C1233 Artifact Soul
As Yu Yuan and Fu Xuanwen were locked in combat, the Great Sage Beru seized the opportunity to break free and re-emerged within the Mystic Sea.
Yu Yuan himself was astounded by this maneuver.
"Xu Jingyao!"
Cao Jiaze of the Profound Sky Sect, amidst the warriors of the Asura Clan, had been deftly maneuvering the palaces until his face suddenly contorted in alarm, and he let out a piercing scream.
"Fu Xuanwen! Pei Yuling!"
Zhu Huan, who had boldly taken on two Platinum Asuras by himself, was now visibly shaken.
His dharma idol, ablaze with fury, glared at Fu Xuanwen and the indifferent Pei Yuling, issuing a stern warning, "Xu Jingyao is the heir to the Primordial Yang Sect's leadership. Should any harm befall him, you'll have to answer to our Sect!"
If Leo were alone in the Mystic Sea, there would be little cause for concern.
Xu Jingyao, wielding the Fire God Spear, was no easy target, not someone to be trifled with.
Particularly since Leo, after being gravely wounded by Fu Xuanwen, was now at a disadvantage as Xu Jingyao began to dominate the fight.
But the tables had turned with Beru's escape from Fu Xuanwen, using his Star Shadow lineage to connect with the Dead Silence Stars, switch places, and slip into the Mystic Sea.
Beru's sudden presence in the Mystic Sea put Xu Jingyao at immediate risk, leaving him vulnerable to a fatal blow.
Even as a Yang God, a fall from the heavens would deal a significant blow to Xu Jingyao, potentially hindering his ascent to greater heights and secretly sowing the seeds of a demon in his psyche.
Zhu Huan was determined to prevent such an outcome.
Both Cao Jiaze and Fu Xuanwen, chastised by Zhu Huan's fury, wore expressions of deep concern.
Xu Jingyao's unique status meant that he was destined to be the Primordial Yang Sect's most exalted figure. Any misfortune befalling him in the Illusion Starfield would bring severe repercussions upon their return to the vast expanses.
The pair steeled themselves, contemplating their next move, focused on ensuring Xu Jingyao's safety.
"Great Sage!"
Leo's voice, filled with genuine relief, echoed from within the stone as the meteor shower's brilliance faded in the Mystic Sea.
Amidst a vast meteor shower, a series of twinkling lights emerged, casting a refreshing coolness around them. A bright and icy crescent moon, with Beru's arrival, lent its clarity to the Mystic Sea's ethereal stars, enabling them to withstand the fiery inferno unleashed by the Fire God Spear.
Upon entering the Mystic Sea, the Great Sage Beru immediately made his presence felt, neutralizing Xu Jingyao's manipulation of the Fire God Spear and its creation of a sky ablaze with flames. This brought tranquility to Yu Yuan's mind.
Grasping the Dragon Slash Platform, Yu Yuan could distinctly feel the young Spinosaurus aiding him in organizing the energies of the dragon corpses within, including the Tenth Level Divine Space-time Dragon. The still-developing creature had become the sovereign of this microcosm, wielding the myriad forces within to reveal the space-time mysteries understood by the Space-time Dragon. Or rather, it was displaying the intricacies of its own lineage through the residual power of the Space-time Dragon.
"I hope that in the years to come, you will continue to stand by my side when I need you, just as you are now," Yu Yuan silently hoped, his thoughts and consciousness permeating the microcosm within the Dragon Slash Platform, aware that the young beast could perceive and understand all his thoughts and desires.
"Hmm!" A new layer of space undulated forth, and Yu Yuan, along with the meteorite beneath his feet, eerily shifted to the battleground where the two Platinum Asuras and Zhu Huan were engaged in combat.
Puff! The spot he had just vacated burst into a myriad of golden glows. These glimmers of light materialized into golden characters midair and, in the blink of an eye, transformed into landscapes of mountains, rivers, ice storms, and a multitude of shattered realms.
Yu Yuan instantly realized that Fu Xuanwen of the Profound Sky Sect had launched a surprise attack while he was deliberating. It was a stealthy strike! Zhu Huan's intended ambush had gone undetected by Yu Yuan, but the young beast within the Dragon Slash Platform he held had anticipated it, prompting both Yu Yuan and the meteorite to vanish from their original location.
"Yu Yuan! Xu Jingyao is a cornerstone of the Primordial Yang Sect. You must not act rashly!" Pei Yuling exclaimed.
"What does this have to do with me? Are you blind? Clearly, those two from the Star Race are ganging up on Xu Jingyao. I'm merely an observer." Yu Yuan chuckled to himself.
At that moment, he noticed the pitch-black darkness beneath the meteorite, which was piercingly cold to the core.
Ahead, Zhu Huan's massive dharma form seemed to be seated within a circle of flames, shaped like a blazing sun. The laws of the universe swirled around him, with an endless inferno burning beneath.
Demian, who had forged the 'Blood Boiling War Drum' into armor and transformed his vital energy into lethal weapons, joined forces with Ciara, shrouded in darkness and biting cold, to strike at Zhu Huan's dharma within the fiery circle.
The Void Mirror's location was shrouded in the deep darkness beneath the meteorite, barely perceptible.
A thought emerged from the purple dragon egg where the young creature resided.
Yu Yuan immediately understood that the Titan spinosaurus's offspring could harness the Space-time Dragon's power to shatter the spatial seal of the Void Mirror, even in its current state.
This meant that the Void Mirror's counterbalance to the Frost Well, which Ciara carried, was on the verge of destruction.
If Ciara were willing to pay the necessary price, she could fully activate her bloodline and establish a connection with the Asura King through the Frost Well.
Sabonis might then have the opportunity to traverse the void.
"No! Not now!"
Yu Yuan was startled and quickly intervened to prevent the young creature's plan, conveying his will to it.
"Void, Void Mirror!"
As the master, Pei Yuling was in tune with the artifact. He felt a disturbance when the young beast within the Dragon Slash Platform threatened to break the spatial seal of the Void Mirror.
The Artifact Soul within the Void Mirror urgently informed him that the platform's power could disrupt the spatial influence he had imposed.
It could even potentially damage the Void Mirror itself, causing harm to the artifact.
Pei Yuling was greatly alarmed. Putting aside all other concerns, he said, "Take care! Trust me, Yu Yuan is too preoccupied to bother with you right now... and he's probably not in a rush to confront you either."
With those words, he traced a pathway through the cosmos, opening a corridor and slipping inside.
Pei Yuling vanished in an instant.
The Void Mirror, submerged in the frigid darkness, suddenly burst into light. Stepping out from the mirror, Pei Yuling clutched the artifact tightly and swiftly extricated himself from the gloom.
"What secrets does the Dragon Slash Platform hold?"
Emerging from the bone-chilling darkness, he stood amidst the black clouds, much like Yu Yuan, and asked with a grave tone.
Yu Yuan met his gaze across the expanse. Meanwhile, on the other side of the black clouds, Zhu Huan's battle with the two Platinum Asuras raged on without pause.
"Fu Xuanwen, take them on. I have to rescue Xu Jingyao!"
Amidst the giant fireball, Zhu Huan, who was at the same Unrestrained Stage Late Period, noticed that the meteor shower created by the Fire God Spear was on the brink of extinction.
Zhu Huan was deeply concerned.
Their venture into the Illusion Starfield was to confront Leo and to ensure the downfall of the Great Sage Beru. But now, the Primordial Yang Sect's future leader was on the verge of death.
How could he stand for that?
If Xu Jingyao were to suffer a mishap, and with him present, there was no way he could justify it.
With the fall of Lee Tianxin, one of the sect's mainstays at the Primordial Spirit Stage, the Primordial Yang Sect was already at a disadvantage among the five great powers of the vast cosmos.
Should Xu Jingyao also perish, the esteemed status of the Primordial Yang Sect could shift dramatically.
And then, the Red Devil Sect, sharing the same roots and always seeking to usurp the Primordial Yang Sect, might take their place.
Such an outcome would mean future suppression by the Red Devil Sect!
The most abundant fire-attributed spiritual materials in the vast cosmos would fall into their hands, paving the way for the Red Devil Sect's path to glory.
This was something Zhu Huan could not, and would not, allow to happen!
