C1188 Yu Yuan's Compensation

Thunder vortexes crackled and boomed with electricity.

Interwoven among them were bolts of lightning, some dark gold, others dazzling like silver.

These vortexes, having sensed an anomaly, had quietly converged in this area.

In a short while, every thunder vortex deemed off-limits by Denise had gathered, all floating above the dark, chilly cave.

Yet, not a single lightning sable, creatures born and empowered by these vortexes, was in sight.

The Lunarphites, Starbeasts, and lightning sables that roamed the forbidden area could clearly see the thunder vortexes' abnormalities. They knew something strange was happening near the dark cave, yet none dared to venture close.

The cave itself seemed to be a special forbidden zone within the forbidden area!

Crack! Boom!

Listening to the peculiar sounds of lightning and the muffled roars of thunder, Yu Yuan, partially submerged in the cave, let the joy on his face fade into silence.

His expression grew somber.

The Lunar Spirit within his Mindscape, despite the activation of Wraithbinding, failed to extract any more evil souls from the depths of the cave.

The ghastly howls that once pierced the air fell silent as the thunder vortexes drew near.

Relying on a bottle of Soul Amplifier, and with the nascent Soul Power, he had just begun to employ Wraithbinding. It became difficult to capture souls and malevolent spirits at will, and his long-parched Lunar Spirit could not be swiftly replenished.

After a lengthy wait, his Lunar Spirit couldn't detect even a wisp of Yin Qi from the cave.

Yu Yuan realized that the enigmatic Terra Fiend lurking at the cave's core had cautiously receded deeper underground with the arrival of the thunder vortexes.

The alien souls and evil spirits that arose from its presence also lay dormant, influenced by its power, too fearful to emerge from the cave and unable to sense the unique magnetic field emanating from his Wraithbinding.

Bang!

Yu Yuan leaped from the depths of the cave, landing on the damp, yielding earth. He gazed up at the clusters of thunder vortexes and exclaimed in frustration, "Such misfortune!"

He had at last discovered a method to swiftly refine his Soul Power, only to have it disrupted by the thunder vortexes.

Naturally, he was displeased.

However, he deduced that the forbidden area, where the thunder vortex was forming, and the barrier infused with cosmic energy, were likely designed to entrap the Terra Fiend within the cave.

The thunder vortex restrained the monsters at the planet's core, preventing them from emerging to wreak havoc.

The cosmic energy-filled barrier also kept the Starbeast, Lunarphite, and lightning sable from escaping and plaguing the villages of the Shadowkin and Moonlit Wanderers.

"Not a single alien beast dares to approach."

From a distance, Mi Ting watched Yu Yuan emerge from the deep cave, her expression returning to normal. She approached him cautiously and offered a well-intentioned suggestion, "I have this feeling that the cave is concealing demons and monsters. Otherwise, the thunder vortexes wouldn't be converging in such an aggressive manner."

She chose her words carefully and added in a low voice, "According to the legends of our Zekrica, a naturally occurring thunder vortex seeks out evil demons on its own."

"Cough, cough. The 'demons' we speak of are the very same demons of the Everlands. And when our Zekrica refers to 'demons,' we mean the demons of the Everlands as well."

Mi Ting looked down.

Yu Yuan let out a scoff, "The demons you're referring to are probably the human cultivators of the Everlands who have ascended to the Solar Spirit realm, right?"

"Isn't that the case for you outsiders?" Mi Ting asked, her eyes wide with disbelief. "We're both from the Shadowkin tribe, and our people have been massacred by the brutal human devils in the extraterrestrial Star River. I've heard that many of our domains have been devastated by the human devils of the Everlands."

Yu Yuan touched his nose and chose not to continue the conversation.

At times, he would forget his current guise and Otherkin identity, instinctively seeing himself as a human cultivator from the Everlands.

"Listen, your time is running short." Mi Ting gestured to the hourglass hanging at his waist. "Judging by what's left, you have three days."

Yu Yuan glanced at it, nodded, and instructed, "Stay here, don't go near the cave, but also don't stray too far."

"Why?"

"Because you're too vulnerable. Maintaining a safe distance from the cave will protect you. You'll be safe from being torn apart by an alien beast or having your mind warped by whatever emerges from within the cave."

"There are monsters in the cave?" Mi Ting exclaimed in shock.

"Keep an eye on her."

Yu Yuan carried Chen Qinghuang a short distance away and gently laid her down beside Mi Ting before setting off on his own. He felt confident leaving Chen Qinghuang unattended because he knew that even in her unconscious state, the Songbird Queen would likely face no danger in the forbidden area of the Lower Continent.

Alien beasts and Fellbeasts wouldn't dare come near the cave, and even if they did, Yu Yuan's previous encounters had taught him there was little to worry about. The faint, thread-like aura emanating from Chen Qinghuang was enough to send shivers down the spines of any approaching creatures. Yu Yuan was convinced that the Terra Fiend lurking within the cave wouldn't dare emerge due to the presence of the thunder vortex. And if it did, he believed the Terra Fiend would have a keener sense of perception than the alien beasts and Fellbeasts.

Would anyone in their right mind seek out the secular bird?

Two days passed.

Without Chen Qinghuang's presence, the ferocious Lunarphites and Starbeasts no longer fled at the sight of him. With a sword sheath in hand, Yu Yuan's formidable strength allowed him to crush the skulls and slay over a dozen of these creatures.

Using the sinews of the beasts as ropes, he bound the alien beasts and Fellbeasts, dragging them in batches to where Chen Qinghuang and Mi Ting were. This caused the usually reticent Shadowkin girl to become even more silent.

"Seventeen alien beasts, ranging from fourth to fifth level."

Mi Ting observed the deep bloodstains on the ground and the bloodied, pungent carcasses of the alien beasts and Fellbeasts that Yu Yuan had discarded nearby like trash. Her face turned ashen.

She glanced at Chen Qinghuang, still prostrate on the ground, and then at Yu Yuan, who had finally come to a rest.

Without a word, Mi Ting distanced herself from Chen Qinghuang, Yu Yuan, and the slain creatures.

It wasn't until Yu Yuan had started a fire and constructed a wooden rack to roast the meat that Mi Ting spoke up softly, "Um, the time for our agreed meeting is approaching."

Yu Yuan lifted the hourglass he was holding, glanced at it, and tossed it aside nonchalantly. "Princess Denise assured me that as long as I'm on the Lower Continent, she'll send a battleship to retrieve me once the time arrives."

"But we're in a forbidden area," Mi Ting pointed out.

"I don't care."

Yu Yuan tinkered with the wooden rack, waiting for the lightning sable meat to reach a golden-brown perfection. As the savory aroma filled the air, he expertly seasoned it with cumin and other spices. "In any case, I've already prepared the venom capable of killing a seventh-level Crypt Clan member. How she found me and plans to get me out is her problem."

Mi Ting involuntarily swallowed, enticed by the meat's fragrance.

Yu Yuan let out a sly chuckle, tore off a hefty chunk of leg meat, and tossed it to her. "Meeting is destiny; go ahead and enjoy it. This caliber of beast meat has a real bite to it."

"Uh, sure, thanks."

Mi Ting, slightly embarrassed, accepted the juicy leg meat, took a small bite, and immediately felt her eyebrows relax as her mood lifted considerably. "Have you ever met any prominent figures from our Shadowkin out in the wider world?"

"Does Mia count?" Yu Yuan replied nonchalantly.

"Mia? What level is her bloodline?" Mi Ting inquired with curiosity.

"Ninth level."

"Ninth level?!"

The Shadowkin girl gasped, her nostrils flaring as if she were hearing a myth.

"There's also someone named Kennard who claims to be a Child of the Forest. His father apparently is the chieftain of the Shadowkin," Yu Yuan said, tearing into the meat and chewing heartily.

Deep down, he still felt like the human Yu Yuan, so when he spoke of Kennard and the Shadowkin chieftain, it was as if he were discussing strangers.

"Bullshit."

Mi Ting burst into laughter, having already pegged Yu Yuan's tales as fanciful. She was no longer taken aback.

If Mia's ninth-level bloodline was believable, what about this Child of the Forest? If he truly were the son of the Shadowkin patriarch, wouldn't Yu Yuan show some sign of awe or admiration?

Shouldn't someone who truly recognized the son of the chieftain feel immense pride and gloat about it?

Yu Yuan noticed her skepticism but didn't mind. After all, that so-called Child of the Forest had perished in Ionodios and was no longer of any consequence.

The appointed time arrived as expected.

Yu Yuan suddenly looked up to see a wraith obscuring the stars and moon. He instantly knew that the true ruler of the Lower Continent had indeed sought him out.

Mi Ting abruptly stood up, her head bowed, ready for what was to come.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Denise of the Starborn and her subordinate Dogget transformed into two pillars of cosmic energy and descended from the hovering Voidfarer. In Dogget's grasp was a member of the Crypt Clan, bound by dark golden lightning, his face twisted with a fierce and ominous expression.

"You're responsible for killing all these alien beasts, aren't you?" Denise, now clad in a sleek outfit that flattered her figure, surveyed the multitude of beast carcasses as she landed. She let out a soft chuckle, "I put quite a bit of effort into raising them. You went ahead and killed so many without a word. That's a bit excessive, don't you think?"

"Here, as compensation." Yu Yuan tossed over a large chunk of roasted, golden-brown lightning sable meat, its aroma wafting through the air.

Denise caught it deftly, only to find grease oozing between her fingers. A bemused expression crossed her lovely face. "Is this your idea of a bribe?" she said, barely containing her laughter.

"And there's this." Yu Yuan lobbed a bottle of murky, dark green poison her way.

With no other option, Denise caught it with her free hand. She glanced between the glaze bottle brimming with poison and the roasted meat in her other hand, her mood growing more peculiar. "What's the plan here? Are you offering me meat or poison?" she teased, half in jest.

Mi Ting watched the exchange, fighting the urge to laugh, yet not daring to let it out.

"You're not foolish. You obviously know what's for eating and what's not," Yu Yuan remarked as he crouched by the fire, expertly stripping the bones and flesh from a Lunarphite and setting it over the flames. His gaze briefly met that of the Crypt Clan member at Dogget's feet, his mind serene as still water.

The seventh-level Crypt Clan captive, brought by Denise and Dogget, glared at them with a mix of resentment and loathing.

Yu Yuan had no doubts—if the Crypt Clan warrior were to break free, he would tear into Denise with the same ferocity with which he was now dismantling the Lunarphite.

The seventh-level Crypt Clan member's eyes were filled with ruthless violence, his hands thick and calloused from battle, clearly the mark of a hardened warrior.

However...

When Yu Yuan witnessed a Starborn warrior, acting on Denise's orders, take the glaze bottle from her and pry open the mouth of the Crypt Clan warrior to pour in the venom, he ceased to be concerned.

It was a certain death sentence.

The Lower Continent of Zekrica was home to many medicinal herbs with natural toxins, and the forbidden area contained a swamp where every water plant was laced with corrosive poison.

After his processing, the poison in that bottle was potent enough to claim Dogget's life.

What chance then did a seventh-level Crypt Clan warrior have, especially with their bloodline power suppressed and already severely wounded?

In under fifteen minutes, smoke began to rise from beneath the skin of the Crypt Clan member as their blood, flesh, and organs disintegrated.

Accompanied by a sizzling dissolution and the initial agonized cries of the Crypt Clan warrior, dark red blood began to ooze onto the ground, spreading wider and wider.

Dogget, who had already released his grip, stood a good distance from the dissolving Crypt Clan member, now being consumed by the venom.

Denise, gnawing on a piece of cooked meat, revealed a contented, coy smile. She gave a slight nod and remarked, "Not bad, not bad at all. Give me another piece of meat to satisfy my hunger, and I'll overlook the fact that you've slain these alien beasts."

Her words held a double meaning, which Yu Yuan fully grasped.

"Apart from the alien beasts, the presence of numerous Fellbeasts in the Everlands has also been quite astonishing," Yu Yuan noted the distinction and then ripped off another large chunk of cooked meat, tossing it to Denise.

Denise caught it deftly, took a hearty bite, and then declared, "You have indeed proven your capabilities."

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