C1576 The World Was in Chaos!

After acquiring the "Flowing Flames," Mo Baichuan decided to engage in rigorous cultivation at Hellfire Mountain, with the intention of forging another Yang God.

He found Yu Yuan's presence disruptive to his training, so he promptly banished Yu Yuan.

With nothing to occupy his Yin God, Yu Yuan leveraged the mystical link between the Dragon Slash Platform and Hellfire Mountain to instantly transport himself to the Dragon Slash Platform nestled within the Great Swamp.

Beside the pristine lake, Lvliu continued to craft his Bloodline Divine Crystal, under the vigilant watch of the Desolate God.

Yu Yuan, having reunited with his original body, mulled over the intricacies related to the Geocentric Fire etched inside the "Flowing Flames" of the pill furnace, his thoughts turning to his master. Regrettably, the more he dwelled on it, the hazier his memories became, leaving him without answers.

As time swiftly moved on, a rare tranquility settled over the vastness, undisturbed by any significant turmoil for quite some time.

Yu Yuan's Yang God remained within the Dragon Slash Platform, simultaneously refining the Qilin Heart and delving into the essence of life force, contemplating his path toward Dao Integration.

Then, one day.

Puffing on his pipe, the Old Ape gazed up at the sky with a grave look, his form trembling with a sudden jolt.

Yu Yuan instantly felt a connection and, puzzled, inquired, "What's the matter?"

"The Demon Phoenix is attempting to harness my power from within the Outer Star River," the Old Ape grumbled with a furrowed brow. "She's well aware that she cannot use my power while I'm here in the Great Swamp. Why persist?"

Yu Yuan also found it odd. "Why would she suddenly try to use your power from the Outland Star River?"

"She never acts without purpose. Despite knowing she couldn't succeed, she still made the attempt and made sure I was aware of it..."

Amidst his confusion, the Desolate God felt a growing sense of foreboding. "She's definitely up to something! She's making me aware, perhaps as a warning to me, but what for? And considering her combat prowess, why would she need to draw on the power of the Demon Clan unless she's facing a fierce battle?"

"I recall it's been ages since she's encountered an adversary formidable enough to necessitate tapping into the Demon Clan's power."

Yu Yuan! Something must have happened in the Outland Star River! I'll inquire with the Babel Chamber of Commerce and the Divine Soul Sect to get some information." As soon as he finished speaking, Old Ape vanished into thin air.

Half a day later.

"The Death Crane that Jun Chen had tamed died abruptly in the Delude Devil Abyss! Its heart burst, and its demon soul vanished into smoke," Desolate God reappeared, bringing unsettling news. "Furthermore, several other powerful demons who betrayed the Demon Palace and were disloyal to me also perished in outer space."

He cast a glance at Lvliu in the lake as he spoke.

"If Lvliu weren't in the Great Swamp, and had been out in the stars like the Death Crane, she might have met the same fate," Old Ape said, his face grave.

"Who could it be?" Yu Yuan exclaimed in shock.

The white crane that had mastered the power of death and had achieved the status of a genuine Ninth Level Demon King was no ordinary creature. Like the Peacock King, the Grey Wolf King, and Yu Zhu's mother, it was an extremely formidable great demon.

The mysterious deaths of the Death Crane and several other great demons cast adrift in the heavens were deeply alarming.

"In this world, only the Demon Phoenix could mete out such punishment to a mighty demon."

Old Ape's mood grew even more somber. The Great Swamp was home to numerous Eighth and Ninth Level great demons. Some had been sent skyward when the Sword Prison fell.

Thankfully, the great demons loyal to him were mostly residing in the Great Swamp, with the others active within the vast expanse.

Otherwise...

"Is she trying to send a message that she can easily eliminate any great demon loyal to you if she chooses?" Yu Yuan inquired.

"No, it's not like that. I have a very bad feeling about this," Desolate God replied, shaking his head but offering no further explanation.

He knew the Demon Phoenix was vengeful by nature. The death of the Qilin might just push her over the edge.

If the Demon Phoenix were to go on a rampage...

"Let's hope it's just a bad hunch," Desolate God whispered to himself.

...

Two days later.

After consulting with Desolate God, Ghost King Tianzang used the space teleportation array at the Fallen Moon Forbidden Area to establish a connection with the Great Swamp and made a hasty arrival.

He rushed to Yu Yuan and Old Ape's side with the utmost urgency, his face pallid and his frame quivering.

"What's going on?" Yu Yuan demanded.

This was the first time he had witnessed Tianzang in such a state of panic, and he immediately sensed that a grave matter was unfolding.

"In the Outland Star River, Taishi was ambushed by the Demon Phoenix while returning to the Oblivion Starfield," Tianzang said, his voice shaking as much as his body. "Taishi invoked the Great Earth Divine Ability and, despite severe injuries, managed to instantly retreat underground to the Plover Realm. Guixu and Tianqi, the two Divine Kings, have already made haste to the Plover Realm."

Old Ape's face darkened. "She's after Taishi!"

Yu Yuan was taken aback. "How could that be? How did the Demon Phoenix find Taishi so quickly? And the empress—was she present?"

"She and Taishi went their separate ways shortly after you returned, heading back to the Dark Elfkind's sanctuary. Taishi..." Tianzang, ever loyal to the Primordial Divine King, let out a heavy sigh, "The item from the bronze coffin has been stolen by the Demon Phoenix."

"What?!"

Yu Yuan's face contorted with distress.

As long as Taishi was alive and had made it back to the Plover Realm, with Guixu and Tianqi arriving, his demise seemed unlikely.

Taishi was integral to the Boundless Land. The Demon Phoenix would have to be utterly reckless to take his life, disregarding all consequences.

Yet the item from the bronze coffin was a Spinosaurus youth, an asset the Divine Soul Sect intended to use in their "New Boundless Land Project" and a key element in their future confrontations with the supreme forces of the Boundless Land—especially the Demon Phoenix.

The loss of the young beast was beyond Yu Yuan's worst fears.

"You all..."

Desolate God, looking at Yu Yuan and Tianzang, the Ghost King, was unaware of what lay within the bronze coffin, but the Demon Phoenix's swift and decisive actions weighed heavily on him.

"We've just learned that shortly after the Demon Phoenix, Lin Daoke, Tan Xiaotian, and others left the starry sky, the Demon Phoenix seemed to have detected something. It abruptly disengaged from Lin Daoke and Tan Xiaotian, taking off alone."

Before she left, she instructed Han Miaoyuan to take care of Yuwen Hao.

Lin Daoke, on the other hand, remained silent and trailed the Demon Phoenix across the starry sky.

Tianzang offered this explanation with a look of utter defeat.

Yu Yuan forced himself to stay calm. Upon reflection, he realized that the Demon Phoenix must have detected the distress signal sent by the Qilin in its final moments.

The Demon Phoenix didn't respond but swiftly concluded its skirmish with Lin Daoke and Tan Xiaotian.

Then, it headed straight for the part of the sky where they had been!

The Demon Phoenix must have known the Qilin was doomed and that it would be too late to save it.

Yet, she still went!

Her aim wasn't to rescue the Qilin but to eradicate Taishi and Chen Qinghuang!

The Qilin's blood, spilled into Taishi's bronze coffin and consumed by the young creature, served as a clear beacon for the Demon Phoenix.

She should have been able to locate Taishi and Chen Qinghuang through the Qilin's blood and flesh.

After Taishi and Chen Qinghuang went their separate ways, she ultimately decided to ambush Taishi.

As a result, Taishi was grievously wounded, and the young Spinosaurus was lost.

"I'm returning to the Plover Realm!"

Yu Yuan rose, intent on heading to the Great Swamp to check on Taishi's condition at the "Destruction Lair," which connected to the Dark Wing Starfield, and to warn Chen Qinghuang about the Demon Phoenix.

"Don't! Don't go out just yet!"

Tianzang urgently intervened. "The Ruins Divine King has advised that you stay put in the Great Swamp for now. Try not to leave! The Demon Phoenix might have lost her mind; she's on a killing spree. Even Ann Wen..."

Tianzang shook his head, "Ann Wen fell victim to her as well."

"Stay within the Great Swamp!"

The Desolate God swooped in, firmly placing his hand on Yu Yuan's shoulder, and guided him back to his seat. "You're safest here in my Great Swamp! In her frenzy, she's capable of anything! Right now, your priority should be to advance to the Unrestrained Stage as quickly as possible!"

Yu Yuan, learning of Ann Wen's death, was held down by the Old Ape. Despite his attempts to break free, he was immovable.

In the Sky Bird Forest, adjacent to Horror Land, Ji Tianyu, once a deity with a shattered divine throne, had aged into a gray-haired old woman. She sat beneath a colossal tree, lost in memories of Chen Qinghuang, who had emerged from this very place.

Formerly one of the exalted members of the Profound Sky Sect, she was aware that a "Rebirth Nest" had recently been uncovered by Youyu.

She faintly recalled Han Miaoyuan mentioning that the Hannya Divine Tree, which gave rise to the Dark Elfkind, shared a profound connection with the Secular Bird before its corruption.

She also knew that the branches the Secular Bird used to construct its nest likely originated from the original Hannya Divine Tree.

As a former deity of flora, she held the Hannya Divine Tree in awe. Following the fragmentation of her divine throne, she had retreated to this place in a state of despondency.

Truthfully, she had no specific intentions in coming here; it was merely a place to clear her mind.

Suddenly, a wave of inexplicable sorrow washed over her.

She gazed at a large tree opposite her, which seemed to be grinning at her in a sinister manner.

What was once a mundane tree appeared to be slowly coming to life, its visage turning grotesque and horrifying.

In a daze, she watched as the tree seemed to be infused with a malevolent vitality.

Then, with the swiftness of a spear, a sharp branch lunged at her!

Whoosh!

By the time Han Miaoyuan arrived, clutching the Profound Dao Flag, he was met with the sight of Ji Tianyu, impaled and drained of all life force by the tree.

Not only had Ji Tianyu perished, but her soul had vanished without a trace, as if spirited away.

With a grave expression, Han Miaoyuan caressed the tree branch, probing its essence, before his gaze shifted toward the Ascension Mountain Range.

Zhou Wanderer from the Babel Chamber of Commerce soared out of the Fallen Moon Forbidden Area, casting a glance toward the Kingdom of Rewia. He was intent on retrieving the Sky Shocking Emperor and swiftly returning him to the Plover Realm.

He had learned that even the Primordial Divine King of the Divine Soul Sect had suffered a grievous injury at the hands of the Demon Phoenix beyond the heavens.

Fearing that staunch allies of Taishi, like the Sky Shocking Emperor, might become targets, he was eager to make arrangements without delay.

The intelligence he had gathered indicated that the highest authority of the Demon Palace had begun to retaliate against the Divine Soul Sect in the wake of the Qilin's demise.

With a tear through the fabric of space, a radiant spatial rift was opened, and he leapt through it.

He was supposed to materialize beside the Sky Shocking Emperor in the Kingdom of Rewia in the very next instant.

Yet, it seemed as though some external force had violently warped the spatial rift, resulting in his corpulent form entering the fissure and then vanishing without a trace.

Zhou You vanished without explanation.

Inside the Boundless Land, turmoil reigned, mirroring the chaos of the outside world.

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