C1096 Darkness Spreads!

The towering Asura General stood like a monolith in front of a secluded stone building, his face a mask of icy resolve.

Behind him, the stone building that housed Lim Zhuyun was swallowed by an impenetrable darkness.

Within that darkness, a frigid power surged wildly, continuing to spread outward.

Such extreme darkness and cold were rare in this world, beyond the comprehension of most creatures.

Not far from there, numerous Eighth Level and Seventh Level Bloodline Warriors from various races trembled, their souls quivering.

Their heartbeats, too, were affected, slowing to a sluggish crawl.

Next to Fernand lay a scattering of corpses—members of the Dark Elfkind, female demons, several Silver Scale Clan warriors, and those who had been transformed into Devaputras but were not yet fully deceased.

These individuals had sensed danger and attempted to preemptively kill Lim Zhuyun before she could complete the Frost Well within her. Fernand's presence, however, had doomed their hasty actions.

By the time the intense darkness and cold burst forth from Lim Zhuyun, it was already too late.

"Frost Energy of the Dark Domain!"

Beru, the Nine Stars Sage of the Star Race, along with Leo, who possessed an altar within himself, and several other distinguished members of the Star Race, arrived on the scene, only to cry out in shock.

Fernand stood before the swirling darkness, his gaze as still as ancient waters, seemingly oblivious to their arrival.

"Aren't you afraid?" Becker of the Curtis family asked, drawing a gleaming silver hammer, ready for combat.

"It's too late," Beru sighed, placing a hand on Becker's arm and shaking his head. "Fernand possesses a Ninth Level bloodline, and the Frost Energy emanating from the Dark Domain behind him only amplifies his combat prowess. Not even I could take him down with all my might."

Leo stepped back, his face etched with gravity. "Keep your distance."

"Listen to Leo," Beru commanded.

The Star Race clanspeople slowly retreated, though their gaze remained fixed on the stone building.

With a whoosh, the rotund Zhou You appeared, clutching his horsetail whisk. He didn't glance at Fernand but instead peered deeply into the abyss of darkness, asking tentatively, "Has the Asura of the Dark Domain arrived?"

Fernand remained silent.

Zhou You's brow furrowed. "Do you want Elena to die?"

Fernand's expression shifted dramatically. After a moment's hesitation, he spoke in a gravelly voice, "He's already on his way. My king's presence is right behind me. I'm sorry, it's all too late. There's nothing you can do to stop him."

The darkness that swallowed him whole remained impenetrable to everyone present, Zhou You included.

Fernand, however, was the exception.

Ancient legends spoke of the Asura Clan's ancestors emerging from the Dark Domain, establishing a mystical bond between the Asura and this shadowy realm.

Despite generations passing, many Asura clansmen, too frail to venture into the Dark Domain, found their bloodline and racial traits to be the most conducive to adapting to its conditions.

This was because the earliest Asuras, having departed the Dark Domain, flourished and multiplied in the outer galaxy.

There, the new generation of Asuras found it easier to survive and reproduce, bolstering the clan's numbers and strength.

The downside, however, was that Asuras born in the outer galaxy struggled to acclimate to the Dark Domain.

Only those with formidable talents, like Elena, could return to their ancestral homeland after their bloodline reached a certain level of advancement. Only then could they earn the title of Dark Domain Asura.

Being a Dark Domain Asura signified superior strength, the epitome of the clan's elite forces.

Although Fernand had once commanded legions as a general, his early trials in the Dark Domain had ended in failure.

Nevertheless, he retained a familiarity with its unforgiving conditions and could discern the scenes unfolding within.

He was aware that at that moment, inside the stone tower, Lim Zhuyun lay in a pool of her own blood. The 'well' she had cobbled together from her life force and spiritual energy was now fully formed.

Darkness and Frost Energy surged incessantly from the 'well,' with Lim Zhuyun shivering uncontrollably.

Powerless to intervene, she could only sense the transformation overtaking her modest cultivation chamber.

Fernand understood that the King's power was infiltrating, and soon, warriors accustomed to the Dark Domain would emerge from the Frost Well, one by one.

Their King would set foot in the Plover Realm, sealing the triumph of this conflict.

Suddenly, Fernand gazed skyward, his eyes ablaze with fervor, and declared, "We're out of time."

Leo's face paled as he observed, "The barrier of the Plover Realm is undergoing strange alterations."

Everyone looked up at the sky in succession. The Ninth Level Bloodline warriors and those at the Unrestrained Stage could sense the Plover Realm's barrier, thin as a cicada's wing, absorbing Frost Energy like a sponge soaks up water.

The barrier of the Plover Realm was drawing in the cold currents from the Outland Star River.

From the perspective of the Outland Star River, it was evident that the barrier of the Plover Realm was rapidly freezing over, turning into solid ice. The entire Plover Realm appeared to be encased in ice.

"Quick, look!"

On the Galaxy Warship of the Colman family, those who lacked the credentials to enter the Plover Realm pointed at the transforming realm and screamed in terror.

From their vantage point, the thin barrier of the realm seemed to be freezing over quickly.

Wilson was momentarily stunned before he exclaimed in horror, "Go! Evacuate the Oblivion Starfield immediately, at full speed!"

Asa, also of the Star Race, didn't hesitate to join in the clamor to leave quickly.

Boom!

A gaunt old man fell onto the Colman family's Galaxy Ancient Starship like a meteor from the sky.

In the moment of his landing, the majority of the Colman family members were reduced to a mist of blood, their bones shattered, with no opportunity to even scream.

The massive warship seemed incapable of bearing his descent, the terrifying force of his landing causing it to disintegrate instantly.

He grinned at Wilson without uttering a word.

Wilson, protected by a peculiar suit of armor, didn't die instantly but instead let out a wail of agony and dissolved into a puddle of blood.

"You, you!"

Asa pointed at him, stuttering and retreating in utter despair.

"A bunch of ants."

The gaunt old man shook his head and commenced a slaughter.

Following the destruction of the Colman family's Galaxy Ancient Starship, the other clan's warships parked outside met the same fate, each being obliterated in turn.

One by one, the massive warships fell, disintegrating amidst billowing smoke and flames.

...

On a distant dark red continent.

Yu Yuan's strands of flesh and blood essence flowed into the Blood Prison for the fifth time through the hilt of the Demon Blade.

Starting from the hilt, the Demon Blade was covered with blood-colored patterns that were slowly extending towards the tip, now covering two-thirds of its length.

The dense blood-colored patterns seemed to be filled with a shimmering blood-colored light invisible to the naked eye.

The Luan Bird Queen occasionally exchanged a few words with the Peacock King, but her attention remained fixed on Yu Yuan and the Demon Blade, never straying for long.

Suddenly, her body gave a slight shiver, and her eyebrows knit together in concern.

"Is there trouble in the Plover Realm?" the Peacock King inquired.

Yu Yuan, who was busy channeling vital energy into the flesh while the Life Altar's suppression was in effect and simultaneously refining the Demon Blade, multitasked to join the conversation. "You mentioned that a significant change was about to occur in the Plover Realm, didn't you?"

"It seems so."

Chen Qinghuang gave a slight nod. After a moment of careful sensing, she spoke with certainty, "The Death Nest that resonates with me has been penetrated by Frost Energy, rendering it unusable as a Galaxy Crossing."

"What does that mean?" Yu Yuan asked, taken aback.

"It means that the Babel Chamber of Commerce and the Divine Soul Sect can no longer instantly transport people and items from other Galaxy Crossings to the Plover Realm. Likewise, those within the Plover Realm can't rely on the Death Nest to teleport away instantly," Chen Qinghuang explained earnestly.

"However..."

She paused, her expression serene, and continued, "This doesn't affect me. If I decide to go, I can still take you with me and return to the Plover Realm in the blink of an eye."

"Has something happened in the Plover Realm?" Yu Yuan pressed, his anxiety mounting.

Luo Yue, Lulu, Old Cash, Elena, and many others dear to him were there, and Chen Qinghuang's words had set his heart racing.

"It was inevitable, but I didn't expect it to come this soon," the Luan Bird Queen confessed, "The Chamber of Commerce and the Divine Soul Sect have their strategies, as does the Chaos Roc. Besides them, the Asura Clan and other yet-to-emerge forces are all scheming in the shadows."

She looked at Yu Yuan and asked, "Are you certain you still want to return?"

"I think it would be wiser not to go back."

The Peacock King, standing outside the vibrant Demonic Energy light curtain, was visibly shaken by her revelation.

"I agree, it's probably best not to return. It's much safer here," Chen Qinghuang suggested with genuine concern.

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