Shi Yan left the moment he decided it, offering no chance for rebuttal, and simply retraced his steps back down the mountain.

Tang Yuannan’s face darkened. He shot a cold glance at Qing Ming and the other two, stating flatly, “I believe the three of you are in trouble.”

Qing Ming, Tian Hou, and Di Huang exchanged a look, their brows furrowing slightly. Yet, they weren’t overly worried, feeling that while Yi Tianmo and the other two were formidable, with their Divine Realm cultivation plus the Corpse King from the Corpse God Sect, they might not necessarily fear Shi Yan and his group.

Cao Zhilan’s delicate brows were deeply furrowed. She sighed softly to Tian Hou of the Yin-Yang Grotto-Heaven, “Aunt Xiang, making an enemy of Shi Yan is truly unwise.”

Tian Hou Fan Xiangyun of the Yin-Yang Grotto-Heaven’s beautiful eyes shifted upon hearing this. Her eyebrows lifted slightly, and she smiled sweetly at Cao Zhilan, “‘Little Lànzi, why would you say that?’”

The Yin-Yang Grotto-Heaven and the Cao family were both located in the Tutah Sea Region, where the Cao family’s power far surpassed the other three major factions.

When Cao Zhilan was young, she was wild and behaved more like a boy. Seeing that she was not ladylike, Cao Qiudao sent her to the Heavenly Evil Grotto-Heaven, where she was taught by Tian Hou Fan Xiangyun for a period.

Because of this, her relationship with Tian Hou Fan Xiangyun was actually quite intimate. Fan Xiangyun could be considered half of her master. It was precisely because of this history that Fan Xiangyun had always called her ‘Little Lànzi’ since childhood, and continued to do so even as she grew older, indicating a deep bond between them.

“Aunt Xiang, that fellow Shi Yan is crazy. He will definitely follow through on anything he says he will do,” Cao Zhilan said with a wry smile. “Although he can no longer re-condense his vital essence, those (Foreign Clan members) still seem to hold him in great respect. If that’s the case, offending him might provoke a counterattack from the Foreign Clan.”

“There are only three of those Foreign Clan members... The three of us joining forces, even if slightly inferior, plus Qing Ming’s Corpse King... we shouldn’t be weaker than them,” Fan Xiangyun said, sounding somewhat puzzled. Her stunningly beautiful eyes, capable of captivating the soul, flowed with countless tiny specks of dim light. A smile played on her lips as she continued, “What, you don’t believe in Aunt Xiang’s strength?”

Cao Zhilan shook her head and sighed, “That is not their true strength. These three Foreign Clan members possess only half their power. On Snow Dragon Island, there are two even more terrifying Foreign Clan members. Those two are harder to deal with than the three combined. Five Divine Realm experts joining forces—do you really think you still have a chance to win? Moreover, you might also have to face the invasion of the demons.”

Qing Ming, Tian Hou, and Di Huang, the three Divine Realm masters, finally had a change in expression after Cao Zhilan’s stark warning.

A sharp light suddenly flashed in Tang Yuannan’s eyes. He covertly appraised Cao Zhilan for a moment, then nodded gently. “This is also what worries me. Those five Foreign Clan members behaved themselves solely because of Shi Yan. If those five Divine Realm-level Foreign Clan members turn their attention away from the demons and focus it all on you instead, the consequences... are simply unimaginable!”

“Why didn’t you say so sooner?” Qing Ming’s voice was chillingly cold, filled with frustration, secretly blaming Tang Yuannan for withholding information.

“I kept trying to warn you, but you seemed unwilling to listen. Your interest in the Heavenly Fire within Shi Yan’s body has already surpassed your apprehension of him. I was helpless,” Tang Yuannan said with a sigh of resignation, shaking his head. “I will go and try to persuade him; hopefully, he will listen to me. If he refuses, then the three of you must find your own solutions.”

With that, Tang Yuannan’s figure slowly warped and changed, slowly vanishing before their eyes under the gaze of everyone present.

The next moment, in front of Shi Yan, the air produced a series of sharp snapping sounds. Amidst these bizarre noises, Tang Yuannan suddenly materialized.

“Shi Yan, calm down,” Tang Yuannan said with a wry smile, positioning himself in front of Shi Yan. “Qing Ming carries the Heavenly Fire within his body—that is precisely why he harbored greedy intentions towards you. But I believe after this incident, he will never dare to act recklessly again. With the threat of the demons imminent, if you continue to act rashly, the Boundless Sea will truly become perilous. If you provoke the rage of various factions into joining forces against you, I doubt you can withstand it.”

Shi Yan remained silent, showing no sign of relenting due to Tang Yuannan’s persuasion.

“Your current approach will ultimately lead to the same situation as the Yang family now,” Tang Yuannan hesitated for a moment, then continued, “Making enemies everywhere eventually leads to abandonment and becoming the target of universal scorn. Even if your power is immense, you cannot stand against all the forces in the Boundless Sea. Furthermore, the Cao family and the Martial Soul Hall are terrifyingly powerful; if those two factions join forces, your only path is utter defeat.”

“Just how strong are the forces of the Cao family and the Martial Soul Hall?” Shi Yan finally broke his silence, asking in a deep voice.

“If Cao Qiudao and Yang Yitian unleash their full power, disregarding the severe injuries to their bodies, they should be capable of killing cultivators in the second layer of the Divine Realm. The source of this astonishing strength is unknown, but Yang Qingdi also possesses it. Cao Qiudao, Yang Yitian, and Yang Qingdi all possess the terrifying ability to kill those above their level. This is the true reason why the Martial Soul Hall, the Cao family, and the Yang family rank as the top three powers in the Boundless Sea,” Tang Yuannan lamented.

Shi Yan’s heart tightened, and his expression shifted slightly.

“Don’t be impulsive. This Boundless Sea is more complex than you imagine. While Qing Ming, Tian Hou, and Di Huang might not be your match, if you truly cause chaos in the Tutah Sea Region, I believe the Cao family will not stand idly by,” Tang Yuannan stated with complete candor. “In the Tutah Sea Region, the Yin-Yang Grotto-Heaven, the Corpse God Sect, and the Savage Sect are all closely allied with the Cao family. It can be said that Cao Qiudao is the true overlord of the Yuanluo Sea Region. If you attack the Yin-Yang Grotto-Heaven or the Corpse God Sect in the Tutah Sea Region, the Cao family will certainly not remain indifferent.”

Shi Yan frowned deeply, then, after a long pause, nodded. “I understand. I can temporarily set aside the troubles of the Boundless Sea. After the various forces here have finished their confrontation with the demons, I will revisit this matter, to see if Cao Qiudao can indeed survive the hands of the Demon Emperor and the King of Hell.”

“The Demon Emperor? The King of Hell?”

Tang Yuannan shook his head and smiled. “Impossible. The Netherworld people cannot break through the Celestial Gate. That gate is one-way, leading to the Seventh Layer Netherworld, and it is in the hands of our Three Divine Sects. I am most certain of this fact.”

After a slight pause, Tang Yuannan continued, “The Demon Emperor also cannot emerge from the Celestial Gate controlled by your Yang family. That gate should impose a limiting force on experts of his caliber. Otherwise, why would the Demon Emperor only manifest in the Boundless Sea through his bone-white Dharma body for so many years? Their true forms are constrained by that Celestial Gate and cannot step across.”

“It seems you are unaware of the current situation,” Shi Yan sighed.

“What situation?” Tang Yuannan asked, utterly astonished.

“Hundreds of years ago, the demons and the Netherworld people already joined forces. The Fourth Demon Domain and the Seventh Layer Netherworld should already be connected. Soon, the Netherworld people from the Seventh Layer Netherworld will enter the Demon Domain. Once these two terrifying races unite, they can connect this realm by condensing the Corpse Soul Bridge from tens of millions of corpses and souls, using the strength of tens of millions of living beings to repair the instability of the spatial nodes, allowing the Demon Emperor and the King of Hell to descend into the Boundless Sea in their true forms,” Shi Yan said coldly.

Tang Yuannan’s body trembled violently, and he looked at Shi Yan in disbelief. “Where did you get this information?”

“My Heavenly Fire,” Shi Yan frowned slightly. “It knows some ancient secrets, some old history. According to it, the Netherworld people and the demons should have already constructed the Corpse Soul Bridge, and it’s quite possible the bridge is nearly complete. The fact that the demons invaded the Jialuo Sea Region and didn't immediately continue toward you suggests they are slaughtering wantonly in the Jialuo Sea Region, using the life force of millions there to condense the Corpse Soul Bridge.”

Pausing, Shi Yan sighed. “The current Jialuo Sea Region is likely devastated and desolate. Every island has become a dead island. The misery in the Jialuo Sea Region will soon appear in your Yuanluo Sea Region; perhaps before long, the Yuanluo Sea Region will also be ravaged.”

Tang Yuannan’s complexion turned slightly pale.

“At a time like this, I see that your various factions still haven't grasped the seriousness of the matter, each preoccupied with their own calculations. Frankly, I am not optimistic that you can defeat the demons. Therefore, I think it is best I temporarily step aside and coldly watch how events unfold,” Shi Yan smiled ruthlessly, then bypassed Tang Yuannan and continued walking down the mountain.

Yi Tianmo and the other two followed him silently.

Tang Yuannan stood there somewhat lost, his eyes flickering as if he were rapidly contemplating something.

After a long moment, he suddenly vanished again, reappearing near Qing Ming and the others. He said to them, “Ascend to the mountaintop! I have urgent matters to discuss. This concerns the survival of the entire Boundless Sea.”

Qing Ming and the others were startled. Just as they were about to ask more questions, they saw Tang Yuannan vanish once more.

Qing Ming, Tian Hou, Di Huang, Cao Zhilan, Manggu, and the others exchanged bewildered glances, unsure why Tang Yuannan was so panicked. After a moment of stunned silence, they hastily headed toward the mountain peak.

“Young Master Yan, what are you doing?” At the foot of the mountain, Li Fu stared blankly at Shi Yan, his expression odd. “Were you asked to leave the mountain by the Sect Leader?”

A commotion arose from the crowd at the base of the mountain.

Many onlookers began to gloat, believing Shi Yan had been kicked off the mountain by the Three Divine Sects because Yi Tianmo and the trio ascending the peak violated the rules of the sect.

In the crowd, Gu Linglong felt a secret delight, a cold sneer playing on her lips, her mood instantly improving.

However, Qu Yanqing’s eyes held a flicker of surprise. She also hadn't anticipated Shi Yan suddenly descending the mountain, and she wondered inwardly what could have happened up high.

Shi Yan didn't spare those people a glance, his expression indifferent as he walked directly back the way he came. “Huh? Zhongli Dun!”

“Ah, Zhongli Dun is here?”

“The Martial Soul Hall has sent someone?”

“……”

Suddenly, loud cries erupted from the crowd. Everyone looked up at the sky, watching a Green Flood Dragon appear. The dragon was about fifty meters long, covered in azure scales, with a massive dragon head and cold, chilling light gleaming in its eyes. Perched on the neck of the dragon was a tall, slender figure whose appearance was indistinct.

Under the gaze of the crowd, the Green Flood Dragon twisted its massive body repeatedly, turning back to look at the situation behind it. A look of panic flashed in its dragon eyes.

This dragon seemed to be fleeing from someone’s pursuit.

A piercing, sharp shriek echoed behind the dragon. The massive body of the Seventh-Tier demon beast, the Green Flood Dragon, actually trembled slightly, showing an even more desperate urge to enter Sun Island.

“Oh!”

Shi Yan’s expression stirred, and he looked toward the sky with a peculiar look, as if sensing some strange aura.

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