wave of Cloud Clan members. Leading them was an elder with a white beard reaching his chest, his face etched with the ravages of time, looking as ancient and brittle as a dying old tree. Most of the Cloud Clan members beside him were silver-haired and very elderly. Upon the chests of their garments were clusters of swirling mist, like a totem or tattoo, moving as if they were real clouds.

They were members of the Cloud Clan’s Sacrificial Order. The oldest elder was High Priest Okuin. The Sacrificial Order functioned much like the council of elders in other races, holding the power to elect and depose the Clan Chief.

The previous Cloud Clan Chief had been elected by High Priest Okuin and the Sacrificial Order, granting the Order an extremely revered status within the clan.

However, Darsa’s position as Chief was not recommended by the Sacrificial Order. He had risen forcefully with Vandler’s assistance, ascending directly to the Chieftainship without the Order’s consent, continuously eroding their authority until the Sacrificial Order gradually became a powerless institution dedicated solely to venerating the Cloud Clan ancestors.

Today, Okuin had brought the Order members here precisely to worship the Cloud Clan ancestors at the Holy Land.

The Holy Land had been purged years ago by the Phantom Clan members led by Vandler, causing many structures to collapse and sink into the sea of clouds, almost erasing any trace of its former glory. Yet, these elders, staunch upholders of Cloud Clan tradition, still came to pay their respects on schedule.

"Darsa is quarreling with whom?" Okuin approached cautiously, filled with suspicion.

As they neared the Holy Land, Okuin's face turned ashen, and the Sacrificial Order members were filled with mounting fury. They realized that not only was the Holy Land occupied by a Life Star, but the very heaven and earth energy of the sacred site was drastically diminishing.

"Darsa! What is the meaning of this?" Okuin roared from a distance. "The Holy Land's energy is weakening. Are you channeling this place's energy through the hubs to those other five valleys? What you are doing is a profound insult to the Cloud Clan ancestors!"

"Furthermore, what is this Life Star doing here? Why is there a Life Star over our Cloud Clan Holy Land? What trickery are you pulling?" another voice sharply interrogated.

Darsa hadn't anticipated the Sacrificial Order’s arrival. Hearing their reprimands, his expression darkened, and he didn't rush to reply.

Shi Yan’s eyes, however, flashed with a cold light. "So the decline of the local energy is connected to your secret siphoning. Heh, you have quite the nerve. Don't you know that the Yunmeng Realm has been bestowed upon me by the esteemed Mandis of the Phantom Clan?"

Okuin and the others froze again. They looked at Vandler, then at Shi Yan, momentarily confused about what internal shifts had occurred within the Phantom Clan.

"I am guarding this place now. You have three hours. If the world energy here has not rebounded after three hours, don't blame me for being impolite," Shi Yan suddenly chuckled coldly.

Darsa, Cilan, and Vandler exchanged grim glances upon hearing this. Vandler, in particular, felt the sting; he had worked hard to conquer the Yunmeng Realm, secured Darsa’s full support, and diminished the Sacrificial Order’s power, effectively becoming the master of the realm. To simply discard it all based on a word from Mandis—he could never agree.

"Instead of staying hidden and clinging to your miserable existence, you insist on stirring up trouble. It seems I was too soft-hearted back then," Vandler stated with a gloomy expression, his gaze fixed on the Sacrificial Order members, starlight glittering in his pupils.

Brilliant, dazzling stars suddenly coalesced over the sea of clouds, like perfect diamonds or cold lamps. An aura of eternal stars and everlasting cosmic seas instantly spread, instilling a sense of insignificance in everyone present.

Those cold stars shimmered like lively sprites, surging with refined, pure energy. One after another, they plummeted from the sky, heading toward the members of the Sacrificial Order.

Okuin and the others showed sheer terror as the cold stars rushed toward them.

"Back then, I spared you because I respected that you were elders who had done much for the Cloud Clan over the years. But now that you are so ungrateful, there is nothing I can do for you anymore…" Darsa, the current Cloud Clan Chief, watched Okuin and his group coldly, inwardly furious that they had exposed Cilan's plot. He had no intention of persuading Vandler—he was growing annoyed himself.

"Shi Yan?" the Sea Shark Emperor hissed, questioning with his eyes.

Shi Yan was intently watching Vandler execute the Starry Mystery, observing the trajectory of each star, silently absorbing the patterns within. Hearing the Sea Shark Emperor’s low call, he suddenly snapped back to attention. He narrowed his eyes and said, "I almost forgot; we are the masters here!"

He nodded to the Sea Shark Emperor.

The Sea Shark Emperor understood immediately. He swung his hands, and two vast rivers flowed out from his sleeves. The water was crystal clear, and upon closer inspection, one could see pebbles, swimming fish, seaweed, and bubbles at the bottom—everything one expects to see in a true river.

After obtaining the Origin Talisman, his Water Mystery had advanced significantly. These two rivers, condensed by divine power, looked almost indistinguishable from real water at a glance!

The two rivers swept out from the Sea Shark Emperor's sleeves, crossing to form an ‘X’ directly above the heads of Okuin and the Sacrificial Order members.

The brilliant stars descended but sank into the two wide rivers instead. Pulled and guided by the soft force of the water, the stars began to churn and flow sluggishly, their speed drastically reduced, held back by the currents.

"Sea Shark Emperor!" Vandler shouted coldly. "You dare oppose my Phantom Clan? Currently, the Soul Clan, Devourer Clan, Black Demon Clan, and Ancient Fiend Clan are all pursuing you in the Shattered Sea. You have already offended so many powers; do you intend to make an enemy of the Phantom Clan as well?"

The Starry Mystery was intercepted; the strike could not instantly land on Okuin’s group, provoking Vandler into a fit of rage, leading to immediate threats.

"You do not represent the Phantom Clan," the Sea Shark Emperor replied calmly. "Elder Mandis represents the Phantom Clan. I believe she won't mind me stopping you. Feel free to report me if you disagree."

"Vandler, Elder Mandis was explicit when she left: I am to manage this Yunmeng Realm. I am the master here from now on," Shi Yan remained composed. "This is no longer Vandler's domain. I suggest you leave soon and do not obstruct my work!"

"You are using Mandis to pressure me?" Vandler’s handsome face was livid. "You lowly human race member dares to confront me! Do you think that with Mandis backing you, you can surely subdue me?"

Shi Yan gave a casual shrug. "I can subdue you even without Mandis. Feel free to try if you doubt it!"

"I really want to try!" Vandler roared. His divine body suddenly transformed into a cold, eerie meteor—like a chilling arrow capable of shattering the firmament. The moment the arrow appeared, even the Sea Shark Emperor’s expression changed drastically, forcing him to condense his full power to resist.

"I’ll handle it," Shi Yan said, raising a hand to stop the Sea Shark Emperor.

Bizarre spatial ripples layered one upon another directly in front of Shi Yan. Multiple dimensions seemed to stack up, forming a thick spatial barrier.

These barriers shifted from blurry to distinct, gradually taking on an icy, crystalline hue, appearing as if they were formed from countless solidified crystals, shimmering with a pure luster.

"Spatial Crystal Wall!"

Okuin and the others exclaimed, their eyes wide with astonishment, then sudden excitement after a quick glance.

Fan Huimai’s beautiful face grew grave. Seeing Shi Yan proficient in the Spatial Mystery gave her a sense of unease, as those capable of condensing the Spatial Crystal Wall were rumored to be Domain Ancestors! Although Shi Yan only exhibited the aura of the Immortal Realm, his ability to conjure the Spatial Crystal Wall signaled that his true power was formidable.

"Kaka-kaka-kaka!"

The meteor-arrow, transformed from Vandler, slammed into the icy Spatial Crystal Wall. The wall shattered like breaking glass, fragments of crystal light exploding outwards. Despite the rapid disintegration, the meteor-arrow's speed only slowed marginally before continuing its assault on Shi Yan.

"There is still a gap of one realm between the Domain Ancestor and the peak Immortal Realm," the Sea Shark Emperor sighed inwardly, preparing to intervene, already gathering his energy.

"Boom!"

Suddenly, starlight intertwined within Shi Yan’s divine body’s acupoints. In an instant, these streams of light converged into a star chart, where stars flickered amidst a tapestry of light—complex and mysterious, as if holding the profound secrets of the starry sea.

The meteor, having pierced through layers of spatial barriers only to slow down more than tenfold, pierced the star chart. Bathed in the chart’s starlight, it seemed to have suddenly lost its way.

The chart shifted, transforming into a radiant net of starlight. Then, beams of starlight shot out. Everyone focused their gaze and saw that Vandler was tethered by these strands of light, enveloped in a tightly woven net of stellar fabric. Before anyone could cry out, Vandler suddenly "popped," exploding into countless motes of starlight that dissipated.

Those motes of light immediately coalesced again, reforming Vandler’s figure. His expression was grave, shocked. "You are also proficient in the Starry Mystery!"

"So, you are also here for the Fallen Star River." High Priest Okuin’s pupils constricted, and he finally understood, guessing the true purpose behind Shi Yan’s arrival.

...RQ