C1759 The Demon Lord Was Unrivaled!

The conflict extended far beyond the Land of Terror. Every ghost originating from that dread realm, regardless of their location in the vast Everlands, felt an uncontrollable pull. They were compelled to converge on the Land of Terror, whether it be the Rainbow Ocean or the domains of the Bloodbrawlers, urgency driving their spectral forms.

The bright daylight was abruptly obscured by a grey veil, the result of some mysterious rule's influence, transforming day into night in an instant. This eerie occurrence, which should have been witnessed in broad daylight, was hidden from the eyes of the living as the ghosts moved stealthily under the cover of darkness.

The common folk of the great empires were oblivious to these happenings. Ancestral tablets in family shrines inexplicably shattered, cemeteries echoed with mournful cries, and ancient battlefields were filled with the roars of restless spirits. Spectres and Celestial Shades, having grown in power within the Land of Terror, now roamed the mortal realm, seeking out oddities in graveyards thick with Yin Qi and collecting the souls of warriors on battlefields littered with countless bones.

Some ghosts, neither aggressive nor covetous, stood vigil in the family shrines they frequented before death, protecting their descendants. Yet, marked by the Land of Terror and branded by the Lunar Meridian, they were powerless to resist the summons. When the Lunar Meridian called, they had no choice but to heed, regardless of their desires, and were drawn into the fray without a chance to negotiate.

At that moment, the ghosts scattered throughout the Everlands took flight. Cultivators who had attained the level of Lunar Spirit could see the abnormal stirrings of these spirits and knew immediately that a significant upheaval must be occurring in the Land of Terror. Such abnormal behavior among the ghosts was otherwise inexplicable.

Boom!

Yu Yuan jolted violently on the Dragon Slaying Stage. Cao Jiaze, standing close by within a palace formed by the Mark of the Celestials, fared even worse, nearly half-ejected from his position. A burst of divine light from within the palace ensnared him, pulling him back to safety.

"Shadow Moon Essence!" Cao Jiaze exclaimed, as beads of luminous Shadow Moon Essence separated from his body, scattering across the palace floor and taking flight as if endowed with spiritual wisdom.

"Hehe, just as I thought."

Yu Yuan shrugged his shoulders as the Shadow Moon Essence burst forth from the acupoints in his chest.

At that moment, the Shadow Moon Essence weighed heavily, like countless glimmering miniature worlds. He and Cao Jiaze had nearly been dragged into the Land of Terror by the Shadow Moon Essence within them.

The Shadow Moon Essence from the Land of Terror could be reclaimed by the Root of the Lunar Meridian when it mattered most.

It could also transform into the blade and eyes of the Root of the Lunar Meridian.

"It can convey its will through the Shadow Moon Essence! No wonder I was blindsided by it at the Ebon Star, with no forewarning." Cao Jiaze looked troubled as he spoke, taking out the pill that resembled a copper bead and placing it in his palm.

The soul-annihilating power of the Soulsear Bolt was clearly visible within the pill. Sensing that something was amiss and fearing that the Shadow Moon Essence might be exploited by the Lunar Meridian once again, he prepared himself.

"It doesn't matter what it was used for before; it's of no use to me now, and I dare not use it," he declared.

Yu Yuan chuckled and called forth the Titanblade. With a flick of his wrist, he unleashed a flurry of crimson sword light, grinding the remaining Shadow Moon Essence within him to dust.

The pulverized Shadow Moon Essence turned into silvery-white powder, drifting like sand toward the Land of Terror before seamlessly blending into the silver-gray misty barrier below.

Narrowing his eyes, he observed countless ghosts and spirits lurking in the depths of the River Styx.

Luo Yue, Taruer, Razses, and the other formidable Spectres, Celestial Shades, and ghosts were all anchored to the River Styx that had once fostered their growth and strength.

Stripped of their freedom, they had become the manifestation of the Lunar Meridian's will, assaulting Denise's blood droplets.

More precisely, they targeted the Soul Power within Denise's blood that belonged to Soul-Capturing.

The moment Soul-Capturing penetrated the deep pool representing the Root of the Lunar Meridian, the battle erupted. To counter Soul-Capturing, the Lunar Meridian had to focus all the power it could muster.

Beyond the ghost spirits, Xuanli, Yuan Qingxi, and Lianjing of the Bloodbrawlers had all detected its intent.

"Head to the Rainbow Ocean, take the underground passage to the subterranean world, and make for the Seven-Colored Lake!"

At Xuanli's command, the Bloodbrawlers' cultivators set off en masse toward the Rainbow Ocean, aiming to access the underground through the passage and ally with the Terra Fiends at the Seven-Colored Lake.

Boom!

Suddenly, a misty pillar of Soul Power, aglow with silver-white brilliance, erupted from the summit of Shadow Mountain, refined by Youyu in the Land of Terror, like a reverse waterfall.

Within this pillar, countless soul visages could be seen, including the likenesses of various influential figures from the Everlands' ancient and modern times.

With unstoppable momentum, it pierced the clouds above the Land of Terror and sped toward the Everlands' wall, seemingly intent on breaking free from the Everlands.

The appearance of the Soul Power pillar in the high skies of the Everlands sent a profound tremor through the souls of all the mighty beings.

They had the vague sensation that traces of their existence and segments of their life stories had been etched onto the Soul Power pillar, secretly imprinted by someone.

"Don't let this pillar break through the Everlands," the Soul-Capturing voice resonated directly within Yu Yuan's Mindscape. "Once the pillar emerges outside the wall, into the extraterrestrial Star River, it will be able to communicate with Youyu and Yu Zhu, issuing direct commands to those two supreme beings. I have already seized all three of its branches in the extraterrestrial Star River. Its internal soul magnetic force is under my control, so it can only use the Soul Pillar to send messages to those two within the Star River."

"As long as Youyu and Yu Zhu don't receive the message, they won't return to the Everlands or join this battle."

"Even if they guess what's happening, they can choose to ignore it—as long as the Soul Power pillar doesn't breach the wall."

"If you wish to leave Youyu and Yu Zhu some room to maneuver, then suppress this pillar!" Soul-Capturing spoke with a calm urgency.

Yu Yuan, initially content to be a spectator, made the decision to heed her advice without much hesitation.

"My apologies."

In an instant, the Dragon Slaying Stage materialized above the Nine Heavens. The silver-white platform expanded dramatically, transforming into a landmass floating high above the Nine Heavens.

Boom!

The pillar of Soul Power that had erupted from the Land of Terror, stunning and shocking all who witnessed it, collided with the Dragon Slaying Stage, only to be halted by the force of another realm.

Sizzle! Sizzle!

As the Soul Power pillar made contact with the Dragon Slaying Stage, a myriad of vile and tainted psionic powers associated with reincarnation and soul cleansing began to infiltrate the stage.

"Hehe."

Yu Yuan's sinister grin spread across his face as his real body descended into the inner world of the Dragon Slaying Stage. He watched as the arcane secrets of the soul he had gleaned from the Lunar Meridian were assimilated by this peculiar microcosm.

The Dragon Slaying Stage effortlessly consumed all the encroaching forces!

"Times have changed. The transactions I conducted in your world are long concluded. I've kept my word and aided White Bone in achieving divinity. In return, you gave me the Shadow Moon Essence. Yet, it seems your Shadow Moon Essence has always been lurking in the shadows, spying on me."

"Moreover, to think that the Shadow Moon Essence could be used as a pawn by you at a pivotal moment!"

"You never harbored good intentions, did you? From the start, you planned to betray me, waiting for the right moment to strike."

"Sadly for you, my ascent in strength was too swift, swifter than you could have anticipated."

Yu Yuan's gaze grew icy, "For some reason, as my realm advanced and my sealed memories resurfaced, my perception of you soured."

"It appears I never liked you much before."

With these words, Yu Yuan exited the Dragon Slaying Stage and began to relentlessly wield his sword against the weakening Soul Power pillar.

Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!

Rivers of sword light, imbued with the intent of the Nine Celestial Slashes, struck the Soul Power pillar, sparking an infinite cascade of silver lightning.

The Soul Power pillar crumbled piece by piece!

Once again, countless eyes were fixed on Yu Yuan, observing his divine presence high above the heavens as he cleaved through the Soul Power pillar, the embodiment of the Lunar Meridian's will.

His poise was unmatched.

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