C1517 Looking Forward to It

Youyu challenged Zhu Zhen of the Devil Palace, sending shockwaves throughout the world.

News of this challenge spread like wildfire across the vast continents and the boundless sea of the Boundless Great World, reaching nearly every major sect and clandestine organization.

Countless eyes, both overt and covert, were fixed on the Devil Palace.

Qualified human cultivators and the Demon Kings from the Demon Palace alike eagerly awaited the outcome.

...

On Dragon Island in the deep sea.

The sole remaining Golden Dragon, its elongated golden body shimmering like a great wall under the fierce sun, had eyes that blazed like twin golden suns in the daylight of the Boundless Great World.

Loong Jie's pupils burned with fervor and avarice. The beating of his heart sent tremors through the bloodlines of his descendants, bringing them to their knees.

The cause of this disturbance was unknown.

Giants among dragons, each spanning thousands of meters, surged from Dragon Island, their tails undulating beside him.

Their eyes fixed on the direction of the Devil Palace, they exhaled breaths of dragon fire—some like rivers of flame, others like acidic cascades, and still others like torrents of frost.

"Old Patriarch!"

A jade dragon called out in the ancient tongue of their kind.

In the current era of the Boundless Great World, with the draconic restrictions of the Great Dao Law lifted, Loong Jie, a pure-blooded Golden Dragon steeped in the Peak of Ninth Level for countless years, was the prime candidate to ascend to Dragon God status.

In a fair contest, free of outside influence, Loong Jie was unrivaled.

Such was the confidence and assurance of the Nagas.

When they learned that Youyu had sought out Zhu Zhen of the Devil Palace and the divine battle had commenced, they sensed Zhu Zhen's impending fall.

A supreme seat was about to be vacated.

The Nagas, having waited for this moment for millennia, could hardly contain their excitement and frenzy.

...

At the Sword Sect.

A mountain peak, icy and towering, reached for the heavens. The Starfrost Sword, having secluded herself since her return from beyond, also turned her gaze toward the Devil Palace.

She sensed the earth-shattering tumult from afar, intuitively knowing what had transpired without a word from anyone.

She noticed powerful sword intents emanating from the nearby mountains, caves, and palaces.

She was acutely aware of whom each sword intent signified.

Whoosh!

The "Heavenly Water Sword" arrived, carried by the usually indolent Yue Mu, who was now visibly excited. "Senior Sister, what about you?"

Ji Ningshuang's brows furrowed slightly.

She had suddenly picked up on another conversation.

"Should we contest it?"

"The timing isn't right."

"Indeed, there's no need to rush."

Both the question and the answer were openly discussed in Yue Mu's presence.

Yue Mu turned towards a specific location, his voice filled with astonishment, "Is it that elder?"

Ji Ningshuang gave a slight nod. "I've only recently advanced to the late period of the Unrestrained Stage. It's a bit too forced for me to vie for that divine seat right now. Besides, even with those two as my guardians, it's still not a sure thing."

Yue Mu let out a sigh, "If only that guy had stirred up trouble later!"

"No," she countered, "he couldn't have chosen a better time."

...

Silver Moon Sect.

Beneath the blazing sun, a crescent moon incongruously hovered over the dense forest. Tan Junshan fidgeted and hopped about like a grasshopper in hot oil.

He was one of the few in the Boundless Great World who dared to aspire to divinity.

At the Peak of the Unrestrained Stage and having lingered there for years, he was confident that with the divine seat's endorsement, he could ascend to godhood.

He understood the significance of a divine seat more than anyone.

"Forget it, this divine seat isn't meant for our Silver Moon Sect. You've always been so composed; why the sudden urge to compete?"

From a modest pavilion below, a taunting voice emerged, "What, just because your Senior Sister ascended, you're desperate to keep pace, fearing she'll look down on you?"

Tan Junshan's face reddened as he retorted, "It's the chaos of the world; I seek the power to defend myself."

"Really?"

"You heard me, you old coot! Just because you're older and the Sect Master of the Star Sect doesn't mean I'll defer to you!" Tan Junshan, flustered with embarrassment, snapped, "Mock me again, and I'll dismantle the very cabin you built with your own hands."

"Alright, alright, I'll stop talking. Just remember, it's not yours to claim. Don't force it."

...

Blood God Cult.

Atop a cliff.

"Thump! Thump! Thump!"

The sound of Ann Wen's heartbeat was so intense that Ann Ziqing and the other elders behind him felt an unbearable discomfort.

They even feared that the Sect Master was on the verge of losing his mind. Without waiting for a consensus, it seemed he might just explode.

"Please, calm down."

This time, Ann Ziqing approached, speaking in soothing tones to comfort him.

"The new Supreme seat!"

Ann Wen practically spat out the words through clenched teeth as he stared in the direction of the Devil Palace, feeling as though the Supreme seat was beckoning to him, calling him forth.

Every drop of blood in him was seething!

His innermost desires threatened to shatter his sanity, driving him to rush forward recklessly.

"If this Supreme seat is not meant for me..."

Ann Wen inhaled deeply, forcing his gaze away from the Devil Palace, then turned his eyes to the expansive heavens, "Then I shall venture beyond the skies to trace our origins."

Ann Ziqing and the elders of the Blood God Cult were visibly shaken.

His declaration signified the end of the divine battle between Youyu and Zhu Zhen. Once the Supreme seat was claimed, it would profoundly affect the Blood God Cult.

Either Ann Wen would ascend to godhood.

Or the Blood God Cult would soar into the heavens, seeking a new destiny.

...

At the Colorful Lake in the Foul Land.

Huangyin, one of the Earth Demon Ancestors, began to dance with uncontainable excitement before the watchful eyes of ancient and newborn Earth Demons alike.

His elation was palpable.

"It has to be Youyu!"

In the depths of Huangyin's hollow sockets, purple devil fire crackled fiercely.

Beneath him, the Colorful Lake parted as Qiyan returned, and brilliant divine light burst forth from the waters.

All of it flowed into his being.

"Who else but me?"

Huangyin gazed upon the Earth Demons, laughing with an air of triumph.

Before Youyu departed, he vowed to reclaim all that was lost and to ensure the Ghost Wizard Sect could roam freely upon the earth once more. He also pledged his support for the Earth Demons.

The Ghost Wizard Sect and the Earth Demons were kin. With the emergence of a new divine position, it would naturally benefit both parties.

At the Ghost Wizard Sect, neither Yuan Qingxi nor Lianjing were deemed worthy.

Thus, the selection had to be made from the Earth Demon Clan.

After Xuanying and Rovi were taken by that accursed Space-time Dragon, who else in the Earth Demon Clan was qualified to vie for the divine position?

Huangyin was confident that a new seat of power, likely to emerge, was as good as his.

The Earth Demon Clan's time of prosperity was on the horizon!

...

"Is he laying the groundwork for Xuanli?"

Yu Yuan, perched upon the Fallen Star Eyes, could no longer discern the activities within the Devil Palace through the Bright Moon Stone.

With Youyu unfolding the Nether Map, the entire domain of Zhu Zhen was flooded with thick Yin energy, obscuring all from view.

Upon discovering that Youyu had harnessed the power of the Ghost Kings to extend the search for Xuanli beyond the heavens—and had succeeded—Yu Yuan naturally assumed that Youyu had located Xuanli, who was now en route back.

With Zhu Zhen's demise, the supreme seat left vacant seemed destined for Xuanli's ascension.

The Ghost Wizard Sect was on the brink of welcoming a new deity!

"It's likely correct," Tian Zang affirmed with a subtle nod.

"Do we have any leads on Xuanli?" Jiaang Miaojie inquired softly.

"When I was observing the Nether Map, I sensed the Styx rivers from the underworld permeating the vast cosmos, weaving through various Starfields. Before he retracted the Styx, the last Starfield he lingered in appeared to be the Blood Devil Clan's Dim Starfield, or possibly the Fallen Realm," Tian Zang mused aloud.

"The Dim Starfield?" Jiaang Miaojie exclaimed in surprise. "The conflict there ended long ago, and most of the Boundless Human Race's mightiest have returned. Whoever has reincarnated as Xuanli must be exceptionally distinguished and well-known, surely at the pinnacle of their power."

Her assessment was spot on.

Only someone of significant stature could claim the divine seat left by Zhu Zhen upon returning to the Boundless Human Race. It was no role for a mere commoner.

As a leader of the Ghost Wizard Sect and a peer of Youyu, his talent, intellect, and temperament were unquestionably superior.

"The Dim Starfield, birthplace of the Blood Devil Clan, home of the Yang meridian sources..." Yu Yuan mused.

"Also, before I left Horror Land, Luo Yue mentioned that there are two types of Yin Veins. Luo Yue also said that the other Yin Vein is indicative of a chaotic and mixed cultivation." Tianzang interjected.

"Chaotic and mixed?" Jiaang Miaojie's eyes sparkled with curiosity.

"He himself is a paradox, embodying chaos and disorder. It seems that only such a state, only such a person, aligns with the Great Dao and the Divine Path," Tianzang explained further.

"Cao Yi!" A flash of insight crossed Yu Yuan's mind, and he exclaimed the name.

"Cao Yi?"

"Cao Yi!"

"Cao Yi!"

While Jiaang Miaojie was still trying to grasp the significance, Tianzang and Lau Ying's expressions lit up with realization.

Jiaang Miaojie, being an outsider, didn't recognize the name Cao Yi. But Tianzang and Lau Ying quickly pieced together that Cao Yi fit the profile perfectly.

If he was Xuanli, with his soul's origin in the Ghost Wizard Sect, reincarnated as Cao Yi, he would have learned the Profound Sky Sect's secret arts.

Due to Ann Jieshan's schemes, he managed to absorb his opponent's power and also practiced the Blood God Cult's secret arts.

Later, he visited the Origin Blood Continent and was transformed into a Blood Slave. It's possible that the Blood Devil Clan's secret arts made his very life form chaotic.

Cao Yi's character, wisdom, and talent were all exceptional, each aspect dazzling on its own.

"There's no mistake, it has to be Cao Yi," Tianzang confirmed with a nod. "Let's all wait patiently. Zhu Zhenqi from the Devil Palace is bound to perish. The Netherworld Diagram has severed that space, and Youyu's Divine Battle is mainly on the spiritual level, so it won't spread to the Boundless Land."

"If Xuanli ascends to godhood, the Ghost Wizard Sect will likely struggle to hold him back," Jiaang Miaojie expressed her concern.

"Even without the Demon Lord's return, wouldn't the three great upper sects, including the Demon Palace, intervene?" Lau Ying questioned, sensing something amiss. "Zhu Zhenchi is one of theirs, after all. Would they just stand by and watch him die?"

"The twin rivers sustaining the Spectral Palace signify that the Yin Meridian's source is whole and at its peak vitality. This source governs the cycle of reincarnation for all living creatures, serving as a fundamental pillar. Given its unequivocal stance, I believe everyone ought to weigh their actions carefully," Tianzang said with a grave tone.

"Should the present circumstances provoke it, causing instability, it would spell catastrophe for all living creatures."

"Indeed, it's a burden no one could withstand."

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