C1139 Galuo's Corpse
Atop a fragmented star within the Extraterrestrial Star River, the nine-headed Demon God Sidla, with a crown upon his serpentine head, was relentlessly being cut down. Sidla's piercing screams echoed as his massive snake body was pinned beneath a towering golden mountain range.
The Golden Elephant God, having revealed its colossal form, brought down its fearsome hooves, pulverizing a segment of Sidla's snake body into a pulp. Nearby, an archdemon shrouded in dense, toxic mist, brandished its blade-like spider legs with the ferocity of a giant spider. As the spider legs carved through the air, they released a dazzling light, severing Sidla's heads one after another.
The enigmatic smoke, laden with a deadly toxin, engulfed the Nine-headed Demon God Sidla, trapping his devil soul within. Powerless to break free, he was unable to flee even by abandoning his demonform.
Scattered across the Shattered Star were numerous great demons from Shadow's Keep and formidable cultivators from the Devil Palace, including the King of Wraiths. Like Sidla, other Star-Spawned Terrors who had emerged from the Shadowspawn and cultivated demonforms were obliterated under the relentless onslaught of the archdemons and dark adepts.
Mo Yan, wielding the Shadowblade, reveled in the chaos, his sinister laughter accompanying his ruthless slaughter. Thus, the stronghold of the Shadowspawn swiftly succumbed. Sidla, of Divine Level stature, met his demise as his final head tumbled from his lofty neck, his body lying still at last.
The thick smoke permeated Sidla's demonform, and within it, the spider gradually contracted, ultimately coalescing into the slender form of Yu Zhu.
With the battle's outcome now certain, the Golden Elephant God abandoned its elephantine guise, assuming a human shape. Casting an approving glance at Yu Zhu, it inquired, "Is that sufficient?"
"Indeed, once I refine the Nine-headed Demon God Sidla, my lineage will achieve a breakthrough," Yu Zhu replied calmly.
The surrounding dark adepts, including the King of Wraiths, regarded Yu Zhu with admiration. It was Yu Zhu's acute instincts that had led them to Sidla and uncovered the hidden lair of the Shadowspawn.
Yu Zhu had played a significant role in Sidla's downfall. Her potent toxins had severely weakened him, leaving him vulnerable to the crippling blows of the Golden Elephant God. Trapped within the venomous miasma, Sidla's devil soul was unable to flee, steadily eroded by the relentless poison.
In the final moments, as Sidla was nearly depleted, Yu Zhu, in her archdemon form, brandished her spider legs and severed the heads of the Nine-headed Demon God one by one.
"This place..."
The Unbound cultivator from the Devil Palace, the King of Wraiths, squinted his eyes as he observed the fractured stars and suddenly addressed Mo Yan, "Lend me the Shadowblade, will you?"
Without a moment's hesitation, Mo Yan tossed the weighty Devil Blade to him.
The King of Wraiths caught the Devil Blade and immersed his soul into it, silently attuning to it for some time.
He then hurled the Devil Blade at a jagged rift in the Shattered Star.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
The canyon was obliterated by the force of the Devil Blade, sending massive boulders soaring into the air, unveiling a colossal, pitch-black demonform nearly a thousand feet tall.
The dark body, as if forged from sunsilver, bore a face shrouded in Demon Armor, yet marred by numerous holes.
The long-dead demonform, a human shape magnified a thousandfold, had thick, black hair and limbs robust and mighty—a Divine Visage of a demonform.
Dark adepts, also known as Half-Demons, upon reaching the Unbound state, would manifest this Divine Visage, with many assuming such a form.
The chest cavity of the demonform was empty, the heart apparently excavated and removed.
From the gaping chest emerged a bizarre magic power, occasionally sparking with sinister lightning.
Oddly enough, the Shadowblade hovered persistently above its head, not straying, while emitting mournful wails.
With a deep voice, the Golden Elephant God sighed, "It is Galuo."
"Galuo? He was the master of the Shadowblade?"
Mo Yan's expression shifted as he gazed upon the towering Divine Visage of the demonform below. He could sense a magic power, as vast as the ocean, still pulsing within the body, seemingly influencing the fine gold of this star.
"It seems that the Shadowblade was forged from the fine gold of this dense star," surmised the King of Wraiths. "With the creation of the Devil Blade, this wondrous star also fractured. After Galuo fell in battle within the Extraterrestrial Star River, the Shadowspawn acquired his remains and brought them here."
"It seems there are experts among the Star-Spawned Terrors attempting to refine Galuo's demonform."
"However, his heart has been removed, leaving the demonform incomplete."
"..."
The King of Wraiths, his face a mask of confusion and bewilderment, pondered, "Who could have taken the heart?"
"To possess Galuo's demonform, one must be qualified to refine a Sky Fiend, certainly at the level of a Demon God. Moreover, the refinement process had already begun and was bound to succeed eventually. Yet, it was interrupted by another entity that removed the heart, rendering all prior efforts fruitless."
"How peculiar," mused the Golden Elephant God, shaking his head in puzzlement.
"Mo Yan, since it is Galuo's remains and the Divine Visage is not entirely destroyed, you might try to harness some of his unique psionic power through this Devil Blade," the King of Wraiths suggested after a moment of thought. "Proceed with caution; we will support you. There's an odd presence lingering around Galuo's heartless chest cavity; we'll take precautions."
"Understood!"
Mo Yan, elated, flew towards the Devil Blade and gently grasped its hilt with both hands.
Near the remains of the nine-headed Demon God Sidla, droplets of blood transformed into tiny spiders, infusing Sidla's devil soul with potent venom.
Yu Zhu, hovering amidst the toxic smog, gazed curiously at the cavity in Galuo's chest.
...
In the Blood Fiend Forbidden Area, as Yu Yuan grasped the Dragon Slaying Stage, attuning to the inner movements with his remnant soul, the Silvermoon Queen emerged from the Lunarphite's form, having shattered the icy restraints.
Her release was made possible because Yu Yiyi, upon noticing Yue Fei's devil soul depart, refrained from bolstering her power further.
In essence, Yu Yiyi had shown restraint.
Lee Yupan, bathed in the radiant moonlight, regained her clarity and spiritual wisdom, her expression etched with sorrow.
Within her little world, a palm-sized full moon served as a soul mark, encapsulating the ancient Moonfiend Clan's myriad of intricate mystiques and Yue Fei's deep insights into moon energy.
This was Yue Fei's final legacy to her before her devil soul departed.
While her soul was confined, she overheard the heated dispute between Grec and Yue Fei, which led to a compromise. Grec's lingering will desired Yue Fei to possess her body, assimilate her soul, and integrate fully with her essence. By doing so, Yue Fei would be perfectly attuned to her body, maximizing the Sky Fiend's potential. This was a more complete approach than simply imprisoning her soul to fight through possession. Possession would grant Yue Fei even greater power.
Yet, by choosing this path, she would cease to exist, her soul utterly extinguished. Yue Fei, however, rejected Grec's proposal. After an intense confrontation, Grec reluctantly conceded, and as a result, she was merely suppressed rather than obliterated.
Despite Yue Fei not consulting her and choosing to ally with Grec, which led to her imprisonment and using her body for combat, the Silvermoon Queen couldn't bring herself to hate Yue Fei. When she learned that Yue Fei had been absorbed by the Crucible of Evil and was on the verge of being transformed into a Bane, she was deeply saddened.
"Is it possible to release Yue Fei and return her to me?" she pleaded after a moment, upon noticing Yu Yiyi's gaze.
Yu Yiyi gently shook her head, "It's too late."
