C1602 The First Contact
Whoosh!
The Soulforge Pool, previously suspended in midair above a deep chasm, began to ascend swiftly following Yu Yuan's command.
Rebecca, the enchantress, looked on with surprise. She hadn't anticipated that Yu Yuan, aligned with Taishi, could actually wield and direct the Divine Artifact.
Unfamiliar with the Everlands, she was unaware that Yu Yuan had previously managed to control the Soulforge Pool within the Moonfall Sanctuary.
In no time at all, the Soulforge Pool, cradling the bronze coffin, rose from the seemingly bottomless pit and came to a steady halt before Yu Yuan.
Tianqi, Gui Xu, Reid, and Brie turned their attention to Yu Yuan quite naturally.
"Congratulations."
The statue seemed to smile with a kind expression.
It was then that everyone realized Yu Yuan's cultivation level had soared from Solar Spirit to Unbound.
Brie, of the Shadowkin, commented with a wry smile, "The humans of the Everlands gain immense power so swiftly, it's hard not to feel envious."
Back in the Spirit World, Yu Yuan was merely at the Spirit Walk stage, without even a Solar Spirit formed, equivalent to a seventh-level warrior among the Otherkin.
How much time had passed since then?
Yu Yuan, having advanced to the Unbound realm, had elevated his lineage to that of a ninth-level warrior in an astonishingly brief period!
"Congratulations."
Reid, the Sky Fiend High Priest, along with Youqian and Gui Xu, who had also hailed from the Sky Fiend lineage, offered their heartfelt congratulations to Yu Yuan.
Reid's high regard for Yu Yuan stemmed from the fact that the formidable Demon God Bertain had mentioned him on multiple occasions.
Reid was also aware that before arriving in Ionodios, Yu Yuan had just met with his former patriarch...
Though the details of their conversation were unclear, the message Reid received indicated that if Rebecca couldn't neutralize the demon energy left by the Dark Phoenix on the coffin lid, they might indeed have to depend on Yu Yuan.
Given Bertain's opinion, Reid was confident that Yu Yuan might be the key to aiding Taishi's release.
Youqian hadn't expected that Yu Yuan, in his haste to leave the Everlands, would achieve a breakthrough to the Unbound Realm in the extraterrestrial Star River.
He was also in the dark about the specifics of Yu Yuan's Dao merge.
Whoosh!
A wisp of remnant soul from Yu Yuan's forehead silently descended upon the hovering bronze coffin, settling upon the lid where a character, once a purple phoenix, was etched.
The instant the external remnant soul touched the coffin's surface, it was as if a pebble had been dropped into a mountain valley pond.
As the soul's ink-like ripples spread, the minuscule rune, no larger than a mosquito, abruptly transformed into a purple phoenix with outstretched wings!
Boom!
Yu Yuan's form shuddered, and he was immediately overwhelmed by the sensation of confronting the vast populace of the Everlands!
Among the myriad tiny characters branded on the coffin lid, only one had morphed into a purple phoenix. Yet in Yu Yuan's mind, it felt as though the multitudes of the Everlands were surging toward him in an onslaught!
Humans, fierce and brutal archdemons, the heavens teeming with Golden Wing Rocs, lightning eagles, and fowl.
And then there were the swarms of Glimmerdrift, insects nearly obscuring the sky, along with the serpents slithering from the earth's depths and marshes.
Creatures of the air, sea, and land...
Every being that had ever existed in the Everlands, even those long extinct, seemed to have been resurrected in numbers beyond measure!
Chi! Chi!
An unseen force lacerated the space between Yu Yuan's brows, leaving his flesh raw and ragged.
His eyes, too, were flooded with the blood from his brow. The remnant soul, linked to his very spirit, appeared to have become a conduit for an infinite tide of demon energy, eroding his consciousness.
"Soulsever, Demon Suppress..."
He silently invoked Spiritrend and Demon Suppress within his heart. From within his arms, tiny crimson sword lights emerged, swiftly materializing at the site of his torn brow.
In a flash, hundreds of these crimson sword lights clashed violently with the invading demon energy.
It took a full fifteen minutes for Yu Yuan to eradicate the demon energy that had been assaulting his mind through his remnant soul.
During that quarter-hour, beneath his brow, he wielded the Titanblade as if he were slashing through the heavens, casting out countless beams of sword light.
Each beam of sword light, channeled through Spiritrend and Demon Suppress, vanquished the malevolent demonic aura within the demon energy.
In that brief span, he seemed to have waged a war against all life in the Everlands, slaying innumerable demons, insects, and birds, and toppling empires within the vast expanse.
Putting aside everything else, the sheer weight on his soul alone was enough to exhaust Yu Yuan.
What he had experienced was merely a fragment of the Dark Phoenix's power lingering in the bronze coffin.
Yu Yuan's initial encounter had ended in utter defeat.
He came to the sudden realization that the gap between him and the Dark Phoenix was still vast.
The words of the Abyssal Leviathan echoed in his mind once more...
Given his current level of power, even with the Solar Spirit purified by Primal Blood and wielding the Dragon Slaying Stage, he would likely stand no chance of escaping the Dark Phoenix.
"How do you feel?"
The towering God-King Tianqi, observing the still-bleeding wound on Yu Yuan's forehead, couldn't hide his schadenfreude. "Surprised, aren't you? The demon energy of the Dark Phoenix encompasses the myriad lives of the Everlands. Does it feel as though you've just fought a brutal battle with all its inhabitants?"
Yu Yuan's expression remained stoic, disregarding the mockery.
The gash on his forehead had closed up after the demon energy was wiped away by Tianqi's words. His brow was once again unblemished.
It was inconceivable to anyone that his forehead, which had been a mess of blood and flesh just moments before, could heal so swiftly.
"Huh!"
Brie, seated upon the Azurewood Sceptre, widened his eyes slightly. After a closer inspection, he confirmed that it wasn't an illusion; the wound had indeed vanished.
Gazing at the bronze coffin before him, Yu Yuan contemplated for a moment before requesting, "Lord Xu, could you please have everyone else step out, aside from yourself?"
He had refrained from tapping into any vital energy, and not a trace of the Solar Spirit's power, imbued with the Secrets of Life, had been revealed.
His attempt to connect through his remnant soul had been ineffective, and he had nearly allowed the demon energy left by the Dark Phoenix to infiltrate his Mindscape via that connection.
The vision he witnessed was of the Everlands' beings, with the notable absence of the Nagas.
Taking into account the insights of Untamed, the Abyssal Leviathan, and the Demon God Bertain, he understood that the Dark Phoenix had gained a profound knowledge of the vital energy unique to each race within the Everlands.
The Dark Phoenix was even capable of using her own vital energy to transform individuals from various races.
Just as when he battled Hua Xin, he was able to manifest members of the Silverscale Tribe, Shura, and archdemons from the Solar Spirit.
The Dark Phoenix was even more formidable. The vital energy she left behind contained the lifeblood of countless beings from the Everlands. By merging her demon soul with her demon energy, she became an embodiment of innumerable souls.
Since his spiritual sense was insufficient, he decided to test the power of blood...
His Solar Spirit was exceedingly unique, and he preferred to keep its nature secret, particularly from Brie and Rebecca. He didn't want them to have an in-depth understanding of him.
"Sending us away? Are you certain?"
Rebecca, of the enchantress lineage, with a face clouded in darkness, let out a cold snort and challenged, "We're here in case things get out of hand, to help you mitigate the situation. You've witnessed the fearsome might of the Dark Phoenix. Do you truly believe you can stand against the onslaught when more demon energy is unleashed?"
"Don't seek your own demise," Tianqi responded icily.
"I choose to trust him."
High Priest Reid was decisively prompt. Without waiting for Gui Xu to respond, he gave Youqian a look and smiled, "I also have matters to discuss with you in private."
"It would be my privilege."
Youqian bowed respectfully and followed the billowing black cloak out of the grand hall.
"If you would, please exit first," Gui Xu requested.
Upon his request, Tianqi refrained from further comment. He simply exchanged a knowing look with the benevolent side of the Evil Statue, signaling Gui Xu to proceed with caution.
He harbored concerns that Yu Yuan's recklessness might damage the bronze coffin and gravely injure Taishi.
"You may not trust Yu Yuan, but trust me," Gui Xu whispered.
Tianqi nodded, then departed.
Brie and Rebecca appeared to hold Gui Xu in high regard. After he made it clear they should leave, they did not persist and sequentially exited the massive hall.
"Rest assured, barring the Demon God Bertain, it's unlikely anyone could infiltrate this place undetected."
The God-King Gui Xu gestured for Yu Yuan to proceed as he wished.
