C1401 Darkpinion
In the Darkpinion Astral Domain, the numerous stars and planets resembled scattered emerald fragments against the celestial canvas, lifting Yu Yuan's spirits with delight. Without the Dragon Slaying Stage at his disposal, these twinkling stars would remain just that—mere stars. Even having ascended to the Solar Spirit realm, he would be unable to glimpse the internal wonders of these stars, as his vision could not penetrate the star walls.
However, standing upon the Dragon Slaying Stage, it transformed into his Eye of God, granting him the ability to observe every intricate detail within the stars. He could see lakes, forests, mountains, and the villages of the Shadowkin and Wingkind. There were even more primitive tribes nestled in the mountains, living off the land by harvesting fruits and fishing.
The Wingkind made their homes high in the forest's towering trees, constructing wooden abodes that dangled like nests. In addition to the Wingkind and Shadowkin, the Moonlit Wanderers, Crypt Clan, and a few other Shadowkin managed to survive across the diverse worlds under this star-studded sky.
Nearly a hundred stars dotted the expanse, with a few devoid of protective walls, relegated to desolate wastelands. Yet, dozens of stars thrived with dense vegetation and teemed with vibrant life. Through the vantage point of the Dragon Slaying Stage, Yu Yuan was convinced that if the disciples from the Sacred Hands and the Order of Healing could traverse these realms, they would surely cultivate a plethora of rare medicinal herbs and concoct numerous Spirit Elixirs to enhance their well-being and advance their souls.
The vision of the Order of Healing and Sacred Hands' disciples weaving through the starry forests, diligently harvesting herbs, naturally surfaced in his mind. "How wonderful it would be if those people could come to the Darkpinion," he whispered to himself.
Constrained by the regulations imposed by the supreme powers of the Everlands, only those who have achieved the Solar Spirit level were permitted to venture into the astral realms. And how many among the Sacred Hands and Order of Healing's disciples, skilled in herb gathering and cultivation, could attain the Solar Spirit status? Most were limited in their capacity, dividing their focus between studying herbs and mastering alchemy, unable to dedicate themselves fully to cultivation. As such, the heights reached by herbalists were understandably modest.
Zhong Chichen and Chu Yao were outliers among herbalists.
Without attaining the Solar Spirit and venturing into the extraterrestrial Star River, one would miss the wonders beyond our realm and fail to expand the marvels of herbalism in places like Darkpinion.
"Hmm!"
Suddenly, Yu Yuan picked up on the presence of the Crucible of Evil and Yu Yiyi.
Across the vast Star River, his gaze settled on a modestly sized star enveloped by rings of emerald light.
This star was not centrally located in Darkpinion and seemed somewhat secluded.
Initially, Yu Yuan had overlooked it, but now, with a newfound sense of connection, he scrutinized the area with the Dragon Slaying Stage and quickly ascertained that the star where Yu Yiyi and the Crucible of Evil resided was indeed the most bountiful treasure trove in Darkpinion.
There, the concentration of plant essence in the air far surpassed that of the Serpent Spine Mountains.
The spiritual mountain that Thylethlume depended on paled in comparison to this star.
Worlds within the extraterrestrial Star River seldom boast an abundance of spiritual energy greater than that found in the Everlands.
The spiritual energy of the Everlands was not only plentiful but also of exceptional purity!
Even mortals, infinitely weaker than the Otherkin, could adapt to it.
Yu Yuan observed that the spiritual energy on this particular star was quite uniform, dominated by an overwhelming proportion of plant essence, resulting in lush, dense forests.
Such a place, richer in plant essence than the Serpent Spine Mountains, was exceedingly rare.
Pleasantly surprised, Yu Yuan tuned in more closely.
The territory's expanse was only marginally larger than the Silvermoon Empire and the Burning Sun Empire. It wasn't spherical but prism-shaped, resembling a chunk of green jade casting a verdant glow from afar.
This emerald radiance was the natural wall of this world, shielding it from most of the harmful cosmic energy.
While sensing the Crucible of Evil and Yu Yiyi, he also detected the psionic power emanating from Chen Qinghuang's Deathwing Lair, yet he found no trace of Chen Qinghuang herself.
"Let's head over there."
With a mere thought, the Dragon Slaying Stage beneath him surged forward with the speed of arc light.
"The master has arrived!"
Atop a verdant, leafy giant tree, Yu Yiyi, who was perched on the rim of the Crucible of Evil, suddenly felt a tremor in her shoulders and promptly turned her gaze to the starry expanse outside.
To her, the sky of this world always shimmered with an aurora-like glow, the firmament rippling with verdant waves.
Yet her vision could not pierce the wall of this realm to truly see Yu Yuan's whereabouts.
Still, the direction she faced was precisely where Yu Yuan had appeared in the Darkpinion and was now drawing near.
She called out softly, "Mr. Yan!"
Her voice, high-pitched and resonant, startled Yan Qiling, who was hundreds of miles away busily inserting Riftstones into the Deathwing Lair, making him jump.
The enigmatic Deathwing Lair, once seen in Ionodios, now rested atop a withered tree.
Beneath it, bare branches supported a wooden house woven from dried vines.
Within the house, esteemed elders of the Wingkind and Shadowkin were deep in discussion.
The tree, with its grey-white roots exuding a death aura, bore a striking resemblance to the Deathwing Lair, with space magic coursing through its interior.
This space magic originated from the Riftstones that Yan Qiling had placed within the tree's hollows.
The three-hundred-meter-tall withered tree featured naturally occurring, beehive-like hollows in its trunk, not carved by hand but formed over time by the elements.
Yan Qiling, having just tossed a Riftstone into one of these hollows, suddenly contracted.
At the peak of this contraction, he transformed into a point of white light and vanished.
Moments later, he reappeared beside Yu Yiyi, his expression calm and a faint smile on his face. "Where is Yu Yuan?"
Yu Yiyi extended a finger and pointed outward. "There!"
Yan Qiling nodded. "One moment."
As Yu Yiyi directed her finger toward the heavens, all the greenery dimmed, as though the murky waters of a lake had been instantly purified by some force, leaving the sky crystal clear and bright.
The section of the wall Yu Yiyi indicated appeared to become transparent.
The barrier's defenses might be weakened, but Yu Yiyi's vision remained unobstructed.
"Yu Yuan is on his way!"
In another part of the world, within a swamp teeming with rare flora, Mia of the Shadowkin gazed up at a suddenly clear patch of the night sky, her face lighting up with a smile.
"Yu, Master Yu!"
Wen Lu, who had been tirelessly traveling by her side, was instantly filled with excitement.
Her gaze, full of anticipation, was fixed on the transparent barrier.
In the dark expanse of the Star River, she spotted what seemed like a shooting star. "Could that be Master Yu?"
Yu Yuan had Luo Yue teach her the art of alchemy, yet he also took her on as his disciple.
When she returned to the Shadowkin with Mia, her mixed heritage did not earn her acceptance.
Brie, the Shadowkin chieftain, refused to let her acknowledge her lineage, and his deliberate targeting of Mia forced them to drift through the Star River, between the territories of the Shadowkin and the Wingkind.
Then, following a cataclysmic event in the Brugeth, Brie's bloodline suffered, and his attitude toward Mia and her changed dramatically.
Together, they traveled to the Darkpinion.
Mia had shared with her that the Songbird Queen of the Everlands was the fabled creator of the Wingkind, the secular bird of extraterrestrial legend!
She also learned of how the Songbird Queen and Yu Yuan had aided Brie in the Brugeth, standing against the malevolence of the Abyss.
She knew that Brie's survival was partly thanks to Yu Yuan's efforts.
That's why she could come to this wondrous place in the Darkpinion with Mia, and be in the company of the Boulderdawn and the merchants.
"Yu's really making a name for himself," Hu Caiyun mused, inhaling a wisp of pale purple smoke in a corner of the swamp, savoring it before speaking with evident relish. "It's been a while since I've seen him. I'm curious about the extent of his power now."
She had become a member of the Boulderdawn.
Her acceptance into the Boulderdawn was undoubtedly due to Yu Yuan's referral. She had come to this Wingkind starry expanse with Yan Qiling and had come to know much about the events that unfolded in the Brugeth.
The more she heard about Yu Yuan, the more enigmatic he seemed to her.
