C1164 Escape to the Heavens

In the shadowy, silent river of stars, a deep red moon hung suspended, casting an eerie red glow.

The stars, sparse and dim, were scattered across the vast expanse of the Starfield, each one a distant point of light far removed from its neighbors.

The Luan Bird Queen, with her three heads and six arms, embraced the Dragon Slash Platform, magnified a million times. Having shattered the realm barrier of the Origin Blood Continent, she appeared in the frigid, desolate expanse of the sky like a streak of gray-white light.

The Death Nest encircled her slender waist like a mystical belt, its powers of death, destruction, and rebirth flowing ceaselessly into her form. This made her divine aspect seem boundless, as if filling the entire expanse of the Starfield.

The suspended deep red moon above her head resembled nothing so much as her own cap.

Within her, three Great Dao Laws converged like eternal rivers, nourishing her wondrous aspect and endowing her with the might to obliterate the heavens and the earth.

Millions of miles away, the stars, dim under the glow of the deep red moon, trembled in despair at her sudden arrival in the Starfield.

The creatures of the Realms, subdued and aligned with the Blood Devil Clan, sensed the scent of the apocalypse.

Countless individuals wept and knelt, praying to the heavens, calling out the names of the legendary deities: Ferguson, Valentin, Felicia, Grec...

The so-called gods they invoked were the Great Demon Gods of the Blood Devil Clan's history, each having ascended to the Tenth Level.

The alien races, eternally enslaved by the Blood Devil Clan in this Starfield, revered these Great Demon Gods as true deities, worshipping them across generations.

Now, those with keen senses, feeling the aura of destruction and death spread like a plague, sought the intervention of these gods.

Alas, the deities they yearned for had long been vanquished by the supreme powers of the Boundless Land, erased from the annals of history.

"Lass Chen?"

Tan Junshan, standing tall within the Death Nest, had not displayed his own strength or summoned his Dharma. Next to the Luan Bird Queen's imposing aspect, he seemed as insignificant as a gnat.

His emotions were still in turmoil, caught between exhilaration and the sweet relief of survival. "Who are you, really?"

"Her?"

Yu Yiyi and Yu Zhu remained steadfastly by Yu Yuan's side, their minds swirling with immense confusion.

The display of power by Chen Qinghuang was staggeringly profound. Even Yu Yiyi, no stranger to the extraordinary, was unable to decipher it. How could her combat strength have surged to such dizzying heights in mere moments?

She seemed to rival a Demon God!

"The rest is up to you; I've given it my all."

Chen Qinghuang's voice emanated from the Death Nest, a stark contrast to the towering Dharma that once held the stars and moon aloft.

Her voice carried a deep sense of fatigue and frailty.

Whoosh!

Her Dharma form began to shrink rapidly. Within a few breaths, the enigmatic form had vanished.

The stunning figure, capable of captivating all who beheld her, lay surrounded by countless strands of regenerative power at the heart of the Death Nest before Yu Yuan, gently descending as she lay down.

Her eyelids were so heavy they seemed impossible to lift, and she resignedly let them close.

The destructive abilities that had materialized from the unknown, along with most of the regenerative powers, swiftly drained away through an arcane secret channel within the Death Nest.

Distant, dim stars and the praying alien races erupted in jubilation, singing praises to the true god.

For the ominous presence that heralded death and destruction had vanished without a trace.

"Back on the Origin Blood Continent, Munch from the Blood Devil Clan mentioned something about the Secular Bird being resurrected through her?"

Yu Yiyi set aside the ice shard she was holding, which transformed into the visage of the Ice Concubine, resembling a frosty goddess. "Can you tell if what Munch said was truth or fiction?"

"The Secular Bird..."

The Ice Concubine uttered the name through chattering teeth, her gaze filled with a mix of hatred and fear as she watched the Luan Bird Queen slowly revert to her human form. "I don't know. But I did sense the purest essence of destruction and death earlier. And Munch is not one to speak idly."

Upon hearing this, everyone's faces registered profound concern.

The legend of the Secular Bird was inextricably linked with destruction and death. This primordial harbinger of doom, born from the initial chaos, was the bane of all life.

The mere mention of her evoked thoughts of obliteration and the withering of all existence.

Should the Death Bird truly be on the brink of resurrection from within Chen Qinghuang, manifesting anew in the vast cosmos, the races that had exhausted every effort to vanquish her a hundred millennia ago would surely be aghast.

Yu Yuan watched the Luan Bird Queen in silence, aware that her use of the Dragon Slash Platform to shatter the barrier of the Origin Blood Continent must have drained her of every ounce of her known and unknown strength.

She was so weakened that she had collapsed into a comatose slumber.

"Stop speculating wildly," Yu Yuan chided with a frown and a snort, admonishing Yu Yiyi, "Without her, we'd likely be dead on the Origin Blood Continent. No matter if the Luan Bird resurrects from within her or not, we must ensure her survival."

"Master, you've misunderstood. My hope is that she won't be overtaken by the Luan Bird," Yu Yiyi clarified hastily.

"The Blood Devil Clan won't cease their pursuit of us," Tan Junshan stated with composed certainty. "The Great Demon God Grec will certainly be aware of her current vulnerability. It won't be long before the Blood Devil Clan's elites are mobilized against us."

Yu Yiyi nodded in agreement, adding, "We need to leave this Starfield as quickly as possible!"

"For now, let's put other concerns aside. Mr. Tan, you're most familiar with the territories beyond; I'd be grateful for your guidance," Yu Yuan requested respectfully.

With a mere thought, the Dragon Slash Platform, previously expanded a millionfold, transformed back into a slender, gray-white stone and settled in the palm of his hand.

The Dragon Slash Platform, in its full glory, was far too conspicuous, easily attracting the attention of the Blood Devil Clan. Thus, he had to swiftly revert it to its normal state.

Turning back, he gazed at the hazy, blood-red continent, gauging the distance.

"Chen Qinghuang's essence, having harnessed the Dragon Slash Platform's unique abilities, propelled us even further after breaching the Origin Blood Continent's realm," Tan Junshan mused, eyes narrowed as he attuned himself to their surroundings. "The Origin Blood Continent remains a considerable distance from us. Unless something unexpected happens, the Blood Devil Clan has likely already given chase and is now searching for signs of our presence."

Yu Yuan and the others awaited his decision.

Having roamed the Outland Star River for years and lived amongst various alien worlds, Tan Junshan's experiences were vast, his knowledge profound. Yu Yuan trusted his judgment.

From the direction of the blood-red continent, a visible streak of blood-light hurtled towards them, demanding their immediate attention.

"It's coming."

Tan Junshan frowned, unsurprised.

After a brief hesitation, he said, "I'm aware of a secluded Galaxy Crossing not too far from the Origin Blood Continent. It's rarely visited because of the numerous Outland Devaputra in the vicinity, all fiercely loyal to the Great Demon God Grec, making it quite perilous."

"Galaxy Crossing?" Yu Yiyi gasped, pausing to think. "Could it be the late Ginkou Crossing?"

"You're familiar with it?" Tan Junshan asked, astonished.

"The Ginkou Crossing has been under the tight control of the Red Devil Sect since its inception. The three great upper sects, along with the Demon Palace, occasionally make use of that crossing." Yu Yiyi looked concerned. "If we head to the Ginkou Crossing, we might run into individuals from the five great supreme forces."

"The old elephant is dead, the Mighty Spirit King is dead, and many from the Demon Palace... we can't disentangle ourselves from this."

She harbored a profound animosity towards the five great supreme forces of the Boundless Land, knowing that the previous master was annihilated by the three great upper sects with the tacit approval of the Demon Palace.

Furthermore, upon the awakening of her ancient memories and realizing she was once part of the Divine Soul Sect, her disdain for those factions deepened.

The Ginkou Crossing, under the Red Devil Sect's domain, was frequently utilized by the Demon Palace's powerhouses.

Wasn't heading there akin to seeking one's own demise?

"Let's heed Mr. Tan's advice," Yu Yuan declared.

No sooner had he spoken than the Death Nest where everyone was located transformed into streams of gray-white light, converging towards the center and gradually vanishing.

The Luan Bird Queen's presence faded into the void, where she hovered motionless.

Yu Yuan pondered for a moment, then released the Dragon Slash Platform, supporting the faint and delicate form of Chen Qinghuang, "We'll head to the Ginkou Crossing!"

"Come with me."

Tan Junshan, standing on a crescent moon, gestured for the group, previously in the Death Nest, to join him on his artifact. "Rest up. This won't be easy. Now that we've been discovered, every foreign race in the Starfield allied with the Blood Devil Clan will be out to stop us."

"Grec, Munch, and the other tribal elders are swiftly approaching as well."

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