C1710 The New Owner of the Ashlands
In the Dark Star region, a lifeless star had been silent for many years.
On this barren and icy celestial body, a massive skeletal arch stood in a nameless canyon, emitting the perpetual wails and shrieks of demons.
Before the arch, Ann Ziqing, clad in a purple gown, waited with a detached air.
Behind her, the ninth-level Demon Gods of the Blood Fiend clan and the renowned Blood Fiend Elders stood in solemn anticipation.
A moment later, High Priest Reid emerged from the colossal bone arch, accompanied by a retinue of Demon Gods, including the likes of Adler and Mitts.
"Greetings, High Priest."
"We welcome the High Priest's arrival!"
Led by Munch, the Blood Fiend Elders and Demon Gods bowed deeply in respect.
Reid threw back his dark cloak, revealing a gaunt, unsmiling face. He swept his gaze over the Blood Fiend assembly, giving Munch and the others a slight nod of acknowledgment.
Finally, he fixed his eyes on Ann Ziqing. After a brief contemplation, he remarked, "If my memory serves me right, I believe we met once before in Ionodios."
"Yes," Ann Ziqing replied softly.
"Life is full of uncertainties."
Reid mused, never having imagined that the goddess of the Colddeath Divine Cult from the Everlands would now be part of the Blood Fiend clan, held in high esteem by the Solar Meridian, and seemingly poised to ascend to the rank of a Demon God.
He was somewhat privy to the underlying story; he understood that Ann Ziqing's transformation was a consequence of Ann Wen's death at the hands of the Dark Phoenix.
Ann Ziqing sought power from the Solar Meridian, aiming to leverage the Blood Fiend's heritage to advance to a Great Demon God, all in hopes of vanquishing the Dark Phoenix.
"Where is Grec? I have come to the Dark Star to bolster your clan's strength. As the chieftain, shouldn't he be here to greet me?" Reid expressed his displeasure.
"At the moment, we've been unable to reach him," Munch replied with a furrowed brow.
"Is it you who can't reach him, or is he also out of reach?"
As he spoke of "him," High Priest Reid cast a glance at the blood-red moon, which seemed to brighten suddenly as if it had taken notice of his presence.
"We've lost contact with him. Grec ventured into the Ashlands, but recently, the connection was severed. Something significant must have transpired in the depths of the Ashlands, or perhaps a new master has emerged," Munch stated gravely.
"A new master?" Reid's expression shifted.
As Bertain, the Great Demon God, compelled the Origin Deity to march into the Abyss, Reid, being a trusted confidant of Bertain, was well-versed in the intricacies of the situation.
Indeed, Bertain had a brief conversation with Reid before his incursion into the Abyss.
Bertain informed Reid that the Blood Fiend clan remained nominally a part of the Star-Spawned Terror, a faction of their race.
When the Dark Phoenix and its legions of evilkind and alien beasts launched an assault on the Dark Star Region, he instructed Reid to provide tactical support, ensuring the Dark Phoenix didn't have an easy victory.
Yet, he also emphasized that should Reid find the situation untenable, he must decisively withdraw.
He assured Reid that even if the Dark Phoenix emerged victorious, claiming both the Dark Star Region and the Primal Blood Continent, it would not disturb the profound chill nor reach the core of the earth.
He was confident of returning unscathed from the Abyss before the Dark Phoenix's transformation.
When that time came, he would personally address the vexing issue of the Dark Phoenix.
Having grasped Bertain's intentions beforehand, Reid was prepared to engage in the conflict without risking everything for the Blood Fiend clan and the Root of the Solar Meridian.
Yet, Reid was unaware that in his absence, the Ashlands had swiftly fallen under new dominion.
That juvenile creature?
Reid was puzzled; he couldn't fathom the young beast growing rapidly enough to disrupt the link between the Root of the Solar Meridian and Grec's bloodline within the Ashlands.
His curiosity about the Ashlands piqued, he yearned to uncover the startling developments that had occurred there.
"Abbess, aside from our Sky Fiend Clan, will the pinnacle warriors from other tribes, like Cardo, Ballo, the Shadowkin, and the enchantress, join the fray?" Munch inquired with anticipation.
"The old patriarch has departed, and I lack the authority to command those individuals. Moreover, they and Grec previously resisted control and did not align with us as expected. Therefore, the only reinforcements you'll receive in the Dark Star Region are our fellow Sky Fiends. There will be no others," Reid responded somberly.
Munch's mouth turned down in a bitter grimace as he sighed, "Beyond the Dark Phoenix, there's the Moonfang Tiger in Kobran, the Untamed God of the Everlands, the newly risen Dark Deity Green Willow, and Yu Zhu, the Most High. Moreover, in the Infinite Galaxy, a multitude of ninth level alien beasts and a vast number of eighth level creatures are amassing."
"The periphery of the Dark Star is on the verge of being encircled by a joint force of alien beasts and evilkind."
"I've heard a dreadful rumor! It's said that the Dark Phoenix has discovered a way for ninth level beasts to break their bloodline's constraints and surge to the tenth level!"
As Munch relayed this, the faces of all the Blood Fiend clan members present turned exceedingly grim.
They were overwhelmed by an immense pressure!
The formidable Dark Phoenix, joined by three battle-hardened Dark Deities, including the Ape who had once instilled terror across the clans, and Yu Zhu, whose nature as demon or devil remained a mystery.
This power was already unspeakably fearsome, not to mention the numerous ninth level alien beasts in the extraterrestrial Star River.
If the rumors held true, and these ninth level beasts could undergo a transformation through the Dark Phoenix, potentially adding several tenth level beasts to their ranks, how would the Dark Star Region stand a chance?
"The Ancestor and Grec have reestablished their blood connection."
It was Ann Ziqing who broke the silence, her eyebrows lifting as she received a message through the Solar Meridian. "In the Ashlands, the Secular Bird Queen has vanquished her archenemy, the Chaos Serpent, and has returned to her domain with the reborn Uxthar Tree and Phoenix Ashes."
"The Secular Bird!" Reid responded with a slight jolt before nodding in agreement, "That is indeed good news."
"But we..."
Munch cleared his throat, about to mention how, in the past within the Dark Star, their Blood Fiend clan had banded together to hunt down Chen Qinghuang, leaving her gravely wounded and inexplicably broken free by Yu Yuan.
"You mean... No, it's he!"
High Priest Reid squinted, gazing at the deep red moon in the distance, and sighed, "The choices you've made have cost you dearly in terms of allies. Otherwise, Cardo, Ballo, the Abyssal Leviathan, and Boulderdawn might have joined the fray and lent their strength to resist the Dark Phoenix."
Munch and the others were at a loss for words, their faces etched with concern.
"If it weren't for your affiliation with the Blood Fiend, a branch of the Sky Fiend, even the old patriarch would have recognized you. The fate of Blood King Sabonis and the Shura is a testament to what awaits you!"
Reid snorted coldly, still resentful of the time the Shura and the Blood Fiend had attacked Ionodios without heeding orders.
The old patriarch had nodded in agreement, willing to adopt the strategies of the Skyreach Consortium and the Boulderdawn. Yet, there were those who harbored dissent and dared to defy him.
Now, the Blood Fiend and the Shura who opposed the old patriarch are reaping the consequences.
Serves them right!
...
Whoosh!
Yu Yuan, having unified his Lunar and Solar Spirits, stepped onto the Dragon Slaying Stage and suddenly appeared in Eiwrone.
The snow bear, sent ahead by him, let out a joyous howl upon his arrival.
The snow-white Dire Bear, restored to its massive size, stood alongside the Duskjaw, the Three-legged Golden Crow, and the Stormwraith. The Dire Bear and the Duskjaw appeared to recognize each other, displaying a surprising intimacy.
"You!"
Xuanli, aware of the truth, fixed Yu Yuan with an angry stare as soon as he appeared.
"Enough, let's not dwell on the past," Youyu said, furrowing his brow.
Awkwafina, an elderly woman from the Shadowkin, stood silently behind the Abyssal Greater Basilisk, disguised as an elder from the Silverscale Tribe.
She recognized that Yu Yuan before her was the dragon slayer who had once made the elite warriors of the Star River and other races wail in despair.
"The secular bird?"
The Abyssal Leviathan cleared his throat and spoke on behalf of the Lizard, eager to learn what had transpired on the unseen side of the Ashlands.
"She took the Phoenix Ashes and the Uthar Tree and has since left the Ashlands," Yu Yuan replied with a light smile.
The Abyssal Greater Basilisk looked crestfallen upon learning that both the Phoenix Ashes and the secular bird had vanished from the Ashlands, understanding that his plans would now be much harder to execute.
"How did you get it to agree?" pressed the Abyssal Leviathan.
"What choice did it have? To watch the Chronowyrm and the golden dragon perish before it? To see the dragonkin it summoned flayed by the Draconic Soul Shackle? Even without control over the Ashlands, it's not capable of stirring up much trouble anymore," Yu Yuan said, the corner of his mouth curling into a wry smile.
This statement was tantamount to announcing that the dominion over the Ashlands had changed hands.
Considering he managed to bypass the young creature's seal using the Dragon Slaying Stage and summon the Eiwrone, not to mention breaking free from the Everlands' rules and penetrating the Alien Planet, the Abyssal Leviathan had already surmised the truth. Now, he was merely acknowledging it.
"Could you do me the honor of letting me, the old lizard, and the others..." The Abyssal Leviathan gestured towards Jessica of the Silverscale Tribe, along with two other warriors, including Awkwafina of the Shadowkin, "depart the Ashlands in peace? I'm aware that with you in control of the Ashlands, armed with the young beast, two Dragon Gods of the tenth level, and Taixu, it's within your power."
He paused, casting a glance at the Eiwrone and letting out a heavy sigh before continuing, "With the Eiwrone, you could even summon Taishi from Boulderdawn and Tianqi from the Divine Soul Sect. I'm well aware that if you're set on killing us to nurture that young beast, escaping the Ashlands would be exceedingly difficult."
Unexpectedly, the Abyssal Greater Basilisk remained silent.
His companions, upon hearing the Abyssal Leviathan mention those names and considering their current predicament, also bowed their heads in silence.
"I have a proposition," Yu Yuan said with a smile, addressing the Duskjaw, Lizard, and the Stormwraith. "Without the Demon God Bertain's influence in the starry expanse, beings as vigorous as you are easily marked as targets. It could be the Dark Phoenix from the Everlands or the Solar Meridian backing the Blood Fiend."
"The Solar Meridian can manifest through any Blood Fiend, and the whereabouts of the Dark Phoenix are a mystery to all."
"My guess is the Dark Phoenix isn't rushing to the Dark Star, perhaps because it's searching for sustenance for another young beast. Are you certain you want to leave the Ashlands at this juncture?"
