C1145 The Second Piece!

Surges of space magic filled the Star River, while the icy winds from beyond the skies howled furiously.

The elongated Dragon Slaying Stage radiated a magnificent glow, causing the nearby void to undulate with wave after wave, each seemingly leading to another dimension.

The appearance of the Dragon Slaying Stage triggered a widespread collapse of the fragmented stars.

The river of blood grew wider and more vivid.

The thousand-zhang tall Shadow Husk, with its hollow chest cavity, displayed the writhing scarlet flesh as Yu Yuan, Tan Junshan, and Chen Qinghuang emerged without detecting anything amiss.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

The heartbeats of Yu Yuan, Tan Junshan, and Chen Qinghuang quickened.

Whoosh!

Trailing behind, Cao Yi emerged with a broad grin, effortlessly distancing himself from Yu Yuan and the others, stepping directly above the pulsating crimson mass.

"Yu Yuan!"

"Tan Junshan, Chen Qinghuang!"

"Cao Yi!"

At this moment, the formidable figures from the Devil Palace and Shadow's Keep finally grasped the situation, their screams piercing the air.

"Yu Zhu!"

Yu Yuan, gripping the Dragon Slaying Stage in one hand and his sword sheath in the other, descended into the Crucible of Evil. As he reached the Star of Wonder, he was greeted by a familiar scent.

Narrowing his eyes, he spotted Yu Zhu amidst the thick, toxic fog.

Yu Zhu's green eyes flared with flames, and, overwhelmed with shame, she quickly concealed her demonic form.

The smoke billowed towards her, forming towering layers of smoky clouds. She reconstituted into her slender, human form atop the tower, hands clutching her clothing like a little girl who had erred, appearing uneasy and unable to meet Yu Yuan's gaze.

The corrosive smoke tower still dissolved and refined the lingering thoughts and magic power of the Demon God Sidla.

As Yu Yuan's gaze fell upon her, she casually brushed the edge of the ashen smoke.

Segments of Sidla's serpentine body seemed to retract at her touch.

"It's not that I wanted to kill him."

Yu Zhu, head bowed, murmured an explanation to Yu Yuan alone, through their soul connect.

"I'm aware that the Nine-headed Demon God has previously visited the Moonfall Sanctuary and Fiendpeak. I also understand that he's one of the envoys from the Star-Spawned Terror. The Shadow's Keep has tasked me with collaborating with the Golden Elephant God to assassinate him. They want his death to catalyze the evolution of my bloodline."

"Your relationship with him, whether there are deep feelings involved, I'm not privy to."

"…"

In her heart, Yu Yuan was akin to a stern father. She felt guilty, as if she had erred, and was hesitant to confront Yu Yuan, opting instead to communicate with him in their unique, private manner.

"When you were trapped in the Moonfall Sanctuary, I was too weak to be of any help. Furthermore, Ann Wen from the Colddeath Sect desecrated the sanctuary with my mother's remains. I need time to distill the vital energy within."

"I'm confident that you'll be fine."

"…"

Her flurry of thoughts became waves of the soul, rippling through Yu Yuan's Heart Lake.

Yu Yuan, visibly taken aback, listened to her whispered thoughts while assessing the unfolding scene.

At that moment, Cao Yi, a venerable prodigy of the Ebon Star, stood atop the undulating mass of red flesh, halting another of Grec's resurrection ceremonies in its tracks.

As the Golden Elephant God, King of Wraiths, and numerous Devil Palace and Shadow's Keep powerhouses were about to converge for the attack, Cao Yi commanded, "Everyone, halt!"

Cao Yi had demonstrated his worth in the Moonfall Sanctuary with his prowess and tactics, securing his status within the Ebon Star.

Even the Golden Elephant God and King of Wraiths held Cao Yi in high regard.

Thus, when he intervened, the Shadow's Keep and Devil Palace forces took a moment to cool their aggression.

"Don't be foolish. If it came to a real fight, you might not be able to handle them."

Tan Junshan emerged from the Shadow Husk with a grin that begged for a punch. His remnant soul spread out, and suddenly, moons like silver discs materialized in the dark expanse of the Star River and around the starshard. These moons acted as his eyes, granting him immediate control of the situation.

"Lord Golden Elephant and King of Wraiths, the two of you together couldn't capture Chenchen and me." Tan Junshan picked his nose, seemingly extracting a booger, flicked it away with a chuckle, and said, "We've come from another of Demon God Grec's resurrection ceremonies. We've just destroyed one, and this here is the second."

He explained with a grin.

His words had a calming effect on the King of Wraiths and the Golden Elephant God. The leaders of Shadow's Keep and Devil Palace immediately turned their attention to Cao Yi, seeking his confirmation.

"I'm here to put a stop to this resurrection ceremony. Once we're done here, you'll join us in taking down the Blood Fiend elder at the third forbidden area where the ceremony is underway!" Cao Yi stood on the scarlet blood block, and auspicious clouds wafted from his body, filling the void in Galuo's chest.

As the clouds dispersed, previously invisible bloodlines shone brightly.

"The shriveled heart we saw within the Lunarphite's chest was actually Galuo's," Cao Yi mused, stroking his chin and sensing the pulsing scarlet blood beneath his feet, "You've got plenty of tricks, but they're no good against me. You're not at the height of your power, Grec."

With his appearance, the squirming crimson blood ceased to echo Grec's eerie laughter.

"This object..."

Cao Yi transformed into a larger, writhing mass of flesh and blood, exuding a ferocity and cruelty eerily reminiscent of Grec's.

Yu Yuan interjected, "After you refine this, give it to Yu Zhu."

In his own little world, the Altar of Rebirth, constantly kneaded by the heaven soul, detected something within the crimson flesh from Grec—hints of hidden messages and secrets.

Grec's three resurrection ceremonies, once initiated, would ultimately solidify into similar blood crystals, each bearing the mystique Grec had mastered, the dark arts of the Blood Fiend clan, and his insights into various bloodlines.

The messages and arcane knowledge within the blood crystals largely overlapped, and acquiring another wouldn't be of much benefit.

But if Yu Zhu were to obtain and refine one...

"Give it to her?" Cao Yi's voice was laced with astonishment, "And what about me? Surely I'm not expected to work for nothing?"

"For a similar prize in the third forbidden area, I'll no longer stake a claim," Yu Yuan stated, foregoing further negotiation. "Only with the Dragon Slaying Stage in my possession can we enter the forbidden area where the Blood Fiend elders dwell. Cao Yi, since you've already shown such largesse, why not be magnanimous once more?"

After a brief pause, Yu Yuan added, "She, too, is a significant archdemon within Shadow's Keep, allied with your faction."

At these words, the Golden Elephant God and the King of Wraiths, along with numerous archdemons and dark adepts, exchanged puzzled glances.

Tan Junshan couldn't suppress a chuckle.

Chen Qinghuang, her face veiled and crowned with the imperial diadem, silently straightened her slightly askew crown before stepping away from the chest cavity of the Shadow Husk. "Let it be so," she declared.

Yu Zhu, who had been standing on the Misty Tower with her head bowed, finally looked up, her eyes brimming with delight.

Yu Yuan offered no reprimand, no words of comfort; instead, he instructed Cao Yi from the Ebon Star to relinquish the blood crystal of the Demon God Grec. This action spoke louder than any words could.

"Shadow's Keep will provide compensation for this," he assured.

The Golden Elephant God, barely containing his excitement, his pupils sparking with golden light, stared intently at the blood-red mass Cao Yi had formed. "Yu Zhu is the chosen one of Shadow's Keep, which has placed great expectations on her! Cao Yi, if you agree to hand over Grec's blood crystal for Yu Zhu to refine, both Shadow's Keep and the one we serve will surely acknowledge your favor."

"The Shadow's Keep, that individual..."

The King of Wraiths from the Devil Palace mulled over the weight of these words, his expression unreadable.

It was clear to all present—none of whom were naive—that Yu Zhu, as a prominent archdemon of Shadow's Keep, harbored no ordinary feelings for Yu Yuan.

Was Shadow's Keep not concerned that she might one day betray them for Yu Yuan, given their all-out efforts to nurture her? Had similar incidents not occurred within their ranks before? Was that person still so trusting of Yu Zhu?

"Since you've invoked that individual," Cao Yi's voice grew heavy with resolve, "very well, I agree to your terms, and to Shadow's Keep. I will part with the second blood crystal and entrust it to Yu Zhu for refinement!"

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