C1219 It Was Slightly Awkward

Yu Yuan's wrist flicked ever so slightly, wielding the Baneblade with a deft motion.

Seven orbs of Bloodwraith coalesced into a crimson sun, morphing into a gaping maw that lunged at Jiang Xingwen, who had only just regained consciousness.

Beams of light burst forth from Jiang Xingwen's Solar Spirit Body, only to be shattered in an instant by the infiltrating specks of bloody luminescence within them.

The Solar Spirit Body, tempered by Jiang Xingwen through the Abyssal Dawn's Glazed Sacred Body technique, and the embodiment of her spiritual energy and Soul Power, now bore fissures and weaknesses. It was no match for the Baneblade, a weapon whose notoriety sent shivers down the spines of the mightiest in the Everlands and beyond.

"Profound Sky Pillar!"

Cao Jiaze, previously concealed within another palace, suddenly elevated his stature, casting a detached gaze upon the blood-stained terrain. His thumbs and little fingers touched, forming an enigmatic seal.

The once-collapsed palace underwent a miraculous transformation at the behest of his hand gestures.

Colossal pillars, wrapped in cascading auroras, descended from beneath the palace, puncturing the blood-soaked land that shimmered like a constellation, disrupting the formation of the Bloodwraiths' maws.

Jiang Xingwen, her form as pristine as glazed glass, swiftly broke free, plunging a thousand meters through a crevice and escaping the sanguine pull of the Baneblade's Bloodhell.

The resplendent pillars, adorned with auroras, retracted into the palace.

The palace, cloaked in an infinite glow, solidified into a luminous seal, which Cao Jiaze grasped gently. "Yu Yuan, both hailing from the Everlands, and with the Shura at odds with the Boulderdawn, why must you exploit them to oppress us?" Cao Jiaze lamented.

A majestic palace sheltered him, allowing his true form to descend unscathed by the Star River's psionic power.

The two palaces, suspended aloft, shone brightly, warding off the encroaching Heartthumper Drum and shielding all from its malevolent energies.

The fourth Mark of the Celestials nestled into his palm, ready to transform into a weapon at a moment's notice.

Wielding the four seals, Cao Jiaze exuded an air of distinction, even on his maiden voyage to the extraterrestrial Star River, with his full arsenal yet to be unveiled.

"Traitor!"

After Jiang Xingwen escaped the peril, she found herself on fragmented terrain. Taking a moment to swallow a pill and regain her composure, she then glared at Yu Yuan beneath the remains of the warship and spat out, cursing, "All the old friends who once fought alongside you will now see you as a disgrace!"

Yu Yuan was taken aback, then quickly came to a realization. Jiang Xingwen's personality might not be the only thing that had changed. Having carried the River of Souls for an extended period in the Land of Terror, she had been tainted by the evil energy of Dhoreus, warping her very soul.

Jiang Xingwen, now affected by an abundance of evil psionic powers, had essentially become demonic. Yet, she was completely unaware, unable to feel the change within herself.

"Forget it."

Yu Yuan, initially ready to strike again, remembered that she was a descendant of Jiang Yan'er and considered Nie Qingtian's connection. He decided it wasn't worth contending with her in this state and refrained from further action, dismissing Jiang Xingwen's spiteful words.

"There's still one more Frost Well."

At that moment, Elena, standing near the cabin entrance, sensed a chilling presence linked to her bloodline and grew more anxious.

"Frost Well!" Yu Yuan exclaimed, startled.

But he quickly composed himself and nodded in acknowledgment.

He knew Elena's intuition was accurate. The Shura army pursuing the Titanblade would need a Frost Well to re-imprison the Divine Sword in the Dark Realm once they found it in Zekrica.

"There are several hundred Shura warriors, including some from the Dark Realm. I think... we should steer clear," Elena suggested timidly.

"Several hundred?"

At her words, both Yu Yuan and Cao Jiaze from Ebon Star were momentarily taken aback.

The number of human cultivators and archdemons in the Everlands was not overly large due to stringent restrictions on those leaving the extraterrestrial realm. A small team might number only a dozen, while a larger one would have several dozen members at most.

Despite the continuous influx of Solar Spirits and eighth-level archdemons to the extraterrestrial, their total numbers hadn't surged dramatically, seemingly constrained by the cosmic order of the Everlands.

The Otherkin from beyond our world are a different breed, equipped with starships capable of evading the psionic powers of the extraterrestrial realms. They deploy hundreds of warriors without breaking a sweat.

Yet, those of weaker bloodline levels, the fifth and sixth levels, are no match for the Solar Spirits and eighth level archdemons of the Everlands. They're essentially cannon fodder.

The significance of their presence is minimal.

Five Shura starships, hundreds of Shura warriors, including the Dark Realm's Ebon Star, a ninth level platinum Shura, the Heartthumper Drum, and the Frost Well, all gave Cao Jiaze of the Ebon Star Sect an uneasy feeling.

"What's in Kuvrepros?" he pondered, his brow furrowed as he fixed his gaze on Yu Yuan, his eyes darting with uncertainty. "The Shura and the Starborn bear no grudges; they wouldn't invade without cause. This Shura legion must be here for another reason. Could it be... because of you? No, it's not you!"

Taking a deep breath, Cao Jiaze exclaimed, "It's because of the secular bird!"

With a howl reminiscent of a solitary wolf, he directed his cry towards the Shura warship, amplifying his voice with the Mark of the Celestials. In a slightly awkward Shura tongue, he bellowed, "The secular bird you seek is aboard that warship, wounded and vulnerable. Now is your perfect opportunity!"

His voice, mighty and far-reaching, echoed across millions of miles.

The faces of Elena and Yu Yuan were a spectacle of emotions due to his outburst.

"This..."

The Shura girl was overwhelmed with frustration. She longed to instantly appear at the palace where Cao Jiaze was concealed and pulverize him into a pulp, releasing the fury within her.

Cao Jiaze, who knew only the legends of the secular bird, was oblivious to the magnitude of power that the awakened Chen Qinghuang wielded.

Having witnessed Chen Qinghuang's formidable might firsthand, the power to devastate both heaven and earth, she feared even more for the Shura's fate.

"Eh!"

After his roaring declaration, the future leader of the Ebon Star Sect was suddenly struck by an awkward realization.

The five Shura starships, shaped like flatfish, didn't surge forward with the acceleration he had anticipated. Instead, they hastily slowed down as if a formidable beast loomed ahead, an unstoppable force.

Even the Heartthumper Drum, which had been thundering incessantly, fell abruptly silent.

The ninth-level platinum Shura drummer appeared to be so startled that he ceased his pounding immediately.

This dramatic turn of events left all visitors from the Everlands with peculiar looks on their faces.

And they weren't alone.

Thousands of miles away, on a meteorite deliberately slowing its pace and masking its trail, Beru, Gheirat, and Leo also heard Cao Jiaze's wail in the Shura tongue.

Likewise, they witnessed the five Shura starships, shaped like flatfish, halting their charge as abruptly as a horse reined in at the edge of a cliff.

Then, somewhat awkwardly, they remained stationary in the dark, icy expanse of space, unsure whether to advance or retreat.

"It's not just us who are scared; they're scared too."

The youthful Leo, stroking his chin and the imaginary beard he wished he had, let out an awkward chuckle. "Great Sage, didn't you say the Shura are the most belligerent? As the bravest warriors in the Star River, they've actually halted mid-way because of the words 'secular bird'."

Beru shot him a look. "Wasn't it you who told Gheirat to slow down?"

"I admit I'm scared, but why should they be?" Leo retorted with defiance.

"Even if the secular bird has only recovered part of its power, without needing to be at its peak, it's still not an adversary the Shura Legion can afford to provoke," Beru shook his head. "A low-level Shura Warrior, even ensconced within a starship, couldn't withstand a single annihilating blast from the secular bird."

He paused before adding, "We, too, can only hold out for so long."

"Mm, that's precisely why I dispersed my subordinates and followers, to prevent them from following," Gheirat nodded in agreement. "I've glimpsed the horror of the secular bird in the ancient scrolls of my clan. Unless one possesses the mightiest tenth-level bloodline, no one can confidently face her."

At that moment, beneath the wrecked warship, Elena, her face a mask of bewilderment, felt a faint tremor in her bloodline. A very discreet aura began to emerge within her.

"Uh, they're cautiously reaching out to me."

...