C1167 The Dark Star

In a realm shaped like a whirlpool, fragmented continents floated in the air. Among them, a large landmass was home to a dark, mirror-like lake, riddled with numerous fissures. The lake's surface was eerily still, and from the torn gaps, a peculiar spatial luminescence seeped out.

Beneath the waters lay numerous Shura corpses and the devil souls of Sky Fiends. This place was known as Hellmouth, and the lake served as the Domain Channel leading to the Moonfall Sanctuary. It had been sealed off due to the havoc wrought by Grec and the Blood King.

Cultivators skilled in space magic, extraterrestrial warriors, and Voidweavers frequented the channel below the lake's surface. They seemed to be acting under orders, employing their mystiques to purge the channel of impurities and reweave the concealed spatial threads.

The Shura and Sky Fiends that once occupied this area had vanished without a trace. A floating meteorite, starkly different from Hellmouth, glowed with a cold, moon-like radiance. Yan Qiling was the sole occupant.

He stood at the meteorite's edge, peering into the channel that connected to the Moonfall Sanctuary. Periodically, he sent forth strands of Soul Echo, directing the diligent people and Otherkin below.

Suddenly, a rider from the Skyreach Consortium arrived, alighting gracefully upon the ground.

"Mr. Zhou."

"Mr. Yan."

The two exchanged pleasantries.

"Did President Lyi send you to assist me?" Yan Qiling inquired with a weary smile. "The Domain Channel suffered greatly at the hands of Grec and Blood King Sabonis. Despite summoning numerous space magic adepts with the aid of Boulderdawn, we've yet to fully clear it."

"You've misunderstood. I'm not here to lend a hand," Zhou You replied with a bitter expression, sighing deeply before continuing. "Grec, after all, has managed to resurrect on the Primal Blood Continent. Despite our careful planning, he's left behind the body of his prime as a Blood Fiend and a well of devil blood."

Yan Qiling, aware of the conflict in the Annihilation Nebula, nodded in acknowledgment. "Wasn't the Blood King severely wounded and forced to retreat to the Dark Realm? He won't dare to leave the Dark Realm anytime soon. Grec's return to his former glory is not something that can happen overnight."

"Don't lose heart. We can accept this outcome. After all, what Boulderdawn truly desires is Grec's Demon Blood, and with the Altar of Rebirth inherent in his being, we aim to hatch the young Titan Spinosaurus."

Yan Qiling was rather nonchalant, even finding the spirit to console Zhou You.

"This mission of mine involves establishing the Skyreach Consortium's extraterrestrial branch within the Hellmouth. Additionally..."

Zhou You's demeanor grew increasingly grave. "I'm here to inform you that the third nest of the secular bird you've been tirelessly seeking isn't beyond the Star River, but rather within the Everlands. The Rebirth Nest has resurfaced in the Sunfeather Glade and was taken by Zu Ann into the Land of Terror, where it's guarded by the God of Ghosts, White Bone."

He succinctly relayed the significant events that had transpired in the Everlands to Yan Qiling.

Yan Qiling listened, visibly taken aback.

After some time, he collected his thoughts and spoke with a mix of emotions, "Based on Zu Ann and the Untamed's assessment, is the Songbird Queen the secular bird reborn?"

Zhou You confirmed with a nod.

"Did Yu Yuan accompany her to Zagreus to seek advancement to a Solar Spirit and then vanish?" Yan Qiling pressed further.

Another nod from Zhou You.

"The Golden Elephant God and the King of Wraiths, they perished on the Primal Blood Continent?" Yan Qiling exclaimed.

"Yes."

"Yu Yuan and the Songbird Queen must be in the Blood Fiend's Dark Star Region! In the Primal Blood Continent, during the resurrection of the Demon God Grec and the demise of the Golden Elephant God and King of Wraiths, Yu Yuan must have been there too!" Yan Qiling declared with certainty.

"How can you connect these two unrelated groups, each in different Astral Domains?" Zhou You asked, bewildered.

"Because Yu Yuan is known as the God of Plagues. Wherever he is, chaos and destruction follow," Yan Qiling replied cryptically. "Believe me, Yu Yuan, Chen Qinghuang, and others are all in the Dark Star."

Zhou You was taken aback. "There's more news I withheld, thinking it irrelevant to us. The Kobran Crossing, previously established by the Ruby Hand, has been reactivated. The elites from the three upper sects, along with those from the Devil Palace and Shadow's Keep, have been summoned and are converging on the Crossing. Rumor has it, even the Kylin has been stirred."

Yan Qiling's face paled with shock. "Is it because the Golden Elephant God has died?"

"Yes," Zhou You confirmed with a nod. "Shadow's Keep won't let the old elephant's death be in vain. His demise is a disgrace to them, and they'll make sure the Blood Fiend understand the steep price they'll pay."

"You must quickly get a message to President Lyi. Have him inform the Boulderdawn that both the secular bird and Yu Yuan are in the Dark Star Region! It's highly likely that the Blood Fiend are still on their trail," Yan Qiling urged with urgency.

"Whether your words are true or not, I'll relay the message at once," Zhou You responded, not daring to waste a moment. After a brief pause, he hurried off.

...

In the Dark Star Region, Tan Junshan stood suspended in the air like a fantastical moon. With the release of his Divine Visage, the moon energy he scattered transformed dozens of Warpbeasts into clouds of bloody mist.

Only Yu Yuan and Yu Yiyi remained vigilant, guarding the Dragon Slaying Stage.

Atop the stage lay the Songbird Queen, still unconscious.

Yu Zhu, shrouded in thick, toxic smoke, sent thousands of blood-colored spider threads flying from the smoke, relentlessly dragging Warpbeasts and Crypt Clan members possessed by the Blood Fiend into its depths.

The chilling sounds of flesh dissolving and anguished screams emanated from within the smoke.

Any being dragged into the smoke by her, possessed or not, could not escape the grim fate of being devoured and stripped of all vital energy.

"She's gained a resurrected blood crystal from Grec, and the benefits are immense," Yu Yiyi observed with astonishment. "The finesse of her blood essence, combined with the spider silk she's crafted and the Bloodforging technique, is truly formidable."

"Let's search and find where the ninth level Elder of the Blood Fiend is hiding," Yu Yuan instructed.

The Baneblade, Bloodhell, and the Crucible of Evil continued their slaughter among the Warpbeasts, preying on the weaker ones.

These two malevolent artifacts proved to be particularly effective against the Warpbeasts and the Crypt Clan members overtaken by the Blood Fiend.

Despite the multitude of Warpbeasts, none were a match for Tan Junshan's might.

Thus, Yu Yuan remained unconcerned about any hidden ninth level Blood Fiend revealing themselves.

"Yu Yuan, don't linger here too long!"

Tan Junshan's voice emanated from the enigmatic Divine Visage, "These Warpbeasts and possessed Blood Fiends are merely here to delay us. There's also a chance they were sent to be slaughtered by us, fueling the Crucible of Evil."

Yu Yiyi's face paled as she whispered, "That's a possibility!"

"Keep in mind our true objective," Tan Junshan cautioned.

He didn't specify "Kobran Crossing," but Yu Yuan clearly understood that after departing the Primal Blood Continent, their destination was precisely that—to escape the clutches of the Blood Fiend's control in the Dark Star Region.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

A legion of Star-Spawned Terrors, distinctly different from the Blood Fiends, emerged without warning in a shadowy domain thousands of miles away. They surged forward with the grandeur of celestial warriors.

These Sky Fiends had mostly cultivated bizarre demonforms, unlike the natural shells of the Blood Fiend.

Their demonform eyes glowed a faint purple, like twin orbs of dark fire.

The energy they exuded and the stirrings of their devil souls revealed their kinship.

The new Sky Fiends, devoid of the scent of flesh and blood, made a beeline for the area shrouded in Yu Zhu's toxic smog.

Rip!

Blood-colored spider silk shot from Yu Zhu's body as if being shredded.

"Go save Yu Zhu!"

Tan Junshan's peculiar Divine Visage seemed to recognize the origins of this band of Sky Fiends, aware that they feared neither the toxic assault nor the myriad of blood magic.

"You guard her!"

Yu Yuan solemnly instructed Yu Yiyi to recall the Crucible of Evil, ensuring Chen Qinghuang's safety. He himself, gripping only the scabbard of the Titanblade, vanished in a flash toward the thick miasma.

He sensed that the demonforms of the newly arrived Sky Fiends lacked any trace of flesh and blood.

Their demonforms were mere armor to shield the devil soul.

This was the most archaic manifestation of the Star-Spawned Terrors, their most fundamental and pure form of combat.

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