C1740 The Mysterious Soulcapturing

The voice was velvety and rich, as intoxicating as fine wine, leaving listeners in a heady daze.

The will of the Root of the Lunar Meridian had been subdued by this individual, losing control over its branch.

Since he had located Wei Zhuo in the extraterrestrial realm, Yu Yuan and Zu Ann, along with Qin Luo, felt as though Wei Zhuo was already securely within their grasp.

Wei Zhuo, having merged with his primordial spirit and forged the essence of a divine seat, seemed on the verge of being stripped of it by this person.

Whoosh!

It wasn't just this branch of the Lunar Meridian, but even the ethereal river above Ionodios, manifested by the Starborn bloodline of Denise, that was overshadowed by the will hidden within the Lunar Meridian.

The Root of the Lunar Meridian, one of the oldest and most enigmatic entities in the cosmos, was surprisingly unable to contend with this individual.

Everyone was profoundly shaken.

"Mr. Lin, please wait for me a moment."

His voice traveled from the outer space of Ionodios to the Starway, allowing Lin Daoke to hear it distinctly.

All the inhabitants of Ionodios, those beyond the realm, and even onlookers from afar, heard this peculiar voice.

Lin Daoke looked up toward the source of the soft and mellow voice, his eyes showing a flicker of surprise before he nodded gently in agreement.

He immediately consented to the person's request.

Yue Mu, Van Heqing, and others quietly paled, their gazes fixed on the quivering figure of Denise and the bizarre misty star.

They were aware that the will of the Root of the Lunar Meridian was concealed within the Misty Muslin and that Denise had become a devotee of the Lunar Meridian.

Who could wrest a branch from the Lunar Meridian's grasp and transform it into a conduit for communication?

In the vastness of the Everlands, no one seemed capable. Not even the likes of Dark Phoenix or Tan Xiaotian possessed such power.

"Taishi has finally persuaded him."

Taixu, the God-King with the visage of a handsome youth, heard the strange, velvety voice and his eyes slowly brightened with delight.

Jiang Miaojie's eyes sparkled as she exclaimed, "He really carries himself with such grandeur!"

"He's currently the most powerful; it's only fitting that he has an air of authority," Taixu said with a smile.

"Soul-Capturing!"

"He is the most enigmatic Soul-Capturing God-King!"

"Despite my dealings with the Boulderdawn Sect, I've only ever known his name and have never laid eyes on the man himself!"

"Is he challenging Lin Daoke to a duel?"

In a shadowy recess of the Annihilation Nebula, several peak Otherkin warriors were utterly astonished.

They hadn't anticipated that right after Loong Jie's retreat, the most elusive Soul-Capturing God-King would overshadow the will of the Lunar Meridian and issue a challenge to Lin Daoke across the vastness of space.

Lin Daoke accepted the challenge without hesitation.

"Soul-Capturing..."

Yu Yuan, pondering deeply, stroked his chin as he gazed at the river that Youyu had forcibly retracted to the Dark Court, now a mix of clarity and murkiness.

He had learned from Youqian that Taishi had gone out of his way to visit the Boulderdawn's private domain to summon the mysterious Soul-Capturing.

Apparently, Soul-Capturing was reluctant to return to the Everlands and was not in favor of an alliance with the Chamber of Commerce.

This was precisely why he had remained unseen, not joining forces with Taishi early on like Tianqi and Taixu had.

Taixu had even stated explicitly that Soul-Capturing had forged a new sacred way, diverging from the traditional paths of the God-Kings.

Anyone who could reconstruct the sacred way and refine a primordial spirit in the Star River of the extraterrestrial realms was undoubtedly a genius.

Soul-Capturing had just demonstrated this fact.

His reach extended beyond the Root of the Lunar Meridian, and incredibly, he managed to overpower it, seizing control of the river right under Youyu's nose.

He then used the river as a conduit to convey his intentions precisely.

His plan was to first obliterate Wei Zhuo, strip him of his essence, and then proceed to challenge Lin Daoke in Ionodios!

"Incredible," remarked Zu Ann, holding the Mirror of Fates and stepping back as if he had detected a subtle clue. He marveled, "The techniques of this Soul-Capturing God-King seem to have outmatched the Root of the Lunar Meridian in the Everlands. He has claimed its extraterrestrial tendrils for himself."

"Claimed for himself?" Qin Luo was taken aback.

Yu Yuan abruptly turned his attention to Youyu.

After activating the Dark Court, Youyu, seated atop it, furrowed his brow and said, "Apart from Zekrica, it has two more hidden tributaries that are indeed connected to it."

"You can actually see it?"

Zu Ann was the recipient of those last words.

"Zu Ann! You?" Qin Luo exclaimed in surprise.

He had believed that Zu Ann could only observe the myriad human conditions from Skyreach Peak in the Everlands, only able to perceive the life and death of mortals. He assumed that once Zu Ann left the Everlands, he would lose this enigmatic ability.

Who would have guessed that Zu Ann, in the extraterrestrial Star River, could still perceive secrets that even the highest primordial spirits could not access?

"When luck is on my side, I can catch glimpses," Zu Ann replied evasively.

"It expects Boulderdawn to provide an explanation afterward," Youyu stated softly.

"Oh, then let it seek out Soul-Capturing," Yu Yuan said, the corner of his mouth curling slightly. He suddenly realized that the never-before-seen Soul-Capturing God-King might have the capacity to restrain the Lunar Meridian.

When the Root of the Lunar Meridian lost three tributaries and came under the influence of the Soul-Capturing God-King's will, there was an unmistakable sense of helplessness.

"Hmm!"

Zu Ann's eyebrows lifted as a drop of lifeblood coalesced on his fingertip, radiating a brilliant glow. He pressed it against the Mirror of Fates and commanded, "Open!"

In the Mirror of Fates, an image that only Zu Ann could discern flashed briefly.

Hua! Hua!

The Banner of Duality, held tightly by Han Miaoyuan, fluttered as if caught in a breeze. The human leader's face darkened abruptly.

Yu Yuan felt no particular sensation but sensed that something significant had occurred, even though it was beyond his perception.

"Wei Zhuo is dead."

Zu Ann looked away from the Mirror of Fates, his expression complex, and announced, "He perished at the threshold of the Starry Sky Forbidden Zone. The Thunder Pool he had been refining plunged into it upon his death, seemingly seized by something. His essence emerged only briefly before being stripped away and assimilated by another."

"The identity of that person eludes me, but it's likely Soul-Capturing."

There may be something not even Han Miaoyuan knows: any life or Otherkin that originates from the Everlands or bears its essence can be seen by Zu Ann through the Mirror of Fates, provided he's willing to pay a certain price. Lin Daoke, Tan Xiaotian, Loong Jie, Ji Ningshuang, Untamed, and others—no matter where they are in the cosmos, he could see them if they chose to dissolve their lifeblood.

For beings below the level of a Dark Deity, he doesn't need to expend his lifeblood; a bit more Soul Power and spiritual energy will suffice. This is the essence of his Way of Heaven. It's for this reason that he's aware of two hidden branches of the Lunar Meridian in the extraterrestrial realm, beyond Zekrica.

Only in places like the Ashlands, where the cosmic order surpasses his own, or in certain parts of the Starry Sky Forbidden Zone that are even more unique than the Everlands, is his vision obstructed.

Thus, he's unaware of the events that transpired with Yu Yuan, Youyu, and others in the Ashlands. However, he definitely sensed the demise of Wei Zhuo, who was intercepted and killed before he could enter the Starry Sky Forbidden Zone.

"Wei Zhuo is dead," Han Miaoyuan sighed deeply.

"If what Soul-Capturing said about the Primordial Spirit is true—that it requires the enhancement of the Origin to be complete and flawless—then..." Zu Ann pondered, his expression turning complex, "Tianqi might also need additional Origin support. The same goes for Taixu and Taishi's ascensions, which lack the backing of the Origin."

"What are you suggesting?" Yu Yuan inquired, intrigued.

"Your presence, along with your forcing Wei Zhuo out of the extraterrestrial realm, likely allowed the Stardust Blade to avoid a catastrophe. Otherwise, Ms. Ji might have been Soul-Capturing's first target," Zu Ann openly shared his concerns, laying out the facts. "From what I can tell, the God-Kings in Ionodios are probably waiting for a suitable Origin to emerge."

"Tan Xiaotian is a tough nut to crack. Loong Jie and Zhong Chichen have made it to the Ashlands, and with Zhong Chichen's mastery of space magic, he's not an easy mark. On the evilkind's side, all the living Dark Deities are under the protection of the supreme Dark Phoenix, and they've taken root in Kobran, making them equally challenging to eliminate."

"They were likely to be indecisive, and the most probable focus of their hesitation would be Ms. Ji."

"The fact that Wei Zhuo left presented them with an alternative, so I encouraged Wei Zhuo to seek refuge in the extraterrestrial world to avoid trouble. Unfortunately, that decision led Wei Zhuo down a path to his demise," Zu Ann admitted with a sense of guilt.

Yu Yuan felt a heavy weight in his chest.

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