The fractured Domain Crystal Wall, under the mending touch of his Stone Rock Space Profundity, began to knit itself back together, piece by slow piece.

The Divine Grace Continent, completely swallowed by him, sent forth not the slightest ripple. When the descending Heavenly Might was intercepted by a human hand, the desperate mortals and martial artists could finally breathe easy.

"Hoo… hoo…"

Audrey’s form dissolved into a dark streak, plummeting suddenly from the heavens.

The Desolate Soul had retreated; Audrey’s main soul remained sealed, still unable to command the altar, unable to wield Profundities, unable to think, unable to condense divine power.

Three divine rays—one purple, one pale blue, one orange-red—pierced through from three corners, wrapping around her body like silken ribbons, pulling her toward Ziyao.

Ziyao's bright eyes shone with blinding divine light. He focused intently on Audrey and suddenly roared, "Wake up, now!"

The three ribbons binding Audrey suddenly transformed into three spirit snakes, plunging into her divine body like an electric current, causing her frame to shudder violently in the void.

Like one jolted awake from a deep slumber by a flash of lightning, Audrey snapped violently conscious.

She convulsed, and deep terror etched itself onto her usually placid face; she let out a piercing shriek.

Below, Ming Hao, Adela, and several members of the Nether Royal Clan were beside themselves with worry. They ascended into the sky, having originally prepared to awaken Audrey themselves, but upon seeing Ziyao act first, they dared not intervene immediately. Hearing her scream, Ming Hao and Adela rushed over, gazing at her with grim expressions.

Hantian, Xi Luo, Mantis, and other powerful figures quickly gathered around Audrey, adopting a stance of extreme caution, every face etched with heavy concern.

"Since that Desolate Soul entered through her, she is the medium through which the Desolate can arrive. If she remains here, can the Desolate not pierce the Void Crystal Wall at any moment through her?" Xi Luo’s gaze, sharp as a frigid sword, fixed coldly upon Audrey, revealing his intent without concealment. "To eradicate future troubles, the best course of action is to extinguish her soul, preventing the Desolate from arriving easily!"

This Xi Luo, unfamiliar with sentiment, often followed only rigid logic in his actions. What he deemed correct, he would never conceal, stating it directly.

At these words, the expressions of Ming Hao, Adela, and the numerous members of the Nether Royal Clan turned icy cold. A dark glimmer flickered in their eyes as they fiercely suppressed the rage boiling within.

Unexpectedly, Hantian, Mantis, Guy, Judy, and the others nodded in succession, affirming Xi Luo’s assertion.

"To ensure the Cloud Vastness Domain Realm remains undisturbed and that Shi Yan’s life is safe, slaying this girl... is extremely prudent," Judy declared.

Hantian and the others secretly concurred.

The terrifying power displayed by the Desolate had deeply shaken every one of them. Hantian, Mantis, and Xi Luo were all powerhouse figures at the level of the Ten Great Domain Ancestors. Yet, facing the Desolate moments ago, they had felt utterly impotent.

That was merely a partial manifestation of the soul. With the Desolate using Audrey as a vessel, if the Desolate's entire soul arrived, could they possibly withstand its rampant power even if they joined forces?

No one possessed that confidence!

They knew clearly that Audrey had once integrated a splinter soul of the Desolate, meaning her soul carried that lingering aura, making her the most suitable conduit for the Desolate’s consciousness to arrive. As long as Audrey remained here, as long as the Desolate dedicated the energy, the same method could be used next time to descend its soul-thought.

That meant disaster would surely return!

They were genuinely terrified, unwilling to endure it again, unwilling to face the Desolate once more.

Ming Hao looked at Xi Luo and the others, his face grim and terrifying. He ground his teeth silently, waiting, waiting for Ziyao’s final decision.

Simultaneously, he condensed a thread of soul-consciousness into a clone, sending it falling into the distance, quietly approaching Shi Yan.

If the consensus here turned against Audrey, he would immediately relay the news to Shi Yan, forcing Shi Yan to declare his stance and protect Audrey, regardless of the critical juncture Shi Yan was undergoing in his fusion.

"You worry too much," Ziyao said, gazing deeply at Audrey as she slowly regained consciousness, then smiled faintly. "Even if the Desolate wishes to descend through her soul next time, it absolutely won't be as effortless as before. You can all rest assured of this. Because now, she has advanced to the Domain Ancestor realm. For her, the Desolate’s soul descent is, instead, an unparalleled opportunity in her life..."

The others were baffled and looked toward Audrey in surprise, even Ming Hao, Adela, and the Nether Royal Clan members felt a strange sense of foreboding.

Strands of undissipated Nether Ghost Dragons drifted in from the far reaches, an eerie, malevolent, bizarre, and chilling aura instantly spreading, causing even Ming Hao and the others to feel a chill creep over their bodies, as if they were deep within the Nether Ghost Domain itself.

The Nether Ghost Dragons circled around Audrey’s side, weaving around her once before merging one by one into the Soul Refining Cauldron above her head.

Symbols resembling earthworms immediately appeared on the surface of the Soul Refining Cauldron, with billions of vicious, writhing souls flickering across its face. The great cauldron churned and slowly settled down, resting upon Audrey’s head, integrating into her mind.

During this process, Audrey’s eyes remained tightly shut, but the moment the Soul Refining Cauldron entered her mind, she abruptly opened them.

Her eyes glowed with a piercing, eerie light, like flickering ghost-fire, terrifying and strange. The aura radiating from her body also struck coldness deep into people’s hearts.

"The Desolate’s soul descent prevented her from controlling her altar, but her main soul witnessed everything that transpired. She deeply comprehended the Desolate’s application of Profundities and gained mastery over the mysteries of that Soul Refining Cauldron. She is like an incredibly fortunate apprentice who witnessed the soul-teaching and refinement of a supreme master. That battle experience holds immeasurable benefits for her Profundities, her power, and that Soul Refining Cauldron..."

Ziyao smiled, and as everyone stared in astonishment, he continued, "Most importantly, the Domain Soul she couldn't previously absorb or refine has now transformed into a Soul Pond falling into her Sea of Consciousness, refined by the guiding energy of the Desolate's soul. In other words, she leaped directly from the Immortal realm to the Domain Ancestor realm. Without the Desolate’s interference, this breakthrough might have taken her a thousand years, but now, it took but a single moment!"

Audrey’s pupils suddenly brightened, like the cold moon, like distant, frigid stars, captivating and chilling the heart!

Everyone who looked at her gasped in surprise, then secretly exclaimed, marveling at Audrey’s fortune.

Ming Hao, Adela, and the members of the Nether Royal Clan were ecstatic, almost screaming in their excitement.

"Previously, the Desolate could descend easily because her own cultivation level was insufficient, and her understanding of Profundities and power was somewhat shallow. Now that she has broken through to the Domain Ancestor realm, truly understanding the marvel of the Soul Refining Cauldron, if the Desolate tries to descend again, it might take considerable effort just to possess her soul," Ziyao said smoothly, pursing his lips. "By then, given Shi Yan's scrutiny of the Desolate, he would certainly have noticed, and perhaps even take the opportunity to inflict an unforgettable, devastating blow upon the Desolate. I believe the Desolate has failed this time; next time, he will not be so rash as to descend his soul. When he returns, it will be in his true form."

Ziyao had said all this to convey to the crowd that Audrey was no longer a threat to Shi Yan, nor would she become an easy gateway for the Desolate.

She was a Primal Creature, the strongest fighting force in the Cloud Vastness Domain Realm currently; no one dared to question her judgment, and thus, no one harbored any further ill will regarding Audrey's existence.

Seeing the expressions of relief wash over everyone, Ming Hao and Adela also calmed down, the guarded look on their faces receding.

"Thank you," Audrey hesitated slightly before bending her body slightly toward Ziyao, offering a slightly awkward bow.

"You little girl..." Ziyao chuckled charmingly, sending a casual soul transmission, "Whether you have fate with Shi Yan, I will not interfere. Your innermost desires require you to seek confirmation and take action yourself; I will not block your path, so you need not be hostile towards me."

"Thank... thank you," Audrey murmured softly, looking slightly happier.

"Keep watch over Shi Yan, everyone. His fortune this time is truly extreme. It is also because the Desolate was overwhelmingly powerful that Solon and Shi also seized the opportunity to strike. They were trying to prevent the Desolate from achieving complete fusion, which naturally benefited Shi Yan, allowing him to successfully refine the Desolate's clone and make it part of his Primal Body," Ziyao said with a smile.

Hantian and the others stiffened, all looking into the distance at Shi Yan, who stood between heaven and earth.

At this moment, Shi Yan manifested in his Primal Body; his form was like a colossal mountain piercing deep into the clouds. As he exerted space power to repair the Domain Crystal Wall, the acupoints across his body shone with brilliant starlight. Looking closely, one would realize those acupoints were like immense, blazing stars, dazzling in their radiance.

Those at the level of Hantian and Xi Luo, focusing their senses, would discover that within each acupoint was a boundless, mysterious world unto itself.

If all seven hundred and twenty acupoints contained their own mysterious, new universe, then wasn't Shi Yan’s body akin to a vast starry sky, capable of encompassing an entire celestial domain?

"Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!"

A mountain-splitting, earth-shattering roar erupted from Shi Yan's heart. With the tremor, the acupoints throughout his body surged with an overwhelmingly intense vitality. A boundless, majestic life force surged through his acupoints, blood vessels, bones, and organs. He suddenly grinned and roared toward the void.

With that roar, his already terrifying massive body began a new round of expansion!

Natural scales, like armor plating, grew out from his chest, arms, legs, and armpits. Sharp spikes sprouted like wild grass across his knees and shoulders. The bone wings, which had not manifested after he transformed into his Primal Body, burst forth from his spine with sharp cracking sounds!

The bone wings unfurled, vast enough to blot out the light, resembling the gigantic wings of a demon. An endless, evil aura materialized, seeming to cleave the Eight Great Evil Forces in two, pouring each half into one of the bone wings.

Watching the bone wings tear open, a primal fear shook the hearts of the onlookers, as if a gigantic demonic god was being born.

"Rumble! Rumble!"

Two dragon horns, sharp enough to pierce the firmament, also coalesced strangely atop his head. The life force within these dragon horns was intensely concentrated, mixed with the sharpness of space itself—appearing as if they could tear through heaven and earth, unstoppable.

These manifestations of the Primal Body, this renewed growth, filled everyone with terror. Unsure whether this development was for better or worse, they all turned to Ziyao.

Ziyao’s beautiful eyes sparkled with complex emotions. Under everyone’s gaze, she stated, "In the Primal Era, the Desolate hunted many of his own kind, refining their Primal Essence Blood to enhance his power. His divine body was the strongest among the Primal Creatures, having absorbed the most Primal Essence Blood. That clone of his has once again caused Shi Yan to undergo a complete transformation. Shi Yan’s physical strength has at least doubled!"