C1191 Who Are You?

From the reverence emanating from Denise, Yu Yuan deduced that Mia must be a prominent figure within the Shadowkin—indeed, one whose reputation was widely recognized.

"It's an honor to be in the presence of Elder Mia," Denise said with a smile. "Elder Mia ranks among the top five influential individuals in the Shadowkin. Her combat prowess is exceptional, and she's known for her gentle nature and extensive network of goodwill among various intelligent life forms."

She paused briefly before adding, "That includes us as well."

Then, the conversation between them took off.

Yu Yuan inquired about the current state of the Dark Star, now under the control of the Blood Fiend. He quickly learned that after his disappearance, cultivators from the Five Great Forces, led by the Kylin from Shadow's Keep, had flooded through the Kobran Crossing. They had cleansed the domains that had been under the Blood Fiend's influence, impacting many Otherkin in the process.

The Everlands, represented by the Five Great Forces, had unleashed a wave of tumultuous upheaval across the Dark Star, sending shockwaves throughout the cosmos.

In addition to the Blood Fiend, numerous branches of the Sky Fiend also converged on the Dark Star to offer their support.

Moreover, radicals from the Dawnbringers, the Starborn, the Shadowkin, and the Shura heeded the call of the Demon God Greco, descending upon the Dark Star from their respective Star Rivers.

The intelligent life from extraterrestrial realms and the Everlands' humans and evilkind had long-standing grievances that were not easily forgotten.

Especially since those active in the Dark Star were led by the Five Great Forces, not the Boulderdawn or the Skyreach Consortium.

With the Boulderdawn Sect having vanished, for tens of thousands of years, the extraterrestrial races' champions had been resisting these very humans and demons, fostering a hatred as vast as the ocean, leaving no room for coexistence.

The Otherkin warriors who joined the battle in the Dark Star were not there to aid the Great Demon God Greco; their sole purpose was to exact vengeance on the human and archdemon forces marshaled by the Five Great Forces.

Following Chen Qinghuang's departure, the Astral Domain had transformed into the most intensely scrutinized battlefield within the Infinite Galaxy, where countless warriors met their end.

After a thorough exchange,

Denise rose gracefully. "Regarding the Terra Fiend below, I need to have another talk with my father and figure out what to do. Feel free to stay here a bit longer; there's no rush to leave. Oh, and about the Lunarphite and lightning sable, you may hunt some, but please spare the Starbeast."

Denise's demeanor had warmed considerably upon learning of Yu Yuan's family's deep connection with Mia.

"Is it because you raised them?" Yu Yuan asked, smiling.

"Something like that."

Denise massaged her forehead, pondering for a moment before adding, "But we can't kill too many lightning sable. Their presence allows stray lightning to enter this forbidden area and then be absorbed into the thunder vortex. The lightning sable grow stronger through the thunder vortex, and they also attract lightning. The two are mutually beneficial."

Yu Yuan nodded in understanding.

He was thinking that if the Everlands were indeed the origin of Zekrica and if it truly had a connection with the Rainbow Ocean, then the lack of spiritual wisdom in the Lunarphite at birth must be due to an incomplete Way of Heaven and rules.

Since Zekrica had separated from the Everlands, the cosmic order was naturally incomplete.

Consequently, a newborn Lunarphite wouldn't possess astonishing spiritual wisdom initially and wouldn't be categorized as evilkind.

"I need to head back to the castle because that's the only place I can get in touch with my father."

Denise glanced at the warship overhead and seemed to silently issue a command, then suddenly asked, "Do you need me to keep the matter about you and your sister confidential? If I tell my father about you two, he might inform Mia, and the Shadowkin might arrange to bring you in."

"No, there's no need for now. Please keep it a secret for a little while longer," Yu Yuan responded.

"Understood, Zekrica is very safe. Except for that Terra Fiend," Denise remarked, ready to soar into the sky and board the warship.

"Wait..."

Yu Yuan hesitated, as if struggling to find the right words.

"What is it?" Denise paused.

"Your brother, I'm afraid he met his end in Ionodios. My condolences," Yu Yuan finally said. "I've heard some things in the Zagreus and met quite a few people. If someone went to the Annihilation Nebula's Ionodios and hasn't reappeared after a long time, it's highly likely they're gone."

"I know. I actually had the same suspicion, but I didn't want to discuss it with my father."

Denise still seemed a bit melancholic as she sighed softly, then transformed into a beam of cosmic energy and shot into the Voidfarer.

Whoosh!

Shortly thereafter, Mi Ting, encased in a sphere of starlight, reappeared in the forbidden area.

In her hand, Mi Ting clutched a crystal tablet. Noticing Yu Yuan's puzzled gaze, she quickly explained, "His Highness has instructed me to follow your commands. This tablet allows us to leave the forbidden area. It's the key to the cosmic energy barrier!"

Yu Yuan nodded, offering no further comment.

It seemed Denise had her reasons for sending Mi Ting down, perhaps to keep an eye on him.

He wasn't bothered by it.

In the days that followed, Yu Yuan focused on processing the alien beasts and Fellbeasts he had slain, offering them to the Altar of Rebirth within him, which was in the midst of transformation. He also harvested medicinal herbs to concoct more Soul Amplifier.

He consumed some of the Soul Amplifier himself, and administered the rest to the comatose Chen Qinghuang.

His plan was simple: if Chen Qinghuang awoke, he could leave safely, even if Denise's father arrived in person.

Since Denise, a member of the Starborn, hadn't recognized his true identity as a human, she assumed he and Chen Qinghuang were Shadowkin. Even if Denise shared some details with her father, there was no immediate danger.

Yu Yuan's concern was for the future.

Several days passed, and Yu Yuan had harvested every usable spiritual herb and plant near the forbidden area for the Soul Amplifier.

The remaining plants were toxic, only suitable for concocting poison.

He carefully considered his options as he hunted Lunarphites and a few lightning sables, gathering the toxic herbs.

That day, after ingesting a vial of Soul Amplifier and transforming it into Soul Power, he sensed something for a long while.

He discovered that only two-thirds of the refined Soul Power had been ruthlessly claimed by the Altar of Rebirth.

After a lengthy wait, with the Altar of Rebirth remaining quiet and still, Yu Yuan's eyes gradually brightened, and a radiant smile spread across his face.

The realization dawned on him that the Altar of Rebirth, now evolved into the Solar Spirit, no longer required additional Soul Power to absorb!

He knew that the Altar of Rebirth, transformed by the Solar Spirit, no longer needed to seize any more Soul Power. From this point forward, every wisp of Soul Power he refined could be used to enrich his Lunar Spirit. His once languid soul would be thoroughly revitalized as a result!

Two days later, Yu Yuan's Lunar Spirit had significantly recovered, and his bravery had grown considerably. The deep cavern, now devoid of alien souls and evil spirits, was no longer plagued by the thunder vortex.

Upon reaching the brink, Yu Yuan peered down for quite some time before tossing three glaze bottles filled with venom into the abyss. He waited patiently, yet there was no sound of shattering glass, nor any peculiar odors detected.

"Hehe," he chuckled quietly to himself, not in the least bit rushed. With narrowed eyes, he settled into a calm, motionless sit.

Eventually, a cacophony of roars from the evil spirits echoed from the depths, far more tumultuous than before. This confirmed for Yu Yuan that the poison he had dropped had indeed bolstered the Terra Fiend's power, which seemed to invigorate the creature.

"Wraithbinding!" With a mere flicker of thought, Yu Yuan, who no longer needed to descend into the pit, invoked the esoteric art of the Boulderdawn. He mused that since he had provided the desired venom, it was only fair to expect something in return.

Every Terra Fiend capable of taking form possessed immense intelligence, rivaling any intelligent life. He was confident that the Terra Fiend would make its own assessment of his actions. He even suspected that it could overhear his conversations with Denise.

Knowing that his actions were driven by the quest for the venom, which he had now supplied, Yu Yuan wondered, why the silence? He brimmed with expectation...

"Who are you? Where do you hail from?" After some time, a chilling and elusive thought emerged from the mix of alien souls and evil spirits.

Now, with his Soul Power substantially restored, Yu Yuan instantly grasped it. He cautiously maintained his silence, choosing not to respond right away.

"The first time you descended into the cave, in your Mindscape, your Lunar Spirit conjured a being with eight spider legs, preying on the malevolent thoughts and evil spirits spawned by me. Have you encountered such a creature before?"

"I am aware that you originate from the Everlands. You are a human cultivator, as evidenced by your Lunar Spirit!"

"What's your name? Which sect do you practice with? Why have you come here?"

Messages flickered from the alien souls. Yu Yuan sensed them momentarily before they vanished, as if they had never been there at all.

Yu Yuan kept silent, continuing to feel the chilling, sinister consciousness while he pondered in silence.

"Have you seen her?"

The Otherkin, growing impatient with Yu Yuan's persistent silence, suddenly resorted to dark magic.

A giant eight-legged spider emerged from within the thick, murky mist, its appearance artfully enhanced. Its legs shimmered with a rainbow's hues, radiating a mesmerizing beauty as if it were a Dark Deity bathed in celestial light.

The sight of the spectral giant spider sent a jolt through Yu Yuan, triggering a flood of unbidden memories.

In his past life as Hong Qi, he had struck a deal with the eight-legged spider, rescuing Yu Zhu from the Forgotten Ruins and settling her in the swamps of the Serpent Spine Mountains.

Years later, reborn, he revisited that swamp and encountered Yu Zhu once again.

Vivid and lucid, these memories of Yu Zhu and the eight-legged spider cascaded through his mind as if they had just occurred.

He also recalled the harrowing moment he learned from Yu Zhu about the eight-legged spider's brutal end at the hands of the purple phoenix in the Star River.

Subsequently, every Otherkin across the Upper and Lower Continents of Zekrica felt the entire world tremble.

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