C173 Activate the Formation!!

The walls of the Soulforge Pool were etched with numerous sword scars, emanating a dark luminescence reminiscent of a swift-moving stream. A mysterious transformation was unfolding quietly!

The once dry Soulforge Pool now seemed to be filling with Soul Power at its very bottom. The Soul Power was initially so faint it was nearly imperceptible.

Yet, anyone with a cultivation level of Subtlety and a condensed spiritual sense could acutely detect the changes occurring at the pool's depths.

Lee Yuchan, who had been unceremoniously reprimanded by Yu Yuan without a shred of courtesy, stared in astonishment at the pool beneath her feet, then shot a fierce glance at Yu Yuan. In that moment, she realized the source of Yu Yuan's confidence.

The Soulforge Pool was once again brimming with Soul Power, signaling that the ancient and formidable Soulforge Matrix of the Boulderdawn sect was about to be activated anew.

Yu Yuan, having earned the sword spirit's approval, was now capable of manipulating the world's sacred prohibitions!

The Sky Fiend Indigo Wraith, the Terra Fiend White Walker, and even the Stormcrowned Emperor harbored deep apprehensions about these world constraints.

What of the others present?

"Yu Yuan, I truly had no choice!" Lee Yuchan, upon her epiphany, swiftly conceded. As she leapt from the Soulforge Pool, she didn't forget to justify her actions, "If there were any way to rescue you, I would not stand by idly! Moreover, the Duan family has assured me that due to your ties with the Ruby Hand, they will not take your life!"

Yu Yuan turned a deaf ear to her pleas.

"Never mind, I just hope you can understand my predicament!" Lee Yuchan's figure departed from the Soulforge Pool, adding, "Since you're here, I'll go find Lee Yu. I'll look after your sister Yu Feifei, Zhao Yafu, and the rest of the Asvetaesi residents."

With that, she took her leave, realizing that Yu Yuan harbored resentment towards her, and that her insistence on staying would only lead to mutual displeasure.

Once the Heaven and Earth Restrictions manifested again, Yu Yuan, ensconced within the Soulforge Pool, would be as if endowed with divine assistance.

Whether it was the Duan brothers, Qin Yun, or the archdemons, it seemed unlikely that any could contend with him.

In the near future, the Soulforge Pool was destined to become a blood-soaked battleground within the Moonfall Sanctuary!

And Yu Yuan was bound to be the protagonist!

"Uncle Tianxi, how are you?"

Duan Guanlan wiped the blood from his face as he stumbled over to where the crimson big bell stood, calling out to Duan Tianxi.

The surface of the crimson big bell still sparkled with embers, and a fierce ancient sword's will was tearing at the power within.

The fire clouds dimmed like dying stars.

Duan Tianxi sat beside the bell, his eyelids quivering, his face twisted in anguish as he lamented, "We've really taken a heavy hit this time."

The sword lights and sword's will that burst forth from the earth far surpassed those of the fallen warriors from the Crimson Sun Empire.

Each sword light and sword's will, born from the hidden depths of the forbidden area, was imbued with the profound mysteries of swordsmanship and seemed to possess a life of its own, weaving around the bell, wreaking havoc on the arcane circle etched inside.

The big bell was not crafted by Duan Tianxi but was a legacy of the Flame Demon.

Naturally, it wasn't among the two or three items the Flame Demon possessed before its demise.

Those items had long since become the Ruby Hand's most treasured relics, kept under lock and key.

The great bell was an artifact commissioned by the Flame Demon during his Spirit Walk phase.

Once he advanced to the Solar Spirit stage, the bell no longer served him, so he stowed it away in secrecy, decreeing it be left for the Duan family's descendants. After changing hands over time, it eventually came into Duan Tianxi's possession.

This bell was among the top earthly-tier artifacts, a rarity on the Aetherius Continent!

Yet, against the relentless assault of the earthly sword's will, the magic diagram within the bell was being systematically destroyed.

The great bell was bound to fall in rank.

Duan Tianxi, once a formidable Lunar Spirit of the Flame Deity, had been grievously wounded by the sword light.

But even as a Lunar Spirit, within the Moonfall Sanctuary, he had withstood such fierce sword's will without being utterly destroyed, all thanks to the profound Flame Demon spell he had mastered.

"Who exactly is Yu Yuan?"

Duan Guanlan's spirit quivered with trepidation. The loss of the "Cursemark" had nearly shattered his nerve. "Even the ancient Moonfiend was critically wounded by that spell, nearly meeting its end. That spell seemed to resonate with our sect's sacred grounds! Yu Yuan was merely at the Soul Awakening stage, with nothing particularly remarkable about him at the time. How on earth did he manage to obliterate the Cursemark?"

He just couldn't make sense of it.

Duan Tianxi let out a sigh, his tone laced with defeat. "The state preceptor's plans have gone awry. Not even he could have predicted the emergence of Yu Yuan in the Moonfall Sanctuary. Those we've slain, agents of the Crimson Sun Empire, were covertly investigating our Duan family, suspecting our connections to the sect."

"Before their arrival, the state preceptor had already tampered with the emblem he gave us. It was simple to keep them in check."

"It was easier than expected to eliminate them. Qin Yun posed no threat, and with Lee Yuchan persuaded, we never anticipated Yu Yuan's sudden appearance!"

Their conversation unfolded openly, with no attempt to conceal it from Qin Yun.

Qin Yun, the sect master of Midnightshields, stood at the brink of the Soulforge Pool, gazing into its depths. Through his Lunar Spirit, he detected the flow of ink-colored Soul Power seeping from the sword scars on the pool's walls, streaming steadily into the Soulforge Pool.

Yu Yuan sat tranquilly at one corner of the pool, seemingly purifying his heaven soul, awaiting the full activation of the matrix. The sword radiance and sword scars hidden beneath the earth appeared freshly awakened.

Above, the deep clouds had not yet begun to spawn lightning. The sky remained clear, the Soulforge Matrix not yet unfurled to obscure the heavens and plunge this realm into darkness.

"I never imagined the state preceptor would silently back the Duan family despite knowing of our ties to the Ruby Hand," Qin Yun mused, casting a sidelong glance at Duan Tianxi and Duan Guanlan. "State preceptor..."

In that instant, he felt as if a gaze had settled upon him. Qin Yun looked up sharply.

Thick clouds had gathered directly overhead, as if deliberately positioned there. He recalled a recent attempt to send a wisp of his remnant soul skyward, only to be thwarted.

"State preceptor!" A revelation struck him, his expression morphing into one of shock and awe.

"Mr. Qin, you've finally grasped the truth," Duan Tianxi spoke, shifting his attention from the crimson big bell to Qin Yun. "The state preceptor has been overseeing our struggle from above all along. You should realize he's allied with us, and with his support, we have nothing to fear."

"I understand," Qin Yun said, his face etched with bitterness.

Thick clouds drifted overhead, ominously beginning to descend. Suddenly, a thunderclap erupted from the depths of the void. Lightning flashed and thunder roared above, as massive bolts resembling serpentine giant dragons appeared to streak across the sky from the Star River, drawn by some celestial lightning pool.

With the emergence of the lightning, innumerable bizarre lines materialized out of nothingness and coalesced. It was as though a lid was being placed atop the firmament, with thick clouds eerily taking shape.

The state preceptor of the Crimson Sun Empire, caught in the descending mass of clouds, shot upwards in alarm. It seemed he dared not let himself fall into the Moonfall Sanctuary at that moment, lest he be engulfed by the Soulforge Matrix.

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