C141 Indigo Wraith and the Great Emperor

"Boom!"

A towering figure wrapped in a silver-white robe, with dark skin, landed abruptly. His eyes blazed with green spectral flames.

The robe appeared a bit snug on his large frame.

"Heh!"

He flashed a toothless grin, his presence exuding an aura of decay yet ancient. "So, you're the youngster who's earned the sword spirit's approval?"

Qin Yun, Lee Yuchan, and Yu Yuan braced themselves as if confronting a formidable foe.

Yu Yuan, with a furrowed brow, silently reached out to the sword spirit. He sent a strand of his thoughts into the White Paper Fan, attempting to connect with the child fused with the black and white essences.

"May I ask who you are?"

Qin Yun of the Midnightshields, with four Dawn Arrows at the ready in his sleeves, was poised for combat.

"You're the alien soul from the bronze monument, aren't you?" Lee Yuchan observed the humanoid creature intently, a note of surprise in her voice. "For some reason, there's a familiar aura about you."

The towering figure, a Moonfiend crafted from bone and sinew, chuckled again.

He abruptly raised a hand.

His palm writhed, generating a powerful pulling force.

Qin Yun, Lee Yuchan, and an elder of the Midnightshields in the Subtlety state felt their souls shudder and their heads throb with pain.

Qin Yun and Lee Yuchan's Lunar Spirits were nearly yanked out of their mud pellets and into his grasp.

"Whoosh!"

A Dawn Arrow shot from Qin Yun's sleeve, igniting the air like a fiery sunbeam, its flames roaring fiercely.

"Interesting."

The enigmatic man in the silver-white robe tapped the Dawn Arrow with his other hand. A myriad of dark sparks interwoven with soul threads effortlessly shattered the inferno.

With a flick of his finger, he struck the Dawn Arrow.

"Clang!"

The arrow recoiled as if hammered, sending sparks scattering.

Qin Yun's face drained of color, but before he could react, the strange man chuckled, "Enough!"

Lee Yuchan's Lunar Spirit, woven into a web of spiritual sense, was dissected as cleanly as a butcher's cut, her spiritual sense unraveling and the web dissolving.

Just as Lee Yuchan's Lunar Spirit was about to spiral uncontrollably into his palm, he abruptly clenched his fist.

The suction force that sought to wrench the souls from everyone vanished in the blink of an eye.

Qin Yun and Lee Yuchan's Lunar Spirits promptly snapped back into place.

An elder from the Midnightshields groaned, crashing heavily to the ground.

The three most powerful individuals present stared at the odd man before them, their faces etched with astonishment, at a loss for what to do next.

Had the strange man not clenched his fist, ceasing his sinister palm technique, their Lunar Spirits and mortal souls would have surely been unable to escape and would have been drawn into his grasp.

Why did he relent?

The strange man's eerie green eyes bore into Lee Yuchan.

Chills ran down Lee Yuchan's spine as he grew increasingly uneasy, demanding in a cold voice, "What are you staring at?"

"It's beyond belief, truly unexpected that it hasn't been lost to time," the strange man murmured as if lost in memories. Then he added, "If I can acquire the Moonfiend from the Indigo Wraith, what makes you think I couldn't take your Lunar Spirits?"

His gaze suddenly shifted to Yu Yuan, "Kid, since you've gained the recognition of the sword spirit, do you know who I am?"

"Indigo Wraith?" Qin Yun's face paled, "The alien soul of the bronze monument is the legendary Indigo Wraith?"

Lee Yuchan was taken aback as well.

The others, upon hearing the name "Indigo Wraith," displayed looks of surprise and disbelief.

In the ancient lore of Aetherius, there had always been a demon known as the "Indigo Wraith." It was rumored that long before the great empires were founded and humanity rose to prominence, the demon known as "Indigo Wraith" had already been in existence.

"The bronze monument was initially erected to confine the Indigo Wraith, but it ultimately became assimilated by the Indigo Wraith, turning into a part of him," the strange man said with a sly chuckle. "The Indigo Wraith is the most likely to break free from the shackles of the forbidden area in a short time. This extraterrestrial alien soul has been an object of my desire for many years."

Upon hearing this, Qin Yun was visibly irked, "That Indigo Wraith is our quarry."

"You? Heh, do you think you can slay the Indigo Wraith?" the strange man bellowed with laughter. "You two, with your Lunar Spirits, dare to contend with the Indigo Wraith? And you, a member of the Midnightshields from the Crimson Sun Empire, do you really believe your narrow escape after being gravely wounded last time was sheer luck?"

"How did you know?" Qin Yun exclaimed in surprise.

"It's partly thanks to me that you managed to escape alive despite your grave injuries," the strange man said, each word striking at Qin Yun. "The Indigo Wraith was alerted by my presence and woke from his long slumber, remaining vigilant against me, which is why he spared your life."

"Then, who might you be?" Lee Yuchan inquired earnestly.

"Isn't it obvious?" the strange man said with a wide grin.

"You..." Lee Yuchan shuddered, a name surfacing in her mind, but she dared not utter it.

For that name was forbidden, one she could never speak aloud.

"I am Yu Yuan, a mere youth from Asvetaesi City in the Silvermoon Empire, fortunate enough to have gained the recognition of the sword spirit," Yu Yuan said, bowing slightly with great respect. "To encounter the Great Emperor in this realm is an honor indeed."

"Emperor?" Zhan Tianxiang asked, bewildered. "Which emperor?"

Qin Yun was also puzzled. "Which emperor are you referring to?"

"The founder of the Stormcrown Empire, the Stormcrowned Emperor," Yu Yuan revealed.

"The Stormcrowned Emperor?"

"The creator of the Shadow Curse, the most fearsome and bloodthirsty butcher on the Aetherius Continent. He was once at the pinnacle of the Solar Spirit Realm, with prospects of reaching the Freedom Realm."

"Wasn't the Stormcrowned Emperor fatally wounded and killed by the Sword Sect's masters?"

"My goodness, can it be true?"

The revelation that the enigmatic figure before them was the legendary Stormcrowned Emperor sent shockwaves through the younger generation present.

The Aetherius Continent was rife with tales of the Stormcrowned Emperor, a legendary figure whose bloody reign was etched into history.

This emperor of Aetherius, the originator of the Shadow Curse, had slaughtered countless lives, nearly attaining ultimate liberation.

Such a character commanded immense respect from cultivators across both the Land of Quiescence and the Land of Source.

Who could have imagined that this awe-inspiring individual would be found deep within the forbidden area, using his skeletal remains to construct a prison and consume the soul of the mightiest Moonfiend?

"I've been locked in a secret struggle with the Indigo Wraith for years. I aimed to consume him with the Shadow Curse, and he lusted after my soul," the strange man chuckled. "He's been bound by the forbidden area for far longer and faces greater constraints. But as a human, the restrictions on me are somewhat lighter."

"I can lend you a hand in slaying the Indigo Wraith. The bronze monument of the Indigo Wraith holds no value for me, so I'm willing to part with it. However, the soul of the Indigo Wraith must be mine."

"Furthermore, I'm prepared to eliminate the formidable alien souls that awaken subsequently, but their souls must also be claimed by me."

"Any tangible possessions, I have no interest in them. What are your thoughts on this?"

He gazed at Yu Yuan.

"..."