In the inky blackness of the sea, Shi Yan's heart churned, his expression shifting to one of intense solemnity and conflict.

To reclaim the original Zi Yao?

He was undeniably tempted. He knew a little about the connection between the Primeval Beings' main bodies and their avatars, but surely not as intimately as Yuan Zu.

Ever since the day he witnessed Zi Yao walking hand-in-hand with "Hui," becoming utterly unrecognizable, he had believed it impossible to ever recover the Zi Yao of old. Many times afterward, "Hui" had spoken with Zi Yao’s tone and emotion, seemingly just like her, but he understood better than anyone: the Zi Yao now was not the one he once knew.

He had thought he had lost Zi Yao completely.

Now, Yuan Zu claimed he could help him—help him find the original Zi Yao—and even suggested using Zi Yao’s separated soul to replace "Hui’s" primary soul. This filled him with both excitement and profound suspicion; he doubted Yuan Zu’s motives, suspecting he was merely using him.

Yet, this fragile hope stirred his very core. After a long pause, Shi Yan made a resolute decision: even if it was a trap, he had to try for the sake of the true Zi Yao!

If he rejected this chance, he would truly have no other opportunity, no slightest possibility of ever seeing Zi Yao again!

"Good!" Shi Yan grunted, his voice deep. "As long as you let me see her truly, let me speak with her, I will believe you have the ability!"

"Wait here," Yuan Zu replied just as decisively, and with that declaration, he vanished.

"Whoosh!"

The divine body of the Dragon Lizard Ancestor was suddenly enveloped by a current of water and sent over, appearing beside Shi Yan.

In the pitch-dark sea, he couldn't see the Dragon Lizard Ancestor, only perceive him through soul-sense. He knew this was Yuan Zu using his power to relocate the Ancestor, a gesture indicating his willingness to cooperate.

His heart pounding, Shi Yan frowned deeply in the crushing depths, silently awaiting Yuan Zu’s next move.

The ocean, which had submerged the continent's land and sky, completely contained Yuan Zu’s true form. Within this sea, "Hui's" twelve celestial serpents were also present, currently locked in battle with the "Giant Turtle" in the deep abyss.

Napton and the others, who had been positioned on the outer edge of the continent and were plotting an assault, now looked at the landmass only to find it gone, swallowed by the immense ocean. This expanse of water not only drowned the continent but was rapidly expanding, engulfing several surrounding planets as well!

In this vast domain, amidst the endless expanse of stars, an ocean materialized from nowhere, creeping over one planet after another. The sea continued to spread throughout the entire domain, giving the terrifying impression that it intended to transform the whole realm into a single, continuous ocean. This power was simply staggering!

Napton and his group, having been on the verge of action, were forced to retreat from the immediate danger. They began fleeing towards the edges of the domain, heading for areas not yet submerged by the rising tide.

This process continued for several tens of days. During this period, numerous lifeless planets nearby were consumed by the surging waters. This region had always been desolate, consisting mainly of dead stars—Hui had sought this location precisely to refine the Dragon Lizard Ancestor, hence the lack of life.

It was a perfect stage for Yuan Zu to unleash his profound mysteries without restraint.

Tens of days passed, and the ocean now spanned over a dozen planets, filling one-fifth of the domain.

In the black water, Shi Yan waited patiently for those tens of days. He could sense the struggle between Hui and the Giant Turtle never ceased. As the seawater surged, the Giant Turtle's power continuously grew stronger. The spread of the water only halted because of Hui's counterattack, its strength gradually stemming the tide.

Shi Yan and the Dragon Lizard Ancestor were essentially suspended within the ocean manifested by Yuan Zu’s profound art and power, entirely within the scope of Yuan Zu’s conscious control.

The two had been communicating for a long time. Shi Yan wanted the Dragon Lizard Ancestor to leave temporarily, but the Ancestor refused, insisting on staying to witness the battle of the Primeval Beings and seek an opportunity to help Shi Yan achieve his goal of awakening and reclaiming Zi Yao—though he still didn't know who Zi Yao was.

"Follow me." On this day, Yuan Zu’s figure suddenly reappeared. The moment he materialized, the black ocean instantly turned transparent and colorless, the water becoming crystal clear, leaving Shi Yan and the Dragon Lizard Ancestor with unimpeded vision.

A spiraling tunnel materialized behind Yuan Zu, into which he slowly receded.

Shi Yan and the Dragon Lizard Ancestor followed.

Passing through the underwater tunnel, a dazzling radiance suddenly erupted, interwoven with ribbons of rainbow light. A spectacular deep-sea world instantly unfolded before their eyes.

Hui’s twelve-headed celestial serpent form was still engaged in combat with Yuan Zu’s main body deep below, both appearing evenly matched, neither seeming to gain the upper hand.

Battles between Primeval Beings, unless there is an overwhelming disparity in power, tend to be extremely prolonged. The fight between Huang and Shi was said to have lasted tens of thousands of years without resolution.

Similarly, the confrontation between Hui and the Giant Turtle would not cease quickly under normal circumstances; it could potentially rage until the end of an entire era.

"I will use my Primal Soul Orb to invade her soul and temporarily suppress her main consciousness, preventing her from fully controlling everything. At that moment, you must call out to Zi Yao, call forth her separated soul. I believe that the Zi Yao separated soul itself will guide you on what to do," Yuan Zu explained gravely in his human form. "The moment I deploy my Primal Soul Orb, I put myself in grave danger. Please... be mindful. I have no intention of perishing alongside Hui. You absolutely must be alert: if my Primal Soul Orb retreats, you must never trust anything she says again!"

"Do it now," Shi Yan took a deep breath and commanded decisively.

The massive water sphere that the Giant Turtle had swallowed suddenly spat it back out. His Primal Soul Orb instantly transformed, splitting into twelve, becoming twelve dark streams. Each stream was condensed from pure soul energy, and the purity and density of any single stream rivaled the entire sum of the soul energy in Shi Yan’s Soul Lake!

These twelve streams, formed by integrating soul energy with consciousness and profound laws, shot out like twelve beams of dark light, plunging into the twelve serpent heads of Hui.

The fierce battle instantly froze!

The Giant Turtle's colossal body and Hui's undulating celestial serpent form stopped moving simultaneously. Their physical battle had transformed into the most terrifying war of souls!

Shi Yan secretly probed with his senses, keenly perceiving that within Hui's twelve serpent heads, its powerful soul fluctuations seemed to be pinned down by twelve invisible, massive hands!

It was exactly as Yuan Zu had described: he had used his Primal Soul Orb to invade Hui's twelve souls, restraining its spirit and leaving it incapable of controlling its other manifestations.

"Zi Yao! Zi Yao!" Shi Yan acted immediately. His figure flashed, and he appeared next to the serpent head bearing the throne, where Zi Yao sat motionlessly with a vacant expression. He shouted repeatedly, "I am Shi Yan, wake up! Wake up now!"

His repeated calls struck Zi Yao’s graceful form like strange, piercing currents.

The vacant look on Zi Yao's face gradually melted into confusion, like someone struggling to wake after a long, deep sleep.

Shi Yan’s mind raced with urgency, calling her name again and again.

With Hui’s twelve souls suppressed and its spirit drained, a faint ripple gradually appeared in Zi Yao’s eyes. Shi Yan was overjoyed and hurried, "It's me! Zi Yao! It’s me!"

The faint ripple spread, like a single spark igniting a prairie fire. Zi Yao's spirit rapidly returned; her bright eyes suddenly snapped open, and she shrieked in terror, "No, don't erase my consciousness! Please, I beg you, leave me alone!"

"It's me! It’s me, Shi Yan!"

"Shi Yan? Zi Yao? I am Zi Yao? I am Zi Yao!"

Zi Yao’s body convulsed violently, as if struck by lightning, and she truly awoke. With almost no hesitation, she lunged into Shi Yan's embrace, panicked and distraught. "Take me away! Far, far away! It has always controlled my body and mind; I am no longer myself, no longer capable of independent will! Take me away! Get me out of this endless nightmare!"

"I will, I will. Trust me. I won't just take you out of the nightmare; I will give you a beautiful dream," Shi Yan affirmed as he held the trembling, familiar body close. This was Zi Yao, the real Zi Yao!

"Shi Yan, that old man mentioned he doesn't have much time. He said your woman knows what needs to be done. I think... you can catch up on your reunion later," the Dragon Lizard Ancestor reminded him at the opportune moment, noticing that Shi Yan's emotions were highly volatile, lacking his usual composure.

Shi Yan's expression shifted slightly as he grasped the reality of the situation. He said gravely, "Time is short. I will explain the situation first: someone has temporarily suppressed Hui’s soul, rendering it unable to control you. But this window is brief. Tell me, is there any possibility for your soul to take the initiative, to seize control of its soul consciousness? What method exists to succeed?"

"My power is too weak," Zi Yao shook her head repeatedly. "It is too powerful, stronger than anything I have ever known. I can feel its terror; no living being can defeat it."

"There is!" Shi Yan roared. "Forget the strength disparity for a moment, just tell me what needs to be done?"

"It has twelve souls, all interconnected. The main soul is here!" Zi Yao pointed to the massive serpent head beneath the throne. "The main soul is the key! If the main soul can be conquered, there might be a chance! If I can take the initiative and seize control of its main soul, then I can command the primary body and wield endless power. Integrating the other separated souls would then become slightly easier. But my soul is too weak; fusing with its main soul is almost impossible. If it exerts even a fraction of its strength, I will be utterly annihilated."

"Now! Its soul is restrained; we should try!" Shi Yan urged.

"I'm scared..." Zi Yao shook her head constantly, trembling all over, deep fear visible in her eyes—a terror rooted to the marrow that prevented her from daring to attempt it.

"I will help you!"

Shi Yan pushed Zi Yao aside, suddenly roaring as he unleashed the power of his blood. His small frame instantly swelled, transforming into a terrifying giant in a mere ten seconds, wielding the Fallen Galaxy Star. To Zi Yao’s stunned gaze, the Primeval Artifact Fallen Galaxy Star transformed into a long chain.

He grasped the chain and wrapped it around Hui’s primary serpent head, tightening the coils. His eyes blazing red, he roared at Zi Yao, "Plunge into the depths of its soul!"

...RQ