C142 The Legendary Overlord!!

Two orbs of green flame blazed within the eyes of the enigmatic figure.

His gaze was fixed solely on Yu Yuan.

Qin Yun and Lee Yuchan, along with the other Lunar Spirits, were not consulted for their opinions. Clearly, he deemed them incapable of influencing the grand scheme of things.

Only Yu Yuan, recognized by the sword spirit and capable of invoking the world's forbidden powers, could exert significant pressure on the Indigo Wraith.

In the mind of this mysterious person, it was essential that he and Yu Yuan collaborate to vanquish the Indigo Wraith lurking within the bronze monument.

Qin Yun, of the Midnightshields, and the female general from the Silvermoon Empire were relegated to minor roles.

Upon learning his identity, no one expressed anger.

After all, he was the Stormcrowned Emperor.

As a legend of Aetherius and the dominator who nearly united the entire continent, he had every right to his attitude.

He had come close to achieving the state of Unbound within Aetherius on his own, compelling the Sword Sect's masters to confront him personally.

Was it not expected for such a being to regard them with indifference?

Moreover, he had survived the Sword Sect masters' lethal onslaught!

"Emperor, I..."

Yu Yuan carefully chose his words, chuckling sheepishly as he spoke: "You, too, are known as an alien soul and goast of the forbidden area. Furthermore, when your soul was whole, you were notorious for your bloodthirsty and merciless nature. I'm uncertain about your current state, and I fear that if we join forces, once you've successfully assimilated the Indigo Wraith, I might be obliterated to the extent that not even my bones remain."

He had covertly reached out to the sword spirit and sought aid from the Yin-Yang Acolytes, which is how he came to understand the identity of the strange person.

The legends weren't entirely accurate.

At his zenith, the Stormcrowned Emperor had nearly ascended to the Unbound Realm. The Sword Sect expert from Euwrea, who had slain his corporeal body, was also gravely wounded in the process.

Both his Lunar Spirit and Solar Spirit had achieved Great Perfection, with the Solar Spirit perishing alongside the body.

A formless Lunar Spirit had managed to slip away right under the Sword Sect expert's watchful eye.

In truth, he and the Sword Sect expert had reached a stalemate.

Because he wasn't dead, the Lunar Spirit successfully departed, and the Sword Sect's expert, having returned to the sect with severe injuries, fell into obscurity, unaware of the situation.

Ultimately, his Lunar Spirit stealthily made its way to Moonfall Sanctuary. It intended to use the myriad of malevolent spirits and alien souls within the forbidden area to consume with the Shadow Curse, then reform the Solar Spirit and nurture a new lifesoul, seeking resurrection from death.

He stirred, regaining some strength, but still triggered the sanctuary's prohibitions and was suppressed and sealed by the forces of this realm.

Before his confinement, he had set his sights on the Indigo Wraith, convinced that by devouring and refining it, he could use the soul mark to reforge his shattered Solar Spirit.

The heavily constrained Indigo Wraith also lusted after him, eager to drag him into the bronze monument to achieve its own ends. For years, these two formidable soul entities vied with each other in secret, neither able to best the other.

Yu Yuan's arrival and the sword spirit's recognition presented an opportunity. As a human, and with the Indigo Wraith being a Star-Spawned Terror, Yu Yuan, the sword-bearer, would naturally challenge a member of his own race rather than an extraterrestrial fiend.

"You have to choose to trust either me or Indigo Wraith, not both," said the Stormcrowned Emperor with blunt candor. "Indigo Wraith harbors deep hostility towards you and is a Star-Spawned Terror. Surely, you wouldn't side with him to kill me. As a human, even if I escape the forbidden area's constraints, I would only seek retribution against the Sword Sect after I've reformed my Solar Spirit, not vent my frustrations on others."

Yu Yuan maintained his silence.

"In that case, I can afford you some time to ponder," he said with a sly chuckle, wrapping his silver-white robe tighter. "The alien souls and sinister beings outside are also coveting this place, looking for an inside-out alliance. And you, as the sword-bearer of the forbidden area who has received the sword spirit's recognition, should shoulder the great responsibility of preserving the stability here."

"Phew!"

He suddenly soared into the sky, drifting unhurriedly toward the tempestuous realm where lightning flashed and thunder roared.

From the nearby nooks and crannies, the fissures in the ground, and amidst the jagged rocks, multicolored bones were irresistibly drawn to him, flying from the Moon Shards.

His silver-white robe billowed out as the bones merged into his body.

He visibly grew taller at an astonishing rate.

With each increment of growth, the oppressive aura he exuded intensified exponentially.

"I'll wait for you at the entrance to the Indigo Wraith's lair. If you've made up your mind, I'll accompany you down," his raspy voice emanated from within the silver-white robe.

The onlookers exchanged bewildered glances, their expressions a mix of awe and confusion.

"Yu Yuan, could he truly be the Stormcrowned Emperor?" Zhan Tianxiang's eyes shone with reverence. "This man nearly unified the entire Aetherius Continent! Had it not been for the Sword Sect's oppression from the Euwrea Continent, he might well have ascended to the Unbound Realm right here in this world! To think such a legend is still alive, plotting a resurgence in this forbidden area!"

"It has to be him," Lee Yuchan confirmed.

She had suspected it was the Stormcrowned Emperor as soon as he appeared, but had been reluctant to acknowledge it.

The Shadow Curse she practiced was a legacy of that ancient and illustrious emperor, and that distinctive aura was impossible to conceal.

"Yu Yuan, you made a promise to me!"

After the Stormcrowned Emperor departed, Qin Yun from the Midnightshields could no longer contain himself. "The soul of the Indigo Wraith is just as beneficial to my cultivation! If I can refine its soul, I might ascend to the Spirit Walk realm!"

"I truly apologize," Yu Yuan said, bowing respectfully to Qin Yun. "I must be frank with you, Mr. Qin, the Stormcrowned Emperor's combat prowess far exceeds yours at present. I have no confidence in defeating the Indigo Wraith. Should we decide to proceed, the soul of the Indigo Wraith will go to the one who contributes the most effort."

"Mr. Qin, if the Stormcrowned Emperor wasn't bluffing, you should be grateful to him for your narrow escape, even with severe injuries," Lee Yuchan remarked coolly.

Seeing Yu Yuan and Lee Yuchan align themselves with the Stormcrowned Emperor, Qin Yun fell silent.

It took a while before he gave a slight nod and said, "I agree to let the final outcome determine who will claim the Indigo Wraith's soul."

"That is excellent."

Having made his decision, Yu Yuan wasted no further words and set off toward the area echoing with thunder.

The rest quickly followed suit.

Qin Yun of the Midnightshields, along with an elder of the Subtlety realm, remained behind, opting not to follow immediately.

Once Yu Yuan and the others had traveled a considerable distance, the elder spoke up, "Sect Master, one of the Dawn Arrows has been destroyed by that young man. The remaining four are bound by Blood Oaths. Now, even the potential rewards seem to be out of your reach. This..."

The elder bowed his head, avoiding Qin Yun's gaze, and left his sentence unfinished.

"Survival comes first," Qin Yun said evenly. "Those who last the longest often have the last laugh. Besides, Yu Yuan will eventually leave the forbidden area and enter our Crimson Sun Empire. Once he steps into our domain without the protection of the forbidden area, things will become much simpler."

The elder from Midnightshields pondered for a moment before replying, "Sect Master, you always have the long view in mind."

...

"Hantian!"

A thunderous roar emanated from within the bronze monument, shaking the heavens and earth, reverberating far and wide, "While I was breaching the barrier, you took the opportunity to steal a mere Moonfiend and craft a rudimentary vessel. Are you trying to amuse me? Are you too afraid to face me in person?"

The inscriptions on the monument twinkled like stars, while countless ghosts and evil spirits swarmed around it, their howls reminiscent of a plague of locusts.

Yet, in comparison to the vast bronze monument, these spirits and malevolent entities seemed utterly insignificant.

"Indigo Wraith, oh Indigo Wraith, your days of ease in the Everlands end today," the Stormcrowned Emperor said with a bizarre chuckle.

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