Tam of the Skywright Clan was drenched in blood, one severed arm showing sinew and flesh splitting open like writhing earthworms, a sight that made the scalp crawl. Standing at the lip of the volcano, gouts of flame soared upward, nearly submerging Tam entirely.

The other Skywright clansmen watched him from afar, their anxiety palpable. —They could not be certain if Tam had managed to shatter the secret teleportation array.

In the void above, massive warship fleets hung like predatory sharks. The expressions of the powerhouses from the Four Clans were icy, and one could faintly perceive soul altars manifesting—evidence that someone was employing Soul Secret Arts to fuel the arcane power necessary to maintain a divine formation designed to seal spirits.

Many of the Skywright clansmen felt their souls pinned down by an immense mountain, overwhelmed by the dread of being unable to escape this location. They knew well that the Four Clansmen had already struck in secret; if Tam failed, or refused to cooperate, the fate awaiting them would be incomparably bloody and cruel.

The annihilation of their race was no mere scaremongering; the combined might of those four allied races could indeed erase any living being! “Lord Tam?

How is it?” “Tam… surely… surely it’s alright?” “There absolutely cannot be any error!” Each and every Skywright clansman trembled with tension, their speech faltering. Many of those with lower cultivation levels sweated profusely from terror, their knees buckling, poised to collapse entirely should the news prove unfavorable.

They were genuinely terrified! “Tam, you are an intelligent being, you surely won’t disappoint us, right?” High above, Rupert of the Black Demon Clan stood like an ancient fiend, dense plumes of demonic energy surging toward the heavens like smoke signals, inspiring despair merely by their sight.

“It should… it should be fine. The formation below… has indeed been broken!” Tam’s lips were dry as he looked up at the Ancestral Sovereigns of the Four Clans, his heart filled with dread.

“He did very well.” Youyu of the Soul Clan. Though handsome and seemingly the youngest, his usual arrogant demeanor softened as he suddenly nodded, offering a rare, placid smile to Rupert beside him.

“Mandis’s soul is still within the Heart of the Volcano. She failed to escape via the teleportation array.” Every last one of the Skywright clansmen felt Youyu’s words were like heavenly music.

Some collapsed backward from the sudden release of pressure, murmuring in blissful relief: “What great fortune, what great fortune…” Tam too felt a wave of relief wash over him. Gritting his teeth, he carefully secured his severed arm and began tending to the wound with utmost speed.

“You got lucky! Hmph!” Beverly of the Ancient Demon Clan, serpentine below the waist with a human face, coldly sneered.

She seemed almost disappointed that a full slaughter had been avoided, startling the Skywright clansmen into utter silence. They dared not even display their relief.

“Come out, Mandis. I believe we can discuss terms properly now,” Youyu’s voice, like a bolt of lightning, solidified into palpable sound waves descending into the volcano.

“You cannot escape. For the future of your Phantom Clan, I believe you must step forward and do something for your race’s continuation.” After a pause, Youyu added, “Haven’t you always wanted to know how we located you so precisely?

Well, it’s time for you to know…” Rupert, Ega, Beverly, and the several hundred Immortal Realm powerhouses from the Four Clans stood with chilling expressions, awaiting Mandis’s appearance. They knew that Mandis, having failed at the Heart of the Volcano, was left with no alternative.

The crowd watched the volcano’s crater silently. The Skywright clansmen displayed shame, while the warriors of the Four Clans gloated—some with mocking grins, others eager for action, their attitudes varied.

Amidst the ceaseless, fiercely leaping flames, Mandis’s small, exquisite figure gradually rose and settled at the crater’s edge. Her garments were torn, her delicate face pale, her eyes heavy with exhaustion.

The powerhouse who had traversed the heavens and earth for years, the supreme leader of the Phantom Clan, appeared utterly wretched. “Lady Mandis, I have failed you!

For the sake of our race’s future, I… I truly had no choice. I apologize…” Seeing her emerge, Tam’s emotions broke.

Ignoring the blood streaming from his stump, he dropped to his knees on a burning piece of fire-rock, repeatedly bowing his head to Mandis. “You are not at fault.

In your position, I would have done the same,” Mandis sighed, her face etched with weariness, shaking her head gently. “Mandis, if you consent to abandon this final fight, I pledge my honor, integrity, and soul that your Phantom Clan will not be exterminated,” Youyu deliberated for a moment, then offered a serious and sincere suggestion.

“Youyu!” Rupert hissed. “Do you not understand the need for total annihilation?” Ega sneered.

“I do not agree!” Beverly suddenly roared. The three powerhouses clearly opposed Youyu’s proposal, immediately crying out when he unilaterally made a guarantee.

Hearing Youyu’s words, Mandis’s heart sank. She realized there must have been a crucial shift within the Phantom Clan; otherwise, Youyu would never speak this way.

As one of the Seven Great Clans, she knew the depth of her race’s foundation. Even if she herself perished, with Candis, Vandelor, and Meiji guarding them, the Phantom Clan was far from helpless, especially with the alliance of the Bone Clan.

Their collective power remained formidable. Why then would Youyu speak thus?

“Besides Zhenru, your sister Candis has also reached an agreement with us. She and Vandelor will jointly subdue Meiji, ensuring Zhenru can successfully slay Shi Yan.

The Phantom Clan, barring further unexpected changes, should now be controlled by Candis and Vandelor. Your loyalists have long since lost influence.” Youyu’s expression was detached as he stated his deductions.

“A Phantom Clan without you—how can it hope to stand against us? It is laughable that your sister naively believes that after we execute you, we will acknowledge her status within the clan and spare the Phantom Clan.

Her intelligence and capability are far beneath yours. We will crush you, annexing the vast territories of the Phantom Clan, relentlessly slaughtering your people, including Candis and Vandelor…” Pausing, Youyu watched Mandis’s expression contort in pain, observed her frame tremble, and continued unhurriedly, “If nothing changes, the Phantom Clan will be extinguished within a century!

Of course, if you would oblige us by self-eliminating, saving us some divine energy and reducing risk, I can guarantee we will leave a sliver of your bloodline intact.” Before Ega, Beverly, or Rupert could object, Youyu snapped coldly and turned back. “I believe you all understand how terrifying Mandis can be.

If she sacrifices her Soul Altar to detonate in a full-power assault against us, are the three of you truly confident you will remain completely unaffected?” Youyu’s outburst stunned Ega and the other two into momentary hesitation. Mandis, after all, was a second-level Ancestral Sovereign, one of the Ten Great Sovereigns.

A single strike fueled by death could reverse the flow of time in the surrounding area by several centuries or even millennia. The consequences were truly beyond their ability to predict.

The Skywright clansmen, listening to Youyu, felt as if they had plummeted into an ice cellar, coldness enveloping their entire bodies. The Phantom Clan, one of the Seven Great Clans, had already met such a turning point, teetering on the brink of extinction.

What unimaginable, colossal shifts were about to sweep across the Star Sea? Looking at Mandis’s appearance, a profound sorrow welled up in them, as if they were witnessing the future plight of the Skywright Clan.

“What is your decision, the three of you?” Youyu frowned, pressing them with another sharp command. Ega, Beverly, and Rupert exchanged glances.

After a long silence, Rupert spoke, “We will allow at most ten thousand members of the Phantom Clan to remain, and none of them may exceed the Void God realm! Those survivors will be monitored separately by our four clans, ensuring they have no possibility of resurgence for one hundred thousand years!” “How vicious!” Tam gasped inwardly, staring blankly at Mandis.

The decision made by the three was meant to utterly extinguish the hope of the Phantom Clan, preventing them from regaining strength for millennia. Mandis felt a wave of powerlessness, struggling agonizingly between racial extinction and continuation.

“Disperse your divine power first…” Youyu urged apathetically. “I want all four of you to swear an oath—the four of you!

Swear in the name of your ancestors to guarantee adherence to your promise and leave the seeds of life for my Phantom Clan to continue!” Mandis suddenly looked up, her expression resolute, staring fiercely at Ega, Beverly, and Rupert. She could not trust these three.

Under her gaze, Ega and the other two hesitated slightly before raising their hands and taking the oath. Youyu was the last to swear, binding himself to preserve the future lineage of the Phantom Clan at the cost of Mandis’s demise.

“Now, can we proceed?” Beverly sneered. “We can…” A mournful, desiccated aura emanated from Mandis’s delicate form.

The strongest of the Phantom Clan, one of the Ten Great Sovereigns who had dominated the Star Sea for countless years, chose the continuation of her race over her own annihilation. Mandis, whose face and body had been that of a young girl, suddenly began to grow.

Her stature elongated, her hair exploded outward like wild grass, her figure maturing into a tall, captivating form. The small frame gradually became graceful and sensual… She grew up overnight, rapidly transforming into an unbelievably beautiful woman whose peerless features were in no way inferior to Meiji’s beauty today.

No one was struck by her instantaneous splendor; everyone knew that once she dispersed her divine power, Mandis could no longer arrest time and fix her youth. She would age rapidly, running through the entire transformation process of a woman’s life, eventually becoming a pale skeleton as time elapsed.

“After tens of thousands of years, I never expected to see your original countenance again, alas…” Youyu sighed, filled with complex emotion. “As expected of the Star Sea’s foremost beauty of that era.

A pity she will fade in a moment. Watching you wither with age will be one of the greatest joys of my life,” Beverly sneered with cruel mockery, her expression animated.

Tens of thousands of years ago, she and Mandis had risen almost simultaneously. Beverly’s own seductive charm had once captivated all men, and she had briefly believed herself to be the most beautiful woman of that age, taking immense pride in it… However, the appearance of Mandis from the Phantom Clan had utterly snatched the gaze of every man away from her.

With her unparalleled beauty, outstanding talent, and the profound mysteries of Time’s Will, Mandis had achieved a comprehensive suppression over her. That suppression lasted for tens of thousands of years!

Beverly’s hatred, hidden deep within her heart, had not changed for millennia! To witness Mandis’s aging and demise today was, for her, the most satisfying event imaginable.

She was already growing impatient. …RQ