C1347 Using Strength to Subdue Others

Streaks of light streaked across the sky, each carrying the majestic dragon's breath that threatened to shake the very void, a power capable of extinguishing all life on earth.

The mightiest Shura from across the world converged, and with just a glance upwards at the heavens, they were staggered by the overwhelming force unleashed by the Dragon Slaying Stage, struggling to keep their footing.

Even the Divine Artifact, the Dragon Slaying Stage, when revealing a fraction of its divine might, proved too much for a sixth-level Shura to bear.

As the radiant streaks of light burst forth, Shura a hundred miles from the deep cavern were struck with such fear that their very souls seemed to shatter. Yet, the indomitable spirit of the Shura drove them to trudge on, moving ever closer to where Ciara lay.

For the Shura do not know the meaning of fear!

Boom!

The ground where the light touched, the once narrow cave, ripped apart violently. The roar from deep within the earth sent the flat wilderness into convulsions, rippling like a violently shaken rug. A web of deep fissures spread out in an instant, branching out wildly from the center of the cave where Ciara had fallen.

The cave itself glowed with a radiant light, the cracks widening ever more.

Ciara's stifled groans echoed continuously, soon turning into coughs, as if she were at the bottom of the cave, coughing up blood without end.

Yu Yuan's elongated Lunar Spirit phantom materialized clearly above the Dragon Slaying Stage, suddenly magnifying several-fold. In that moment, he resembled an ancient deity draped in moonlight silver, gazing down upon the fractured cave with a detached air.

"Full of yourself," he murmured, a slight smirk on his lips as he delivered a cold assessment.

Upon their reunion in the Frozen Wastes, where the Wintermaw concealed a Frost Well, Ciara, the Platinum Shura who bore the Frost Well, attacked without hesitation. She believed that he had grievously wounded the snow bear, and indeed, there was a misunderstanding between them.

Yu Yuan had sought to clarify and cease the hostilities, partly because the snow bear's wounds required attention and monitoring. Furthermore, he was aware that Elena was still present and he wished to delve into the River of Swords without causing undue commotion.

His actions were not born out of fear.

Ciara's subsequent words and deeds slowly led Yu Yuan to a realization—the other party actually thought his call for a truce was motivated by fear of death.

This Platinum Shura, with a ninth-level bloodline yet not native to the Dark Realm, had presumptuously assumed she could easily manipulate him, dictating his life and death at her whim.

She refrained from acting because she wanted to show respect to the "snow bear."

Her subsequent behavior, the targeted remarks, the disdainful expressions, the mocking messages sent to Alonso, and the various difficulties she created, all stemmed from Ciara's sense of superiority and her confidence.

Yu Yuan realized what he needed to do to make the Shura, who habitually used strength to communicate, take his proposal seriously.

He chose a star close by because his Lunar Spirit was more stable in a world surrounded by a wall.

Besides, if he and Ciara were in the same world as the snow bear, they wouldn't be able to fight.

A mere roar from the snow bear would send Ciara retreating into the Star River, leaving the ninth-level platinum Shura without the courage to engage in battle.

Without a fight, without subduing her, she would only cause more trouble.

"Get lost!"

Watching over a dozen Shuras with sixth-level bloodlines charge across the cracked ice field with faces set for death, Yu Yuan's expression turned grim as he roared in fluent Shura language.

Having refined a drop of ninth-level Otherkin lifeblood in his Altar of Rebirth, he had fully assimilated it, gaining mastery over their language and script.

Now, he was practically a linguistic scholar, well-versed in the languages of various races.

"Who are you?"

A hundred miles away, a burly Shura man riding a two-headed snow wolf brandished his silver lance, his voice fierce but tinged with apprehension.

Yu Yuan didn't bother to engage. He activated a technique from Wraithbinding.

His Soul Power, like a mysterious catalyst, invoked the strength of the frost wyrm from the Dragon Slaying Stage, creating a spectacular display of ice light in the real world.

Soul Power, akin to the deft hand of the Way of Heaven, wielded the ice magic to form hundreds of ice blades and wind knives.

A hundred miles away, the Shura warriors racing towards him were swallowed by the horrific ice and snow, sliced by the blades, and reduced to a gory blur in an instant.

"Yu Yuan! If you dare to slaughter in the Glimmerdrift Nebula, no one will save you!"

Ciara's shriek echoed like a wail from the depths of hell, chilling to the core.

Yu Yuan remained unfazed, commanding the Dragon Slaying Stage to descend slightly and expand several dozen times over.

Spanning the heavens, the Dragon Slaying Stage covered hundreds of miles, transforming into a separate, radiant world that reigned supreme over the icy expanse below.

To those who could glimpse him through their Shura Eyes, Yu Yuan appeared as a deity destined to take control of this world.

...

Adjacent to the River of Swords.

With a gaze as sharp as a blade, Alonso, the Shura commander, abruptly asked, "What is Ciara up to?"

His eyes turned to Demian, the keeper of the Heartthumper Drum.

Demian, larger and more imposing, felt his blood flow stall under Alonso's icy stare.

The inherent awe and bloodline suppression from a superior to an inferior naturally compelled Demian to kneel on one knee.

Bowing his head, Demian first activated the Heartthumper Drum to establish contact with the Dark Realm.

Afterward, he reported, "It seems there's been a conflict with Yu Yuan."

"Yu Yuan?"

Alonso, stroking his slightly elongated chin, furrowed his brow and then glanced at Ji Ningshuang, momentarily confined within the Earth-Tethered Cage.

Clad in white, Ji Ningshuang exuded the serene beauty of a frost flower on a sheer cliff, having regained her composure.

She ceased her sword attacks, no longer attempting to penetrate the barrier of the Earth-Tethered Cage with her piercing sword light.

Sensing Alonso's watchful eye, she turned within the cage to meet his gaze.

Her eyes, brimming with an indomitable pride and chill, betrayed no sense of defeat. "This cage cannot kill me."

"I'm aware," Alonso replied with a nod and a smile, acknowledging her statement. "You possess something that could potentially help you break through the Earth-Tethered Cage."

Ji Ningshuang was taken aback, not anticipating that the Shura's Grand Commander could discern such a detail.

Her poise and pride were not without reason; she had ample grounds for her confidence.

The Sword Sect harbored numerous rare treasures, and as a Grand Sword Immortal with boundless potential, she was in possession of treasures capable of attaining the primordial spirit—she certainly had other resources at her disposal.

"You've refrained from using it due to the steep cost," Alonso added with another smile. "Du Yuan and Yue Mu are already en route. You're waiting for them, believing that once they arrive, you'll have the confidence and resolve needed to shatter the Earth-Tethered Cage's seal and engage me in a true battle."

Ji Ningshuang remained silent.

"Don't worry, I'll arrange for you to meet Du Yuan and Yue Mu. Then, the three of you can reunite here."

Alonso, with unshakable composure, produced a massive crystal ball from within his robes and spoke with a sense of reverence, "This is crafted from the eye of a ninth-level Starbeast from the Kuvrepros Nebula. As we draw nearer, the distance between us, Ciara, and the world where that young man resides is close enough for this sphere to grant us a glimpse."

The crystal ball suddenly blazed with light.

Squinting, the onlookers discerned another luminescent world adrift in Yu Yuan and Ciara's Domain of Stars.

They beheld the Dragon Slaying Stage!

Yet, in comparison to the grandeur of the Dragon Slaying Stage, discerning the figures of Yu Yuan, the Lunar Spirit, and Ciara proved exceedingly difficult.

Even Alonso and Ji Ningshuang struggled to make out their forms.

"Thankfully, I've shown some restraint," Alonso murmured to himself. He could see that in the Shura's world, only the desolate regions with collapsing snow-capped mountains and ice peaks were affected.

The three Shura nations, spared from the onslaught of the Dragon Slaying Stage, still stood unbroken.

Within the confines of the Earth-Tethered Cage, Ji Ningshuang's eyes shimmered with icy brilliance, as if two dazzling galaxies had unfurled within them.

She strained to discern whether Yu Yuan's figure was present within the crystal ball.

Regrettably, her Soul Power and sword's will were constrained by the Earth-Tethered Cage, preventing her from unleashing their full might. Coupled with the crystal ball's murky reflection, she was unable to spot Yu Yuan's Lunar Spirit.

Yet, knowing from Alonso that Yu Yuan was within the world inside the crystal ball was enough to stir her deeply.

After three centuries, she could finally converse openly with Yu Yuan amidst the starry expanse beyond their world, unburdened by the concerns of her sect's reputation.

Words she had suppressed for three hundred years were yearning to be spoken.

This was why she had defied the rules of the forbidden area and resolutely ventured forth.

"Commander!"

Demian looked up sharply.

Alonso gestured for him to speak swiftly.

"Ciara has sent a message," Demian inhaled deeply, noting Alonso's growing impatience and quickly continued, "She relays a message from Yu Yuan, requesting that you ensure the sword light of the Stardust Blade remains undimmed until it meets with the Frozen Wastes."

Upon hearing those words, Ji Ningshuang felt a ripple in her Heart Lake. Her typically sharp eyebrows seemed to soften slightly at Demian's remarks.

"Does that kid not realize how brilliant the Stardust Blade is?" Alonso wondered aloud, his face a picture of astonishment. He shook his head gently, then, with a hint of provocation, he asked, "And what if I refuse? What can he possibly do if I don't agree?"

"This..." Demian bowed his head once more, seemingly in silent communication.

Alonso folded his arms across his chest and waited with an air of casual interest. He had only begun to form an opinion of Yu Yuan after his arrival in the Glimmerdrift Nebula, where he met Ciara and Demian and heard of Yu Yuan's exploits through them. Later, Elena shared her own experiences with Yu Yuan.

Yet, Alonso's impression of Yu Yuan wasn't particularly strong. He simply saw Yu Yuan as a fortunate young man who had managed to find favor with the Boulderdawn sect and even the secular bird. Moreover, while still in the Everlands, Yu Yuan had acquired the Titanblade and the sword spirit from the Dragon Slaying Stage.

Having never met Yu Yuan and knowing that his cultivation level was relatively low, Alonso habitually assumed that Yu Yuan's combat abilities were likely negligible.

And now, this same fellow was threatening him? Alonso couldn't help but feel a mix of amusement and disbelief.

"Ugh!" Suddenly, an image in the crystal ball before him dramatically shifted his expression, and he let out an involuntary gasp.

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