C1174
Atop a shattered mountain peak on the Primal Blood Continent, the resurrected Demon God Grec reclaimed his past splendor. His face, obscured by a dense beard and crowned with short, blood-red hair, exuded a sense of indomitable fortitude and an unyielding spirit.
Munch, Affo, and other ninth-level elders of the Blood Fiend clan, along with Divine Level Demon Gods from the Frostfiend and other races, all convened around him.
"Quealy is dead," Grec announced, dropping a bombshell that left all the Sky Fiend experts in attendance stunned.
"Quealy was a master of space magic, even holding his own against an elder of the Voidweavers," Affo interjected. "According to the intelligence we've gathered, the cultivators and archdemons of the Devil Palace, Shadow's Keep, and other supreme forces of the Everlands are secretly arriving in the Dark Star Region through unknown Starways."
This revelation caused a stir among the many Sky Fiends present. The Five Great Supreme Forces of the Everlands seldom launched large-scale invasions into a Star River, not because of their numbers, but because their ranks were composed entirely of elite forces. Their advantage could not be fully leveraged within a fixed Astral Domain.
"The old elephant from Shadow's Keep met its end on the Primal Blood Continent, as did the King of Wraiths from the Devil Palace," Grec continued, his demeanor unflappable, his smile warm. "We'll meet force with force and earth with flood. Since they wish to wage war in the Dark Star Region, I shall oblige. All you need to do is ensure your clan members are brought near the Primal Blood Continent or directly here."
"Even though I haven't regained the full might of a Great Demon God, as long as the battle is on or near the Primal Blood Continent, I can hold my own against the Kylin itself. And if this war drags on until I've fully recovered, the Kylin won't stand a chance of gaining the slightest advantage!"
With these words, a drop of lifeblood, shimmering like red agate, emerged in the palm of Grec's hand. A strand of his devil soul entered it, embarking on a Spirit Walk across vast distances in the blink of an eye.
The drop of Primal Blood, shining with a translucent red light, was like a shattered crystal, brimming with infinite mysteries.
"From the Shadow's Keep, the girl named Yu Zhu has encountered the archdemon there."
Grec's brow furrowed slightly. "Until she fully refines my blood crystal of revival, I can easily discern her every move and pinpoint her location with just a bit of effort."
"What about Yu Yuan?" inquired a tactless Frostfiend.
Grec's expression grew stern. "That young man is a different case. Inside him, there's an Altar of Rebirth akin to mine. Because of that altar's presence, I can't lock onto his position or perceive his actions."
"Elder, is it truly possible for the secular bird to be reborn through the Songbird Queen?" Affo sought clarification.
"Indeed, it is!"
Munch, the venerable Blood Fiend elder, gazed at the Dragon Slaying Stage, now embraced by Chen Qinghuang, who had breached the dark red barrier. A twinge of pain lingered in his heart. "You youngsters cannot fathom the horror of the secular bird. She is the nightmare of all beings, and no intelligent life wishes for her resurrection."
The Sky Fiend magnates heaved sighs of resignation upon hearing this.
The enigma of Yu Yuan and Chen Qinghuang's vanishing remained unsolved. Even those directly involved, Adler and Mitts, were in the dark, and High Priest Reid was equally noncommittal.
They were even less likely to understand the reasons.
"Forget the Songbird Queen for the moment. Having released the news, powerhouses from all races will scour the Star River for her whereabouts. Besides us, the ancient Dark Phoenix of the Everlands will surely act. Our focus now is on the Dark Star, on any bold visitor from the Everlands!"
The Great Demon God Grec declared solemnly.
"We will heed your command!"
...
On the shores of the Otherworld.
Yu Yuan made adjustments, using the Soul Crystal within the Cosmos Ring to envelop the Golden Sanctum's little world in a spiritual mist. He then gazed at the perpetual yellow sun.
He believed that, by the Everlands' reckoning, several days had likely passed.
The yellow sun seemed to be an everlasting presence, with no discernible rising or setting. Likewise, the land beneath his feet knew no cycle of day and night.
It was always the case.
The presence of the wall meant that the energy of this world could fully accommodate the naturally robust Otherkin. Yu Yuan was convinced that this place was far from deserted.
There had to be Otherkin activity!
Furrowing his brow, he mulled over the situation for quite some time. He concluded that revealing his identity to Chen Qinghuang would likely result in a combined assault from all factions.
Remaining incognito, even in human form, would not guarantee safety in this realm.
After all, humans were considered the universal foe by the inhabitants of the Extraterrestrial Star River.
"Ah."
With a heavy sigh, he decided it was best to avoid hastily venturing out. An unexpected encounter with an Otherkin powerhouse could prove fatal.
Every shred of Soul Power and every trace of vital energy produced by his Lunar Spirit was being siphoned by the transforming Altar of Rebirth. For the time being, his only recourse was to wield spiritual energy.
The spiritual energy he had managed to gather recently was, to put it mildly, modest.
Thus, he opted to remain where he was, forgoing exploration of the forest beyond. He continued to use the Soul Crystals, pills, and herbs at his disposal to restore his strength as much as possible.
In this state, he was akin to being in deep meditation.
With no celestial cycle to mark the passage of time, Yu Yuan had no idea how long he had been in this state. Using the Soul Crystals and several Psicrystals within his Cosmos Ring, he had managed to fully recharge the spiritual energy depleted in the Dark Star Region.
The pills, however, were now entirely consumed, yet the Altar of Rebirth, yearning to evolve into the Solar Spirit, still voraciously craved more.
"The Lunar Spirit must not be detached; without Soul Power, the vital energy is depleted."
His brow remained creased with worry. With only spiritual energy at his disposal, his combat abilities were significantly diminished. Many of his spells, including the Nine Celestial Slashes, were beyond his reach.
The current dilemma was that his Cosmos Ring still contained jade crystals to replenish spiritual energy.
Regrettably, he had squandered all the magic items and pills that could swiftly restore dense vital energy and Soul Power.
Lacking any extraordinary resources to nurture his powers, and relying solely on his natural generation or the psionic power harnessed from the world around him, rapidly replenishing Soul Power and vital energy was proving to be an arduous task.
He could sense that the psionic power enveloping the nearby area was exceedingly sparse.
It was highly probable that the entire Otherworld wasn't a particularly remarkable Domain, lacking powerful Otherkin warriors who had dedicated years to its protection.
"I still need to get moving and assess the situation outside."
He quickly made a decision. Casting a glance at the slumbering Songbird Queen, he hesitated briefly before assisting her onto his back.
The once prominent auras of death and destruction were no longer evident on Chen Qinghuang. She seemed to be in a peculiar state resembling hibernation, with most of her bodily functions at a standstill, save for the occasional heartbeat that signaled her persistent vitality.
"I hope you'll be the first to awaken and resolve the deadlock before us."
Yu Yuan carried the weighty First Female Emperor of All Ages from Everlands, feeling her unexpected heaviness rather than the lightness he had anticipated.
Drained of his vital energy, Yu Yuan's once robust physique had begun to wither, and his formidable divine power seemed to have vanished.
The burden of carrying the heavy Songbird Queen compounded his difficulties, and he found it somewhat strenuous. He had to draw upon the spiritual energy from his lower elixir field to avoid appearing too disheveled.
Choosing a direction at random, he made his way into the woods, remaining alert and watchful.
And so, after a considerable time had passed, he heard the sound of heavy footsteps approaching.
