C1467 The Hidden Dangers of the Devil Tide!

As Yu Yuan gazed into the fiery furnace at Zhong Chichen, a sense of gloom settled over him. He hadn't anticipated that his senior brother would be so deeply affected by the tainted essence due to his practice of the dark arts, and that the accumulation of evil energy would ultimately transform him into a Terra Fiend.

In his past life, Yu Yuan had been marked by the Bloodbrawlers and was meant to be whisked away by their members after his successful reincarnation, thereby becoming an integral part of their ranks. It was his senior brother who had tampered with the Reincarnation Pill, helping Yu Yuan evade disaster and shatter the Bloodbrawlers' plans, which allowed him to be reborn three centuries later.

But what of his senior brother? After being betrayed and afflicted with a poison, he had no choice but to retreat to the Rainbow Ocean to silently endure its effects, only to find himself sinking deeper into its grasp. Unlike Yu Yuan, his senior brother wasn't fortunate enough to have someone notice the peril he was in and come to his aid.

Watching his senior brother on the brink of becoming a demon, Yu Yuan couldn't help but feel a profound sense of unease.

Du Yazi and the others, upon hearing Loong Jie's thorough exposition, were left speechless. They were familiar with the concept of a Terra Fiend, but the idea of a human transforming into one was entirely new to them. The secretive Bloodbrawlers were also beyond their knowledge, leaving them utterly clueless.

Yu Yuan's ordeal was beyond their comprehension, leaving them utterly astonished. In the midst of this, Feng Zhong seized the moment of Yu Yuan's contemplation to offer a succinct explanation, clarifying that Yu Yuan's abrupt change in temperament had a cause and was not inherent to his character.

"If I'm not mistaken," Feng Zhong surmised, "the initial poison was merely a guiding drug. Its presence necessitated his relentless pursuit of the dark arts to counteract the drug's effects. It appears that the initial poison has now been fully purified from his system."

The old dragon, though not a contemporary of the Battle of the Divine, the Devilish, and the Supernatural, had lived through many ages. The Nagas, his kin, had never faced extinction and kept records of ancient secrets.

As the patriarch of the Nagas, Loong Jie occasionally perused the records during his leisure time.

"The state your senior brother is in marks him as a source of corruption. He is on the brink of fully succumbing to the dark arts. Frankly, it's only a matter of time before he transforms into a Terra Fiend. To reverse this course and restore him to humanity, I doubt even the primordial spirit of the Everlands could manage."

With a sigh of regret, Loong Jie shook his head. After a brief pause, he continued, "His body, now a vessel of corruption, must be handled with care. Under no circumstances should we allow it, brimming with tainted essence, to reach any of the great empires of Aetherius. Otherwise, it would spell disaster and unleash a devil tide."

"Devil tide?" exclaimed Du Yazi, startled.

"What is a devil tide?"

Tong Rui and Ye Hen demanded in unison.

Feng Zhong from the Skyreach Consortium, upon hearing the term "devil tide" from Loong Jie, turned pale. "Mr. Loong Jie, are you certain that Zhong Chichen's tainted body could provoke a devil tide in any empire on the Aetherius Continent?"

"Devil tide!"

Yu Yuan felt a shiver run through him as the term sparked a flicker of memory deep within his mind.

"Let me explain," Loong Jie began, nodding to affirm the accuracy of his previous statement. "Without delving into specifics, I can tell you that if his body, which is essentially a wellspring of filth, were to appear within the realms of the Human Empire, it would naturally give rise to a demonic plague."

"His body would release a unique poison that specifically targets humans. This poison, once spread, would leave mortals and weaker cultivators defenseless, their flesh swiftly decaying to bone. Meanwhile, human souls would be transformed into a horde of devils."

"These devils lack spiritual wisdom and the potential for further evolution or strength. Yet their sheer numbers are a formidable threat."

"When Zhong Chichen succumbs to darkness, he will command tens of millions of devils to wreak havoc upon the world. Alternatively, he might consume them, significantly amplifying his own power."

"Imagine if the entire Human Empire were to transform into devils; it would spawn a devil tide. While a single devil may seem insignificant, what of millions?"

"Consider the number of devils within the Crucible of Evil. When arrayed in formation, their lethality is already unspeakably fearsome. Millions of devils under Zhong Chichen's dominion, after his transformation, would present an unimaginable spectacle..."

Loong Jie grew visibly uneasy at this thought.

"In essence, if you lack the confidence to handle him, then eliminate him as thoroughly as possible! Besides the devil soul, his exceedingly dangerous body must be completely purified."

Feng Zhong's face turned ashen. He couldn't afford to take this lightly, "Yu Yuan, the devil tide is far too dreadful. I must inform the president immediately!"

Du Yazi, Tong Rui, and Ye Hen were initially alarmed by Loong Jie's mention of the 'devil tide,' but upon hearing Feng Zhong's intention to alert the Skyreach Consortium, their expressions shifted dramatically.

"No! This can't happen!"

"Should the Consortium be informed, wouldn't the whole world become aware? If so, Mr. Zhong is surely doomed!"

"Mr. Feng, I implore you, do not proceed with this!"

Their concern for Zhong Chichen was genuine, and all their actions were driven by the hope that he would emerge unscathed.

Yet, according to Loong Jie's wisdom, Zhong Chichen was already a lost cause, with his transformation into a Terra Fiend being a matter of time.

That body, now a 'source of filth,' would be a source of unending calamities, potentially unleashing a devil tide.

Loong Jie, too, was reluctant to witness Zhong Chichen's metamorphosis into a Terra Fiend, commanding millions, perhaps even tens of millions, of devils.

He was convinced that no one desired to see such a nightmarish event unfold in this day and age.

The Nagas' secret book recounts that due to the scarcity of humans in ancient times, the 'devil tides' that occurred typically comprised no more than a hundred thousand devils.

Even so, the aftermath of the devil tide was still incredibly dire.

Nowadays, with humans reigning as the most powerful race in the Everlands, and the population in the various empires of Aetherius having surged, the emergence of a devil tide could mean millions, even tens of millions of devils wreaking havoc—a catastrophe of epic proportions.

Yu Yuan commanded with an icy demeanor, "Hold off on notifying the Skyreach Consortium."

Feng Zhong gave him a measured look and nodded slightly, "I'll give you time to attempt a solution."

"It's difficult..."

Loong Jie shook his head, clearly skeptical of Yu Yuan's ability to restore Zhong Chichen.

After all, not even the extensive secret books of the Nagas contained any record of such a feat.

There had never been a case of a being on the brink of turning into a devil who managed to regain their senses and revert to human form.

Not even the exalted primordial spirit had accomplished this!

The usual response to beings on the cusp of devil transformation was to eliminate them swiftly and decisively.

"Mr. Hong, I implore you to save Mr. Zhong. Mr. Feng mentioned that your successful reincarnation and escape from the clutches of the Bloodbrawlers were all thanks to Mr. Zhong's assistance!" Tong Rui, from the Taintborn Sect, pleaded earnestly with a bow.

"In this world, perhaps you are the only one who can bring him back!" Du Yazi exclaimed.

Having followed Yu Yuan for years, Du Yazi held a near-reverential respect for Yu Yuan's mastery of Venomcraft.

"What about your neck?"

Yu Yuan, having regained his composure and been briefed on the truth and Feng Zhong's promise, pondered how to tackle his senior brother's predicament.

Du Yazi, once impervious to any poison, now had a festering wound on his neck, a consequence of his senior brother's condition.

"I've had the most contact with Mr. Zhong, handling the furnace lid's every opening and closing. Over time, I've inadvertently become contaminated with the vile and toxic substances." Du Yazi confessed without reservation, revealing the harsh reality.

"And me? My unique constitution makes me immune to most poisons, so... I've only ended up like this."

"Do you realize how many poisons I've endured following you? Countless poisonous insects, toxic plants, and poison pills—I've swallowed them all, yet here I am, unscathed."

"…"

Du Yazi's account cast a new light on Yu Yuan, as onlookers regarded him with renewed curiosity.

"Enough."

Yu Yuan, growing impatient, silenced Du Yazi and turned his attention to his neck, intent on determining how to cleanse the vile toxins that clung to him.

But as he prepared to unleash his Soul Power and vitality to probe further, his body jolted violently.

His eyes flickered with uncertainty, a haze of confusion washing over him.

Memories and visions cascaded like ripples on water.

"I think..." he murmured, gazing down at his feet, "I think I'm right beneath here."

Du Yazi and the others looked on, bewildered. They couldn't grasp his meaning and found his current demeanor quite odd.

Feng Zhong and Loong Jie, privy to the truth, grew concerned upon hearing his words.

...

Below, in the Defiled World by the Seven-Colored Lake.

Yu Yiyi, as the cauldron spirit, had finished her stirring speech, leaving the God of Ghosts, White Bone, Yuan Qingxi, and Huangyin speechless, without a counterargument.

Yu Yuan, the Lunar Spirit at the Dragon Slaying Stage, had come to a realization.

The revered leaders of the Bloodbrawlers, like Yuan Qingxi, and Huangyin, one of the Terra Fiend's founders, along with more of their formidable peers, appeared to have all been vanquished by him.

He had defeated all these demonic titans!

Yet, they were oblivious to the fact that the man before them was neither the dragon slayer's successor nor a lucky fool who stumbled upon a Divine Artifact.

He was their true vanquisher!

A natural sense of superiority and pride swelled within him, steadying Yu Yuan's resolve. He boldly challenged, "Huangyin, do you dare to face me in battle outside?"

Stirred by the provocation, Huangyin, the Terra Fiend ancestor, snapped out of the influence of the devil soul.

"Youyu, what is this attitude?"

Huangyin turned, the purple dark fire blazing in his eye sockets.

He could feel the Crucible of Evil and the Armor Crusher Banes being eroded by his tainted essence, slowly becoming encased in ice.

He was brimming with confidence!

Yet, White Bone was a God of Ghosts, and the Defiled World only served to amplify his combat prowess!

Thus, White Bone was both a pillar of support for him and Yuan Qingxi, and also... the greatest variable.

It all hinged on whether White Bone was willing to unveil the painting and if he desired to truly awaken in the Defiled World at this very moment.

He and Yuan Qingxi had invested so much effort, all to fully rouse White Bone!

But...

They slowly realized they couldn't fathom White Bone's thoughts; they would never fully understand him.

Just like in the past.

"If I don't open this painting, I remain White Bone, not Youyu. However, the words you've spoken, the stories you've shared, they resonate with me, and I'm quite intrigued to learn more about the past."

White Bone clutched the scroll, acutely aware of the peculiar wall emanating from it, shrouding the Dragon Slaying Stage.

It also prevented Yu Yuan's Lunar Spirit from breaching the wall to connect with his real body.

"I need to see more, so..."

White Bone's other hand splayed wide, pale white lightning coursing from his body to his fingertips, forming five blades of law.

With a slash, White Bone's fingers tore through the invisible wall born from Yuan Qingxi's spell.

His intervention shattered the wall's seal, enabling Yu Yuan's soul to intermingle!

At that moment, Yu Yuan's body, stationed by the fiery furnace and poised to probe Du Yazi's corruption with his vitality and remnant soul, jolted violently.

"I feel..."

Within the Dragon Slaying Stage, Yu Yuan's Lunar Spirit gazed upward, whispering, "I feel like I'm right above."

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