C1235 The Liveliest

Pei Yuling spoke with an eerily calm tone.

The Divine Visage he summoned resembled a deity reigning over a distinct realm of space-time. In comparison to Zhu Huan and Fu Xuanwen's Divine Visages, it wasn't as towering, yet it radiated an aura of mystique.

Without any superfluous gestures, the Star River, born from the Starfall Sea, began to waver precariously.

The Star Dome and the expansive space within the Starfall Sea appeared to be suffused with Pei Yuling's power, stirring them into a frenzied turmoil.

Beru and Leo watched as the entire Star River started to fracture like a vast sheet of ice.

They immediately realized that a cultivator skilled in space magic had penetrated the area, disrupting the Starfall Sea's normal functions.

Boom!

Xu Jingyao seized the opportunity to shift his attack, targeting areas beyond the reach of Yu Yuan's expansive grasp. He propelled the Flame Spear forward with renewed vigor.

Yu Yuan responded by shifting the position of his palm atop the stone, patching the breaches wherever the meteoric shower of flames pierced through.

The dragon's breath, drawn from the Chronowyrm's remains, coursed through him and was channeled through his palm, effectively sealing and suppressing the Star River within the stone.

"Do you insist on this course of action?"

Pei Yuling's demeanor chilled as Yu Yuan continued to disregard his warnings.

"Halt!"

At his command, Yu Yuan's hand, previously in motion, seemed to be bonded to the stone with an unyielding adhesive, immobilized.

The unseen spatial constraint, manifested from Pei Yuling's cry, targeted solely that hand.

A cascade of iridescent light erupted from Yu Yuan's fingertips, but his confinement lasted only seconds before he wrenched free.

Yet, those precious seconds were exactly what Pei Yuling had aimed for.

Crack!

The stone surface, which Yu Yuan had intended to shield, splintered completely. Slender beams of fire, like a waterfall reversing its course, burst forth from the illusory Starfall Sea towards the actual Kuvrepros.

With a resounding blast, the stone, along with the illusory Starfall Sea and the holy weapon, the Starfall Sea, disintegrated into oblivion.

Beru and Leo, enveloped in orbs of starlight, made their escape, their faces etched with distress.

Suspended high in the sky, Xu Jingyao clutched the Flame Spear, his rebellious face dotted with peculiar "freckles."

Upon closer inspection, these "freckles" were revealed to be numerous points of starlight, scattered not only across his face but his entire body.

Xu Jingyao let out a howl as the sunfire within him mingled with the starlight specks, purging them from his body and cleansing the impurities from his Solar Spirit Body.

The Flame Spear ascended, traversing the void and spanning millions of miles in a single breath, heading straight for the yellow sun of the Kuvrepros Astral Domain.

The Divine Artifact had expended too much power within the Starfall Sea, suffering damage beyond what Xu Jingyao's level of power and combat ability could repair.

The artifact, possessing its own spirit, had long coveted the yellow sun of Kuvrepros. Without the need to conceal its presence, the Divine Artifact autonomously flew toward the sun to harvest its fiery essence.

Whoosh!

Fu Xuanwen descended gracefully, alighting next to Xu Jingyao, and inquired, "Are you alright?"

"There's trouble."

Xu Jingyao had devoted all the sunfire gifted by his sect to smelting the stellar impurities within him, refining away the freckle-like specks.

His power continued to drain rapidly; not only was wielding the Flame Spear out of the question, but even resisting extraterrestrial psionic powers would prove extremely challenging.

"The Flame Spear will annihilate that sun. Once it makes its entrance, I too must retreat to heal."

While speaking, Xu Jingyao cast a disdainful glance at Yu Yuan, his face unmasking the depth of his enmity. "Every time I nearly broke free, this man would thwart my escape!"

"The remnants of Boulderdawn cannot escape," Fu Xuanwen assured with a smile.

"Thank you, Mr. Pei. Your assistance has not gone unnoticed. I am indebted to you and will ensure a generous recompense!" Xu Jingyao expressed his gratitude with a respectful bow.

He was acutely aware that it was Pei Yuling who had truly rescued him, aiding his escape from the Starfall Sea and Yu Yuan's confinement. Without Pei Yuling's intervention, even the full might of the Flame Spear would have failed to shatter the illusory Star River and break through Beru and Leo's stringent blockade.

"It's only right," Pei Yuling affirmed with a subtle nod.

Zhu Huan, Fu Xuanwen, and all the formidable onlookers couldn't help but hold the arcanist who had mastered space magic in higher regard after witnessing that moment.

The celestial light of Kuvrepros showered down upon the meteorite and Leo, who was visibly heartbroken.

Clutching the broken strand of the Starfall Sea, Leo gazed at the trinkets that once made up the celestial array, now dissipating into motes of light. "Another holy weapon has been destroyed," he said with a tinge of bitterness.

As a divine child graced by the heavens, the radiant beams of Kuvrepros sensed his wounds and bestowed cosmic energy upon him.

Standing atop the meteorite, he was regaining his strength with every passing second, while the Altar of Rebirth within him operated at full speed.

Yet, Beru's battered body was not something that could be healed quickly.

Yu Yuan handed him a bottle filled with a rainbow of liquids, saying, "I crafted this in Zekrica. It should help you recover a bit faster."

Without hesitation, Beru accepted the bottle and downed its contents in one swift motion.

"Yu Yuan, what Pei Yuling truly desires is the Dragon Slaying Stage you possess. He's plotting your demise!"

The Great Sage, who had lived for millennia, spoke gravely, "Ignore his outward stance and his claims of wanting to align with Boulderdawn. His neutrality, his entire facade, is a betrayal of his true intentions."

"Believe me, a cultivator who has mastered space magic and ascended to the Unbound Realm would never tolerate the rise of another being at the primordial spirit level."

"Yan Qiling of the Skyreach Consortium and Zhou Xiao are both allies of yours. In time, with your permission, they may tap into the residual power of the Chronowyrm."

"Alternatively, they might achieve the primordial spirit status without the Chronowyrm's influence."

"Pei Yuling fears nothing, not even the five supreme Primordial Spirits or the Dark Deity. His Divine Visage reveals that if he chose to flee, neither the primordial spirits nor the Dark Deity could seal off every avenue of escape."

"If Zhou Xiao and Yan Qiling join forces, they could contain him. Should either advance to the primordial spirit level, they would have the power to end his life."

"The Dragon Slaying Stage you command also wields such power, ensuring that escape is impossible. Do you grasp that now?"

"..."

Great Sage Beru spoke with rapid urgency.

Yu Yuan had barely heard him out before he was nodding emphatically, a dawning realization washing over him.

Cultivators of the Unbound Realm feared neither Primordial Spirits nor Dark Deities, for they knew that even if they couldn't triumph, they could easily slip away.

But should either Zhou Xiao or Yan Qiling ascend to the level of Primordial Spirit, Pei Yuling would no longer be free to act at will within the extraterrestrial Star River.

And then there was the Dragon Slaying Stage in his possession!

With the Voidweaver chieftain rumored to have vanished while exploring the Maw of Oblivion, the number of beings and objects that could threaten Pei Yuling and corner him were few.

And, as it happened, all were aligned with the Boulderdawn Sect.

"I understand."

Yu Yuan acknowledged with unspoken comprehension.

"Mr. Pei, please escort me to receive healing first!"

Xu Jingyao, having burst forth from the Starfall Sea, sensed the Flame Spear nearing the yellow sun and bowed respectfully to Pei Yuling.

"Remember your words today."

Pei Yuling's Divine Visage reached out, drawing Xu Jingyao into his sleeve.

In the blink of an eye, Xu Jingyao vanished from sight, only to reappear in another Star River, wielding the Flame Spear and diving into the fiery yellow sun.

The yellow sun, casting its glow over Kuvrepros, blazed fiercely at its edges.

Wrapped in the Flame Spear, Xu Jingyao made a slight adjustment and instantly reached the sun's core.

Pei Yuling's other sleeve bulged as if filled by a gusty wind.

He raised an eyebrow, hesitated briefly, and then decided, "Well, let's add to the excitement."

With a whoosh, Rong Xun, Xie Bin, Han Dan, and Jin Haolong tumbled out from the other sleeve of the Divine Visage.

The four cultivators from the Everlands, now part of the Boulderdawn Sect and the Skyreach Consortium, were initially taken aback before their faces turned pale with astonishment.

The spectacle before them was utterly staggering, sending chills through the cultivators who had ventured beyond Zekrica.

"Yu, Yu Yuan?!"

Xie Bin, recovering from his initial shock, spotted Yu Yuan standing alongside Starborn's Beru and Leo, and cried out in disbelief.

"We've already crossed paths in Zekrica. There's no need for such a commotion," Yu Yuan said with a blink.

"Zekrica? You mean that person from the Shadowkin?" Han Dan was quick to catch on, smacking her forehead. "I knew something was off! It was you all along!"

"And where might the Songbird Queen be?" inquired Jin Haolong with a hint of wonder.

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