In the Yunmeng Realm, waves of terrifying power, potent enough to shatter heaven and earth, enveloped the distant heavens, causing the souls of every expert dwelling within the Realm to tremble.

At the former holy ground of the Yun Clan, vast throngs of people were being separated and shuttled toward the Tianyan Continent and neighboring lands. Minghao, Xuanhe, Sea Shark Emperor, Sha Sui, Shang Chen, and other warriors worked tirelessly, ensuring the clansmen migrated away.

Across the boundless sea of clouds, Xiluo, Hantian, Judy, Mandiss, and other powerful figures watched the Shen'en Continent quietly, exchanging murmured words.

Above the Shen'en Continent, Shi Yan manifested in his Primal Beginning form, resembling an ancient demon god. An aura of dominance, savagery, and terror billowed outward, inspiring instinctive awe in all races and living beings.

With his Primal Beginning form revealed, Shi Yan’s physique cast a shadow like a demon god across the Shen'en Continent, obscuring all the light in the sky.

His colossal body was as towering as a mountain or a peak. Within his eyes shimmered the sun, moon, and stars; at a glance, his two eyes appeared as vast and deep as a boundless galaxy. His skin, hard as iron and stone, was covered in eerie, naturally formed armor seamlessly connected to his flesh. Bony spikes erupted from his skeleton, piercing outward like cold, sharp swords, radiating bone-chilling frost.

"...The Primal Beginning Form, truly worthy of the name. The sheer intensity of the vital essence in his flesh and blood makes even the soul feel dread and unease," Guy of the Bone Race murmured in admiration, staring fixedly at Shi Yan's manifestation.

"This is the true Primal Beginning Form. Alas, I am still far behind..." the Dragon Lizard Ancestor sighed with deep feeling.

As the final contingent of mortals was evacuated, Minghao, Xuanhe, Phellet, and the others sent out soul messages, informing Shi Yan that not a single living creature remained on the Shen'en Continent.

Even many castles, mortal kingdoms, and valleys overgrown with spiritual herbs were moved away from the Shen'en Continent using their immense divine power.

The Shen'en Continent was now a landscape of vast forests and rivers crisscrossing every region like veins. But it was deserted—devoid of nations or signs of life.

Yet, gazing upon this living star, no one perceived desolation; instead, they felt an enduring, vigorous vitality pulsing within it, accompanied by incredibly powerful internal energy fluctuations.

All the martial artists of the Yunmeng Realm were arranged to evacuate far, far away from this area—so distant that they could barely perceive Shi Yan’s immense form.

"When I begin refining the Shen'en Continent, you all must work together to seal the Realm. Do not allow any sliver of soul consciousness to penetrate," Shi Yan's thunderous voice boomed from his position suspended above the continent.

Xiluo, Hantian, and the others nodded in unison.

Shi Yan then said no more.

"Whoosh, whoosh..."

His magnificent and glorious Soul Altar floated forth from above his head, unfurling slowly like a vast tapestry to reveal its true appearance.

Below, the boundless Sea of Consciousness surged, emitting overwhelming waves of energy. The central Soul Pool had already expanded significantly, its soul energy flowing in a pure, flawless stream.

The Profound Meaning Layer rested above the Sea of Consciousness: prism-like spatial imprints, starlit imprints resembling stellar seas, life-orb imprints resembling orbs of life, the Devouring Profound Meaning like black holes, and the eight great Evil Power imprints structured like islands...

Higher still was a swirling expanse of chaos—this was Shi Yan's personal Realm!

This Realm seemed veiled by a hazy cloud mass, preventing others from discerning the true scene within. However, through soul perception, everyone sensed an infinitely vast, mysterious emptiness, like the soul touching the window of another universe, capable of perceiving the magic of the power of creation.

The onlookers exchanged glances, unable to mask their shock, knowing that Shi Yan’s Realm was likely unfathomably profound, harboring endless secrets.

Two identical souls, both mirroring Shi Yan’s true form, sat above the chaotic Realm, like twin stars or fraternal brothers. Swirls of nebulous soul mist enveloped them, emanating from the two souls and converging where they met the chaotic Realm.

The main soul was subtly colored with the same chaotic hue as the Realm, its true form obscured. Above the secondary soul's head hung the Profound Meaning Talisman Tower, which rotated slowly, seemingly without end, filling observers with wonder and awe.

Under the watch of the powerful experts, Shi Yan’s primary body slowly closed its eyes, while the main soul opened its own. The light within its eyes shot out like meteors, focusing intently upon the Shen'en Continent below.

Suddenly, a sea of five-colored fire erupted from beneath the secondary soul. This fire emitted the scent of Origin Flame, instantly expanding and flowing away from the Soul Altar, descending upon the Shen'en Continent.

"Boom!"

In an instant, the Shen'en Continent was engulfed by the five-colored sea of fire. The continent's inherent celestial fire essence, consciousness, and soul energy completely submerged it.

Surprisingly, while the Origin Fire consumed the Shen'en Continent, it did not set the forests ablaze, crack the earth, or dry up the oceans. Despite the fire being intensely fierce—so much so that Judy, Hantian, and the others felt waves of heat washing over them—it caused no visible damage to the continent's natural landscape.

The covering of Origin Fire transformed the Shen'en Continent into a massive, burning sphere, with streaks of terrifying flame spurting out, causing the air to crackle with reports.

The surrounding temperature soared instantly. Many cultivators of lower realms, like Dicarro and Adela, could not withstand the radiating heatwave and were forced to retreat continuously, stopping only after moving very, very far away.

"Seal the Realm!" Shi Yan's soul message suddenly flooded the entire celestial vault of the Realm, making every expert present feel it intensely.

Hantian, Xiluo, and Mandiss exchanged a glance and prepared to act, intending to reinforce the barrier of the entire Realm, sealing it completely so that not a thread of consciousness could pierce through.

"You are a bit too rash. You should have communicated with me beforehand before attempting to refine Huang's avatar," came the voice of Ziyao from the depths of the sea of clouds beneath everyone's feet, just as they were about to move. "Fortunately, I felt it the moment you acted. Well, I will assist you, so that even if Huang knows what you intend, he cannot influence you."

The crowd stared in astonishment at the sea of clouds beneath them.

From the boundless sea of clouds, Ziyao, missing for many years, ascended from the underlying Meng Realm. She remained breathtakingly beautiful, her eyes burning with an even sharper, more terrifying light.

For the past decade, she had been cultivating intensely in the Meng Realm, the layer beneath the Yunmeng Realm. The Yunmeng Realm was comprised of the Cloud Realm above, supported by cloud layers, and the Meng Realm below, formed by the landmass.

Emerging from the Meng Realm, Ziyao smiled faintly, the snake-like mark on her brow twitching strangely.

In a flash, billions upon billions of radiant, multi-colored divine lights—as if imbued with conscious life—transformed into countless spirit snakes, spreading outward from her in all directions across the entire Realm, coiling around every section of the Realm's boundary walls.

The entire Yunmeng Realm became a spectacle of dazzling beauty, as if billions of fireworks were exploding simultaneously, creating a dreamlike, unreal ambiance.

It was as if a curtain of seven-colored light had suddenly materialized, enveloping the entire Realm, bathing every continent within a cascade of colorful neon, indescribably magnificent and mysterious.

A true miracle!

Hantian, Xiluo, Mandiss, and the others felt the changes in the Realm and perceived the terrifying energy unleashed by Ziyao alone. They were inwardly startled, deep reverence etching itself onto their faces.

They quickly realized that after thirty years of seclusion, Ziyao's strength had grown significantly since the battle against Yuan Zu in the volcanic sea of clouds.

"I knew you wouldn't sit idly by in the lower realm, so I presumed you could act at any moment. It seems your power is nearly fully restored," Shi Yan said upon seeing Ziyao manifest, grinning broadly. "If you hadn't been here, I truly wouldn't have dared to act so early; I would have waited until I broke through to the third heaven of the Realm Ancestor stage before attempting to refine Huang's avatar."

"Then why didn't you wait longer? If you had broken through to the third heaven of the Realm Ancestor stage, you could have successfully refined his avatar even without me, minimizing the risk," Ziyao countered, frowning.

"He won't grant me that much time..."

Shi Yan fell silent for a moment. His eyes flowed like a star river, seeming to pierce through all spatial barriers toward the mysterious depths of the universe. "I cannot sense his exact location, but I feel the pressure he exerts on me has not lessened. He seems almost ready, perhaps seeking me out soon. I am out of time."

Hearing this, Ziyao's expression also grew solemn. No one knew Huang's terrifying nature better than she did, and she fully grasped Shi Yan's unease.

"Very well, let's act now. If we join forces, we should be able to halt his frantic assault," Ziyao dared not hesitate. "While he hasn't arrived, it means he still holds reservations. Let's quickly refine this one avatar of his. If you can use the resulting surge of power to truly face him, perhaps you might gain a fighting chance..."

Her expression turned grave. She took a deep breath and began issuing orders to Xiluo, Hantian, Mandiss, and the others. "Listen to my instructions: go to the major boundary barrier zones of the Star Domain and hold your positions. Construct your power according to my soul guidance; do not fight independently, or you will fail to unleash the full potential of your cultivation."

"Xiluo, head to the eastern edge of the sky! Use your Golden Sharpness energy to increase the thickness of the crystal wall, and pile up the gold and iron materials from the three nearby continents to form an iron fortress!"

"Hantian, you go to the southern heavens. That area is scorching hot, full of volcanoes and fire seas, more suitable for your power to penetrate. Remember, gather all your strength and condense all the surrounding flame energy to form a sea of fire. If any fragment of consciousness seeps in, notify me immediately; do not strike yet..." Ziyao commanded Xiluo, Hantian, and the others without reservation, directing Judy, the Dragon Lizard Ancestor, Guy, Dracula, and Meiji to different locations, assigning suitable personnel to the weakest areas of the Realm's perimeter to employ diverse Profound Meaning energies for optimal defense.

To guard against Huang's destruction, she was more cautious than ever before, completely lacking the casual demeanor she displayed when facing Yuan Zu.

Hantian and the others placed absolute trust in her capabilities. Not a single one raised an objection; all cooperated fully, acting according to her directives. They dashed to various sectors of the Realm, gathering strength as instructed and drawing upon the natural world that best suited the enhancement of their respective Profound Meanings.

After a long while, Ziyao looked toward Shi Yan and called out sharply, "Now, you may begin... Shi Shen (God of Slaughter) Simplified Edition will be available in major bookstores soon. Brothers who enjoy Shi Shen and prefer physical copies, please look out for it in the coming period. Thank you all in advance~~ I finally have a simplified physical book too, tears streaming down my face~~ RS