C1418 The Attack of the Universe

Lee Tihai, gaunt and withered, remained in the middle period of the Solar Spirit Stage, unable to venture beyond the Everlands. Beneath the clouds, he joined Lin Tianming of the Poison Cult and several independent cultivators aboard a Golden Ship. Suddenly, their expressions shifted dramatically.

Lee Tihai's face quivered as he shrieked, "Yu, Yu Yuan?!"

He could never have imagined encountering Yu Yuan in the Everlands, close to the Frozen Hellscape, within the vast ocean.

Aren't you supposed to be soaring through the Star River beyond our world? Why have you returned so abruptly, and why here of all places?

Lee Tihai was consumed with a sense of dread.

Since White Bone ascended to the status of God of Ghosts, and he learned that this White Bone of the Land of Terror was actually Yu Xi, the Evil King from seven hundred years ago, he had been exceedingly cautious.

For years, he had taken refuge within the Skyblight Cult, scarcely daring to venture out.

He feared that if he were to be caught outside by the Ghost King, a staunch follower of White Bone, it would be the end of him.

Whether it was Razses, Luo Yue, or Queen Bee, any of them could effortlessly obliterate him in some secluded corner of the Everlands.

Only after hearing from Yun Hao that the five supreme forces had struck a deal with Boulderdawn and the Chamber of Commerce, agreeing not to wage war within the Everlands, did he dare to emerge.

He could never have predicted that Yu Yuan, who had been rumored to be active beyond our world, would suddenly appear in the Everlands—and right before his very eyes!

"Yu Yuan!" exclaimed Lin Tianming of the Poison Cult, clutching a grey clay jar with his three disciples standing behind him. Yu Yuan's unexpected arrival had turned his face pale.

He stared at the snake-shaped Voodoo Beetle inside the jar, which was quivering with fear.

This Voodoo Beetle was the progenitor of the Blood Leech.

It had consumed the lifeblood of another Voodoo Beetle, spawning the Blood Leech, which was then inserted into Chou Muge's body.

Frightened by Yu Yuan's presence, the Voodoo Beetle in the jar recoiled into the darkest corner.

In the shadowy recess of the jar, away from the sunlight, the snake-shaped beetle continued to tremble, exuding an aura of nothing but fear.

Lin Tianming needed no time to ponder; he instantly realized that the Blood Leeches within Chou Muge's body must have acted out due to Yu Yuan's influence.

Just as Lin Tianming was on the verge of rage, a sudden thought surfaced in his mind.

Yu Yuan... the God of Medicine, Hong Qi!

His expression of intense anger slowly froze, and he managed to squeeze out a strained, awkward smile. Then, he bowed respectfully before the Golden Ship, "Lin Tianming of the Poison Cult pays his respects to... Elder God of Medicine!"

"Have we met before?"

Yu Yuan gave him a sidelong glance, his smile insincere. "You must have felt it—the Blood Leeches you placed in Chou Muge's body were all crushed to death by my hand. You're quite bold, still addressing me as your senior. Is it because of something you heard before returning from the extraterrestrial realms?"

"I was merely answering the Skyblight Cult's call, taking their money to avert their disasters," Lin Tianming explained, his discomfort apparent.

He had indeed heard tales of Yu Yuan's exploits, aware that this formidable figure had never ceased stirring trouble even after venturing into outer space—through the Dark Star, Brugeth, Kuvrepros, and the Annihilation Nebula.

He hadn't yet learned of the Glimmerdrift Nebula's demise, but the deeds he was aware of were sufficient to humble his Unbound pride in Yu Yuan's presence.

"Mr. Lin?"

Lee Tihai's expression turned grim.

"Lee Tihai, you're nothing but an independent practitioner! You're in no position to demand I use my venomous insects!" Lin Tianming huffed, revealing the underlying issue in Yu Yuan's presence. "Had Mr. Yun not spoken a word in your favor, do you think I would bother dealing with the Skyblight Cult's traitors over a few herbs?"

He was blunt to a fault, openly disclosing the request made by Yun Hao.

Behind him, his three disciples—two men and a woman—showed no sign of surprise, maintaining their composure.

Yet, the revelation set off a commotion among Lee Tihai's companions, which included two Spirit Walk cultivators from the Skyblight Cult and several independent practitioners from the Spirit Walk and Solar Spirit realms.

"Lin, have you no shame at all?"

"You've taken your things. Are you planning to pack up and leave? Lin, is this how the Poison Cult conducts business?"

"You're a cultivator at the Unbound Stage and an elder of the Poison Cult. How can you even say such things? Is it because Yu Yuan is here that you're trying to wash your hands of the matter?"

"…"

The most vocal was an old man in the middle period of Spirit Walk, with a head of red hair and three beast bones protruding from his back.

The bones seemed to be infusing his body with vital energy, merging with the flesh of his back.

Yu Yuan couldn't help but let out a sneer.

A cunning, dark red light shot out from his summoned Baneblade, and he moved with it, instantly appearing before the loud-mouthed elder.

The blade light multiplied into dozens, forming a net that ensnared the old man.

Seconds later, without even a scream, the elder was reduced to a puddle of blood and bones right before their eyes.

The three distinctive beast bones that had been embedded in his back, bones of a ninth-level archdemon, were reduced to dust after the Bloodhell absorbed their demon energy.

Lin Tianming, his three disciples, Lee Tihai, and several other cultivators hastily moved out of the way.

Yu Yuan stood alone beside the remains on the deck of the Golden Ship.

"He was the loudest, so I took him down first."

Yu Yuan flicked the crimson Baneblade, eyeing Lin Tianming. "You're quite astute, ready to betray anyone when things go south. Heh, honestly, I find that quite admirable, but..."

His gaze drifted past Lin Tianming to the female disciple standing behind the Poison Cult elder, and he uttered a light "hmm."

"You carry a scent I recognize, one I'm not fond of."

A massive Bloodwraith burst forth from the Baneblade, transforming into a ghostly blood-colored specter in midair, and plunged directly into the woman's forehead.

Her scream was piercing, chilling the bones of all who heard it.

"Mr. Hong, what is the meaning of this?" Lin Tianming asked with a hint of anxiety.

He was particularly fond of the female disciple because, although they were master and disciple in public, they were actually partners in private. At night, she would attend to him with great care, much to his satisfaction.

"The Nightbane Sect," Yu Yuan said, his eyes brimming with a cold intensity. "I dislike everyone from that sect. Years ago, I nearly fell for a trap on the Merchant Association's Sea Wanderer in distant waters. And during the incident at the Marsh, Nightbane Sect members were causing trouble. I thought they had been wiped out, but apparently not..."

With a whoosh, the blood-red specter from the Devil Palace, having feasted on the woman's soul, contentedly returned to the Baneblade.

"Nightbane Sect!" Lin Tianming's heart skipped a beat, suddenly realizing his own vitality had been waning. His lack of energy in recent years could likely be attributed to that female disciple.

"Your realm hasn't advanced, and your cultivation has stagnated. Meanwhile, has she not been making continuous breakthroughs?" Yu Yuan asked, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

Lin Tianming remained silent, turning only to cast a cold glance at the female disciple's lifeless body.

"Now it's your turn."

Yu Yuan smiled at Lee Tihai. "Your cultivation hasn't progressed at all. How many years has it been since we last met? And yet, you're still stuck in the middle period of the Solar Spirit Stage without any change."

Lee Tihai felt a chill run through his body. He turned to Lin Tianming and several other independent cultivators for help, but they all stepped back, avoiding his desperate gaze.

"Yu Yuan, we have a secret pact with the Boulderdawn Chamber of Commerce! Are you not aware that infighting among Solar Spirit-level individuals is forbidden within the Everlands?" Lee Tihai bellowed with a mix of anger and fear. "As a member of the Boulderdawn, you should abide by the rules!"

"Rules?" Yu Yuan burst into laughter.

As his laughter echoed, he clutched the Baneblade firmly. Under the watchful eyes of Lin Tianming, the scattered cultivators, Hou Tianzhao, Qi Nandou, and a host of young dark disciples, he lunged directly at Lee Tihai.

"Now, I finally grasp the exhilarating sensation of defeating you with my overwhelming strength and advanced cultivation level!"

The Baneblade's crimson light barrier completely ensnared the small space where Lee Tihai was trapped.

No matter how fiercely Lee Tihai assaulted the barrier, regardless of the spells and spiritual weapons he employed, the blood-red light shield cast by the Baneblade remained utterly unyielding.

Lee Tihai's Lunar Spirit couldn't break free, and he dared not expose his Solar Spirit.

Amidst Yu Yuan's mocking laughter, Lee Tihai slowly succumbed to despair, his flesh pierced by blood-colored lightning, his soul sea eroded by the relentless Bloodwraiths.

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