C1165 The Storm

The Kobran was a world riddled with holes.

The wall of the realm was torn asunder, and the landscape, once filled with the caves of the Crypt Clan, was now desolate due to the Ruby Hand's invasion. The Crypt Clan, who had lived deep within the Domain's earth, had once thrived in six subterranean cities.

Now, in an underground city formerly bustling with the Crypt Clan, a home blanketed in dust and cobwebs suddenly glowed with a bright light from an old well.

An unusual spatial disturbance emerged abruptly from the well.

After a moment, the disturbance steadied, and the cultivators of the Ruby Hand, led by Zhang Guanyu, emerged one by one from the well.

Zhou Cangmin, Zhan Ruonan, and Sun Jun were among them.

Zhang Guanyu, at the middle period of the Unbound Stage, swiftly produced a flag from his sleeve and planted it beside the well, concealing the vital signs and soul movements of the group. He spoke gravely, "Kobran is perilously close to the Dark Star. We must proceed with utmost caution."

"What madness has overtaken the Devil Palace and Shadow's Keep?" Zhan Ruonan asked, her brow furrowed as she gazed at the grayish-brown rock wall a hundred meters above, inhaling the musty, decayed air. "Our Ruby Hand hasn't used the Starway in Kobran for many years."

Sun Jun, ever composed, remained silent but cast an inquisitive look towards Zhou Cangmin.

Zhou Cangmin, renowned for his exceptional wisdom and designated as a Hellbreed, had not yet reached the Unbound Realm. Sun Jun trusted that Zhou Cangmin's presence signified a matter of great importance.

"It's not just us," Zhou Cangmin said, his usual smile absent, his expression grave. "The Devil Palace, Shadow's Keep, and the three upper sects—all those who can spare the warriors and archdemons—are converging here via the Kobran Crossing."

"Ah!?" exclaimed several Divine Level cultivators from the Ruby Hand, aside from Zhan Ruonan.

"What's happening?" Zhan Ruonan inquired earnestly.

"Something big has happened."

Zhang Guanyu spoke with a heavy sigh, "The Golden Elephant God has perished, and the King of Wraiths from the Devil Palace has been confirmed dead. Zhu Zhenlin, that worthless fellow, his painstakingly refined Solar Spirit Body is likely shattered as well. Mo Yan's Solar Spirit has sensed something in the Everlands. Unfortunately, he's too weak to clarify the situation."

"Lord Golden Elephant, the King of Wraiths, and the Solar Spirit have all fallen?"

Aside from Zhou Cangmin, who was already privy to the situation, the cultivators of the Ruby Hand present were visibly shaken.

Sun Jun inhaled deeply, understanding why the Starway to Kobran needed to be opened and why the Devil Palace and Shadow's Keep were mobilizing in force.

"Their place of death is within the Dark Star Region, ruled by the Blood Fiend Clan, more specifically, on their birthplace—the Primal Blood Continent," Zhang Guanyu stated grimly. "Untamed has informed Shadow's Keep that Boulderdawn's three God-Kings have slain the Demon God Grec in the Annihilation Nebula."

"In light of this, the mysterious deaths of the Golden Elephant God, the King of Wraiths, and numerous strong figures from the Devil Palace and Shadow's Keep on the Primal Blood Continent certainly suggest foul play."

"The quickest route into the Dark Star Domain is through our covertly established Kobran Crossing. So..."

Zhang Guanyu left his sentence hanging.

All the Ruby Hand cultivators felt an impending sense of a storm brewing, as if they could already envision the cultivators from the Devil Palace, Shadow's Keep, and various sects from across the Everlands and Domains converging on Kobran Crossing to enter Kobran.

"With the Golden Elephant gone, Shadow's Keep won't rest," Zhou Cangmin murmured. "It's rumored that the Kylin has departed from Shadow's Keep."

"Kylin!"

"The Shadow's Keep is stirring greatly this time!"

"A tempest of blood and carnage is set to engulf the Dark Star Domain, inevitably unleashed by the death of Lord Golden Elephant."

Upon learning that the Kylin, second only to the Dark Phoenix within Shadow's Keep, might venture into the Dark Star Domain, the Ruby Hand cultivators immediately realized a brutal war was imminent in the Astral Domain dominated by the Blood Fiend Clan.

It was destined to be a vicious fight.

The Blood Fiend Clan had risen to become the second most powerful group among the Star-Spawned Terrors, following the emergence of the formidable Demon God Grec. Countless Sky Fiends revered Grec, with many others looking to him for leadership.

Grec's influence and resources were surpassed only by the chieftain of the Sky Fiends.

Should the mighty from the Everlands launch an invasion into the Dark Star Domain, it would likely provoke the wrath of the Star-Spawned Terrors. Those aligned with Grec might also swarm into the region in a frenzy.

Such a conflict would surely be a catastrophic war that would reverberate across the Star River.

"Let's not dwell on that too much. Our focus should be on guarding the Kobran Crossing and ensuring that the Starway is ready for use at any moment before their arrival," Zhou Cangmin said with a reassuring smile.

...

Beneath the red moon.

A dim crescent moon raced through the dark, icy expanse of the Star River, covering millions of miles in a single breath.

Yu Yuan lifted his finger from the forehead of the slumbering Chen Qinghuang, his brow furrowed in concern. "It's odd; her Mindscape is pure chaos. Her soul seems to have departed from her mind, seeking refuge in the Profound Gate acupoint within her chest. Yet, the Profound Gate is sealed shut, and I can't detect the slightest trace."

"I'm also worried that the secular bird might attempt to resurrect itself through her," Tan Junshan expressed, his anxiety palpable.

Yu Yiyi and Yu Zhu's expressions grew stern.

"I dare not forcefully disrupt her vitality's little world, for fear of causing further injury and risking that she may never awaken," Yu Yuan deliberated before concluding, "Let it be, I no longer harbor hopes of aiding her early recovery."

With those words, his Soul Echo began to operate independently.

Whoosh!

His ethereal Lunar Spirit silently reached the resting place of the Chronowyrm, observing the juvenile Titan Spinosaurus still drawing in the crystalline glow from the dragon's remains, assimilating it into its own skeletal form.

The skeletal structure was beginning to form, yet the dragon tendons and flesh still needed refining.

The young creature's soul appeared to be rapidly maturing. Sensing the emergence of my Lunar Spirit, it conveyed waves of joy and gratitude, showing a fondness for me.

With a shake of his head, Yu Yuan was overwhelmed by mixed emotions.

Yu Yiyi's behavior led him to the realization that in his first life, he was likely the dragon slayer, the refiner of the Dragon Slaying Stage, and its rightful master.

He had led the charge alongside the human race's mightiest warriors, collaborating with the Dark Deities of Shadow's Keep to decimate the noblest of the Nagas in the Everlands.

The millennia of Naga glory were nearly obliterated by his hand, leaving the Dragon Slaying Stage atop the dragon vein to suppress the Naga's destiny, ensuring that no tenth-level Dragon God could emerge in this era.

The Nagas, born of the Titan Spinosaurus, and this one was a descendant of that very creature.

"I wonder if saving and nurturing you is akin to harboring a future threat."

He murmured to himself, preparing to withdraw his Lunar Spirit, when the young beast, already resembling a dragon in form, emitted a soul ripple he could understand.

Yu Yuan's Lunar Spirit quivered, and it took him a considerable time to finally leave the Dragon Slaying Stage.

"Yu, you look rather troubled," Tan Junshan observed.

Yu Yuan, reconnected with his Lunar Spirit, glanced at the red moon and began, "Its light reveals all, no one can hide from the scrutiny of the Root of the Solar Meridian. Within it lies the power of the Root of the Solar Meridian, making the red moon akin to its watchful eye."

"I now understand why the Blood Fiend pinpointed our location so precisely!" Tan Junshan exclaimed, smacking his leg in frustration. "I attempted to use the Moon Magic I've mastered to influence the moon, and nearly suffered a backlash. Damn, my actions have only made us more conspicuous!"

"Furthermore..."

Yu Yuan's gaze softened as he looked down at the slumbering Chen Qinghuang, "There's no need for concern. The secular bird isn't seeking resurrection through her. She is the secular bird's miraculous creation, born anew to thrive in the modern age. The secular bird's third Rebirth Nest has always been within the Everlands, for it seeks to be reborn in human form, which is why she exists."

"What?"

"She is the secular bird?"

"The next generation secular bird?!"

Tan Junshan, Yu Zhu, and Yu Yiyi exclaimed in unison.

Yu Yuan nodded solemnly and explained, "Upon her next awakening, the three profound Ways bequeathed by the secular bird will have truly merged into one. Then, she might become a primordial spirit or a Dark Deity. Her Path to Godhood will be able to utterly disregard the laws of the Everlands, surely transcending the scope of the thirteen divine thrones within it."