C1207 A Missed Opportunity

The sword scar etched into Yu Yuan's arm bone was searing hot, sending shockwaves through his heart. He abruptly looked up at the timeless, luminous moon and the stars that sparkled like diamonds, and a realization dawned on him: The Titanblade had reached this realm!

The fiend, with its Starbeast host, watched silently, its beastly eyes ablaze with fire. It could sense something amiss with Yu Yuan's arm bone, yet the reason eluded it.

Meanwhile, the Songbird Queen, roused from her slumber, blinked her eyes awake and cast a curious glance at Yu Yuan's arms. Then, with a pensive look, she gently closed her eyes once more.

A tumultuous wave of emotions surged within Yu Yuan. The Dark Star Realm was a vast distance from Kuvrepros, separated by an infinite expanse of stars. It was inconceivable that the Divine Sword, now inhabited by the sword spirit, had traversed from the Shura's Dark Realm just for him.

No one could have foreseen his instantaneous journey from the Dark Star Realm to this place via the Dragon Slaying Stage. If not for him, how could the Divine Sword, having departed the Dark Realm, manifest in this Astral Domain?

The answer crystallized in his mind: Zekrica! The world fashioned by Nie Qingtian, who had relocated mortals and Fellbeasts, dividing it into two lands.

Once the sword spirit had settled within the Divine Sword, it must have awakened a latent power and, following a predetermined trajectory, crossed the vast Star River, arriving here from another world.

It all made sense now. He grasped why his former self, upon briefly awakening, had depleted all his Soul Power and vitality, tapping into the enigmatic energy of the Dragon Slaying Stage to transport himself from the Dark Star Realm to Zekrica. That person had calculated the Titanblade's inevitable arrival!

Perhaps within the sword scar on his arm bone lay the coordinates among the stars, along with a message from the sword spirit. His realm of cultivation was not yet sufficient to decipher its profundities.

The mysteries that eluded his perception were likely clear to his former self in a single glance.

"So, I was sent here because you foresaw the Titanblade's arrival, to await the return of the Divine Sword."

After Yu Yuan had a moment of clarity, he turned his gaze to Chen Qinghuang, and immediately, he found himself wrestling with his thoughts.

Without Chen Qinghuang by his side, what would he have to fear from Leo, Beru, or Gheirat, Denise's father?

Representing Boulderdawn, his status had been proven extraordinary by all the sect's experts, and even the God-King, during his time in Ionodios.

In the absence of Chen Qinghuang, Leo, Beru, and Gheirat would surely treat him with great honor, careful not to slight him in any way.

But...

Chen Qinghuang signified the secular bird, the sworn enemy of all Otherkin across the Extraterrestrial Star River. Beru and Leo could not bear the weight of a resurrected secular bird reclaiming its former glory.

His eyes darted about, betraying the fierce battle within his heart, his expression growing somber.

If he left early with Chen Qinghuang, he would miss his chance at the Titanblade, but her safety would be secured, and her identity would remain concealed.

Waiting for the Titanblade could very well mean encountering Beru and Leo first, leading to a host of unforeseen complications.

"Hey?"

Han Dan from the Starmoon Sect, noting his fluctuating demeanor and prolonged silence, prompted him impatiently, "You don't need that much time to find the right words, do you? Come on, tell us, what makes Zekrica so peculiar?"

Rong Xun and the others also looked on with anticipation.

"Zekrica was originally forged from fragments of the Everlands, pieced together and brought into this realm," Yu Yuan revealed, honoring his earlier promise to disclose the truth.

As the Starmoon Sect and Obsidian Thunder Sect experts listened in astonishment, he elaborated, unveiling even more hidden secrets.

"The Moon Slayer Cultivator? Crafted by Nie Qingtian? All for the resurrection of his beloved?"

Upon hearing this, Han Dan, the sole woman present, was visibly moved. With a look of longing, she remarked, "I never imagined that such a prominent figure was also a Grand Sword Immortal, deeply in love! The three upper sects, the Devil Palace, and Shadow's Keep have always been reticent about his tale, even going to lengths to conceal it. Who would have thought it contained such a poignant love story?"

Rong Xun, Xie Bin, and Jin Haolong were initially stunned by the revelation, which subsequently led them into a contemplative silence.

The four cultivators, who had achieved the level of Solar Spirit, were relatively young. Xie Bin, in his younger days, had frequent interactions with Yu Yuan, who was previously known as Hong Qi. The others were merely three to four hundred years old, not contemporaries of Nie Qingtian, who had fought his way through the extraterrestrial realms a millennium earlier.

Nie Qingtian later perished after pursuing a path that defied the five great supreme forces, resulting in the annihilation of his soul. Following his death, the same forces quietly obliterated all evidence of his past triumphs and very existence, mandating those in the know to withhold such information from the sect's new disciples.

Within the Sword Sect, only the older generation of cultivators were aware of Nie Qingtian. Rong Xun and his companions, representing the new wave of cultivators, only learned of the Moon Slayer's extraordinary prowess from a thousand years ago after the Boulderdawn's resurgence drew their attention to the Everlands, the Moonfall Sanctuary became a focal point, and the Sword Prison's abrupt descent prompted their investigation.

Upon realizing that Zekrica was crafted by Nie Qingtian himself, with the intent to resurrect his partner, the group couldn't help but feel a profound reverence.

"After a considerable time to absorb this information, Yu Yuan spoke again, "The Starborn's Beru and Leo will be arriving shortly. You've shown restraint in Zekrica, and for that, Beru and Leo won't trouble you. Your affiliations with the Starmoon Sect and the Obsidian Thunder Sect have aligned you with the Boulderdawn."

"We wouldn't dream of tampering with a world he crafted!" Jin Haolong declared emphatically.

"Should anyone dare to desecrate this place, they'll answer to me first!" Han Dan warned with a menacing glare, turning her fierce gaze upon Jin Haolong. "Mind your actions. Not just the Fellbeasts, but even the Otherkin are off-limits to your recklessness!"

"I didn't do anything," Jin Haolong said, feeling wronged.

"No wonder you let us make our own choice."

Upon understanding the full picture, Rong Xun nodded and cast a glance at the fiend possessing the Starbeast. "We need time to process this, and we'd like to further investigate Zekrica."

"Feel free," Yu Yuan replied with a smile.

The four cultivators who had reached the level of Solar Spirit then left the forbidden area. Yu Yuan sensed that once they had made up their minds, they wouldn't bother to inform him.

Their decision to stay or go no longer required his approval.

"Why can they do as they please, and I can't?" the fiend behind him grumbled discontentedly.

"Because they understand the rules and have their sects backing them. Once they leave Zekrica, they won't go on a killing spree or cause chaos in Kuvrepros," Yu Yuan said with a cold laugh.

"How do you know I would?" the fiend muttered, his voice betraying a lack of conviction.

"You're far from regaining your full strength. As a Terra Fiend, you need countless lost souls to truly reclaim your former power," Yu Yuan retorted sharply. "Without a sect's support, you fear no repercussions. If I were to grant you freedom, many realms within Kuvrepros would become desolate wastelands of death. And once your spirit is restored, restraining you might be beyond even Beru's capabilities."

"You're the one with the power; whatever you say goes," the fiend conceded, offering no argument.

He knew Yu Yuan was speaking the truth.

It was only due to Yu Yuan's restraint, along with Rong Xun and Xie Bin's presence, that he hadn't hunted the Otherkin of Zekrica to quickly replenish his devil soul and regain his peak strength.

If Zekrica was off-limits, what about the other little worlds within Kuvrepros?

He paid no mind to Yu Yuan's conflicts with Boulderdawn, Skyreach Consortium, and the five paramount forces.

His sole focus was to swiftly recover his combat prowess and, amidst the current turmoil, reach a level where he could pose a threat to the Dark Phoenix.

As a Terra Fiend, he was an anomaly from the Everlands, neither human nor demon.

His imprisonment was due to his history of rampant slaughter in the Everlands, where both humans and archdemons fell victim to his predations.

What about the Otherkin outside?

...

In the gloomy cabin.

The Starbeast, now possessed by a fiend, squatted behind a layer of dust-covered crystal. Its eyes, ablaze with a spectrum of seven colors, suddenly appeared hollow.

The wrecked warship, smeared with various dyes, belonged to Elena and Pattinson. It had been en route to Zekrica but had since departed.

Inside were only Yu Yuan, Chen Qinghuang, Elena, and the fiend.

"Thank you for bringing me along," Elena said, gesturing to the numerous counters and hidden compartments within the cramped cabin. She enthusiastically detailed the ship's assortment of rare magic items and crystals to Yu Yuan.

Yu Yuan responded with a detached tone, "You have no idea what you're up against."

The Lower Continent of Zekrica was still in clear view behind the crystal, indicating that the warship had only recently left its proximity.

"What do I have to fear?" Elena's lips curled into a confident smile as she pumped her fist in the air. "Once I advance to the ninth level, with my fighting prowess and talent, I'll be unstoppable! Then, I'll return to our lair and pummel every last intruder who dared claim our home!"

While they conversed, Chen Qinghuang came to once more.

Upon her awakening, the dim warship seemed to brighten, as she instantly reverted to her true form.

No longer resembling a Shadowkin, she now bore the ethereal beauty of a celestial maiden, as if lifted from a dreamlike painting.

She appeared even younger than during her time in Ionodios, barely eighteen or nineteen years old.

"That sword, it's coming this way," she said, her delicate fingers pointing towards the receding Zekrica. Her luminous eyes then shifted to Yu Yuan's arms, and with a slight tilt of her head, she inquired, "Why didn't you wait?"

Yu Yuan's smile was radiant. "What's meant for me won't escape."

"The sword? What sword?" the fiend inquired with curiosity.

Elena, momentarily taken aback, gradually widened her eyes in realization. "The sword from the Dark Realm?!"

Yu Yuan chuckled. "For now, its target seems to be Zekrica. But I'm confident that, eventually, it will seek me out on its own."

"Is it because of me?" Chen Qinghuang asked directly, "Did you rush to leave because of me?"

Yu Yuan remained contemplative and silent.

Chen Qinghuang gave a slight nod, her voice detached, "I understand."

"Could you possibly be referring to Nie Qingtian's Divine Sword?" The fiend inhabiting the Starbeast drew out the implications slowly, its fiery eyes sparking as it fixed its gaze on Yu Yuan's arm. "I sensed something amiss back on the Lower Continent. Are you... could you be Nie Qingtian's heir?"

"In a manner of speaking," Yu Yuan replied with a neutral tone.

Given the fiend's savage and murderous nature, its eternal imprisonment seemed only fitting.

Yu Yuan was preoccupied with the thought of recovering the Crucible of Evil at the earliest opportunity to use the cauldron to subdue the fiend.

"Nie Qingtian's heir, huh!"

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