C1055 Ionodios!

The King of Bandits, hailing from the Shadowkin, had his chest erupt in blood, his howls piercing the air to an unbearable degree.

A Thunder Sect cultivator of the Solar Spirit realm, Huang Baiqi was strikingly handsome and extraordinary. His smile revealed a set of dazzlingly white teeth, but the grip on his sword hilt betrayed an underlying cruelty.

Hundreds of slender, eerie green lightning bolts gnawed at Rosny's heart like serpents, obliterating his soul.

If one could peer beneath Rosny's skin, they would see that most of his flesh and organs were charred black, the vibrant life force of a ninth level Blood Warrior nearly extinguished.

Huang Baiqi, a late period cultivator of the Thunder Sect, was just over two hundred years old, in the prime of his life as a cultivator. If he could advance to the Unbound realm within the next fifty years, he would be poised to challenge for the seat of Thunder Sect Master.

He had spent years in the extraterrestrial Star River, amassing merit and collecting rare treasures to refine his spirit, all in preparation for his breakthrough to the Unbound realm. His confidence in his future was unshakeable.

Against the Otherkin, his attacks were always merciless. The number of formidable opponents from various races that had fallen to him was well into the hundreds. Yet, encounters with ninth level Blood Warriors like Rosny were exceedingly rare.

He took perverse pleasure in slowly tormenting Rosny, relishing the sight of his despair as he met his end.

"Big brother!" Pattinson's voice erupted, a hoarse roar like that of a cornered beast, his fists radiating with a bloody glow.

Thump! Thump! Thump! His heart hammered against his chest, threatening to burst.

"Brother?" Huang Baiqi, with his refined features, eyes alight with surprise, inquired with a smile, "It's said that Shadowkin brothers share a mystical connection through their vital energy. I wonder if there's any truth to it."

As he spoke, he conjured a crystal the size of a fingernail. Inside, lightning crackled and boomed, as if a tiny dragon was rapidly growing within, feasting on the electric fury.

"Go!" With a flick of his finger, the crystal plunged into Rosny's heart. The nascent crystalline dragon within burst forth, roaring as it clamped down on Rosny's heart vessels.

Rosny's cries no longer resembled those of an intelligent life form, but rather the agonized death throes of a wild beast.

"Argh!"

Pattinson let out a low growl, clutching his chest with both hands as if desperately trying to hold something back.

He could distinctly feel a stabbing pain in his heart, as if it were being pierced by needles.

Boom! Boom!

The earth of Ashen Hollow began to tremble violently, the towering stone buildings swaying precariously as if on the brink of collapse.

Yu Yuan watched with a detached expression, his eyes cold and unbothered, making no move to intervene.

He observed Huang Baiqi's cruel treatment of Rosny, the Shadowkin suffering under the jaws of the Golden Rock Beasts, and Yue Mu, the Sword Immortal, now surrounded by the Shura General. He took it all in without surprise.

Having witnessed Zhan Ruonan and other cultivators' treatment of Otherkin and the King of Bandits in the Nirvana Realm, along with Hu Caiyun's descriptions, he was no longer shocked by such sights.

The Solar Spirit cultivators and the archdemons of Shadow's Keep were accustomed to brutal and bloody methods when dealing with the various races from the extraterrestrial realms.

Nothing about that was surprising to him.

What did surprise him was that the Grand Sword Immortal wielding Rillrender was none other than Yue Mu!

Yue Mu hadn't changed much in three hundred years; Yu Yuan recognized him at a glance.

"Yue Mu..."

He murmured to himself, maintaining a poker face, pretending to be unaware of the revelation.

"Hu Caiyun!"

The ninth-level Golden Rock Beast gave Peach Madam a chilling glance. Its massive beastly form slowly shrank and morphed into a brawny man with golden curved horns.

"Ogeus, since you left the Everlands, this is our first encounter, isn't it?" Hu Caiyun's smile vanished as she regarded the transformed Golden Rock Beast, its face and neck scarred and upper body bare. "The last time you visited me at Rainbow Ocean on behalf of Shadow's Keep was a century ago."

"You didn't show any respect for Shadow's Keep," Ogeus said with a sinister chuckle.

A century prior, three archdemons capable of refining miasma for advancement sought a breakthrough in their bloodlines at Rainbow Ocean.

As an envoy of Shadow's Keep, Ogeus approached Hu Caiyun, hoping to allow the three archdemons to enter her domain, to consume the mist and miasma, and undergo a crucial evolution of their bloodlines.

Hu Caiyun flatly refused.

Shadow's Keep was aware that Hu Caiyun was a formidable cultivator from Ebon Star, and they knew of her companion's sacrifice due to a plot by one of the three upper sects. So when Hu Caiyun declined, Shadow's Keep restrained itself from reacting poorly, leaving Ogeus no choice but to depart from the Rainbow Ocean with good grace.

Despite this, Ogeus returned to Shadow's Keep feeling deeply unsatisfied after volunteering for the mission. His discontent, however, left him powerless to act against Hu Caiyun, and the issue remained unresolved.

It wasn't long before he joined Shadow's Keep's forces on a hunting expedition deep into the Star River, where he earned considerable merits and rapidly advanced in strength, earning the high esteem of Shadow's Keep.

He never imagined that a century later, he would encounter Hu Caiyun again at the fringes of the Annihilation Nebula.

"The face of Shadow's Keep?" As Hu Caiyun began to speak, a Rainbow Ocean of colors surged from within her, revealing a host of dire beasts loyal to Shadow's Keep. "Before leaving the Everlands, I showed no mercy to any foolish demon guards I encountered in the Rainbow Ocean."

Ogeus recognized two of the dire beasts that perished in the Rainbow Ocean, which darkened his expression as he let out a contemptuous snort.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Eighth level Golden Rock Beasts burst forth from the shattered Voidfarer, some with chunks of Shadowkin flesh still in their jaws.

Feeling their leader's rage, the Golden Rock Beasts' savage eyes immediately fixed on Hu Caiyun.

A thick scent of blood, as if crossing the Star River itself, poured into the Ashen Hollow.

Elena and Pattinson felt a wave of discomfort, their vitality struggling to circulate.

Yu Yuan flashed a sly grin and let out a chuckle, subtly activating the Altar of Rebirth, which made his heart pound with force.

The eighth level Golden Rock Beasts, sensing the dreadful presence of the Altar of Rebirth, showed signs of panic in their wild eyes.

"Hmm?"

Ogeus, at the ninth level, sensed the anomaly and his face twisted into a grimace.

"The young man with Hu Caiyun seems to be one of our kin. Hmm? His Spirit Walk cultivation is actually beyond the Everlands. Curious."

"I feel like I've seen that kid somewhere before! No, it must have been his portrait I saw!"

"Portrait?"

The abnormalities of the Golden Rock Beast had caught the attention of the cultivators at the Solar Spirit level, and they soon took notice of Yu Yuan. After a brief observation, they started to buzz with conversation.

Quickly...

"That's Yu Yuan!"

"Yu Yuan of Asvetaesi!"

"Yu Yuan from the Moonfall Sanctuary!"

"Yu Yuan!"

Dozens of cultivators from the Land of Quiescence and Euwrea, including the ninth-level Golden Rock Beast, Ogeus, were all startled by the mention of Yu Yuan's name!

In a flash, every gaze and ounce of attention converged on Yu Yuan alone!

Next to him, Hu Caiyun paled in comparison!

Since the disappearance of the Domain Channel from the Moonfall Sanctuary, along with two pieces of the Dragon Slaying Stage, Yu Yuan's name had become known throughout the Everlands. His fame and exploits were the talk of the town among human cultivators, the grand archdemons of the Shadow's Keep, and the sects aligned with the Boulderdawn Sect.

Hong Qi, the God of Medicine, reincarnated as Yu Yuan, had rapidly ascended to the Spirit Walk Stage and received the secret teachings of the Boulderdawn Sect.

The tales of Yu Yuan's exploits were widely celebrated, turning into a well-known miracle.

These Solar Spirit cultivators, who had been battling in the Star River beyond their homeworld, had only recently heard this astonishing news, which seemed almost mythical to them. It was hard for them to believe.

Yet, the sects they represented had instructed them to keep an eye out for any news about Yu Yuan and to report back immediately.

Capturing or killing Yu Yuan could earn them an immense amount of merit points!

In comparison, Hu Caiyun's life seemed insignificant.

"Fernand, you may live for now."

Yu Yuan spoke these words into the air, not even glancing at Yue Mu, seemingly unaware that Fernand's life was currently in the hands of Yue Mu, wielder of the Rillrender.

Yue Mu offered no reply, his sword light net continuing to bind Fernand tightly.

It seemed as though nothing had changed. Yet, Fernand could distinctly sense that the once fierce sword's will within the sword net had subtly diminished. His wounds, once too grievous to bear, were now tolerable.

The once-feared Shura General, now the King of Bandits, cast a puzzled glance at Yu Yuan. Naturally, his gaze fell upon his dear daughter at Yu Yuan's side.

"An eighth-level bloodline!"

Fernand's towering frame shuddered, a flash of recognition in his eyes. He fixed Elena with a severe look, his thoughts transmitted through the pendant around her neck, "Foolish girl! Having ascended to the eighth level, you must realize you possess the means to exact my revenge!"

"You've witnessed the cruelty and terror of the Everlands' people and the Demon Army. I've warned you about them since you were young!"

His outcry echoed Rosny's earlier sentiments.

With a whoosh, a dazzling starlight streaked across the sky, revealing the Starborn's elite.

"Starborn?" Huang Baiqi of the Thunder Sect let out a low chuckle and nodded, "Ah, they were waiting for backup."

Ogeus, Yue Mu, and the other Solar Spirit cultivators, along with the multitude of Golden Rock Beasts, momentarily diverted their gaze to the newly arrived starship.

Ogeus was the first to regain his composure, "More fodder for the slaughter."

Yue Mu imperceptibly nodded in agreement, confident in their ability to handle the newcomers.

"The human and demon forces of the Everlands!"

Contrastingly, Wilson, Eleazar, and their Starborn compatriots wore expressions of bitterness and anxiety.

The coalition of Otherkin from the Extraterrestrial Star River dreaded nothing more than facing the combined might of the human and demon armies.

"All the Shadowkin are gone."

A timid Starborn clansperson shivered involuntarily upon seeing an eighth-level Golden Rock Beast still gnawing on its prey, "That explains the lack of communication. They've all been ambushed and killed; no wonder there's been no word." Her voice faltered.

"Young Master, we must make haste to the Annihilation Nebula. Don't linger here a moment longer!" Eleazar cried out.

Wilson nodded firmly, "Understood!"

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