Though ravaged by Shi Yan, the region had slowly regained its former grandeur and prosperity through reconstruction. Within the undulating mountain ranges, frigid currents swirled; fierce ghosts drifted like green lanterns, and spectral shadows were manipulated to temper profound divine techniques and esoteric arts.
A hazy, gray cloud cover hung over the expanse, as if concealing the very heaven and earth, making it nearly impossible for anyone unfamiliar with the Soul Clan to approach, let alone enter.
Most Soul Clan members currently undergoing rigorous training here were not of the absolute pinnacle—those at the Divine King, Origin God, or Void God realms predominated, with only a scattering of Immortal realm experts stationed to guard against intrusion.
Between the peaks lay a vast, azure ocean, its waters murky, from which the faint cries and roars of tormented spirits could be heard. Staring intently, one could soon perceive shadowy phantoms struggling upon the surface, only to be tightly bound and swiftly dragged back beneath the waves.
Hundreds of powerful Soul Clan warriors, ranging from Initial Gods to Immortals, were dispersed around the perimeter of this azure sea.
Soul Altars, floating like ethereal mountain peaks, hovered above their heads. These altars were deep, somber gray, surrounded by numerous malevolent souls, emitting intense soul fluctuations.
The hundreds of altars were activated by their masters through profound mysteries, generating a vast spiritual suppression field that enveloped the ocean below.
From within that ocean, a miraculous energy continuously emanated, stabilizing the void. This energy was invisible to the naked eye, manifesting as unseen ripples, like formless, massive hands gripping space itself, forbidding the formation of any spatial array.
In the last ten millennia, no Spatial Strongman of the Ancestor Realm had emerged from the Void Sea. This perceived lull had caused the Soul Clan to relax their vigilance over their ancestral land, allowing Shi Yan to effortlessly tear open space and penetrate directly into the core heartland, enacting a bloody massacre that claimed countless powerful lives.
Having learned that bitter lesson, before departing, You Yu had immediately reactivated the Soul Clan's ultimate spatial defense formation. He had also issued a strict decree that no clansman should slacken for even a second, ensuring the formation's suppression of space remained absolute, preventing anyone from utilizing spatial mysteries to reach them again.
He had withdrawn too many formidable kinsmen, and they could not return quickly. To prevent a tragedy from repeating, he himself had left behind a strand of soul power to assist his people in locking down the space.
Above the azure ocean, the space, solid as bedrock, suddenly trembled minutely.
The Soul Clan members gathered around the ocean, who had even deployed their Soul Altars, immediately sensed it, their expressions turning grave. They adjusted their mysteries and condensed their divine power.
From the Sea of Consciousness of many Soul Altars, streaks of pale blue energy shot out, converging upon the azure ocean.
Waves of divine sense energy stirred and condensed divine power, all pouring into the sea. Every Soul Clan member’s eyes were cold as they exerted their full strength to seal the space.
They were acutely aware that this spatial anomaly signaled someone attempting to forcibly condense a passage using heaven-defying spatial mysteries, aiming to surge into the Soul Clan's heartland.
They would never permit it!
“Someone is attempting an invasion! All clansmen, be alert! You must sever the intruder’s spatial connection!” A Soul Clan commander, at the peak of the Immortal realm, seated upon a fierce ghost resembling a Roc, roared with a sharp, sinister voice, instantly heightening the guard of every Soul Clan member.
The many Soul Clan members present mobilized, gathering near the ocean, unleashing their Soul Altars to connect with the azure sea, forming a power capable of locking down space, each contributing their might.
Gradually, the spatial anomaly ceased, as if the intruder had voluntarily withdrawn.
Half an hour later, seeing the space remain undisturbed, they finally breathed a collective sigh of relief, believing the incursion was over and they no longer needed everyone on full alert.
Outside the Soul Clan territory, deep within the dense, thick cloud masses, a spatial light blade tore open, delivering several figures across.
Leading them was the Sea Shark Emperor, followed by Audrey, Ming Hao, Adela, Xuan He, Fieliet, and others. They originated from the Cloud-Mist Realm, numbering several thousand—the elite forces and experts from various star domains who had followed Shi Yan when he left the Desolate Domain years ago.
“Shi Yan said forcefully penetrating space to land directly in the Soul Clan heartland is too difficult; he noted they’ve become wary after their last devastating loss,” Ming Hao stood within the cloud mass, his eyes cold. “He is still communicating with the Phantom Clan and the Bone Clan to condense void passages; he cannot arrive personally yet. He asked us to find a breach and dismantle the space-locking formation first.”
Through rigorous training in the Cloud-Mist Realm and discussions with the Sea Shark Emperor, Ming Hao was indeed just a breath away from the Ancestor Realm—lacking only the accumulation of sufficient divine power and soul energy.
Xuan He and the Sacred Beast Azure Dragon had also reached this threshold, glimpsing the very doorstep of the Ancestor Realm.
“The seven major races—each homeland is fraught with peril. It won't be easy for outsiders to invade step by step!” The Sea Shark Emperor’s expression was solemn. “Shi Yan could enter before because of the profound nature of his spatial mystery, which allowed him to bypass the numerous outer formations, barriers, and restrictions. Otherwise, he wouldn't have slipped in so easily.”
“Are you saying that for us to break through the outer barriers and restrictions will be unimaginably difficult?” Ming Hao asked coldly.
The Sea Shark Emperor nodded. “Relying on brute force will certainly exact a terrible price. If you don't believe me, let me test it first. Watch closely.”
Without waiting for further questions from Ming Hao and the others, the Sea Shark Emperor condensed his divine power and activated his altar.
A stream, clear to the bottom, shot forth from his brow. This small river contained stones, aquatic plants, and even tiny fish, utterly indistinguishable from a real river. Those nearby could even smell the moisture rising from it…
However, Ming Hao, Xuan He, and the rest knew that the more realistic the river appeared, the more profound and terrifying it was, because this river was condensed from pure divine power and soul energy—an exhibition of creation-seizing mystery possessing unimaginable destructive force.
They gazed intently at the river as the stream pierced the thick clouds and collided with the Soul Clan’s defensive restrictions.
“Tss-tss-tss!”
Suddenly, from the depths of the thick clouds, came the screams of billions of malevolent ghosts and fierce spirits. An eerie, sinister aura, like countless mental impacts, instantly tore the stream into fragments, scattering it into drops of water that vanished.
The Sea Shark Emperor staggered back several steps as if struck hard in the chest, his face filled with shock. “Such strong barrier power! I was nearly gravely injured—damn it! It's far more terrifying than I imagined!”
He was the strongest among them in terms of cultivation. Ming Hao and Xuan He knew his power well. Even the impact of his activated ability nearly wounded him; who else could possibly shatter that barrier?
It seemed Shi Yan’s expectations of them might be dashed.
“It truly is difficult,” Adela shook her head, sighing. “It seems we cannot act impulsively. We must be cautious and chip away slowly; we cannot just charge in headlong… Hey! You girl, what are you doing?!”
Before she could finish her statement, she shrieked, glaring hatefully at Audrey. “Get back here!”
Under the astonished gaze of everyone, Audrey transformed into a cluster of spectral shadow and flew toward the depths of the cloud mass within the Soul Clan barrier, completely disregarding the injury the Sea Shark Emperor had just sustained.
The Sea Shark Emperor was dumbfounded, subconsciously rubbing his head, muttering in confusion, “Did she not understand what I said?”
“This…” Ming Hao didn’t know how to respond.
“Members of the Underworld Emperor Clan, come with me. Remember to utilize the esoteric techniques I taught you previously,” Audrey suddenly turned back, looking at her mother and Ming Hao. “Those techniques originated from the Soul Clan’s secret codices. Our Underworld Emperor souls are quite similar to theirs. As long as you manipulate your power according to those mysteries, this barrier won't target us…”
With that, her ethereal, refined figure slipped into the deep cloud mass. Surprisingly, the barrier restrictions that had reacted so violently to the Sea Shark Emperor’s probe were completely transparent to her—she penetrated it with astonishing ease.
Everyone watched her, watching her enter the barrier and delve into the Soul Clan territory, momentarily stunned into silence.
But soon, everyone recovered and inevitably looked toward the members of the Underworld Emperor Clan, at Ming Hao and Adela, and at the other thin, slender warriors of the Underworld Emperor Clan.
“She’s right. None of us here is more familiar with the Soul Clan than she is. After all, even Naphton’s Soul Refining Cauldron has merged with her soul, and Singh’s fierce souls have been refined by her. She understands everything about the Soul Clan, including these barriers and restrictions…”
Ming Hao seemed lost in thought, then let out a faint smile, nodding slightly to Adela. Like a wisp of a phantom, he followed close behind, also plunging toward the Soul Clan barrier.
He, too, passed through effortlessly. The deadly barriers and restrictions of the Soul Clan were equally ineffective against him, his action serving to validate Audrey’s judgment.
Adela’s eyes brightened immediately. She conveyed the order: “All clansmen who have cultivated the secret art, activate it and charge in with me.”
The numerous Underworld Emperor Clan members shouted in unison, responding to Adela’s command with action, transforming into faint, ghost-like silhouettes, all plunging into the Soul Clan barrier cloud mass.
Figure after figure vanished within; truly, not a single one was struck down by the restrictions.
Slicing through the barrier, Audrey emerged into the Soul Clan territory. It was vastly larger than several planets combined. Within the cloud depths were soaring peaks and mountain ranges, everything visible on a conventional planet, and Soul Clan members could be seen moving about everywhere.
Her attention soon locked onto one specific area—the azure ocean and the surrounding Soul Clan warriors. She could see streams of bizarre energy rising from the ocean, working to stabilize this independent, complete space, preventing any spatial anomaly from disrupting the area.
She naturally understood what the Soul Clan members were doing, and why Shi Yan could not repeat his old trick of piercing a passage with spatial power to reach the Soul Clan heartland and initiate the first step of his plan.
“Come out.”
Seeing Ming Hao, her mother, and her clansmen emerge one after another, Audrey’s expression was composed, her eyes suddenly lighting up.
The Primordial Artifact, the Soul Refining Cauldron, suddenly materialized above her head, resembling a sinister, malevolent giant mountain. Countless tadpole-like lines, swirling script, and mixed characters writhed vividly. Fierce souls manifested from the cauldron’s surface, roaring silently downward.
“The Soul Refining Cauldron!”
“It is the Soul Refining Cauldron!”
The Soul Clan members below looked up and could not help but cry out in alarm, their faces turning ashen.
They knew clearly that the Soul Refining Cauldron no longer belonged to Naphton; it had long been snatched away. They quickly realized the enemy’s invasion had, in fact, never ceased…