C1146 Like an Ant!

The individual in question was none other than the Dark Phoenix of Shadow's Keep!

Whether it was the Golden Elephant God, Cao Yi, or the King of Wraiths, none dared to address her directly by name.

They referred to her with a title of respect...

The Dark Phoenix, founder of Shadow's Keep, was already among the mightiest in the Everlands during the era of Naga supremacy.

Even at the height of the Naga's power, when several Dragon Gods roamed freely, they showed deference to the Dark Phoenix.

The lifespan of the purple phoenix was incredibly vast. She had once allied with the humans to plunge the Naga into decline.

During the rise of Boulderdawn, when its formidable reputation deterred the extraterrestrial Star River, they too held her in high esteem.

She was also instrumental in the downfall of Boulderdawn, collaborating with the three upper sects and the Devil Palace.

The Dark Phoenix has been a constant through the annals of Everlands history, maintaining her pinnacle position regardless of the shifting ages.

Her influence remains undiminished!

Given the special status of this being, and her considerable regard and trust for Yu Zhu, the Golden Elephant God invoked her name to sway Cao Yi. After a brief hesitation, Cao Yi consented.

Cao Yi was simply honoring the venerable Dark Phoenix.

"I disagree!"

The voice of Mo Yan erupted from within the Wightspawn.

The arrival of Cao Yi had put the resurrection ceremony on hold. Dragged into the Wightspawn by the Devil Blade, the hidden magic power within was completely eradicated.

Mo Yan, wielding the Devil Blade, suddenly felt a weight lifted. He managed to reemerge through the hole in his forehead.

His Solar Spirit Body, wreathed in a faint blood mist, radiated a deep purple aura as it fought off the toxic fog.

Having narrowly avoided disaster, Mo Yan stood atop the expansive Shadowblade, his expression dark as he fixed his gaze on Yu Yuan.

"To think I'd encounter you again in the extraterrestrial Star River so soon."

His words were laden with a deep-seated hatred that all present, including the archdemon, could sense. "Back in the Land of Terror, I nearly ended up in Moonfall Sanctuary because of you. The mere thought of that moment still sends shivers down my spine, and I've been wondering when I'd see you again, to witness your demise!"

"It's you."

Yu Yuan flashed a grin and shook his head, speaking with an air of nonchalance, "You probably won't get the chance to see me dead. You know, my perspective on you has undergone a significant shift. Previously, with your ties to the Devil Palace and being Zhu Zhenlin's son, I felt considerable pressure. Facing you always cast a bit of a shadow over my mood."

"But now..."

"Now what?" Mo Yan inquired.

"Now, you hardly seem worth mentioning." Yu Yuan shook his head, deliberately needling him, "Perhaps it's because I've encountered increasingly formidable figures, and as a result, you, including your father, just don't seem as intimidating anymore."

Indeed, his mindset had transformed.

With the resurgence of Boulderdawn and his connections to it, the once insurmountable Devil Palace and Shadow's Keep no longer seemed invincible.

"Mo Yan, you say you disagree? What exactly do you disagree with?"

The Golden Elephant inquired with a voice powerful enough to shatter the Star River.

"Grec, this blood crystal formed in my chest is drawing from the residual power of the Shadow Husk," Mo Yan retorted with a huff, "And Galuo was a dark adept of my Devil Palace! That blood crystal rightfully belongs to my Devil Palace, not Yu Zhu!"

"It belongs to the Devil Palace?"

The blood-colored mass slowly enveloped Grec's chunk of flesh.

Cao Yi, using his own strength, his mastery of the arcane secrets of the Blood Fiend, and his knowledge of the resurrection ceremony, began to erode the power surrounding Grec's blood mass with an alternative, mystical approach.

"The Shadow Husk of Galuo contains more than just his residual vital energy. Relying solely on Galuo's Shadow Husk is insufficient to initiate the resurrection ceremony. Mo Yan, having been drawn into it, you should sense that Galuo's Shadow Husk, having been consecrated, is imbued with the vital energy of various races, which is why it can be used for the ceremony."

He paused briefly.

Cao Yi chuckled, "To be perfectly clear, Galuo's Shadow Husk is merely a vessel. Grec refined the vital energy of various races and deposited it into this husk as a contingency for himself. Mo Yan, don't spout nonsense. Why should the blood crystal be given to you?"

"Regardless, Galuo was a dark adept of our Devil Palace, and we demand our share!" Mo Yan asserted firmly.

Zhu Zhenlin's son, the King of Wraiths, had been entrusted with a special task before embarking on his trial in the extraterrestrial Star River.

Mo Yan's stance put the King of Wraiths in a tough spot, causing him to furrow his brow in contemplation.

"He's just as irritating as ever," Yu Yuan muttered, shaking his head in resignation before letting out a soft sigh.

The next moment, Yu Yuan hurled the Dragon Slaying Stage at Mo Yan's head with great force.

Boom!

The Dragon Slaying Stage expanded a thousandfold in an instant, resembling a colossal cliff bathed in divine light. It plummeted towards Mo Yan, carrying with it an infinite surge of psionic power.

Looking up, Mo Yan saw a wondrous and magnificent world bearing down on him.

The radiant Dragon Slaying Stage exuded an aura as primordial and vast as the cosmos in its nascent state.

From within, one could almost hear the nascent sounds of the Cosmic Order, along with the whispers of emerging life within the swirling mists of creation.

Suddenly, Mo Yan felt insignificant, like an ant overwhelmed by the crushing power of the Dragon Slaying Stage, struggling to breathe.

The voices he heard, the visions he saw, and the ancient vastness he felt had transformed into an intangible force, permeating his heart and consciousness.

Unaware, Mo Yan's eyes had split open, and his Solar Spirit Body was riddled with fissures, as if his very soul might shatter.

Whoosh!

A streak of demonic light swept him up, whisking him away from the oppressive force of the Dragon Slaying Stage.

The King of Wraiths, now in his Unbound form, caught Mo Yan and cast him toward the distant, fractured rocky terrain. With a grave look, he watched the still-sinking Dragon Slaying Stage and remarked, "This artifact has grown far more powerful than it was at Moonfall Sanctuary."

Yu Yuan flashed a sly smile and, with a mere thought, brought the immense Dragon Slaying Stage to a halt in the void.

It was only then that Mo Yan, still reeling from the ordeal, seemed to come back to his senses.

He turned to find Yu Yuan's gaze upon him, filled with scorn and derision.

"Do you feel the gap between us?" Yu Yuan cruelly pointed out the harsh reality. "Back in the Land of Terror, I was the weaker one, and I had to devise numerous strategies to confront you. Now, things have changed. Even though you, Mo Yan, have forged a Solar Spirit Body and ventured into the extraterrestrial Star River, I am still your superior."

"But killing you now is no different from squashing an ant."

"Do you know why my mindset has become so resolute? Because the you who once stood like a towering mountain now appears to me as nothing more than a small mound of dirt. With just a slight step, you'd be flattened!"

"Hahaha! Mo Yan, oh Mo Yan, your talent is truly lacking, and your growth has been painfully slow!"

Yu Yuan was merciless in his mockery.

The Golden Elephant God, King of Wraiths, Tan Junshan, Chen Qinghuang, and the others initially wore expressions of surprise, which then shifted to contemplation.

Yu Yuan was correct, after all.

Throughout this time, from the Embers Sea to the Land of Terror, Mo Yan had been stronger than Yu Yuan in both realm and actual power, consistently outpacing him.

But what about now?

After Yu Yuan utilized the Dragon Slaying Stage, Mo Yan had no opportunity to retaliate; he could only watch helplessly as his demise approached.

Those who had witnessed Yu Yuan's combat prowess in the Moonfall Sanctuary, including the Golden Elephant God, King of Wraiths, and those who had recently encountered him like Tan Junshan and Chen Qinghuang, were well aware that Yu Yuan could easily dispatch a Solar Spirit without the aid of any artifacts, relying solely on his unmatched vitality.

Considering the Dragon Slaying Stage, the Crucible of Evil, Yu Yiyi, and that sword sheath, Mo Yan was utterly insignificant.

How much time had really passed?

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