C135 The Tables Are Turned

Certainly, Extraterritorial Heavenly Devils are known to lurk beyond the reaches of the Boundless Land.

Cultivators who ascend to the Yang God Stage within the Boundless Land often take to the skies with their Yang God to hunt these beings, thereby bolstering their own power and advancing their cultivation.

However, these Heavenly Devils have been known to breach the barriers and infiltrate the Boundless Land.

Those bold enough to venture into the Boundless Land are typically formidable, drawing the relentless pursuit of cultivators from both the Heavenly Source and Quietus Continents.

Many Extraterritorial Heavenly Devils meet their demise shortly after their arrival.

Only a rare few manage to roam the Boundless Land and escape with their lives intact.

The one concealed within the bronze monument is likely the one suppressed by the Fourth Upper Sect, trapped within the forbidden zone for millennia.

Even Qin Yun, at the pinnacle of the Yin God Stage, could only flee with grave injuries after clashing with this Heavenly Devil.

This clearly illustrates the creature's fearsome might and strength.

"That Extraterritorial Heavenly Devil is still constrained by this realm, unable to fully free itself," Qin Yun mused. "Its power must not have been fully restored, or I wouldn't have managed to escape."

His words cast a hush over the group.

After a moment of contemplation, Lee Yuchan inquired, "Yu Yuan, is he the same Heavenly Devil you deliberately avoided earlier?"

"Yes," Yu Yuan admitted without hesitation. "The sword soul I've acquired told me that only by achieving a greater harmony with this world could I possibly restrain that being."

"Sword soul? Harmony with the world?" Qin Yun paused, a realization dawning on him. "You mean you can activate the forbidden area's seals?"

Yu Yuan confirmed with a nod, "Exactly."

"So, what exactly do you know about the Fallen Moon Forbidden Area?" Qin Yun glanced at the sky, then peered into the distance. "Lately, I've sensed that something's amiss here. The surge of bizarre souls and malevolent spirits is overwhelming. On my previous three visits, I never encountered such odd phenomena."

He, along with the cultivators from the Rainier Empire, frequented the Fallen Moon Forbidden Area on their explorations.

In the past, the Forbidden Area was scarcely visited by a handful of low-ranking strange souls and evil spirits.

The Moon Fragments within had long since lost their allure, and for nearly a century, no exceptional cultivators had managed to unearth any wonders.

This led to the gradual fading of the Forbidden Area from the memories of the Profound Sky Continent's cultivators.

But now, everything had transformed.

The once desolate Forbidden Area brimmed with peril, as formidable alien souls and evil spirits emerged with increasing frequency.

The gateways to the Fallen Moon Forbidden Area and the Silvermoon Empire were severed by a mysterious barrier, with the skies enshrouded by an enigmatic force of restriction.

The heavens and the earth were under lockdown, impenetrable and inescapable.

It resembled an immense prison.

"I can only tell you this—if this land spirals out of control and the imprisoned souls and evil spirits break free..."

Yu Yuan's voice trailed off as he gazed steadily at Qin Yun, "Forget the Silvermoon Empire and the Rainier Empire; the entire Profound Sky Continent would be plunged into chaos."

Qin Yun's eyes widened in alarm, "Like the Extraterritorial Devil within the bronze monument?"

"Not just one," Yu Yuan affirmed, "That entity might simply be the most formidable Alien Soul Evil Spirit we've faced so far. There could be others, more fearsome still, lying in wait, not yet freed."

A hush fell over all who heard these words.

Even Yan Lu, Han Hui, and their peers had only a vague understanding of the Forbidden Area's true state.

Su Yan sensed the latent perils of the Forbidden Area but failed to grasp the gravity of the situation, even as she observed Lee Yuchan, Lee Yu, and others exchanging hushed words.

Only now did the full extent of the terror lurking within this place dawn on them.

One misstep could spell disaster!

"Can you activate the restrictions here?"

Qin Yun drew upon the spiritual power of the Spirit Stone, his skin shimmering with a crystalline luster, his eyes exceptionally luminous.

He closed his eyes for a moment.

Upon reopening them, they held the pull of powerful magnets.

Yu Yuan, locked in his gaze, felt as though the three souls of heaven, earth, and humanity were on the verge of being ripped from his consciousness.

"Qin Yun!"

Lee Yuchan's voice cut through the air sharply. A web woven from her spiritual consciousness materialized overhead.

Her Yin God, ensconced at the web's core, fixed Qin Yun with an unwavering stare.

Her Yin God had become so faint and indistinct that only Lee Yu could still perceive it with his eyes. With further refinement, she would cleanse the impurities within her Yin God, rendering it completely hidden.

"Chi! Chi!"

A dazzling divine radiance began to emanate from the sword's tip embedded in Yu Yuan's arm. Qin Yun, with eyes like magnets, immediately turned his gaze toward the glow on Yu Yuan's arms, which now resembled blazing suns.

"Soul Movement!"

Muttering the incantation, Qin Yun's Yin God resonated with his main soul, his hands weaving intricate and complex seals as if they were butterflies flitting through flowers.

"Boom!"

Without warning, a torrent of lightning cascaded from the heavens, aiming for Qin Yun with an unstoppable, ferocious intensity. Green clouds, seemingly artifacts tied to his very life, burst forth from behind his head, their sudden brilliance repelling the lethal deluge.

In that critical moment, however, sword intent surged from beneath the earth, and Qin Yun's hands, still busy forming seals, were suddenly drenched in blood. He stifled a groan as his form blurred and, within seconds, he reappeared beside an elder of the Seven Divine Sect, wincing as he applied a healing salve to his bloodied hands.

Yu Yuan's expression was icy as he confronted the situation. "Senior, are you trying to rob me of my chance?"

Qin Yun's earlier actions were an attempt to extract the sword light from his arm bone, assimilate it into himself, and usurp Yu Yuan's place as the world's sword-bearer. But his plan had fallen short.

"With your Spirit Accumulating Stage abilities, you can't exploit the full potential of this forbidden area. It should be me," Qin Yun declared unabashedly, even after his scheme had been revealed. "You said it yourself—if the Alien Soul and Evil Spirit of this world aren't contained, they could spell disaster for the Profound Sky Continent."

"Hand over your opportunity to me. My higher level of cultivation and affinity with the restrictions mean I can turn peril into safety."

"And with that opportunity, I'll be able to activate the world's restrictions and reduce the devils within that bronze monument to dust with ease."

He had intended to reveal that with his cultivation at the Peak of the Yin God Stage, he would assimilate the Alien Soul Evil Spirit and seamlessly progress to the Soul Wandering Stage.

Once he entered the Soul Wandering Stage, wielding the imprint of the sword soul, he would relentlessly pursue and eliminate more Alien Soul Evil Spirits. In the Fallen Moon Forbidden Area, he would shatter boundaries with an unparalleled velocity.

He might even forge the Yang God in an astonishingly brief span of time.

Such a formidable version of himself would be unmatched, eclipsing the Rainier Empire and standing as a preeminent force across the Profound Sky Continent.

"It's truly regrettable that you didn't succeed," Yu Yuan said with a furrowed brow. "Now, Senior, could you tell me whether I should end your life and expedite your departure, given your failure?"

"You've activated the seal and confined the bronze monument. If I join forces with you, we could annihilate that Extraterritorial Devil!" Qin Yun, quick to adapt after his initial plan failed, proposed, "You take the bronze monument, and I'll refine the Extraterritorial Devil you defeat. Does that appeal to you?"

"No need. I'll dispose of you first," Yu Yuan said with a smile. "As for the bronze monument and the Extraterritorial Devil within, I'll consider my options."

With those words, he launched his attack, denying Qin Yun any opportunity to negotiate.

​