Upon closer inspection, each sea lion was noticeably larger than before their separation.
Especially the Fierce Tooth Sea Lion King, perched atop the highest rocky cliff overlooking the entire clan, resembled a yellowish-brown mountain of flesh, standing sentinel at the island's edge.
Moreover, the clan had welcomed numerous small, juvenile members, increasing the overall population by several dozen.
This vividly demonstrated that the Fierce Tooth Sea Lion clan was highly satisfied with this area and willing to breed and thrive here.
As the sea lion colony leisurely basked in the gentle morning sunlight, the Fierce Tooth Sea Lion King, who had been feigning sleep with his eyes closed, raised his round head and gazed towards the eastern sky.
He sensed a distinct yet familiar aura approaching.
His round, black-gem-like eyes narrowed slightly as a scarlet, translucent flying dragon soared towards the sea lion colony's shore.
Upon the dragon, two figures were faintly visible.
"They're back."
Huo Wu, her crimson hair flowing in the wind, leaped from the Crimson Dragon and pounced into the fluffy mane encircling Little Lion's neck.
From a distance, the sea lion's mane didn't appear particularly long, but given his immense size, the seemingly short mane was still enough to engulf a person.
Furthermore, as a fire-attribute sea lion, he greatly valued the dryness and cleanliness of his mane. Consequently, his mane not only lacked any unpleasant odor but also possessed a warm scent reminiscent of bedding sun-dried under the sun.
Huo Wu, being especially fond of Little Lion, would always dive into his mane upon each reunion, knowing its unique characteristics.
However, Little Lion, who cherished his mane and possessed a slight aversion to dirt, disliked Huo Wu messing up his meticulously groomed fur.
Little Lion sighed helplessly, glanced at Quan Yi, who had dismounted from the Crimson Dragon, and asked in a booming voice, "Is there a reason for this visit?"
Quan Yi observed Little Lion's significantly larger size and the immense energy fluctuations within him, realizing that Little Lion's strength had undergone rapid changes in less than a year.
He gently stroked the smooth fur and teased, "You seem to have been doing quite well these days; your fur is much smoother than before."
At that moment, Huo Wu's head emerged from the fluffy mane, and she protested, "Can't we visit without a reason? Little Lion, you wound me so!"
Little Lion couldn't help but roll his eyes. He wasn't foolish. Would these two cross a vast expanse of ocean from the continent for no reason?
Seeing this, Quan Yi also abandoned his playful tone and called out to Huo Wu, "Honey, stop fooling around. Let Little Lion witness your current strength."
A flash of fire, like a volcanic eruption, burst forth from Huo Wu's body.
Little Lion, feeling the soul power fluctuations erupting nearby, felt as heavy as if he were filled with lead, rendering him immobile.
"What a terrifying aura, what an intense burning sensation. Even without releasing any energy, the aura alone can make my soul and body feel pain.
Is this really Little Wu?
No, that's not right. This distinct and intense soul power fluctuation is a sign of breaking through a bottleneck.
But how is that possible? It's only been half a year."
Back then, when Huo Wu made a one-year pact with Little Lion, he thought that time limit was already exaggerated, but he didn't expect the reality to be even more astonishing.
Quan Yi continued, "I presume you've already sensed our purpose. Today, we've come to complete the sacrificial ritual."
Little Lion sighed softly, raised his upper body, lowered his head towards Quan Yi, and solemnly replied, "What must come will come. I am prepared."
His tone contained reluctance, but even more so, determination and peace of mind.
During this time, he had personally witnessed how the other three clans and the Quan family, as well as his own, interacted.
The Gold-Jade Furnace Flame Turtle clan, due to their innate talents, were highly suited for metallurgy.
Moreover, their cultivation required a large amount of high-quality metal to forge stronger and more durable shells.
Coincidentally, the Blue Silver Sea Island held abundant mineral resources beneath its surface.
Back then, Quan Yi, Quan Li, and others, upon taking over the Gold-Jade Furnace Flame Turtle clan, immediately recognized their complementarity.
In the absence of fuel and the inability to transport materials on a large scale, developing the underground mineral resources was subject to certain limitations.
However, the Gold-Jade Furnace Flame Turtle's shell was a natural forging furnace. As long as it was provided with enough food and metal, it could become the blacksmith's best assistant.
Through these years of effort, coupled with Quan Yi's role as a bridge between the Gold-Jade Furnace Flame Turtle clan and the Quan family, the Gold-Jade Furnace Flame Turtles successfully integrated into the Blue Silver Sea Island.
Despite the Fierce Tooth Sea Lions living comfortably now, the Gold-Jade Furnace Flame Turtle clan was actually thriving the most among the original four volcanic island clans.
As for the Azure Mist Albatross and Marine Iguana Lizard clans, they respectively served as escorts for the fleet and guardians of the Blue Silver Sea Island.
In return, the Quan family's ships would deliver all the surplus seafood they caught to them.
After all, compared to the arduous hunting of beasts, the fishing nets dragged by human ships were far more efficient, even if they were a group of powerful soul beasts.
The Fierce Tooth Sea Lion clan was the same; they would alternate with the Marine Iguana Lizard clan to protect the safety of the island and safeguard the fishing fleets operating near the island.
Through the mutual efforts and cooperation of both sides, the relationship between soul beasts and humans gradually shifted from hostility to cooperation.
Therefore, Little Lion was completely at ease about the future survival of his clan, no longer having any worries.
"Very well, let's prepare, and then we'll begin the sacrificial ritual."
After entrusting his affairs to his clan, Little Lion began the sacrificial ritual on the rocky cliffs of the coast.
Huo Wu sat cross-legged in front of the Fierce Tooth Sea Lion King, while Quan Yi sat behind her.
Their nearly tangible spiritual power connected in the void, the fusion of violet-gold and pure gold, the intertwining of dragon roars and phoenix cries, together constructing terrifying spiritual fluctuations.
The two distinct spiritual fluctuations gradually resonated, and the moment their frequencies perfectly aligned.
Two pairs of tightly closed eyes opened simultaneously.
Violet-gold dragon pupils and golden-red phoenix eyes appeared in their eyes respectively.
"Divine Skill, Dragon-Phoenix True Eyes!"
It is worth noting that a six-colored golden fire pattern, which had not appeared before, emerged between Quan Yi's eyebrows.
The divine power contained within the fire pattern, when the two used the vision fusion skill, was integrated into it, causing the Dragon-Phoenix True Eyes to truly transform into a 'Divine Skill' at this moment!
