The Sea of Chaotic Stars has always been the favored refuge for fugitives who have offended powerful factions within the Three Realms. The environment here is complex, the void choked with all manner of treacherous and wildly fluctuating energies.

A moment’s carelessness could result in being utterly pulverized within those violent ethereal vortices. Unless one was intimately familiar with the surrounding terrain, no one dared to blunder about recklessly.

The entity that commanded the Sea of Chaotic Stars was composed of seven Mahayana Stage powerhouses, styling themselves the Seven Sovereigns, who had carved out their own territories, respecting each other's boundaries while maintaining a vigilant watch over one another.

The most formidable among them called himself the Star-Vast Sovereign, a peak Mahayana expert. He was also numbered among the Top Ten Apex Powerhouses. Legend held that this man originated from the Star-Vast Immortal Palace, a major power in the Immortal Realm, who had betrayed the Immortal Venerable tens of thousands of years ago and fled to the Sea of Chaotic Stars to establish his own dominion.

What struck people as most peculiar was that the Immortal Venerable never bothered to deal with the Star-Vast Sovereign, allowing him to cause trouble unchecked in the outer reaches.

This Star-Vast Sovereign was quite unlike the typical disposition of other Xian Clan members. He was open-hearted, magnanimous, fond of making friends, and possessed of great integrity. It was precisely because of his presence in the Sea of Chaotic Stars that this realm was preserved from annihilation, allowing it to grow stronger as more and more individuals flocked here seeking sanctuary. The Star-Vast Sovereign, for his part, turned no one away, not even those originating from the High Demon Clan.

Once inside the Sea of Chaotic Stars, all were automatically sheltered under the protection of the Seven Sovereigns, with the sole condition being that they were forbidden from ever leaving. Simultaneously, a decree was established within the Three Realms: anyone who committed a transgression, upon fleeing to the Sea of Chaotic Stars, would no longer be pursued; they were to be considered dead.

The strangest stipulation of all was that no Mahayana Stage powerhouse from the Three Realms was permitted to set foot in the Sea of Chaotic Stars.

In just six or seven thousand years of development, the structure of the Sea of Chaotic Stars had seen significant shifts. A new Sovereign had been added to the ranks: the Heavenly Demon Sovereign.

Many inhabitants of the Star Sea knew only that the Heavenly Demon Sovereign seemed to hail from the Human race, cultivating the Heavenly Demon Art, which had been modified to suit human cultivation. Theoretically, this demonic art should have evolved from the Heavenly Demon Art practiced by the Empress of Suffering.

Humans are a peculiar species, exceptionally adept at learning. Originally part of the Demon Spirit race, their cunning and variability led some factions to pledge allegiance to either the Demon Clan or the Immortal Clan, resulting in humanity establishing itself as an independent race.

Because of their aptitude for learning, humans could integrate the techniques of various races and convert them for their own use. Through generations of refinement by the consistently gifted humans, these techniques gradually coalesced into cultivation methods unique to their own race.

Yet, no one knew the origins of the Heavenly Demon Sovereign. Even less did anyone know that the Heavenly Demon Sovereign was accompanied by several Mahayana Stage powerhouses besides herself.

Initially, the Heavenly Demon, leading the Thunderous allies and subordinates, began to establish themselves within the Sea of Chaotic Stars. Arriving as newcomers, they inevitably encountered many difficulties. Fortunately, Tantai Bingyun was exceptionally principled. Relying on old connections, she managed to secure an audience with the Star-Vast Sovereign.

The Star-Vast Sovereign, being a man of his word, consequently showed the Heavenly Demon's entourage considerable favor. The Heavenly Demon gradually secured a foothold in the Sea of Chaotic Stars through sheer ability and strategy.

The Grotto-Heavens and Blessed Lands, along with the Chaos Alien Space that Lei Dong had left behind, provided the Heavenly Demon with enormous assistance. It was precisely thanks to these two assets that the Heavenly Demon and her group experienced rapid leaps in strength; even Tantai Bingyun benefited considerably, becoming so comfortable that she scarcely bothered returning to Azure Wave Palace, preferring instead to stay and mingle with the Heavenly Demon here.

The Chaos Alien Space was merely a minor dimension; its Chaos Spiritual Qi was not inexhaustible. But thankfully, the Heavenly Demon took a drastic approach, spending several centuries secretly gaining control over the entire Six Domains and Nine Continents.

Leveraging the vast resources at her disposal, the Heavenly Demon Sovereign thrived in the Sea of Chaotic Stars, accumulating immense amounts of Chaos Crystals through commerce. Although the Six Domains and Nine Continents were long depleted of Chaos Spiritual Qi, they still possessed certain specialties unavailable in the Three Realms.

The only slight drawback was that the Heavenly Demon and her cohort, lacking Primordial Chaos Essence, were not progressing in cultivation speed as quickly as they might. Currently, even relying on massive resources and the enhancement from the Grotto-Heavens, only a mere dozen or so had managed to reach the Mahayana Stage.

It was fortunate that whether it was the Heavenly Demon, Dongfang Fu, or even the Nether Ghost Emperor and the Purgatory Demon King, they were all paragons from the Six Domains and Nine Continents to begin with. Those who reached their level possessed undeniably formidable talent and tenacity.

However, achieving fame too easily and rising too swiftly inevitably attracts unnecessary trouble. Within the Sea of Chaotic Stars, with the Star-Vast Sovereign providing protection, no one dared provoke the Heavenly Demon Sovereign. In fact, it was already quite something that the Heavenly Demon Sovereign didn't bother provoking others.

But the Three Realms are a realm where experts are as numerous as clouds and overlords as vast as the sea. There are always those who do not even afford the Star-Vast Sovereign a second glance.

For example, those callow brutes who know no fear of the tiger despite being young calves.

The Son of Destruction and the Son of Hell were two notoriously wealthy scions within the Three Realms. At a young age, due to exceptional aptitude complemented by abundant resources, they had already cultivated to the early Mahayana Stage.

Normally, Mahayana Stage powerhouses were forbidden from entering the Sea of Chaotic Stars. Yet, there are always exceptions. These two possessed Sovereign-level fathers; moreover, their visit to the Sea of Chaotic Stars was merely for experience and amusement, not for causing mayhem or murder.

Even someone of the Star-Vast Sovereign’s caliber had to offer them some deference and make an exception for these two juniors. After all, he was renowned alongside the fathers of these two youngsters and couldn't bring himself to bully them.

These two were aware of the rules, never using force to stir up trouble within the chaotic currents. But recently, they had both engaged in the same activity: pursuing the Heavenly Demon.

Although the Heavenly Demon originated from the Human race, her appearance was exquisitely beautiful, possessing an icy, empress-like aura. Her mastery of the Heavenly Demon Art was profound, surpassing that of most High Demon Clan members, and her cultivation had reached the mid-Mahayana Stage.

A woman like this would not bring shame to the Demon Clan or earn their fathers' disdain if taken as a consort; on the contrary, she would bring considerable prestige. Perhaps constrained by circumstances, perhaps wishing to impress the Heavenly Demon, but more likely because resorting to force would result in them being defeated by the Heavenly Demon Sovereign.

The two men simultaneously engaged in what they termed 'fair competition,' feigning courtly elegance and pursuing the Heavenly Demon through perfectly respectable means.

If these two scoundrels had dared to act aggressively, or if their backing hadn't been so strong, the Heavenly Demon, driven to distraction by their pestering, would certainly have swatted them dead with a single blow.

Regrettably, the pair acted like infatuated fools, rigidly adhering to the principle of absolutely no force and no coercion. Moreover, even under the Heavenly Demon's scolding and beatings, they became only more enraptured, intensifying their persistent pursuit of the Heavenly Demon—begging for insult, craving discipline.

Poor Heavenly Demon, she acted primarily for Lei Dong's sake, genuinely unwilling to offend the two major powers of the Demon Realm. Especially after learning that Lei Dong had offended the Vermillion Bird Divine Temple, she was loath to create any more enemies for him.

One day, the Heavenly Demon emerged from an unprecedented century of secluded cultivation, feeling a significant boost in her power. In high spirits, she prepared to step out and catch up with some fellow sect members from the Yin Sha Sect, only to find the two demonic rich kids already waiting there, alerted to her reappearance, outside her Heavenly Demon Palace. This caused the Heavenly Demon to curse inwardly; hadn't she heard these two had returned to the Demon Realm a while back?

The moment they saw the Heavenly Demon, they immediately fawned over her. As if to curry favor, the two activated their demonic arts, transforming their appearances into those of handsome, refined young men from the Human race, clad in flowing, dashing attire.

"Your Majesty, Heavenly Demon, long time no see," the Son of Hell greeted her with a grin. "Recently, I acquired a Hell Black Lotus with one hundred million years of age. If Your Highness refines it into a pill and consumes it, you might very well advance to the late Mahayana Stage soon, with the peak well within reach."

Hell Black Lotus? This stunned even the Heavenly Demon. This was a naturally occurring Chaos Spiritual Medicine, most effective for those cultivating Demonic Arts. A mere stalk with millions of years of age was already priceless and impossible to obtain with a few thousand crystals. How could one possess one that was a hundred million years old?

The Son of Destruction beside him was equally shocked and hastily exclaimed, "Big Brother, haven't you gone completely mad and stolen that treasure from your old man? If your father finds out, no matter how much he dotes on you, he’ll still cripple you with one slap!"

"For Your Majesty, Heavenly Demon, Sister Yanmei, I would regret nothing, even death. Let alone being half-crippled," the Son of Hell declared smugly. "Second Brother, are you impressed? Can you produce anything better?"

The Son of Destruction’s face shifted between gloom and brightness for a moment before he seemed to steel his resolve. He took out a crystal vial apparently crafted from some unknown substance. "Your Majesty, Heavenly Demon, this is one-tenth of a portion of Primordial Chaos Essence. If you consume it, your aptitude and potential will surge significantly. This item is far superior to that broken Black Lotus."

"What, Primordial Chaos Essence? And a tenth of a portion?" The Son of Hell was so astonished his jaw dropped. "You—you—where did you get this thing?"

"Heh heh, my old man sent word back from the Savage Lands a while ago, saying he was close to wiping out that group of barbarians," the Son of Destruction boasted proudly. "This was personally bestowed by the Demon Venerable."

Faced with these two artifacts, even the Heavenly Demon was deeply tempted. But her desire was not for the two suitors themselves, but a plan formulating on how to seize both items and then manage the subsequent clean-up and escape.

The Heavenly Demon did not know how her beloved Lei Dong was faring in the Savage Lands, but Tantai Bingyun had recently mentioned that he seemed to be on his way back. She worried that without the Grotto-Heavens and Blessed Lands, Lei Dong’s cultivation might lag behind the others, leaving him struggling to establish himself in the Savage Lands. If she could give these two items to her dear lover, his strength would surge dramatically in the short term, increasing his chances of successfully rescuing Wanyan later.

Just as the Heavenly Demon was meticulously plotting how to silence these two men permanently without causing repercussions, a familiar yet strangely distant voice echoed in her ear: "Meimei, why the furrowed brow? Always plotting something wicked, I suppose?"

"Lei Dong." The Heavenly Demon’s delicate frame trembled. Joy and shock mingling, she turned to look, and indeed, there stood her beloved—whom she hadn't seen for thousands, no, tens of thousands of years—leaning back slightly, hands clasped behind his back, smiling a few paces away from her.

...(To be continued)RQ