C1614 Returned to the Zekrica

The deep purple Origin Gate began to shake violently, unleashing a blinding light that left onlookers reeling.

Rip! Rip!

It sounded as if a sharp soul blade was slicing through the air at the entrance.

Boom!

A blinding interplay of light from the cosmic order, accompanied by the Soul Suppressing Sound, emanated from the Origin Gate, causing nearby stars to tremble with intensity.

The odd fluctuations of the Origin Gate appeared to be in sync with the entire Annihilation Nebula. Should it burst, the repercussions could potentially ripple through many stars within the nebula.

Yet, the Annihilation Nebula was unique, not like Kuvrepros or the Dark Star, which teemed with extraterrestrial life.

Thus, even as Taishi and High Priest Reid perceived the Origin Gate's peculiar activity, their expressions remained serene.

They were indifferent to the potential destruction of the stars within the Annihilation Nebula.

They were prepared to endure the silence of the Astral Domain once more.

At the gate, Gui Xu finally fused the phantom into the stone statue. With the statue's sinister aspect facing the trembling Origin Gate, he reassured everyone, "There's no need for concern. He is merely sealing the Warp Gate."

Taishi nodded, smiling. "It looks like there's been a stir in the Origin Realm on the other side."

Yu Yuan peered closely and could make out numerous delicate, resplendent lights that seemed to hold the cosmic order of another world. They clung to the edges of the gate like tendrils, pulling it shut.

The gaping Origin Gate resembled a tear slowly mending itself.

Taishi and Gui Xu, the God-Kings, watched with curiosity, making no move to intervene.

The spectacle was short-lived. The Origin Gate, once concealed within the crescent moon, vanished from sight after condensing into a tiny orb of rainbow light.

Boom!

The sprawling Evil Sacrificial Altar, spanning hundreds of acres, erupted as the Origin Gate vanished, unleashing the twisted chaos within and causing the altar to shatter.

In that instant, the Evil Statue, hewn from Sword Prison, swelled to an immense size.

From his elevated position, Gui Xu, the God-King, with his most malevolent visage, overlooked the exploding altar. With a palm as luminous as rare stone, he enveloped the entire structure.

The violent explosion of the altar, the surge of psionic power, the onslaught of evil souls, and the myriad of polluted, warped thoughts were all drawn into the statue's stone hand, gradually being absorbed into its grasp.

In no time at all, the vast Evil Sacrificial Altar, along with the thousands of corpses within, vanished into the stone hand of the statue.

The stone hand emitted a cracking sound, as if invisible demons were opening their mouths, gnawing on corpses and bones. They even ground up evil thoughts and the remnants of souls into nothingness.

Yu Yuan had an epiphany—the Sword Prison's material was crafted from Moon Soul, just like the vanished Evil Sacrificial Altar.

Nie Qingtian, the Moon Slayer, had forged the moon's essence into the Sword Prison, confining the malevolent entities emerging from the Everlands, ensuring they could never break free.

The chief of the malevolent spirits within the Sword Prison was, in fact, a wooden statue. It had been transformed by the smelting process of the Sword Prison.

Yu Yuan had constantly been exposed to the statue's benevolent aspect, with its malevolent side often obscured, leading him to gradually overlook the duality of the statue.

When the statue's malevolent side began to "commit evil" and unleash its power, Yu Yuan found himself unprepared.

He then recalled the scene in the Marsh when the Evil Statue first surfaced, its malevolent side releasing power, swiftly slaughtering the evil spirits trapped within the Sword Prison.

"Seven. There are seven distinct domains," Gui Xu's voice emerged from the benevolent visage. "After the seven colored butterflies escaped, they entered seven different realms. Search those realms, and you'll surely find more followers of the Origin Deity. You might even discover a nascent Domain Gate."

Gui Xu rapidly relayed the seven spatial coordinates.

Reid and Taishi committed them to memory, and Reid promptly informed the inner demon, Mitts, to mobilize the power of the Sky Fiends to scour the seven domains and eliminate the clandestine forces nurtured by the Origin Deity.

Yu Yuan watched in wonder.

The seven butterflies that Pei Yuling had desperately released had been stealthily influenced by Gui Xu's lingering thoughts.

Unbeknownst to Pei Yuling and the Origin Deity, they were oblivious to each other's concealed remnant souls.

This would lead to the Origin Deity's painstakingly established strongholds being decimated by the combined forces of the Star-Spawned Terror and the extraterrestrial Sky Fiends.

Likely, altars used for nefarious worship would be shattered one after another.

Considering this, it seemed Pei Yuling hadn't truly escaped after all...

Yu Yuan couldn't help but admire the Gui Xu God-King, who had been unwaveringly loyal to him in the past and continued to prove his loyalty in this lifetime.

The Boulderdawn of tens of thousands of years ago was indeed a cradle of talent. There were strategists like Taishi and masters of stealth like Taixu, skilled in the art of hidden assassination. Then there were geniuses like Jihui, who had made remarkable strides in the realms of time and space.

It stood to reason that the late God-King Mirtyx also possessed some exceptional qualities. No wonder, at its zenith, the Boulderdawn commanded respect from all the sects and forces across the Everlands, made ancient archdemons submit, and exerted overwhelming pressure on beings from extraterrestrial worlds.

"Yu Yuan..."

Youqian, now reverted to his Sky Fiend form, arrived from Ionodios. Landing next to Reid, he bowed respectfully before saying, "I'll join you on a trip to Zekrica."

"Zekrica?" Yu Yuan was momentarily taken aback.

"Yes, that's the otherworldly marvel forged by Nie Qingtian's Divine Sword," Youqian confirmed with a nod. "Let's head there now and discuss further as we go."

Yu Yuan glanced over at Taishi, who gave a nod of approval. "Alright," he agreed.

Before long, a man and a Sky Fiend traversed the Star River and descended upon Zekrica, near the secluded cave from which Qiyan had once departed.

To Yu Yuan's surprise, Denise, the Starborn's eldest daughter, was also in the vicinity. Upon spotting Yu Yuan and Youqian, she excitedly hurried over.

"It's been a while," Yu Yuan said with a welcoming smile.

Denise, noticing Youqian's grave demeanor, realized he had important matters to discuss with Yu Yuan. She tactfully offered a subtle smile and said, "I'll leave you two to talk."

"The Divine Sword, it fell into this deep cave, didn't it?" Youqian asked, his brow furrowed and a complex look in his deep blue eyes. "In truth, I implored the Demon God Bertain to purify my soul, to erase every trace of the Root of the Lunar Meridian within. I knew that only the old patriarch had the power to do so."

Yu Yuan looked at Youqian, puzzled.

"Because beneath this deep cavern, there lies a branch..."

Youqian managed a bitter smile. "Every time I travel from the Everlands to Ionodios, I sense something spying on Lord Taishi through me."

"I was clueless about the problem until Lord Taishi enlightened me. I learned that the Grand Sword Immortal, Moon Slayer, had extracted a branch of the Lunar Meridian from Dhoreus's body and nurtured it beneath Zekrica."

"As for me, I was once a God of Ghosts in the Land of Terror, my soul imbued with its traces and essence. It could use me to see many things it desired."

"There are matters concerning the secrets of Boulderdawn and the Sky Fiend, and I have long sworn my allegiance to Lord Taishi."

Youqian disclosed the hidden truths.

Yu Yuan, now back in the cavern's depths, grasped the situation after Youqian's account.

Youqian no longer wanted to be at the mercy of the Root of the Lunar Meridian, nor serve as an informant, covertly observing Boulderdawn and the Sky Fiend. Thus, he sought Reid's help to request the intervention of the Great Demon God, Bertain.

Transforming from a God of Ghosts back into a pure Demon God, he freed himself from the Lunar Meridian's constraints.

"There's a woman named Jiang Yuan'er whose Solar Spirit shattered in the extraterrestrial. Overwhelmed, her dominant soul and Lunar Spirit succumbed to madness. Someone encased all her residual souls in a Phantom Orb and placed it within the nurturing flow of the Lunar Meridian. Lacking the power to resurrect her, they could only sustain the Phantom Orb with the Lunar Meridian..."

Yu Yuan was explaining to Youqian when he abruptly halted.

The fates of Nie Qingtian and Zu Ann were strikingly similar, both having lost their loved ones, both defiant in the face of grief.

"Now I see. The Divine Sword has long been submerged in Zekrica to ensure its proper functioning. Moreover, it's there to protect the Phantom Orb from external disturbances within the Lunar Meridian."

Yu Yuan was suddenly moved by the unwavering loyalty of the sword spirit.

Though Nie Qingtian had fallen, the sword spirit remained steadfast, honoring the last wishes of its former master.

It silently safeguarded Zekrica, ensuring the Phantom Orb and the soul of Jiang Yuan'er remained intact.

After such a lengthy vigil, hope had finally emerged.

"Youyu has the power to resurrect Jiang Yuan'er."

...