C1517 He Was Looking Forward to It!
The God of Ghosts, Youyu, issued a challenge to Zhu Zhenlin of the Devil Palace, and the world took notice.
The three continents of the Everlands, the boundless ocean, and the myriad sects and hidden organizations with their deep-rooted power were all abuzz with the news.
Countless watchful eyes, both overt and covert, were fixed on the Devil Palace.
Qualified human cultivators and Monster Lords from Shadow's Keep eagerly awaited the outcome.
...
On Dragon Island.
The sole surviving golden dragon, whose body wound like a golden rampart, basked in the blazing sun. Its massive eyes shone like twin golden suns against the daylight of the Everlands.
Loong Jie's pupils burned with fervor and avarice, and the beating of his dragon heart made his descendants prostrate themselves.
The cause of this upheaval remained a mystery.
Giant dragons, each spanning kilometers in length, surged from Dragon Island and the surrounding seabed, their tails flicking beside him.
Their eyes fixed on the Devil Palace, they released dragon's breaths in various forms: fiery rivers, acidic torrents, and icy cascades.
"Old Patriarch!"
A Jade Wyrm called out in the ancient dragon language, trembling.
In the current era of the Everlands, with the Cosmic Order that once restrained the Nagas lifted, Loong Jie—a pure-blooded golden dragon who had soaked in the pinnacle of the ninth level for eons—was the prime candidate to ascend to the throne of a Dragon God at the tenth level.
In a fair contest, free from outside influence, none could rival Loong Jie.
The Nagas held this belief with unwavering confidence and pride.
Sensing that Youyu had engaged Zhu Zhenlin of the Devil Palace and the Divine War had commenced, they anticipated Zhu Zhenlin's fall.
A Supreme God's seat was about to be vacated.
The Nagas, having yearned for this moment for millennia, were beside themselves with excitement and frenzy.
...
At the Sword Sect.
The Stardust Blade, who had secluded herself for an extended period after her return from beyond the stars, now faced the Devil Palace.
She instinctively sensed the earth-shattering tumult there, needing no messenger to inform her of the events unfolding.
She observed the powerful surge of sword's will emanating from the neighboring mountains, caverns, and palaces.
She was acutely aware of whom each sword's will signified.
With a whoosh, the Rillrender sword appeared, carried by the breeze. Yue Mu, typically nonchalant, was now visibly stirred. "Senior Sister, you?" he asked.
Ji Ningshuang's brows knitted together slightly. She had just overheard another conversation.
"Is this about competition?"
"The timing isn't right."
"Indeed, there's no need to hurry."
Neither speaker seemed concerned that Yue Mu might overhear.
Yue Mu's gaze snapped to a specific location, his voice tinged with astonishment, "Is it him?"
Ji Ningshuang gave a slight nod. "Having only recently advanced to the late period of the Unbound Stage, vying for the Supreme God seat now would be overly ambitious for me. Besides, even with their protection, it's still precarious."
Yue Mu let out a sigh, "Wouldn't it have been better if that guy had stirred up trouble later?"
"No, he couldn't have chosen a better time."
...
At the Starmoon Sect, beneath the blazing sun, a crescent moon hung unexpectedly over the lush forest. Tan Junshan fidgeted anxiously, his movements erratic as if he were a grasshopper in a frying pan.
He was among the few in the Everlands who dared to aspire to godhood.
At the peak of the Unbound Realm and having lingered there for years, he was confident that with the God Seat's endorsement, he could ascend to divinity.
He understood the significance of the God Seat more than anyone.
"Forget it, this God Seat isn't meant for our Starmoon Sect. You've always been so composed; why this sudden urge to compete?"
From a modest pavilion below, a voice laced with sarcasm rang out, "What, because your Senior Sister ascended, you're desperate to keep pace, fearing she'll look down on you?"
Tan Junshan's face reddened, and he retorted, "It's the chaos of the world; I seek the power to defend myself."
"Really?"
"Enough, you old coot! Don't think I'll defer to you just because you're the aged Sect Master of the Star Sect!" Tan Junshan snapped, his embarrassment turning to anger. "Mock me again, and I'll dismantle the very cabin you've built with your own hands."
"Alright, alright, I'll hold my tongue. Just remember, it's not yours for the taking. Don't grasp at what you cannot have."
Colddeath.
Atop the cliff.
"Thump! Thump! Thump!"
The pounding of Ann Wen's heart caused Ann Ziqing and the other elders behind him to feel an unbearable discomfort.
They even feared that the Sect Master was on the verge of losing control, ready to implode before a consensus could be reached.
"Please, calm down."
This time, it was Ann Ziqing who approached, whispering words of comfort.
"The new Supreme God seat!"
Ann Wen spat out these words through clenched teeth, his gaze fixed on the Devil Palace, feeling as if the Supreme God seat was beckoning to him, calling him forth.
Every drop of his blood was in turmoil!
His innermost yearning was threatening to shatter his spiritual wisdom, compelling him to charge forward recklessly.
"If this seat is not meant for me..."
Ann Wen inhaled deeply, forcing his eyes away from the Devil Palace and up to the vast sky of the Everlands. "Then, I shall journey to the extraterrestrial realms to seek our origins."
Ann Ziqing and the elders of Colddeath trembled at his declaration.
His statement signified the end of the Divine War between Youyu and Zhu Zhenlin. Once the Supreme God seat was claimed, it would profoundly affect Colddeath.
Either Ann Wen would ascend to godhood.
Or Colddeath would venture into the extraterrestrial in search of a new destiny.
...
In the Defiled World, beside the Seven-Colored Lake.
Huangyin, one of the primordial Terra Fiends, began to dance with abandon under the watchful eyes of both ancient and newborn Earth Fiends.
His excitement was palpable and uncontrollable.
"Youyu prevails yet again!"
Within the depths of Huangyin's hollow sockets, the purple dark fire crackled fiercely.
As Qiyan made his return, the Seven-Colored Lake divided, and dazzling divine light burst forth, merging into Huangyin's being.
"Who else but me?"
Huangyin surveyed the Terra Fiends before him and let out a triumphant laugh.
Before departing, Youyu had vowed to reclaim all that he had lost and to ensure the Bloodbrawlers could once again roam freely above ground. He also promised to look after the Terra Fiends.
The Bloodbrawlers and the Terra Fiends, kin in essence, knew that with the emergence of a new divine position, it would naturally fall to one of their own.
Within the Bloodbrawlers, there was no sign of Xuanli, and neither Yuan Qingxi nor Lianjing were up to the task.
Thus, the only option was to select from the Terra Fiend Clan.
With Xuanying and Rovi's bodies taken by the accursed Chronowyrm, who among the Terra Fiends now had the right to vie for the divine throne?
Huangyin was almost certain a new seat of power was emerging, and he considered it as good as his.
The era of the Terra Fiend was on the horizon!
...
"Is he laying the groundwork for Xuanli?"
Yu Yuan, perched atop the Fallen Star Eyes, could no longer discern the activities within the Devil Palace through the luminous moonstone.
As Youyu unfolded the Chronicle of the Shadows, Zhu Zhenlin's entire domain was suffused with thick shadow energy, obscuring everything.
Upon learning that Youyu had harnessed the power of the Ghost Kings to extend the search for Xuanli beyond our world, and that the search had been successful, he naturally assumed that Youyu had located Xuanli and that Xuanli was already on his way back.
With Zhu Zhenlin's demise, the vacated Supreme God seat was ripe for Xuanli's ascension.
The Bloodbrawlers were on the cusp of welcoming a new deity!
"It seems likely," Tian Zang affirmed with a nod.
"Do we have any leads on Xuanli?" Jiang Miaojie inquired softly.
"When I was in the Chronicle of the Shadows, I faintly sensed the River Styx from the underworld permeating the vast cosmos, weaving through the Astral Domains. Before he retracted those rivers, the last domain he lingered in appeared to be the Dark Star Domain of the Blood Fiend, or perhaps Kobran," Tian Zang mused aloud.
"The Dark Star Domain?" Jiang Miaojie exclaimed, surprised. "The conflict there has long since ended, and the mightiest of the Everlands have mostly returned. Xuanli's reincarnation must surely be a figure of exceptional caliber, likely well-known, and at the pinnacle of their powers."
Her assessment was spot on.
Whoever was destined to inherit the divine seat left vacant by Zhu Zhenlin upon returning to the Everlands was certainly no ordinary character.
As the other leader of the Bloodbrawlers who had once fought alongside Youyu, his talent, intellect, and temperament were all exceptional.
"The Dark Star, the birthplace of the Blood Fiend and the location of the Root of the Solar Meridian..."
Yu Yuan murmured.
"Also, before I left the Land of Terror, Luo Yue mentioned that there are two streams at the Root of the Lunar Meridian. Luo Yue also said that the other stream, the murky one, likely represents an individual with a chaotic and mixed cultivation," Tian Zang added.
"Mixed, chaotic?" Jiang Miaojie's eyes flickered with curiosity.
"He himself is an embodiment of conflict, representing chaos and disorder. It seems that only such a person aligns with the Way of Heaven and the sacred way," Tian Zang continued.
"Cao Yi!"
A spark of realization crossed Yu Yuan's mind, and he exclaimed the name.
"Cao Yi?"
"Cao Yi!"
"Cao Yi!"
While Jiang Miaojie was still trying to piece things together, Tian Zang and Liu Ying's expressions shifted to one of sudden clarity.
Jiang Miaojie, being an outsider, was not familiar with the name Cao Yi, but Tian Zang and Liu Ying quickly realized that Cao Yi perfectly met the criteria.
If he was Xuanli, with his soul's origin in the Bloodbrawlers, reincarnating as Cao Yi allowed him to grasp the mystique of the Ebon Star.
Through Ann Jieshan's schemes, he managed to consume his adversary and also mastered the arcane of Colddeath.
Later, he journeyed to the Primal Blood Continent and was even transformed into a blood bound slave. It's possible that the mystique of the Blood Fiend caused his very life form to become chaotic.
Cao Yi's character, wisdom, and talent were all outstanding, each aspect dazzling in its own right.
"There's no mistake, it has to be Cao Yi," Tian Zang affirmed with a slight nod. "Let's all wait patiently. Zhu Zhenlin of the Devil Palace is bound to perish. The Chronicle of the Shadows has severed that region of space, and the Divine War initiated by Youyu mainly pertains to the soul and won't spill over into the Everlands."
"Once Xuanli ascends to godhood, the Bloodbrawlers will likely struggle to keep him in check," Jiang Miaojie voiced her concern.
"Even with the Demon Lord absent, wouldn't the three upper sects and Shadow's Keep intervene?" Liu Ying expressed her puzzlement, sensing that something was amiss. "Zhu Zhenlin is one of their own. Are they just going to stand by and watch him die?"
"The two rivers sustaining the Dark Court signify that the Root of the Lunar Meridian is whole and at its peak vitality. This Root governs the cycle of rebirth for all beings in the Everlands, serving as one of its essential pillars and foundations. Given its unequivocal stance, I believe everyone should weigh their actions carefully," Tian Zang said with a grave tone.
"Should the present circumstances provoke it into instability, it would spell a catastrophe for the Everlands."
"None of us could withstand that."
