C1753 The Curses That Filled the Sky

After Yu Yuan vanished, Cadorath's luminous avatar merged with the City of Light, settling into her grand throne within the main hall.

Whoosh!

Holding her staff, she arrived at the Platinum Square and gestured for Chen Liangquan and Canli to join her.

"Barol, Shehun has initiated combat with Lin Daoke. He even made a trip to the vast seas in search of Yin Meridians. What do you think his intentions are?" Cadorath, with her doll-like appearance, inquired.

"It's 'she'," Barol corrected.

"A female? Like me?" Cadorath was taken aback.

"Ah!"

Chen Liangquan and Canli were equally astonished by Barol's revelation. It was the first time they learned that the enigmatic Shehun was, in fact, a female Divine King.

"I don't get you two," Barol said, furrowing his brow as his gaze swept over Canli and Cadorath. "Both of you are women. Why is it so surprising that the Divine Soul Sect has a female Divine King? Isn't Rebecca of the Banshee Clan also female? The Demon Phoenix of the vast seas, oh, never mind, she doesn't count."

At the mention of the Demon Phoenix, everyone's expressions turned peculiar, particularly Cadorath's.

Long ago, she had encountered the Demon Phoenix of the vast seas. This shape-shifted being presented itself as a strikingly handsome human male, fond of purple attire and with alabaster skin, yet prone to volatile moods and sudden violence.

However, through conversations with Beilstein, Cadorath learned that, in an earlier era, the Demon Phoenix had taken the form of a human woman. The Demon Phoenix changed gender according to its whims and temperament.

"I've never met Shehun, but Lin Daoke... both of us have faced him before. We're all too aware of Lin Daoke's formidable strength," Barol said, his expression grave. By his tone, Lin Daoke was an insurmountable peak, the mere thought of whom caused him distress.

Cadorath nodded solemnly, her gaze dropping to the ground as she added, "Inside the City of Light, if Lin Daoke were to be the one sealed, I fear the entire city would crumble."

"Yes," Barol concurred.

In their eyes, Lin Daoke of the Sword Sect appeared to be an even more daunting adversary than Tan Xiaotian.

"Scoundrels!"

Tan Xiaotian's insult rang out timely, prompting Chen Liangquan and Canli to exchange awkward glances.

"It's just that the dark power I've mastered happens to be suppressed by this City of Light! You clueless hag, you have no idea how much blood, sweat, and tears the generations of Peak Warriors from the Bright Clan have poured into this city! This city is the nemesis of all dark beings!"

"Had it not been for the City of Light, but rather some other Starfield in this world, I would have broken free long ago!"

"Think about it, you two. In the Dark Domain of the Asura Clan, besides yourselves, there was also Sabonis. What could you possibly do to me?"

The Demon Lord's bellow was intentionally magnified a hundredfold, ensuring that not only Chen Liangquan and Canli heard it, but also the Bright Clan warriors in the nearby Starfield.

He expended extra energy just to spite Cadorath and Barol, aiming to tarnish their reputations.

All he sought was his own satisfaction.

"Keep cursing; you're still trapped in there," Cadorath said, her beautiful face icy.

Barol couldn't be bothered to engage with him, knowing that any attention would only fuel his excitement and make him more animated.

"Heh, we'll see about that! You and your lady just wait. Once I'm out of the City of Light, I'll see who dares to stand in my way!"

With those words, the darkness returned to silence.

...

The Great Swamp, Desolate Swamp.

Denise stood trembling in the nest left by the Secular Bird Queen, realizing that the Soul Divine King within her had vanished without a trace.

On her journey here, the enigmatic Lord Shehun would occasionally speak to her, offering guidance on what to do.

But upon reaching the Great Swamp, Shehun had completely disappeared, undetectable no matter how hard she tried.

"Who might you be?"

A guardian from the Babel Chamber of Commerce eyed her curiously, inquiring about her presence.

"I am from the Star Race; my name is Denise. I was in the Epitaxial Realm before. Due to certain events, I wish to travel to the Iridescent Cloud Miasma Sea," Denise explained, her grasp of the human tongue less than fluent.

"The Iridescent Cloud Miasma Sea? Star Race, Denise..." The man paused briefly before saying, "Please wait here for a moment. I'll inform our president and see if there are any directives from above."

The Star Race had amicable relations with the Divine Soul Sect and the Babel Chamber of Commerce. Even the Nine Stars Sage, Beru, had visited them, so their reputation preceded them, resulting in a very friendly reception.

"Alright." Denise waited patiently.

At the Ghost Wizard Sect, Xuanli, who tended to the Witch Bugs, suddenly received a command from the Yin Vein to go to the Desolate Swamp and fetch a Star Race girl named Denise.

And he was instructed to go in person!

"It's a hassle. Normally, I'd just send Lianjing for this kind of task, but now I have to go myself."

Despite his grumbling, Xuanli wouldn't dare ignore the Yin Vein's command. He quickly took care of his valley duties and made his way to the nearest space teleportation array.

...

In the Gray Domain, at the Heaven Opening Flare Star, the Dragon Slash Platform emerged from a deep cavern. Yu Yuan didn't spot the Chaos Roc or the Abyss Goanna, but through his soul bond with the platform, he knew they were elsewhere within the Gray Domain.

At the moment, only Jee Ningshuang was there, sitting in tranquility. She acknowledged Yu Yuan and Lau Ying's return with a subtle nod.

"Starfrost Sword! Sword Immortal Jee!"

Lau Ying, surprised to see her there, immediately looked uneasy.

Lee Sha had been slain by Lin Daoke in pursuit of a divine position for the Silver Moon Sect, but it was Jee Ningshuang who had ultimately secured it.

Moreover, this Great Sword Immortal, famed beyond the heavens, was also a master of the stellar mysteries.

Her presence seemed to overshadow Lau Ying's own prospects.

"I'll take you both to meet the ground beetles," Yu Yuan announced, gesturing for Jee Ningshuang to join them. Turning to Lau Ying, he reassured her, "I've met with Mr. Tan and have agreed to what I promised you. Don't worry, your master will be safe. A young ground beetle, inherently imbued with the essence of the stars, awaits us. Let's go."

"Ground beetle? I seem to recall hearing about that," Lau Ying said, her bright eyes shimmering with curiosity, though her face remained composed. "Is it meant for Elder Jee?"

"Elder..." Jee Ningshuang's brow furrowed slightly, detecting the deliberate provocation in the younger woman's tone.

She was insinuating that she was old!

"It's for you," Yu Yuan interjected.

Lau Ying's excitement was palpable. "For me? You want me to kill it? The ground beetle is an alien beast, isn't it? What rank does it hold? I remember my master mentioning it once, but I was dozing off at the time and didn't pay much attention."

"It's a juvenile Starry Behemoth!" Yu Yuan shot her a look, puzzled by her enthusiasm. "And no, I'm not asking you to kill it! It's part of the Gray Domain. Try to win its favor, see if you can tame it, and perhaps it will choose to befriend you."

"If it doesn't obey, I'll just kill it," Lau Ying retorted with a pout.

Before Yu Yuan could respond, Jee Ningshuang offered a mocking smile. "Such naivety, little girl. With your Yang God Stage abilities and that fragile Yang God of yours, you think you can hunt a Starry Behemoth?"

"Elder Brother Yu is with me, isn't he?" Lau Ying countered defiantly.

"Where is your actual body? I just remembered, you'd stand a chance only if your true self were here," Yu Yuan inquired.

"Of course, my true body is in the Vast Ocean, not at the Silver Moon Sect but at the Chamber of Commerce," Lau Ying replied as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "I haven't advanced to the Unrestrained Stage yet. The starry powers in the Gray Domain are quite oppressive, and I fear my true body wouldn't adjust well."

Human Unrestrained Stage cultivators face numerous restrictions within the Gray Domain, so what chance did she, a mere Yang God, have?

Upon reaching the Heaven Opening Flare Star, her Yang God form had already struggled against the starry forces, causing her spiritual and soul energies to circulate poorly.

She was aware of her limitations; her insufficiently robust physical form would only encounter greater hardships in the Gray Domain.

"Not entirely foolish," Jee Ningshuang commented icily.

"Heh, my master once said that if you hadn't harnessed the power of the stars to ascend to godhood first, it would have been me, Lau Ying, standing at the end of this Divine Road!"

"Your master is quite the storyteller," Jee Ningshuang chuckled softly, shaking her head. "The elder generation is well aware of this. Jun Chen's talent surpasses yours, and he was the one truly destined to reach the pinnacle of stellar power. Sadly, your Silver Moon Sect's foundation is lacking and doesn't hold a candle to our Sword Sect."

As the conversation turned to the depth of their respective sects' foundations, Lau Ying deflated, unable to muster a rebuttal.

Indeed, the Silver Moon Sect fell short when compared to the Sword Sect, especially regarding their peak warriors' strength, where there was a significant disparity.

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