C1171
Chen Qinghuang lay ice-cold upon the Dragon Slaying Stage, its surface as smooth as polished jade. Her exquisite visage, capable of enchanting all creatures, was a flawless work of art, painstakingly sculpted by the gods themselves, meeting the aesthetic ideals of every being. Whether it was the men of the human race, the valiant males of the extraterrestrial tribes, archdemons, or alien beasts, anyone who beheld her face would instinctively recognize her extraordinary beauty.
It was perhaps for this reason that she seldom revealed her true appearance, often opting to wear a crown with a cascading bead curtain instead. At this moment, sensing danger, her normally steady breathing became slightly erratic.
"In my presence, you've done no wrong," Yu Yuan said softly, gazing down at her with tender eyes.
Suddenly, Yu Yuan felt a strong connection to Chen Qinghuang. Reflecting on their shared experiences, he grew increasingly certain of the profound destiny they shared.
"In this life, you haven't disappointed me, and I cannot stand by and watch you die," Yu Yuan whispered to himself.
A mysterious, twinkling light burst forth from the Dragon Slaying Stage beneath Chen Qinghuang, densely packed as if revealing two enigmatic little worlds within.
Yu Yuan's left index finger gently pressed against the acupoint on his forehead, and he slowly closed his eyes.
Yu Yiyi's mind thundered as if she were hearing a faint murmur from the past. As the artifact soul of the Crucible of Evil, her delicate and beautiful demonform shuddered violently.
"Master..." she murmured, stepping behind Yu Yuan and kneeling on one knee, just as she had done before.
"When we were in Ionodios, you refused to awaken. On the Primal Blood Continent, you were indecisive. And now, for the Songbird Queen, you're willing to awaken your former self?" Yu Yiyi's shoulders shook as she shook her head, her spirit too shocked to comprehend.
She couldn't fathom why Yu Yuan would abandon his reason and embrace an aspect of himself he had long resisted, all for Chen Qinghuang, with whom he wasn't even particularly close.
"Don't awaken that part of you. I implore you, I'd much prefer to see the vast expanse of the extraterrestrial world with you as you are now."
She whispered to herself, confident that Yu Yuan could hear and feel everything.
Yet, Yu Yuan paid her no heed.
Tan Junshan and Yu Zhu, amidst the slowly closing crescent moon, were unaware of what was transpiring, their expressions marked by astonishment.
Rip! Rip!
Space rifts, one after another, mysteriously tore open near the crescent moon.
These rifts, unlike the common ones found in the Domain, exuded a chaotic and mysterious psionic power. This caused Quealy, a Blood Fiend who was nearby one of the rifts, to undergo a miraculous transformation.
Quealy observed the fissure, now aglow with swirling fireflies, and tentatively reached out with his devil soul.
Then, he was engulfed by the surging time magic.
This elder of the Blood Fiend, who had lived for over three thousand years, felt his power ebbing away. The vital energy he had honed for the last eight hundred years was inexplicably draining from him.
He grew much younger, his vitality surging, yet his bloodline level plummeted to the eighth level!
Eight hundred years of arduous cultivation vanished in a moment, leaving Quealy terrified.
Rip!
A bizarre spatial rift appeared where the Warpbeast had settled. Those Warpbeasts, long since corrupted by the Filthy Psionic Power, with their souls and bodies compromised, began to show a glimmer of awareness in their eyes.
For a brief moment, they seemed to revert to a time before the corruption, gazing around in confusion.
Crack!
The contracting crescent moon came to an abrupt halt, its radiant moon energy ceasing to converge.
The elongated Dragon Slaying Stage shone resplendently as if ignited by Yu Yuan's mere touch.
His eyes remained closed, his other hand's fingertip pressed against his brow.
Beneath his fingertip, it was as if a third eye was emerging!
Time stood still, and space appeared to crystallize.
Beyond Yu Yuan, the very fabric of time, space, and the rules governing all within the vast expanse of the Astral Domain surrounding the Dragon Slaying Stage were upended and shattered.
After a moment, he removed his finger from his brow.
A colossal phantom, shrunk by billions, resided at his forehead, seemingly nestled in the deepest recesses of his soul. Through the use of time magic, it observed the outside world with an indifferent gaze.
Yu Yuan, with his eyes tightly shut as if a third eye had opened, cradled Chen Qinghuang in one arm while his other hand lightly grasped the Dragon Slaying Stage.
He stepped off the halted crescent moon, strolling through the void before halting before Tan Junshan. The curious wraith at his brow seemed to peer intently at Tan Junshan.
Tan Junshan, who had reached the late Unbound Stage and was expected to inherit a divine position in the future, stood as immovable as a boulder.
He wished to move but found himself paralyzed.
His vitality, spiritual energy, and consciousness were all sealed. Within his sea of consciousness, his soul could only dimly perceive a towering, terrifying phantom.
This phantom nearly suffocated him, causing his three souls to quiver.
After a brief glance, Yu Yuan withdrew his gaze and, with the elongated Dragon Slaying Stage, lightly tapped Quealy of the Blood Fiend clan.
Quealy shattered like a porcelain vase hitting the ground, breaking into innumerable fragments.
The flesh and blood remained suspended in place, not a single piece falling.
Adler, as imposing as a mountain, and Mitts, ethereal as a deity, were frozen in their stances, motionless, their devil souls unable to stir.
Their thoughts and consciousness were locked in the icy grip of time's power.
Hiss! Hiss! Hiss!
From the shadows behind Adler and Mitts, strange noises emanated from the depths. It sounded as though something was fiercely clawing and gnawing at the time-space wall, desperately trying to force its way from some Otherworld into this realm, to shatter the eerie stillness enforced by the union of time and space.
Alas, it never succeeded.
The miniature phantom in Yu Yuan's brow watched the dark expanse with a hint of amusement, patiently waiting for a while.
Yet, the entity from beyond could not fulfill its desire to enter.
Puff! Puff! Puff!
Beyond Adler and Mitts, the Frostfiend, the Crypt Clan members overtaken by the Blood Fiend, and the mutated Warpbeasts...
A contingent of Sky Fiends, soon to arrive from a thousand miles away, was transformed into blood mist and ashes. The mist, after erupting into a bizarre stillness, hung in the air ominously.
Yu Yuan, finding no oddity, grew bored. He lightly gripped the Dragon Slaying Stage, directing it toward a space rift. Inside, the elements stirred, aligning with his will to change the pathway's direction and coordinates.
Soon, a radiant Astral Domain, adorned with sun and moon, began to emerge. The domain gradually came into focus, pinpointing a dark yellow star and magically bridging it with their location.
He paused, turning to glance at Yu Yiyi, who knelt with her head bowed in submission, his face betraying a mix of emotions.
With a heavy sigh, he remained silent. Cradling Chen Qinghuang in one arm and holding the Dragon Slaying Stage in the other, he stepped into the space rift with unruffled composure, leaving Yu Yiyi and Yu Zhu behind.
As Yu Yuan entered the rift, the aura emanating from the Dragon Slaying Stage began to retract. Once he vanished, the rift healed rapidly, and the rules of the Astral Domain, along with the fragmented Way of Heaven, seemed to be pieced back together.
Tan Junshan was the first to emerge from the Chronospatial Lock, his face etched with astonishment. Following him, Yu Zhu, Yu Yiyi, Adler, and Mitts regained consciousness, exchanging bewildered glances, clueless about the events that had transpired.
With a swoosh, Quealy's remains plummeted downward, his own space magic annihilating his Bloodwraith and heart, thus ending any chance of his revival.
"Where is Yu Yuan?" "And the Songbird Queen?" In a panic, the Demon Gods Adler and Mitts scanned their surroundings, their cries piercing the air as they realized the disappearance of Yu Yuan and Chen Qinghuang.
"All the Sky Fiends loyal to Grec are dead," Yu Zhu stated blankly.
As the Crucible of Evil floated nearby, reawakening the Bane, Yu Yiyi, the artifact soul, began to weep softly. Through her tears, she whispered to herself, "Have you truly forsaken me?"
Tan Junshan and Yu Zhu, two explorers of the extraterrestrial, discovered a space rift that led them to Quealy, a being who had mastered the art of time magic. Quealy, a Blood Fiend from the Blood Fiend clan, possessed psionic power that could manipulate the very fabric of the Domain.
