C1172 Separate Ways

The crescent blade contracted and nestled into Tan Junshan's palm.

He paused, then his Yin God soared from his third eye into the crescent, which fluttered like a luminous butterfly towards the Gloom Star River.

With the crescent's amplification, Tan Junshan's soul consciousness began to unfurl, capturing a myriad of disordered remnants. The Devil Souls that had perished in the blink of an eye, the cascading lights of the cauldron soul, droplets of extraordinary blood, and the lingering thoughts and consciousness within—all were known to Tan Junshan.

Yet, he found no sign of Yu Yuan.

Not even the faintest whiff of Yu Yuan's essence could be detected.

"What exactly is happening?"

After some time, Tan Junshan, empty-handed and with a grave look, turned to Yu Yiyi, who was softly weeping with her head bowed. "You are the cauldron soul of the Evil Cauldron, connected with him in spirit. You must know the truth!"

Yu Yiyi continued to shake her head, weeping gently.

Yu Zhu stood amidst the sparse toxic mist, reaching out with her soul bond to Yu Yuan, calling out in secrecy with no reply.

Her acute sense of smell and unique lineage cast a vast, invisible net, extending silently in all directions, yet she found not a trace of Yu Yuan.

Her heart felt hollow, clueless about what had transpired or who might have visited.

"Quealy is dead, and all who obeyed Grick's Devaputra—Blood Slaves and puppets—were annihilated in an instant," Adler, towering like a mountain in the cosmos, mused, his mind brimming with questions. "Could it be that a Divine King from the Divine Soul Sect secretly infiltrated and took him away?"

Tan Junshan was about to speak but then lapsed into silence.

He wanted to suggest that Yu Yuan himself might be behind all this, but the idea seemed too far-fetched.

Quealy of the Blood Devil Clan, with his Ninth Level bloodline and mastery of the secret arts, was notoriously difficult to kill.

Yet Quealy was slain in a second, and the Blood Devil's enslaved puppets and mutated monsters were reduced to ash just as swiftly.

Yu Yuan couldn't possibly possess such strength!

"Could it be the Qilin from the Demon Palace?"

Mitts of the Internal Demon Clan casually picked up an ancient tome at her feet, and black magical runes suddenly emerged.

Running her finger over the runes, she said, "We've received word that the Demon Palace, Devil Palace, and many practitioners from the top five supreme forces will venture into the Dim Starfield."

"The Qilin is expected to arrive at the Demon Palace to lead the charge in this conflict."

While speaking, Mitts glanced around as the books at her feet, inscribed with ancient magical runes, silently aligned themselves, unleashing a massive tide of demonic energy.

It seemed she was trying to detect any residual aura of the Demon God Qilin to confirm its presence.

Abruptly, a shadowy figure materialized in the deep darkness behind Adler and Mitts.

Startled, Adler and Mitts spun around and bowed respectfully, exclaiming, "Great Shaman!"

Tan Junshan's eyes sparkled, and he turned to look, saying, "I nearly forgot you were here, Elder Reid. You must know what's happened, right?"

As a prominent human cultivator, he was less formal than Adler and Mitts, addressing Reid directly by name.

"I couldn't penetrate the Space-time Ban to discern the truth," the Great Shaman Reid of the Outland Devaputra Race declared in the flawless tongue of the Boundless Human Race. "What I sensed was the power of the long-deceased Space-time Dragon. It's as though the Tenth Level Dragon God has made an unexpected return to our realm."

"The Space-time Dragon?!" Tan Junshan exclaimed in astonishment.

"Yes, the very Space-time Dragon known for burrowing and excelling at evasion," Reid said with a tone laden with disdain. "It was his power that carved out a temporary passage through the Realm, allowing Yu Yuan and the Luan Bird Queen to vanish within it."

Upon hearing this, Yu Zhu ceased her attempts to sense further.

If the Great Shaman Reid of the Outland Devaputra had stated that Yu Yuan and the Luan Bird Queen had departed through a Realm passage, then they were no longer in the Dim Starfield, rendering any further search futile.

"High Priest, what is our next course of action?"

Mitts stood with her head bowed, arms crossed over her chest, her brow furrowed in concern as she awaited orders.

"Let's evacuate the Dim Starfield for the time being, and we need to do so quickly," Reid mused before advising, "Tan Junshan, you'd be wise to head to the Delude Devil Abyss. The realm passageway there, thanks to Yan Qiling of the Divine Soul Sect, will soon be operational again. The Qilin, along with the mightiest from both the Demon Palace and the Devil Palace, are on the verge of entering this Starfield."

The High Priest Reid, concealed in the shadows with his whereabouts unknown, fell silent thereafter.

Mitts and Adler exchanged a knowing look before stepping into the shadowy depths in Tan Junshan's presence. The darkness gradually contracted and finally coalesced into a tiny black point before vanishing abruptly.

Yu Yiyi stood inside the Evil Cauldron, appearing utterly forlorn and disinterested in her surroundings.

The remnants of the Blood Demon, the Polar Devaputra, and the mutated monsters were naturally drawn into the cauldron, but she remained apathetic, offering no guidance whatsoever.

She was acutely aware of the recent events.

Her tears were for the profound loss of her dearly beloved and recognized master, who might never return.

And the one who had awakened had left without her, leaving her behind.

She felt a deep sense of abandonment, as if discarded by two masters, even though they were, in essence, the same person. Accustomed to heeding Yu Yuan's commands and guidance, she had always been by his side, dutiful and compliant. But now, with Yu Yuan missing, she, as the cauldron soul of the Evil Cauldron, was suddenly directionless, unsure of her future. The overwhelming void and sorrow nearly consumed her.

"We can no longer consider going to the Delong Pass," Tan Junshan declared, quickly regaining his composure. He frowned and continued, "Reid doesn't speak without reason. If the Demon Palace and Devil Palace are indeed converging there, they must be targeting the Delong Pass. I, along with the Silver Moon Sect I represent, are no longer affiliated with them. It's best to avoid meeting them."

"I've decided to remain in the Dim Starfield," Yu Zhu interjected unexpectedly.

Tan Junshan was taken aback. "Why?"

"Have you forgotten? I am a member of the Demon Palace," Yu Zhu reminded him, her thoughts drifting to the haunting memory of her mother's demise at the hands of the Demon Palace's highest authority.

Yu Yuan was her constant companion. She would always be by his side. Now that Yu Yuan had vanished, she was left to devise her own strategies and plans.

"I need time to erode Grec's blood crystal and fully assimilate it," Yu Zhu stated with an icy demeanor, not sparing a glance for Yu Yiyi or engaging in further conversation with Tan Junshan. She continued her flight toward the Fallen Realm, the location she had recently learned about.

She was aware that it wouldn't be long before she encountered the formidable demons of the Demon Palace.

"What about you? Will you leave with me, or do you have another destination in mind?" Tan Junshan asked Yu Yiyi, his gaze filled with a sense of resignation. "You stand in for Yu Yuan. In the Dim Starfield, facing the might of the Upper Sect, the Demon Palace, and other powerful entities, you're bound to run into trouble."

"Please help me find him," Yu Yiyi implored earnestly.

"The Divine Soul Sect and the Babel Chamber of Commerce will scour the world for him," Tan Junshan said with a gentle sigh. "He'd be better off staying hidden, as no one wants to witness the return of the Secular Bird. Join me, and together we'll seek out the members of the Divine Soul Sect."

"It seems that's our only option," Yu Yiyi agreed with a nod.

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