C1215 Enemies Always Cross Paths with Each Other

Setting aside the Spirit Stone, Yu Yuan narrowed his eyes and observed her in silence.

Chen Qinghuang remained in a deep slumber. The Celestial Star Beast, its once fiery gaze now extinguished, lay listlessly in a corner. Not even the grandeur of the starry expanse beyond the crystal face could spark its interest.

It had suffered a harsh punishment, its strength severely drained, leaving it incapable of wreaking havoc.

Elena's cry of alarm elicited no response from him.

"It's the Blood Boiling War Drum!"

The Asura girl moved to the rear of the crystal face, wiping away the visible dust. With a grave look, she peered into a particular region of space and said, "The Blood Boiling War Drum is a revered Quasi-Saint Relic of our clan! Legend has it that it was crafted from a formidable alien beast within the Dark Domain. When struck by our high-level Bloodline warriors, it can amplify the bloodline power of nearby clansmen."

"Any member of the Asura Clan, if sufficiently near the War Drum, will feel its resonance."

It was then that Yu Yuan noticed something unusual about her blood flow.

It was quicker and more fluid than before.

"Only a Ninth Level Platinum Asura can wield the Blood Boiling War Drum!" Elena's eyes turned towards a shadowy spot. "Odd, why would a Platinum Asura bearing the Blood Boiling War Drum suddenly appear in the Illusion Starfield?"

Yu Yuan spoke softly, "What other reason could there be? It must be the Optimus Sword."

Elena's frame shuddered.

She immediately understood that Yu Yuan's assessment was accurate. A Platinum Asura in command of the "Blood Boiling War Drum" wouldn't venture into the Illusion Starfield without cause.

The Optimus Sword's departure from the Dark Domain signified both shame and pride for the Asura Clan.

The sword had once grievously wounded the Asura King and slain countless formidable beings from various races.

This was their shame.

Yet, to confine the Optimus Sword within the Dark Domain indefinitely was also the Asura Clan's way of showcasing their might, a declaration to all formidable races beyond the heavens of their formidable strength.

This was their pride.

Now that the Optimus Sword had freed itself and begun to drift through the cosmos, the Asura Clan was, of course, eager to subdue it once more and return it to the Dark Domain.

"Can you sense the general direction of the Blood Boiling War Drum? And could the Platinum Asura wielding it also detect your location?" Yu Yuan inquired.

After a moment of thought, Elena replied, "Only if the Platinum Asura is using his bloodline and soul to play the War Drum could he sense all nearby clan members through it. Judging by the activity of my bloodline, he's not drumming with full force, so he likely doesn't know I'm here."

"That's a relief," Yu Yuan exhaled and nodded, gesturing, "Let's avoid any unnecessary complications. Adjust your course to steer clear of him."

The Platinum Asura pursuing the "Optimus Sword," armed with the Quasi-Sacred "Blood Boiling War Drum," suggested he was not alone—indeed, he was part of an entire Asura Army. The Asura Clan's warriors were renowned as the elite among clans, a fact Yu Yuan had witnessed firsthand in the Plover Realm. He had no desire to encounter an Asura Army in the Illusion Starfield, nor to engage in needless combat.

"I understand what to do," Elena assured, quietly releasing the weight from her shoulders. She feared the bold Yu Yuan might seek to exploit her connection with the "Blood Boiling War Drum" to ambush the clan members, as had happened in the Plover Realm.

Yu Yuan, however, seemed unfazed. Elena's gaze involuntarily shifted to the slumbering Luan Bird Queen, and considering her formidable power and status, Elena felt increasingly grateful.

...

On the fringes of the Illusion Starfield lay a shattered expanse of land. A weary group of travelers, having journeyed far, chose this spot for a brief respite. They replenished their strength with pellets and Spirit Stones, preparing for the next leg of their flight.

Leading them was Cao Jiaze of the Profound Sky Sect. With modest innate talent, he had painstakingly ascended the heights of cultivation and now, having reached the Middle Period of the Yang God, he sat on an outcropping of green rock. His bare arms were exposed to the corrupting influence of the star energy from beyond, which soon left his skin lacerated and bleeding.

Streams of blood, initially a vivid red, gradually became tainted with alien energies, turning some dark green and others as black as ink, all while emitting a foul, fishy odor. He silently observed the unsettling transformation before briskly shaking his hands, flinging the blood away from his body. Clad in a light green robe that shimmered faintly, he was tightly enveloped and shielded from harm.

Unlike the other Yang Gods, he had descended in his true form, his Yang God essence now fused with his corporeal flesh. It was reminiscent of the days when he had wielded the Heaven Palace Seal to traverse the Horror Land with impunity.

"Brother Chu, how's your recent harvest?" Cao Jiaze asked with a beaming smile, gazing at Chu Yao, who was affectionately dubbed the "Little Medicine God," not far off. "Have you found any spiritual herbs in the outside world capable of being refined into high-grade pellets?"

Chu Yao, the stoic middle-aged man who had only recently succeeded in refining his Yang God and ventured into the unknown, was now exuding a rich, soothing medicinal scent. The nearby cultivators found themselves drawn closer, breathing in the aroma that left them feeling refreshed and invigorated.

The alchemists from the Medicine God Sect were not known for their combat prowess, so after leaving the confines of Heaven's Beyond, they were cautiously protected and steered clear of the Dim Starfield. Instead, Chu Yao had joined the ever-steady Cao Jiaze on a journey to explore the outer realms, a testament to Zhong Chichen's faith in both Cao Jiaze and the Profound Sky Sect.

"There are indeed quite a few; my haul this time is substantial," Chu Yao replied, showing no hint of arrogance before Cao Jiaze.

Further afield, Jiang Xingwen of the Taiyuan Sect, Weixian of the Cold Yin Sect, and several Yang cultivators loyal to Cao Jiaze and the Profound Sky Sect were gathered. They had heeded the call from the Primordial Yang Sect and covertly converged here from the nearest Galaxy Crossing. Their mission was to rendezvous with Leo and Beru of the Star Race.

Unaware of the Secular Bird's emergence, they were still intent on following their original plan, with slight modifications, before proceeding to the Epitaxial Realm.

"In another two hours, we set out. Let's make haste," Cao Jiaze announced with a laugh, rallying the group.

Heads nodded in agreement as everyone made their final preparations, their minds abuzz with thoughts of the Illusion Starfield and the treasures it might hold to enhance their prowess.

Half an hour had passed when a battered Galaxy Ancient Starship abruptly emerged from the dark expanse of the void in the distance.

The warship was not only in disrepair, but its velocity was also mediocre. To the seasoned eyes of the onlookers, it was clearly not a vessel of high caliber. The aliens aboard were undoubtedly of a lower level.

Cao Jiaze gave it a brief look before turning away, evidently uninterested.

A female practitioner from the Cloud Water Sect hesitated briefly. Noticing the lack of interest from the others, she spoke up, "If none of you are curious, I'll go have a look."

With a whoosh, she grasped a banner etched with the patterns of rivers and lakes, her body enveloped in a swirling mist. She soared from the fragmented earth and rapidly approached the warship in the blink of an eye.

"Li Xin! Stop!"

Cao Jiaze, who had been disinterested until now, suddenly detected an odd scent. He leapt to his feet and bellowed.

Above him materialized a majestic palace, akin to the abode of deities.

The palace was adorned with numerous activated Spiritual Arrays and arcane runes, which, once infused with power, burst forth with a dazzling divine glow. This light bathed the Cloud Water Sect woman and the surrounding frigid starry space.

Li Xin, at the Middle Period of the Yang God stage, saw her complexion shift dramatically at the sound of Cao Jiaze's command.

The rivers within the banner became tangible, breaking free and transforming into crystalline waterways that shielded her from the decrepit warship.

The warship came to a shaky halt.

The practitioners from various corners of the Boundless Great World ceased their meditations at Cao Jiaze's cry, all wearing furrowed brows.

Invisible souls, spiritual energy, and faint life forces ascended from the broken earth.

They surged directly toward the derelict warship.

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