With a single move, Yitian Mo unleashed a soul storm, vast as a tidal wave from the abyss, instantly engulfing Chen Duo and his two companions.

Under the fury of his soul storm, the Sea of Consciousness belonging to Chen Duo and his group flickered like oil lamps in the wind, threatening to extinguish at any second.

It was only at this moment that Chen Duo, Dongfang He, and Sui Yueru truly grasped the extent of Yitian Mo’s actual realm. The terror that gripped their hearts was beyond description; the slightest thought of arrogant resistance vanished, replaced only by the desperate wish that the Three Gods Sect would immediately dispatch a powerhouse to restore order.

Deep within Yitian Mo’s eyes, a grey-white light flared like a vicious steel needle, emitting a gaze that stole the breath away.

He watched the trio with utter calmness, while Chen Duo, Dongfang He, and Sui Yueru clutched their heads, howling in agony. They felt their souls were on the verge of collapse, mere moments from being utterly annihilated, body and spirit.

“Young Master Yan…”

Li Fu dared not feign ignorance of Shi Yan any longer. He stepped forward, bowing with a bitter smile, and repeatedly urged, “This is the territory of the Three Gods Sect. Our Sect has its own rules. I beg Young Master Yan not to make things difficult for us.”

Not far off, a dozen martial artists from various other factions watched from a distance, hesitant to approach, yet their hearts were churning with violent waves.

They did not know Shi Yan, but Chen Duo, Dongfang He, and Sui Yueru had been active on Sun Island for some time, making their identities widely known.

Although Sui Yueru might not hold a very high position within the Yin-Yang Grotto-Heaven, Chen Duo and Dongfang He were pivotal figures in the Spirit Treasure Grotto-Heaven and the Dongfang Family, respectively. Both possessed extraordinary cultivation and realm attainment, coupled with noble status, meaning few people would ordinarily pick a fight with them.

Shi Yan’s sudden eruption surprised many, but what truly baffled them was his identity.

Since Yang Qingdi was imprisoned, the Yang Family’s influence had vanished entirely, their standing in the Endless Sea plummeting. Logically, no member of the Yang Family should have been present at this gathering, yet Shi Yan was here.

Not only was he present, but he had brought a Divine Realm martial artist with him!

In the Endless Sea, Divine Realm experts were peak existences; only the leaders of major factions could attain such a height. A single Divine Realm martial artist was an incredibly terrifying and vital asset to any power.

While rumors always suggested the Yang Family possessed more than just Yang Qingdi as a Divine Realm expert, no one had ever witnessed it firsthand.

Yitian Mo’s appearance startled many, yet simultaneously raised a profound question in their minds.

Was he the hidden Divine Realm expert of the Yang Family?

With this thought, the crowd observed Yitian Mo with increasing reverence and focus, secretly marking down his every move, intending to report in detail to their respective masters later.

“Young Master Yan…” Li Fu pleaded pitifully, yet he dared not strike directly to issue a warning, as he had done with Chen Duo.

Shi Yan remained unmoved, his brow furrowed slightly as he coldly watched the trio, who were now crying and howling under the intensity of Yitian Mo’s soul storm.

Yitian Mo’s soul power gradually flooded the Sea of Consciousness of the three. It felt like countless sharp knives were incessantly hacking and twisting within their spiritual depths.

This direct soul-level agony was far harder to bear than physical injury—a truth Shi Yan knew intimately.

Watching them scream in terror, watching Sui Yueru wail with tears and snot streaming down her face, he first felt a surge of satisfaction, which slowly dulled into numbness, and finally settled into distaste.

Waving his hand, Shi Yan signaled Yitian Mo to stop.

The souls of the three men shuddered violently, and the turmoil within their Sea of Consciousness slowly subsided after the immense spiritual surge.

Ripples of silver-grey lines suddenly radiated from their heads. Their eyes first glazed over with confusion, then gradually cleared, regaining focus, before they were all fully conscious.

By then, the three were disheveled, covered in dust, their faces smeared with a mixture of tears and mucus—the very picture of wretchedness.

“Pfft!” A female disciple of the Three Gods Sect couldn't suppress a muffled snicker.

Realizing her impropriety, she quickly stuck out her tongue and silenced herself.

The onlookers from other factions also felt an overwhelming urge to burst into laughter, but they struggled mightily to hold it in, their expressions becoming remarkably strained.

When Chen Duo and the others came to their senses and saw their own humiliating state, they were so enraged they nearly spat blood, wishing desperately they could simply burrow into the earth.

Without daring to lift their heads, they furiously wiped the grime from their faces with their sleeves, covered their faces, and tried to flee the scene, the thought of confronting Shi Yan completely gone.

“You are not permitted to leave.”

Shi Yan let out another calm, soft command.

The three trembled, turning back with faces contorted by grief and fury, their eyes spitting fire as they glared at Shi Yan, clearly ready to fight to the death.

Especially Sui Yueru, who had always prided herself on her graceful and elegant demeanor. To be made so utterly pathetic in front of everyone, resembling a raving lunatic—this level of humiliation was something she had never even dreamed of.

Under this extreme insult, her face twisted into something savage, and her eyes, burning with hatred, contained an endless killing intent, seemingly uncontrollable, ready to lash out at any moment.

“Shi Yan, I will repay this humiliation tenfold in the coming days!” Dongfang He muttered with dark malice.

“Go back and tell your elders that your three factions must each surrender five islands as atonement for your offenses against my Yang Family,” Shi Yan stated impassively, not sparing Dongfang He’s threat a second glance. “I expect to see your compensation within one month.”

The moment these words were spoken, the surrounding crowd of onlookers erupted in an uproar.

At a time when the Demon Race threatened mass invasion, all factions should be uniting to fight the invaders, not creating internal strife.

Yet, Shi Yan was acting in direct opposition, engaging in opportunistic robbery, and presenting it as a non-negotiable demand. What was this situation?

Everyone was stunned, simultaneously cursing Shi Yan for his despicable disregard for the greater picture while being shocked by his shameless arrogance.

“On what grounds?” Chen Duo ground out through clenched teeth.

“On the grounds of these men,” Shi Yan said, gesturing toward Yitian Mo, Kabar, and Zhameng.

Kabar and Zhameng let out sinister, cold laughs, suddenly unleashing terrifying auras that scorned the masses and shook the surrounding area.

The watching martial artists felt their Sea of Consciousness tremble violently. The vital essence within their bodies behaved like runaway horses, disobediently surging, while a profound sense of powerlessness welled up from the depths of their souls.

Some of the lower-realm martial artists found their knees buckling as if crushed by a great mountain, and they suddenly knelt down.

Divine Realm martial artists!

Without needing further thought, simply based on that sheer pressure, everyone knew Kabar and Zhameng were also at the Three Gods Realm!

“Th-three Divine Realm experts!”

Someone moaned the words, and a chill spread through the hearts of every martial artist present. Their faces paled, and they instinctively backed away.

Li Fu bowed deeply, his head lowered to his chest, his stout body trembling slightly. He harbored not a shred of thought about begging Shi Yan to let things go.

Chen Duo and Dongfang He stared blankly, struck dumb as if a heavy punch had landed squarely on their minds.

Sui Yueru, who had been consumed by thoughts of vengeance, was now pulling at her tangled hair, her expression caught between a sob and a laugh, her eyes filled with despair and humiliation, utterly incapable of harboring any further desire for revenge.

“You may go,” Shi Yan said with a look of disgust, waving his hand impatiently. “Scram far away, and don't let me see you again.”

The three fled like disheartened stray dogs, stumbling awkwardly as if they could barely maintain their footing. The shock Shi Yan delivered had far exceeded their psychological tolerance, and coupled with Yitian Mo’s meddling in their minds, this resulted in their extreme wretchedness.

“That…” Li Fu finally looked up, his attitude now even more deferential. “I still must report this matter to my superiors. Young Master Yan, please don't blame me; we, we have our rules.”

“Hmm?” Shi Yan nodded faintly. “I didn't kill them, only frightened them. Does that violate your rules?”

Li Fu paused, then thought seriously. It was true; the three had not suffered grievous injuries, only public humiliation. They were alive and well, so it technically did not violate the rules.

“We’ll just wander around,” Before Li Fu could fully process his realization, Shi Yan nodded to the three accompanying him and walked past Li Fu, heading forward.

Seeing the spectacle concluded, the surrounding martial artists swiftly dispersed with looks of astonishment, vanishing quickly until the area was empty.

Inside the dim crimson stone chamber.

Numerous martial artists of the Corpse God Cult, clad in black robes, exuded a chilling, gloomy aura, their eyes cold as they stared at the two Yin Wood coffins within the room.

Yin Hai was among them.

The two Celestial Corpses within the Yin Wood coffins had been resealed.

A Corpse God Cult warrior wearing a mask shaped like a green-faced, tusked fierce ghost, his body enveloped by a massive black robe, stared blankly at the coffins, a sinister, strange green light emanating from his eyes.

“Sect Master, are these two Celestial Corpses truly having issues?” Yin Hai stood beside him, bowing respectfully, requesting guidance.

The Sect Master of the Corpse God Cult nodded slightly, the eerie green light in his eyes slowly receding. “These two Celestial Corpses seem to have indeed gained some rudimentary consciousness. This is truly an astonishing miracle. By all logic, they shouldn't possess consciousness in such a short time; they are still a long distance from becoming Corpse Kings, and mutation shouldn't occur so quickly…”

“Their changes might be related to that boy from back then,” Yin Hai ventured cautiously after a moment of thought.

“That boy…” The Sect Master of the Corpse God Cult snorted coldly, sweeping his gaze over Yin Hai. “A mere weak martial artist—is he more miraculous than the secret arts our Corpse God Cult has preserved through generations? If he could mutate a Celestial Corpse into a Corpse King so quickly, wouldn't the secret refinement methods our predecessors studied become a complete joke?”

Yin Hai felt a chill and immediately bowed his head in self-reproach, cursing his own foolishness.

“I have temporarily controlled the awakening of their consciousness. Without external interference, these two Celestial Corpses will not undergo further change in the short term,” the Sect Master pondered before giving his instruction. “Until the Sun Island Council concludes, you will guard them carefully.”

“As you command.”