C1315 Soul Removal
Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!
Bolts of frigid lightning, ice shards, and razor-sharp edges emerged from the dense fur of the snow bear, infused with the chilling bite of Wintermaw. They impaled the colorful butterflies hidden amongst its fur.
The sky was awash with a cascade of colorful light, reminiscent of a spectacular fireworks display.
Onlookers narrowed their eyes and understood that the vibrant ripples, which surged forth when the Voidweaver made its move, had stealthily penetrated the snow bear's fur, reaching its flesh to wreak havoc.
Should the snow bear fail to address its predicament swiftly, it would be ensnared in ceaseless strife.
Its soul would become numb, unable to break free from the illusion. The ice energy it had mastered, along with the ultra-cold crystal chain coursing through its veins, would be rendered useless without the guidance of its spiritual wisdom.
Subsequently, it would find itself impaled by the branches of the Uxthar Tree.
Like shackles, the branches would drag it into the Spirit World.
Upon its arrival in the Spirit World, its fate would mirror that of the Abyssal Winged Lizard.
The once towering Abyssal Winged Lizard, nearly a kilometer in height, was now reduced to a massive, silvery skeleton.
Every bit of its flesh, organs, blood vessels, and the soul of the alien beast had been utterly consumed.
Much like Zhu Huan, the Abyssal Winged Lizard was dead, thoroughly and unequivocally.
Yet, the snow bear lived, having broken free from the Voidweaver's illusion, possibly due to Yu Yuan's timely intervention with the Crucible of Evil upon its expansive shoulders.
The crowd was incredulous, unable to fathom the turn of events.
"Yu, Yu Yuan!"
Yuan Lianyao called out from within the Red Demon Bell, only to wince as Faang Yao pinched her arm and gave her a conspiratorial wink.
Faang Yao's gaze shifted to the distant thunder vortex and the figures of Wei Zhuo and others within.
Yuan Lianyao quickly came to her senses, recognizing that this was not the time to display her fervent emotions.
She swiftly composed herself, maintaining a cool demeanor, and with a touch of feigned modesty, she subtly acknowledged Yu Yuan. "What a coincidence, running into you again."
"Quite the coincidence," Yu Yuan replied with a smile, aware that her real body remained with the Ruby Hand. He knew better than to disclose too much, lest the situation become irreparable.
Yuan Lianyao and Faang Yao's lucidity finally confirmed something for him.
—He had the power to liberate beings within a certain radius from the Voidweaver's illusions, just as the Empress could. They would no longer be ensnared or mentally tormented!
This was true for the snow bear, and it was the same for Yuan Lianyao and Faang Yao.
He then had an epiphany about why, when Brie had taken the greylag hostage, the Empress had shot into the sky, and it seemed that the rest of them were largely unaffected.
Perhaps it wasn't solely due to Chen Qinghuang's might, but also because of him.
Was it because of the Dragon Slaying Stage, or the Solar Spirit within him?
He mulled over this in silence.
A stream of memories flowed into his Heart Lake, triggered by a single piercing look from the Empress.
He suddenly understood that beings of ancient lineage and extraordinary life could disregard the Voidweaver's "illusions" and "dreams."
Chen Qinghuang was a secular bird, and the young creature within his Dragon Slaying Stage was a descendant of the Titan Spinosaurus.
Moreover, the Solar Spirit within him, currently undergoing transformation, was forged from the Altar of Rebirth and the blood crystal of the Demon God Grec.
The Altar of Rebirth originated from the Abyssal Leviathan, while the blood crystal bore the essence of the Root of the Solar Meridian.
His body was filled with acupoints, opened by the Shadow Moon Essence, which still lingered within him. The Shadow Moon Essence itself was nurtured at the Root of the Lunar Meridian...
His body housed an array of miraculous items, each with origins that were nothing short of monumental.
Each one was a match for the Voidweaver, if not slightly superior.
If the Voidweaver had initially mastered "illusion" and "dream," what power did it truly have to confound him?
The titles of Illusion Butterfly and Dream Butterfly were discarded by the Voidweaver when it realized that these minor tricks were ineffective against equals in battle.
Thus, it later presented itself solely as the Voidweaver, showcasing its remarkable ability to traverse through space.
As Yu Yuan's thoughts churned, the snow bear let out a goofy chuckle and tossed the Red Demon Bell onto its other shoulder.
The Red Demon Bell and the Crucible of Evil were now positioned on either side.
However, it was clear to everyone that its actions were aimed at currying favor with Yu Yuan!
The group suddenly realized that its goofy grin wasn't directed at Chen Qinghuang, nor was it because it recognized her as a secular bird. Rather, like the Abyssal Winged Lizard, it sought assistance.
Many curious eyes turned to Yu Yuan, puzzled as to what virtues or abilities he possessed that could make a ninth-level extraterrestrial alien beast so eager to ingratiate itself with him.
"Mr. Wei!"
Faang Yao of the Red Demon Bell gestured a fist-and-palm salute towards Wei Zhuo within the thunder vortex, his face expressing relief. "Seeing Mr. Wei again is no small feat. Oh, Xu Jingyao, you're here too?"
Xu Jingyao, with a stern expression, remained silent.
Wei Zhuo nodded slightly, "I'm glad to hear you're alright."
He understood Xu Jingyao's discontent; Zhu Huan of the Sunlit Order had perished right before their eyes in the Spirit World, swallowed by the malevolent Ancestral Tree of the Shadowkin.
The Sunlit Order, already weakened by the loss of Lee Tianxin, found Zhu Huan's death to be a crushing blow.
At that moment, the sky of the Spirit World was temporarily divided into three sections.
One was occupied by Chen Qinghuang, another by Wei Zhuo, and the last by the snow bear and Yu Yuan.
Chen Qinghuang and Yu Yuan were positioned close enough to provide mutual support at a moment's notice.
Wei Zhuo's thunder vortex, however, was intentionally distanced from both parties, marking a clear separation.
The Uxthar Tree's branches ceased their fierce attacks on the snow bear, with all of the divine tree's energy seemingly concentrated on Brie.
Below, a pivotal battle for the Shadowkin's future raged on.
Throughout this time, members of the Silverscale Tribe, Moonlit Wanderers, and Fire Lizard kin continued to succumb to the Voidweaver's illusions, falling one by one.
Upon falling, they were impaled by the vicious branches.
Branches reaching into the Star River shimmered faintly as they began absorbing the various psionic powers within.
Suddenly, the Ancestral Tree appeared capable of rapid growth even without the sustenance of living creatures.
Whoosh!
Thousands of miles away, an oval meteorite was seemingly drawn in by the peculiar magnetic field of the Spirit World. As it neared, a sharp branch skewered it as easily as threading candied hawthorns, instantly pinning it in place.
This meteorite, an outsider to the Spirit World and not a fragment of it, contained an exceedingly pure plant essence. Remarkably, it was swiftly refined by the branch.
Subsequently, more meteorites from various regions arrived, each one impaled by branches in the void, much like the Spirit World's branches had once impaled the bodies of the Otherkin.
"The arrival of Brie has caused the Spirit World's incomplete rules to naturally reform. Under the magnetic pull of the Ancestral Tree, some of the Shattered Stars from the Brugeth have spontaneously made their way here," observed Beru of the Starborn, seeking confirmation with a glance at Chen Qinghuang.
Chen Qinghuang nodded in agreement.
Thus, it became known that the transformed "Uxthar Tree" had acquired the power to draw psionic energy from the Star River of the extraterrestrial domain. Through Brie, who possessed a tenth-level bloodline, it had restored a certain incomplete rule, prompting the once forest-covered grassy stars to autonomously travel to the Spirit World.
Like moths to a flame, they presented themselves before the divine tree, offering their energy for its reserves.
The spectacle before them also triggered a memory in Yu Yuan, recalling a vision he had once had. In that vision, the Uxthar Tree was magnitudes larger, its branches piercing through a complete Domain of Stars. The tree alone nearly filled an entire Star River, its branches reaching out endlessly.
Every domain teeming with life was penetrated by these branches, all serving to nourish the tree, fueling its growth, transformation, and flourishing.
The "Uxthar Tree" now rooted in the Spirit World seemed to be advancing towards such grandeur, step by step.
Crack!
A distant meteorite burst mid-flight, its fragments scattering. Within its depths, a sacrificial altar spanning about ten acres, entwined with withered vines and echoing with the wails and shrieks of ghosts, emerged. Though the altar bore no heads of tribal members, the withered vines teemed with souls gliding like schools of fish.
Yu Yuan's eyes widened in astonishment.
With just a glance, he recognized that the altar bore a striking resemblance to the Soulforge Pool within the Moonfall Sanctuary, possessing the enigmatic ability to store spirits.
The withered vines that adorned it were reminiscent of those entwined around Brie's scepter, likely the handiwork of the Shadowkin.
It appeared to be part of a sacrificial ritual conducted elsewhere, where the offerings were merely spirits.
Suddenly, Yu Yiyi erupted with an exuberant cheer. The cauldron spirit of the Crucible of Evil, like a predator catching the scent of blood, became wildly excited and agitated.
Yu Yuan immediately realized that the spirits within the altar's withered vines could be transformed into lower-tiered Banes.
For the Crucible of Evil, quantity mattered greatly. A substantial number of Banes were essential to continuously channel Soul Power to higher-tiered Banes, facilitating their metamorphosis.
"Excellent!"
Yu Yuan gave a slight nod and willingly emerged from within the cauldron, keeping a watchful eye on Wei Zhuo.
With the Thunder Pool and Thunderhammer at his disposal, Wei Zhuo's intervention could not only complicate the gathering of spirits for the Banes but also potentially lead to greater losses.
The Crucible of Evil gracefully took flight, and the cauldron spirit, Yu Yiyi, coordinated her departure with Chen Qinghuang.
The spirit and the cauldron became one in an instant.
Whoosh!
The cauldron swiftly expanded and descended with pinpoint accuracy onto the peculiar altar as it passed by.
No sooner had the Crucible of Evil settled than the spirits, like wisps within the withered vines, seemed to find liberation, eagerly rushing into the cauldron's inner sanctum.
It was as though, even facing transformation into a Bane and the eternal loss of their spiritual wisdom, they preferred this fate over remaining bound by the altar's withered vines.
Yu Yiyi needed no effort on her part; she simply observed as, in the blink of an eye, half of the spirits had assimilated, aligning with her intent and settling into the deepest layer of the cauldron wall.
Suddenly, she had thousands more Banes at her disposal.
"If there are more altars, more spirits out there, the Crucible of Evil's ascension in rank is imminent!"
Yu Yiyi was brimming with excitement as she eagerly shared her discovery with Yu Yuan. She informed him that the spirits lingering in the withered vines at the altar were exceptional materials for the refinement of the Bane.
