C1062 Annihilation Nebula

Fernand let out a long sigh of relief, his tense nerves finally unwinding. Inside him, the intricate and elaborate sword net was being slowly permeated by the toxic luminescence, following his forced ingestion of the freshly-crafted scarlet pill by Yu Yuan. It was dissolving gradually.

He could distinctly sense the vanishing grip of the sword net.

Who was this man, really?

With a mix of complex emotions, he gazed at the weary Yu Yuan, his mind a whirl of confusion.

Wasn't he human? Why did he save me? Wasn't Elena taken hostage? What in the world was happening?

If it hadn't been for the fact that the volatile General Shura had just narrowly escaped death, he might have been screaming his head off.

"Are you okay?"

It was while he was internally roaring that Elena caught the renewed flow of his vitality, her eyes gleaming with wild joy. "Old man, you made it, didn't you?"

Fernand's legs felt weak, and he nearly sat down on the spot, but catching the peculiar look from the Death Crane, he quickly straightened up. "I'm fine."

He gestured towards Yu Yuan and inquired of his daughter, "Who is he, exactly?"

"Let's go somewhere else to talk."

Elena glanced at Yu Yuan with a look of grateful embarrassment, then swiftly moved toward a stone building within the Ashen Hollow.

Fernand, brimming with questions, first sought confirmation from the white crane, which nodded in response. He then bowed his hands in human custom towards Yu Yuan before following Elena.

Regardless, it was clear to him that Yu Yuan had saved his life.

"Your reputation is well-earned."

The white crane bobbed its head, extolling Yu Yuan's exceptional skill in alchemy. "The God of Medicine indeed. In my view, you're even more adept than your senior brother, Zhong Chichen. He's too engrossed in his cultivation to maintain the same dedication to the art of alchemy."

As an archdemon of Shadow's Keep, he had lived for nearly a millennium, outlasting Yu Yuan's two human lifetimes.

In his past life, Hong Qi, Zhong Chichen, and even their mentor, the Death Crane, were all names he was familiar with, though they had never had much interaction.

"In this life, you appear even more at ease with your alchemy," Hu Caiyun remarked.

Three hundred years ago, Hong Qi, unable to embark on the path of cultivation, had to rely on fire attribute crystals to refine pills. His untempered soul meant he couldn't fully harness the subtle properties of herbs as he can now.

For instance, Yu Yuan recently formed a pill in just under half an hour.

This feat would have been impossible for the former Hong Qi.

When a herbalist and cultivator merge into one, the efficiency of pill refining skyrockets, and their mastery over the flame can reach a miraculous state of perfection, without the slightest error.

"Indeed."

Yu Yuan nodded, still reveling in the newfound ease of medicine refinement and pondering the marvels of Yue Mu's "Skyfall Net."

With little desire for conversation, he moved to a nearby elevated platform and gestured for Pattinson of the Shadowkin to cast the meteorite, dragged there by the Death Crane, out of the Ashen Hollow.

Pattinson, grieving the loss of his brother, complied silently. As the meteorite tumbled toward the Star River, he found a spot to sit, remaining quiet.

"We're nearing the Annihilation Nebula."

White Crane glanced around, noting that only Hu Caiyun seemed up for a chat. The others, like Benin and Hart, were beneath his notice. "Why do you associate with those renegades?"

"I'm not with the renegades; I'm with Yu Yuan," Hu Caiyun replied, seizing the opportunity to converse. "White Crane, I'd like to join Boulderdawn. Could you introduce me?"

"Hei Xun already invited you once, didn't he? You turned him down," White Crane remarked with surprise.

"That was then; I'm not the same person now," Hu Caiyun said with a smile.

White Crane caught on quickly. "My master and I are affiliated with the Skyreach Consortium, which is unrelated to Boulderdawn. If you're looking to join Boulderdawn, you'll need..." He glanced toward Yu Yuan.

Hu Caiyun caught the hint and nodded subtly. "I knew I was right about you."

...

In the northern region of the Land of Quiescence, within the Ruby Hand.

A massive copper bell hovered over a volcano spewing molten lava. Inside the bell, Yuan Lianyao's Lunar Spirit manifested as blooming lotuses.

Inside the copper bell, numerous intricate patterns seamlessly integrated into the lotuses one by one. Time seemed to stand still until the radiant red lotuses merged, contracted, and after further refinement, transformed into the human form of Yuan Lianyao's Lunar Spirit.

At the mountain's base, her real body hovered immaculately half a meter above a fiery river. Faang Yao, with his shining bald head, stood guard beside her. Watching her Lunar Spirit process the copper bell, he flashed a wide grin and nodded in approval. "This copper bell, a sixth-level heavenly spiritual weapon, is yours from now on."

With a whoosh, Yuan Lianyao's Lunar Spirit rejoined her real body, and the copper bell settled at her feet, fusing with her vitality and Soul Power.

"Thank you, my lord," she said, her smile making the surrounding landscape seem to light up instantly.

Disciples of the Ruby Hand, from nearby mountain peaks and cave entrances, gazed upon the sect's most luminous "blazing red lotus" with eyes brimming with admiration.

Yuan Lianyao, who had long since advanced to the Spirit Walk Stage and was highly regarded by both Faang Yao and the Hellbreed, had captured the hearts of many within the Ruby Hand with her exceptional talent, profound mastery, and stunning beauty. Suitors from the Skyblight Cult and Taintborn, including some of the most formidable cultivators, vied for her attention.

Yet, she seldom ventured out of the sect and rarely interacted with outsiders. On the rare occasions she did leave, it was under Faang Yao's direction to train in perilous locales, from which she often returned triumphant.

"The Hellbreed seeks you," Faang Yao announced, rising to his feet and transforming into a blaze that swiftly descended into the fiery river below.

Yuan Lianyao followed suit, delving deep into the earth. In a concealed palace beneath the surface, Zhou Cangmin, the Hellbreed, sat regally by a vast pool of lava, his form absorbing the blazing flame energy as he continued to temper his soul and body.

"We encountered Yu Yuan in the extraterrestrial world and have relayed a message back," Zhou Cangmin, who also soared through the Star River, said with a satisfied smile from within the lava pool. "Not only is he alive, but he's also thriving."

Upon hearing this, Yuan Lianyao visibly relaxed. "Thank you for the update, state preceptor."

"Your progress is impressive. Keep up the hard work and aim to ascend to the extraterrestrial realm as a Solar Spirit within thirty years," Zhou Cangmin encouraged.

"How could that possibly happen so quickly?" Yuan Lianyao was astonished.

"No, times have changed. With Boulderdawn's return and the ensuing conflicts with the five supreme forces, many Unbound cultivators and Solar Spirits will fall in the extraterrestrial Star River. New talents like you, Chen Qingyan, Liu Ying, Zhan Tianxiang, and Zhao Yafu will be able to accumulate greater fortunes, accelerating your breakthroughs," Zhou Cangmin shared the previously unspoken truth.

"Ann Ziqing of Colddeath is this generation's quickest to achieve the Solar Spirit breakthrough. Colddeath's mystique is unique; she's assimilated a significant amount of Otherkin lifeblood. Using her corporeal body, she followed the Star Road opened by Boulderdawn and soared into the heavens."

Even as a Hellbreed, he couldn't help but express his admiration.

"What?" Yuan Lianyao was equally astounded.

It was common knowledge that Ann Ziqing was Colddeath's next in line, with her formidable cultivation talent. But to advance so rapidly was still astonishing. Despite the general understanding that Colddeath's mystique offered a rapid yet risky path to power, the fact that Ann Ziqing had so quickly formed a Solar Spirit was nothing short of breathtaking.

"That young woman is truly exceptional," Zhou Cangmin said, his eyes narrowing. "Beyond the Everlands, the Star Sea is no longer tightly held by the five supreme forces. Two Star Roads have been established, one by us and the other by Boulderdawn and the Skyreach Consortium. A major conflict between the five forces and Boulderdawn is inevitable."

"However, future battles are likely to shift to the extraterrestrial realm rather than the Everlands."

"After all, everyone has their foundations in the Everlands, and no one wants to shatter this land in a blood war, losing the Central World's inherent advantage."

"Ann Ziqing has already made her move. Cao Jiaze, being older, departed almost concurrently."

"As for geniuses like Chen Qingyan and Liu Ying, they are currently honing their souls in the Land of Terror and should be stepping into the Spirit Walk realm shortly after you."

Zhou Cangmin meticulously outlined the current state of affairs.

Yuan Lianyao listened intently, her fascination evident as she occasionally nodded in agreement, her eyes sparkling with longing. "I will give it my all. I've longed for the splendor of the Star River beyond for quite some time."

...

In one of the seven Wintermaws, known as the Frozen Wastes, Lin Zhuyun stood atop an ice mountain, clutching her chest as she coughed violently. Streaks of bright red blood trickled from the corner of her mouth, instantly freezing into icicles and then shattering into ice shards.

She settled herself down slowly and began to channel her spell, attempting to stabilize the tumultuous ice force within her.

On another ice mountain, a man in white robes holding a bamboo flute regarded her with a detached gaze, as if she were no more than an object. Shaking his head, he spoke with a dispassionate tone, "If you fail to forge a Solar Spirit, you're going to die—and it will happen swiftly..."

A flicker of despair crossed Lin Zhuyun's eyes, but she remained silent.

Had she not been aware of the gravity of her predicament, she would never have heeded President Lyi's advice to venture from the depths of the Frozen Hellscape.

She was well aware of the peril involved in attempting to reach the Star River without having formed a Solar Spirit.

But she simply couldn't afford to wait.

"The difference between you and Yu Yuan," he continued, "is that the lad has crafted an Altar of Rebirth within himself. Thanks to that Altar, and because he practices the Evil Body Refining Technique, his physical resilience surpasses that of the Otherkin and archdemons. That's why he can endure the might imposed by the Abyssal Leviathan."

"But you..."

He shook his head once more, "Your physical form can't keep pace with your level of cultivation and the ice energy you've amassed. The boon of the Abyssal Leviathan requires a corporeal vessel robust enough to contain it. We're talking about a Cosmic Giant Beast here, and you've been too reckless in leveraging its power to enhance your realm and gain formidable combat prowess."

"Let me offer you some clear guidance. That young man has just entered the Annihilation Nebula. If you're prepared to humble yourself and seek his assistance, I can arrange for the Death Crane to bring him here to the Frozen World."

"His Altar of Rebirth, along with the Frost Queen within the Crucible of Evil, could be your salvation." The man in white offered his advice with benevolence.

"No need."

In the distance, the archdemon of Shadow's Keep, Hong Qi, clashed with Hu Caiyun. The fire attribute of her attacks lit up the night, painting the sky with streaks of orange and red. Nearby, a herbalist worked diligently, his focus unwavering. Cultivators from all around gathered, their eyes on the Skyfall Net that Yue Mu had cast.