C1189 A Terra Fiend!

The Crypt Clan member's body, once squeaking with life, was reduced to a mere skeleton as his flesh and blood dissolved away. A persistent grayish-brown mist, the essence of his soul, materialized above his skull. Drawn by an unseen strange power, it silently soared out and disappeared into the depths of the cavern.

Yu Yuan, momentarily distracted from his task of roasting meat, watched the soul mist with a puzzled gaze. The Lunarphite, lightning sable, and other Starbeasts he had slain lacked sufficient bloodline levels to develop extraordinary intelligence. Without such intelligence, they were merely beasts, incapable of forming a complete, advanced soul. This was why, despite having dispatched more than a dozen alien beasts and Fellbeasts, he had never witnessed a distinct beast soul dissipate into the Everlands.

However, the seventh-level Crypt Clan warrior was an exception. He was a true intelligent life form, possessing a full soul. Upon his death, the rules of the Everlands dictated that his soul should fade away, gradually seeping into the earth to merge with the Lunar Meridian, eventually reaching the source at the Land of Terror. But here...

The soul of the Crypt Clan warrior, who had succumbed to venom, lingered instead of vanishing. It coalesced, drawn irresistibly towards the passage leading to the Upper Continent.

"Can you see it?" Denise asked, setting aside her portion of cooked meat and wiping the grease from her lips, her expression one of astonishment. Though not fully recovered, Yu Yuan's Lunar Spirit had recently consumed numerous alien souls and malevolent spirits through Wraithbinding, refining Soul Power and granting him the ability to perceive ethereal spirited bodies.

He gave a slight nod in confirmation.

Denise and Dogget, standing behind her, looked on with grave and incredulous expressions.

"Uncle Dogget, head to the warship above. I need to speak with him privately," Denise instructed abruptly.

The towering Starborn eighth-level warrior gestured towards the slain alien beasts and Fellbeasts, bound by blood-drenched sinews, as a reminder of Yu Yuan's formidable nature.

"There's no need to worry. Just keep him in the sights of the crystal cannon from up there," Denise reassured before speaking again.

Dogget uttered an understanding grunt, his realization dawning.

"You're Mi Ting, right?" Denise's attention shifted to the evasive Mi Ting. "Come here. Uncle Dogget, take Mi Ting up too. I don't want anyone else to overhear our conversation."

Denise had issued her command, and Mi Ting had no choice but to comply, albeit with great reluctance. She made her way over to them.

Dogget seized her shoulder and let out a low growl before launching himself skyward.

A beam of cosmic energy burst forth from the ground, piercing upward into the stationary Voidfarer above.

Meanwhile, Yu Yuan, who was still savoring the roasted beast meat, observed the remains of a Crypt Clan warrior, now reduced to a pool of blood and bones, the latter of which was saturated with poison.

This was identical to the other skeletal remains scattered near the deep cave, some belonging to the Everlands' mortals, others to the Crypt Clan.

A flash of light streaked by like a bolt of lightning.

"Are you nourishing the alien souls in the cave with the spirits of Crypt Clan warriors?" Yu Yuan murmured, a hint of skepticism in his voice. "What I find peculiar is the presence of numerous Otherkin bones that I cannot identify."

He deliberately pointed to a human skeleton he had previously examined, making his observation known.

"The reason you're unfamiliar with them is that they're not from a race you recognize. Those skeletons are either humans from the Everlands or mortals who have never practiced cultivation," Denise explained, her gaze fixed on Yu Yuan, attempting to discern any hint of recognition.

Through the eyes of the Starbeast, she could see Yu Yuan's actions.

Yet, she was unable to hear his words or understand his thoughts.

Denise had taken note of Yu Yuan's prolonged observation of a human skeleton during his first visit to the cave. She sensed an anomaly and realized that Yu Yuan had detected something unusual.

Denise was curious whether Yu Yuan had discerned that the bones were indeed human.

"Humans?" Yu Yuan expressed his surprise before exclaiming, "Or are they uncultivated mortals? That's impossible! To my knowledge, human mortals do not venture from their world and cannot reach the extraterrestrial Star River."

After scrutinizing the situation, Denise found nothing out of the ordinary. She concluded that Yu Yuan had merely noticed the difference between the human bones and those of the Otherkin.

"Let me address your earlier question," she said, regaining her composure. Tearing into the cooked meat Yu Yuan had offered her, she gathered her thoughts before continuing, "Yes, there is indeed an alien soul beneath this cavern. My father once told me it's a Terra Fiend, spawned from one of the Everlands' extraordinary locales."

Indeed!

Yu Yuan silently scoffed, maintaining a stoic expression as he gestured for her to go on.

"The so-called Terra Fiend has been imprisoned for quite some time," Denise explained earnestly. "Contrary to what you might think, this cave doesn't lead to the Upper Continent. About halfway through, the passage becomes impenetrable. Moreover, it wasn't the Crypt Clan who came later that created this cave; it has always been here."

"The Terra Fiend is at the very bottom of the cave?" Yu Yuan inquired.

"Yes."

Denise looked up at the swirling thunder vortexes, pausing briefly before saying, "These thunder vortexes weren't created by us; they've always been there. We simply fortified the area with an additional wall to keep other Otherkin out and to prevent the alien beasts, as well as the Fellbeasts, from escaping."

"Tell me about this Terra Fiend," Yu Yuan pressed, focusing on the crux of the matter.

"This Terra Fiend from the Everlands is incredibly sly and malicious. We're not sure how many years it's been confined. In any case, it's not getting out." Denise let out a sigh. "There was a time when it was so close to soul extinction that my father... he sacrificed some of the Crypt Clan members to sustain it."

"You're trying to extract information from him?" Yu Yuan surmised.

"Conversing with an intelligent person is truly refreshing," Denise admitted candidly. "In truth, ever since we became aware of its existence, my father has been at odds with it, attempting contact on several occasions. But the Terra Fiend would alternate between feigning madness and suffering from soul disarray."

"Even when lucid, it remained obstinate and uncooperative, refusing to divulge anything."

"My father didn't wish to divulge the secrets of Zekrica to anyone else, nor did he want to resort to other means to obliterate it completely, and so the situation remained unchanged."

"Whenever it was weakened and defenseless, we'd dangle some souls before it, just enough to keep it clinging to life."

Denise felt her frustration mounting as she spoke of the vexing Terra Fiend. "Since taking over the Lower Continent, I've attempted to make contact as well, but to no avail. There was only one instance, during one of its bouts of madness, that it mentioned a specific, potent poison capable of warping its soul, which could supposedly cure its ailment."

She chuckled self-deprecatingly and added, "I also feel it's a sham."

Denise pointed at the bloodstain on the ground, her expression icy. "This one was seduced by him and turned into his slave. The Crypt Clan, living underground, can't directly interact with him, but they occasionally sense his thoughts and revere him as a deity, pledging their allegiance and their lives."

"Two-thirds of the entire Crypt Clan have been silently enslaved by him."

"But the Crypt Clan members are too feeble. No amount of coercion will change that. Both Schwarzer and I could easily eradicate the Crypt Clan if we wished."

Having finished her piece, she polished off the second chunk of meat she had received from Yu Yuan.

She didn't ask for more, instead taking out a handkerchief to clean her hands.

"You still haven't answered my other question. Why are there human skeletons here?" Yu Yuan asked gravely.

"Even the weakest humans, with their seven emotions and six desires, become nourishment for the Terra Fiend upon death because they are intelligent life," Denise explained.

Yu Yuan nodded. "I'm well aware."

"Aren't you curious why Zekrica has Tranquilherb, Sunfire Bloom, and alien beasts like the lightning sable and Lunarphite?" Denise's own expression grew peculiar as she mentioned these.

"Not curious," Yu Yuan stated flatly. "Because Tranquilherb and Sunfire Bloom can be transplanted here. As for the lightning sable and Lunarphite, being Fellbeasts, they have robust constitutions naturally suited to Zekrica's environment. But those mortals can't easily escape the Everlands, and they hold no value. I don't believe they were brought here just to sustain the Terra Fiend."

"If it were just about sustenance, the Silverscale Tribe, enchantresses, and members of the Fire Lizard Tribe from the Everlands would suffice. There's no need to go through the trouble of abducting mortals from the Everlands."

This was his greatest conundrum, fueling his intense frustration—he was determined to uncover the truth.

"If you assist me in concocting the poison and agree to stay in Zekrica for a time, I'll share the secret with you," Denise finally said, glancing up at the Voidfarer.

Yu Yuan felt a sudden pang of dread as the crystal cannon locked onto him. He hummed to himself and responded, "Alright."

"You agreed?"

"Mhm."

After their brief exchange, Denise fell silent, seemingly gathering her thoughts. It took a while before she spoke again, "Tranquilherb, Sunfire Bloom, as well as the lightning sable and Lunarphite, are native to Zekrica. Conversely, it's the Starbeast, the herbs you recognize, and the people from various tribes that are the true outsiders."

"The entirety of Zekrica emerged overnight within our Astral Domain."

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