C1565 Unable to Reach an Agreement
Everlands.
The Sunlit Mountain, resembling a flaming meteorite, effortlessly pierced through the wall and soared toward the extraterrestrial realm.
Trailing behind the Sunlit Mountain, the sword light wielded by Lin Daoke vanished in a flash.
The wall, which had safeguarded the Everlands for eons, suddenly developed a massive breach, allowing both the Sunlit Mountain and Lin Daoke's sword light to traverse unimpeded.
The guardian of the wall clearly understood what had transpired and granted them passage without delay.
Many who had feared the Everlands might crumble breathed a sigh of relief as they watched the calamity recede.
Conversely, on the extraterrestrial front, figures like the Grand Sword Immortal, Yue Mu, and Wei Zhuo, stationed on colossal meteorites and beyond the moon, were taken aback at the sight of a fiery mountain erupting into the void.
Nevertheless, they quickly grasped the unfolding events.
"Oh my god!"
"What on earth has happened within the Everlands?"
"What kind of outcome has that council arrived at?"
The cultivators from the various sects, charged with the duty of safeguarding the Everlands, were rendered speechless upon detecting the presence of Dark Phoenix, Yuwen Hao, and Tan Xiaotian emanating from the Sunlit Mountain.
The Sunlit Order, Sword Sect, Shadow's Keep, and Devil Palace!
These four paramount entities had escalated their conflict from within the Everlands to the extraterrestrial, as if the internal strife wasn't fierce enough. Were they intent on a battle to the death?
It was common knowledge that conflicts within the Everlands would be moderated to avoid undermining its very foundation.
But the moment the battleground was relocated to the extraterrestrial, the stakes rose dramatically!
This signified a major intensification of the conflict!
"Everyone, hold your positions and do not move an inch!"
Han Miaoyuan, who had followed in pursuit, materialized on the moon with a grave demeanor, declaring, "Whether you're from the Sword Sect, Devil Palace, Shadow's Keep, or Sunlit Order, I forbid any further disputes! Wait for the outcome. I will notify you all once a resolution is reached!"
With that, Han Miaoyuan set off in hot pursuit of the Sunlit Mountain, now hurtling into the depths of space.
On the other side.
Within the Banner of Duality, his soul's phantom emerged with renewed clarity.
"Please, everyone, stay within Skyreach Peak."
Han Miaoyuan, actively monitoring from the extraterrestrial Star River, focused on the unfolding battle and sought to reassure those who had stayed behind. "Under no circumstances can we afford to ignite another conflict! The Everlands have taken tens of thousands of years to reach this point! I refuse to let our years of toil be ruined by internal strife!"
Untamed stood by the Moonfang Tiger, contemplating the dire consequences if a battle were to erupt at Skyreach Peak, a thought that made Han Miaoyuan's skin crawl.
He had poured his heart and soul into the growth of the Human Race. The Everlands' esteemed position deep within the extraterrestrial Star River, dominating the myriad races of the heavens and earth, was a testament to the solidarity between the Human Race and evilkind.
If strife were to erupt within the Everlands, with the Human Race and evilkind locked in endless combat, what would become of the Everlands then?
"If the two Divine Thrones were offered to someone else, the individual from Shadow's Keep might have accepted it. But the Nagas..."
Ape, privy to the inner workings, couldn't help but smirk with a hint of malicious glee, "Anything associated with that creature ensures she won't see a shred of advantage. Moreover, the Nagas despise her above all! Granting Loong Jie and Zhong Chichen an unobstructed path to divinity, bestowing upon the Nagas two Dragon Gods—a golden dragon and a Chronowyrm. Heh."
Untamed's enigmatic smile lingered as he observed the Banner of Duality.
"Following Zhong Chichen's advice, if we let the Kylin perish, Shadow's Keep would be left with only her and Snow. And her sworn enemies, the Nagas, have suddenly gained Loong Jie. Add the Chronowyrm to the mix, and do you really think she could tolerate that?"
With these words, a wave of realization washed over those gathered.
They grasped the reason behind the Dark Phoenix's seemingly irrational actions.
Indeed, if Zhong Chichen's desires were fulfilled—if the Kylin were to die and Loong Jie and Zhong Chichen ascended to godhood—Shadow's Keep would be left with just her and the Moonfang Tiger.
And just like that, the Nagas would boast two new Dragon Gods in their ranks.
Once the threat of the Origin Gate is resolved, and Loong Jie has regained her peak combat strength, she and the Astral Tiger will still find it challenging to face the golden dragon and the Chronowyrm at their zenith.
With the Kylin and three Dark Deities present, the situation looks somewhat more favorable.
Thus, even if the Kylin is fated to perish, it must not happen anytime soon. At the very least, she must first address the significant threat posed by Loong Jie in the future.
"Mr. Han," the Astral Tiger suddenly spoke up.
Han Miaoyuan, with the Banner of Duality, appeared as a clear and distinct phantom, his expression grave. "Go ahead," he urged.
"There was another thing she mentioned," the Astral Tiger said, pausing to choose his words carefully, a hint of doubt in his tone as if questioning whether the golden dragon truly warranted such concern.
"She claimed that Loong Jie is a pure-blooded golden dragon. Once he successfully ascends to the tenth level of Dragon God, he will emerge from the Everlands to greet Zhong Chichen upon his return, as he claims his divine seat. Then, Loong Jie will gather a wealth of divine gold from the vast Star River in the extraterrestrial realm to rebuild his dragon form."
"Zhong Chichen will create an opportunity for him. After resolving the Origin Gate issue, he will aid him in this endeavor."
"With the Chronowyrm's assistance, Loong Jie's endeavors in the extraterrestrial Star River will go smoothly, making it nearly impossible for us to locate and eliminate him before his ultimate golden dragon form takes shape."
"In essence, a golden dragon in its prime is set to reemerge in the Everlands."
"She wishes to know, in an age where Taiyin has fallen, who can withstand a golden dragon at the height of its power?"
"You've lived through that time. Think about it—do Lin Daoke and Tan Xiaotian possess the strength to defeat a dragon? Aren't they both masters of Mind Magic?"
Astral Tiger relayed the Dark Phoenix's message.
For this new generation tiger, the days when the Nagas ruled the Everlands seemed like a bygone era, far removed from the present.
He had never lived through that era, and the Nagas he encountered now, lacking a Dragon God among them, didn't seem particularly terrifying to him.
He even wondered if the Dark Phoenix was overreacting about the golden dragon.
However...
After he voiced his thoughts, he noticed Han Miaoyuan, Untamed, and Youyu had all fallen silent.
Even Yu Yuan, whose presence was but a remnant Lunar Spirit and who was quite young, wore a contemplative look, as if he understood the dread the golden dragon inspired.
"Is a golden dragon at its peak really that strong?" Qin Luo from the Ruby Hand inquired with curiosity.
Zu Ann turned his gaze to Youyu.
Having lived through that era, Youyu was well aware of the formidable power the Naga patriarch once wielded.
"The Chronowyrm is merely tough to kill because it has mastered the forces of time and space," Youyu said with a slight nod, recalling the golden dragon that once reigned supreme in the extraterrestrial realms. "The most powerful golden dragon can only be attacked at the level of the soul. Its dragon form can effortlessly pulverize the stars in the heavens."
"The sun, the moon, every celestial body visible to the naked eye—everything crumbles at its touch."
"It's only when its Dragon Soul perishes and the dragon form reverts to flesh and blood that it becomes vulnerable to being slain."
"And in the present age..."
Youyu cast a glance at the imposing Moonfang Tiger and Han Miaoyuan, who bore the Banner of Duality, and decided to be forthright.
"If a golden dragon at its zenith were to reemerge, only by joining forces with Shadow's Keep and ensuring Loong Jie is in the Everlands could we hope to vanquish it."
Following the demise of Taiyin, Youyu had become the most powerful in terms of soul within the Everlands. He had even shared the secrets of Spirit Magic with Taiyin, making him the likeliest candidate to defeat the golden dragon.
Upon hearing Youyu's words, the Astral Tiger's expression grew grave, and it added, "She mentioned that if it had been the Kylin instead of Yuwen Hao who perished, then the day Loong Jie regains his peak power and returns to the Everlands for vengeance, the responsibility to confront him would fall on you, Han Miaoyuan."
"If you believe you can handle such a formidable Loong Jie, then the Kylin's death is acceptable."
"Consider this carefully."
The Astral Tiger settled onto the rock, remaining silent thereafter, emulating Lin Daoke by closing its eyes.
Han Miaoyuan's phantom on the Banner of Duality became increasingly indistinct, fading from clarity.
At that moment, Youyu cast a peculiar glance at Yu Yuan, who feigned ignorance.
...
In the desolate expanse of the extraterrestrial Star River, a silent Dead Star loomed.
The Kylin, filled with fury, repeatedly surged skyward from the sealed earth, crashing against the golden wall before thunderously plummeting back down.
Throughout this ordeal, Taishi, whose divine form had yet to manifest, merely chuckled from beneath the earth.
With a light laugh, he wielded the cosmic order at his command, and the barren, icy extraterrestrial terrain sprouted sharp, angular mountain peaks as if shaped by a deity from clay.
Mountains, thousands of meters tall, abruptly took form.
Then, a dozen peaks of equal stature soared from the ground like the Sunlit Mountain in the Everlands, hurtling toward the colossal form of the Kylin.
Aoao! Aoao!
The towering peaks impaled the Kylin's body, their sword-like tips sparking against his green scales.
In agony, the Kylin bellowed, his whiskers quivering as numerous massive storms raced toward the nest beneath the golden wall.
He sensed the secular bird within the nest, yet he did not rush to show himself.
He was aware that the primary threat to his life was not the God-King Taishi, but the secular bird harboring deep animosity toward the Dark Phoenix.
As for Yu Yuan...
In the Kylin's eyes, he was merely a fortunate soul favored by the Dragon Slaying Stage. Aside from invoking the stage's power to create a spatial lock, there was little else of concern.
Whoosh!
Yu Yuan, high above, shifted through space and descended next to Ann Wen.
The Dragon Slaying Stage's golden wall, now fully under his control, materialized before this little world. Taishi and Chen Qinghuang had made it clear that his presence in the battle was unnecessary.
"Yu Yuan, if the Kylin perishes, what becomes of me?" Ann Wen asked, his gaze alight with fervent longing.
His craving for the divine seat was unabashedly intense. His journey from the Everlands to the extraterrestrial Star River was driven by the pursuit of divinity.
He was convinced that with a divine seat, he would ascend to the highest echelons, beyond the reach of the Kylin's wrath.
"It's not that I'm unwilling to help you, but your words will find it extremely difficult to traverse the Everlands and achieve divinity," Yu Yuan sighed softly. "The path I previously showed you is your only way out."
