C1504 Observing
As soon as Ann Ziqing arrived, she began stirring up trouble.
Liu Ying, hands on her hips, stood her ground without showing any weakness, matching Ann Ziqing's provocations blow for blow.
Yu Yuan, however, maintained his usual composure, listening calmly to the endless bickering between the two women.
Meanwhile, he was discreetly harnessing the power of the Dragon Slaying Stage to greatly enhance the perception of his remnant soul.
He focused his soul's insight on a grey rat that had recently infiltrated the Rainbow Ocean.
The insignificant grey rat, far from being a Fellbeast, surveyed its surroundings with vigilant, dark green eyes.
Upon entering, the rat didn't rush to move but instead remained quietly nestled in the grass of a swampy area, as if assessing for any anomalies or signs of being detected.
It was quite sly...
Yet, as soon as it appeared, Yu Yuan instantly felt a connection. Illuminated by the Dragon Slaying Stage, he saw past its exterior and discerned its true essence.
Inside the grey rat's body lay seven distinct, hair-thin streams of deadly poison.
This was Qiyan, a fiend born of the Rainbow Ocean.
Even when confined within the Spirit World by the combined efforts of the Shadowkin, Diggs, a colorful butterfly, and the Blightwood, Qiyan was undeterred and claimed to be capable of assistance.
The Songbird Queen corroborated this, confirming that Qiyan could indeed partially restrain the Blightwood.
Recently, in the Defiled World, Huangyin's emotional response to Qiyan was profound, prompting him to express doubts to Yuan Qingxi.
This indicated that Huangyin and other Terra Fiend progenitors were deeply concerned about Qiyan.
Having been suppressed and imprisoned by Nie Qingtian, Qiyan was taken beyond the terrestrial realm to the Star River and sealed beneath Zekrica, unable to escape for many years.
This underscored Nie Qingtian's significant regard for him.
What was so extraordinary about this entity?
Yu Yuan took note with keen interest.
Patiently, he listened to the sharp exchange between Liu Ying and Ann Ziqing while covertly keeping watch.
Eventually, the grey rat, now a vessel for Qiyan, slowly sank into the swamp's mire, and one by one, seven colorful streams of potent poison emerged from within the rodent.
The seven venomous streams, once as fine as strands of hair, had long since found their various destinations. Some blended into putrid ponds, others with dense miasma clouds, some burrowed into the roots of bizarre plants, while others seeped into half-buried skeletons or a bed of grass and leaves.
Once the slender streams diverged, they revealed their vibrant, original hues.
Yu Yuan scrutinized them and realized that the separated Qiyan corresponded to the seven colors of the Seven-Colored Lake in the Defiled World!
The fiend, divided into seven, lay hidden across seven distinct regions within the Rainbow Ocean, far apart, cautiously amassing psionic power.
The psionic energy he gathered was swiftly refined and purified, reminding Yu Yuan of the waters of the Seven-Colored Lake.
Yu Yuan, with his keen spiritual sense from overseeing the Dragon Slaying Stage, had an inkling...
With the fiend's return and his gathering of power, the Rainbow Ocean's long-missing secret cosmic order seemed to be mending.
The Rainbow Ocean, with Qiyan's return, felt more complete.
Simultaneously, in the Defiled World.
Huangyin, submerged in the Seven-Colored Lake, along with the ancient Terra Fiend within the wooden tombstone, had summoned several more venerable Terra Fiends.
The elder Terra Fiends were engaged in a heated debate around the Seven-Colored Lake.
They deliberated whether to heed Youyu's advice and align with the Bloodbrawlers or to disregard Youyu and persist with Xuanying's strategy, attempting to reach out to powerful beings from the outside world to topple the current rulers of the Everlands.
Zhong Chichen had departed, and Youyu had vanished; it had been half a month.
They remained undecided.
With a splash, Huangyin burst forth from the Seven-Colored Lake, the purple dark fire in his eye sockets flickering intensely.
He bowed his head, observing as the waters of the Seven-Colored Lake gradually separated into seven distinct colors...
The waters of the lake, now in seven colors, would at times distinctly separate into patches, then suddenly converge, exuding a renewed magic, as if reviving an ancient arcane lost to the ages.
The lake, once lifeless, now seemed to burst with vitality.
It was always in motion, ever-changing.
A young Terra Fiend, born of the new era, hovered in amazement above the Seven-Colored Lake, feeling the water's liveliness and gazing at the hues swirling below.
Within the multicolored waters, one could barely discern the transformation of the devil soul, a unique dark art that latched onto countless beings.
"Qiyan has returned!"
The elegant Earth Fiend within the wooden tombstone exclaimed with joy.
Huangyin gave a firm nod, "Yu Yuan, that boy, he didn't deceive us in this matter! We thought Qiyan, long presumed dead, was merely confined to the extraterrestrial! He must have sensed that the force restraining our kind, limiting his power, has vanished!"
"So, he's finally willing to return!"
"Qiyan? Who is he? What good does his return do for us?"
"Great Ancestors, is Qiyan a being like yourselves?"
The new generation of Terra Fiends looked up, puzzled, seeking answers.
"You needn't concern yourselves with his story. Just understand this: his return can truly unleash the might of the Seven-Colored Lake!"
Huangyin's spirit was reignited.
...
"Are you even listening to us?"
Ann Ziqing, sensing something amiss as Yu Yuan remained silent, found the endless bickering and jibes with Liu Ying suddenly tasteless.
Liu Ying paused, then realized Yu Yuan had been quietly smiling all along.
Both women turned their attention to him.
"We'll deal with the Colddeath later. I'm well aware of what The Hon. wants to know," Yu Yuan said, managing a slight smile while engaging in the fragmented conversation.
Meanwhile, he kept a close watch on Qiyan.
After dividing into seven, the slender, toxic streams covertly harvested and refined the psionic power of the Rainbow Ocean, growing stronger without notice.
Qiyan had intentionally split his soul, scattering it, making it less focused.
His dispersion would go undetected unless someone with a transcendent realm of consciousness took special notice.
"Why choose to return now, in such a stealthy manner? What are you planning?"
Yu Yuan stroked his chin thoughtfully. Since bidding farewell in the Glimmerdrift Nebula, his interest in Qiyan had waned, and he doubted they'd cross paths again. Yet, it was Huangyin and Yuan Qingxi who reminded him of Qiyan, sparking the realization that there were still secrets to uncover.
Ann Ziqing's eyes brimmed with unspoken reproach. "Young Master, your airs grow grander by the day. I extend an invitation, and you decline. No matter, I shall attend to you as before. When you find the time and wish to visit our Colddeath, I'll be here to guide you."
Yu Yuan offered her a knowing glance, recognizing her feigned sorrow, and responded with an amused smile, choosing not to engage further.
"How formidable is your Colddeath? Your father hasn't even ascended to the Divine Throne. The Master of our Starmoon Sect has already shattered the celestial bounds and achieved supremacy in the extraterrestrial realms! Besides, Old Tan and I were here first. If we're to visit anywhere, it should be the Starmoon Sect!"
"You made a promise to me!" Liu Ying's words were directed firmly at Yu Yuan.
"Indeed, indeed," Yu Yuan conceded with a grin, offering no argument. "It's quite straightforward. Once I tire of this place, I'll divide my time and visit both the Starmoon Sect and Colddeath with you."
Turning to Ann Ziqing, he teased, "Hierarch Ann, you're truly only interested in my Solar Spirit, aren't you?"
"Oh, Young Master, what nonsense! I simply wish to see you," Ann Ziqing replied, her smile tinged with mirth.
Subsequently, the two women settled in to wait patiently within the Shadowflame Blight Array. Meanwhile, Yu Yuan was engrossed in discerning the transformations of the young Titan Spinosaurus at the Dragon Slaying Stage.
Days later, he observed that Tan Junshan, Qiyan, and the others had emerged from subterranean depths to the surface. Dense miasma clouds seeped from the narrow tunnels. A quick assessment confirmed his suspicion: the miasma from the Seven-Colored Lake had deliberately been channeled into the Rainbow Ocean.
Secretly returned, the efficiency with which the seven fiends absorbed psionic power had significantly increased.
Qiyan was rapidly regaining his strength. Within the seven separate, deadly streams, it was as if crystals of poison and remnant souls were being forged.
"This guy really has something worth uncovering," Yu Yuan mused with growing interest.
He was eager to see what Qiyan could transform into after traversing the Rainbow Ocean and encountering the flattery of the Terra Fiends.
