C1317 The Butterfly Shadow
The fragmented Brugeth Astral Domain had gradually become a battleground for the mightiest of various races, including humans and archdemons, all vying for the sprouting of the Uxthar Tree!
Who could have believed this before?
Who could have imagined it?
The information revealed by Chen Qinghuang left everyone in shock!
Yet, no one dared to question the veracity of her message.
After all, she was the secular bird.
In many ways, she was the ultimate authority, having pierced the veil of the world's many secrets.
Despite a silence spanning a hundred thousand years, upon awakening, she seamlessly connected the past to the present. She could discern the hidden threads invisible to the average person and unravel the truth.
Whoosh!
Suddenly, her exquisitely perfect figure materialized in the Spirit World!
Onlookers gasped in astonishment, their gazes dropping, eager not to miss a single detail.
They soon noticed she had alighted upon the Magic Tree, birthed from the Azurewood Sceptre thrust into the ground!
Whoosh!
Black flames of destruction surged, spreading like a vast, dark carpet beneath the towering Magic Tree, severing the flow of corrupt psionic power emanating from the depths of the Spirit World.
The Empress stood aloof on a verdant branch, her presence commanding, as though a deity surveying her domain with unquestionable right.
Crackle!
The dark brown particles within the tainted Magic Tree appeared to be purified by her divine might.
The dark brown psionic power seemed to be the contamination spread by the Origin Deity, reminiscent of the filth that had once caused the Uxthar Tree to plummet into the Abyss, corrupting it with the will of the Origin Deity.
The arrival of the Empress, her feet upon the branches, her domain enveloped in the shroud of death force, ensured that history would not repeat itself.
The once unimpressive Magic Tree began to thrive, its verdant splendor restored, radiating a breathtaking luminosity.
In that moment, Chen Qinghuang, standing atop the Magic Tree, appeared to glow in the eyes of all who beheld her, exuding an unparalleled sense of harmony.
As if from the time when the cosmos was still swathed in chaos, she had been perched upon that very tree.
Her emanating essence breathed life into the untainted Magic Tree, rejuvenating its essence.
Brie, clinging to the trunk as if on the brink of death, slowly opened his eyes, his consciousness returning from the haze.
Upon witnessing a figure materialize atop the lush Magic Tree, Brie was struck by the aura emanating from the apparition.
With a quiver in his voice, Brie exclaimed, "I knew it! I knew you wouldn't just stand by idly!"
Recently, he and Chen Qinghuang had clashed in a different region of the Shattered Star over a greylag. Brie had wielded the Azurewood Sceptre and attempted to harness the Shadowkin's blood magic against Chen Qinghuang, only to sense the sceptre's resistance. This sacred artifact, a legacy of the Shadowkin, was the Ancestral Tree's most generous gift, unspoiled by corruption.
The sceptre's reluctance to oppose Chen Qinghuang stirred a familiar sensation within Brie, allowing him to glimpse an extraordinary vision. Amidst the chaos, an ancient divine tree spanned from the heavens to the Abyss, its lush foliage veiling the Star River. Nestled within, a mystical bird had made its home, returning to the sanctuary whenever weariness took hold. Over eons, the bird and the divine tree existed in perfect harmony.
This very image, etched into Brie's memory, had abruptly halted his confrontation with Chen Qinghuang. Later, before stepping into the Spirit World, Brie cast a significant look towards the empress, recognizing that regardless of her past actions, she remained a steadfast ally of the original divine tree—before it was sullied by the Origin Realm.
With a crackling sound, the new growth from the Uxthar Tree was obliterated by a barrage of gray-white lightning. The flames of destruction incinerated the malevolence rising from the earth's depths, reducing it to ash.
Having regressed to the ninth level, Brie did not perish. He removed his hands from the verdant Magic Tree and stood beneath it, gazing up at Chen Qinghuang with deep respect. He harbored no more doubts about her words.
A hundred thousand years prior, before the secular bird's demise, the Shadowkin had relied on the protection of the Wingkind. Following the secular bird's fall, the Shadowkin embraced the Wingkind, reversing their roles. It was then that the Shadowkin assumed the solemn duty of protecting the Wingkind.
As the leader of the Shadowkin, Brie understood the significance of the Azurewood Sceptre when he received it. At the time, however, he didn't fully grasp the rule because the Wingkind were too weak, leading him to treat them as mere vassals, fostering a sense of superiority within himself. It wasn't until now that he finally came to realize the unique bond between the Wingkind and the Shadowkin—a bond where strength on one side meant nurturing the other, an age-old principle etched deeply into the bloodlines of both peoples. This was rooted in the history of the Divine Bird nesting upon the Uxthar Tree, where the two had coexisted for countless millennia.
"It's good that you're not dead."
Chen Qinghuang didn't spare Brie a glance, responding with a cold detachment. Her attention remained fixed on the thriving Uxthar Tree, her expression growing increasingly complex as if lost in memories.
"Your Majesty!"
Yan Qiling, Denise, Moore, and the others cried out in alarm. With Chen Qinghuang's departure, they were left uncertain of their fate. Would they soon follow in the footsteps of Zhu Huan and the Abyssal Winged Lizard, succumbing to illusions and falling into the Spirit World to be consumed by the nascent Evil Ancestral Tree?
"Come to me!"
Yu Yuan, perched on the shoulder of a snow bear, called out suddenly. He hadn't anticipated Chen Qinghuang's silent entry into the Spirit World, nor her aid in Brie's narrow escape. Observing the solitary greylag's plaintive cries, Yu Yuan finally understood Chen Qinghuang's fury upon learning of Brie's coercion of the bird.
Chen Qinghuang had always known where her true allegiance lay—with the Shadowkin. It seemed as though she was inactive, even complicit in wrongdoing, but she was biding her time for Brie. Her urgency with Yan Qiling to reach the Spirit World ahead of Brie was to prepare the stage for intervention, just as she was doing now. Her loyalty to the true divine tree meant she would always stand with Brie, despite his misguided attempt to control the greylag.
She had never forgotten the divine tree, always adhering to the eternal principle she held dear. Yet, the divine tree's corruption by the Origin Realm had obscured many profound legacies, leading to Brie's tragic misinterpretation and his grievous betrayal.
"No need."
Atop a verdant Magic Tree within the Spirit World, Chen Qinghuang let out a cold snort.
Then, the shattered Star River turned topsy-turvy in an instant!
The omnipresent colorful ripples vanished cleanly, the illusion crafted by the Voidweaver crumbling at her simple command of "no need."
Brie was correct; she could indeed shatter the butterfly's hallucinatory powers at will!
"Wake up."
Chen Qinghuang called out once more.
The tumultuous colorful ripples coalesced like magnificent waves deep within the Spirit World, rushing toward the Origin Gate.
The butterfly, caught between sleep and wakefulness, seemed forcibly roused by her call!
The endless colorful ripples converged and refined, forming a graceful silhouette.
Whoosh!
On the evil giant tree, corrupted by the Origin Realm, another female figure materialized out of nowhere, her form slender and seemingly fragile.
Behind her, the Origin Gates shone, resembling butterfly wings.
"Benin..."
Yu Yuan's voice was laden with difficulty. He licked his lips, his face a tapestry of complex emotions.
It wasn't an illusion after all...
The Benin he had glimpsed in his confusion had appeared once again.
Benin, with her petite stature and exquisite features, wore a gentle smile. Her back adorned with resplendent butterfly wings, she exuded the commanding presence of a sovereign of space.
Who else could it be, if not the Voidweaver?
"It has been revived; shouldn't you be pleased?"
The "Benin" who had finally stopped concealing herself and emerged into the open paid no heed to anyone else in the Spirit World. She gazed intently at Chen Qinghuang, speaking in a soft, ethereal voice, "You were hunted down by those at the tenth level. You should despise them all. Why oppose us?"
"Shouldn't you be delighted to witness what we desire to do, what we are about to accomplish?"
"Benin" stood lightly upon a leaf of the sinister giant tree, her demeanor gentle, embodying the poise of a well-bred lady.
Yuan Lianyao and Denise looked upon her as if she were the epitome of feminine perfection.
She might not possess Chen Qinghuang's stunning beauty, but Chen Qinghuang's pride was too piercing, her edges too sharp—as if she could extinguish all life in the blink of an eye—making her unapproachable and hard to endear.
She was different.
Fully aware that she was a Voidweaver, and that the person before her might not be her true self, Yuan Lianyao and Denise found her more approachable. They even entertained the idea of mimicking her every gesture.
"The entity that wishes to be revived is not as it appears now."
Chen Qinghuang's expression was stern as she observed the newly sprouted Uxthar Tree, its branches and leaves quivering. She was repulsed by the aura emanating from each leaf. "You are truly pitiable, having degraded to such a level, just like it has."
"Degraded?"
Benin's lips curled into a light smile, and she gently shook her head. "I disagree. Beings like you, like me, like it, we're meant to eternally stand at the pinnacle of the gods. The current lowly creatures, akin to ants and flies, should forever worship us and maintain their humility."
"Particularly the inhabitants of the Everlands, they should be eradicated. They are the malignancy of the Star River!"
