C1395 Do Your Best!

Cao Jiaze leaned against the window in the Emerald Palace, gazing out into the cold, meteor-strewn expanse of the starry sky. His face, usually resolute, now bore an expression caught between laughter and tears. Every word exchanged between Ji Ningshuang and Yue Mu had reached Yu Yuan's ears, clear as day.

Since his breakthrough to the Solar Spirit, Cao Jiaze had been acknowledged as the strongest below the Unbound Realm. Even during his time in the Spirit Walk Realm, he was considered the pinnacle of that stage. No matter the realm, he was always the one at the top, a fact recognized not only by the Ebon Star but also by the Sword Sect, Sunlit Order, Devil Palace, and Shadow's Keep. His every step, every breakthrough, was taken with utmost stability.

Younger cultivators might rush to advance, eager to showcase their talents and bright futures. But Cao Jiaze understood that his slower progress meant a flawless foundation. His spirit, physique, and understanding of the Way of Heaven were without blemish. He was convinced that the moment he forged his Solar Spirit, prodigies like Ann Ziqing, Xu Jingyao, Yuan Lianyao, Mo Yan, and even Chen Qingyan would pale in comparison. This conviction was his unwavering strength.

Yet now, the Grand Sword Immortal, known as Rillrender, had pleaded with Yu Yuan in a panic, urging him not to act rashly and end his life. Did Yue Mu truly believe that Yu Yuan, newly ascended to the Solar Spirit, had surpassed him? Did the Stardust Blade concur with this view?

Despite his admiration for Yu Yuan, Cao Jiaze felt a sting of humiliation seeing the two Sword Immortals assess their strengths with such a stance. The pride he took in his unmatched status within his realm seemed to be negated by their judgment. Had his invincibility been so easily broken?

"Brother Cao..." Yu Yuan, standing tall on the Dragon Slaying Stage, narrowed his eyes and a smile played upon his lips. "You two worry too much. Cao and I hit it off from the start; how could I possibly harm him?"

Green Willow's arrival, along with Hei Xun, Indigo Wraith, and the Stormcrowned Emperor, brought Yu Yuan a sense of complete reassurance.

From his vantage point atop the Dragon Slaying Stage, he witnessed the Abyssal Leviathan's frantic retreat, its howls fading into the distance. He also observed the encroaching Absolute Darkness enveloping Alonso, before sequentially claiming Ciara, Demian, and others as they too withdrew.

Within the shrouding darkness, Alonso's golden blood seethed, yet it conveyed to Yu Yuan a sense of desperate finality. For reasons unknown, Yu Yuan harbored a strong premonition that the Shura Grand Marshal would likely meet his end in this conflict.

Deep within his dominant soul, Yu Yuan held profound insights into Han Miaoyuan and Taishi. He sensed an ominous presence lurking at the edge of the Glimmerdrift Nebula, a harbinger of great terror.

It seemed that not only Alonso but even the Abyssal Leviathan might face perilous odds in their escape.

Yu Yuan's attention was captured by the sight of Tian Zang, formerly known as Youqian, in pursuit of the frigid darkness with the Tears of the Azurefiend. His eyes shone with a sudden intensity. Subsequently, Tian Zang's pursuit noticeably decelerated, as if he had become aware of a Boulderdawn titan stealthily lying in wait on the darkened path, ready to ensnare Alonso.

Before Cao Jiaze could make his appearance, a snow bear arrived first. It bore a "crescent moon" on its back, silver-white like the Fallen Star Eyes, with a drop of its lifeblood emanating a distinct breath of life. This crescent moon was the Moon Soul, the very essence of the Glimmerdrift Nebula's fractured moon, now preserved and carried by the bear.

Struggling to communicate, the bear gestured with its paws and let out soft growls, seemingly trying to convey a message.

Yu Yuan turned away from any further observation of Cao Jiaze and the enigmatic darkness. He faced the Dire Bear before him, attentively listening to its heartfelt desires and needs.

After a moment of contemplation, Yu Yuan responded with solemn resolve, "I will do my utmost."

The bear responded with a chuckle and, with a heave, sent the crescent moon hurtling towards the Dragon Slaying Stage. The stage's luminescence, normally resistant and defensive, quietly dissipated in recognition of Yu Yuan's presence within.

The crescent moon was allowed to penetrate unabated.

Whoosh!

Within the world inside the Dragon Slaying Stage, a small crescent moon materialized, adding to the boneyard of the frost wyrm. The object, shaped like a droplet of blood, seemed startled and instinctively tried to flee.

Moments later, Yu Yuan's real body arrived atop the crescent moon.

He looked down at the droplet of silver blood, the size of a honeydew melon, oval-shaped, drawing ice energy from the outside and absorbing psionic power from the Moon Soul. He could feel the silver strands within the blood becoming increasingly refined, growing thicker and more resilient.

This strange silver blood was unlike that of a young Titan Spinosaurus; it had not yet even begun to form the semblance of a creature.

With a mere thought, he could command the laws and psionic power within the Dragon Slaying Stage to unleash lightning and thunder, obliterating the crescent moon and the nascent life within.

But he refrained.

He did not seek destruction; instead, he opened his heart and issued several divine decrees.

He permitted the small crescent moon to draw strength from the Dragon Slaying Stage, to merge with the wonders of this place.

He would fulfill all the conditions necessary for the silver blood to nurture new life.

He intended to generously reward the snow bear, using his command over the Dragon Slaying Stage to assist in the birth of a new species.

A new being, with the snow bear as its progenitor and the source of its lineage.

"Rest assured, all that you have done for me, for them, rightfully earns you your desires," Yu Yuan's Solar Spirit assured with a smile from above the Dragon Slaying Stage.

He had aided Nie Qingtian in guarding the River of Swords for years, ventured into the Brugeth Nebula to guide him, and brought him to the Glimmerdrift Nebula, to the very maw of Wintermaw.

He had also saved Ji Ningshuang, healing her wounds and providing invaluable assistance...

Whether he acted out of loyalty to Nie Qingtian's final wishes or sensed Yu Yuan's status as a dragon slayer, Yu Yuan was deeply touched by his actions.

Thus, any request he made would not be considered excessive.

"Wuwu..."

The soft, grateful cry echoed.

"You deserve it all. I will do everything within my power," Yu Yuan affirmed with a smile, watching as Cao Jiaze drew ever nearer, his form contracting.

Yu Yuan watched as Cao Jiaze approached, with Yue Mu and Ji Ningshuang frequently glancing over. His form shrank, as did the Dragon Slaying Stage and his Solar Spirit Body.

Soon, he was back to his normal stature, with the Dragon Slaying Stage beneath his feet. The white light screen above it was murky, obscuring the view of what lay within. Only a newly formed crescent moon could be seen faintly.

"Senior Sister, how are your injuries?" Yue Mu asked softly. After Ji Ningshuang nodded in assurance, he continued with a grave tone, "Master Du's injuries are severe. His Divine Visage has collapsed, and his cultivation has plummeted to the Solar Spirit level. Given his spirit and the chronic ailment in his body, it's unlikely he'll be able to reconstruct his Divine Visage. Once we return to the sect, he'll probably serve as a leisurely elder, imparting the subtleties of the sword to the novices."

Regret and resignation laced Yue Mu's voice; he was well aware that Du Yuan's future prospects were dim, even if he survived.

Ji Ningshuang scrutinized the situation and realized that Du Yuan's Divine Visage was not the only thing shattered; the aura of destruction that had seeped into his marrow was wreaking havoc within him, throwing his soul into disarray. Du Yuan's coma was due to his three souls spiraling out of control, knotted together like a tangled rope.

"At least he's still alive," Ji Ningshuang remarked stoically, her years of battling in otherworldly realms having steeled her heart. "Fu Xuanwen from Ebon Star, Zhu Huan from Sunlit Order, the Monster Lord from the Golden Rock Beast, and the Abyssal Winged Lizard, among others, have all perished in the Kuvrepros Nebula and the Spirit World."

Yue Mu sighed deeply, "The recent losses in the Everlands are too great to bear. In the past, it might have taken centuries to lose so many formidable beings."

"This is a cataclysm of heaven and earth that no one can escape; we can only face it head-on," Cao Jiaze's voice resonated from afar, deep and solemn. "The leader of our sect has divined that a great calamity has begun, akin to the time when the human race overthrew the Nagas, or when the five supreme forces once expelled the Boulderdawn Sect."

At these words, Yue Mu and Ji Ningshuang were profoundly shaken.

Atop the Dragon Slaying Stage, Yu Yuan's eyes also showed a hint of surprise.

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