C144 Surrounding the Sky Fiend!
Brilliant pillars of light burst forth from the depths of the earth, a breathtaking spectacle to behold. Each pillar was a fusion of vitality, spiritual energy, and Soul Power, brimming with enigmatic secrets and a force as boundless as the ocean. Astonishingly, these radiant beams emerged from every direction without triggering the world's Forbidden Spells.
Yu Yuan looked up to witness what appeared to be thousands of resplendent light dragons, stretching for miles as they weaved through the void before suddenly converging on the chasm he peered into. Within the heart of these pillars, countless glistening specks held the intricacies of spells and the arcane nature of Soul Power. The lifetime's work of the Stormcrowned Emperor—the profound meanings, the ultimate truths, and the Way of Heaven—seemed to reside within.
A mere half-mile from the pit, a female general of the Silvermoon Empire watched intently, her icy eyes flashing a blood-red hue. Her gaze was fixed on seven pillars of light, shades of dark, light green, and deep purple. Hidden within these beams, myriad unique spell symbols flickered, encoding a mysterious Spirit Magic.
"Shadow Curse!" she inwardly gasped. With just one look, she recognized the imprint of the Shadow Curse within the seven pillars—a forbidden magic that should have been eradicated long ago. Moreover, these pillars likely represented the origin of the Shadow Curse, the genesis of it all.
Pillar after pillar continued to emerge, each inscribed with innumerable spells and profound meanings, far beyond just the Shadow Curse. The Stormcrowned Emperor, a dominant force in the era of Aetherius, had amassed a vast repertoire of knowledge, encompassing various spells, spiritual spells, and spell symbols. The pillars of light held the essence of his lifelong enlightenment, the culmination of his intellect.
Should another absorb and refine this essence, they might very well rise to become a new Stormcrowned Emperor.
"Yu Yuan! Back me up!" The Stormcrowned Emperor's laughter boomed, cleaving through the cosmos. His body, once an odd amalgamation, swelled as it absorbed the dazzling pillars of light. As he breached the outer layer of the forbidden barrier and descended toward the bronze monument, he was utterly transformed.
The newly ascended Stormcrowned Emperor transformed into a towering giant, crowned with an imperial diadem, draped in a black dragon robe, and exuding a majestic presence as imposing as the mountains themselves.
His skin radiated a divine light of five colors, and his deep green eyes shone as brightly as the stars in the extraterrestrial Star River, dazzling to behold.
Laughing heartily, the colossal Stormcrowned Emperor strode toward the bronze monument.
"Crack!"
Electricity seemed to surge through the countless spells and glyphs on the cavern walls, illuminating them with a brilliant light.
A force that simultaneously pressed down on both the Stormcrowned Emperor and the bronze monument emanated from the clouds, the earth, and the myriad spells and glyphs etched into the rock face.
The clouds above roiled as thick, waterfall-like arc light brewed, ready to strike.
Simultaneously, beams of sword light burst forth from the deep fissures in the ground.
The spells and glyphs on the rock walls morphed into chains of emerald glow and sinister, writhing vines, reaching for both the Stormcrowned Emperor and the bronze monument.
Yu Yuan, standing at the crater's edge, abruptly sat down.
He closed his eyes, turning away from the impending clash between the Stormcrowned Emperor and the bronze monument. Instead, he severed all distracting thoughts and, with the utmost clarity and spiritual wisdom, sought communion with the sword spirit.
Bit by bit, his consciousness forged a delicate connection with the sword spirit.
In that moment, he experienced a profound and enigmatic sensation.
He was the thunderous waterfall descending from the heavens; he was the sword light soaring from the earth's crevices.
Even the bizarre emerald chains and the menacing vines entwining the Stormcrowned Emperor and the bronze monument seemed to be extensions of himself...
He felt as though he had become an integral part of the enchantment.
His will underwent a sudden transformation.
The newly issued command of his will targeted solely the bronze monument and the so-called Indigo Wraith within.
A miraculous transformation ensued.
The earth-shattering lightning and the spatial barrier-piercing sword light, along with the chains and vines that bound all beings, suddenly forsook the Stormcrowned Emperor and converged on the bronze monument.
As the monument emerged, wrapped in countless inscriptions, a third of them were extinguished in an instant by the ensnaring chains and vines.
The Indigo Wraith, a Star-Spawned Terror, unleashed a roar from within the bronze monument.
With a thunderous "Boom!" the Stormcrowned Emperor, heavy as the hills and aglow with divine radiance, stomped onto the bronze monument.
Beneath his feet, the rotating bronze monument sank sharply, as if it were a massive skateboard being pressed down forcefully.
Inscriptions faded rapidly, like stars extinguished in the night sky.
The Indigo Wraith's screams erupted from within the bronze monument, piercing and desperate.
Countless alien souls and goasts within the pit, already marked by his power, were now uncontrollably drawn into the bronze monument.
The bronze monument resonated with an ancient demonic sound, enchanting all who heard it.
As the goasts and alien souls were annihilated, the once fading inscriptions became clear once again.
At that moment, bolts of lightning and beams of crystalline sword light struck the bronze monument from above and below.
The monument, struck by lightning and pierced by sword light, began to spin wildly within the pit.
The massive bronze monument turned over and over, as if caught in a whirlwind.
The Stormcrowned Emperor stood atop it, clinging to it like a magnet, in perfect sync with the cave and the sword light. With simple yet brutal force, he punched and stomped, his blows containing the power to shatter the heavens and the earth, denting and warping the bronze monument.
Inscriptions burst into oblivion.
Yet, the bronze monument remained uncracked, showing no signs of shattering.
The Indigo Wraith inside the monument cried out in pain, continuously summoning alien souls and goasts to replenish its losses, but its core remained unscathed.
"Hantian, your greatest weakness is that your favored weapon was destroyed," taunted the Indigo Wraith, its screeches torturing the soul. "I am stronger than you in this realm because of this bronze monument! For millennia, I have been submerged within it, tirelessly refining it! This object has become part of me, even more potent and reliable than my original form!"
"How can your makeshift body bear the power you've amassed over countless years? Without being able to fully wield your power through flesh and artifacts, you cannot touch me!"
"Oh Hantian, you seal your own fate by falling!"
Despite the relentless assault of lightning, sword light, and the cave's spells and glyphs, the Stormcrowned Emperor's furious blows could not break the bronze monument.
"Yu Yuan, I've abandoned the pursuit of the Indigo Wraith's soul. Might I claim the bronze monument?" Qin Yun of the Midnightshields interjected unexpectedly. "Just give the word, and I'll unleash four Dawn Arrows simultaneously!"
"If you can break a hole in any part of the bronze monument, then it shall be yours!" the Stormcrowned Emperor declared with a snort.
Qin Yun turned his gaze to Yu Yuan.
Yu Yuan challenged, "Show us your skill!"
"Alright!"
Qin Yun was immediately thrilled.
He took the Gutrender back from Lee Yu's grasp. Holding it firmly, he joined Lee Yuchan in eagerly anticipating the challenge, both of them filled with intense interest in the bronze monument.
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