Shi Yan rose, his raven hair falling to his waist, his physique monumental as a mountain, his face chiseled as if by axe and hammer, imbued with a masculine, rugged charm. A grin split his face. "What is the current state of the Star Sea?"

"It has only just calmed down," Mei Ji watched him, her beautiful eyes glazed with fascination. She laughed softly, her voice laced with seduction, and explained, "The war between the Seven Clans caused chaos across the Star Sea, inciting conflict even among the minor races subjugated by the major clans. Slaughter, death, and corpses littered every domain and every life-bearing star inhabited by martial practitioners."

A collective sigh swept through the assembled company; they marveled at the brutal warfare consuming the Star Sea’s inhabitants. They remained silent, allowing Mei Ji to continue.

"We, along with the Xuan Tian Clan, the White Bone Clan, and you all, completely eradicated the strongholds of the Soul Clan, the Black Demon Clan, and the Ancient Demon Clan, seizing the accumulated wealth they had cultivated for tens of thousands of years. When You Yu and Rupert returned to find their ancestral lands reduced to ruins, they instantly went mad. They rallied the remaining forces scattered across other domains and engaged us in fierce combat."

"Unfortunately, they were first decimated by your onslaught, and during the battle in the Volcanic Cloud Sea, the majority of their elite forces were sealed away eternally. This left them critically undermanned. During the fighting, the Soul Clan, Black Demon Clan, and Ancient Demon Clan were forced into constant retreat. Eventually, You Yu and Rupert realized there was no hope of recovery and vanished with their remaining clansmen. Even our Phantom Clan does not know their current whereabouts."

"So, that means the territories and domains controlled by the Soul Clan, the Black Demon Clan, and the Ancient Demon Clan have been carved up between your three clans?" Shi Yan narrowed his eyes, looking toward Han Tian, Xi Luo, and Mandis.

Han Tian burst into loud laughter, offering no denial. "You extracted a vast amount of cultivation materials from the heartlands of the Soul, Black Demon, and Ancient Demon Clans. We did not contest you at the time; we allowed you to take and choose first. We had a prior agreement regarding future spoils, so naturally, we are taking a larger share now."

Xi Luo interjected smoothly, "Your foundations are too shallow, and your numbers are limited. Even if those domains and territories belonging to the Soul, Black Demon, and Ancient Demon Clans were handed to you, you currently lack the capability to fully absorb them."

Shi Yan nodded, waving a hand dismissively. "Enough. We know our own limitations. For now, they truly cannot seize more. Continue—what about the Devourer Clan?"

The expressions of everyone present gradually grew solemn.

"Among the Four Clans, the Devourer Clan suffered the comparatively fewest losses. During the battle in the Volcanic Cloud Sea, the Devourer finally couldn't restrain itself and erupted, initiating a bloody and manic consumption starting from the Land of Void. It swallowed countless billions of lives there, turning the Land of Void into a dead zone where no living creature remains."

Mei Ji’s expression turned sharp and cold. "Its frenzy did not cease; it subsequently moved into the Sea of Annihilation and submerged that as well, taking countless species of living beings with it. The Sea of Annihilation is now, truly, utterly annihilated, just as its name suggests..."

Speaking of the Primordial Being known as 'The Devourer,' a noticeable discomfort settled over everyone. Xi Luo, Han Tian, and the others also wore grave looks, treating it as a major looming threat.

"After ravaging the Land of Void and the Sea of Annihilation, the Devourer finally quieted down, ceasing its rampant movements. We received intelligence that it has remained within the Devourer Clan's territory and has not shown itself for decades," Mei Ji reported.

Shi Yan nodded thoughtfully. "It is the same for me. After a period of frenzied consumption, one must refine the dross to purify and absorb it. Otherwise, the soul risks becoming chaotic, potentially leading to a collapse of sanity and a regression in cultivation realm. This long period of silence must be for it to purify its power, to mend past injuries. When it awakens, it will become terrifyingly powerful."

Hearing this, everyone's faces grew heavier still.

"However, the Devourer Clan's existence has not been easy. Those whose relatives and friends were slain by the Devourer in the Land of Void and the Sea of Annihilation number in the billions, scattered throughout the depths of the Star Sea’s major domains. They have united, pooling various forces and races, launching several assaults against the Devourer Clan's territory."

At this point, Mei Ji offered a cold smile. "We also secretly participated, launching several strikes against the Devourer Clan's holdings, inflicting heavy losses upon them. Now, the Devourer Clan has followed the example of the Soul, Ancient Demon, and Black Demon Clans, withdrawing from their original dwelling places. Their current location is unknown; they are temporarily impossible to trace."

"That’s because the Devourer needs time to recover. It cannot afford to act amidst such chaos, or you all might not have succeeded in forcing them into hiding so easily," Shi Yan stated, his brow deeply furrowed. "When it recovers, it will inevitably stir up trouble again. At that point, there may be few entities in the Star Sea capable of suppressing it..."

Silence suddenly descended upon the group.

Having survived several grueling battles, they keenly recognized the horror embodied by Primordial Beings like the Devourer, Yuan Zu, and Zi Yao. They understood the terrifying, world-shattering power that could be unleashed by a true expert at the Third Heaven of the Domain Ancestor realm, especially one who was also a Primordial Being.

They also realized that the reason the Soul Clan, Black Demon Clan, and Ancient Demon Clan could vanish, leaving even them unable to locate them across the vast universe, must be due to Yuan Zu's aid. Only Yuan Zu possessed the power and means to conceal the surviving members of those three races across the boundless stellar river.

"Where has she gone?" Mei Ji suddenly asked, her eyes flickering, deliberately avoiding Shi Yan's gaze.

The others jolted, their gazes snapping toward Shi Yan, filled with curiosity.

Shi Yan naturally knew who they were asking about...

For the last thirty years, Zi Yao had seemingly vanished without a trace. Even the Phantom Clan, whose intelligence network spanned the entire Star Sea, had failed to discover a single clue regarding her movements, which shocked and puzzled them all.

Zi Yao, the Primordial Being 'Hui' (Serpent), possessed a strength deeply ingrained in their collective psyche. In the minds of Mandis, Xi Luo, and Han Tian, Zi Yao was undoubtedly their bedrock, a necessary counter to the Devourer and Yuan Zu. They were extremely concerned about her trajectory, as it would dictate their future strategies.

They knew implicitly that, across heaven and earth, throughout the vast Star Sea, if anyone could know Zi Yao’s movements, it could only be Shi Yan!

"Like the Devourer, she is currently exerting every effort to restore her power. As for her exact location, I haven't focused hard enough to pinpoint it," Shi Yan provided an evasive answer.

"What about the other one? The Desolate... what is his status now?" Han Tian pondered for a moment, his voice laced with awe. "He has also been silent these past years. That Desolate Domain... is gone. Judy and I once descended to the bottom of the Sea of Annihilation, hoping to enter the Desolate Domain through that dimensional gate, but the space behind it was endless nothingness. The Desolate Domain has long since vanished."

A look of genuine terror crossed Judy’s face. "Rumor has it he was the God of War during the Primordial Era, his power and realm representing the apex of that age. His movements are equally vital to us. Only you can faintly sense his presence—what has become of him?"

Everyone looked to Shi Yan.

Shi Yan's expression turned strained. After a long pause, he finally shook his head. "I can no longer sense him either. As his power regenerates, I am gradually losing my lock on him. He seems to have vanished from my soul-lock, yet the pressure he exerts remains constant!"

He drew a deep breath, then spoke with sudden force. "He must have grown even stronger, because now, even when facing Yuan Zu in combat, I believe I have a fair chance of winning! But his pressure persists; there is a shadow permanently imprinted on my soul. The only thing I can be certain of is this... he is even more terrifying than Yuan Zu right now!"

The assembly was profoundly shaken, their faces registering disbelief, and a heavy shadow fell upon their hearts.

The God of War, the Desolate, was the strongest of the Primordial Beings, at the peak of the Domain Ancestor realm, just one step shy of the ultimate threshold. In the past, even with Hui and the Devourer joining forces, they could not defeat him; the final battle of the Primordial Era ended with all three entering a deep slumber, signaling the conclusion of an age.

"You have arrived at the perfect time. If you wish to know the Desolate's whereabouts, this might be a good opportunity," Shi Yan said after a long pause, his expression suddenly firm.

"What?" Han Tian looked puzzled.

"Follow me to the Cloud Vast Domain. Shortly, you must combine your strength to seal the heaven and earth of that domain. I intend to refine and merge the Divine Grace Continent into my Primordial Body!" Shi Yan commanded.

Without waiting for Han Tian and the others to recoil in shock, strands of soul light began to stream from the crown of his head. These spectral forms, identical to him, moved rapidly across the new continent named 'Heavenly Rock,' locating Xuan He, Ming Hao, Sea Shark Emperor, Audrey, Dicarlo, and the others, transmitting his consciousness to them.

Soon after, a dimensional gate in a hidden location on the Heavenly Rock Continent violently ripped open.

The Sea Shark Emperor, Ming Hao, Xuan He, and their contingents poured through that gate toward the Divine Grace Continent in the Cloud Vast Domain. All the martial practitioners and billions of mortals who had resided on the Divine Grace Continent received the order to relocate. Every living being active on the Divine Grace Continent who had reached the Divine King realm began migrating toward the Heavenly Rock Continent in the Void Sea.

Those below the Divine King realm, both martial practitioners and mortals, were dispersed and sent toward the neighboring continents within the Cloud Vast Domain.

Amidst the boundless mist of the Cloud Vast Domain,

Shi Yan hovered like a celestial deity, looking down upon the Divine Grace Continent. He watched as, under the coordination of leaders like the Sea Shark Emperor, Ming Hao, and Xuan He, waves of martial practitioners and mortals were diverted toward different continents.

Gradually, the races and beings on the Divine Grace Continent were all being evacuated. Shi Yan’s soul consciousness drifted across the continent like billions of tendrils, accurately indicating secluded areas so that the Sea Shark Emperor, Xuan He, and Ming Hao could guide away the mortal lives deemed insignificant enough to be left behind in transit.

On that continent, many cities, nations, and castles built of massive stone were brutally uprooted by the powerful martial artists, transforming into floating mountains and cities that were carried off to different lands.

Thirty years ago, he had summoned meteorites and stellar fragments to forge the Heavenly Rock Continent precisely for this day: to migrate the martial practitioners from the Divine Grace Continent.

The Divine Grace Continent was inherently part of the Desolate's physical body. Within the continent lay a massive segment of the Desolate's true form—a piece of flesh Shi Yan could deeply sense and refine into his own Primordial Body, making it part of his own physical bloodline.

For that one-fifth of the Desolate's physical body, he had been planning for many years. Today, the timing was finally ripe!