C1525 The Position

Given that Yu Zhu was involved, Yu Yuan had no choice but to emerge.

The Dragon Slaying Stage ripped through the void, instantly transporting him to Youyu's side.

The platform he stood upon was nearly at the same elevation as the Dark Court where Youyu was seated.

They stood shoulder to shoulder.

It was as though they had been so for millennia.

...

Skyreach Peak.

Zu Ann, encircling the Mirror of Fates, witnessed the abrupt appearance of Yu Yuan and the Dragon Slaying Stage reflected in the transformed pond.

All eyes were on them!

"This kid?"

Lord Untamed, having set aside his smoke tube, perched on a grey-white stone. The reflection of Yu Yuan and the Dragon Slaying Stage shimmered in his Demonic Eyes. "What's he doing charging out like that?"

Zu Ann, adorned in his traditional attire, adjusted his crest and was about to respond when his gaze shifted to the rock beside him.

To him, the deity of Skyreach Peak, the ordinary stone seemed to undergo a sudden transformation.

No foreign presence could elude his perception, no matter how well it concealed itself.

"Gui Xu?"

Zu Ann ventured a guess.

"Forgive the intrusion, and please understand," came the serene voice of Gui Xu from within the stone. A barely discernible shadow materialized inside, "Lord Untamed, and Mr. Zu, your focus has been on Youyu, the Rainbow Ocean, and Dragon Island, leading you to overlook a certain place."

"Which place?" Zu Ann inquired.

"The Forgotten Ruins," replied the God-King Gui Xu without hesitation. "The girl named Yu Zhu vanished without a trace. Before her disappearance, seven cosmic orders associated with the Rainbow Ocean abruptly descended underground. If I'm not mistaken, those seven cosmic orders... they must have entered the Defiled World."

"The seven cosmic orders tied to corruption are known as Qiyan. They are sentient, aberrant Terra Fiends." Zu Ann, who spent his days on Skyreach Peak observing the vast Everlands, was well-versed in these matters. "Qiyan has only recently returned from beyond our world. Interestingly, he shares a profoundly unique connection with Yu Zhu..." Zu Ann paused, deep in thought.

After a brief moment, he exclaimed, "Yu Zhu!"

Untamed cracked a sly grin and let out a strange chuckle. "How intriguing, indeed! The old coot from Ebon Star Sect likely never imagined that Youyu's chosen one would be Yu Zhu!"

Zu Ann and Untamed quickly grasped the situation. They knew exactly what was at stake.

"Yu Zhu..."

Inside the mountain, Gui Xu sensed the unfolding events. His usually impassive shadow betrayed a hint of concern. "We made a promise to President Lyi. With Xuanli unable to return and Huangyin no longer posing a threat, we should have been fully committed to aiding his ascension. I was prepared to convince Youyu to wait for the next divine seat to become available."

The God-King, Gui Xu, sighed softly.

His initial strategy was to secure a divine seat for President Lyi at all costs, then assure Youyu that the next one to emerge would be reserved for him and the Bloodbrawlers.

This decision was reinforced by Youyu's slaying of Zhu Zhenlin and his control over the Dark Court. The two rivers, one clear and the other murky, had revealed to him and Tianqi the full extent of Youyu's might.

He had faith that, given the absence of better options with Xuanli gone and Huangyin eliminated by Han Miaoyuan, Youyu would likely consent.

Yet who could have predicted that Youyu's heart's choice would remain unscathed and had already covertly reached the Defiled World?

"I'm unable to see that world, even with all my might."

Zu Ann's hands were firmly placed on the surface of the Mirror of Fates, his divine power and understanding of the cosmic order attempting to penetrate its depths.

But the Defiled World had become impenetrable, even more so than when Youyu was present.

"If it's her, perhaps we should advise President Lyi to hold off a bit longer."

The scene within the Mirror of Fates under Zu Ann's touch quietly shifted, revealing Yu Yuan standing atop the Dragon Slaying Stage, gazing intently at Skyreach Peak.

The resolve in Yu Yuan's eyes reflected his firm intentions.

"You're all aware of my history with Hong Qi. I've kept an eye on that young lady ever since he took her to the Serpent Spine Mountains. Regardless of Youyu's motives, now that he's chosen her and Hong Qi has made his decision, I stand with Hong Qi."

Zu Ann was concerned that he hadn't made himself clear enough, so he reiterated his position. Inside the mountain, Gui Xu, who had been observing through the Mirror of Fates, seemed to catch Yu Yuan's gaze. Taixu, the God-King, had a long-standing habit of supporting that individual.

"I'll persuade Tianqi and also reach out to President Lyi," declared Gui Xu, the God-King.

"And you?" Zu Ann asked, his demeanor serene as he gazed at the Ape before him.

"Hehe, I'm not particularly close with Youyu or Yu Yuan. But that little spider, Yu Zhu, she carries half of my evilkind's bloodline! Plus, her mother made quite an impression when she visited the Marsh," Untamed said, his grin fading as he turned a solemn look toward Shadow's Keep.

"I suspect I know why there's been no stir from Shadow's Keep. Dark Phoenix probably realized that her protege stands to gain immensely from this fortune, perhaps even securing a seat as a Supreme God," Untamed spoke gravely.

At the mention of Dark Phoenix, both Zu Ann and Gui Xu, the God-King within the mountain, fell into a heavy silence.

After a significant pause, Zu Ann spoke again, "The Colddeath Sect once cast the corpse of the eight-legged spider into the Forgotten Ruins. From what I've gathered, there was something suspect about its death."

"There's no need for subtlety; Dark Phoenix killed her," Untamed interjected with a huff. "You're wondering why Dark Phoenix would permit it, aren't you?"

Zu Ann nodded, while Gui Xu remained quiet.

"Dark Phoenix views these matters from a different plane. How many eras has she witnessed? Such petty hatreds are trivial to her. Her aim is to see a rise in the number of formidable evilkind within the Everlands! To put it simply, the more dominant the evilkind become in the Everlands, the more powerful she becomes."

"As a Dark Deity, I have the autonomy to establish my own dominion within the Marsh, commanding Monster Lords and a host of archdemons."

"If Dark Phoenix sees that Yu Zhu has the potential to ascend as a Dark Deity, she will foster that growth, doing everything in her power to help Yu Zhu become stronger. She isn't concerned about Yu Zhu uncovering the truth or seeking her out in the future. If the truth and the resulting hatred make Yu Zhu more powerful, Dark Phoenix would welcome it."

In the Everlands, the more formidable the demon, the more she will be empowered.

She desires the Evilkind to be equal to, or even surpass, the Human Race.

With this goal in mind, all else pales in importance. Yu Zhu could emulate me, claim independence in the Forgotten Ruins, or dominate the Rainbow Ocean, and far from being upset, she would be pleased.

I suspect she also intends to use Yu Zhu's lineage to challenge that individual.

The stronger Yu Zhu becomes, the more powerful the Evilkind grow, the greater the number of Dark Deities, and the stronger she becomes.

After hearing Untamed's revelations, Zu Ann and Gui Xu were plunged into a prolonged silence, contemplating the unveiled truths.

Beneath the peach tree at the Rainbow Ocean, Hu Caiyun wept, not begging for the Banner of Duality, for she knew it would be futile to sway her master's decision.

She felt helpless to stop Huangyin's fiery demise.

Suddenly, a dark cauldron plummeted from the heavens, capturing Huangyin's devil soul and his demonform engulfed in the seven-colored Serpentflame.

The Frost Queen, having departed the Dragon Slaying Stage, utilized the intense chill within the cauldron's little world, along with a fraction of the ice energy from the frost wyrm, to combat the vibrant flames.

Yu Yiyi's ethereal specter emerged from the cauldron wall, addressing Hu Caiyun, "Per our Master's command, I've preserved Huangyin's devil soul. Yet, his survival is uncertain, and Master cannot promise his recovery. Even if a remnant soul remains, regaining consciousness and memories of you might take centuries."

Hu Caiyun's face was a mask of confusion, and Yu Yiyi offered no further words.

Should Huangyin's devil soul endure, it would be transformed into a Bane, to begin anew and ascend from the lowest echelons.

Huangyin's potential return to the pinnacle of Bane existence hinges on fate—a guarantee beyond her assurance.

"So it was Yu Zhu."

Tian Zang, overseeing the Fallen Star Eyes under Liu Ying's command, witnessed Yu Yuan's departure from the Dragon Slaying Stage. Grasping the truth, he looked towards Youyu with newfound respect, remarking, "It's clear now why you had me relay the message. Whether it's Xuanli or Huangyin, Yu Yuan had his reasons for not intervening. But with Yu Zhu involved, everything falls into place."

"Mr. Han!"

Atop the Dragon Slaying Stage, Yu Yuan stood in his real body, shining brilliantly.

He watched the clear river, symbolic of a divine seat, flowing towards the Rainbow Ocean. Fixing his gaze on the Banner of Duality, he suddenly let out a loud call.

Whoosh!

The Banner of Duality rose and in an instant soared thousands of feet into the clouds.

Within the banner, pulsing with spiritual energy, a vague figure appeared, turning towards Yu Yuan as if attentively listening.

"If you scatter this divine seat, then let us go to war," Yu Yuan declared with a laugh.

"Go to war? Do you speak for all of Boulderdawn?"

Han Miaoyuan's voice, tinged with a mocking tone, emanated from the Banner of Duality, suggesting Yu Yuan was overreaching and unaware of his own standing.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

At Skyreach Peak, three beams of light, like mighty pillars, shot straight into the heavens!

The pillars exuded a formidable presence that made all creatures tremble, as if three ancient deities had descended to instruct the living and redefine the cosmic order of the Everlands.

Inside the Banner of Duality, Han Miaoyuan fell silent for a moment before asking, "To whom does the divine seat belong?"

Xuanli was gone, Huangyin lacked the mettle, and he could not perceive the Defiled World below.

He, too, was puzzled about who else was worthy of the divine seat.

"Yu Zhu."

Yu Yuan boldly revealed the truth.

In that moment, from the Shadow's Keep in the northern reaches of the Land of Quiescence, the cry of a phoenix echoed.

All archdemons across the Everlands, regardless of their allegiance, ceased their activities and turned their gaze northward—toward the Shadow's Keep!

Within the Shadow's Keep, the Dark Phoenix, the Kylin, and the Moonfang Tiger were enshrined, signifying the true lineage of evilkind in the Everlands.

As the phoenix's cry rang out, the Shadow's Keep had made its stance known. Han Miaoyuan, within the Banner of Duality, gently swayed.

It seemed he was taken aback for the first time.

"I didn't expect you to have a hand in this. No wonder I could never pinpoint that little one. Whenever I delved deep into thought, I would overlook the Forgotten Ruins, as if the truth was veiled from me."

After a soft sigh, Han Miaoyuan's figure in the Banner of Duality flickered and then vanished without a trace.

The crystalline river, symbolizing a divine throne, swept away every hindrance, allowing an unobstructed passage straight into the Rainbow Ocean!

...