C1544 The Seed of Darkness

"Great aunt, what brings you here?"

Yu Yuan leapt down like a shooting star, appearing instantly beside Yu Ying.

Upon landing, he managed to give a quick nod to Tan Yuan and Jiang Miaojie, acknowledging their presence.

As soon as he materialized, both Tan Yuan and Jiang Miaojie promptly returned the gesture.

Tan Yuan, a member of the Forgeroses Sect, was visibly flustered and guilt-ridden. She hastily explained, "I heard rumors that our master had a child left behind in extraterrestrial space, so I came to see for myself. My poor master, alas..."

Her face was etched with sorrow, seemingly reminded of the late Ruan Lengling, as she played on the sympathies related to family ties.

She was aware that she couldn't keep her actions secret from Yu Yuan, hence her dramatic arrival.

Hua Xin was still channeling the Ancient Echoes of the Void mantra, and as Yu Yuan's rival within the Boulderdawn, she had witnessed his many wonders. She feared that Yu Yuan might seek retribution against the Forgeroses Sect afterward.

Her words cast a shadow over Yu Ying as well, who became melancholic, reminiscing about Ruan Lengling's kindness, which made it hard for her to harbor any resentment towards Hua Xin.

"Just like Senior Sister, I'm here to visit the child of our master," Yu Ying said with a strained smile.

Yu Yuan paused for a moment, then realized that the tall young man practicing the Ancient Echoes of the Void was none other than Hua Xin, his adversary in the Way of Heaven.

It was Hua Xin who had been engrossed in the secrets of the Dragon Slaying Stage at the Moonfall Sanctuary before it departed.

It was also Hua Xin's deliberate provocation that had sent Hu Caiyun storming back to the Rainbow Ocean to confront him.

"Hua Xin..."

Yu Yuan averted his gaze, tapping into the might of the Dragon Slaying Stage to scrutinize Hua Xin.

In an instant, he saw the essence of Hua Xin's being: the structure of his bones, the flow of his vitality, and the dark arts pulsating within his Mindscape.

Moreover, his perception of Hua Xin was more detailed than that of anyone else.

To Yu Yuan, Hua Xin appeared as though he were bare, revealing every aspect of his physical condition and cultivation path with just a single glance.

He even had the sense that without resorting to the Dragon Slaying Stage, he could still have a general understanding of Hua Xin. With anyone from Boulderdawn, he never felt this omnipotent ability to dominate and deeply perceive the essence of a person's Way of Heaven. Hua Xin, under his gaze, suddenly experienced a peculiar tingling deep within his soul, a sensation that even he couldn't fathom. It was as though his soul instinctively yearned to obey the commands of the man before him—any command. Facing Tianqi, Gui Xu, Soul-Capturing, and Taishi, Hua Xin had never felt this way. It was, in fact, a first in his life.

Knowing full well who stood before him, Hua Xin had prepared his speech, but the words were lodged in his throat, impossible to articulate. He stared at Yu Yuan, looking bewildered as if a part of his soul had been siphoned away, his behavior odd. "Strange..." Yu Yuan murmured internally, then, after a moment of cool reflection, he began to understand. The ultimate destination of Hua Xin's sacred way was Yu Yuan himself; the mark hidden deep within his dominant soul exerted a profound influence on Hua Xin.

He noticed that Hua Xin's practice of Spirit Magic bore a resemblance to his own "Wraithbinding," yet it wasn't identical. It was akin to a reduced version of "Wraithbinding"... This would inevitably lead to Hua Xin being completely overshadowed when confronted with the Lunar Spirit formed from the pure "Wraithbinding" and his dominant soul bearing the original mark. Hua Xin's dazed demeanor confirmed this. Yu Yuan didn't need to do much; Hua Xin was already under immense pressure in his presence, a pressure that no other God-King could impose on Hua Xin—only he could.

"So that's it." Yu Yuan chuckled lightly, no longer concerned about Hua Xin after realizing the truth. He suddenly grasped that this young man could never pose a real threat to him. He felt that the more powerful Hua Xin became, the further he advanced on this path, the more Yu Yuan, already at the pinnacle, would benefit.

The moment the thought crossed his mind, Yu Yuan immediately recalled Yu Zhu, born from a mix of demons and monsters, and how she had garnered the support of the Dark Phoenix. Could the same principle apply here? Were all the archdemons and Dark Deities of the Everlands standing alongside the Dark Phoenix? Those who sought to draw near her, to bridge the gap between them, could they be empowering her with their efforts? It was like Hua Xin and the Stormcrowned Emperor, who practiced the Shadow Curse; the higher they ascended on this path, the stronger they themselves became. These thoughts raced through his mind.

Then, he turned his gaze away from Hua Xin and warmly looked at his aunt, Yu Ying, with a smile. As he was about to make polite conversation, his brow suddenly furrowed. In order to get a clearer view of Hua Xin, he had tapped into the power of the Dragon Slaying Stage, greatly enhancing his spiritual sense. He noticed a tiny black dot, no larger than a sesame seed, inside the heart beneath Yu Ying's chest. This dot, much smaller than a mosquito, clung to the wall of her heart and seemed virtually non-existent to everyone else. Yet, Yu Yuan detected a pure, dark aura emanating from it.

The dark aura was faint but unmistakably present, mixed with the blood and vitality around Yu Ying's heart. In comparison to her abundant and potent vitality, the speck of darkness was like a firefly against the bright moon. Weak though it was, the dark aura did not belong to Yu Ying, nor should it have been there.

"Darkness..." Yu Yuan inhaled deeply, his face regaining its smile. He engaged in eager conversation with Yu Ying, casually inquiring, "Aunt, have you visited the Land of Quiescence recently?"

"I have," she replied. "Your grandfather's real body is stationed at the Skyreach Consortium's headquarters, while his Lunar Spirit is being tempered in the Land of Terror. I've not only seen his Lunar Spirit but also visited him at the Consortium. When our Yu family ancestor made an appearance at the Devil Palace, we were at the Consortium and managed to see him through a crystal ball." Yu Ying spoke with a hint of pride. "I had intended to visit you in the Rainbow Ocean afterward, but your grandfather advised against it, concerned it might interfere with your endeavors."

She provided a detailed explanation. As she mentioned Youyu, both Tan Yuan, who was about to speak, and Jiang Miaojie, who seemed ready to interject, cautiously maintained their silence, choosing not to interrupt hastily.

Yu Yuan nodded subtly, a plan forming in his mind. After a moment of contemplation, within the Moonfall Sanctuary, he tapped into additional power from the Dragon Slaying Stage, directing his heightened awareness toward the Serpent Spine Mountains. He saw his parents, Yu Lili, Yu Wei, and Qin Yun. Strikingly, every member of the Yu family had a tiny black dot, the size of a sesame seed, on their hearts, emitting a dark aura undetectable even to the most skilled cultivators of the Everlands. Yet, Qin Yun, steadfastly loyal to him, bore no such mark.

He had a hunch about the situation. The Demon Lord—Tan Xiaotian. Youyu's unrestrained behavior in the Devil Palace, his vengeance against Zhu Zhenlin, and the deaths of many Devil Palace cultivators loyal to Zhu had clearly enraged Tan Xiaotian. Since Tan Xiaotian's real body was engaged in battle in the extraterrestrial Star River, he was unable to return promptly and had not taken immediate action. Nevertheless, he had been scheming from the shadows. His avatar in the Everlands had set its sights on every Yu family member connected to Youyu, secretly embedding dark seeds within their hearts.

Yu Yuan surmised that the arrival of his grandmother, Yu Ying, had caused an influx of these dark seeds, which, like an infection, had taken root in the hearts of all Yu family members. Furthermore, they were gradually germinating, potentially ready to influence Youyu at a critical moment. The Demon Lord's actions were certainly not limited to using the Yu family's demise to threaten Youyu. He must have a way to exploit some arcane cosmic order, leveraging the power of their shared bloodline to deal a devastating blow to Youyu.

"Hey!" Hua Xin, now relieved of the pressure as Yu Yuan turned away, noticed the crowd that had gathered around the training field's pit. He called out to Yu Yuan, "You're Yu Yuan, aren't you?"

"Yu Yuan, please remember that Hua Xin is my master's child. Try not to stoop to his level," Yu Ying implored.

At that moment, Tian Zang and Yan Qiling arrived from the majestic palace, positioning themselves at the edge of the pit above Yu Yuan. Yan Qiling called out, "Please come quickly, the two of you!"

"It's truly urgent!" Tian Zang declared with gravity.

Upon hearing the words of Yan Qiling and Tian Zang, the onlookers immediately fell silent.

With the two God-Kings, Tianqi and Gui Xu, having spoken, they refrained from any further commotion. They no longer dared to egg Hua Xin on to challenge Yu Yuan, nor did they dare to stir up any more trouble.

Even Hua Xin hesitated after hearing what the God-Kings had said.

Yu Yuan glanced back at Hua Xin, then at his slightly anxious aunt Yu Ying, the uneasy Tan Yuan, and Jiang Miaojie, who seemed to be looking forward to the unfolding events.

All these people were mindful of the stance taken by Tianqi and Gui Xu, so they dared not act rashly.

Yu Yuan, on the other hand, was not constrained by the same concerns.

Thus, after a silent chuckle, he declared, "There will be no delay."

In an instant, he divided himself in two.

His Solar Spirit, clutching the Baneblade Bloodhell, remained standing at the bottom of the training field, close to his aunt Yu Ying.

Meanwhile, his real body gracefully ascended, reaching the side of Tian Zang and Yan Qiling in a flash. With a smile, he proposed, "Let us proceed. I shall join you in the grand hall to greet the esteemed God-Kings. As for Hua Xin, who is eager for a contest, I will leave my Solar Spirit to entertain him."

At that moment, the Solar Spirit down in the training field suddenly stamped his foot with great force.

Boom!

The towering columns, forged from extraterrestrial rare stones, along with the menacing alien beasts, all shook violently.

From the spot where he stomped, a fearsome ripple of concentrated vitality radiated outward in every direction.

Beneath the ground, it was as though a frenzied dragon was struggling, causing the stone slabs, as sturdy as divine iron, to bulge and burst apart.

Those who had thought Yu Yuan too frivolous for leaving a Solar Spirit to battle Hua Xin were now rendered speechless.

His real body, having merged with the Moonfall Sanctuary's grand array, had arrived at the entrance of the palace even before Tian Zang and Yan Qiling.

Upon entering, he immediately sensed three immensely vast Soul Power fields.

Besides Tianqi and Gui Xu, another formidable presence was within the majestic hall.

It appeared that this entity had been waiting for his arrival all along.

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