C1644 Seeking Interest

The Mirage of the Mind!

From deep within the Ashen Shadowmist, the eerie cry of the Abyssal Leviathan echoed, announcing the presence of this peculiar giant beast.

Upon hearing the name "Mirage of the Mind," Yu Yuan was struck by a wave of familiarity, as though he had encountered this giant beast before in some distant memory.

Yet, when he concentrated on recalling the details, he came up empty-handed.

"Could it be... Have I seen it before? Does it ring a bell?"

Yu Yuan whispered to himself, gazing into the area shrouded by the Ashen Shadowmist, debating whether to venture forth.

"Stop!" he suddenly exclaimed.

The Duskjaw, Stormwraith, and Three-legged Golden Crow had recklessly plunged into the depths of the Ashen Shadowmist, as if driven to vanquish a sworn enemy within, intent on its immediate destruction.

With their involvement, the Abyssal Leviathan's roars grew increasingly shrill and piercing.

At that moment, no matter how much Yu Yuan channeled the power of the Solar Spirit or maximized the Dragon Slaying Stage's sensing capabilities, he could not penetrate the enigma unfolding within the Ashen Shadowmist.

What puzzled him was that the Mirage of the Mind, in its clambake guise, had only subjected him to a single round of illusion.

After the initial illusion fizzled out without effect, the Mirage of the Mind swiftly shifted its focus.

It targeted the Duskjaw, Stormwraith, and Three-legged Golden Crow, quickly subjugating the trio. They became unwitting allies, aiding her in the confrontation against the Abyssal Leviathan.

"It seems I won't unravel its secrets without stepping inside."

Knowing that the combined might of the three alien beasts, even with Leo and the others, would be insufficient to swiftly defeat the Abyssal Leviathan, Yu Yuan felt no urgency.

Thus, he calmly made his way toward the Ashen Shadowmist atop the Dragon Slaying Stage.

The thick Ashen Shadowmist had become a vast, enigmatic expanse, engulfing various forms of cosmic energy as the Otherworld continued its swift passage.

However, the arrival of the Abyssal Leviathan and the Mirage of the Mind's need to divert attention to him meant that their escape was not a priority, slowing the Ashen Shadowmist's fleeting velocity.

Yu Yuan quickly caught up.

"Break!"

The tip of the Dragon Slaying Stage beneath his feet shattered the invisible barrier behind the Ashen Shadowmist, whisking Yu Yuan instantly into its midst.

Beneath a sky obscured by grey mist, Yu Yuan stood upon the Dragon Slaying Stage, casting his gaze downward.

In the expansive depths below, the Abyssal Leviathan, taking the form of a giant beast, was revealed. Its scales and blood had transformed into a dense swarm of silver fish, scouring the sea for the elusive Mirage of the Mind.

The shimmering fish moved in unison, now converging, now dispersing, within the simulated waters of the Embers Sea.

The Abyssal Leviathan, assuming a humanoid shape, perched above an island. It surveyed the starshards enveloping the heavens and uttered disdainfully, "A bunch of useless trash!"

At that moment, the Abyssal Leviathan towered a thousand feet tall, its scales as cold as iron. It bore the visage of a gaunt elder from the human race, but from its neck to its spine sprouted fin-like spines.

It possessed arms and legs, though they were sharp and deadly, reminiscent of the nearly extinct fish-people from the Star River in the Otherworld.

Whoosh!

A massive shell, seemingly a relic shed by the Mirage of the Mind, was drawn out by the pull of the Abyssal Leviathan's bloodline power and propelled by the currents.

The razor-edged shell instantly became the Abyssal Leviathan's weapon of choice. With a mere gesture, the shell, larger than the island below, transformed into a spinning disc of piercing radiance, hurtling towards the illusion-entranced Starborn.

Apart from Leo, Beru, and Gheirat, the other three ninth-level Starborn warriors were brutally maimed.

The blood of the Starborn warriors sparkled like stellar particles, scattering and falling into the sea.

The silver fish, previously intent on finding the Mirage of the Mind, now frenziedly competed to consume the blood.

The Abyssal Leviathan, in its merman form, licked its lips and let out a grotesque chuckle. It was as if it had indulged in appetizers, whetting its appetite for the feast to come.

"Spare the other three!"

Yu Yuan bellowed, but it was too late; the spinning shell had already sliced the three unfamiliar Starborn warriors into a gruesome spectacle.

The bodies of the ninth level Starborn warriors plummeted from the sky into the depths of the ocean, where schools of fish frenziedly tore them apart. These fish, spawned from the blood and scales of the Abyssal Leviathan, were not his Sunsorrow giant beast. Nevertheless, by consuming the flesh and blood teeming with life, the fish could nourish his true form, enabling him to recover more swiftly and gain greater strength.

"They won't awaken so easily. In the face of death, many can break free from the haze and return to clarity," the Abyssal Leviathan said, his mouth twisting into a grotesque smile amidst the carnage.

"The Mirage of the Mind didn't utilize its bloodline talent earlier. It simply entwined the Star Altar with the seaweed parasitizing its body. Heh, I bet Leo and his crew mistook her soul stone for a Star Crystal."

"Soul stone?" Yu Yuan exclaimed, taken aback.

"A Hex Stone forms within the shell of the Mirage of the Mind. When nurtured within a star, it can produce many wonders," the Abyssal Leviathan explained offhandedly.

Splash! Splash! Splash!

In a distant part of the ocean, the Duskjaw, Stormwraith, and Three-legged Golden Crow struggled against the immense pressure of the seawater, unable to break free from the ocean's grasp.

Clearly influenced by the Mirage of the Mind, they found themselves unable to even draw near the Abyssal Leviathan.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

The vibrant hearts of the Starborn were exposed to the open air as their bodies were flung aside. Each heart was coated with glistening droplets that sealed in the life force and the most potent vital energy.

The Abyssal Leviathan opened wide and ingested the three hearts, which descended into his gullet like falling stars. His form was massive, and swallowing the three hearts was akin to ingesting three pebbles.

"Awaken!"

After consuming the hearts of three ninth level Starborn warriors, he fixed his gaze on Leo, Beru, and Gheirat, and bellowed suddenly. The bewilderment in the eyes of these esteemed Starborn figures seemed to be instantly dispelled.

"Yu Yuan!"

Beru, now showing signs of age, was the first to cry out upon awakening. He then sensed the hearts of his companions being masticated and assimilated by the Abyssal Leviathan.

The corner of the Abyssal Leviathan's mouth still dripped with starlight, which was in truth, the light of blood.

"Abyssal Leviathan!"

Beru instantly realized what had transpired and let out an enraged scream.

"Starchild!" Leo, along with Gheirat, the ruler of Kuvrepros, fixed their furious gazes upon the Abyssal Leviathan.

"The only ones to blame are themselves for not having the mental fortitude."

The Abyssal Leviathan was utterly indifferent. He nonchalantly wiped the blood from his mouth and let out a cruel laugh.

His hand, now as sharp as the spine of a fish, was poised for more destruction. "Had Yu Yuan not called out, I would have devoured not just those three, but all of you as well! Starborn, oh, your former leader and Ballo have both crossed me before!"

"Killing some of your Starborn and consuming a few of your ninth level warriors is merely collecting some interest!"

Once the secret of his life-extending flesh became known, peak warriors from various races had sought to hunt him down for a chance at a longer life.

The former patriarch of the Starborn had been among them.

Ballo, during his escape from the Glimmerdrift Nebula, had even collaborated with Cardo to exert pressure on him. Ballo had played a role in his previous serious injury.

Thus, he harbored no courtesy when dealing with the Starborn.

Were it not for the sake of Yu Yuan, the Starchild, the Starfallen Oracle, and even the generals of the Astral Domain would have met their end in an instant.

"Mirage of the Mind, no more hiding. Now that I'm here, shouldn't you come out and face me?" the Abyssal Leviathan bellowed.

Leo, Beru, and Gheirat had come to their senses. The Duskjaw, Stormwraith, and Three-legged Golden Crow were restrained by his oceanic force.

He doubted this alien beast could summon any more formidable opponents now that they were under his illusion.

"There's nothing worth discussing with you."

A peculiar voice, both masculine and feminine, echoed across numerous regions of the world.

Yu Yuan's expression stiffened.

To him, the voice wasn't just masculine or feminine; it fluctuated between the two. One moment it was male, the next, it shifted to female.

"She possesses both male and female characteristics as a hermaphrodite and can change at will. Since I sense the presence of the soul stone, I'll refer to her as such for now."

The Abyssal Leviathan clarified to Yu Yuan.

Yu Yuan wore a puzzled look on his face.

...