C1314 One Step
"Ruby Hand!"
Within the thunder vortex, Wei Zhuo's gaze pierced the Red Demon Bell, his eyebrows twitching slightly.
An old-school cultivator, Wei Zhuo was a stickler for the rules of the Everlands.
Despite the Thunder Sect being one of the seven lower sects and belonging to the Euwrea Continent, the illustrious Ruby Hand was a sect power from the Land of Quiescence. Yet, when he saw Faang Yao and Yuan Lianyao trapped within the Red Demon Bell, constrained by an illusion and hurtling towards the Spirit World, he was inclined to intervene and rescue them.
As Chen Qinghuang emerged from her intangible state, the Most High's presence naturally dissipated the Voidweaver's formidable illusion.
This was particularly true with Qinghuang herself present.
Wei Zhuo, now, could withstand the Voidweaver's illusions without the aid of a pill.
With a mere thought, the Thunder Pool, manifested as a thunder vortex, crackled and sparked. The emerald glow of the lightning refined itself, coalescing into a long whip.
Wei Zhuo intended to ensnare the Red Demon Bell with the lightning whip and retrieve it.
"There's no need."
A hand lightly rested on his, halting his movement.
Xu Jingyao of the Sunlit Order, smiling, shook his head at the astonished Wei Zhuo.
Beside him stood Chu Yao, his face etched with confusion.
Why would Xu Jingyao prevent Wei Zhuo from rescuing them? Was it due to their mutual animosity?
Chu Yao furrowed his brow.
"Xu, the feud between your Sunlit Order and the Ruby Hand is none of my concern," Wei Zhuo said sternly, brushing off Xu Jingyao's hand. "The Everlands have their customs. Once we enter the Star River, cultivators from both Euwrea and Quiescence must unite and assist one another."
Wei Zhuo scoffed again. "If you're unfamiliar with the rules on your first venture out of the Everlands, then stand back and observe. Don't meddle!"
Chu Yao, of the Order of Healing, looked on with newfound respect following Wei Zhuo's declaration.
"If everyone acted on personal vendettas from the Everlands while in the extraterrestrial Star River, our human and archdemon kin would have long been vanquished by the extraterrestrial powers!" Wei Zhuo reprimanded, his expression stern.
"Senior Wei, I need to say that there's no need for you to intervene," Xu Jingyao said, his smile freezing momentarily after being chastised. He quickly continued, "You've probably heard about the Ruby Hand woman with a deep connection to Yu Yuan. I believe he'll lend his assistance."
"That Ms. Yuan from Asvetaesi?" Wei Zhuo caught on at once.
He was aware of a new disciple in the Ruby Hand, a cultivator with exceptional talent who was favored by Zhou Cangmin and entangled with Yu Yuan on a personal level. However, as a sect leader, Wei Zhuo had myriad concerns.
Yu Yuan had only come to his attention following the events at Moonfall Sanctuary. As for Yuan Lianyao, he had merely heard of her and hadn't given it much thought.
Understanding Xu Jingyao's point, Wei Zhuo wasn't quick to act, preferring to wait and see how things unfolded.
Below them, the massive Evil Ancestral Tree in the Spirit World made the first move against Brie.
With a swish, its branches, sharp enough to pierce the celestial bodies, lashed out. They struck with the precision of swords and the flexibility of serpents, targeting Brie from every direction.
Waves of colorful ripples flooded around the Shadowkin patriarch, seemingly constricting his mobility.
"The Uxthar Tree has made another breakthrough!"
Above, more branches struck like lightning, reaching the thickly padded feet of the snow bear.
The snow bear roared and beat its chest, its white fur scattering hundreds of colorful butterflies that burst into a shower of light in all directions. Yet, the bear's movements were hampered by the spatial magic of the butterflies, making its attempts to escape seem clumsy.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Branches, sharp as Divine Swords, pierced the bear's massive paws, boring holes through the thick ice.
From within these openings, the roar of blizzards could be heard, where the bear's icy bloodline clashed with the psionic power emanating from the branches.
As the butterfly and the colorful ripples penetrated, the ninth-level snow bear found itself besieged, its form a pitiful sight compared to its earlier imposing presence.
The mutation of the Uxthar Tree was a direct result of the deaths of Zhu Huan and the Abyssal Winged Lizard.
Luckily, the snow bear hadn't truly entered the Spirit World. The assault it endured was significantly less severe than the one Brie faced.
It would glance at Yu Yuan every now and then.
Then, it noticed Yu Yuan staring at a massive, red-hot bell...
The snow bear, with its remarkable spiritual wisdom, tried to discern what Yu Yuan's gaze implied.
It acted swiftly!
Still being stabbed by the Ancestral Tree's sharp branches, the snow bear shifted direction and confronted the whistling Red Demon Bell.
With a simple smile, it extended its fluffy, snow-white paw and caught the Red Demon Bell mid-flight.
The Red Demon Bell, which appeared enormous, now seemed like a tiny toy in its grasp, adorably miniature.
The snow bear squinted and chuckled, its laughter brimming with appeasement, as if it believed it had made a smart decision.
Indeed, it had.
Yu Yuan, previously concerned about how to rescue Yuan Lianyao and Faang Yao without implicating them, found his troubles had vanished.
Had it not been for the snow bear's ingratiating laughter, he might have thought the ninth-level white bear was being aggressive.
"This..."
Yan Qiling was thoroughly impressed, observing the snow bear with interest, "This alien beast's longevity and astonishing spirituality are certainly no fluke. It's incredibly clever, truly clever, to have devised such a strategy to secure a chance at survival."
Yu Yuan was deeply impressed by the snow bear!
Regardless of its past, at present, it seemed quite... endearing and guileless.
Upon noticing that the Uxthar Tree's relentless branches kept attacking the snow bear's paws, and that the Voidweaver was offering covert assistance, Yu Yuan naturally turned his gaze to Chen Qinghuang.
He hoped she would intervene.
Yet the proud Empress remained detached and unaffected.
Her expression conveyed that this matter was of no concern to her.
Yu Yuan, having faced a slight setback, now held his breath and concentrated on the unfolding events, pondering why the spiritually gifted snow bear sought his help.
What makes me unique?
As this thought emerged, Yu Yuan's remnant soul meandered through his personal little world—acupoint, elixir field, weaponry, Solar Spirit...
Hidden within an acupoint, the Dragon Slaying Stage was enveloped in an endless divine radiance. Inside the violet gold dragon egg, the Titan Spinosaurus hatchling slumbered deeply, oblivious to the external commotion.
Yet, Yu Yuan sensed that the Titan Spinosaurus hatchling within the Dragon Slaying Stage could surely resist the illusions cast by the Voidweaver!
Elsewhere.
In the blood-red sky of the Crimson Realm, his transforming Solar Spirit Body sprouted intricate networks of blood meridians throughout its physique. Red crystal-like bones formed, naturally etched with an array of enigmatic symbols, patterns, and captivating unknown marks.
Upon witnessing the evolving Solar Spirit, the Lunar Spirit shuddered ever so slightly.
This Solar Spirit, forged from the Altar of Rebirth with the blood crystal of the Demon God Grec and the essence of various races, refined by the heaven soul, was revealing its extraordinary nature for the first time!
The blood meridians appeared to harbor the esoteric wisdom of the Otherkin's unique bloodline chains, while the red crystal bones bore symbols and patterns that seemed to resonate with the innate theurgies of diverse races, perhaps even mirroring certain powers inherent to cosmic giant beasts.
Incredible that it could achieve such a feat!
His real body bore only deep sword scars on the arm bones, chronicling the sword spell of the Nine Celestial Slashes.
Yet, the Solar Spirit Body encompassed the marvels of the lifeblood from various races absorbed through the Altar of Rebirth, along with the blood magic insights of the Great Demon God Grec.
There were also enigmatic elements, possibly linked to the Soul Forging through Enlightenment he practiced with his heaven soul, and certain thaumaturgies from the Boulderdawn.
It was as if he had amalgamated a myriad of spells and bloodlines within himself!
Swoosh!
He steered the Crucible of Evil, departing from the company of Chen Qinghuang, Yan Qiling, and Beru, and deliberately moved closer to the snow bear. His demeanor was both easygoing and composed, with a smile gracing his lips.
"Yu Yuan!"
"Him!"
Yan Qiling and Beru exclaimed in astonishment.
What they were trying to convey was that if Yu Yuan and Chen Qinghuang were to stray too far from the Voidweaver's influence and succumb to its illusions, wouldn't they perish instantly upon falling into the Spirit World, unaware of their fate?
The rest of the group, including Moore, Yan Ziyang, Leo, and Denise, turned their gazes toward Chen Qinghuang.
Yu Yiyi, who remained at her original position, kept her composure, silently whispering to herself, "My master, my god..."
Chen Qinghuang appeared indifferent.
The greylag beneath her, on the other hand, seemed curiously fixated on Yu Yuan, as if anticipating something.
Yu Yuan's peculiar actions also drew the attention of Wei Zhuo, Xu Jingyao, and Chu Yao.
They suspected that Yu Yuan had fallen under the Voidweaver's illusory spell, causing a brief lapse in his sanity, which explained his odd behavior.
Yet, no surprises ensued.
Yu Yuan, guiding the Crucible of Evil, approached the snow bear and settled on its shoulder, broad as a plain.
This put several miles between him and Chen Qinghuang, effectively creating a considerable distance.
At this range, Chen Qinghuang's vast divine might could no longer envelop him...
Still, his eyes remained lucid, twinkling with a spirited light.
As he descended onto the snow bear, the constraints of the colorful ripples and the Voidweaver's influence seemed to drastically diminish.
The snow bear continued its flight, effortlessly shaking off the penetrating sharp branches.
The bear let out a goofy chuckle, seemingly expressing thanks, and affectionately nuzzled the Crucible of Evil with its fuzzy neck.
"Ugh!"
Faang Yao and Yuan Lianyao, inside the Red Demon Bell, abruptly snapped out of a dreamlike state.
They first beheld an immensely large bear head and were about to scream when they noticed the bear's thick, docile neck continuously rubbing against the Crucible of Evil.
This unexpected sight brought them back to their senses in an instant.
