C1149 Something Fishy
Deep within the dense, toxic mists, the enormous form of Yu Zhu was barely discernible.
A surge of staggering demon energy burst forth, and Yu Zhu's shadow within the smoke ascended, growing taller and increasingly otherworldly.
As she expanded, the venomous smoke shrouding her billowed outwards in a wild spread.
In the Star River of the extraterrestrial realm, a mix of over a hundred varieties of psionic power mingled. Some, drawn to the smoke, willingly merged with it and were swiftly refined into minuscule particles, becoming one of Yu Zhu's power sources.
The archdemons, sensing her metamorphosis and witnessing the spread of the toxic smoke, prudently chose to steer clear.
The Golden Elephant God transformed back into human form, standing atop the resplendent mountain peak. He gazed down at the swelling spider body within the thickening mists, empowered by the burgeoning demon energy.
"Ninth-level bloodline," the Golden Elephant God acknowledged with a nod, his face alight with satisfaction, genuinely pleased by Yu Zhu's advancement.
Yu Yuan, having fallen into the Crucible of Evil, watched Yu Zhu's transformation. The Altar of Rebirth within him seemed to resonate subtly with Yu Zhu.
Within the Altar of Rebirth, a blood crystal was dissolving another within Yu Zhu's Demon Heart.
Both were linked to the Demon God Grec, harboring many layers of shared knowledge and blood magic, sharing the same essence.
This insight led him to quickly conclude that, although Yu Zhu might momentarily shatter the boundaries of her bloodline, truly integrating Grec's blood crystal and grasping its profound mysteries was not an overnight feat.
Like him, Yu Zhu would require considerable time to fully understand the benefits the blood crystal offered.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
In Yu Zhu's Demon Heart, the blood crystal from the Demon God Grec fragmented into pieces.
Only Yu Zhu, with her demon soul, could discern that the shattered blood crystal was identical to the Shattered Star beneath her feet.
The fragments of the blood crystal, millions of times smaller, mirrored the arrangement of the Shattered Star within her Demon Heart.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Another force of psionic power stirred within the Shattered Star, pulverizing the massive stones into dust.
Yu Zhu uttered a stifled grunt, then, amidst the toxic smoke, her face turned towards Cao Yi with a cold, suspicious glare.
"Cao Yi!"
The Golden Elephant God was seething with rage. Beneath him, the golden mountain began to shimmer with light, revealing tens of thousands of golden characters dancing across its surface.
The intricate workings of Metal Magic within the Way of Heaven unfolded in an instant.
As the Golden Elephant God's demon blood boiled, two intertwining rivers of golden light materialized, transforming into massive golden shears poised to slice through Cao Yi's body.
Boom!
Another horrific tremor shattered the Shattered Star completely.
Countless boulders hurtled toward the Dark Nebula like a meteor shower.
Galuo's Wightspawn was gradually contracting, its vital energy seemingly siphoned off completely, merging into the hollow chest of the Wightspawn.
"It wasn't me!"
Cao Yi's face showed a flicker of concern. He called out to the Golden Elephant God before urgently turning to the menacing Yu Yuan, "It truly has nothing to do with me! If I was generous enough to give you the first blood crystal, I wouldn't be petty with the second, nor would I sabotage things behind your back!"
"Yu Yuan, there must be some other anomaly at play here, something beyond our expectations! But rest assured, I'm not the one causing mischief! Also, you need to use the Dragon Slaying Stage to open the secret passage to the Blood Fiend's forbidden area as soon as possible. I fear any delay could lead to unforeseen consequences!"
Cao Yi was frustrated, deeply concerned that the unexpected event might disrupt the array concealed within the Wightspawn.
His urgency and visible anxiety helped Yu Yuan regain a measure of calm.
He then attempted to reach out to Yu Zhu.
As his remnant soul made a covert connection with Yu Zhu's soul, he immediately sensed her inner voice.
"It's not him, he's not the one behind this. I... I've glimpsed a residual image, a scene imprinted deep within my mother's bloodline..."
Her voice caused the Lunar Spirit within Yu Yuan's Mindscape to quiver slightly.
In the next moment, Yu Yuan was privy to the scene she had witnessed.
A vast purple wing, seemingly capable of slicing through the void, swept across the sky like a razor-sharp blade, effortlessly dividing a domain as large as the Nirvana Realm into two halves.
As the purple wings moved, time appeared to stand still, and a blinding divine light erupted.
After the Domain was cleaved in two, a colossal eight-legged spider emerged from the land, fleeing in a panic toward an unknown Star River.
This Star River, resplendent with stars and a luminous moon, brimmed with the essence of life, suggesting the presence of numerous intelligent species.
The giant eight-legged spider could not escape. As the purple wings harnessed the vast demon energy and unleashed their arcane powers, the spider seemed to be struck by an invisible force.
The purple wings closed in, unleashing thousands of purple lightning bolts that pierced the spider's demon soul and Demon Heart.
The spider barely struggled before it met a tragic end in the Star River, a place unknown in the extraterrestrial realms.
The purple wings, seemingly eager to pursue other formidable foes, did not linger and quietly departed.
"Grec's blood crystal has awakened a sealed remnant soul within my mother's lineage," Yu Zhu's voice echoed with fear in Yu Yuan's mind. Since emerging from Gloomhollow, she had been favored by Shadow's Keep, nurtured as a seed of potential. Now, for the first time, she was consumed by fear and unease.
She feared the vision she had witnessed, a scene meant to remain hidden.
She believed that without the catalyst of Grec's blood crystal, even as a ninth-level archdemon at her peak, she might not have the power to unlock it on her own. The force sealing the remnant soul might well originate from someone within Shadow's Keep...
"If she was responsible for my mother's death, why has she taken such care to cultivate me? Does she harbor ulterior motives, or does she truly believe I could never uncover the truth?" Yu Zhu's whispers continued to resonate in Yu Yuan's mind.
The Shattered Star had vanished, leaving only the Shadow Husk adrift in the void, surrounded by scattered members of the Devil Palace and Shadow's Keep, including Tan Junshan and Chen Qinghuang.
Yu Yuan's expression remained stoic, though inside, a maelstrom of shock and confusion raged.
He had an inkling that the enormous eight-legged spider was part of Shadow's Keep, but he was unaware that its demise was the direct handiwork of the Dark Phoenix herself.
The supreme Dark Phoenix of Shadow's Keep revealed a chilling indifference and mercilessness in her killing, which took Yu Yuan aback.
What puzzled him more was Shadow's Keep's fervent efforts to win over Yu Zhu from the day they learned of her existence, lavishing her with the finest resources and guidance to enhance her strength.
He couldn't believe that the Dark Phoenix was unaware of Yu Zhu's origins.
You were the one who ended the lifeblood of Yu Zhu's lineage, fully aware of what you were doing. And yet, you devoted yourself to nurturing her with such care. Aren't you concerned that Yu Zhu might ascend to become a Dark Deity, learn the truth, and seek vengeance against you?
What are your true intentions?
As this thought emerged, a wave of complex emotions suddenly washed over him.
For some reason, as he recalled the purple wings and pondered the Supreme Being of the Shadow's Keep, he felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity. It was as though he had known the Dark Phoenix for tens of thousands of years.
"No way?"
