C1577 The Chaotic Demon Lord

"Don't look at me; it didn't come from my direction."

Atop Ascension Peak, Zu Ann sat beside a pond formed by the Skywatch Mirror, fixing his gaze on Han Miaoyuan, whose expression was less than friendly. In a grave tone, he said, "The merchant company's tour vanished without a trace during a space rift."

"It wasn't from the Ascension Mountain Range?" Han Miaoyuan asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

Driven by the desire for vengeance after Ji Tianyu's death, he was convinced that the assailant was the Founder of Dark Elfkind, the completely corrupted Hannya Divine Tree. This led him to confront Zu Ann, seeking retribution.

The vast expanse of the World Wall had a faint resonance with him. He might overlook those bursting forth from the inner starry sky without much concern or reaction.

Yet, the arrival of an outsider from the starry sky, especially one akin to the Hannya Divine Tree, could not escape his senses.

Thus, he suspected Zu Ann of negligence and came to hold him accountable.

"It wasn't from my end."

Zu Ann shook his head, pausing briefly before explaining, "It was likely after Tianqi and Guixu, the two Divine Kings, hastily used the Realm passageway to return to the Outer Realm and ventured into the Delude Devil Abyss. Ji Tianyu's fall to the Unrestrained Stage, coupled with her despair and the natural suppression by the Fallen Divine Tree, led to her untimely death..."

With a sigh, Zu Ann added, "By the time I noticed, it was already too late."

Han Miaoyuan fell into a contemplative silence.

He trusted Zu Ann not to speak without cause. If Zu Ann affirmed that the source was not the Ascension Mountain Range, then it must have been through the passageway from the Fallen Moon Forbidden Area to the Delude Devil Abyss.

As for Tianqi and Guixu's hasty retreat to the Outer Sky, he had a clear understanding of their motives.

First and foremost, neither Guixu nor Tianqi belonged to the Fallen Moon Forbidden Area, which was once the domain of the Divine Soul Sect and guarded solely by the Heaven Sealing Soul Transformation Formation.

In the absence of the two Divine Kings, the possibility of the Fallen Divine Tree slipping in undetected was indeed plausible.

"Is the divine tree still within the Vast Expanse?" Han Miaoyuan inquired.

"If it deliberately conceals itself and has the protection of the Origin Realm God, I fear it will remain unseen. Only if it ventures to the Ascension Mountain Range or the Great Swamp will Old Ape and I be able to instantly respond," Zu Ann said with a grave look, pausing to reflect. "The Origin Realm God's power has grown stronger. The failed attempt to create a spatial rift indicates he can now manipulate the spatial laws of the Vast Expanse."

Han Miaoyuan's face fell at this revelation.

"He must be aware of our discussions and the decisions we've reached," Zu Ann expressed with concern. "Zhong Chichen must hurry back to the Vast Expanse to ascend to godhood and eradicate the two pernicious threats. If not, even those adept in spatial powers will find their attempts to flee through rifts thwarted by his influence."

"And possibly..." Zu Ann hesitated before adding, "Even the space teleportation arrays scattered across the Vast Expanse may eventually fall under his control!"

Han Miaoyuan's mood darkened further with these words.

"Oh, by the way, Youyu and Xuanli of the Ghost Wizard Sect should also be in that realm passageway," Zu Ann mentioned.

"What are they doing there?" Han Miaoyuan wondered, puzzled.

As he was about to delve deeper, a sudden realization struck him, contorting his face with dread.

Whoosh!

His true form, bearing the Profound Dao Flag, gracefully emerged from Ascension Peak, while his Yin God lingered behind.

"I'm not sure why Youyu and Xuanli have entered the realm passageway. All I know is that Yan Qiling is with them. Perhaps they too wish to inspect the not-yet-stabilized Origin Realm Gate," Zu Ann shared what he knew, then asked with curiosity, "What occurred to you?"

"The moment Youyu departs from the Vast Expanse, wherever he surfaces, Tan Xiaotian is bound to act!" Han Miaoyuan's Yin God declared.

Back in the Outland Starry Sky, following the sudden departure of the Demon Phoenix and the subsequent pursuit by Lin Daoke, as well as the demise of Yuwen Hao, Han Miaoyuan had a significant conversation with Tan Xiaotian. It was then he discerned Tan Xiaotian's discontent with Youyu.

He was well aware of Tan Xiaotian's temperament and understood that due to Zhu Zhen's death and the repercussions suffered by the Devil Palace's powerhouses, Tan Xiaotian would certainly not tolerate Youyu.

Youyu, a ghostly being, maintained a tight bond with the Yin Meridian source. In the Boundless Great World, any move Tan Xiaotian made against Youyu could mean confronting the Yin Meridian source itself.

However, should Youyu leave the Boundless Great World, the moment the link to the Yin Meridian source was broken or if it couldn't be sustained, Tan Xiaotian would likely strike!

"This is quite the mess," Zu Ann remarked.

"I'll be stationed here for the time being. Alert me immediately to any unusual disturbances you detect in the Boundless Great World!" Han Miaoyuan commanded with a grave tone. "The Origin Realm God has made a move, and regardless of your arrangements with the Divine Soul Sect, I need you to help me manage the situation during this period."

"Especially now, when both the Demon Phoenix and Lin Daoke are absent!"

Zu Ann nodded, replying simply, "Understood."

Several hours later.

From Ascension Peak, they observed through the Skywatch Mirror as specks of black light emerged from the Babel Chamber of Commerce headquarters and the Jade Peak direction.

These dark sparkles originated from the chests of the Yu family members.

Tiny as grains of rice, these dark sparkles, embodying pure darkness, defied the Heaven Sealing Soul Transformation Formation's seal and descended toward the entrance of the Realm passageway.

"You do understand him well."

Zu Ann shifted his gaze from the pond to Han Miaoyuan's Yin God and asked, "Are you able to stop him now?"

"I must try, regardless!" Han Miaoyuan declared, his face etched with fury. "Tan Xiaotian and Youyu cannot battle now, and certainly not within the passageway of the Origin Realm Gate!"

Simultaneously, at another location.

"Profound Sky Sect's Han Miaoyuan requests an audience with the head of your sect!"

Above the Fallen Moon Forbidden Area, Han Miaoyuan, clutching the Profound Dao Flag, stood resolute like a deity. He announced his name and, without awaiting a response from the Divine Soul Sect, leapt downward.

Whoosh!

A torrent of spiritual Qi, as if carrying the essence of all the spiritual Qi between Heaven and Earth, shattered the purple and black soul barrier of the Heaven Sealing Soul Transformation Formation.

With a puff, the formation was breached, creating an opening for the Profound Dao Flag to surge through.

"Tan Xiaotian, don't start a battle within the Realm's passageway!"

As the flag soared through the air, Han Miaoyuan had already reached the entrance to the Realm's passageway, only to find it filled with an inky darkness as thick as dye.

At a glance, the entrance to the Delude Devil Abyss appeared to be brimming with black water.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Suddenly, the passageway erupted with violent explosions. Gray-white lightning, mixed with the shimmer of Yin Sunflower Essence, splattered from the dark ink at the entrance.

Han Miaoyuan's expression turned steely as he observed the delicate fissures that seemed to burst forth from the depths of darkness, only to abruptly seal themselves shut.

He sensed that the passageway from the Fallen Moon Forbidden Area to the Delude Devil Abyss was on the verge of being sealed once more due to the clash between Tan Xiaotian and Youyu.

Tan Xiaotian was no Lin Daoke.

Except when uniting for the greater good of humanity, Tan Xiaotian was always defiant.

Not long ago, Tan Xiaotian had made a unilateral decision to join the fray with the Primordial Yang Sect following the Demon Phoenix's assault.

This time, he had just arrived, intent on intervention...

It seemed Tan Xiaotian wasn't ready, but Han Miaoyuan's arrival prompted him to initiate the fight prematurely. Tan Xiaotian even obstructed the entrance, thwarting any attempt to enter.

"Tan Xiaotian! You..."

Han Miaoyuan fumed, stamping his foot in frustration, as if he were on the verge of unleashing a tirade of curses, itching to charge in and deal with that insubordinate troublemaker.

Jiaang Miaojie, Hwa Xin, and many young members of the Divine Soul Sect watched his outburst, unsure how to react.

Was this the leader of humanity?

...

Great Swamp.

Upon discovering that Taishi had sustained grave injuries, Yu Yuan also found out about Ji Tianyu's death and Zhou You's disappearance.

Moreover, the Desolate God and Tianzang forbade him from leaving, confining him to the Great Swamp.

Boom!

Inside the forbidden area, the Heaven Sealing Soul Transformation Formation, attuned to him, was shattered by Han Miaoyuan, triggering an immediate response. Although his true form remained deep within the Great Swamp, his Yang God was within the Dragon Slash Platform, refining the Qilin Heart. Tapping into a fraction of the platform's power, he could see Han Miaoyuan at the entrance, furiously stomping his feet and bellowing Tan Xiaotian's name. Jiaang Miaojie, Hwa Xin, and the new generation of the Divine Soul Sect were all visible to him from his vantage point on the platform. He could even eavesdrop on their hushed conversations. Thus, he was clued into the unfolding events.

"Tan Xiaotian clashed with Youyu in the passageway to the Delude Devil Abyss, resulting in the passageway being blocked again. The current situation inside is anyone's guess," Yu Yuan revealed, discussing the startling developments within the forbidden area.

The Great Swamp and the Fallen Moon Forbidden Area were close by. When Han Miaoyuan announced his presence, the Desolate God was quick to overhear and became aware of the disturbance. Yet, even he didn't grasp the situation as clearly as Yu Yuan. Upon hearing Yu Yuan's account, both the Desolate God and Tianzang were taken aback.

It was unexpected that Tan Xiaotian would lay an ambush for Youyu within the Realm passageway, deliberately preventing Han Miaoyuan from intervening and sealing off the entrance.

"The Old Monster Zu just informed me that with Guixu and Tianqi gone, the Fallen Divine Tree likely seized the chance to emerge from the Forbidden Area, which lacks a Divine King's oversight. Moreover, the power of the Origin Realm God has begun to permeate from within," he shared.

Rubbing his fuzzy forehead, the Desolate God felt as vexed as Han Miaoyuan. "What's the status of the Qilin Heart?" he inquired abruptly.

"It has been thoroughly refined. However, I'm still grappling with the nuances of breaking through to the Unrestrained Stage," Yu Yuan declared.

"With the Qilin Heart refined and your Yang God being so unique, even the Demon Phoenix is at a loss. As for the breakthrough to the Unrestrained Stage, it's simply a matter of finding the right element to synergize with the Dao, whether it's the Dragon Slash Platform or something else," the Desolate God surmised.

"I won't choose the Dragon Slash Platform," Yu Yuan said, shaking his head.

The Desolate God was taken aback. "Why?"

At that moment, Tianzang gazed intently at Yu Yuan, understanding the situation all too well.

He knew that since Yu Yuan's first incarnation was the Lunar Divine King, and since his primary soul's imprint had not been extinguished...

From the very first time Yu Yuan's soul took residence in the Dragon Slash Platform, he had become the sovereign of that realm.

As long as his primary soul remained intact, any time he stepped onto the Dragon Slash Platform, it was a homecoming.

The Dragon Slash Platform had long since become an extension of himself, an integral part of his path to Dao Integration. With the new Great Dao, he could effortlessly advance to the Unrestrained Stage without the need for the Dragon Slash Platform.

Tianzang spoke gently, "The Fallen Moon Forbidden Area, perhaps? The Divine Soul Sect needs you now, as does that forbidden land."

Yu Yuan's form quivered slightly as he acknowledged, "The Forbidden Area? Indeed... it's where my dream first took shape."

The first Lunar Divine King, the third Yu Yuan—both of his illustrious lives had their genesis in the Fallen Moon Forbidden Area.

The Dao Integration Forbidden Area was beyond reproach.

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