C1527 The Situation Is Even More Complicated
Ann Wen of the Colddeath Sect also felt a profound sense of disillusionment.
Like a statue, he stood rigidly on the edge of a cliff, his gaze fixed on the clear river as it cascaded into the Rainbow Ocean and plunged deep into the earth.
He watched his old friend Youyu wreak havoc, and he observed Yu Yuan emerge from the Dragon Slaying Stage.
He took in everything.
He also witnessed Youyu's sudden appearance at the Skyblight Cult, followed shortly by Yun Hao's cries of agony.
Before long, all noises fell silent, and Youyu vanished without a trace.
Ann Wen remained motionless.
He had come to the sobering realization that in the vast Everlands, even if a new deity were to emerge, it would not be his turn, nor would it be the turn of the Colddeath Sect.
He had a sudden clarity about many things.
Why had the Colddeath Sect never been accepted in the Everlands? They were shunned not only by the three upper sects but also opposed at every turn by the Devil Palace and Shadow's Keep.
He had once believed it was because of the Colddeath Sect's spells, which were deemed too fierce and brutal.
But after Ann Ziqing returned and shared through Yu Yuan the profound connection between the Colddeath Sect and the Blood Fiend, as well as the existence of a miraculous Solar Meridian opposing the Root of the Lunar Meridian at the Blood Fiend's birthplace, he began to understand.
To the five supreme powers of the Everlands, practicing the arcane arts of the Blood Fiend, rooted in the Primal Blood Continent, seemed out of place.
These sects had always seen them as outsiders, feeling that the Colddeath Sect was not one of their own.
Given this context, it's no surprise that despite being on equal footing with the Sect Master of the Ruby Hand in terms of realm and qualifications, the five sects never considered him for a divine seat.
The Colddeath Sect's brief acknowledgment was also due to Ann Jieshan's return and his reorganization of their arcane teachings.
Now, however, it was clear that Han Miaoyuan intended to use Cao Yi or Xuanli to bring about the Colddeath Sect's downfall.
Ann Wen let out a wry smile.
For the first time, he felt the Colddeath Sect was an awkward faction, uncherished by its maternal lineage and unloved by its paternal side.
It seemed as though Ann Wen and the Colddeath Sect were never truly a part of this world.
He had waited so long, yet Youyu never came to visit. His former friend, now the God of Ghosts, who was tied to the fate of the Root of the Lunar Meridian, had naturally become his adversary.
Ann Wen had long anticipated their reunion, but Youyu's return to the Land of Terror only brought him profound disappointment.
Thus...
Ann Wen turned to face his daughter, Ann Ziqing, the promising new talent Xueyin, and the sect's elders, and declared, "I am resolved to forge a sacred way in the extraterrestrial realm!"
Xueyin, with his striking looks and solemn demeanor, had recently ascended to the Unbound Realm in under three hundred years.
As the protector of Acora Island, he listened to Ann Wen's words and inquired, "Have you decided?"
Ann Wen nodded affirmatively, "Since the inception of the Colddeath Sect, it seems as though reaching the pinnacle of the Unbound Realm is our limit. I now believe that without seeking a new path, we will never attain divinity in the Everlands. Necessity breeds innovation, and through innovation, we find success. After giving Yu Yuan's proposal considerable thought, I've decided to explore the extraterrestrial."
"The sect will engrave this moment in history!" Xueyin proclaimed.
With Ann Wen's decision, the Colddeath Sect would henceforth diverge from the path of the Everlands.
In time, it wasn't just the five supreme forces that might view the Colddeath Sect with hostility, but the Boulderdawn and the Skyreach Consortium as well.
Yet, if the Colddeath Sect's Path to Godhood in the Everlands was severed from the outset...
Then, the only way to break the impasse and the Everlands' stranglehold on the Colddeath Sect was to seek external aid.
Ann Wen hadn't initially entertained such thoughts. As a member of the human race, his pride had prevented him from accepting a split from the entire power structure of the Everlands.
But Yu Yuan's earnest advice, the alliance between the Boulderdawn, the Star-Spawned Terror, and the Shadowkin, along with the Starborn, suggested a new course of action.
He realized that no situation was unchangeable, that nothing in the world was set in stone. With this revelation, he made his decision. Following President Lyi, Ann Wen and his daughter Ann Ziqing also determinedly embarked on their quest to the extraterrestrial realms.
"Loong Jie, behave yourself," Lin Daoke of the Sword Sect advised, lightly tapping Loong Jie's forehead as they hovered above Dragon Island. "Shadow's Keep is already stirring. Had you gone to the Rainbow Ocean seeking a divine seat, you'd likely be dead by now." With those words, Lin Daoke drifted away, his sword-bearing silhouette flickering before the giant dragons' eyes, then vanishing into thin air. Only after his departure did the submerged islands begin to resurface, the imposing sword aura he had exerted over thousands of miles dissipating along with him. The giant dragons, their forms quivering in the void, felt the swords no longer suspended above their Dragon Souls and breathed a collective sigh of relief.
"Old Patriarch!" the diverse assembly of giant dragons called out to Loong Jie with a low growl.
"Yu Zhu, Shadow's Keep..." Loong Jie paid them no heed, his gaze fixed on the northern reaches of the Land of Quiescence, where Shadow's Keep stood, his eyes brimming with loathing and dread. Among the few in the Everlands who knew of the purple phoenix's fearsome presence, he had learned of it through an ancestral secret book. The records within spoke of a time when the Dark Phoenix possessed the might to challenge both Loong Jie's ancestors and the golden dragon. Even during the era when the Nagas reigned supreme over the Everlands, the purple phoenix held its own. Once, the Dark Phoenix was the only entity the golden dragon had to regard with earnest respect.
The Dark Phoenix refrained from contention, choosing to ally with the Nagas, for she lacked formidable peers. Beyond the golden dragon, there were other Dragon Gods that roamed the heavens—this was the foundation of her stability. When the Boulderdawn, Bloodbrawlers, and others finally emerged as supreme beings, she ceased to conceal her power and ambition. Upon her return, she nearly persuaded all the ancient archdemons and humans to unite against the Nagas.
Thus, the era dominated by the Nagas in the Everlands came to a close.
Over a hundred thousand years have passed, with the Terra Fiend and the Bloodbrawlers vanquished, and Boulderdawn relegated to obscurity. The human race's greatest beings have fallen, one after the other.
Under her command, evilkind rose to power and flourished.
And her...
Just how mighty had she become? What kind of power did she possess now? Loong Jie could no longer fathom.
Her phoenix cry forced Han Miaoyuan to abandon his plans and hastily retract the Banner of Duality.
It also ensured that Yu Zhu's divine position remained unshakable as Mount Tai.
Loong Jie couldn't help but wonder what she was really after. What was her ultimate goal?
...
Yu Yuan returned to his humble abode.
Shortly thereafter, the Crucible of Evil and Yu Yiyi arrived, gliding through the air.
"Huangyin's devil soul has been saved, but the demonform he had cultivated has been completely consumed by flames. His remaining devil soul, which I've transformed into a Bane, will likely take many years to regain its former strength," Yu Yiyi reported.
Yu Yuan nodded in acknowledgment, prompting her to continue, "I'm heading to Fiendpeak. The cauldron needs to be submerged in the Myriad Demons Circle. With the rune circle's formidable power, we can expedite the advancement of the few souls inside to the tenth level."
"Alright," Yu Yuan consented.
The cauldron swiftly departed from the Rainbow Ocean.
With Yun Hao deceased, the Skyblight Cult was inevitably going to be assimilated by Yuan Qingxi and the Bloodbrawlers. The neighboring Terror Claws should encounter no issues.
Moreover, the now-sealed Dragon Slaying Stage could transport him instantaneously to any location within the Everlands.
Should any unforeseen events arise, the soul bond between him and Yu Yiyi would allow for their swift arrival.
"What are your plans for Peach Madam, now that she's without her man?" Jiang Miaojie inquired with a peculiar smile, her gaze fixed on Yu Yuan. "After all, she joined our sect on your recommendation."
"Let her process the situation for now," Yu Yuan sighed, then asked, "And what of Hua Xin?"
He felt a twinge of irritation. At that moment, he almost wished for Hua Xin to appear, just so he could give him a proper reprimand.
When Youyu heard Yu Zhu's choice and the cry of the phoenix, a sense of foreboding washed over him. He suspected that it might not be Youyu himself, but rather the Root of the Lunar Meridian behind him, and the Phoenix presiding over Shadow's Keep, who had secretly made contact.
Taishi remained asleep, and after he had declared his position, Tianqi and Gui Xu had yet to respond to Youyu's terms. Perhaps this had left Youyu and the Root of the Lunar Meridian feeling discontented.
If so, the future of the Everlands was set to become even more complex and unpredictable. With Youyu and Yu Zhu already in play, should Xuanli return and secure another Divine Throne, the might of the Bloodbrawlers and the Terra Fiend would grow immensely. And behind them loomed the most formidable Root of the Lunar Meridian.
This force, which demanded caution from all, if it were to forge an alliance with the evilkind symbolized by the Dark Phoenix... the thought was too daunting for Yu Yuan to entertain.
"I suspect that Lord Gui Xu might have intercepted Hua Xin en route, preventing his arrival," Jiang Miaojie said with a mischievous grin. "Given that Lord Gui Xu made his presence known before I arrived, he clearly anticipated Hua Xin's intentions. It seems he holds you in high regard."
In that moment, the Ghost King, Tian Zang, cast a meaningful glance at Yu Yuan. After a brief pause, he added, "What Youyu truly values isn't Boulderdawn or Taishi. You know what I'm getting at."
Yu Yuan let out a weary sigh. Tian Zang had spent many years in the Everlands, had encountered the Root of the Lunar Meridian, and was well-versed in ancient grudges. Sensing that something was amiss, he offered a word of caution.
It seemed that both Youyu and the Root of the Lunar Meridian were primarily concerned with their own stance. In his first life, after the dragon had been slain and the dust had settled, Yu Yuan had sought to restore the divine status of the Bloodbrawlers and the Terra Fiend as a gesture of gratitude for the Root of the Lunar Meridian's contributions to the dragon slaying. Regrettably, he faced numerous internal challenges, and external pressures were mounting.
Half a day later, Liu Ying received a message from her master instructing her to return to the Starmoon Sect and prepare for extraterrestrial training.
Liu Ying left with a heavy heart. Two days later, Yan Qiling arrived from the Skyreach Consortium to inform Yu Yuan that President Lyi was deeply disappointed and had left the Everlands, having lost interest in attending the upcoming council meeting.
Yan Qiling also mentioned that Ann Ziqing, alongside Ann Wen, the leader of the Colddeath sect, had set off for the extraterrestrial realms from the Godsblight Marsh.
Yu Yuan couldn't help but feel a sense of resignation as President Lyi and Ann Wen departed one after the other. He was well aware that Yu Zhu's acquisition of the divine seat had thrown many people's plans and expectations into disarray, leading to the current state of affairs.
"Do you want to visit the Moonfall Sanctuary to meet with Lord Tianqi, or perhaps travel to the Serpent Spine Mountains to see your parents in this lifetime?" Yan Qiling sought his preference.
"I need some time to think about it," Yu Yuan replied.
