C1196 Whoever Comes Is a Guest!

Denise absolutely cannot die!

If she were to perish, Dogget aboard the Voidfarer and the concealed wonders within the castle would surely sense it, triggering a chain reaction that would broadcast this earth-shattering news far and wide.

Her father would undoubtedly react with unparalleled fury!

Even if Chen Qinghuang managed to assassinate Denise's father and bring about the demise of the Otherkin in Zekrica, their secrets within the Astral Domain would be revealed.

Chen Qinghuang is the embodiment of the secular bird, a being perceived by the extraterrestrial inhabitants as a harbinger of death and destruction.

It would only be a matter of time before the top-tier tenth level experts and numerous ninth level Blood Warriors would converge on this Astral Domain, determined to annihilate Chen Qinghuang.

And she herself might get caught in the crossfire.

Yu Yuan could almost visualize the dire repercussions, prompting him to urgently caution Chen Qinghuang against any rash actions.

As for Melissa and Darke, they were insignificant. Their deaths would be inconsequential.

Denise could easily concoct a story to cover it up, perhaps claiming Melissa and Darke were recklessly hunting alien beasts in the forbidden area and met their end at the creatures' hands.

Yu Yuan mulled over the situation.

The pampered Starborn heiress, who fancied herself in control of all situations in Zekrica, was utterly panic-stricken during his contemplation.

For a moment, Denise's thoughts were a jumble, and she even forgot her own identity.

The eerie demise of Melissa and Darke at the mere words of Chen Qinghuang had profoundly shaken her, leaving her extremities and heart ice-cold.

The circulation of her blood felt as though it had come to a standstill, instilling a terrifying sensation of suffocation.

"Who are they? What bloodline level does that woman possess? Which bloodline mysteries has she unraveled?"

Question after question streaked through Denise's mind like blinding lightning.

Her paralyzed body gradually regained sensation thanks to Yu Yuan's persistent reassurances.

After some time.

Denise, now feeling deflated like a punctured balloon, collapsed in a heap.

Yet, upon noticing the two bodies lying perilously close to her, she sprang up like a startled cat and quickly distanced herself.

Her reaction suggested she feared contamination from a deathly toxin that might be emanating from Darke and Melissa.

Then, she caught Yu Yuan's gaze upon her, his face adorned with an amused smile.

Denise's heart plummeted, her entire body chilled with dread. She saw Yu Yuan as a demon who had clawed his way out of purgatory. "What, what do you intend to do?" she exclaimed in terror.

With a single statement, Melissa, a warrior of the sixth bloodline level, was slain. Such combat prowess was even more formidable than her father's.

Denise was no fool. Almost instantly, she recognized the immense power possessed by the seemingly odd and naive Shadowkin girl before her.

If this was the case with Chen Qinghuang, what about the ever-vigilant Yu Yuan?

"Have I, have I never wronged either of you?" she asked.

Denise slowly sank into a half-kneel, facing Yu Yuan and Chen Qinghuang with a resigned bow of her head, not daring to meet their gaze. "I've ventured beyond Zekrica, encountered exceptional individuals like Leo, and heard tales of the mightiest across the Star River. Whatever you wish to accomplish in Zekrica, I will comply without question."

"All I ask is..."

"Please, refrain from needless slaughter. Do not let the lives in Zekrica be extinguished in a moment of your wrath. I implore you, I am ready to cooperate and heed your commands."

Denise realized that with Yu Yuan and Chen Qinghuang's comparable levels of strength, their alliance could threaten not just Schwarz's domain in Zekrica but potentially all beings within the Astral Domain.

Thus, she humbly conceded, hoping that as members of the Shadowkin and not one of the Everlands' Five Supreme Powers, they would not wreak havoc in response to her submissive stance.

Her display of humility left Yu Yuan at a loss for words.

Yu Yuan had not anticipated such prudence from the noble Starborn heiress. Witnessing Chen Qinghuang's awakening and assessing her formidable strength, Denise had cast aside her dignified status as a ruler, even willing to kneel to demonstrate her docility and earnestness to both Chen Qinghuang and himself.

"Zekrica is indeed fortunate to have you as its ruler," he thought.

Yu Yuan silently nodded, his esteem and appreciation for the noble daughter of the Starborn growing. "Don't bother trying to contact the Voidfarer or your father; it's pointless. As I've mentioned, we won't be lingering in Zekrica for long, and we have no intention of causing you any trouble."

With that, he patted his head and laughed, "Leo and your Starborn's Great Sage Beru once extended an invitation for me to visit your Astral Domain. This time, I shall consider myself a guest within the Starborn realm."

"You know Leo? And Lord Beru?" Denise's eyes lit up with excitement, as if she had stumbled upon a new world.

Previously, had Yu Yuan claimed to know Leo and the esteemed Starfallen Oracle Beru, she would have doubted him, perhaps even accused him of lying.

But now, things were different.

In Denise's mind, Yu Yuan and Chen Qinghuang were on par with Leo and Beru, if not a notch above. The idea that Yu Yuan knew Leo and Beru was now readily accepted by her.

"I'm not just acquainted with them; we're quite close," Yu Yuan said with a slight smile. "To put it simply, we've fought side by side as comrades. Out of respect for Beru, I have no intention of wreaking havoc in the Starborn world or letting the Starborn people die needlessly before me."

Denise bowed deeply, her respect evident. "How should I address you, esteemed elder?"

She knew that at a certain bloodline level, altering one's appearance was a trivial matter.

She had already concluded that Yu Yuan and Chen Qinghuang were distinguished figures within the Shadowkin, hence their familiarity with Beru and their shared history in battle.

"Hehe, let's not delve into questions that shouldn't be asked," Yu Yuan said with a light chuckle.

"Absolutely, I apologize for my impertinence," Denise quickly acknowledged her mistake.

The following events unfolded with greater simplicity.

Yu Yuan produced three branches imbued with natural lightning and cast them into the cave, summoning a thunder vortex that served as a stern lesson for Yu Zhu's father.

"Senior, with your formidable power, you could easily eradicate him. Why exert yourself in this manner?" Denise inquired, puzzled.

Given Chen Qinghuang's display of formidable combat prowess, it was clear that any fiend from the Everlands stood no chance unless they were a Dark Deity of the evilkind or a primordial spirit of the human race.

Yu Yuan, preferring a roundabout approach, opted to use branches to confront the underground fiend. She couldn't shake the feeling that Yu Yuan was indulging in some sort of perverse pleasure by deliberately tormenting the creature.

"We might as well have some fun with him since we're idle," Yu Yuan remarked nonchalantly.

As expected...

Denise was convinced she had guessed right; Yu Yuan was toying with the Terra Fiend, intentionally inflicting torture.

And so, another day went by.

At the bottom of the cave, Yu Zhu's father, barely clinging to life, pleaded feebly, "Please, no more thunderwood. A few more times and my demonform will burst. I admit my mistakes, and I recognize your strength. Please, weaken me no further."

"Are we ready to talk now?" Yu Yuan communicated in secret.

"Yes! We can talk now!"

Having endured a succession of brutal strikes, the fiend below realized Yu Yuan's capability to terrify even a creature lurking in the depths. At last, it acquiesced.

Previously, it had underestimated Yu Yuan's might.

It had even deliberately provoked Yu Yuan, hoping that in a fit of rage, Yu Yuan would blunder into its trap, which would have played right into its hands. In that scenario, it could have seized complete control over Yu Yuan's body and soul, ensuring compliance and uncovering all hidden details about Yu Zhu and the eight-legged spider.

Now it recognized its miscalculation.

Yu Yuan was not so easily fooled. Armed with Zekrica's thunderwood, he could obliterate it, and that's precisely what he had done.

With brute force failing, it had no choice but to adopt a different strategy, starting with submission, in hopes of finding another opportunity.

Suddenly, four dazzling streams of light burst through the wall of the Lower Continent, cascading down like a waterfall. Within the columns of light, four radiant figures could be faintly seen, unmistakably the Solar Spirit Bodies.

"Everlands, the abode of the Human Race's Solar Spirit!"

In the depths of the forbidden area, Denise's strikingly beautiful face lost all color. The sudden arrival of the Human Race's Solar Spirit struck her with terror, her legs trembling as if she had seen a ghoul emerge from the depths of hell.

Zekrica lacked formidable warriors, and with only Dogget, who possessed an eighth-level bloodline, they stood no chance against four Solar Spirits from the Everlands.

What could she do?

Overwhelmed by a wave of panic, she caught sight of Yu Yuan and Chen Qinghuang standing nearby, which instilled Denise with a newfound sense of bravery and reassurance. "Esteemed seniors?!"

She instinctively pinned her hopes on Yu Yuan and Chen Qinghuang.

"The humans from Everlands have arrived!"

"The powerful Solar Spirit of the Human Race!"

"Oh my! Zekrica is doomed, destined to follow in the footsteps of our previous domains, laid to waste by the human race!"

The Shadowkin, Moonlit Wanderers, and enchantresses of the Lower Continent noticed the descent of the four luminous pillars. Villages and towns were engulfed in mourning and panic, as the fear of an impending apocalypse spread like wildfire.

To the Otherkin, nothing was more terrifying than the sudden approach of the Human Race and archdemons from the Everlands.

This likely signaled the end of their little world.

Their previous homelands had been destroyed for the same reasons. Having barely settled in Zekrica, how could fate be so cruel as to confront them with the Human Race's might once again?

They screamed, their prayers filled with despair.

Yu Yuan, in the forbidden area and empowered by the refined Soul Power of the Lunar Spirit, could hear the desperate cries of the Moonlit Wanderers from the nearby villages.

A peculiar emotion welled up inside him as he scrutinized the situation.

Moments later, a smile graced his lips. He turned to the distraught Denise and instructed, "You may send a message to Dogget aboard the starship. Tell him there's no need for alarm. Inform him that the four individuals who have arrived are, in fact, guests invited by you."

"Guests?" Denise looked bewildered.

"Just do as I say!" Yu Yuan commanded firmly.

"Okay, okay."

With a series of whooshing sounds, the thunder vortexes in the cave and those floating further away began to churn, seemingly drawn by an unseen force.

Squeak! Squeak!

A multitude of lightning sables looked up expectantly at the four pillars of light in the sky.

Within two of those pillars, Rong Xun and Xie Bin from the Obsidian Thunder Sect felt a stir in their hearts. They had detected the origin of the lightning. Their eyes brightened as they exclaimed, "It's over there!"

The four Divine Level cultivators discerned the direction and swiftly made their way toward the forbidden area where Yu Yuan and Denise were located.

"They're heading straight for us!"

Denise's anxiety intensified.

"Don't worry. With us here, you have nothing to fear," Yu Yuan reassured her with unwavering calm.

Squinting at the four beams of light as they altered course, he mused over the serendipity of the situation. How had Rong Xun and Xie Bin from the Obsidian Thunder Sect managed to find this place?

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