C1201 Secret of the Sect's Annihilation

The Chopping Moon cultivator, Nie Qingtian, once cherished a true love. During his battles in the Outland, he ascended to the status of a Yang God.

This woman, surnamed Jiang, was the ancestor of Jiang Xingwen from the Taiyuan Sect.

After becoming a Yang God, the rules of the vast cosmos dictated that she should venture into the Outland Star River for further training. She did indeed embark on this journey, but tragically, she perished shortly after leaving the Outland.

This event sowed the seeds of Nie Qingtian's eventual betrayal of the vast cosmos.

In Horror Land, Yu Yuan encountered Mingdu and Jiang Xingwen. Through the revelations of the sword soul and various other hints, he uncovered this hidden truth.

Yet, Yu Yuan could never have imagined that the peculiar Epitaxial Realm beneath him was actually crafted by the Chopping Moon cultivator, Nie Qingtian himself.

Was it all to resurrect his beloved?

"Explain everything!" Yu Yuan demanded.

"The Optimus Empire was established by the family of Nie Qingtian. The name 'Optimus' was chosen to leverage his reputation, deterring other empires across the Profound Sky Continent and informing the sects of Heavenly Source and Quietus Continents of the Nie family's connection to Nie Qingtian."

The demon possessing the Celestial Star Beast narrated the concealed history to Yu Yuan, who listened intently.

Gradually, he learned from the demon of Horror Land that Nie Qingtian's beloved was named Jiang Yuan'er.

Jiang Yuan'er's true form in the vast cosmos went into a frenzy after the Yang God she became was destroyed in the Outland. Unable to withstand the inner demons, her main soul and Yin God shattered. However, an old servant loyal to Nie Qingtian timely encased her with the "Heavenly Pearl of the Specter," preventing her residual soul imprint from dissipating according to cosmic laws and instead merging with the subterranean Yin Meridians.

Upon hearing the devastating news, Nie Qingtian returned from the Outland and took the "Heavenly Pearl of the Specter" to the Outland Star River. Despite being sealed within the pearl, it lacked the power to reconstitute Jiang Yuan'er's fragmented soul.

Legend has it that only the source of Horror Land possessed such power. Yet Nie Qingtian, as the most formidable weapon of the three upper sects, was in constant conflict with Horror Land, akin to fire and water. Given the formidable challenge of even entering Horror Land, it was unthinkable for him to elicit a response from the source of the Yin Meridians.

Nie Qingtian safeguarded the "Heavenly Pearl of the Specter" on his person, biding his time for the right moment. That moment came when the Ghost King Mingdu, in his refusal to accept his fate of never reaching the realm of ghosts and gods within Horror Land, took the "Soul Crossing River" and plunged into the Outland Star River in search of opportunity. This act shattered the tacit agreement between the five paramount forces and Horror Land.

Nie Qingtian was tasked with the execution of Mingdu. Having failed to ascend to the realm of ghosts and gods and having left Horror Land, Mingdu was inevitably doomed when Nie Qingtian tracked him down in the Outland Star River.

With Mingdu's demise, Nie Qingtian extracted a Yin Meridian from his body. He also learned from Mingdu a secret art capable of nurturing the soul, enabling the remnants of spirits and malevolent thoughts to reconvene within the Yin Meridian.

The Yin Meridian, originating from the enigmatic source, held the profound mysteries of the soul's cycle of reincarnation. However, to sustain the Yin Meridian, a microcosm was required, complete with living beings undergoing the natural cycles of birth, aging, illness, and death. To this end, Nie Qingtian cleaved two continents to forge the Epitaxial Realm, populating it with mortals, Lightning Ferrets, Moon Swallowing Apes, and a myriad of flora and fauna.

Through this creation, Nie Qingtian engineered an alternative world, fostering the evolution of mortals and the activities of Demonic Beasts and insects. Thus, he harnessed the natural cycle of life and death to enrich the Yin Meridian, imbuing it with the vitality and marvel it was meant to exude.

Jiang Yu's fragmented soul and memories, once sealed within the "Heavenly Pearl of the Specter," were now channeled into the Yin Meridian. There, she awaited the painstaking process of using the Yin Meridian to mend her fractured spirit and memories over the course of hundreds or even thousands of years, until she could finally recast her soul within the Yin Meridian.

The Epitaxial Realm's purpose was to bring into existence the Lower and Upper Continents, mortals, Demonic Beasts, herbs, and insects—all thanks to Nie Qingtian.

Yu Zhu's father, the Yimo from the Iridescent Cloud Miasma Sea, bore a grudge against the Clouds Sect. He was captured and subsequently chosen by Nie Qingtian to be taken away, along with a piece of land.

This devil was the original source of soul energy for the Yin Meridian.

Before the Yin Meridian could function properly, it had to continuously draw on his soul's energy to sustain itself temporarily.

Once Jiang Yuanying's soul was fully reconstructed and had assimilated the Yin Meridian, she would eliminate this devil and swiftly augment her own power.

Had Nie Qingtian lived and the Epitaxial Realm maintained its normal operations, Jiang Yuanying might have one day returned to the light.

Regrettably...

Following Nie Qingtian's death, the Epitaxial Realm was mysteriously transported to a foreign domain inhabited by the Star Race.

The eternal yellow sun of the Upper Continent was excessively hot, making it unbearable for the Demonic Beasts Nie Qingtian had placed on the far side.

This forced creatures like the Moon Swallowing Ape and the Lightning Ferret to make their way to the Lower Continent, which was home to mortals.

Mortals and Demonic Beasts had always been kept apart, with Nie Qingtian's sword energy sealing the divide.

With his passing, the sword energy seal vanished. Unable to endure the scorching sun, the Demonic Beasts from the Upper Continent fled to the Lower Continent, leading to the rapid extinction of the mortals there.

Years later, Denise's father discovered the Epitaxial Realm and came to exterminate the stronger Demonic Beasts.

Gradually, the realm evolved into its current state.

The mortals were gone, and most of the Demonic Beasts had been slain, leaving only a few newborn, unintelligent Moon Swallowing Apes and Lightning Ferrets. They had completely lost their bearings and were confined by the Star Energy Barrier, unable to shatter it and thus perpetuating their lineage in this sealed-off land, generation after generation.

With the demise of the mortals, the Great Dao of the Epitaxial Realm grew increasingly flawed, no longer able to sustain the Yin Meridian.

As members of the Star Race continued their migrations, bringing with them alien beasts and planting herbs from distant realms, the foundational rules of the Epitaxial Realm began to crumble. Celestial Star Beast-like creatures were abandoned, and the realm's original order was increasingly devastated.

The Yin Meridian, too, had withered like a riverbed starved of fresh water.

Yu Yuan took a long time to process the Demon Lord's account. The enigmatic nature of the Epitaxial Realm and Nie Qingtian's ambitions filled him with both awe and a sense of loss.

—What a shame it wasn't successful.

Upon reflection, he understood that his former self's journey to the Epitaxial Realm must have been purposeful.

Was he aware that it was Nie Qingtian's creation?

What wonders could the realm crafted by Nie Qingtian still hold? What assistance could it offer me, and what mission do I have?

Mingdu was thought dead in the Outer Star River, yet he managed to conceal a fragment of his soul in the Soul Crossing River and resurrect in Horror Land, undetected. Was this because Nie Qingtian had once spared him?

Had Nie Qingtian already harbored thoughts of rebellion then?

Did he overlook Mingdu's revelation about the Yin Meridian's secret to reviving Jiang Yuan'er, allowing a sliver of his soul to remain in the Soul Crossing River?

Otherwise, how could Mingdu, a mere Ghost King, have survived the Outer Star River with Nie Qingtian's formidable power and fearsome combat abilities?

Yu Yuan pondered deeply.

After some time, he turned to the Yimo and inquired, "What about you and the Spider Queen?"

The eight-legged spider was revered as the Spider Queen in the Demon Palace, where he had encountered the formidable demon three centuries ago.

At that time, the Spider Queen had just conceived her Demonic Embryo.

Considering the Epitaxial Realm's history, it must have been established for over a millennium. How did the Yimo come to know the Spider Queen, and how did Yu Zhu come into being?

"She visited this place."

The Yimo, who had taken over the Celestial Star Beast and transformed the alien beast into a demonic form, suddenly appeared melancholic. "In its earliest days, the Epitaxial Realm wasn't located in this Starfield. It was situated in the desolate Oblivion Starfield, where no one resided."

"Oblivion Starfield?" Yu Yuan was at a loss for words.

"Yes, because the Oblivion Starfield..."

The Yimo cautiously glanced at Chen Qinghuang, as if piecing together a puzzle.

He swiftly shifted the conversation. "The Oblivion Starfield, devoid of alien warships and formidable beings, was overlooked by the vast expanse's humans and demons. She, after clashing with the alien race's warriors and sustaining grave injuries, sought refuge in the Oblivion Starfield. By chance, she arrived at the Epitaxial Realm and encountered me."

"I was trapped, unable to escape, and she was grievously wounded, so I offered her assistance. In doing so... she preserved the most pristine essence of life within her. Later, Nie Qingtian arrived. Since she was the Spider Queen of the Demon Palace, and Nie Qingtian and the three upper sects were still on good terms with the Devil Palace and Demon Palace, he ensured her safe departure."

"And here I remain. I long to leave, but Nie Qingtian forbids it! I've been confined for far too long, unable to break free."

"She vowed to me that once she ascended to the rank of Demon God, she would return for me, to liberate me from this torment. I waited centuries, not for her return, but for the news of her demise."

With that, the Yimo fell silent, his head bowed in reminiscence, lost in the memories of yore.

An intense sorrow emanated from him, slowly permeating the entire forbidden area.

He did not speak of the love that blossomed between him and the Spider Queen, but her willingness to conceive a Demon Embryo for him spoke volumes of their profound bond.

Now, he who had awaited the Spider Queen's return had finally escaped his subterranean prison, only to find that she had departed this world forever.

The Yimo gazed skyward, at the twinkling stars and the luminous moon, his thoughts coalescing into a fierce resolve.

He vowed that his life's mission would be to exert every ounce of his power to vex the Demon Phoenix!

Yu Yuan, meanwhile, appeared dazed, struggling to grasp the reality before him, finding it all so incredulous.

A Ninth Level Demon God like the Spider Queen would naturally find it exceedingly difficult to produce offspring. The alien beast before him was so peculiar that, by all logic, it should have been impossible for them to conceive Yu Zhu.

It seems the Spider Queen must have resorted to an alternative method, biding her time for an extended period before finally releasing the sealed essence of the alien beast within her.

Yu Zhu was the progeny of her union with the alien beast. The Spider Queen likely knew that the Demon Palace had marked her for death. Thus, before making another dash for the Outland Star River, she brought Yu Zhu into the world and entrusted her to herself.

Yu Yuan let these speculations run through his mind without uttering a word, quietly processing the implications.

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