Just ahead of this crystalline fortress, Ji Changkong and his two companions sat waiting, utterly listless, for the return of the Blood Clan elders. Marquis had escorted them here and, having settled that matter, departed without further oversight.

The guardian of the Blood Clan's ancient castle, the youth who had been speaking with Marquis, was named Yan Yun. He found the trio quite fascinating, frequently inquiring about the surface world they hailed from.

According to Yan Yun, he had not left the core of this star for a century and was intensely curious about the world above. Ji Changkong’s group were the first outsiders to arrive in the last thirty years, which kept Yan Yun closely attentive, pressing them for details about the world outside.

Huo Feng and Xiao Han were comparatively knowledgeable about the Dead Star Domain. Sensing an opportunity, they engaged Yan Yun warmly, intending to exchange their knowledge of the outside world for Yan Yun’s insights into the subterranean realm.

It turned out the Augustus Clan had only migrated to this subterranean world several centuries ago. Because the ambient energy here was so dense, coupled with environmental factors perfectly suited for Blood Clan cultivation, the Augustus family had decided to relocate their entire lineage, establishing this planetary core as their long-term sanctuary.

The powerful Blood Clan quickly ascended to become one of the three major powers within the core world upon their arrival, subjugating the other races who had previously cultivated there and compelling them to adhere to the Blood Clan’s established rules.

In this vast subterranean world, aside from the Blood Clan, two other races held significant might. One was the Flame Demon Clan; those dwelling in the magma pools were not entirely devoid of intelligence. Among the Flame Demons, some were masters at manipulating the power of lava, using it as a foundation for their cultivation, which rendered the higher-ranking Flame Demons extraordinarily powerful.

The other race was the Ice Clan, the complete antithesis of the Flame Demons. Their bodies were forged from pure ice, and they inhabited the opposite, frigid territory of the core. The Ice Clan possessed high intellect and were another dominant force in the depths.

However, both the Ice Clan and the Flame Demon Clan suffered a severe degradation in strength if they ventured far from their long-established domains, unlike the Blood Clan, whose power remained largely undiminished regardless of location.

The Ice Clan and the Flame Demon Clan were bound by their environments—one inhabiting areas of extreme heat near magma, the other existing in landscapes of glacial cold—thus rarely leaving their native lands.

The relationship between the Blood, Ice, and Flame Demon clans in this core world was delicate. Initially, the Blood Clan had attempted to subjugate both the Ice and Flame Demon races. After several clashes, the Blood Clan realized that the Ice and Flame Demons were lethally strong within their respective territories, making their conquest nearly impossible.

Another factor was that the Ice and Flame Demons seldom strayed from their domains, and those realms of intense heat or biting cold held little inherent value for the Blood Clan. Once the Blood Clan recognized this, they ceased aggression toward the Ice and Flame Demons and instead began attempting to forge alliances.

Yet, the Ice and Flame Demon clans were unappreciative, maintaining minimal contact with the Blood Clan. Still, due to the Blood Clan’s undeniable might, the other two races dared not initiate provocation. Only when necessary cooperation arose would the three races convene for discussions; otherwise, they maintained strict separation, adhering to a policy of non-aggression.

Through Yan Yun's accounts, Xiao Han and Huo Feng quickly grasped the current geopolitical structure of the core. Yan Yun mentioned an Elder had departed for the Ice Clan’s territory, leading them to speculate that something significant must be unfolding, as the Elder would hardly make such a journey without cause.

Ji Changkong remained silent throughout, listening intently to the history of conflict and tension between the Blood Clan and the Ice/Flame Demon races, a strange sensation stirring within him.

After gaining information about the surface world from Xiao Han and Huo Feng, Yan Yun ceased his questioning. Finally, under the guise of a sparring challenge, he proposed a match with the two women. Yan Yun possessed only the cultivation of the Micro-Subtlety Realm of the Ten Directions Heaven, yet he dared challenge Huo Feng and Xiao Han—his audacity was certainly commendable.

Huo Feng and Xiao Han seemed aware of the Blood Clan's combative nature. After a moment's hesitation, Xiao Han accepted. Right there, before the crystalline fortress, Xiao Han and Yan Yun engaged in combat.

The fight was swift in its beginning and end. As a member of the Blood Clan, Yan Yun possessed incredible speed and strength far exceeding typical experts in the Micro-Subtlety Realm. However, separated by a full cultivation tier, Yan Yun ultimately lost, yet he displayed no frustration; rather, he seemed excited.

During their exchange, Ji Changkong observed stealthily. From Yan Yun’s constitution, he detected a peculiar pattern of energy—a rhythm that seemed linked to certain secret techniques found in the "Blood Pools" of the Five Elements Continent. Yan Yun was remarkably adept at utilizing the blood within his own body.

Moreover, his blood indeed contained a vast reservoir of power. Recalling the strange aura stored within the blood in his own body, Ji Changkong’s mind began generating numerous possibilities, even leading him to secretly speculate that those "Blood Pool" secret arts might have originated from the Blood Clan itself.

Days passed after the bout between Xiao Han and Yan Yun. Suddenly, an elderly Blood Clan member returned from his expedition. Yan Yun rushed forward to greet him, addressing the elder as "Elder Vicks," and subsequently introduced Xiao Han, Huo Feng, and Ji Changkong to him.

Vicks was the very elder who had visited the Ice Clan. He possessed the cultivation of the Wishful Realm; his body was withered, and his face, predictably, was pale. He merely glanced coolly at the trio before stating flatly, "Follow me into the castle and state your business."

The Blood Clan's fortress was extravagantly luxurious. Upon entering, Ji Changkong noticed crystalline bas-reliefs everywhere. These carvings depicted myriad strange and unfamiliar alien beasts. Scattered throughout the halls were numerous stone tables adorned with intricate patterns, radiating an air of wealth.

Vicks led the three to an open stone chamber and inquired about their purpose for coming. Xiao Han and Huo Feng explained their intention was not to settle permanently but merely to search for materials necessary for cultivation.

Vicks asked no further probing questions. He required each of them to pay one hundred Origin Crystals, presenting them with a black stone stained with dried blood, granting them ten years of residency. After the decade, they would either need to renew their payment or depart.

Xiao Han nodded and promptly produced three hundred Origin Crystals, paying for herself, Huo Feng, and Ji Changkong all at once, handing them over to Vicks. After securing the payment, Vicks looked up, studying them with cold, serious eyes. He pondered for a moment, then suddenly stated, "The three of you, you must have come for the Life Magnetic Pool, is that correct?" Xiao Han’s expression shifted slightly; after a pause, she softly affirmed, "Yes."

"I knew it," Vicks closed his eyes in thought. After a while, he fixed his cold gaze upon them. Hesitating slightly, he continued, "Since you know of the Life Magnetic Pool, this isn't your first visit, or perhaps you've heard tales of its peculiarities, right?"

"I visited once before, back when your Blood Clan hadn't arrived. I nearly perished within it that time," Xiao Han admitted, frowning after a moment of unexpected candor.

"Hmph!" Vicks growled, his face stern. "You only have the cultivation of the Nirvana Boundary, surviving that ordeal was sheer luck. Even I nearly died within it two centuries ago!" Huo Feng and Xiao Han remained silent, and Ji Changkong wisely kept quiet, watching to see what Vicks would say next.

Vicks seemed deeply absorbed in his thoughts. After a long silence, he finally looked up. "To enter the 'Life Magnetic Pool,' you must pay an additional one thousand Origin Crystals, and you must accompany our Blood Clan there!"

"Agreed!" Xiao Han replied readily, without hesitation drawing out the thousand Origin Crystals and presenting them. She inwardly congratulated herself for the recent trip to the Origin Crystal mine with Huo Feng, realizing it had saved them significant trouble.

"Gather here before the fortress gates in six months; our Blood Clan will lead the escort," Vicks stated after pocketing the crystals, then waved a hand dismissively. "Go now. Use these six months to rest and recuperate." Xiao Han nodded, signaled to Ji Changkong, and proactively headed toward the exit.

After Ji Changkong's party departed, Vicks’s eyes instantly bled a crimson hue, radiating a savage, bloodthirsty malevolence. He stared fixedly ahead, a faint mist of blood seeming to rise from him. "That boy's blood..." Vicks mumbled, his face etched with confusion. After a moment, he shook his head and murmured, "Strange. It's unlikely..."

Before leaving the crystalline fortress, the trio found a random spot in the subterranean world to lodge. Being entirely unfamiliar with the region, they kept together rather than separating.

It was through Xiao Han that he finally learned the true marvels of the "Life Magnetic Pool." This pool was a singular anomaly within the core world, situated between the magma and ice pools. It possessed an intensely strange magnetic field. Within it, the ambient energies were unbelievably dense, fostering rare exotic flora and fauna, as well as countless precious ores. For experts in the Ten Directions Heaven Realm, the Magnetic Pool was a treasure trove—its rare flowers could refine the spirit soul, and its ores could temper divine weaponry.

But this was not the most captivating aspect. According to Xiao Han, the "Life Magnetic Pool" contained a Life Vortex. Anyone entering this vortex, provided they survived, could directly break through an entire cultivation realm! Granted, this benefit was most pronounced for those in the Micro-Subtlety, Nirvana, or Wishful Realms. It was rumored that Heavenly Masters of the Spirit Communication Realm gained less significant advancement, though it could still stabilize their existing cultivation and reduce bottlenecks.

It was apparently a miraculous place for the sublimation of life and the baptism of one's realm, and the lure of a direct, full-realm breakthrough was the primary reason so many were driven toward it! (To be continued...)