C1264 Demon Tide
A Golden Rock Beast, as imposing as a mountain, traversed the Starway guarded by the Ebon Star Sect and set foot on the renowned extraterritorial battlefield. Without delay, it used a drop of its demon blood to connect with its kin.
The drop of golden demon blood shone like a newly risen sun, its light radiating across the Star River.
Ripples of demon energy instantly traveled millions of miles and continued to expand.
From within a meteorite shaped like a shell, a sentinel of the Ebon Star Sect watched in silent awe.
He recognized the Golden Rock Beast before him as Ogeus, a ninth-level Monster Lord.
Ogeus had come here rather than to the Dark Star because, prior to the calamity there, he had sent many of his Golden Rock Beasts to this location.
His tribe's presence here had caused him to hesitate and decline the summons from Shadow's Keep after the Dark Star incident.
Once he had settled his affairs, he couldn't stop thinking about his race and ultimately chose to come here.
But after using his demon blood to reach out to his trusted lieutenants, he encountered an eerie situation.
His lieutenants appeared to have lost their minds.
Those who shared his eighth-level bloodline and had once possessed intelligence now regressed into mindless dire beasts, driven only by the urge to kill.
His call went unanswered by all the Golden Rock Beasts, as if they were oblivious to it.
Moreover, the swarms of Golden Rock Beasts were converging towards a location that was not his current one...
Ogeus took a deep, frustrated breath and let out a low growl before swiftly departing.
"..."
"What is happening?"
Yan Qiling stood atop a luminescent meteorite, a freshly carved crescent moon ornament in hand, surveying the area below from his elevated vantage point.
He was high above the extraterritorial battlefield.
The meteorite beneath his feet was once part of a crescent moon, bearing a resemblance to the Fallen Star Eyes that Liu Ying had once refined.
With his mastery of space magic and this unique meteorite, both he and Yu Yiyi could perceive many wonders.
They observed numerous previously hidden archdemons suddenly emerging.
Then, as if invigorated, they surged towards a certain place behind them.
It wasn't just the archdemons; various alien beasts from beyond were also stirred into action.
"The Origin Gate deep within the battlefield has materialized. Could it have triggered some other anomaly?" Yan Qiling furrowed his brow, puzzled. "That can't be right. Neither the Gate within the Everlands nor the ones in the Otherkin territories caused the beasts to go into a frenzy after they formed."
Having delved into the mysteries of space magic, he ventured into the Star River of the extraterrestrial realms and earned the recognition of Boulderdawn. He made it a point to learn about the enigmatic Origin Gate.
He had never heard of the Origin Gate inciting madness in Fellbeasts and alien beasts upon its formation.
"It's not just two locations," Yu Yiyi clarified.
"The archdemons and alien beasts share a common trait. At birth, when their bloodline level is low, they lack significant intelligence," Yan Qiling squinted, his face taking on an odd look. "Correspondingly, they're more prone to losing control and their rationality."
His observation was that the spiritual wisdom of the archdemons and alien beasts had shattered. They had devolved into wild beasts, driven purely by instinct.
"Should we explore one area first?" Yu Yiyi proposed.
"The front is the heart of the battlefield, where an Origin Gate has recently formed. Behind us, the reasons for the beast pack's gathering are unclear," Yan Qiling mused aloud. "You make the call."
"Let's head to the rear. My master should be back there; I need to find him first," Yu Yiyi stated resolutely.
"As you wish."
...
Atop the chilling meteorite, a myriad of blood-red blade lights wove into an intricate web, soaring towards the dark, burly figure that the Monster Lord had become.
The burly man, with a grotesque smile, darted through the relentless blade lights like a bolt of lightning, occasionally charging at Yu Yuan for a physical clash. "Boy, your Evil Body Refining technique is quite impressive."
With a whoosh, an enormous Bloodwraith materialized amidst the sanguine web.
The blood ape let out a thunderous roar, conjuring a massive iron rod from thin air, and brought it crashing down on the back of the burly man's head.
The pitch-black Monster Lord was floored by the blow, staggering to his feet in a stupor. He glanced at the Bloodwraith, now in the form of a giant ape, and the ferocity in his eyes swiftly receded.
He looked back with a hint of nostalgia, "Lord Sky-Shaking Ape, my first campaign against the world was under your command. Back then, as I battled the extraterrestrial experts, any sign of fear would earn me your stern reprimand."
The burly man sighed wistfully, not rushing to respond, seemingly content to gaze upon the Bloodwraith a while longer.
In what seemed like an answer to him, the six other Bloodwraiths entangled in the blood-red web suddenly contracted.
Yet, the Bloodwraith shaped like the Sky-Shaking Ape only grew more formidable.
For a fleeting moment, it appeared to awaken a trace of spiritual wisdom...
Yu Yuan, massaging his tingling, burning arms, observed the Monster Lord, once a Tar-Backed Bull, with a sense of wonder.
In the Everlands, the Tar-Backed Bull was a particularly rare Fellbeast, accustomed to roaming the remote mountain depths in search of a pitch-black oil akin to ink. By refining this oil, they bolstered their bloodlines and rapidly advanced.
This black oil was not inexhaustible in the Everlands, so when a Tar-Backed Bull reached the eighth level, the Shadow's Keep would decree its exile to the extraterrestrial.
Moreover, they were discouraged from returning to the Everlands.
Thus, most high-level Tar-Backed Bulls waged war in the Star River of the extraterrestrial, leveraging the black oil found within the Otherkin Astral Domain to further their bloodline breakthroughs.
The ninth level Tar-Backed Bull before him was legendary in the Everlands.
Even three hundred years ago, during the era of the God of Medicine, Hong Qi, its fame had reached far and wide.
The Bloodwraith, swelling rapidly, seemed to solidify into a colossal ape in mere moments. Its crimson eyes fixed intently on the dark-skinned, muscular man with a penetrating gaze.
"It's truly tragic. Even a formidable being like yourself succumbed to the backlash of a blade."
The Tar-Backed Bull shook its head, expressing a deep sense of loss. "Without that blade, had you survived, you might have had the chance to ascend to the rank of Dark Deity amidst the turmoil of these times."
"Of course, it's just a little hope. After all, I believe I'm the more deserving one."
The dark-skinned man chuckled ominously.
"Black Bull, you're as boastful as ever."
A soft and melodious female voice drifted from behind a distant meteorite. Suddenly, a meteorite, vibrant as a flamboyant woman, approached swiftly.
Amidst the multicolored rubble, a gaunt demonic shadow materialized, her lips curling into a smile.
Whoosh!
In an instant, she came to a halt beside the Tar-Backed Bull, her skeletal hand gently swaying.
The meteorite she had occupied burst apart, its colorful fragments transforming into a myriad of stones that shone with a dazzling light, coalescing behind her.
"So, you're Yu Yuan?" The woman's gaze fell upon the frail and gentle young man as she spoke in a hushed tone, "Tsk tsk, such a robust lad, and quite handsome too. It's truly a shame."
Her eyes gleamed with mirth as she turned to the Tar-Backed Bull, "Don't be hasty. There are many more juniors from the halls on their way here."
"Isn't the death toll already high enough?" The Tar-Backed Bull sneered malevolently.
He knew upon his arrival that creatures like the Golden Rock Beast, Blood Stripe Beast, Wind Wolf, and other juniors from Shadow's Keep had perished by the Baneblade known as 'Bloodhell'.
Having wandered far from home, not returning to the Everlands for centuries, he felt little for the juniors of Shadow's Keep.
"Just a handful, certainly not enough."
The woman's gaze dropped, as if peering through the numerous cavities to the mesmerizing drop of verdant blood below, "Black Bull, your arrogance blinds you. Do you truly think you alone can claim victory? If that individual is indeed down there, it won't be just a single drop of blood."
The Tar-Backed Bull paused, taken aback.
"Yu Yuan, did you know that Shadow's Keep had high hopes for you? Lord Golden Elephant even personally endorsed you, yet you declined our invitation," the woman lamented with a look of regret, "The few children who are close to you are doing quite well within Shadow's Keep. Zhan Tianxiang, Zhao Yafu, and others you know."
"Hold on!" Yu Yuan's expression turned grave.
