C1541 Returner
In Godsblight Marsh, the Ape had used his connection with the marsh to return from Skyreach Peak in an instant. He had been planning to visit Moonfall Sanctuary when he witnessed a sword soaring skyward and Lee Sha's death.
Perched on the thick branches of a towering tree deep within the marsh, the Ape let out a heavy sigh. Traveling from the marsh to Moonfall Sanctuary on the Aetherius Continent was a matter of moments, especially with a teleportation circle at his disposal. Yet, he felt there was no longer any reason to proceed.
He was convinced that following Lin Daoke's sword strike, Tianqi and Gui Xu—the two God-Kings—and the new generation from Boulderdawn would gain a fresh perspective on the Everlands. This revelation would surely bring clarity to their minds.
Whoosh!
Green Willow, once the supreme commander of Shadow's Keep, approached in his human guise. He stood beneath the tree, gazing up at the Ape, who was leisurely puffing on his pipe.
"Why have you come here?" inquired the Ape, with a hint of surprise.
"I find this place safer," Green Willow replied, his demeanor relaxed. He didn't bother with formalities with the Ape. "That naive girl from Moon Sect got involved with Sword Sect affairs—I sensed trouble brewing. With Skyreach Consortium and Rainbow Ocean so close, and the Sword Sect not particularly fond of me, I thought it best to seek refuge here."
He paused before adding, "You've returned as well, haven't you?"
"I have no need to hide; I've never crossed Lin Daoke," the Ape said with a smile, peering down at Green Willow. "I wonder if Yue Mu of the Sword Sect, who practices the great Way of Water, realizes that two of his predecessors met their end due to your indirect actions?"
"Indirectly killed?" Green Willow's brow furrowed in disagreement. "Out in the Star River, against the Otherkin, who can guarantee survival? The Grand Sword Immortals of the Sword Sect have never feared death. They chose to confront their challenges head-on, even if it meant mutual destruction. How can they hold me responsible?"
The Ape chuckled heartily, clearly entertained by Green Willow's justification. "Yet, why is it that the Grand Sword Immortals who fought alongside you in the extraterrestrial battles met their fate in such a manner? If your conscience is clear, why flee here upon suspecting Lin Daoke would draw his sword?"
Green Willow let out a cold snort but offered no further justification.
"What's the issue with Jun Chen this time?" the Ape inquired once more.
"So many of the younger generation in the Human Clan have ascended to the Unbound Realm, and Jun Chen is no exception. He hasn't lived through Nie Qingtian's era, so it's natural he's unaware of Lin Daoke's prowess."
Green Willow was aware that within the Marsh, especially beside the Ape, he could speak of anyone without fear of being overheard.
As long as the Ape stayed within the Marsh, even the master of the Sword Sect couldn't touch him.
"Jun Chen was eager to compete, but as soon as the Moon Sect girl made her appearance, Duan Yisheng had already messaged him to stand down. I merely suggested that he should return to the Starmoon Sect and seek out Duan Yisheng for clarity. I told him that perhaps his father, Duan Yisheng, had already decided on Tan Junshan."
"It was with this pretext that I managed to send Jun Chen back to the Starmoon Sect in a rage to confront Duan Yisheng."
"And so, he narrowly avoided disaster," Green Willow explained with an air of nonchalance.
"You seem quite concerned about Jun Chen," the Ape remarked, taking a heavy drag from his pipe and coughing twice before grinning mischievously. "Green Willow, be honest with me. Are you like the Dark Phoenix, capable of changing from male to female at will? In this new age, one can choose to be female or male, right?"
At these words, a look of alarm flashed across Green Willow's face, and she retorted angrily, "What are you insinuating?"
"Otherwise, why was the Queen Bee so infatuated with you, and you kept dodging her? Jun Chen is but a few hundred years old; to you, he must seem like a dashing young man, right?" The Ape shook his head, wearing a look of feigned disappointment. "You're letting me down. You have the potential to ascend to a Dark Deity—don't get lost in romantic entanglements."
Green Willow regarded the Ape with a gaze as if he were a demon, her body rigid as she slowly sank into the earth.
...
Rainbow Ocean.
"It's time I left."
With a serene tone, Ji Ningshuang gazed upon the droplets of lifeblood that remained on the ground where Lee Sha had perished.
Droplets of silver lifeblood, their remnant souls extinguished by the sword light, left behind nothing but the purest moon energy.
Within the strange, luminous lifeblood, one could barely discern fine streaks of lightning. Magnified a million times, these would reveal themselves as chains of bloodline crystals.
Each chain seemed to echo the clan's profound connection to the moon.
Yu Yuan snapped out of his reverie.
The afterimage of that sword light haunted his thoughts...
Lee Sha, with her tenth-level bloodline, had been slain by a single stroke of the sword, all under his watchful eye.
He suddenly grasped why Ji Ningshuang, the beauty at Lee Sha's side, had remained so serene and composed throughout the ordeal.
Ji Ningshuang's Solar Spirit and the Stardust Blade were in the trusted hands of Han Miaoyuan and Lin Daoke.
She had clearly been aware that their prearranged plan was not something Lee Sha could alter.
"This lifeblood is of no use to me, but you might find a use for collecting it."
Ji Ningshuang thought for a moment, her bright eyes sparking with realization. "Besides you, the youngster on the Dragon Slaying Stage can also elevate through Lee Sha's lifeblood. After all, she was a member of the Moonlit Wanderers with a tenth-level bloodline, and her lifeblood's bloodline chains bear the arcane imprint of the Moonfiend."
"Little fellow..." Yu Yuan paused, instantly knowing to whom she referred.
"Understood."
Approaching the shimmering lifeblood droplets, Yu Yuan retrieved several glass vials from his Cosmos Ring.
He began to gather the crystal-like drops of blood Lee Sha had left behind. After casually consuming a few with his Solar Spirit, he was immediately inundated with secrets of the Moonlit Wanderers and the ancient Moonfiend, now branded within his Solar Spirit.
He also came to the realization that Lee Sha's ascension to a tenth-level Blood Warrior was not solely due to the Moonlit Wanderers' innate bloodline, but also her insight into the ancient Moonfiend's knowledge of the moon.
Indeed, even Lee Sha's soul had been tempered by several of the Moonfiend's dark arts.
No wonder she had been able to rally not just the Moonlit Wanderers, but also the remnants of the Moonfiend.
The feeble Moonfiend must have detected a transformation within Lee Sha's body and soul, which is why it willingly clung to her, heeding her commands.
"Mr. Lin, you truly caught me off guard."
Yu Yuan stood up after gathering the last of the blood, murmuring his astonishment softly.
"The Everlands have not only remained strong after the fall of Boulderdawn but have actually grown stronger. This is evidenced by the emergence of additional Supreme Gods," Ji Ningshuang stated earnestly. "Our expeditions into the extraterrestrial realms have also ventured further, yielding even greater rewards."
"As a result, the current five Supreme Powers have indeed surpassed those of the past, both in the number of Divine Thrones and in the caliber of those who bear the Divine Seal."
"It stands to reason that the Everlands will maintain their dominion over the Infinite Galaxy for tens of thousands of years to come. Those returning from beyond should seriously weigh their next steps."
Ji Ningshuang spoke with genuine conviction.
Yu Yuan gave a slight nod in agreement.
"Well, I should return to the Sword Sect. Even Mr. Han cannot afford to keep all the Divine Thrones gathered for too long." Ji Ningshuang cast a lingering glance at the humble grass huts and the adjacent marsh, inhaling deeply the damp, heavy air.
Before departing, she hesitated, then added, "Our Sect Master is truly formidable, far beyond their imagination. Since you have influence over Taishi, perhaps encourage them to exercise some restraint. Unlike Mr. Han, our Sect Master will not entertain reason or consider the greater good if his bottom line is crossed."
She paused for a few seconds before adding, "Mr. Han once made a remark about our Sect Master."
"What did he say?" Yu Yuan asked, taken aback.
"If Taiyin does not emerge, who can contend with him?"
...
In the extraterrestrial Hellmouth, a fortress jointly established by the Skyreach Consortium and Boulderdawn, bustled with activity. It housed a Domain Channel that led directly to the Moonfall Sanctuary, making it a popular thoroughfare for many cultivators traveling to and from the Everlands.
One day, a cultivator from the Colddeath Sect, who introduced himself as Peaceful, paid with soulstones to access the Domain Channel, aiming to return to the Everlands. Peaceful possessed the cultivation level of the middle period of the Solar Spirit Realm.
After advancing to the Solar Spirit realm, Zhu Peining, who presided over the area, along with the Death Crane, conducted a thorough inspection. Once they confirmed that he was indeed practicing the arcane of the Colddeath, she gestured for him to pass without further question.
The individual known as Peaceful then blended into the crowd, making his way from the Hellmouth towards the Moonfall Sanctuary.
However, as he was about to enter the Domain Channel...
The enigmatic Origin Gate within, which had stumped even Yan Qiling and Zhou You, suddenly swelled, generating a powerful suction.
Peaceful, whose real body was still present while practicing the Colddeath's arcane, continued with the others through the resplendent passageway towards the Moonfall Sanctuary.
But his soul was abruptly extracted by the Origin Gate along the way and vanished in an instant.
None of the others noticed the absence of Peaceful's soul.
If one were to look closely as he fell into the Origin Gate, they would notice that his soul and real body bore starkly different appearances.
His soul was that of Cao Yi, or more accurately, Xuanli.
Upon awakening, Xuanli had freed himself from the slave seal of the Demon God Grec and had been seeking a path to return.
Guarded by the champions of the five supreme forces and Qin Luo, the Everlands loomed large.
Knowing that he had been expelled by the Ebon Star and that his identity was compromised, Xuanli naturally couldn't enter the Everlands from the outside.
Thus, he who was adept in the mystique of the Colddeath, assumed the guise of Peaceful.
Whoosh!
As Peaceful, Xuanli successfully traversed the Domain Channel, emerging on the other side within the Moonfall Sanctuary.
Once the people around him had scattered, Xuanli silently departed from the passageway entrance.
Having previously escaped from beneath the forbidden ground due to Yu Yuan's intervention, he now stood in the familiar Moonfall Sanctuary, his emotions a tangle of complexity.
He repeatedly gazed at the passageway entrance, his eyes brimming with bewilderment.
The link to his soul remained unbroken...
He could sense that his extracted soul had entered a mysterious realm.
Yet, he couldn't discern what was transpiring there, nor what challenges his soul might encounter.
When he detected the presence of two immensely powerful soul forces within a grand palace deep in the sanctuary, he chose to silently withdraw and leave the area.
