C1563 Talk about It after the Fight!

The Demon Lord Tan Xiaotian had descended in his real body.

Everyone had assumed he was still engaged in battle deep within the Star River, on the far side of the Everlands, and had not anticipated his return.

Han Miaoyuan was clearly aware of this.

Seeing that the situation was dire, Han Miaoyuan called out his name, signaling that it was time for him to make an appearance.

And so, he revealed his true form, just as Han Miaoyuan had desired.

In that moment, an odd sensation swept over all the inhabitants of the Everlands.

The entire world seemed to dim!

Some gazed at the sun, initially squinting against its glare, but then they noticed the sunlight had strangely softened. Even when looking directly at the sun, their eyes could now withstand the brightness.

Others sat in dimly lit chambers, pondering by the light of an oil lamp, when they suddenly saw the flame grow faint, as if unable to cast its light very far.

Gems and pearls set into the rock walls appeared to lose their luster.

And those huddled in mountain caves, warming their hands by the fire, found the glow within the cave was fading away.

Later, powerful cultivators from the Land of Quiescence and the Land of Euwrea, as well as those dwelling on the deep-sea islands, looked to the heavens and saw that the light from the sun, moon, and stars seemed unable to penetrate the Everlands.

Across the three continents, the vast ocean, and every nook and cranny, the light was slowly diminishing without warning or apparent reason.

Yet the most exalted and skilled experts understood what was happening to the Everlands.

The Demon Lord, who sought to master all dark energy, must have returned from the extraterrestrial Star River, and he had not concealed his dark energy, allowing it to affect the Everlands.

...

At the Sunlit Order, cultivators atop the seven towering peaks suddenly found day had turned to night.

The bright sky instantly transformed into an endless, pitch-black night.

Upon seeing the darkened heavens, the cultivators of the Sunlit Order felt no fear or panic; instead, their spirits lifted.

It seemed the perpetual darkness that shrouded the lands of the Sunlit Order had become their shield, a tranquil sanctuary for their souls.

Beyond that, many sensed another swath of darkness swiftly advancing toward Sunlit Mountain amidst the pitch-black eternal night.

"Tan Xiaotian!"

"It's Tan Xiaotian!"

Cheers and exclamations erupted from the crowd.

...

At Skyreach Peak, the chain of mountains merged by Zu Ann's Dao dimmed as Tan Xiaotian's real body descended. When he made his presence known to condemn Shadow's Keep and Youyu, the brilliance plummeted.

Qin Luo of the Ruby Hand gave a wry smile, yet he remained silent.

The Great Sun he had refined beyond the Everlands could no longer cast a single ray of sunlight through.

He hadn't anticipated that Tan Xiaotian, who had always scorned Yuwen Hao, would come forth to challenge the Dark Phoenix.

But Qin Luo was well aware that it was the Demon Lord, Tan Xiaotian, who had most significantly backed his claim to divinity.

Thus, once Tan Xiaotian had declared his stance, Qin Luo didn't hesitate. He immediately abandoned any illusions and chose to unite with Tan Xiaotian.

"You!"

As Han Miaoyuan stepped out from the Banner of Duality and witnessed the Demon Lord's sudden arrival, the relief that had just appeared on his face vanished in an instant.

Han Miaoyuan stared down Tan Xiaotian with fury, his finger trembling as he pointed at him.

Because Tan Xiaotian had taken action!

As his real body fused with the dark energy, this defiant and unrestrained rogue didn't even offer a greeting. Instead, he shrouded the entire Sunlit Order in darkness and directly engaged in the assault on Yuwen Hao by the Dark Phoenix.

Though Tan Xiaotian was at Skyreach Peak, the majority of his dark energy had astonishingly converged upon the Sunlit Order!

The whole of the Sunlit Order, along with the nearby lands spanning thousands of miles, had been transformed into a realm of shadow.

It was as if an immense black veil had been draped over the region, forbidding any external light from penetrating even the slightest bit.

"What's wrong with me?"

Suspended in the air, Tan Xiaotian bared his teeth in a sinister grin. "Lin Daoke might be inclined to hear your explanations, but I'm not interested! Didn't you just call out loudly for me to return and fight? If it wasn't for a battle, why summon me at all?"

While speaking, he continued to wield the dark energy at his command, relentlessly consuming Sunlit Mountain.

Han Miaoyuan was on the verge of offering an explanation when...

"Let's fight first, then talk."

Lin Daoke, with a tilt of his head, had already grown impatient. He drew the sword from his back and held it lightly in his hand.

Whoosh!

In an instant, Lin Daoke and his sword merged with the silver-white pillar of light suspended in the Everlands' vast sky, forming a chilling sword's will capable of slaying all life.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Near the sword light, countless tumultuous spiritual energy storms arose.

Each storm seemed to draw the dense spiritual energy from every corner of the Everlands, converging towards the sword.

At that moment, numerous human cultivators found themselves unable to collect divine force from their training grounds.

Han Miaoyuan, attuned to the Everlands' spiritual Qi, felt this most acutely and realized it was futile to try to dissuade Lin Daoke from his frenzied absorption of divine force.

He could prevent the divine force from funneling into the sword, but not Lin Daoke from wielding it.

After all, the sword force and spiritual energy Lin Daoke had assimilated into his body, within his Golden Sanctum's little world, were beyond Han Miaoyuan's influence.

All he could attempt to stop was the divine force currently rushing towards the sword.

But by then, stopping it was pointless.

"Don't fight in the Everlands! Take it outside!"

Ultimately, Han Miaoyuan could only implore Lin Daoke and Tan Xiaotian with a tone of resigned desperation, pleading with them to take the battle to the extraterrestrial Star River.

Without Lin Daoke and Tan Xiaotian's involvement, the Dark Phoenix might be able to contain the fight within Sunlit Mountain, potentially defeating Yuwen Hao while sparing the Everlands from harm.

Yuwen Hao, having ascended to the Unbound Realm and chosen to merge with the Divine Artifact, had no intention of defending just the Sunlit Order. He wasn't fixated on protecting a single sect or territory.

His focus was on the Divine Artifact, seeking to maximize its potential and align it with his sacred way to unleash the greatest combat strength.

With such intentions, Yuwen Hao, even when battling in the extraterrestrial Star River, could wield the Divine Artifact with infinite might.

Yet, he had spent years secluded within the Sunlit Order, never fully showcasing the Divine Artifact's edge in the extraterrestrial realm.

His actions had ruffled the feathers of Han Miaoyuan, Tan Xiaotian, Gu Xingkui, and others.

At the time of choosing his Divine Artifact, he was brimming with zeal, eager to champion the cause of the Everlands and engage in mortal combat with the peak extraterrestrial adversaries.

His fearlessness had earned him Han Miaoyuan's support, which led to his acquisition of a divine seat.

Yet, as time wore on, his zeal dissipated. He grew as decrepit as a Kylin, his vitality sapped, but he couldn't bear to see his divine seat shattered.

He did not wish to die...

As a result, he concocted excuses to dodge the fiercest and most brutal Extraterrestrial Battles.

Once a formidable warrior with a divine seat and a powerful Divine Artifact capable of unleashing its might in the Star River, he gradually became underestimated by all.

Thus, Lee Tianxin of the Sunlit Order was the first to perish. And when the Everlands desperately needed a god, the Dark Phoenix came calling.

"Tell her to pull the entire Sunlit Mountain into the extraterrestrial realm!"

Watching Demon Lord Tan Xiaotian fade away before him, Han Miaoyuan shot a stern glance at the Astral Tiger.

The Astral Tiger solemnly nodded in agreement.

"Snow, stay put and don't wander off."

Ape, standing beside the Astral Tiger, gave a sardonic smile as he addressed Han Miaoyuan, Qin Luo, Mo Baichuan, and the rest, "Han Miaoyuan, you may confront the Dark Phoenix, but don't even consider targeting Snow."

The remark prompted a subtle shift in everyone's demeanor.

Untamed was known for his animosity towards the Dark Phoenix and his discord with the Kylin, common knowledge among them all.

They were aware of his fondness for the White Tiger, a loyal member of Shadow's Keep, devoted to both the Keep and the Dark Phoenix.

In this context, Untamed openly declared his stance: should a battle erupt here, he would stand firmly behind the White Tiger.

"Lin Daoke, Tan Xiaotian, and you, Han Miaoyuan, if you have the strength, I'd relish seeing you take down the Dark Phoenix. As for the evilkind, my choices are clear — Snow and Green Willow!"

"If the Dark Phoenix and the Kylin truly perish, then let them continue to lead the vast evilkind of the Everlands."

The Ape flashed a knowing grin, having already entertained this notion. He was all too eager for the demise of the Dark Phoenix and the Kylin.

Out with the old, in with the new.

Among the evilkind, there were those he deemed worthy, those who had the potential to ascend to the status of a Dark Deity.

He preferred to see the Astral Tiger and the new generation of archdemons take the reins of power.

"Keep dreaming!"

Han Miaoyuan scoffed. After Lin Daoke and Tan Xiaotian had vanished, he too entered the Banner of Duality.

The moment he disappeared, the ground shook with a violent tremor.

All eyes turned skyward...

And there, the Sunlit Mountain, which should have been rooted in the Euwrea Continent, was uprooted like a colossal fiery meteor, hurtling towards the extraterrestrial realm!

Within the mountain, deep purple demon energy surged like blood, while the encroaching darkness slowly infiltrated from the outside.

In the dim vastness of the Everlands, the sword light wielded by Lin Daoke was so blinding that it was impossible to gaze upon directly.

This resplendent sword light, devoid of any attributes, simply exuded purity. It followed the Sunlit Mountain at a measured pace, waiting for it to exit the Everlands.

Countless onlookers were awestruck by the spectacle.

Yu Yuan was no exception.

...

In the uncharted reaches of the Star River.

A crimson streak of light flickered momentarily in the icy darkness of space.

Ann Wen, the leader of the Colddeath, executed the Bloodwalk over and over, sparing no expense of his vital energy in his desperate bid to reappear as far away as possible in the blink of an eye.

With a whoosh, Ann Wen materialized atop a star that had been lifeless for eons.

His face, pallid from the loss of blood, was etched with fatigue.

In the distance, a massive demonic silhouette had him in its sights the moment he touched down.

After pinpointing his location, the colossal shadow pursued him once more.

Despair gripped Ann Wen.

Each use of Bloodwalk drained an enormous amount of his vital energy, yet it was not a form of space magic capable of instantaneously transporting him to another Star River.

Despite the insufficient distance, he couldn't shake off his pursuer. When he reemerged, he was immediately in the crosshairs.

He couldn't outrun his adversary, and his attempts at Bloodwalk were futile. Eventually, his vital energy was depleted, leaving him unable to execute Bloodwalk. That's when his opponent easily overpowered and killed him.

As the shadowy figure rapidly closed in, Ann Wen let out a resigned sigh, bracing himself to attempt Bloodwalk once more.

It was the only option he had left.

Suddenly, he sensed a delicate and mystical change beneath his feet in the desolate, pockmarked earth.

Ann Wen paused, his gaze fixed on the ground in astonishment.

"How can this be?"

Ann Wen whispered in disbelief.

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