C1327 They Changed Their Route to the Glimmerdrift
"You've been away for quite some time."
At the fringe of the Silver Sands Astral Domain, Lin Yan, with a look of surprise, watched Cao Jiaze make his leisurely return. "What's the matter? Did you come across something noteworthy?"
At his words, the rest of the group turned their attention to Cao Jiaze, their expressions marked by curiosity.
This area bordered the ethereal Brugeth Star River, permeated by a variety of psionic powers from the Star River, seeping slowly into the distant void.
Next to the Starway, there were mountains that had been casually dragged over from other realms by practitioners of theurgy, offering a temporary respite.
One particular dark red mountain, wreathed in rings of flame, had nine fiery orbs floating beneath it, blazing like the sun.
Mo Baichuan, the Lord of Mount Solarian, stood atop the peak, his expression stoic.
Xu Jingyao, the wielder of the Flame Spear, sat slumped and dispirited, a shadow of his former pride and sharpness.
After facing consecutive defeats at the extraterritorial battlefield and then Kuvrepros, his confidence had nearly evaporated.
Numerous cultivators from the Sunlit Order were scattered around the mountain, silent and still.
Another mountain rose up, straight as a blade.
At its summit, Du Yuan, known as the Sword of Destruction, and Yue Mu, the Rillrender, two Grand Sword Immortals of the Sword Sect, gazed solemnly at the void of the Brugeth Star River.
Chen Qingyan, of exquisite beauty, having successfully forged her Solar Spirit, stood behind them, her brows tightly knit.
Other cultivators from the Sword Sect spread out around the mountain, their sword's will, capable of rending the void, emanating from them, filled with an aura of deadly seriousness and sharpness.
Wei Zhuo of the Thunder Sect sat within the shrunken Thunder Pool, his eyes squinted, silent.
"There wasn't much to find, just ventured a bit deeper," Cao Jiaze said, shaking his head and returning to the Starway with a composed demeanor. He looked at Lin Yan and inquired, "Is the Sect Master still conducting his thorough investigation of Silver Sands?"
Lin Yan hummed in affirmation, replying, "He's traversing this Star River, exploring several legendary locales, particularly the lair of the Abyssal Winged Lizard and the forbidden grounds of the Silverscale Tribe."
Please inform the Sect Master that the existence of the Abyssal Winged Lizard and the Silverscale Tribe might be attributed to the Abyssal Greater Basilisk. The current desolation of Brugeth shares many similarities with the rumored boundaries of the cosmos and the vanishing site of the Abyssal Greater Basilisk," Cao Jiaze stated with earnestness.
Lin Yan paused briefly, then gave a slight nod.
A flicker of puzzlement crossed his mind, but with the presence of the Sunlit Order and Sword Sect's experts, he refrained from further questions.
"Cao, didn't you make any discoveries inside?" Yue Mu chuckled, casting a sidelong glance. "Why didn't you mention this before? The transformation of Brugeth is significant. If you've uncovered something, don't keep it to yourself."
"I simply had a sudden realization, Senior Yue Mu. You're reading too much into it," Cao Jiaze replied with a smile.
"I'm really curious about what exactly transpired in there," Yue Mu mused aloud.
Many eyes shifted back to the now-empty Brugeth, filled with both curiosity and a hint of concern.
The Shattered Star, a battleground for extraterrestrial conflicts for thousands of years, was thrown into turmoil, capturing the attention of powers across the Star River and halting the ongoing war in the Dark Star.
Following the deaths of the King of Wraiths and the Golden Elephant God, the enraged Demon Palace and Shadow's Keep rallied a vast array of sect forces from the Everlands and surged into the Dark Star.
The upper sects joined in, amassing their own formidable experts.
The result was the Star-Spawned Terror, already incensed by the aggressive invasion from the Everlands.
Bertain, the Great Demon God, who had previously clashed with Grec, made his stance clear...
Consequently, led by High Priest Reid, the Dawnbringers, enchantresses, and Starborn sent numerous Mighty Bloodline warriors to the fray.
Meanwhile, at the Demon Palace and Shadow's Keep, the Dark Deity Kylin emerged, igniting a fierce battle within the Dark Star.
As the conflict raged on, an earth-shattering quake struck Brugeth, sending shockwaves through the various factions.
The enigmatic Origin Deity unveiled its might, and in concert with the Voidweaver and the Ancestral Tree of the Shadowkin, nearly brought Brie to the brink of death. The secular bird, a being from a hundred millennia past, also joined the fray.
The Brugeth Astral Domain was swiftly reduced to nothingness, and the news of the Star River's annihilation, now devoid of any energy, spread far and wide.
The war within the Dark Star Domain came to an abrupt halt due to the cataclysmic event and the mysterious Origin Deity, resulting in the cessation of all activity within the region.
Subsequently, a flurry of news erupted: Ogeus and Zhu Huan had perished, the Abyssal Winged Lizard had been devoured, among other developments, capturing the attention of all concerned parties.
This also precipitated a shift among the various powers.
"Don't rush. Let's wait a bit longer and then explore the enigmas within," Du Yuan, known as the Sword of Destruction, remarked as he gazed at the moving Starway, his expression serene. "My sect's people will be arriving shortly. Brie of the Shadowkin, despite his extraordinary prowess, met a grim fate. We must proceed with caution."
Yue Mu exhaled deeply, "I'm well aware."
Behind them stood the beautiful Chen Qingyan, her brows knitted with worry, her head bowed in contemplation of the complex emotions stirring within her.
Her master had been engaged in battle within the Dark Star Domain and was expected to arrive soon. Yue Mu had brought her here after she had refined her Solar Spirit, eager to witness the marvels of the extraterritorial battlefield.
Yet...
She had not anticipated that her first encounter with the extraterrestrial realm would be marked by such explosive upheaval—a Star River vanishing in the blink of an eye, with participants including Yu Yuan and the revered founder of the Songbird Empire, once deified by the Chen family...
She, too, was eager to uncover what had transpired within and whether Yu Yuan and the other illustrious figure had survived.
...
Unbeknownst to Yu Yuan, he had narrowly missed crossing paths with many old friends.
But he was aware that with the Ebon Star's sect master now present in the Silver Sands, any reckless move on his part would be tantamount to courting death.
With such a figure in place, even those familiar with him would find it difficult to show leniency.
As his physical form and Lunar Spirit were seamlessly connected, he and the fiend Qiyan came to a halt the moment he encountered Cao Jiaze, refraining from advancing toward the Silver Sands.
"Kuvrepros, Darkpinion, Glimmerdrift..."
Yu Yuan mused to himself. With Silver Sands now out of reach, his only option was to approach from one of the three adjacent Astral Domains.
Chen Qinghuang had departed for the Darkpinion Astral Domain, which would have been his optimal choice. Yet, as the empress bid her farewell, it was evident she preferred he not accompany her.
The Kuvrepros, his origin Astral Domain, had lost its allure following the disappearance of Zekrica.
The Glimmerdrift Nebula, territory of the Shura, was once under Fernand's command. Elena was likely there, along with two ninth-level Shura warriors.
And then there was the snow bear.
For some inexplicable reason, the thought of the sentient snow bear stirred something within him, prompting a decisive choice.
No sooner had he resolved, his main body responded, altering its course.
Guided by the Lunar Spirit, they traversed tens of thousands of miles in a mere moment.
After what seemed an eternity, his Lunar Spirit once again arrived at the border of the Brugeth Nebula, adjacent to the Glimmerdrift Nebula.
A natural divide existed between the two Astral Domains, as if an unseen barrier separated them. The psionic power of Glimmerdrift did not seep through, nor could the void of Brugeth penetrate the other side.
In this expanse of nothingness, his Lunar Spirit observed the distance in silence.
All was calm.
Without the safeguard of physical form, the Lunar Spirit refrained from any brash actions, avoiding any attempt to infiltrate with its remnant soul, wary of a formidable presence on the other side that might seize the opportunity to strike.
Thus, it waited in stillness.
Time elapsed, and eventually, his real body, along with Qiyan the fiend, reached the Lunar Spirit's location.
With a swoosh, the Lunar Spirit was back in the Mindscape.
He felt a subtle jolt as the Lunar Spirit returned, enhancing his spiritual wisdom. His senses, his ability to observe, and the refinement of his soul all seemed to have undergone a comprehensive improvement.
Without a successfully forged Solar Spirit, and before its departure from the body, he remained in the Spirit Walk state.
The essence of Spirit Walk was the soul's venture beyond the physical confines.
Among cultivators of his level in the Everlands, the capacity to Spirit Walk thousands of miles was already a remarkable feat.
He traversed tens of thousands of miles across the Star River in this void in just a moment, swimming for ages, seemingly wandering the entire expanse.
Though he found nothing of note, his Spirit Walk as a Lunar Spirit far surpassed that of others by an immeasurable margin.
Moreover, he had cleansed his soul with the Shadow Moon Essence during this journey.
"It's as if something is urging me to break through and swiftly forge the enigmatic sensation of the Solar Spirit," Yu Yuan mused, a slight smile on his lips, aware that his Spirit Walk had solidified to the utmost.
It seemed his mental state and refinement had vastly exceeded his current level. The Spirit Walk realm was too feeble, almost as if it were constraining his ability to fully unleash the power of his mind and soul.
He suddenly realized that, even without obtaining the fruit of the Blightwood in the Shattered Star, he had gained something else.
This gain, invisible to the eye, would slowly manifest its benefits in time.
"Are you ready?" he asked, glancing at Qiyan, the fiend.
"What's there to prepare for?" The liquid form of Qiyan, having endured many hardships, had lost its rough edges, becoming much more composed. "As long as I don't encounter practitioners of lightning spells, I have nothing to fear."
"Good."
Yu Yuan, now one with his spirited body, called forth the Dragon Slaying Stage and gripped the Baneblade in his other hand.
He refrained from drawing the sheath of the Titanblade, cautious of higher beings in the depths of the Glimmerdrift Nebula who might sense the Divine Sword's sheath.
After all, the Titanblade held extraordinary significance to the Shura.
"Off we go!"
With the Dragon Slaying Stage in one hand and the Baneblade in the other, he shot toward the Glimmerdrift Nebula.
Unimpeded, he vanished in a blink.
Qiyan, the fiend, trailed closely behind, effortlessly crossing the unseen threshold.
Upon entering the unfamiliar Glimmerdrift Nebula, the first sight to greet Yu Yuan was the formidable snow bear, as massive as a mountain!
The snow bear, as if it had been waiting for him, greeted him with a goofy grin, not the least bit surprised by his arrival.
The second person to catch his eye was none other than Qiao Yuling from the extraterrestrial Tempest's Edge, alongside a stunned Qi Yunhong. "Mr. Yu, you... you're still alive?"
