C1463 All of Them Were Defeated!!

Within the Crucible of Evil, the viscous waters of the Seven-Colored Lake flowed toward more Bane. Even formidable Bane such as Armor Crusher, Chebus, and Grimlantern were succumbing to the corruption of the tainted essence, revealing their growing weakness.

Huangyin was neither boasting nor exaggerating. Should this continue, both Chebus and Grimlantern would inevitably become frozen. The polluted essence of the Seven-Colored Lake had the power to erase both Yu Yiyi and the cauldron, branding the traces onto the Bane's souls, transforming them into Huangyin's loyal lieutenants, ready to charge into battle on his behalf.

Having spent many years within the Crucible of Evil, he had risen from the weakest to the mightiest of Bane. His familiarity with the Crucible and his knowledge of the intricate glyphs, as well as the means of communication between the cauldron master and the cauldron spirit, allowed him to effortlessly enslave those Bane tainted by the filth. He was even well-versed in the art of forming arrays with the Bane.

"Yu Yuan, give it some serious thought," Huangyin suggested with a smile, as he sat atop the bloated demon.

He proposed that Yu Yuan convince Yu Zhu to allow the waters of the Seven-Colored Lake to fill the lake in the Forgotten Ruins, transforming it into another Rainbow Ocean. But why was he placing such importance on Yu Zhu? Was it because of the fiend Qiyan?

Suddenly, Yu Yuan recalled Qiyan, the fiend who had been suppressed by Nie Qingtian in Zekrica for countless years. Qiyan's original form was an assembly of seven toxic rivers, and the Starbeast he had possessed and refined was merely his puppet and demonform. It was similar to the beloved body that Huangyin had crafted for Hu Caiyun.

The Seven-Colored Lake before him boasted seven vibrant hues, and Qiyan's original form was precisely that of seven deadly rivers. An image flashed through Yu Yuan's mind: seven differently colored toxic rivers converging their dense tainted essence from elsewhere into the Seven-Colored Lake where Huangyin currently resided.

Yu Yuan knew that Qiyan had been born in the Rainbow Ocean, a unique and formidable entity within it. Was there a hidden connection between Qiyan and the Seven-Colored Lake?

Huangyin held Yu Zhu in high regard, perhaps because deep within Yu Zhu's core lay an imprint of Qiyan. This thought prompted Yu Yuan to suddenly inquire, "What's your relationship with Qiyan?"

At that question, Huangyin, one of the Terra Fiend ancestors, abruptly separated from the bloated demonform and glided toward Yu Yuan, stepping on a slick tentacle. He didn't stray from the Seven-Colored Lake but paused at its edge, demanding, "You're acquainted with Qiyan?"

His composure shattered, Huangyin's behavior turned erratic, signaling a deep concern for Qiyan.

"I'm more than just acquainted with him," Yu Yuan replied with a smirk.

Huangyin's reaction left Yu Yuan in shock; he hadn't anticipated that Qiyan, notorious for his cunning and cruelty in the extraterrestrial Star River, would be of such significance to Huangyin.

Qiyan had bid farewell to him in the Glimmerdrift Nebula, and Yu Yuan was uncertain of his current whereabouts. Yet, he was aware that if Qiyan were to return to the Everlands, he would surely visit the Rainbow Ocean, or perhaps venture into the Defiled World.

Gazing at the Seven-Colored Lake before him, Yu Yuan was pensive, deducing that Qiyan and Huangyin, one of the Terra Fiend ancestors, must be acquainted, and their relationship was far from ordinary.

"Where is he? Is he... still alive?" Huangyin asked, his voice laced with excitement.

The fiend Qiyan, once restrained and subdued by Nie Qingtian, had been taken from the Rainbow Ocean to the extraterrestrial Star River and sealed beneath Zekrica, cut off from any outside contact. Few knew of this.

"Wasn't he killed by Nie Qingtian long ago?"

Huangyin's remark wasn't directed at Yu Yuan but at Yuan Qingxi of the Bloodbrawlers. "I've been underground for years, and much of my information comes from you. You never mentioned that Qiyan was still alive."

Yuan Qingxi, with a furrowed brow, responded, "Indeed, we've recently come across some information about Qiyan. Yet, we haven't been able to verify its authenticity. Our reach isn't extensive enough to encompass the myriad Star Rivers beyond our world. So..."

"He's truly still among us!" Huangyin exclaimed.

"This young man might have a clearer picture," Yuan Qingxi, unable to hide his frustration, pointed at Yu Yuan and continued, "According to the intelligence we've gathered, there's indeed an odd individual who may have been possessed by Qiyan. He's had some interactions with Qiyan out in the starry expanse. Yet, we can't confirm that Qiyan is the one within the possessed body."

"Heh, looks like the Bloodbrawlers aren't all that impressive after all," Yu Yuan laughed heartily.

Only now did he realize that the residual power of the Bloodbrawlers paled in comparison to that of the Skyreach Consortium, let alone standing a chance against the five supreme forces. His dealings with Qiyan, the consortium, and those five factions had long been confirmed. The fact that neither Yuan Qingxi nor Huangyin were aware of this suggested that the Bloodbrawlers' remaining influence, along with that of the Terra Fiends present, hadn't reached an overwhelming level within the Everlands.

"Yuan Qingxi, you enticed Luo Yue here and confined her to Shadow Mountain, all to compel White Bone to act, didn't you?"

"And you..." Yu Yuan turned to Huangyin, "By leveraging your knowledge of the Crucible of Evil, you caused the cauldron to descend into the Defiled World, also in hopes of drawing me in, correct?"

"This Seven-Colored Lake, brimming with tainted essence, is the wellspring of your power, allowing you to wield your mightiest combat strength. It's only by remaining here, within the Seven-Colored Lake, that you can stand against the Crucible of Evil."

Yu Yuan offered his analysis with a smile.

"Huangyin, you're well aware that the moment you leave this subterranean Defiled World and step beyond the Seven-Colored Lake's surface, you... will be no match for my cauldron spirit."

As these words were spoken, the purple dark fire in Huangyin's eyes crackled menacingly, as if bolts of purple lightning were on the verge of erupting.

Meanwhile, Yu Yuan, having pieced together some of the puzzle, grew even more composed. He hadn't encountered the so-called "Origin Gate" in the underground Defiled World. Without the aid of the Origin Deity, where would Yuan Qingxi and Huangyin find the audacity for their actions?

White Bone, now a God of Ghosts, clutched the scroll, an unbeatable presence in both the Land of Terror and the Defiled World. Yuan Qingxi and Huangyin's actions, along with Huangyin's many words, were all in anticipation of White Bone opening that scroll to rediscover his true self and transform into Youyu. With White Bone as Youyu, they would have a powerful ally.

Thus, White Bone's stance was crucial.

"You're offering me a way out?"

Upon realizing this, Yu Yuan burst into laughter on the Dragon Slaying Stage.

"Huangyin, your boldness stems from knowing that my real body isn't down there, doesn't it? I have one question for you: if you leave the Seven-Colored Lake and venture into the surface world, do you, as a Demon God, dare to face me in battle?"

"You're quite presumptuous, young man!" Huangyin stepped away from the tentacle and emerged from the Seven-Colored Lake, standing on the ground next to Yuan Qingxi. The murky waters around him gave off a thick mist of Seven-Colored Clouds that billowed out from around him.

Yu Yuan found the scene before him eerily familiar—it was reminiscent of Hu Caiyun's battle tactics.

"You've only just ascended to a Solar Spirit. What makes you so confident to speak to me in such a manner?" Huangyin challenged.

"Yuan Qingxi, is it?" Yu Yuan replied with a calm chuckle, "This Earth Fiend Ancestor has been underground for far too long, oblivious to the wonders of the world above. Surely you're not as ignorant? Inform him that if he dares to confront my real body upon leaving this place, he'll face dire consequences."

At Yu Yuan's words, Yuan Qingxi of the Bloodbrawlers fell into a rare silence. He couldn't be certain if Qiyan had encountered Yu Yuan or if Qiyan was indeed the one inhabiting the Starbeast. However, the intelligence he had gathered indicated that Yu Yuan, having recently become a Solar Spirit, had demonstrated Unbound Realm-level power within the Shura's Glimmerdrift Nebula. And Yu Yuan still wielded the Dragon Slaying Stage, a force to be reckoned with against both ghosts and Terra Fiends—a fact he knew all too well.

If Yu Yuan, who had fused with the Lunar Spirit, the Solar Spirit, and his real body, were to be placed on the surface of the world, in the starry sea of the extraterrestrial domain, or any other realm!

Unless Huangyin was in the Seven-Colored Lake or the Defiled World underground, his prospects didn't look good.

"Is he really that powerful?"

Huangyin, affected by Yuan Qingxi's silence, suddenly became much more composed. The colorful miasma that was about to surge towards Yu Yuan also came to a halt. "You've told me about you..."

Huangyin then turned his gaze to Yu Yiyi, who was clad in shimmering ice armor and had just appeared at the cauldron's edge, "He's merely a Solar Spirit!"

"You."

Yu Yiyi extended her hand, pointing first at Huangyin. A cold, disdainful light flickered in the depths of her icy eyes.

"And you!"

She then pointed at Yuan Qingxi.

After a brief pause, her finger shifted slightly, landing on White Bone, "Even you..."

White Bone's brow furrowed for a moment.

Yu Yiyi quickly withdrew her finger and took a deep breath, the scornful and proud gleam in her eyes growing more intense.

"Even during the era of the Battle of the Divine, the Devilish, and the Supernatural, when you were at your peak, didn't my true master defeat each of you? Some of you had your souls shattered, some were left with only a sliver of consciousness, and some went through countless reincarnations. You were all vanquished by my master. What difference will it make now, after tens of thousands of years, when you come together again?"

"Do you truly believe you can win?"

Her words shamed Huangyin, Yuan Qingxi, and White Bone.

Yet, upon her mentioning her first master, the three mighty Demon Masters present fell into silence.

Huangyin, Yuan Qingxi, and White Bone could almost sense that person's gaze upon them, quietly observing from the shadows...

Even White Bone, now a God of Ghosts, felt a sudden heaviness in his soul.

He gripped the scroll in his hand, tightening then loosening his grip, before clenching it once more.

He appeared to be wrestling with himself, internally debating whether or not to unfurl the scroll.

Huangyin, along with Yuan Qingxi and the primordial ancestor of the Terra Fiends, had long been aware that the current cauldron spirit, Yu Yiyi, was once the servant of the dragon slayer. They had both suffered defeat at the hands of the dragon slayer and had been vanquished by him. They recognized the truth in Yu Yiyi's words, leaving them without the means to contest her claims.

Huangyin, a forebear of the Terra Fiends, watched as the purple dark fire within the depths of his eye sockets flickered uncertainly, its once wild undulations now subdued. A sudden chill seized him—a coldness emanating from the very core of his devil soul, sending a jolt through him and causing the dark fire in his eyes to dance erratically.

It was as if the dragon slayer, long departed from this world, was peering at him across the vast expanse of time from an ancient era. Huangyin's devil soul quaked with the sensation.

Then, in a startling moment of clarity, he realized that the gaze upon him belonged not to the spectral dragon slayer but to Yu Yuan, who stood before him on the Dragon Slaying Stage.

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