C1256 Searching the Sky
Deep within the Deep Starfield, a meteorite a hundred times larger than the others floated serenely, like its own miniature universe. Surrounding it were hundreds of smaller meteorites, identical in hue, orbiting it as if it were their sun. Such a sizable meteorite was an extraordinary rarity in the Starfield.
"We've arrived," announced Pei Yuling, utilizing the power of the Void Mirror to hover above a smaller meteorite. He set Chu Yao aside with a grave look and gazed intently at the colossal meteorite below. "Chu Yao, stay here. Don't wander off."
Chu Yao nodded obediently, his curiosity piqued as he surveyed the enormous meteorite beneath them. The dark brown earth was littered with countless dead trees, leafless and lifeless, their withered trunks so large they would require several people to encircle them. Chu Yao could only imagine that in a bygone era, this place must have been teeming with verdant foliage.
"This must have been what the Dark Elfkind's Starfield looked like," Chu Yao mused silently.
Narrowing his eyes, he noticed the skeletons of humans, alien beasts, formidable outsiders, and great demons scattered among the desiccated trees. Ruins of buildings, unmistakably in the architectural style of the Dark Elfkind, lay scattered across the landscape as well.
Yet the meteorite, despite its considerable size, exuded an oppressive, deathly stillness that weighed heavily on the spirit.
Chu Yao, with his level of cultivation and insight, couldn't shake the visions of brutal, blood-soaked battles that seemed to be etched into the very surface of the meteorite. The longer he stared, the more a sense of foreboding clouded his mind, his consciousness blurring as if stained by some unseen malevolence.
"Once, it was the most flourishing world in the Deep Starfield. But now, it's not a place just anyone would dare to tread," Pei Yuling murmured, clutching the Void Mirror tightly as he gracefully descended onto the vast meteorite.
Then, before Chu Yao's very eyes, Pei Yuling vanished as seamlessly as a droplet merging with the sea, disappearing into the meteorite.
...
Beneath the surface, a gaunt Dark Elfkind elder sat disheveled, his hair eerily intertwined with the roots of a massive tree. The roots, though clearly dead, were of an inconceivable magnitude.
The elder of the Dark Elfkind had hair like a few withered roots dangling from a dead tree. Suddenly, the elder, who appeared to have been lifeless for many years, opened his eyes. As he did, the subterranean space ignited with the eerie glow of two green specters. His hair, intertwined with the tree's roots, swiftly regained its sheen, as if he were drawing sustenance from the tree to sustain his fragile vitality. It seemed his survival hinged on the giant tree's roots, which clung to his very existence.
"Have you come here following the guidance of the Origin Realm God?" he inquired, peering at Pei Yuling, who had appeared out of nowhere. His dark green pupils sparkled with a mix of madness and anticipation.
"Heh! A human, no less! It appears the Origin Realm God's influence has seeped into the Boundless Great World! Truly worthy of the exalted Origin Realm God, I always knew this day would arrive!"
Clutching the Void Mirror, Pei Yuling stared at the frenzied Dark Elfkind elder, feeling an inexplicable dread wash over him. He had already discerned that this elder was once the sovereign of the Deep Starfield and among the first of the alien strongholds to yield to the Origin Realm God. The elder had played a pivotal role in the cataclysm that transformed the Deep Starfield into the notorious Outer Battlefield.
Indeed, were it not for this elder, the Deep Starfield might still be a thriving realm under Dark Elfkind dominion. The elder's ambition had precipitated a colossal upheaval, reshaping the starfield into its current state.
Pushing aside his wandering thoughts, Pei Yuling adopted a neutral tone, "I am here to assist you as commanded."
"Are you prepared?" the elder asked with a sinister chuckle.
"Prepared," Pei Yuling affirmed gravely.
"Good, then let us commence."
...
Yan Qiling, with Yu Yiyi in tow, meandered through the Deep Starfield, their demeanor nonchalant. Whenever they detected the presence of alien beings or practitioners from the vast expanses, they would deftly avoid any encounter, not seeking any unnecessary contact. Their objective was clear: to locate Yu Yuan first and foremost. As the Artifact Soul of the Great Cauldron, Yu Yiyi possessed the unique ability to sense her master's presence within a certain proximity.
Therefore, theoretically, as long as Yu Yuan was indeed present, and the area where he and Yu Yiyi were active was expansive enough, they were bound to encounter him eventually.
Whoosh!
Yan Qiling came to an abrupt halt on a meteorite barely large enough for ten people to stand on. Yu Yiyi paused as well and asked with curiosity, "What's the matter?"
Without responding, Yan Qiling's unique form began to shimmer with dazzling halos. Each layer seemed to be a gateway to a different dimension, making Yu Yiyi feel as though the man before her was navigating through the layers of space itself.
After a moment's pause, Yan Qiling inhaled deeply, his expression grave as he fixed his gaze in a particular direction. "Not long ago, an anomaly emerged in the corridor between the Delude Devil Abyss and the Fallen Moon Forbidden Area. Unexpectedly, the Deep Starfield, now known as the Outer Battlefield, has also attracted attention."
"What are you talking about?" Yu Yiyi asked, puzzled.
"Even if I explained, you wouldn't understand," Yan Qiling said, shaking his head and furrowing his brow in deep thought. "There's definitely something amiss! The question is whether this occurrence was accidental or deliberate. If it's the latter, first in that corridor, and now in the Deep Starfield..."
"Deep Starfield!" Yan Qiling exclaimed suddenly.
He vividly recalled the conversation with Yan Ziyang about the secrets of the Deep Starfield, shared just before he had decided to pass through the Silver Sand Starfield to reach the Outer Battlefield.
"Could it really be such a coincidence?" Yan Qiling muttered, his lips dry.
...
In the chilly, damp cave, Yu Yuan's Yin God settled back into his form, and he casually tossed the Dragon Slash Platform back into his small aperture world. He was explaining the current complex situation to Yan Ziyang.
He shared that the Freezing Devaputra Race had aligned with the main forces of the Outland Devaputra. Furthermore, the Divine Soul Sect and the Babel Chamber of Commerce, with their sweeping influence, had now garnered the approval of several formidable races from the outer domains and were making headway with their new initiatives.
Yan Ziyang listened, taken aback by the revelations.
Once Yu Yuan had clarified the new dynamics beyond their realm, he gestured for Yan Ziyang to follow his orders, directing the precious resources of the frigid land towards the Winged Race's Starfield.
Yan Ziyang complied with a sense of hope in his heart—the hope of reviving the Ghost Spirit Sect. He believed that even if he couldn't rely on the Ghost God from Horror Land for a second chance at life, he could still gather disciples within the Boundless Great World as a preacher, breathing new life into the once-destroyed sect. As long as the Ghost Spirit Sect remained present in the world, he would harbor no regrets and would not feel that he had let down his ancestors or his sect.
One day, Yan Ziyang abruptly stood, his brow furrowed, and announced, "An intruder has come into our domain."
The Yin God, lurking within the Dragon Slash Platform, had been covertly observing Yu Yuan, who was keeping a watchful eye on the Freezing Devaputra. At Yan Ziyang's words, he opened his eyes.
"The so-called Yin Corpse," Yan Ziyang declared with certainty.
"Yin Corpse!" Yu Yuan exclaimed, a jolt of alarm coursing through him.
His mind immediately went to his previous encounters with the Yin Corpse King and Lim Zhuyun. His expression darkened as he readied himself for combat.
"It's merely a Yin Corpse," Yan Ziyang scoffed dismissively. "A lifeless entity. What significance does it have on the surface?"
"It won't detect us?" Yu Yuan inquired, intrigued.
"Absolutely not," Yan Ziyang assured him confidently. "The Yin Corpse isn't like those extraterrestrial beings. It won't detect anything amiss simply because of a meteorite's movement. A witless being, it only seeks out vital energy. Without sensing vitality, it will remain oblivious to any anomalies. Rest assured, the Yin Corpse will mistake this for nothing more than an ordinary, albeit mobile, boulder."
Yu Yuan nodded in understanding. The presence of a Yin Corpse suggested that the Yin Corpse King and Lim Zhuyun might not be far off.
Should he consider confronting them?
