C1258 Fearful

The crimson meteor suddenly ignited, bursting into intense flames.

Crack!

Deep within the meteor, what seemed to be a hard crystal shattered explosively.

In the next moment, divine fire shot out in all directions, targeting the Shura warriors with beams that pierced the heavens.

The sky was ablaze, resembling a chaotic meteor shower.

Dang!

Simultaneously, a profound and resonant bell tone emanated from beneath the earth.

Vivid red lotuses blossomed amidst the fierce flames, and in an instant, countless fire symbols and glyphs adorned the meteor's surface.

This meteor, composed of Sunshards, continued to amass lotuses.

The lotuses and flames slowly transformed into a majestic figure resembling a fiery demon with a benevolent countenance.

A graceful silhouette emerged, standing atop a massive copper bell amidst the many lotuses.

The fiery demon, born from the lotuses and flames, acted as a devoted guardian behind the figure, aiding her in harnessing the divine fire, fire symbols, and glyphs to showcase the full splendor of the Pyreheart Incantations, causing the Shura warriors to scatter in avoidance.

Magma pools formed from the billowing flames, exuding streams of fiery liquid.

Numerous rivers of flame, driven by Yuan Lianyao's remnant soul, began to unabashedly lay out the Ruby Hand's enigmatic Circle of Damnation.

"Red Demon Bell!"

Berthold of the Shura cried out upon spotting the enormous copper bell, issuing a warning.

After soaring skyward, the Divine Flames aimed at the Shura warriors were effortlessly snuffed out with a few casual strikes of their elbows.

The eighth-level Shura, with bodies as resilient as divine iron, were impervious to common harm.

Even if the divine fire wasn't completely extinguished, the scorch marks it left on their bodies caused no serious injury.

"Don't rush into that meteorite!"

Berthold urgently called out in the Shura tongue, informing them of the Red Demon Bell's origin and rank, as well as the formidable reputation of the Ruby Hand's previous wielders.

Yuan Lianyao, concealed among the lotuses and raging flames, utilized this sixth-level heavenly artifact to harness the residual might of the Sunshard within the meteorite. With the Red Demon Bell's enhancement, she created an even more potent river of flames, luminous streams, and magical glyphs.

She was well aware that the initial assault would likely be futile, so she quickly prepared an even more potent dark arts spell. Having recently ascended to the Solar Spirit Realm, she remained composed in the face of the numerous Shura warriors before her. She had sent word of her situation, trusting that Faang Yao had received the message and was now converging on her location with other cultivators from the Land of Quiescence. Protected by the Red Demon Bell and bolstered by the residual energy within the meteorite, she was confident she could hold out for some time.

Once Faang Yao and his companions arrived, the Shura from the Silver Sands would find themselves in dire straits, facing the formidable human cultivators of the Everlands in a hunt against the Otherkin.

"The Cursed Artifact is formidable; stay back!" Elena, the first to charge forward, paused mid-approach. With the agility of a leopard, she deftly dodged the barrage of divine flames. Clutching an oversized silver hammer, she fixed her gaze on the artifact soul that had manifested behind Yuan Lianyao.

"Bloodline, Shura Eye!" Dozens of slender bloodline chains, glittering like small crystal dragons, illuminated Elena's chest cavity. Her eyes turned icy and profound, resembling twin Frost Wells that seemed to envelop the artifact soul of the Red Demon Bell.

With a series of tearing sounds, the artifact soul of the Red Demon Bell, formed of flame and remnant soul, appeared to plummet into the enigmatic Wintermaw, its fiery power instantly dissolved by the ice magic.

The glyphs and fire symbols on the meteorite's surface were swiftly extinguished. The fiercely burning red lotuses lost their mystical appearance, shrinking and diminishing in size.

With a thunderous crash, Elena swung the massive silver hammer down like a waning moon plummeting from the heavens, striking the meteorite forged from Sunshard fragments. The vast meteorite, spanning hundreds of acres, shattered under the force of her blow.

"Her Highness is mighty!" "Truly worthy of Her Highness Elena!" "Her Highness's Shura bloodline has been overwhelmingly powerful from the start! If not for certain mishaps, she would have already been honing her skills in the Dark Realm, emerging as a formidable Dark Realm warrior!"

The Shura clansmen nearby cheered as they seized the opportunity to pulverize the fragmented meteorite pieces into gravel with their weapons. The Sunshards vanished one by one, their contained fiery energy extinguished.

The artifact soul of the Red Demon Bell, upon being wounded, immediately retreated into the artifact itself. Elena's hammer shattered the meteorite, and Yuan Lianyao, hastily dodging, had a flicker of panic in her eyes. She hadn't anticipated the sheer brute strength of this Shura girl, nor the terrifying power of her silver hammer.

Deprived of the Sunshards, the artifact soul of the Red Demon Bell diminished. Yuan Lianyao, unable to detect Faang Yao's whereabouts, hesitated only briefly before taking off with the Red Demon Bell without a second thought.

"Chase her down!" Berthold bellowed.

The Shura warriors, their zeal kindled by Elena's combat spirit, howled and swiftly pursued her.

Following her initial strike, Elena briefly recalibrated in the void. With a surge of her bloodline, the silver hammer flew from the rubble and settled securely in her hand.

"The Ruby Hand's dark arts... they seem to be the Pyreheart Incantations..." She mused, a sudden realization dawning on her. She called out, "Stop the chase! There must be Ruby Hand masters nearby. Don't fall into her trap!"

At her words, Berthold and the other Shura warriors regained their composure.

...

At Yu Yuan's command, the retracted ice-cold meteorite veered off, distancing itself from the central fray of the battlefield.

Yan Ziyang, well-versed in the Brugeth, deliberately skirted the central area, taking a roundabout path toward the territory frequented by the Wingkind.

Days passed.

Yu Yuan, gripping the Dragon Slaying Stage, knitted his brows in concentration. The acupoints in his chest, opened by the Shadow Moon Essence and once home to a formidable Bane, now stirred with an unusual sensation.

"Wraithbinding, Soul Guidance," he intoned silently. His Lunar Spirit within the Dragon Slaying Stage began to swell, drawing temporarily on the strength within the Dragon Souls of the fallen giants.

The Dragon Slaying Stage surged, amplifying his soul's sensory capabilities. Soon, he discerned the scent of the Crucible of Evil and its approximate location.

Ceasing his invocation, he massaged his forehead, "It seems I have no choice but to get involved."

Whoosh!

The Lunar Spirit at the Dragon Slaying Stage moved from where the young creature resided to the opposite end, where the frost wyrm lay buried. After a shudder, he solidified into a crystalline Frostfiend and spoke, "Get ready. It won't be long before you can meet her."

The Sky Fiend was ecstatic. "Truly?"

"She's likely more formidable than you are now. You'd better work quickly to craft this body of ice crystal," Yu Yuan advised.

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