C1336 The Forbidden Area of the Forbidden Area
"Healing?"
The Elder Asura, who had traveled a great distance with a Frost Well from the Dark Domain, wore a look of skepticism.
She couldn't see any connection between Yu Yuan and the Cold Domain Bear.
Why would Yu Yuan tend to the bear's wounds after it had been injured?
Ciara, harboring doubts, narrowed her eyes and, to her astonishment, noticed that the streams of crimson light emanating from the Demon Blade, Blood Prison, were indeed stitching up the bear's ghastly wounds.
Even more astonishing was the discovery that a subtle flow of soul energy was seeping into the bear's mind.
Ciara froze in shock.
Her last encounter with Yu Yuan had been in the Star Race's Illusion Starfield, where they had formed a temporary alliance due to Cao Jiaze and Xu Jingyao.
But that was the extent of it. They had no real rapport and, in fact, harbored some animosity towards each other.
Following Barol's arrival, the turmoil in the Illusion Starfield had been swiftly quelled.
With the Epitaxial Realm's mysterious vanishing and the Optimus Sword now nowhere to be found, the mission she had shouldered came to an abrupt end.
Later, under orders from the Asura King via the spiritual link with the Dark Domain Frost Well, she arrived in the Firefly Starfield.
Soon after, she learned that the Cold Domain Bear, a savior to its entire race, had stealthily entered the Deep Starfield, now an Outer Battlefield, upon hearing of the Void Spirit Succubus's appearance and Diggs's initiation of a sinister ritual to summon the Origin Realm God.
The finer details eluded her; all she knew was that by the time she considered investigating, the Deep Starfield had become a desolate void.
The enigmatic and infinitely unknown Deep Starfield instantly dissuaded her from pursuing further.
She reported back to the Asura Clan, and the great commander Alonso promptly arrived.
Alonso instructed her to keep a close watch on the Cold Domain Bear at the edge of the Star River.
Unbeknownst to her, the Cold Domain Bear had taken Yu Yuan on a soaring quest through the Firefly Starfield in search of the Cold Abyss Entrance.
All she knew was that the bear had vanished without warning.
And from the Frost Well she carried, she sensed a disturbance in the Freezing Land, regarded by her people as sacred and off-limits.
She went to investigate and, en route, unexpectedly encountered Jee Ningshuang wielding the Starfrost Sword. In the Firefly Starfield, a confrontation with Jee Ningshuang, the Great Sword Immortal, was inevitable. She had underestimated the combat prowess of the Starfrost Sword... Jee Ningshuang, having honed her skills in the Dim Starfield, had refined her swordsmanship even further. The Starfrost Sword was sharper, and the potency of her sword spell had surged once again. After a fierce battle, she managed to escape using the Dark Domain Frost Well, though she sustained some injuries. Through the link between the Dark Domain Frost Well and the Impasse Land, she ultimately succeeded in her journey. To her surprise, she found the missing Cold Domain Bear there, gravely wounded.
"Mm, I'll tend to its wounds. We've had dealings in the Deep Starfield before it vanished into the void," she said.
Yu Yuan hesitated before being forthright, "To be clear, you and I, as well as the Asura Clan, are adversaries, not allies. I'm unaware of your relationship with it, but it and I have always been on good terms. To put it simply, it has been a great help to me in the Deep Starfield."
He provided a brief explanation.
Yu Yuan added, "It led me here, to where it unearthed peculiar cold crystals at the seabed, which drew the attention of Gu Xingkui with the Earth Sword, resulting in its grievous injuries."
"I'm attempting to heal it, and it appears to be effective. Take a closer look, and you'll understand," he said, pausing for a moment. "That's the reality. If you're skeptical, you can verify it with the bear once it regains consciousness."
Standing on the Dragon Slash Platform, Yu Yuan gazed down at the Demon Blade, Blood Prison, which continued to infuse the bear with blood and soul under his coercion. With a composed demeanor, he said, "I want you to understand that I ceased fighting with you because I saw no need to continue our conflict."
Ciara listened intently, pondering his words before suddenly inquiring, "Where is the Secular Bird?"
When she mentioned the "Secular Bird," her soul seemed to disperse, and her presence filled the air with a sense of foreboding, as if bracing for a formidable adversary.
She had been momentarily blinded by rage, but it suddenly dawned on her that Yu Yuan and Chen Qinghuang had departed together. Unless something unforeseen had occurred, they were likely still in each other's company.
The intelligence she had gathered from the Firefly Starfield indicated that the Secular Bird and the Void Spirit Succubus had clashed decisively in the Lissom Realm. Additionally, Diggs and Brie were involved, alongside a malevolent giant tree that was rapidly expanding. Yu Yuan, meanwhile, remained at the heart of the conflict.
"She ventured to the Dark Wing Starfield. That battle is over. The enigmatic Origin Realm God has already seized what it sought. Brie's bloodline has regressed to the Eighth Level. Diggs has harvested a sinister fruit, rejuvenating him, and he will soon ascend to the Tenth Level bloodline."
Yu Yuan repeated this information to Ciara, who listened intently, hanging on every word and visibly shaken by the revelations.
The Void Spirit Succubus, the Fallen Divine Tree, the resurgence of Diggs, the encroachment of the Origin Realm God—these were all novelties that Ciara had never encountered before. Yu Yuan's account filled in the gaps of her knowledge, things she yearned to understand but had been too apprehensive to investigate.
"How is Elena doing now?"
After a thorough explanation, Yu Yuan shifted the conversation unexpectedly.
"That young lady has embraced the generosity of our king and has formally embarked on her training in the Dark Domain," Ciara replied with a hint of a smile, her voice tinged with pride. "She's bound to emerge from her trials as a formidable Asura of the Dark Domain. Her accomplishments will one day surpass those of her father."
Suddenly, Ciara's tone turned icy, as if a realization had struck her.
"You are the heir to the Optimus Sword and have ties to the Divine Soul Sect. We will not let this slide! Kid, once the Cold Domain Bear awakens, if I discover you've been lying, you won't escape my wrath!"
Her words carried a threat, clearly indicating she harbored resentment and was aware that Sabonis's grievous wounds were the result of the Divine Soul Sect's machinations.
"Unless the Asura King himself intervenes...," Yu Yuan gestured toward the Dragon Slash Platform at his feet, "with this in my possession, you alone won't be able to detain me. Moreover, the Great Sword Immortal of the Sword Sect just so happens to be in your Firefly Starfield—I have allies I can call upon."
"Help? Are you dreaming? Why would Jee Ningshuang, wielder of the Starfrost Sword, assist some kid from the Divine Soul Sect?" Ciara scoffed. "If she knew you were around, she'd probably ditch me and make a beeline to take you out first!"
She was acutely aware of the chaos within the Vast Ocean, understanding that the five supreme powers were at odds with the returning Divine Soul Sect.
Moreover, to prevent the Vast Ocean from being torn asunder, the conflict had been relocated to the heavens.
In the outer space, there was no need for restraint. Upon encountering each other, it would be a life-or-death battle.
Yu Yuan simply smiled, offering no explanation.
Ciara, having never set foot in the Vast Ocean or experienced the war in the Fallen Moon Forbidden Area, clearly didn't grasp the enmity between him and the Starfrost Sword. His composed and smug demeanor only fueled her suspicions.
After a brief reflection, the Asura Clan elder, seemingly grasping at straws, inquired, "Why did the Starfrost Sword appear in the Firefly Starfield?"
"Why wouldn't it?" Yu Yuan retorted.
"This Starfield is deemed off-limits within the Vast Expanse; entry is prohibited," Ciara explained, glancing at the deep sea beneath her. "Only those who possess the Frost Well from the Dark Domain are privy to a secret. The Vast Expanse relies on the stability of the Firefly Starfield; they wouldn't allow its inhabitants to suffer."
"That's why the five great supreme factions have collectively declared the Firefly Starfield a restricted zone."
"The Starfrost Sword brazenly flouts the Vast Expanse's decree and storms in here!"
Ciara was visibly incensed, itching to confront the Sword Sect's leader and report Jee Ningshuang.
"A forbidden area forbids hunting and senseless slaughter..."
Yu Yuan stroked his chin, pondering briefly before it dawned on him.
It all came back to the "Cold Abyss Entrance" being here!
Should the Firefly Starfield fall to war, resulting in the extinction of the Asura Clan and all its creatures, the cold Realm would inevitably decline, possibly even withering away.
Perhaps the dense starry sky filled with Frost Energy would eventually dissipate and flow elsewhere.
Without the vast presence of Frost Energy, even if the "Cold Abyss Entrance" were established in the Impasse Land, it would fail to gather Frost Energy, rendering the "Cold Abyss Entrance" unnecessary.
Hao Ran would need to select an appropriate Starfield and construct a new "Cold Abyss Entrance."
For the five supreme forces, this would be an enormous undertaking, involving the manipulation of space-time and ensuring the smooth flow of the Realm, a process both time-consuming and labor-intensive.
Pei Yuling's rebellion, coupled with the mysterious Origin Realm God revealing just the tip of the iceberg, added significant pressure on Hao Ran.
Naturally, they did not wish to see the Firefly Starfield turn into a desolate wasteland.
"That girl, she really hasn't changed..."
Yu Yuan shook his head with a wry smile.
Defying Hao Ran's edict, Ji Ningshuang charged headlong into the Firefly Starfield without a second thought. She was indeed the only one bold enough to flout the rules, even going so far as to shatter them herself.
But what could be her compelling reason for coming here?
"It's awake!"
Ciara exclaimed, her excitement palpable. She sensed the soul of the Cold Domain Bear stirring, and the active convergence of the dense Frost Energy.
"We're all set."
Yu Yuan lifted his hand, and the Demon Blade transformed into a streak of crimson lightning, settling into his palm.
As the bear awoke, the blood crystals lodged within its wounds burst apart, and a rich blood essence rained down upon its massive form like a refreshing downpour.
Its vitality surged back with astonishing speed, clearly out of danger now.
From this point forward, it would simply need to draw upon its mystical bloodline and the resonance with the land to heal gradually.
