The shimmering golden light on the treasure ship dissolved. A tall, imposing cultivator emerged, his sword-like brows and cold eyes set above a rugged face. Clad in a golden robe, he soared into the air from the vessel. That slightly hoarse, deep voice emanated from this man. This male cultivator radiated blinding golden light, enveloped in a thick aureole that seemed like a suit of golden armor, making him an arresting sight beneath the grim, dim Spiritual Desolation City, capturing the gaze of nearly every cultivator present. As the Saint Sovereign spoke, he strode from the treasure ship. With every step, a radiant golden phantom lingered in the air, fading only after several paces. Though each step appeared slow and deliberate, he traversed hundreds of zhang in the blink of an eye.

In just a few strides, the Saint Sovereign ascended high into the sky, calmly observing the Ghost Lord perched atop the twin-headed vulture, and the Sect Master Yu, who rode a piece of floating cloud. “This is…,” “The Overlord Saint Body?” Sect Master Yu’s expression shifted slightly as a realization dawned. “To our knowledge, a thousand years ago, the Saint Sovereign Palace, a titan of the Demonic Alliance, possessed a supreme divine art that dominated the Eastern Sea Cultivation World! Cultivating this great divine art renders one indestructible, with a body of ultimate fortitude.” — Yes, just a few years ago, there were rumors that the Saint Sovereign was alive in the Central Lands. Could you, perhaps, be Senior Saint Sovereign?”

Sect Master Yu shuddered, his pupils involuntarily contracting, betraying the shock within him. As the Northern Sect Master of the Heavenly Dao Alliance, his insight was naturally extraordinary. After a brief contemplation, he immediately deduced the divine ability being displayed by this late Nascent Soul cultivator. What horrified Sect Master Yu was that this mysterious cultivator, despite possessing the same late Nascent Soul cultivation, carried an inscrutable profundity that his divine sense could not grasp—something he had never witnessed in any Nascent Soul cultivator since beginning his own path.

“Senior Saint Sovereign?” The Desolate Spirit Ghost Lord turned to the man, his tone astonished and laced with disbelief. He had heard of the Saint Sovereign’s mighty reputation. Back when he was a low-level Qi Refining cultivator in the Eastern Sea, long before becoming a Ghost Cultivator, he had heard of this legendary titan of the Demonic Alliance. Of course, by then, the Saint Sovereign had long departed the Eastern Sea, only his residual influence remained. The Saint Sovereign’s rivals seized the opportunity to attack, taking centuries and paying a heavy price to completely eradicate the influence of the Saint Sovereign Palace.

Regardless of whether he was the Saint Sovereign or not, this Nascent Soul cultivator had mastered the supreme divine art, the “Overlord Saint Body,” granting him strength sufficient to tip the scales of the entire situation!

“It is indeed this Emperor.” The Saint Sovereign remained composed, long accustomed to the awe he inspired in other cultivators. The golden light surrounding him and his intangible might pressed heavily upon the Nascent Soul cultivators present, forcing them to involuntarily retreat from the pressure. The spiritual pressure emanating from a peak late Nascent Soul cultivator was undeniable.

“This junior pays his respects to Senior Saint Sovereign!” Sect Master Yu’s face went through several transformations before he finally set aside the dignity of his station as the Northern Sect Master of the Heavenly Dao Alliance, bowing respectfully as a junior. This was not only an expression of reverence for a mighty cultivator from the generation of their ancestors but also a calculated move considering the interests of the White Float Palace; one must never offend a celestial palace that could be considered a powerful ally.

“Sect Master Yu, no need for such ceremony!” The Saint Sovereign nodded calmly, accepting the bow. When the numerous Nascent Soul cultivators and countless Golden Core cultivators heard the personal confirmation from Sect Master Yu, the Ghost Lord, and the Saint Sovereign himself, a deafening clamor erupted.

“Legend says the Saint Sovereign went to the Central Lands, presumptuously establishing the Saint Sovereign Cultivation World. He violated the decrees of the Heavenly Dao Alliance and the Demonic Alliance, inciting universal wrath, leading the Sect Masters and titans to campaign against him!” “Nonsense! The Saint Sovereign had reached the peak of late Nascent Soul, on the cusp of breaking through to the Spirit Transformation stage. But he had too many enemies in the Eastern Sea Cultivation World, so he returned to the Central Lands to face his heavenly tribulation. Those petty villains got wind of it and launched a sneak attack while he was undergoing tribulation!” “The Saint Sovereign Palace? Wasn't it annihilated a thousand years ago by the combined might of several Heavenly Dao Alliance Sect Masters and Demonic Alliance titans? I heard that upon the fall of the Palace, the Saint Sovereign also died. How can he reappear here?” “Saint Sovereign? He was a late Nascent Soul cultivator from a thousand years ago; how is he still alive? He must be at least seventeen or eighteen hundred years old! Has he reached the Spirit Transformation stage? No, his cultivation is clearly at the ninth layer of Nascent Soul?” “But besides the Saint Sovereign, no one else in the Eastern Sea Cultivation World has ever mastered the ‘Overlord Saint Body’ supreme divine art. The reason he was revered as the Saint Sovereign was precisely this ‘Overlord Saint Body.’ This divine art vanished with the Saint Sovereign and never reappeared. When the cultivators attacked the Saint Sovereign Palace back then, they never found the technique inside the palace either.” “It really is Senior Saint Sovereign?! A thousand years ago, he was already the foremost among the five great titans of the Demonic Alliance, his strength unrivaled in the Eastern Sea Cultivation World. Heavens, I actually get to meet such a legendary figure! This trip to the Sea of Blood was well worth the journey!” “The appearance of the Saint Sovereign means the Saint Sovereign Palace is reappearing in the Eastern Sea. With such a cultivator present, the Eastern Sea Cultivation World and the Sea of Blood are about to experience dramatic changes!”

Many Golden Core cultivators who had heard of the Saint Sovereign felt an urge to kneel and worship. The prestige of the Saint Sovereign and the Saint Sovereign Palace, despite the passing of centuries, was still widely circulated. Compared to those ancient mighty figures, the Saint Sovereign was a recent legend. His reappearance caused immense shock among the Nascent Soul cultivators, even surpassing the astonishment when Sect Master Yu first appeared. These Nascent Soul cultivators were simply not from the same era as the Saint Sovereign; he belonged to their ancestors’ generation, a figure who dominated that time. Even for cultivators as senior as Sect Master Yu, who had lived for nearly a thousand years, the Saint Sovereign had already established an unparalleled name in the Eastern Sea Cultivation World before Yu even stepped onto the cultivation path—a legacy hard to surpass, deserving only of admiration and reverence. Even Sect Master Yu and the Desolate Spirit Ghost Lord had to respectfully address him as 'Senior.' To see him standing before them now was utterly staggering.

Having confirmed the Saint Sovereign’s identity, the attention of many cultivators swiftly turned towards the treasure ship. Since this man was the Saint Sovereign, the cultivators on board bearing the same insignia of the Celestial Palace must be from the Saint Sovereign Palace.

On the bow deck of the treasure ship, Yin Lingsu, the seven Nascent Soul Elders of the Saint Sovereign Palace, and several dozen Golden Core cultivators stood proudly and calmly, clearly taking great pride in their identity. Not every cultivator was qualified to serve under the Saint Sovereign. In contrast to the group from the Saint Sovereign Palace, Ye Qin, standing silently to the side, and Huangfu Bing'er, standing elegantly, also drew the notice of the crowd. The insignia on their robes clearly differed from those of the Saint Sovereign Palace; they bore the markings of other Celestial Palaces.

“Hmph, isn't that Young Elder Ye of the Violet Sword Palace? Why is he associating with cultivators from the Saint Sovereign Palace?” A soft, alluring female voice expressed extreme surprise, sounding jarring amidst the crowd of cultivators. In the Heavenly Dao Alliance’s contingent, a group of Golden Core cultivators from that faction were looking toward the treasure ship. The speaker was a peerlessly beautiful woman, though only at the mid-Golden Core stage, whose captivating presence immediately drew the eyes of many Golden Core cultivators from surrounding Celestial Palaces.

“Fairy Meng Ling, you recognize him? Who is he?” A cultivator immediately pressed for details. Fairy Meng Ling, the Young Mistress of the Wunu Ear Palace, was a figure of renown even among the Golden Core cultivators, with countless admirers and devotees gathered at her silken skirts.

“Only heard the name!” Fairy Meng Ling shook her head.

“Young Elder Ye! It’s actually him!” In another cluster of Golden Core cultivators, a man with a refined, scholarly appearance frowned deeply. “This Ye clan member has remarkable skills, becoming an Elder of the Violet Sword Palace at the mid-Golden Core stage, gaining considerable renown in the Northern Isles. The Saint Sovereign Palace only recently appeared in the Sea of Blood, and Elder Ye has already allied with their cultivators—truly fast, we admire that. Brother Du, you weren't wronged in your loss to him!” The man, fanning himself with a ceremonial fan, glanced askance at an imposing young cultivator beside him, his tone dripping with sarcasm and provocation.

“Hmph, clinging to the Saint Sovereign Palace, I want to see how long he can gloat!” The young cultivator surnamed Du snorted, his face exceptionally grim. He stared fixedly at Ye Qin, his eyes practically spitting fire with jealousy. This was none other than Du Qingliang of the Shang Tang Palace, who harbored past grievances with Ye Qin, now accompanying Old Ancestor Hong Mo to train in the Sea of Blood.

“Brother Du, don’t be angry. Young Elder Ye is merely a mid-Golden Core cultivator; who knows what luck he had to secure the position of an Elder in the Violet Sword Palace.” Several Golden Core brothers who had recently befriended Du Qingliang, hailing from Celestial Palaces in other sea regions, had not heard of the feud between Du Qingliang and Ye Qin, and mocked him mockingly and dismissively. These Golden Core cultivators were mostly the pampered offspring of Celestial Palace higher-ups, accompanying their seniors to the Sea of Blood for experience and to snatch merit. Used to having their elders back them up, they were habitually arrogant and looked down on ordinary cultivators.

The Desolate Spirit Ghost Lord had no patience for the pleasantries exchanged between Sect Master Yu and the Saint Sovereign, delaying the commencement of negotiations. Having fully embraced the Ghost Dao, it was severed from the Eastern Sea Cultivation World; the Heavenly Dao Alliance and the Demonic Alliance held no significance for it, and there was no need to flatter or fear them.

It did not regard Sect Master Yu, the Northern Sect Master of the Heavenly Dao Alliance, as significant. Although shocked by the Saint Sovereign's appearance, this did not mean it feared him. After all, it was also at the peak of the ninth layer of Nascent Soul, its cultivation no less than the Saint Sovereign’s. This Desolate Spirit Ghost Island was its foundation, nurtured over hundreds of years, and the place where it intended to undergo the Spirit Transformation tribulation. It wished to avoid a direct, destructive battle with this mass of Eastern Sea Nascent Soul cultivators, which would damage its vital energy and the grand formation protecting the island. Its sole hope was negotiation, compelling the Nascent Soul cultivators to voluntarily withdraw from the Desolate Spirit Ghost Island. As the Ghost Lord’s gaze swept carelessly over the Saint Sovereign Palace’s treasure ship below, it spotted Ye Qin and Huangfu Bing’er on deck, and it froze momentarily, immediately followed by an overwhelming surge of ecstasy.

“That treasure-seeking cultivator who stole the Ice Lotus Seeds is still here!” The Ghost Lord had been vexed about how to track down those Golden Core cultivators who had entered the ice vault and taken the Ice Lotus Seeds. To its surprise, it spotted them on the treasure ship. If it could seize the Ice Lotus Seeds and refine them into a Nether Artifact, its power would increase by a massive margin. Sacrifices would be worthwhile for such a gain.

“Ghost Fog Soul-Bewitching Grand Formation!” The Desolate Spirit Ghost Lord acted decisively, without any warning. Its enormous spectral hand swept out, activating the island’s grand formation.

“Ghost Vulture, Corpse King, Skeleton General, attack immediately!” In an instant, the dark, oppressive mass of ghost mist clouds covering thousands of li above the Spiritual Desolation City roared and pressed down completely, engulfing every Nascent Soul and Golden Core cultivator gathered there. The Ghost Vulture, Corpse King, Skeleton General, and other Nascent Soul Ghost Cultivators were fiercely loyal to the Ghost Lord. Under their command, countless malevolent spirits and vengeful ghosts hidden within the ghost mist clouds, along with low-level Ghost Cultivators, charged recklessly, assailing the cultivators from the Eastern Sea and the Sea of Blood.

The entire Spiritual Desolation City became engulfed in churning ghost mist, black as ink, where visibility extended barely a hand’s breadth. Chaos erupted everywhere. Inside the Ghost Fog Grand Formation, even Nascent Soul cultivators could not extend their divine sense more than a few dozen zhang, preventing mutual support. They summoned their magical artifacts, frantically slaughtering the surrounding vengeful spirits and charging Ghost Cultivators, fighting with all their might to survive.

“How dare you!” “Ghost Lord, you actually dare lead ghost cultivators to fight against my Eastern Sea cultivators! I will kill you!” “Kill! Slaughter every ghost cultivator on this island!” None of the assembled Nascent Soul cultivators had anticipated the Ghost Lord’s sudden, audacious move—challenging fifty or sixty Nascent Soul cultivators with the power of a single late Nascent Soul Ghost Cultivator. Caught completely off guard, they were scattered by the onslaught of ghost cultivators and vicious spirits, plunging into widespread confusion. Even the Saint Sovereign high in the sky and Sect Master Yu were baffled by the Ghost Lord’s seemingly suicidal, frenzied attack. Ghost cultivators, being few in number, were inherently weaker than this host of Eastern Sea cultivators. However, within the Ghost Fog Grand Formation, support among the Eastern Sea cultivators was difficult, allowing the ghost cultivators to fight them to a standstill temporarily.

The Ghost Lord understood this perfectly; its intention was to use the island’s ghost cultivators and the Ghost Fog Grand Formation to buy time to retrieve the Ice Lotus Seeds.

The Ghost Lord’s expression turned utterly cold. It leaped down from the twin-headed vulture’s peak, transforming into a spectral black streak of light, shooting rapidly toward the treasure ship below.

“Quick, activate the ship protection barrier!” Elder Song immediately sensed disaster the moment the ghost mist formation descended, letting out a sharp cry to command. The Golden Core cultivators already prepared on the ship simultaneously activated the protective barrier. Countless talismans lit up on the treasure ship, blazing with golden light, manifesting a circular shield. Elder Song did not know the Ghost Lord’s target was the treasure ship, but activating the protective shield was the most instinctive defensive measure upon encountering danger.

“Poison!” The Desolate Spirit Ghost Lord arrived at the ship’s shield in a mere breath, blocked outside by the intensely durable defensive light screen. This shield was a formation erected specifically to resist Nascent Soul cultivators, possessing formidable defensive capabilities.

“Damn it, break!” The Ghost Lord’s eyes flashed with savage black light. It swung its massive right spectral claw, exuding thick corpse qi, and slammed violently into the protective light shield. BANG!!!