Dark, cold stars swept past them as Ji Changkong and Gudi plunged into a dim sea of stars. All around him were countless dim, lusterless celestial bodies, utterly lifeless, devoid of the slightest breath of vitality. Clearly, these were all dead stars.

The Heaven-Reaching Ghost Mother, possessing vast and mighty divine abilities, could tear open the void with a mere thought, allowing them to span impossible distances and deposit them into an entirely alien star sea. Such miracles were only achievable by masters of the Chaos Realm, like the Ghost Mother herself.

After a dizzying period of constant rotation, he and Gudi finally descended onto one of the dead stars.

He released his divine sense, letting it sweep rapidly across the nearby constellations. He detected not a single trace of life. Innumerable stars clustered nearby—every single one was a dead world.

Thousands of these dead stars were gathered in a tight cluster, seemingly enveloped in an eternal, profound silence, without any ripple of life.

Gudi arrived and calmly closed his eyes, sensing for a moment. He then murmured softly, "The Sea of Dead Stars. Hmm, we are close. The Divine Mother is indeed mighty in her abilities."

"Gudi, you are Gudi of the Augustus family from the Inner Earth World, aren't you? I know of you," Ji Changkong finally turned to Gudi, hesitating before asking, "What exactly is the relationship between your Blood Clan and the Purgatory Ghost Clan?"

"The term 'Ghost Clan' is what envious rivals call you. We Blood Clan have always referred to you as the God Clan, which was your original race name. As a member of the God Clan, you should refer to yourself as such, otherwise, it shows contempt for yourself," Gudi stated slowly.

"Very well, let's say God Clan then. What is the relationship between the God Clan and your Blood Clan? As the patriarch of the Augustus family, why do you refer to yourself as an old servant when facing the Ghost Mother—oh, pardon me, the Divine Mother? Why do you call yourself an old servant when facing the Divine Mother?"

"My Blood Clan has always been a vassal to the Zhuo Tribe. It is only proper that I call myself an old servant."

"A vassal of the God Clan? What does that mean?"

Gudi did not rush to answer immediately. After pondering for a moment, he slowly began, "This dates back to the genesis of our Blood Clan..."

Back then, after the Great Calamity, the Purgatory Ghost Clan suffered massive population losses, and their internal strength severely diminished. The various races that had long desired to break free from the oppressive might of the Purgatory Ghost Clan seized the opportunity to unite against them. A war sweeping across the entire star sea erupted, during which even the God Kings of the Purgatory Ghost Clan perished.

The Great High Priest of the clan was besieged and nearly annihilated, body and soul. Due to his cultivation of the upper volume of the Soul-Feeding Melody, although his physical body was incinerated, his divine soul remained intact, scattering across the star sea. His soul imprint slowly gathered soul power, eventually allowing his divine soul to re-coalesce.

After his soul re-formed, the Great High Priest focused entirely on reviving the Purgatory Ghost Clan and seeking vengeance. Driven by this obsession, he established the Ouro Divine Cult in the guise of a deity, proclaiming himself a god and appointing his disciple as the cult leader to propagate his teachings.

The Great High Priest had thoroughly studied the profound mysteries of the Soul-Feeding Melody, giving him an unparalleled understanding of souls. He intended to use this method to gain the faith of members from various races throughout the boundless star domains, enslaving their souls through secret arts so that every follower of the Divine Cult would regard him as the one true God.

The influence of the Ouro Divine Cult spread throughout the entire boundless domains. Under his secret manipulation, he could compel all followers to betray their own races and become the most loyal chess pieces of the Ouro Divine Cult.

This plan proceeded smoothly at first, until the betrayal by his disciple, Yang Haili. Yang Haili, desperate to obtain the profound essence of the Soul-Feeding Melody, betrayed the Great High Priest Ouro and revealed Ouro's whereabouts to several super-beings who were enemies of the Purgatory Ghost Clan.

Consequently, Ouro was besieged and slaughtered once more. Although his divine soul was not utterly destroyed, it was severely wounded. Currently, Ouro's consciousness still disperses throughout the vast cosmos, slowly re-forming, yet to coalesce into a primary divine soul again.

The Blood Clan was a special race the Great High Priest created by mixing a single drop of his own vital blood with a bat-like being from a certain star, using the most wondrous method in heaven and earth. The blood flowing in the Great High Priest was the purest essence of the Purgatory Ghost Clan. Though only a single drop, it drastically altered the physique of the bat-man. The Great High Priest, proficient in soul power, forcibly reshaped the bat-man's soul in a unique manner, transforming the bat-man into a race driven by extreme belligerence and bloodlust.

The Great High Priest named the being he created the Blood Slaves. The Blood Slaves were completely obedient to the Great High Priest. Their souls bore imprints left by him, ensuring they would serve the Purgatory Ghost Clan as masters for life, never leaving, never betraying.

The first generation of Blood Slaves possessed low intelligence, acting merely as pure warriors—much like Ghost Corpses, they were fighting machines for the Purgatory Ghost Clan. However, the Blood Slaves possessed one peculiar trait: as their lives extended, their power grew slowly, and simultaneously, they gradually developed their own intelligence.

In terms of power growth, they were not as monstrous as the Ghost Corpses, but their intelligence continually sharpened, and they gained the ability to reproduce. This exceeded the Great High Priest's expectations. Over the long stretch of ages, the number of Blood Slaves increased, eventually forming a distinct race. For a long time, the Blood Slaves served as the dark enforcers of the Ouro Divine Cult, operating in tandem with the Cult Leader in the shadows... Until, until Yang Haili's betrayal shattered the Ouro Divine Cult and the Great High Priest once more retreated into soul-hiding. Only then did the Blood Slaves emerge from the darkness, transforming into the Blood Clan and continuing their activities in the Dead Star Domain. Only the most powerful among them knew the true relationship between the Blood Clan and the Purgatory Ghost Clan.

"I see..." After a long silence, Ji Changkong nodded lightly. "No wonder you call yourself an old servant. I never realized the relationship between the Blood Clan and the God Clan was like this."

"When the God Clan is strong, my Blood Clan naturally benefits. Therefore, the Blood Clan and the God Clan are intimately linked; we rise together and fall together. This old servant is utterly loyal to the God Clan!" Gudi bowed slightly, his manner respectful.

"You don't need to be respectful to me. I am not yet considered one of the God Clan."

"Having endured nine Blood Refinements, you will become the new God King of the God Clan. Even if you deny it repeatedly, this existing fact cannot be altered," Gudi smiled faintly. "Moreover, the divine blood of the God Clan flows within your body. Even if you refuse to see yourself as a member, others will certainly view you that way—this is something you cannot change. Some individuals, purely because of the nature of your blood, will see you as an object requiring cleansing. Unless you wish to forfeit your life, you must align yourself with the God Clan."

Saying this, Gudi smiled slightly and conjured a blood-red light screen in the void. Gudi then spat a wisp of blood energy into the screen. "Take a look," he invited. Within the light screen, vivid scenes unfolded.

They depicted experts from various races hunting down members of the Blood Clan and the Purgatory Ghost Clan. Any being carrying the Purgatory Ghost Clan's bloodline, regardless of virtue or vice, was targeted for elimination without mercy. In those unfolding images, members of the Purgatory Ghost Clan and the Blood Clan were massacred. No matter how they argued, whether they were aged, weak, disabled, or infants, if caught, the result was the same.

The images were startlingly clear; the fear and despair on the faces of those facing death were rendered lifelike. These scenes repeated continuously, looping one after another, causing Ji Changkong's brow to furrow tightly as a sense of helplessness washed over him.

"These scenes occurred before the Divine Mother advanced to the Chaos Realm," Gudi stated with a bitter tone, mockingly declaring, "This is the principle of the jungle—the strong devour the weak. Before the Divine Mother entered the Chaos Realm, and while the Great High Priest was in a state of soul-hiding, if the God Clan members were not innately powerful and superior to those other races, they might have been exterminated before the Divine Mother could break through to the Chaos Realm. The reason those various races have ceased harassing the God Clan and persecuting my Blood Clan over the years is entirely due to the Divine Mother's existence—because her retribution is far bloodier, and because their own internal harmony has fractured, they dare not provoke us further."

Gudi's words forced Ji Changkong to face the reality of the situation: because of the Purgatory Ghost Clan blood flowing within him, he could not possibly extricate himself from this turmoil. After the Blood Refinements, the power granted by the Purgatory Ghost Clan blood had likely increased tenfold or more. Having accepted their benefits, it would be difficult for him to remain detached now.

"The Ice Emperor was already in the Realm of God Communication. After escaping the Divine Mother, he must have advanced further. Even you are no match for him; what use am I alongside you?" After some hesitation, Ji Changkong couldn't help but ask.

"You are different from me," Gudi offered a slight smile. "You might not realize how astonishing your power is, but the Divine Mother is not worried about your spouse; sending you with me implies she believes you can resolve this matter. The Ice Emperor is formidable, perhaps, but you, having survived nine Blood Refinements, are even more astonishing. I believe you can certainly handle this."

"God Communication, the Realm of God Communication—what is the actual difference..." Ji Changkong murmured softly.

"Then let me explain it to you. First, try to sense the people you are familiar with within your Sea of Souls. Just call out their names. If you can recall their vital auras, your understanding will be much deeper. Try to sense them, and you will experience something miraculous," Gudi prompted instructively.

At his reminder, Ji Changkong frowned and opened his mind, attempting to feel out.

He first called out to Shang Bingjie within his Sea of Souls. He knew Shang Bingjie's vital aura intimately. The moment the thought arose, Shang Bingjie suddenly manifested within his vast Sea of Souls!

Shang Bingjie stood upon a snow-capped peak on the Raging Flame Star, frowning with a look of melancholy, seemingly waiting for something in secret. Grandfather.

Another thought surged into his mind. The Sea of Souls abruptly transformed; a strange, gentle breeze swept through the mist in his Sea of Souls, and a new scene flickered into existence.

In an unknown star domain, Gu Dan of the initial Eighth Heaven Realm, accompanied by Li Hentian, was flying slowly, their apparent destination being the Dead Star Domain.

"With the cultivation of the God Communication Realm, sensing acquaintances with lower cultivation is effortless—you can pinpoint their location. God Communication, 'communicating with the divine,' means we possess abilities comparable to deities. Do you understand a bit more now?" Gudi's voice resonated slowly.