C1310 Empress Was Furious!
Brie, clad in a dark green robe, stood with his garment billowing around him. The robe seemed to release a strange power, reminiscent of the vitality of plants and vegetation, scattering in all directions like a swarm of green fireflies.
The colorful ripples, imbued with the hallucinatory might of the Void Spirit Succubus, were scattered by these "fireflies," unable to coalesce any longer.
Vast swaths of empty space were rapidly cleansed by the dispersing "fireflies."
Clearly, for a bloodline expert of Brie's caliber, the Void Spirit Succubus's illusions and dream-weaving arts were ineffective.
With his handsome features and an air of ancient, decadent weariness, Brie stood upon his massive scepter, his gaze icy and detached.
Beneath him, the gray goose uttered a heart-wrenching cry.
The goose's expansive gray wings, broad as continents, no longer unleashed the Destruction Fire.
It seemed resigned to its fate, aware of the futility of escape under Brie's divine might.
The more it thrashed, the tighter the withered vines around its neck constricted.
By remaining still, the vines ceased to tighten, granting it a sliver of survival space.
Then, through the colorful ripples, the gray goose caught sight of a familiar, flawlessly slender silhouette above the Lissom Realm.
In its mournful cry, a mysterious light ignited within its elongated eyes.
The gray goose fell silent, like a wanderer who, after eons adrift, suddenly beholds the land of their birth, gazing transfixed at Her Majesty the Empress, uttering not another sound.
Yet, to any onlooker, it was evident that the appearance of Chen Qinghuang had reignited its hope.
All its aspirations and wistful dreams were now entrusted to the Empress.
"You're letting that tree flourish! You could have stopped the Deep Sea Basilisk, prevented those beings from marching to their deaths, yet you chose not to," Brie spoke, his voice deep and laden with a fatigue that suggested a weariness of the soul.
Perhaps the long journey had taken its toll, for he appeared utterly drained.
But those who truly knew him understood this was his usual demeanor.
"Hmm!"
Yu Yuan, floating alongside Chen Qinghuang, glanced down at the Lissom Realm and the Hannya Divine Tree that eclipsed the sky, instantly grasping the profound implications in Brie's words.
The chieftain of Dark Elfkind harbored no desire for the Hannya Divine Tree to flourish. He was discontented with Chen Qinghuang's inaction.
He was well aware that Chen Qinghuang, having arrived ahead of the others, possessed the power to shatter the illusions cast by the Void Spirit Succubus, freeing all beings within the shattered Starfield from its enchantment.
Should Chen Qinghuang lend her strength, the champions of various races, along with the Deep Sea Basilisk, would be unbound by the illusions and avoid a futile demise in the Lissom Realm.
"What concern is the internal strife of your Dark Elfkind to me?"
With a slight lift of her brows, Empress Chen summoned a cataclysmic Destruction Fire and a wave of death that materialized around Brie.
The once-lit space was now consumed by dark flames, incinerating Brie's "fireflies" in an instant.
The ashen wave, brimming with the essence of death, surged towards Brie as well.
"If you slay him, once I regain my full strength, I shall begin my dance within the Starfield under your Dark Elfkind's dominion. You, young one, will bear the guilt for the entire Dark Elfkind, as star after star within your Starfield succumbs to an eternal deathly domain, with the flames of destruction burning without end."
Chen Qinghuang's eyes—one pitch-black, the other a ghostly gray—conveyed her chilling message in a haunting, melodic tone. It left all who heard it envisioning the Dark Elfkind's Starfield engulfed in death and destruction, life extinguished, and vegetation withered.
Wai Zhuo, within the Thunder Divine Pool, his eyes sharp as blades, also showed a flicker of alarm.
Xu Jingyao, Chu Yao, and the others were equally taken aback.
Leo and Denise, two young members of the Star Race, shuddered at the thought of such a scenario unfolding, as if trapped in a nightmarish vision.
Even Diggs, situated beneath the Hannya Divine Tree, grew somber at Empress Chen's ruthless words, not daring to take them lightly.
"That fool Brie has never encountered a Secular Bird; he has no clue how to interact with it!"
Diggs inwardly railed against Brie's ignorance.
Having collaborated with the Void Spirit Succubus and heeded the Hannya Divine Tree's wisdom, Diggs understood the merciless indifference of this era's beings towards those of transcendental origin.
More than one race had been wiped out due to the Secular Bird.
If the Gray Goose were to truly perish and Chen Qinghuang survived her ordeal in the Deep Starfield, only to regain her full strength shortly thereafter and transform back into her complete Secular Bird form...
The thought alone sent shivers down Diggs' spine.
Even if he managed to slay Brie and gain immortality through the Hannya Divine Tree, becoming the new patriarch of the Dark Elfkind, what would it matter if the Secular Bird razed all the Starfield Realms where the Dark Elfkind resided? What meaning would his existence hold then?
Diggs was growing increasingly agitated.
"Hah..."
Beru, the Nine Stars Sage of the Star Race, sighed softly before ascending into the sky.
He sought Yu Yuan's consent before proceeding. With a nod from Yu Yuan, Beru descended into the Evil Cauldron, standing at its brim and gazing across at Brie, "Brie, long time no see."
Miles away, the ancient man entwined in the withered vines of the scepter around the Gray Goose's neck expressed his surprise, "Elder Beru."
Brie was momentarily taken aback by the empress's words, his heart roiling with emotion.
He was only familiar with the legends of the Secular Bird and had never before encountered them. He certainly hadn't anticipated that they would threaten him with the annihilation of the entire Star Sea Realm of the Dark Elfkind.
He felt trapped in a dilemma.
His initial plan was to leverage the gray goose to compel the Secular Bird to shatter the illusions of the Void Spirit Succubus, allowing other beings to escape the Lissom Realm.
Subsequently, he intended to halt the growth and formation of the Hannya Divine Tree.
But...
The Secular Bird was not intimidated in the slightest!
Beyond the sky-consuming Destruction Fire, which continued to consume the vegetation he had unleashed, the overwhelming aura of death washed over him like relentless waves, showing no signs of abating.
Shaken to his core, Brie turned his gaze to the gray goose, whose cries of despair had ceased.
This gray goose, possessing a Ninth Level bloodline, was a master of numerous secret arts of destruction and was often seen in the territories of the Winged Race. Rumors suggested it had murky ties with a band of outlaws ruling over the Destruction Fortress.
Additionally, this gray goose had previously appeared in the Dark Elfkind's Starfield, leaving its mark in numerous forests.
Brie was convinced that a member of the Dark Elfkind had perished because of this gray goose.
Thus, he had captured the gray goose for several reasons, using it to leverage a threat against the Dark Elfkind before they reached their zenith.
"Brie, heed my advice. Do me a favor and release that gray goose," Beru implored.
"But, I..."
Brie looked troubled. He held a deep respect for Beru, not only for his conduct and extensive knowledge but also for his character.
Yet, the gray goose had taken the life of a Dark Elfkind, and the Hannya Divine Tree was evidently eager to grow.
These were all valid reasons for his actions.
"You are the leader of your people! You need to think about the greater good. Do you really want the entire Dark Elfkind to live in constant fear?" Beru bellowed.
"Brie!"
Diggs, from within the Lissom Realm, also let out a timely roar of anger.
His roar, alongside Beru's shout, surged towards the space where Brie was located.
The Dark Elfkind patriarch's frame jolted as he watched the tide of death energy spread unchecked, seemingly indifferent to the fate of the gray goose.
"I'll let go!"
Brie called out to Chen Qinghuang, conceding as he and the massive scepter withdrew from the gray goose.
The vine-like tendrils that had ensnared the goose's neck also retreated.
The gray goose responded with a cry of joy.
It was convinced that the Hannya Divine Tree, on its path to renewal, would surely rescue it.
At worst, even if it were to die, once that person's power was fully gathered, it could be resurrected!
"Why provoke her?"
Beru reproached Brie with a glare, silently conveying his thoughts, "You have no idea how fearsome she is. Her indulgence in the tree's growth doesn't necessarily make her an enemy."
Brie, perched atop the grand scepter, remained silent, his mind awash with thoughts.
It was only then that he noticed Beru was standing beside a massive dark cauldron. Recalling the legends of the Secular Bird and Yu Yuan, he realized that the person within the cauldron must be the human youth rumored to have deep ties to the Divine Soul Sect.
Then, he thought of his young son, Kennard, and the circulating rumors.
"It has nothing to do with Yu Yuan. The Asura from the Dark Domain is responsible. If you're seeking vengeance, go after Sabonis," Beru advised, perceiving his intentions. "I was present at the scene; you should trust me."
Brie nodded, then demanded furiously, "What more do you intend to do?"
The ashen wave of death and the sky-filling black Destruction Fire did not cease their advance, even as he lowered the gray pigeon. They relentlessly surged toward him!
Whoosh!
A tender green light burst forth from Chen Qinghuang's body, traversing thousands of miles in a mere moment!
Yu Yuan and Beru, being in close proximity, were acutely aware of the cataclysmic energy.
"Is it the Yang God? Or her true form?" Beru, the Nine Stars Sage, was perplexed, unable to discern the nature of the tender green light.
He was uncertain of the current state of the Secular Bird—whether it was human or a Starry Behemoth still undergoing its metamorphosis.
"It appears to be the Yang God, at least that's my sense," Yu Yuan marveled, equally baffled, yet he detected an overwhelming surge of vital energy emanating from the departing green light.
It likely represented an alternative form of the Yang God, a fusion of soul and blood, akin to a vast and ancient demon.
An eerie cry echoed through the air.
The destructive waves bearing down on Brie grew more violent, and the empress's silhouette seemed to materialize in an instant, crossing the expanse of thousands of miles in a heartbeat.
Yan Qiling was astonished. "Is this the inherent divine power of a Starry Behemoth? To traverse a Starfield in the snap of a finger?"
