Ye Changfeng and Lin Yaqi left the manor and headed straight towards Mount Shengguang, chatting and laughing along the way, their moods completely unaffected by Shi Yan's Martial Soul mutation.

“Little Bai, do you really think that Shi Yan will just fade away because of his Martial Soul mutation?”

Lin Yaqi looked at the rising sun illuminating Mount Shengguang with a touch of regret. “That guy has decent strength. If he can’t become a martial artist because of the mutation, what a waste that would be.”

Ye Changfeng remained playful and irreverent, lazily fanning himself with a white paper fan. “Who cares? Even if that fellow can’t mobilize his Essence Qi, he won't be easy to deal with.”

“What can he do without Essence Qi?” Lin Yaqi was puzzled. “Essence Qi is the foundation of a martial artist’s cultivation. Without it, there is no power. Whether battling others or in any other endeavor, without Essence Qi as the source of strength, he’ll be useless.”

“He’s different.”

Ye Changfeng’s expression suddenly sobered. He hooked his lips into a strange smile. “Although his Essence Qi dissipated, when I probed his body earlier, I was violently thrown back. Don’t you find that strange?”

Lin Yaqi gasped.

At Ye Changfeng’s prompting, she recalled the situation. While Shi Yan was in that bizarre state, Ye Changfeng had been secretly probing him with his method, only to be forcefully repelled by a sudden burst of purplish-red light from Shi Yan’s right arm, smashing through three walls before landing amidst the flowerbeds.

If Shi Yan was completely devoid of Essence Qi, what had allowed him to throw Ye Changfeng back so miserably?

The more Lin Yaqi thought about it, the more perplexed she became, and she couldn't help but ask, “Did something change within him?”

“There certainly was a change,” Ye Changfeng nodded with a strange expression. “I think he will gradually realize the changes within his body. From my perspective, if he can truly know himself, even if his Essence Qi can never be gathered again, he will still be an incredibly terrifying person.”

Lin Yaqi was shocked, her mouth slightly agape, nearly crying out in surprise.

Ye Changfeng chuckled, offering no further explanation, and suddenly increased his pace, heading quickly toward Mount Shengguang.

In the forest northwest of Sun Island.

Sturdy, towering pines and cypresses formed a peculiar Soul Array capable of repelling soul intrusions. Hanging from these trees were numerous colored banners, each bearing patterns of venomous insects. The insects on the banners were so lifelike they seemed to move, lending the scene an unsettlingly eerie atmosphere.

Within this pine forest stood only a simple wooden shack. The ground around the hut was littered with broken stones, which also appeared to be arranged according to a specific formation, piled into heaps that vaguely outlined a mysterious array.

A faint, cool mist drifted out of the wooden house. Within this mist was a unique aura that could paralyze the soul and cloud the consciousness; anyone who inhaled even a breath seemed instantly affected, perhaps incapable of ever standing again.

“Krak!”

A strange noise echoed from inside the wooden house.

A person within the room was entirely enveloped in a faint, dim gray light, making his true appearance indiscernible. He sat upright on a wooden cot, his body trembling slightly.

As his body shook, the legs of the cot emitted intermittent cracking sounds until they finally shattered with a loud crash, sending the person tumbling amidst the broken wood. The gray dim light remained dense around him, obscuring his features entirely.

“Rustle, rustle!”

The faint sound of leaves moving came from outside the wooden hut.

The person lying amidst the pile of wood felt the gray dark light surrounding him gradually fade. His aura slowly receded, and his true features began to emerge.

Grayish-white hair and beard, a hooked nose, slender eyebrows, thin lips, and piercing, malevolent eyes—this was a middle-aged man whose appearance alone suggested ill will. He wore a gray robe, his skin was ashen, and the whole impression he gave was one of extreme difficulty to approach.

“Maternal Uncle,”

Dongfang He’s voice came from outside the door. He called out softly, then stopped moving outside, not entering immediately.

The man inside shot a cold glare, slowly stood up, walked to the doorway, and stared ahead. After observing for a moment, he let out a soft hum. “Come in, He’er.”

“I went there yesterday, but that brat refused to see us at all. I have no idea who those three God Realm experts are; they wouldn’t even grant us an audience. Other visitors from different factions who came with me were also rejected without exception. I didn’t see a single person allowed inside,” Dongfang He said after entering. He noticed the shattered wooden cot with a jolt of surprise in his heart but showed no change in expression, prioritizing the report he needed to deliver first.

“I was just returning from wandering spiritually,” the man said, his tone as cold as his gaze. “Those three God Realm martial artists are exceptionally profound in soul attainment. I saw that Shi Yan seemed to have suffered a cultivation deviation and intended to probe his mind for the truth, but those three joined forces to stop me. I was even wounded in the soul. If I hadn’t focused the majority of my energy on various Soul Techniques over the years, I might not have left alive.”

Dongfang He’s face paled in shock. He couldn't help but exclaim, “How is that possible?”

“Hmph.”

The man glanced at him coldly, radiating an aura of ruthless indifference. “There are countless experts in soul cultivation in this world. The attainments of those three in that regard truly astonished me. In the Boundless Sea, aside from Yang Yi Tian, whose soul attainment is impossibly high, these three have greatly surprised me. I truly don't know where they came from, or why they are aiding the Yang family.”

“Maternal Uncle, could it be a contingency left behind by Yang Qing Di?” Dongfang He hesitated before speculating. “Although Yang Qing Di is trapped in the Demon Domain, everyone knows the Yang family’s power is unfathomable. These three appeared so suddenly; perhaps they are connected to Yang Qing Di.”

“Yang Qing Di!”

The man ground his teeth, his face contorted with hatred, his eyes as sharp as cold blades, as if he held an irreconcilable feud with Yang Qing Di.

“Three years ago, members of our Dongfang family went to the Galuo Sea Region, only to find that Yang Family’s Immortal Island had no top experts. Most of the Yang family clansmen and masters had vanished without a trace. Although Immortal Island and the Galuo Sea Region fell, the Yang family’s strength did not suffer significant damage. If Yang Qing Di can truly break free, the Yang family will still be the Yang family,” Dongfang He murmured.

“It won’t be Yang Qing Di’s contingency,”

The man sneered coldly and then said, “With Yang Qing Di’s arrogance and belligerence, if he possessed three God Realm martial artists, the Galuo Sea Region and the Blackwater Sea Region would long ago have become his territory. He wouldn't wait until now.”

Dongfang He was surprised and, upon careful consideration, quietly nodded in agreement.

“The council begins tomorrow, so I won’t leave, lest those three detect me,” the man mused, then instructed Dongfang He, “Find out the identities of those three as soon as possible, and ascertain their relationship with the Yang family. Various factions are scheming this time and aren't truly united. We must remain vigilant and ensure no mistakes are made.”

“The Martial Soul Hall side hasn’t made any moves yet,” Dongfang He replied while nodding.

“Yang Yi Tian has his own plans. Since he entrusted me to come to Sun Island, he must be perfectly aware of the situation in the Boundless Sea. Perhaps Zhong Li Dun will appear at tomorrow’s council,” the man frowned.

“Zhong Li Dun…” Dongfang He muttered, sounding somewhat disbelieving. “This number one on the Battle List—is he really that highly valued? Is Yang Yi Tian that trusting of him? He is still young; does Yang Yi Tian believe he has the ability to take full charge of this matter?”

“Selecting people is much harder than you imagine!” the man snorted coldly. “He was personally taught by Yang Yi Tian for ten years; he is destined to become the true leader of the Boundless Sea in the future. Yang Yi Tian trusting him to handle this naturally means he believes he has the strength.”

Dongfang He was stunned, secretly shocked. “I heard that even most Heaven Rank martial artists are no match for him,” the man said in a cold tone.

Dongfang He finally changed expression, looking completely horrified.

Shi Yan took scrolls upon scrolls from his Void Ring and handed them to Yi Tian Mo, smiling slightly. “You hold onto these for now.”

The first rays of dawn slanted in through the window. Numerous cracks in the stone ceiling, exposed due to the earlier soul battle, allowed shafts of sunlight to spill into the hall.

Yi Tian Mo and the other two disliked direct sunlight, remaining in the shadows, their faces grim.

Xia Shenchuan and Xia Xinyan had been persuaded to leave by Shi Yan. Now, only Shi Yan and the three leaders of the Yin Mei Clan remained in the hall.

“Master, what do you mean by this?” Yi Tian Mo’s eyes flickered, and he did not reach for the scrolls, standing with his hands behind his back, his expression one of displeasure.

Zha Meng and Kaba moved their lips, sighing silently without saying anything, merely looking at Shi Yan with complex expressions.

Smiling self-deprecatingly, Shi Yan insisted on passing the documents to Yi Tian Mo. “These documents concern the ownership rights of islands across the various sea regions. Although those few factions may not necessarily adhere to the agreements, once the threat of the Demon race is lifted, they might become restless, perhaps even acting against you. But while the Demon threat remains, I believe they will endure for a while and refrain from reckless action.”

The three Yin Mei leaders remained silent, though their expressions grew increasingly complex.

“I know your clan has only recently arrived in the Boundless Sea and are unfamiliar with the Divine Grace Continent. I also know that cultivation for your Yin Mei Clan requires various scarce materials, especially ice-attribute crystals and spirit herbs, which are crucial for your advancement,” Shi Yan continued naturally. “You can use this time to send people to those islands to gather all the obtainable resources, preparing for your clan’s future.”

The three Yin Mei leaders still did not speak, but their expressions were growing more complicated.

“Those things will help you return to your ancestral land. This Boundless Sea is not your home; you will leave sooner or later,” Shi Yan smiled and went on. “I originally intended to use the chaos in the Boundless Sea to gather enough capital for you to leave. The number of islands I acquired now is a little small, but it’s better than nothing. Quickly gather the resources on the islands and prepare to depart.”

“As long as you have not been utterly destroyed, you will forever be our Master,” Yi Tian Mo finally spoke after a long silence, taking the scrolls and carefully putting them away, speaking every word deliberately. “If we leave, it will be with you! If you do not leave, we will stay with you.”

Zha Meng and Kaba both nodded heavily in agreement.