He directly went to the inside of a mountain on the island. Inside the mountain, it was another fairyland with diagonal stone paths everywhere leading to many spacious stone buildings.
Yerburgh didn't say anything and directly walked to one of those stone buildings to check something. Shortly after, he found a drawing. Unexpectedly, it was Shi Yan's portrait.
Yerburgh gave a faint smile. "It's that kid, indeed!"
While he was talking to Mei Ji, he threw Shi Yan just a glance then ignored him all the time. However, with that glance, he could guess his identity. "A kid with a wisp of a soul of an Absolute Beginning creature, but he has only First Sky of Immortal Realm. What a big fat meat! Tate agrees to pay a high price to get the intelligence. Should I give it to him?"
He hesitated for a few seconds then made up his mind before grinning. "Of course, making money is an important thing. I returned Mei Ji's favor. Oh right, that little skeleton too. He's involved with the two the Devouring Clan is searching. I got a good harvest this time. Haha, I just got to the Sea of Annihilation and I'm going to earn a big chunk this time!"
Shortly afterward, he contacted the Devouring Clan and Tate of the Soul Clan, telling them the intelligence he got.
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"Madame Mei Ji is back!"
"Madame Mei Ji is home!"
"Welcome back! Madame Mei Ji!"
"..."
On this island filled with flowers, the crowd of beautiful men and women were cheering and smiling honestly.
This crowd had handsome men with ease and natural poise, and beautiful and charming women. Everybody was excellent and pretty. At first glance, many people had to sigh with envy. The Creator had favored this race a lot.
It wasn't a rumor that the Phantom Clan didn't have a single ugly member. On the way, Shi Yan felt a little dizzy and stunned.
The members of the Phantom Clan on this island didn't have the same realms. They were young but they were already art Original God Realm, Ethereal God Realm, and Incipient God Realm. The clan had sent them to the Sea Domain of Nihility to cultivate and collect the information, intelligence here.
Deep in this Sea Domain of Nihility, only the warriors at the Immortal Realm could walk around without fear.
However, if they were from the race with a strong foundation like the Seven Great Clans, they had the best battleships to resist the dangers in outer space. They could deliver their low-realm members to any area. Those young and beautiful people of the Phantom Clan were delivered here by those powerful battleships.
The sky and the seabed of the Sea of Annihilation had layers of deathtraps. It was tough for Incipient God Realm experts to move freely around.
However, it was really safe on those islands. Even King God Realm warriors could stay and cultivate comfortable.
This island was the Phantom Clan's base. Mei Ji was the leader of this island. She was in charge of collecting and sorting information. She was also the one with the highest realm. When she wasn't here, her fellows couldn't ease their minds. And now, she came back, so they exhaled in relief.
The Phantom Clan was the clan with the best intelligence. If they based here, of course, they knew what had happened on Dragon Lizard Star.
After Mei Ji had disappeared, they were so worried if she had to endure something unexpected. Today, Mei Ji returned safe and sound. All of them were joyful.
Of course, many of them were curious about Shi Yan and they observed him along the way.
At this moment, Shi Yan was wearing a dark blue warrior costume. He was vigorous and hunky, which attracted a lot of Phantom Clan young ladies. They shyly looked at him.
Mei Ji directly walked to the grand, luxurious palace in the center. The palace was tiled with square jade and decorated with so many exquisite and beautiful accessories. The twinkle jades and shining pearls could be found everywhere. She walked to the main hall, sitting on the high throne. She signaled Shi Yan to stand aside. Talking nothing, she began to check the documents of the recent intelligence.
Some young ladies at Original God Realm and Incipient God Realm were talking with each other in this hall. Sometimes, their pretty eyes turned to Shi Yan. Then, they stooped and giggled. They were really eye-catching, though.
Mei Ji was focusing on the records. She didn't notice Shi Yan. Her white fingers continuously flipped the pages as she frowned.
When she came to the last page, her face became cold as she hissed, "That damn Yerburgh! He's so ungrateful!"
Shi Yan looked at her.
"Yerburgh discolored your information. He said that you have a wisp of a soul from an Absolute Beginning creature and that you and I are here. At least, Tate from the Soul Clan knows this. Yerburgh also said that we're involved in the deaths of Nazario and Bastos," explained Mei Ji.
Shi Yan was chilled. He remembered the Ancient Monster man with an iron body as he said, "If we meet him again, I'll try to kill him."
Hearing her, the Phantom Clan ladies in the hall quieted down. They all looked at him with odd countenances.
They knew Yerburgh's identity and his Third Sky of Immortal Realm cultivation base. Madam Mei Ji could defeat him but couldn't kill him. This unknown kid had only First Sky of Immortal Realm, but he was boasting. They felt really awkward.
However, what Mei Ji spoke next surprised them. "Kill him? Unless you've reached Second Sky of Immortal Realm. If you fight with him now, you'll be killed."
This surprised the ladies a lot. When they looked at Shi Yan now, they felt so bewildered.
Mei Ji put the records down and looked at the ladies next to her. "A girl is leaving Dragon Lizard Star. She will come to the Sea of Annihilation. Her name is Audrey, you should pay attention." She took out a flat jade, asking Shi Yan. "You draw her portrait here. It will be easier to find her. We'll try our best to find her."
Shi Yan did as he was told.
"We can't receive information fast. You have to wait, but I'm not sure how long you have to wait," said Mei Ji.
Shi Yan nodded as he understood.
"You'd better not leave this place. I'm afraid many people want to do something with you. This area is our Phantom Clan's base. Unless the members of the Seven Great Clans want a bloody war between the two clans, they won't tear the agreement between us to intrude this island. You're safe here," said Mei Ji.
Shi Yan frowned and didn't answer.
"Madam, while you weren't here, Batum… sent his messenger here," a lady suddenly said while Mei Ji was contemplating.
Mei Ji winced. Her mood was bad as she shouted, "Do not mention this person to me ever!"
The ladies kept silent and nodded as they were scared.
"Yu Lian, arrange a lodge for this man," Mei Ji waved her hand.
A young woman at Incipient God Realm bowed to her and then talked to Shi Yan. "Follow me."
Shi Yan kept silent and followed her out of the palace to an elegant building in another area. Along the way, he asked curiously, "Who's Batum? Why does your Madam feel irritated when she hears his name?"
Yu Lian was around eighteen or nineteen years old and wearing a long, green dress. She looked purely beautiful. She turned around to check then lowered her voice. "Tell you later."
She took Shi Yan to a tower then said, "Batum is a terrifying expert. He's not the member of the Seven Great Clan. He cultivates alone but he's so brutal. In this Sea of Annihilation, he belongs to the sort of the most dangerous characters. He has learned Dark Energy. After ten years max, he will reach the Territory Ancestor Realm. He always lives in the seabed of the Sea Domain of Nihility. One day, he got out to exchange cultivating materials and he saw Madam Mei Ji. He fell in love immediately. He has been chasing after Mei Ji for many years. He even came to our clan and promised to support us if the elders let Mei Ji marry him."
"An expert who's going to become a Territory Ancestor…" Shi Yan nodded. "This man is predestined to become a Territory Ancestor Realm expert. What did your elders say about this?"
"They thought it was possible. They even asked Madam Mei Ji to strictly follow their decision. Madam didn't agree. She was very resolute and tough to her seniors, too." Yu Lian sighed. "Although Batum's realm is really high and profound, he's… he's so ugly. It's natural that Madam doesn't agree. If I were her, I wouldn't agree, either. If he looked a little better, with his profound realm, it could work. But his appearance… eww…"
This young lady stood on Mei Ji's side. She was discontent with the elders' decision.
"What's the result?" Shi Yan continued to ask.
"There was a big fight between the elders and Mei Ji. Then, the elders proposed a solution. If Mei Ji can enter the Territory Ancestor Realm before Batum, they won't force her anymore. But if she can't, she has to agree with them. She actually agreed with their proposal. I don't know what she had in her head. She didn't understand Dark Energy. How could she break through to Territory Ancestor Realm faster than Batum? We all think that she's just trying to buy more time. We're afraid she would do something bad," sighed Yu Lian.
Shi Yan got it now.
He finally understood why after Mei Ji found that he had the wisp of a soul from an Absolute Beginning create, she had acted rashly. Turned out she also got some trouble.
As Mei Ji wanted to reach the Territory Ancestor Realm fast, there wasn't any faster method than refining him. Under pressure, she could do anything for her standing against the forced marriage.
"And, Batum has considered Madam Mei Ji as something that belongs to him. He told the entire Sea of Annihilation that she must be his woman. He usually comes here to bother her. He's sure that Madam can't enter the Territory Ancestor Realm faster than him. Thus, he thought everything was settled," Yu Lian continued, "After Madam had left, he came here and told us that he's now just a step away from the Territory Ancestor Realm. He's refining his own territory. He has to become the owner of a world. Whenever his Incipient Extent transforms to the territory, he will be a real Territory Ancestor."
Shi Yan knew that the experts at the Territory Ancestor Realm had to refine their Incipient Extents. After they could become the real territory, it was the time they had officially become a Territory Ancestor expert.
Shi Yan sighed. He didn't expect that Mei Ji, a member of the Seven Great Clans, wouldn't be able to control her fate. She was also a pitiful woman.