Intervening and Prying

"I have roamed the Universe Ocean for two Reincarnation Eras, yet I never knew there was such a powerhouse here. Might I know your esteemed name?" The Blood Orchid Ancestor smiled sweetly, the blood-colored flowers around her gently swaying, appearing quite friendly.

If someone familiar with her were present, they would have sensed something amiss long ago, but Shi Yan was not acquainted with the Blood Orchid Ancestor. In his memory, the evaluation of her was merely a single line describing her as evil-natured, with the only concrete act being her monopolization of the 9th Stone Pillar Space, forbidding outsiders from approaching.

Thus, facing the sudden appearance of the Blood Orchid Ancestor, Shi Yan remained inwardly vigilant but not overly tense.

"You may call me the Three-Life True God," Shi Yan said with a light laugh, offering a false name he had prepared before entering the Universe Ocean. Specializing in the past, present, and future within the time domain, he had adopted the alias "Three-Life True God."

"Oh? The Three-Life True God?" The Blood Orchid Ancestor muttered to herself, not entirely certain of Shi Yan's identity. Yet, with the arrow already nocked, she had no choice but to press on. Smiling, she asked, "In all my time in the Universe Ocean, I've never heard of a True God with such strength. Are you a life from the Reincarnation Era of the Primal Universe?"

"Naturally, I am a special life form from the Reincarnation Era of the Primal Universe," Shi Yan admitted, knowing such matters could not be concealed. "As the Ancestor knows, this Reincarnation Era has only just begun. We newly born Universe Supreme Beings almost all lack Supreme True Treasures, making us weak. If not for my impending breakthrough, I would not have ventured into the Black-Veined Stone Pillar Space."

"The True God is too modest. From your battle with Hengxing, even your pre-breakthrough strength would allow you to roam the Universe Ocean freely." The Blood Orchid Ancestor's smile grew even warmer.

"The Blood Orchid Ancestor flatters me," Shi Yan replied, though inwardly he found the exchange baffling.

"Did the Blood Orchid Ancestor stop me just to exchange compliments?" he silently grumbled, no longer willing to waste time. "If the Ancestor has nothing else, I shall take my leave."

With that, Shi Yan prepared to depart the Black-Veined Stone Pillar Space.

Seeing this, the Blood Orchid Ancestor cursed under her breath but quickly stopped him with a smile. "True God, don't be hasty. I see you possess remarkable strength and would very much like to spar with you. What do you say?"

Before Shi Yan could respond, another deep voice rang out beside them. "Hahaha... Blood Orchid, we've been neighbors in this Black-Veined Stone Pillar Space for so long, yet I never knew you had a hobby of seeking sparring partners."

"Star Lord Beichi?" Shi Yan turned to the voice's owner, his confusion deepening. Why were these people appearing here one after another?

It was indeed Star Lord Beichi. Seeing Shi Yan turn, he gave a meaningful look and said, "The Three-Life True God, is it? Blood Orchid rarely leaves the 9th Stone Pillar Space..."

"Old man! What business is it of yours?" The Blood Orchid Ancestor angrily cut off Star Lord Beichi's words.

But alarm bells rang in Shi Yan's mind. "No habit of sparring... rarely leaves the 9th Stone Pillar Space?"

Nothing good comes from unsolicited kindness.

Five words surfaced in Shi Yan's mind, and sensing trouble, he quickly said, "Both of you, I must take my leave."

Without waiting for their reactions, he flew straight into the Silver Flying Ship before him.

"Whoosh!"

The Holy Sound Ship sped away, leaving the furious Blood Orchid Ancestor behind.

"Old man, just you wait!"

Cursing at Star Lord Beichi, the Blood Orchid Ancestor immediately chased after him in her own palace-type treasure.

"..."

Star Lord Beichi, though scolded, showed no anger. Instead, he shook his head helplessly. "Who has Blood Orchid teamed up with? The God Eye Race? The Skeleton Race? Isn't she afraid of being betrayed... Ah well, I've done what I could."

Star Lord Beichi hadn't appeared to help Shi Yan out of goodwill; they had no connection. But the Blood Orchid Ancestor was different—after so long as neighbors in the Black-Veined Stone Pillar Space, they shared some camaraderie.

Given the Blood Orchid Ancestor's strength, she couldn't easily overpower Shi Yan alone, so Star Lord Beichi easily guessed she had found allies. In the Universe Ocean, the forces capable of besieging a powerful True God could be counted on one hand, none of them benevolent. Star Lord Beichi didn't want to see the Blood Orchid Ancestor walk into a trap.

But she was determined, and he could do nothing.

On the other side, the Blood Orchid Ancestor, relentlessly pursuing Shi Yan in her palace treasure, wore a complex expression. As a True God, she was no fool; she understood Lord Black Lotus's concerns and Star Lord Beichi's goodwill.

But True Gods were all resolute beings. Once the Blood Orchid Ancestor made up her mind, she wouldn't easily change it.

"So what if it's the God Eye Race?" The Blood Orchid Ancestor had shed all pretense of friendliness, her beautiful face twisted with killing intent. The blood-colored flowers around her exuded a bloody aura, growing more ferocious.

"That Time Beast God's speed is truly absurd. At this rate, he'll shake me off before long," she muttered, watching the silver flying ship race ahead.

The ship's form blurred, occasionally leaving afterimages as if shuttling through timelines, reaching an astonishing speed of 400,000 times the speed of light. Most True Gods' maximum speeds ranged from tens of thousands to over a hundred thousand times the speed of light, and improving speed became increasingly difficult at higher levels.

"I need to disrupt him!" With a thought, the Blood Orchid Ancestor transformed into her true form, spanning millions of kilometers.

The two moved in tandem. Though Shi Yan was fast, in the short time they had only opened a distance of a few hundred thousand kilometers, allowing the blood-colored vines to quickly overtake the white ship.

"Strangle!"

At her icy command, countless vines wrapped around the Holy Sound Ship, a faint cyan glow flowing between them—the Blood Orchid Ancestor's only offensive Supreme True Treasure, always fused into her vines, its original form unknown to anyone.

"Chaotic Space-Time!"

"Thunder Punishment Prison!"

Inside the Holy Sound Ship, Shi Yan activated his domain Secret Technique and treasure, his expression darkening. The domain slowed the Blood Orchid Ancestor's vines somewhat.

But the vines, fused with the Supreme True Treasure, carried overwhelming momentum, and even his domain's weakening effect was limited.

With the dense vines, Shi Yan's speed was significantly hindered, and under such interference, teleportation was impossible.

Seeing that Shi Yan couldn't shake her off for now, the Blood Orchid Ancestor quickly contacted the God Eye Race. "God Eye True Master, where are you?"

"We're very close to the Black-Veined Stone Pillar Space, about a day's journey away," the God Eye True Master replied swiftly.

"The Time Beast God sensed something wrong and fled, but I'm engaging him now. Here are the coordinates. Surround him quickly." The Blood Orchid Ancestor sent the coordinates to the God Eye True Master.

"This is... near the Divine Fire Prison." The God Eye True Master glanced at the coordinates and instantly pinpointed Shi Yan's location.

In terms of detailed maps of the Three Great Forbidden Lands, only the two Holy Lands surpassed the God Eye Race. In the original story, Luo Feng had only obtained a map from the black token space given by the God Eye Race's Master Wuhun, yet it had already filled in the inner regions of the Three Great Forbidden Lands to a considerable extent.

It was easy to imagine that the God Eye Race's maps of the Three Great Forbidden Lands were far more complete, even including partial exploration of the core zones.

"Second Elder and Bi Yan (Sixth True Master), you two form one group. Third Elder and Seventh Elder, you two form another. I'll take one group alone." God Eye True Master swiftly assigned the teams.

This time, the God Eye Race had dispatched five True Masters in total, leaving Fourth True Master and Fifth True Master behind in the clan.

Though only five had come, the God Eye Race had once obtained a complete ancient inheritance. With the strength of seven True Masters, any two joining forces could unleash power approaching the ninth rank. As for God Eye True Master himself, he was a genuine ninth-rank combatant—even facing Original Ancestor one-on-one, he would only be suppressed, not defeated.

It could be said that the God Eye Race's current True God-level combat power was something even the two sacred grounds likely couldn't muster. Thus, only the God Eye Race had the confidence to dare encircle and kill other True Gods.

"Good."

"Yes, Teacher."

The other four True Masters quickly departed according to God Eye True Master's arrangements.

"Swoosh!"

Two palace-type treasures flew out from God Eye True Master's Supreme True Treasure, the "Eternal Palace," racing off in different directions. Meanwhile, God Eye True Master sent a message to Blood Orchid Ancestor: "Blood Orchid, we have split into three groups to surround the Time Beast God. You must not let him escape."

"Rest assured, God Eye True Master. With me here, he won't be able to flee for at least ten days or half a month." Blood Orchid Ancestor quickly gave her guarantee.

"..."

Having received Blood Orchid Ancestor's assurance, God Eye True Master ceased further communication and slowly closed his eyes.

At the same time, a massive halo manifested behind his head. Within the halo was a giant single eye, seemingly formed of flesh and blood. The eye gazed into the endless void ahead, as if all things in the world lay within its sight. Faintly, a silver flying ship could be seen weaving through the Divine Fire Prison.

"Hmm?"

God Eye True Master suddenly frowned. The white flying ship originally reflected in his single eye split into nine, and the nine ships each took a different course.

"Different timelines... can they affect my God Eye's calculations?" God Eye True Master was greatly shocked. He had become a Universe Supreme Being through the path of the God Eye, and in the art of deduction, he had few rivals across the entire Universe Ocean.

Moreover, that massive halo was itself a Supreme True Treasure, perfectly aligned with his God Eye path. Working together, his already formidable deduction ability became unmatched.

Yet he never expected this technique to hit a wall with Shi Yan. A faint sense of foreboding stirred in God Eye True Master's heart, but he quickly cast the absurd feeling aside.

God Eye True Master had great confidence in his race. The God Eye Race had deployed most of its combat strength, carrying a total of eight Supreme True Treasures. He refused to believe that a newly ascended Universe Supreme Being, who didn't even possess a single Supreme True Treasure, could escape alive.

"Nine timelines, three with similar trajectories. I'll head in that direction." God Eye True Master withdrew his Secret Technique and gave chase toward the most probable path.