C1262 Demon Tide
On an extraterrestrial battlefield, a meteorite as dark as ink burst from the ground, unleashing a pitch-black demon that seemed fused with the stone. A bull, towering hundreds of feet tall and as black as refined iron, emerged.
Thick, black oil oozed from the cracked earth, swiftly inhaled by the creature into its cavernous maw. With a stomp of its foot, the meteorite shattered. The massive form of the beast began to shrink, transforming into a burly man, his dark, muscular body almost entirely exposed.
Clad only in a piece of black leather armor around his waist, the man bore a massive curved horn on his forehead, his eyes alight with savagery. He inhaled sharply, his chest heaving as he instinctively sensed something. Dark, blood-colored ripples emanated from him, spreading in all directions.
"The scent of divine blood!" he bellowed, and the meteorite that had served as his hiding place burst apart. He unleashed a bolt of black lightning that traveled thousands of miles in an instant. Explosions echoed as the lightning tore through numerous meteorites, scattering debris and causing rocks to burst.
...
Seated within a meteorite embedded with shards of various colors, a beautiful woman with a serene and gentle demeanor was perched. Her frame was frail, her arms skeletal. She suddenly let out a low, eerie chuckle, revealing rows of sharp, fishbone-like teeth as her mouth stretched wider, seemingly able to swallow many people whole.
Anyone close enough to see inside her mouth would discover a hidden cosmos. Bloodied bodies were impaled on the flesh walls of her mouth, still being consumed. With a spurt, she expelled a skeleton, stripped of flesh and organs, which clattered to the ground. It was the remains of a Moonlit Wanderer, now devoid of any value after being completely devoured by her.
Her mouth closed, and she instantly resumed her demure, harmless appearance. She smiled, her tongue flicking across her lips, and murmured, "One drop of divine blood." The meteorites, an amalgam of colored stones, suddenly changed course and sped off.
...
Elsewhere, similar events unfolded. Archdemons, long accustomed to roaming the Brugeth, collecting Starshards, refining fine gold veins, and consuming the flesh of Otherkin for breakthroughs, were now stirred by the unfolding chaos.
The single drop of blood from the Songbird Queen transformed the meteorite where Yu Yuan was into an object as luminous as a beacon. Nearby archdemons and alien beasts all felt its presence.
Deep within the Brugeth, the peculiar meteorite that Pei Yuling concealed himself in required the gaze of living beings to draw them in. Yu Yuan's meteorite, however, required no such thing. The drop of blood from Her Majesty the Queen continuously diffused a tantalizing scent that nearly drove the archdemons and alien beasts to madness. It was as if it announced to those creatures that a drop of divine blood, unclaimed and potent, was now on an active meteorite, freshly discovered, beckoning them to come and consume it. This meteorite, still within the renowned extraterrestrial battlefield, moved about with reckless abandon. The scent of the divine blood spread further and further, attracting an ever-increasing number of archdemons and alien beasts.
...
In the icy cavern, Yan Ziyang of the Wraithcult was restless, frequently glancing at the river infused with Frost Vein and the intensely bright, tender green drop of blood. His Solar Spirit Body spasmed uncontrollably. This was because he, with his subtle connection to the Frozen Abyss, had detected the terrifying surge of demon energy as the meteorite sped by. He was well aware that an archdemon had been roused by that enigmatic drop of blood and had responded.
Yan Ziyang had learned from Yu Yuan that Chen Qinghuang was the secular bird from beyond, and that her current condition was precarious, with her combat abilities uncertain and her memories in disarray.
With a wry smile, Yan Ziyang glanced again at the slumbering Chen Qinghuang and said, "Yu Yuan, should we consider changing our course? I have this nagging feeling that the archdemons and alien beasts we've disturbed are multiplying because of our trajectory."
Yu Yuan, grasping the Baneblade and attuned to the anomalies of the seven Bloodwraiths, nodded in agreement, "I'll go outside."
Without waiting for Yan Ziyang to respond, he swiftly moved through a larger opening to the meteorite's surface. The presence of the empress's blood rendered all of Yan Ziyang's efforts to conceal their location utterly futile.
In any event, archdemons and alien beasts would inevitably be drawn to this place. Skulking about would just seem undignified.
Time passed, unmeasured...
Boom!
A Golden Rock Beast of the eighth level, in its pure Fellbeast form, plummeted to the ground. The meteorite, previously hurtling through the sky, abruptly descended further.
Upon impact, the gravitational magnetic field shifted.
This dire beast, resembling a golden lion and shimmering with golden light, had eyes filled with savagery. Yet, there was not a trace of spiritual wisdom in its gaze, seemingly muddled by the deliberate spill of blood from Chen Qinghuang.
A Fellbeast of the eighth level should not act this way unless influenced by external forces.
As it landed, the Golden Rock Beast, without hesitation, trampled into a vast chasm. It seemed intent on entering the meteorite to locate that drop of blood first and foremost.
"This looks like it might be somewhat simpler," Yu Yuan said with a wry smile. Clutching the Baneblade, he unleashed a sea of blood in which seven Bloodwraiths undulated like crimson suns.
"An archdemon devoid of intelligence is indeed much less trouble to kill."
With a whoosh, the sea of blood enveloped the eighth level Golden Rock Beast. Yu Yuan released the Baneblade and trailed behind, grinning.
The Baneblade was innately ravenous, particularly for creatures brimming with flesh and blood, its hunger and greed intensified.
Despite the Baneblade's first master being an Everlands Archdemon, it had since changed hands multiple times, even wielded by Otherkin, all of whom suffered its backlash. Thus, "Bloodhell" would show no mercy, archdemon or not.
"Just do as you please," Yu Yuan thought to himself.
Roar! Roar!
The eighth level Golden Rock Beast bellowed, its demon blood churning as the nearby magnetic field became tumultuous.
The swathes of blood that had drifted over now coalesced into clusters, with the seven Bloodwraiths enveloping them like bright red lanterns suspended beside the Golden Rock Beast.
In an instant, a web of sword light wove through the air, emanating from within the seven Bloodwraiths.
The seven Bloodwraiths appeared to transform into several blade-wielders, each brandishing the Baneblade across various times and realms, relentlessly striking down the Golden Rock Beast.
Yu Yuan witnessed an array of bloodline mysteries and innate talents being unleashed by the archdemon and the formidable Otherkin.
"It seems the Bloodhell isn't devoid of a blade soul; rather, it possesses seven, all chaotic and unaligned," Yu Yuan pondered thoughtfully.
The Golden Rock Beast was ensnared, its roars echoing from within, yet its sturdy golden hide was riddled with fine, deep scars that grew increasingly numerous.
"Golden Rock Beasts are social creatures. I just wonder if Ogeus might be on this extraterritorial battlefield as well," Yu Yuan mused, stroking his chin.
Ogeus, a ninth level Golden Rock Beast, had his bloodline ascend to the ninth level, earning him the title of Monster Lord within the Shadow's Keep, akin to the Peacock Queen and the Grey Wolf King.
Before the Golden Elephant God ascended to the tenth level and became a Dark Deity, he too was known as the Golden Elephant King, a testament to his might and standing.
Ogeus, another Monster Lord, was not only highly intelligent and formidable in battle but also commanded a multitude of Golden Rock Beasts. His presence in Brugeth could certainly complicate matters.
However...
Yu Yuan glanced down at the ground beneath him, his thoughts turning to the one slumbering in the cave, destined to awaken at the right moment. With this in mind, he found his composure once more.
