C1308 Ninth Level Alien Beast

After receiving affirmation, Yu Yuan reassessed Qiyan atop the silver-white meteor in the void. The Crypt Clan member possessed by Qiyan was slight of build, his flesh beneath the skin merging with Qiyan's seven toxic streams, emitting a decaying, acrid scent. A thread of consciousness, accompanied by a soul-piercing cry, reached out to Yu Yuan, carrying memories and bizarre patterns that precisely depicted the mysteries of Qiyan, unaffected by the Hannya Divine Tree.

The empress, preferring not to indulge in lengthy discourse, employed her extraordinary method to impart her message directly to Yu Yuan. She explained that all things have their origins and adversaries. Qiyan, born in the Iridescent Cloud Miasma Sea, combined an alien soul with his refined toxic essence to form a unique liquid lifeform. Qiyan, in truth, had a body all along; his seven toxic rivers were his very flesh.

The Iridescent Cloud Miasma Sea was a vast and bizarre land, dotted with swamps and draped in colorful miasma clouds like a thick fog, nurturing numerous exotic flowers and plants that thrived on the toxic air. Qiyan, emerging from this environment, drew upon the essence of the poison miasma to solidify into a liquid form, possessing its own magical qualities.

The keen branches that could split gold and shatter stone were ineffective against Qiyan's liquid stream form. Neither the Hannya Divine Tree nor the other grotesque trees could assimilate Qiyan. Attempting to do so would be counterproductive, polluting their innate powers.

Unkillable and unassimilable, the Hannya Divine Tree was indeed at a loss with Qiyan. The queen's consciousness also revealed to Yu Yuan that Qiyan's inability to leave the Lissom Realm was due to the constraints of the Divine Butterfly, not the Hannya Divine Tree.

Initially known as the Void Spirit Succubus, with the aliases "Dream Butterfly" and "Huan Butterfly," the Divine Butterfly's past conflicts were not due to grievous injuries. Presently, the Divine Butterfly was unleashing the secret arts of dream and illusion it had mastered in its earlier incarnations. It was in this state of semi-consciousness that the enchantment of dreams and illusions persisted, leading the beings of the Deep Starfield to be ensnared by the illusions, drawing them in one by one.

Once the Divine Butterfly fully awakened, the illusion would lose its effectiveness. The Queen herself did not understand why the Divine Butterfly was binding Qiyan, preventing him from leaving the Lissom Realm, especially since the Hannya Divine Tree could not absorb him.

A mere wisp of consciousness conveyed everything there was to know. In just a moment, Yu Yuan grasped the entirety of the situation. He learned from the Queen that the Alien Demon Qiyan was not only immune to the Hannya Divine Tree's control but might also prove to be an unexpected ally against it.

Nevertheless...

Yu Yuan gazed down at Qiyan with a cold indifference before finally shaking his head. "There's no need. I don't require your assistance. As you can see, I am not ensnared by the Lissom Realm, nor am I bound by any constraints. And you, unable to even break free from this realm—what makes you think you can boast so boldly?"

The Crypt Clan member, possessed by Qiyan, had the green flames in their eyes snuffed out abruptly, their disappointment palpable.

With a hiss, Diggs of the Dark Elfkind gestured towards Qiyan, and a fine Space Light Blade materialized instantly. Pei Yuling issued a soft command, "Void Mirror!" and directed it towards Qiyan's location. As the Void Mirror passed, space itself seemed to freeze, the air stilled, and all life and powers paused momentarily.

"You cannot kill me," declared Qiyan's defiant voice from within the Crypt Clan member. In a flash, his seven toxic streams darted off like bolts of lightning in seven different directions. Neither the Space Light Blade nor the Void Mirror's attacks had any effect on him.

Observers above were astonished to see the seven streams Qiyan had released could merge back into one, regardless of their prior distance or condition. Even a dark brown venomous stream, segmented by Diggs' Space Light Blade and sealed by Pei Yuling's Void Mirror, reappeared amongst the other five streams, completely intact. Qiyan's soul power and the venom within the streams remained undiminished, as if within a certain spatial range, Qiyan's toxic streams were eternally interconnected and could converge instantaneously.

"This artifact truly has its own mysteries; it's also the only entity that can strut around the Lissom Realm with such vitality," Yan Qiling mused, squinting his eyes and stroking his chin. "Why won't you agree to his terms? I think he's even more unique than Peach Madam, whom you've brought into our fold."

Peach Madam, Hu Caiyun, was once a nefarious practitioner from the Iridescent Cloud Miasma Sea, who had ventured into the heavens alongside Heixun. Recognizing Yu Yuan's exceptional nature, she resolutely chose to follow him. As a result, during her time in the Plover Realm, she was recommended to the Divine Soul Sect and is now one of its members.

Yan Qiling pondered, considering that both were from the Iridescent Cloud Miasma Sea and Hu Caiyun had been welcomed, why refuse Qiyan, especially when he might be a strategic asset against the Hannya Divine Tree?

"He's not suitable," Yu Yuan stated flatly. Lacking the empress's magical means, he couldn't convey to Yan Qiling all the unsettling incidents that occurred after his encounter with Qiyan in the Illusion Starfield. He simply explained, "He won't trust any force or person. Given any opportunity for gain, he'd betray everyone."

"I understand," Yan Qiling acknowledged with a nod.

Time passed, and then the Fire God Spear, carrying Xu Jingyao, blazed across the sky like a fiery meteor, capturing everyone's attention.

Yu Yuan narrowed his gaze and observed Xu Jingyao's Yang God amidst a downpour of fiery spears, his sanity clearly unhinged, seemingly infecting the Artifact Soul of the Fire God Spear with his frenzy.

In the midst of the Thunder Divine Pool's vast whirlpool, Wei Zhuo's features were sharp and stern. He called out sharply, "Xu Jingyao!"

With a thunderous boom, the Heavenly Lightning Hammer burst forth from the vortex, trailed by orbs of green lightning, while the eight towering figures at the pool's edge unleashed a deafening roar.

The Artifact Soul within the Fire God Spear momentarily regained clarity.

The onlookers watched as the flame meteor abruptly veered, heading straight for Wei Zhuo and the lightning vortex.

With a whoosh, Wei Zhuo swiftly invoked his Dharma Idol, and eight colossal lightning silhouettes merged into his towering form.

The once massive Thunder Divine Pool now resembled a belt of lightning, encircling his thousand-zhang-tall Dharma Idol.

Wei Zhuo's Dharma Idol extended a colossal arm charged with electricity and seized a deep red spear. In an instant, all the flame meteors vanished without a trace.

Whoosh!

The Fire God Spear and Xu Jingyao were abruptly yanked into the lightning vortex by Wei Zhuo's Dharma Idol.

Wei Zhuo swiftly contracted back into his human form and extended his hand towards Chu Yao, demanding, "Hand it over!"

Chu Yao, not daring to defy him, reluctantly produced a pellet that resembled a glossy red fruit.

As soon as the pellet was revealed, those with keen senses detected an unusual fragrance that soothed the mind. Even Zhu Huan, amidst the Lissom Realm's fiery stars being wildly pierced by ancient tree branches, seemed to calm down as if he momentarily gained a semblance of intelligence.

Wei Zhuo hesitated for a brief moment, yet without any further delay, he forcefully fed the pellet to Xu Jingyao.

Upon entering his mouth, the pellet unfurled like an octopus extending its tentacles, with mysterious red strands intertwining with Xu Jingyao's soul threads, gradually rousing him from his delirious state.

"Thank you, Senior Wei," Xu Jingyao quickly offered his thanks, then his face grew somber as he gestured towards the fiery star in the Lissom Realm under assault by the colossal branches. "Elder Zhu from my sect?"

"He entered this peculiar Lissom Realm before I did," Wei Zhuo replied, shaking his head with a composed demeanor. "There's a force within this realm capable of annihilating me. If I don't descend, I'll share the same fate as Brother Zhu."

Xu Jingyao's complexion blanched. He held great respect for Zhu Huan and, having experienced it firsthand, he was well aware of the Lissom Realm's formidable nature. With Wei Zhuo's warning, he dared not recklessly plunge into the Lissom Realm to attempt a rescue.

Looking up, Xu Jingyao's gaze settled on Yu Yuan, Yan Qiling, and Beru, who stood aloft in the void. The sight of Beru sent a jolt through him.

"Barol didn't come to the Deep Starfield. Without him, they don't have the power to kill us. Our real concern should be the empress, for no one knows the extent of her recovery," Wei Zhuo stated gravely.

Xu Jingyao nodded, then inquired, "Do we just stand by and watch?"

"For now, let's just observe."

A quarter of an hour later, a colossal Deep Sea Basilisk, nearly a kilometer in length, burst into view, shattering obstructing meteorites into dust with its sheer force.

This alien beast from the Outer Star River dwarfed the peculiar ship crafted by the Devil Palace in the Fallen Moon Forbidden Area, which Yu Yuan had previously encountered.

The former, merely three hundred meters long, had been transformed into an opulent vessel following its defeat at the hands of the Devil Palace, complete with pavilions for the palace's mighty to relax upon.

"I had the chance to devour it, but it fortuitously escaped, only to be drawn here by an illusion," Chen Qinghuang mused, licking her lips.

Beru, Yan Qiling, and the others shuddered inwardly at her words and the accompanying gesture.

Yan Ziyang, without a word, distanced himself from her.

As an insider, Yan Ziyang was acutely aware of the horrific beast tide triggered by a single drop of her green blood.

The Black Oil Barbarian Ox, Yan Carp, Jin Lih, and numerous other alien beasts had been lured by it.

Jin Lih managed to flee thanks to the meddling of the Void Spirit Succubus, while the Black Oil Barbarian Ox and Yan Carp met their demise.

To their astonishment, even the imposing Deep Sea Basilisk had been drawn by her blood. Had it not been for the Void Spirit Succubus's intervention, it too would have fallen prey to the empress.

"It was affected as well?" Yu Yuan exclaimed, taken aback.

Legend had it that the Deep Sea Basilisk carried the lineage of the Abyss Goanna. The beast before them, with its body resembling black iron and eyes glinting with a savage madness, was far more intimidating than the lifeless ship Yu Yuan had seen in the Fallen Moon Forbidden Area. This Basilisk was clearly not to be trifled with.

"Yes," Chen Qinghuang confirmed with a nod. "There's another one on its way."

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