C113 The Battlefield Ruins

Zhan Tianxiang appeared on the brink of death.

Having practiced the dark arts, he could connect with the distant Golden Elephant God through the totem tattoos etched on his skin, drawing upon the power granted by the Dark Deity.

Upon encountering the direct descendant of the Golden Elephant God, it was only natural for him to attempt to reach out to the Golden Elephant God once more.

He intended to relay the events that had transpired here, along with the fate of the descendant's remains.

However, he nearly lost his soul and life in the process.

Even the mighty Golden Elephant God was constrained by the sealing power of this realm. The will of the Dark Deity could not pierce through the void and clouds to reach the totem on his body.

The imminent presence of the Dark Deity's will caused an instinctive repulsion in the fabric of this world.

The will of the Golden Elephant God was scattered in the depths of the void.

As the conduit for this connection, Zhan Tianxiang suffered injuries.

The most horrifying aspect was Yu Yuan's recent outburst, which seemed to activate a lethal trap hidden within the forbidden area, sending a shiver through Zhan Tianxiang's body and an instinctive premonition of impending doom.

Thankfully, he had the sense to cease his actions in time.

And it was fortunate that Yu Yuan had not directed that sword strike at him.

Otherwise...

"You're too impulsive," Yu Yuan chided, having swiftly moved to Zhan Tianxiang's side. "If someone other than me had received the sword spirit's legacy, you'd be dead already."

Zhan Tianxiang wore a gloomy expression. "How could I have known the peril was so great?"

"Crack!"

In that instant, the massive elephant's skeleton shattered.

In mere moments, the vast skeleton disintegrated into fragments of bone.

The bones hit the ground and burst into a pile of golden dust.

Even the broad sawtooth sword shattered upon impact, reduced to worthless scraps of metal.

"This direct descendant of the Golden Elephant God..." Zhan Tianxiang lamented, "If only a trace of dark power could have been extracted from these bones, my strength could have surged."

"Too much time has passed, with the relentless wear of time and harsh conditions leaving nothing behind," Lee Yuchan remarked as she arrived, her long legs stepping through the golden dust. She approached Yu Yuan and grasped at the air.

Fragments of the sawtooth sword collected in her palm.

After a careful examination and a silent communion, she observed, "Even artifacts of high caliber cannot endure the ravages of the forbidden area's violent essence over countless millennia."

She clenched her fists tightly, and fragments of the sawtooth sword, now like shattered porcelain, slipped through her fingers and scattered on the ground.

"If Yu Yuan hadn't held back, you'd be dead," Lee Yuchan said with an icy tone, showing no courtesy to Zhan Tianxiang. "If you want to live longer, don't let recklessness cloud your judgment."

Zhan Tianxiang, still shaken, managed a sheepish smile. "It won't happen again."

Soon after, Yan Lu, Su Yan, Han Hui, and others descended one by one. They marveled at the sight of human and Fellbeast skeletons, the scattered remnants of equipment, and the various sizes of Moon Shards on the ground.

Yu Yuan, relieved to see Zhan Tianxiang unharmed, silently focused his concentration to commune with the sword spirit within his arm. Specks of sword light flickered and burned quietly along his arms.

Another Fellbeast skeleton suddenly shone brightly. In life, it must have been a colossal crocodile, towering over ten meters high, its head raised as if in defiance of the heavens. The skull had been crushed, as if by a massive hammer, leaving it caved in.

A fearsome power surged from the skull through the flesh. Yu Yuan could see a light, like a stone pillar, flowing from the crocodile's skull into the ground, illuminating the area. This stream of light was also what caused the burning sword light in his arms.

"What a fearsome strike," Lee Yuchan remarked, visibly shaken as she clarified for everyone, "An energy beam that burst forth from the top of the Fellbeast's head, piercing through its body, shredding its flesh and extinguishing its soul."

"It wasn't completely extinguished; the residual soul of the Fellbeast is still trapped within that energy pillar," Yu Yuan observed, then stealthily extended his hand toward the luminous column.

Lee Yu tensed up at the sight.

"I'll give it a try," Yu Yuan said, regulating his breath and syncing with the sword spirit. He extended his arm as if it were a sword blade, thrusting from afar.

The sword light made his arm sear as though it were a red-hot iron brand.

"Whoosh!"

The spiritual energy in the forbidden area erupted, furiously converging into a murky, raging torrent. The torrent collided with the radiant energy pillar, and at the point of impact, a thunderous roar erupted.

The skeleton of the enormous crocodile-shaped Fellbeast crumbled into dust in the blink of an eye.

The radiant energy column, shimmering before everyone's eyes, fractured suddenly, like a crystal cylinder shattering.

Numerous faint phantoms, no larger than a fist, desperately sought escape.

Upon closer inspection, these phantoms resembled tiny crocodiles, exuding a vicious, bloodthirsty stench.

The odor emanating from the residual souls was telling; clearly, the giant crocodile had not been a creature of virtue in life.

"Quick!" Lee Yuchan commanded sharply.

The Soul Orb burst forth from Lee Yu's sleeve, casting a greenish glow that immobilized each of the small crocodile-shaped residual souls.

Then, as if ensnared by invisible threads, the small crocodiles were drawn into the Soul Orb.

In a flash, they were gone.

Looking into the Soul Orb once more, one could see the tiny crocodiles, now only the size of a pinky, frantically colliding within the sphere as they rapidly diminished in size.

Thin streams of smoke rose from the small crocodiles, their souls clearly undergoing refinement.

The Soul Orb glowed with increasing intensity.

"Thank you."

Lee Yu extended his hand and the Soul Orb flew back into his sleeve. After a moment of contemplation, he declared, "Should we escape the forbidden area, I, Lee Yu, will surely repay Yu Yuan's kindness in the future."

"Easy to say," Yu Yuan responded with a light laugh.

Yan Lu, Su Yan, and the others, listening to the exchange and recalling the earlier collaboration, suddenly realized there was an unspoken understanding and agreement between Yu Yuan and Lee Yu.

"The Yu family and Lee Yu are allies; we truly cannot afford to cross them," lamented a member of the Su family internally.

He had harbored some dissatisfaction with Su Yan's overtures toward Yu Yuan.

Why should Su Xiangtian meet with Yu Yuan personally? Why should the Su family concede the profits from the pills to the Yu family?

Was the modest Yu family, with Yu Yuan at the Soul Awakening Realm, really worth such consideration?

Now, even the Empire's most notable new figure had struck a deal with Yu Yuan and made a promise. If this man were to return to the Empire alive, how favored would he be?

Yan Lu represented the Yan family, Zhan Tianxiang the Zhan family, Han Hui her own, and now Lee Yu had joined their ranks.

Anyone considering taking action against the Yu family should weigh their decision carefully, considering whether they can handle the subsequent accountability and retribution.

"Lee, you're in the Subtlety Realm, aren't you? Your spiritual sense is undergoing repeated refinement," Yu Yuan said with a sudden smile to Lee Yuchan. "Follow me."

Lee Yuchan, known throughout the Empire for her bloody infamy, looked perplexed but chose to follow nonetheless.

"What's this kid up to?"

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