C1394 It Was too Powerful
"Hey, why have you only just arrived?"
Yu Yuan's Solar Spirit Body, through a mystical link with the Dragon Slaying Stage, materialized in an instant upon the luminescent platform suspended in the starry expanse.
He slid the Baneblade, Bloodhell, back into its sheath and beamed at the distant figures that had just appeared beyond the stars.
Ji Ningshuang remained within the cold fog, harnessing the ice energy to purify her internal injuries.
His real body was inside the Dragon Slaying Stage, attuned to the minute shifts within two peculiar small worlds as the Wintermaw descended. It was not the right moment for him to leave.
Moreover, it wouldn't be appropriate for his Solar Spirit to be overly intimate with Ningshuang.
Thus, he returned to the Dragon Slaying Stage in his Solar Spirit form to make his presence known.
The Dragon Slaying Stage, magnified a thousandfold and emanating a unique presence, easily captured the attention of the mighty. Unbound Realm experts could spy on it through various mystiques.
Yet his Solar Spirit was so minuscule that...
After he spoke, he embarrassingly realized that no one had actually noticed his Solar Spirit, which was the size of a grain of rice compared to the Dragon Slaying Stage.
The figures he saw from the Dragon Slaying Stage, the voices calling "Yu Yuan," were because they had discovered the stage and knew it was in his possession, prompting them to call out his name naturally.
In truth, they hadn't seen him at all.
"It seems I was too full of myself."
He touched his nose and chuckled awkwardly, then summoned his vital energy.
Boom!
His form, previously minuscule compared to the Dragon Slaying Stage, now employed a wondrous blood magic from the Sky-Shaking Ape. In his human shape, he expanded a hundredfold!
He transformed into a being that still bore his likeness but was infused with ancient demon energy, his figure now massive and otherworldly.
Bloodline chains glowed with a silvery-gray radiance, and the essence of vital energy, like countless stars, arranged themselves deep within the crystal chains, crafting exotic and unique theurgies.
His limbs and skull were laced with veins pulsing with demon energy, and the aura he exuded was akin to that of an ancient ape from the Marsh.
"Yu, Yu Yuan?"
Green Willow's gaze, which had been tracking the shadow of the Abyssal Leviathan, suddenly sharpened as he peered at the Dragon Slaying Stage. There, he finally caught sight of the figure that had abruptly grown larger above the platform.
Yu Yuan, though unmistakably human in shape, radiated vitality brimming with demon energy.
It was the Sky-Shaking Ape he knew so well!
Once the leader of the evilkind's army, Green Willow had outlived the Sky-Shaking Ape and was well aware that the Monster Lord-level beast had perished due to the Baneblade's backlash.
And the Baneblade had been purchased by Yu Yuan in Ionodios...
Green Willow's emerald vertical pupil glinted with an eerie light as he murmured to himself, deep in thought.
Hei Xun, the Sky Fiend Indigo Wraith, and the Terra Fiend White Walker, who had once guarded the Devil Palace in the Embers Sea, were equally stunned and at a loss at the sight.
The Stormcrowned Emperor, scratching his head, stepped back into the room, still reeling from the upheaval in the Glimmerdrift Nebula.
"After some thought, I believe I understand now," Green Willow announced, his face alight with excitement. "Congratulations are in order; this individual has likely forged a Solar Spirit Body of unparalleled wonder! His vital energy, akin to the essence of life itself, is capable of endless transformations. It seems the Baneblade has been utterly subdued."
Hei Xun, taken aback, questioned, "Is that truly Yu Yuan? Not some grand archdemon in disguise from the Shadow's Keep?"
"He might assume the form of an archdemon from the Shadow's Keep, but they could never replicate him," Green Willow mused with a hint of awe.
"I always knew this fellow would bring us astonishing surprises!" Indigo Wraith chuckled with a peculiar glee.
Like Tian Zang, he had been confined within the Moonfall Sanctuary, yet he was among the first to encounter Yu Yuan's alien soul.
The moment he sensed Nie Qingtian's sword spirit willingly merging with Yu Yuan, he knew something was amiss.
Subsequent events and Yu Yuan's array of miraculous feats had even set the Star River abuzz with whispers of his legend.
Taishi often spoke of Yu Yuan with a peculiar look in his eyes.
Indigo Wraith's standing within the Boulderdawn Sect, not to mention his significance, paled in comparison to that of Tian Zang.
Tian Zang had confirmed Yu Yuan's true identity through Taishi and now knew exactly who Yu Yuan was.
Indigo Wraith was unaware of the details, yet he couldn't shake the feeling that Yu Yuan was no ordinary individual and that his ties to the Boulderdawn Sect ran deep.
Thus, bolstered by Green Willow's remarks, his suspicions only grew stronger.
"Mr. Yue!"
Across the way, Cao Jiaze, accompanied by Wei Zhuo, Lingxu, Huanmiao, and numerous Solar Spirit experts, called out emphatically.
He held a magnificent palace, which he had miniaturized, in the palm of his hand.
Shrouded in layers of emerald glow, the palace radiated an aura of spatial psionic power, allowing his voice and consciousness to be projected through it.
Yue Mu, standing on a fragment of broken ice and not too far from Ji Ningshuang amidst the cold fog, and carrying the severely wounded Du Yuan, heard his call.
"All is well. Don't be overly concerned. Yu Yuan has secured the Wintermaw and placed it on the Dragon Slaying Stage..."
Yue Mu's voice, patchy and distant, emanated from the palace in Cao Jiaze's hand, traveling across a vast expanse of meteors, rubble, the remnants of warships, and the infinite cosmos.
"Yu Yuan again!"
Cao Jiaze's face betrayed a mix of emotions.
After a brief pause, he turned to Wei Zhuo and said, "Let's not rush into conflict with the Boulderdawn or the Chamber of Commerce. Our priority is to assess the state of this Astral Domain and ensure the Wintermaw remains intact."
The others nodded in agreement.
"I'll go check it out first."
With those words, a cascade of rainbow starlight burst forth from the windows of the palace in Cao Jiaze's palm.
The starlight carried with it a distinct spatial essence.
In the heart of the palace, a platform laden with Riftstones, part of an Aetheric Bending array, was activated by Cao Jiaze, causing the entire structure to take on an ethereal appearance.
Cao Jiaze stepped into the teleporting palace, leaving behind the one known for its defenses. Once inside, the diminutive palace began to flicker and dart across the starry expanse. Any obstructing debris in its path shattered explosively.
The palace, not being a true spatial weapon, couldn't instantly transport Cao Jiaze through space. However, it housed a Circle of Aetheric Bending, enabling it to traverse the void at an accelerated pace.
"Cao Jiaze!" The Stormcrowned Emperor, Hei Xun, and others observed his atypical behavior. Upon closer inspection and realizing he was alone, their concerns dissipated.
For reasons unknown, they were convinced that Yu Yuan, having weathered the tumultuous events in the Dark Star, Kuvrepros, Brugeth, and Glimmerdrift Nebula, had undergone a metamorphosis after ascending to a Solar Spirit. A fully matured Yu Yuan was not someone Cao Jiaze could easily confront on his own. This reassured them.
"Mr. Hong, Mr. Hong..." Yue Mu, bearing the Rillrender sword, was startled by Cao Jiaze's approach. He hastily glanced at the Dragon Slaying Stage and implored, "Even with the Wintermaw in your possession, you mustn't kill Cao Jiaze. He's the jewel of the Ebon Star, the future sect master. Please, don't act rashly!"
Yu Yuan wore a peculiar look. Yue Mu, evidently shaken by successive setbacks in the Glimmerdrift Nebula, was intimidated by Yu Yuan's array of astonishing feats. He instinctively believed that Yu Yuan's combat prowess was on par with the Unbound realm. With the Dragon Slaying Stage and the Baneblade at his disposal, a hasty confrontation with Yu Yuan could spell disaster for Cao Jiaze, potentially even death.
The recent tensions due to the Abyssal Leviathan and Alonso, originating from the Everlands, had only just eased. The last thing Yue Mu wanted was for Yu Yuan to slay Cao Jiaze, provoking Han Miaoyuan of the Ebon Star and the God-King from the Boulderdawn to engage in a lethal showdown within the Glimmerdrift Nebula.
Boom!
The cold fog shrouding Ji Ningshuang suddenly lifted, revealing the Stardust Blade once more.
Her eyes, clear and bright, flicked towards the flustered Yue Mu, and she let out a cold snort, "What's got you so rattled?"
"It's nothing," Yue Mu replied, his expression strained. "I'm just worried that Mr. Hong might accidentally kill Cao Jiaze and escalate the situation."
"Cao Jiaze isn't so easy to kill," Ji Ningshuang stated flatly.
"It's just that Mr. Hong is incredibly powerful," Yue Mu quickly added in explanation.
Ji Ningshuang's demeanor eased somewhat with his words, and she refrained from scolding him further.
