Snowflakes drifted down, the bone-chilling wind cutting deep; on the stark white peaks, ice prisms glittered with crystalline sheen, like a myriad of cold, gleaming ice swords under the sunlight.

At the foot of the mountain, many small houses were draped in a thick layer of frost, long icicles hanging down beneath the eaves.

In a four-story small building, He Qingman pulled her Snowmantle cloak tighter, instinctively rubbing her hands together, exhaling a puff of warm air, and muttering quietly, "Why has it suddenly gotten so cold? It came without any warning."

Inside the small building at this moment, only Pan Zhe, He Qingman, and Cao Zhilan remained; everyone else had either left with Gu Xiao and the others, or had been ordered away by Shi Yan.

Pan Zhe, also clad in heavy padded clothes, gazed up at the towering peaks that pierced the clouds, his brow deeply furrowed. "Since last night, the temperature on this island has been dropping relentlessly. I don't know why; it’s truly bizarre."

A tranquil and indifferent smile graced Cao Zhilan's face. "It must be related to Shi Yan and the others. Natural weather doesn't cool down that fast. I wonder what they are doing to make this island so strange."

"Miss Cao, do you really believe Shi Yan is exceptional compared to every young martial artist you've ever encountered?" He Qingman tucked her neck further into the fur of her Snowmantle, her eyes full of bewilderment as she looked at Cao Zhilan. "You must remember, even now, the Yang family and we are still considered adversaries."

Pan Zhe shared this doubt, and upon hearing this, he too looked toward Cao Zhilan in contemplation.

"Of course." Cao Zhilan smiled and nodded, showing no attempt to conceal her admiration for Shi Yan, a strange, captivating light blossoming softly in her beautiful eyes. "When he was merely in the Hundred Tribulations Realm, he could withstand the full force of Xiao Mei Gu’s seven divine swords without losing ground. In just two years on the Abyss Battlefield, he leaped from the Hundred Tribulations Realm straight into the Status Realm, and now he’s reached its peak. Such a speed of progress is simply terrifying. Furthermore, I don't believe the Endless Sea still regards him as an enemy at this juncture..."

Moreover, his relationship with the Yin Ghost Clan and the Winged Clan was far beyond what any of you could imagine. No matter how much you guessed, you probably never conceived that the Yin Ghost Clan and the Winged Clan would actually obey his commands?

These words remained hidden deep within Cao Zhilan’s heart, unspoken.

She was better at observation than most. Back in the Abandoned Land, she had noticed the attitudes of Yi Tianmo, Di Shan, and Yu Rou—leaders of the alien races—slowly shifting toward Shi Yan. Before leaving the Abandoned Land, she had even detected that Di Shan and Yu Rou seemed to be acting upon Shi Yan’s instructions.

This realization shocked her deeply. Though she didn't know what transpired between Shi Yan and Di Shan’s group, she understood one thing: Shi Yan possessed the influence to command these two great alien races!

With five God Realm powerhouses from the Yin Ghost Clan, alongside numerous members in the Heaven Rank and Nirvana Nest Realm, this force, upon arriving in the Endless Sea, was enough to alter the entire balance of power there.

With the Demon Race launching its massive invasion, the alignment of this force could ultimately decide the outcome of the war across the entire Endless Sea.

It was precisely because Cao Zhilan saw this clearly that she swallowed her pride and shame, proactively proposing the marriage alliance to Shi Yan, hoping to use her beauty and her backing to secure him early, thereby laying a profound foundation for the Cao family’s future.

Alas, she had miscalculated... "..."

As if remembering something, Cao Zhilan gave a silent laugh, shaking her head gently, her beautiful eyes filled with rising interest and amusement.

"It's getting more and more interesting. Just wait, I will make you fall at my feet...," Cao Zhilan thought privately, a supremely confident curve lifting the corner of her mouth. "It must be that guy stirring up trouble; this sudden plunge in temperature is far too abnormal."

Zha Meng, his face grim, furiously slammed a punch into an ice prism beside him. The massive prism, thick as a towering stone column, instantly shattered into icy dust that scattered everywhere. "If this continues, the vegetation on this island will gradually freeze to death. Even our clansmen in the Hundred Tribulations Realm are starting to suffer and have to thicken their robes. Those below the Hundred Tribulations Realm have already been temporarily evacuated to other areas. If this island remains this cold, we might have to relocate."

Yi Tianmo looked grave, his brow deeply furrowed as his divine sense roamed ceaselessly beneath Snow Dragon Mountain, yet he found nothing.

Di Shan and Yu Rou also wore gloomy expressions; their spiritual sense cultivation was limited, making it naturally even less likely for them to discover anything.

Shi Yan stood straight among the five, speaking in a deep voice, "We definitely need to find a solution. The meeting of the Three Gods Sect is imminent. We really won't be able to leave with peace of mind if we don't resolve the anomaly on this island first."

"That fellow is exceptionally cunning, hiding himself with extreme subtlety. I can vaguely sense something, but it’s hard to capture," Yi Tianmo admitted with resignation, shaking his head.

"It seems we have no choice but to try my Secret Art," Kaba murmured after a moment of thought.

Zha Meng and Yi Tianmo’s eyes suddenly lit up.

"Secret Art?" Shi Yan started, surprised. "Do you truly possess a usable Secret Art?"

Kaba nodded respectfully. "The directions of the Soul Profundities cultivated by us three commanders are slightly different. Yi Tianmo focuses on soul control types, while Zha Meng emphasizes soul attack types. As for me, I focus on the aspect of soul extension and diffusion. I once practiced a Secret Art called 'Soul Tethering and Spirit Guiding.' Using this technique, I can connect my soul with the souls of others, thereby multiplying my perception capabilities. If Zha Meng, Yi Tianmo, and I join forces, our combined soul perception can cover the entire Yuanluo Sea region. With focused, fine-tuned experience, we can detect the smallest life fluctuations around us..."

"Does this Secret Art have any side effects?" Shi Yan asked instinctively. Kaba clearly possessed this technique but hadn't used it until now, indicating it wasn't as simple as he made it sound.

"Soul linking is extremely perilous. If one step is misplaced, the caster risks soul confusion," Kaba admitted with a wry smile. "Zha Meng, Yi Tianmo, and I have similar soul strengths, but our auras differ greatly. Once activated, we absolutely cannot be affected by any other external force, or the three of us could suffer simultaneous soul chaos, with the possibility of soul swapping."

"Soul swapping?" Shi Yan hissed.

"Indeed. It’s possible for my main soul to enter Zha Meng’s body, and Zha Meng’s main soul to enter mine. If a soul swap occurs and we cannot switch back within seven days, we must accept that tragic reality," Kaba stated solemnly.

"Master, you all should seal off the immediate vicinity. As long as no external power penetrates this area, and no rogue soul approaches, there won't be major danger," Yi Tianmo appeared more relaxed about it. "The linking of our three main souls will be very fast. Once connected, finding the life form beneath shouldn't be too difficult. As long as you all are careful while we act, it should be manageable."

"Is that so." Shi Yan nodded, then turned to Di Shan and Yu Rou with a slight smile. "Shouldn't be too much trouble, right?"

"No problem," Di Shan and Yu Rou both agreed.

Kaba’s expression brightened, and he was straightforward. "Let's begin then."

With that, Kaba was the first to sit down cross-legged. Zha Meng and Yi Tianmo found positions beside him, forming a triangle, palms touching, and began to deploy the Yin Ghost Clan's 'Soul Tethering and Spirit Guiding' Secret Art.

Waves of mysterious and profound soul fluctuations suddenly surged out from their bodies. These fluctuations were incredibly intense; visible ripples actually formed in the void, spreading outward slowly like ripples on water.

Shi Yan’s expression froze.

His Sea of Consciousness felt as if an ocean had flooded it, leaving him a small boat adrift on the waves. His main soul and the Five Fiends within his Sea of Consciousness were also swaying unsteadily, constantly rocking under the influence of the soul waves released by the three of them. He felt an involuntary pull on his soul.

Di Shan and Yu Rou, however, remained unharmed.

Noticing the change in Shi Yan's expression, Yu Rou seemed to realize something. She quietly moved to his side, extended a hand, and sent out a burst of dazzling white light that enveloped his entire body.

As his body was covered by the brilliant white light, the swaying of his Sea of Consciousness and main soul abruptly stopped, and everything returned to normal.

"I didn't expect that just the residual ripples from their soul surges could affect my Sea of Consciousness. These three fellows are truly monstrous in their mastery of the soul," Shi Yan said, taking a deep breath. "Following this trajectory, when those layers of soul waves propagate downwards, the lurking life form will certainly be exposed."

Di Shan and Yu Rou nodded together, their expressions vigilant, silently observing their surroundings, fearful that someone might approach at this critical juncture.

In the far northern reaches of the Galuo Sea region, there was a desolate, withered island, where dense demonic energy hung like black clouds, obscuring the bright sun.

In a valley on the withered island, imposing demon figures, each over three meters tall with dark cyan skin and curved horns, clutching various bizarre weapons made of stark white bone, knelt on the ground.

Upon an altar constructed from piled, blood-soaked bones, sat a terrifying giant, three and a half meters tall, whose curved horns resembled those of an ox. The giant’s upper body was bare, with thick veins, as thick as fingers, crawling sluggishly across his cyan skin like earthworms, giving him a savage appearance.

An earth-shattering aura of fierce malevolence and brutality, like an impenetrable haze, perpetually enveloped him.

This giant’s face was covered in intersecting scars, countless and dense, resembling the lines on a human palm, covering his entire visage.

At a single glance, this giant looked like a vengeful specter crawling out of the Nine Hells, radiating overwhelming murderous intent, his dark cyan eyes filled with endless violent killing spirit.

"Chieftain, our Horned Dragon Clan is fully assembled. We await only your command," a robust Horned Dragon Clan member below the bone altar rumbled, his face flushed with bloodthirsty excitement.

On the bone altar, Mo Qidun, the Chieftain of the Horned Dragon Clan and one of the Demon Lords of the Fourth Demon Domain, was about to speak when he suddenly seemed to sense something.

His dark cyan pupils appeared to pierce through thousands of miles of water and mountains, seeming to reach a specific, ice-cold island.

"Soul Chain!"

Mo Qidun roared, his eyes filled with astonishment. "The vanished Yin Ghost Clan, one of the four branches of the Netherworld race, how could they suddenly appear in the Endless Sea?"