C1762 The Demon Lord Returned!

In the extraterrestrial realm of the Luminous Planet, countless spatial blades of light cascaded down like a flurry of snowflakes upon the ever-shifting City of Light.

Hovering above Pei Yuling's head, the Mirror of the Infinite stood suspended high above the City of Light. From its reflective surface, a deluge of spatial blades emerged.

With each rip and sizzle, the void surrounding the City of Light was torn asunder, preventing the glow of nearby stars and the sun from piercing through the fragmented space to reach the city.

These spatial blades descended upon the grand City of Light, dissecting the light magic circles etched deep within the walls and stone slabs with surgical precision.

The arrays scattered throughout the city were warped by the spatial blades, revealing vulnerabilities in the light magic circles.

Simultaneously, Tan Xiaotian, having sensed the disturbance, burst into boisterous laughter. "Haha, you lovers probably never imagined that even I, Tan Xiaotian, would receive assistance, did you?"

"Human!"

"Pei Yuling!"

Ballo and Cardo's voices echoed from within the City of Light just as an eye, brimming with wisdom, coalesced within the depths of the Mirror of the Infinite above Pei Yuling.

The Rift Cutters, already active within the City of Light, seemed to gain an even more mystical quality from the gaze of this eye.

The light magic circle, a culmination of the Dawnbringers' mightiest efforts and forged from a wealth of divine metals and secret treasures, abruptly ceased its operation.

In an instant, the resplendent City of Light dimmed.

During that fleeting moment, a sea as dark as ink surged forth from the city.

This inky expanse swiftly took the form of Tan Xiaotian, his black hair cascading down and blending seamlessly with his Ebon Meditation Mat.

Surveying the ubiquitous space rifts and Pei Yuling, who chuckled dryly, Tan Xiaotian shook his head. "It's not you."

"It's me."

The eye within the Mirror of the Infinite uttered a single word to Tan Xiaotian, leaving the Demon Lord in a state of shock, followed by an acknowledging nod and laughter.

"Let's go!"

With a nonchalant dive, Tan Xiaotian vanished into a space rift.

Enveloped in the light from the Mirror of the Infinite, Pei Yuling also slipped away through another rift, departing from the scene.

The magic circle of light sprang back into action, its boundless radiance once again enveloping each micro-array, rapidly mending even the torn fabric of space.

The luminance of the sun, moon, and stars bathed the City of Light anew, as if all remained unchanged.

Yet every member of the Dawnbringers knew that Tan Xiaotian, long suppressed within the City of Light by external forces, had at last made his escape.

...

The Wraithlands, a region within the Starry Sky Forbidden Zone.

Han Miaoyuan, absent for some time, reappeared at the entrance to the Wraithlands, Banner of Duality in hand. He did not rush forward but waited, as if expecting something—or someone.

After a considerable wait, Han Miaoyuan greeted the unexpectedly arriving Youyu with a knowing smile, "I was certain you would come."

"Han Miaoyuan!"

The God of Ghosts, Youyu, was taken aback, not anticipating that Han Miaoyuan, the human leader, would be stationed at the Wraithlands' entrance he had so painstakingly located.

"If you could deduce that the Lunar Meridian originated from the Wraithlands, naturally, so could I."

Han Miaoyuan caressed his beard, seemingly unfazed by the turmoil in the Everlands, nor embarrassed by his strategic retreat. "Witnessing the Lunar Meridian's insurrection and the Soul-Capturing's arrival in the Everlands has justified my withdrawal. If I had stayed, the Soul-Capturing might have hesitated, delaying his emergence in the Everlands."

Youyu kept his silence.

"But you, you've caught me off guard," Han Miaoyuan continued with a chuckle, speaking as if to himself. "You, Youyu, ascended to the God of Ghosts with its help, yet you've been cautiously investigating it, even uncovering its source. Could it be that you've known for tens of thousands of years that it doesn't belong to the Everlands?"

Still, Youyu said nothing.

"No matter, it's not important anymore," Han Miaoyuan said, shaking his head and frowning. "Let's move on. I'm heading into the Wraithlands to uncover its origins and background. Moreover, the Everlands' cycle of soul reincarnation must not be disrupted by it. Should it fail, Youyu, you must be ready to step in!"

Youyu finally spoke, his voice icy, "For this, I have been preparing for tens of thousands of years."

Han Miaoyuan's eyes sparkled as he chuckled, "Nice one, Youyu!"

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Simultaneously, they plunged into a minuscule space rift and entered one of the Starry Sky Forbidden Zones, the Wraithlands.

The Wraithlands, the true homeland of the Lunar Meridian.

...

An unexpected visitor suddenly arrived on the Dragon Slaying Stage, which spanned the entirety of the Land of Terror.

"I've located the newly opened Sword Prison beyond our world."

Zu Ann hovered half a meter above the Dragon Slaying Stage as if he were an ancient sage stepping out from a celestial painting. Without the Mirror of Fates, he still knew clearly that deep underground, the Soul-Capturing and Lunar Meridian were engaged in a Soul Battle.

"That can be put on hold for now," Yu Yuan said with a smile.

He was confident that Lin Daoke and Soul-Capturing would face no mortal danger before their showdown in Ionodios.

"I understand," Zu Ann nodded, glancing at Cao Jiaze before adding, "I'm still uneasy about Han Miaoyuan. That old fox has never taken such a big hit in his life. He didn't give you his all in battle and vanished without a trace. I suspect he's up to no good behind the scenes."

"If he doesn't show himself, there's no point in us worrying," Yu Yuan remarked.

As they conversed, Cao Jiaze from the Ebon Star Sect interjected with an embarrassed look, "Hey, hey, hey, can you not talk about my sect master like that in front of me?"

"He's committed plenty of misdeeds," Zu Ann retorted with a cold huff.

"He did it for the sake of the Everlands!" Cao Jiaze argued.

"Perhaps not," Zu Ann countered, shaking his head.

At that moment, the Mirror of Fates atop Skyreach Peak flared with an unusual glow, as if it had detected a trace of something.

"He's finally shown himself!"

Zu Ann's spirits soared. With a mere thought, the images of Han Miaoyuan and Youyu, captured by the Mirror of Fates, flooded his mind.

"Han Miaoyuan and Youyu have both arrived at the entrance to the Wraithlands. After a brief conversation, they set off into the Wraithlands together!"

Zu Ann didn't shy away from discussing matters in front of Cao Jiaze, nor did he consider the sentiments of the three great Ghost Kings, Razses, Luo Yue, and Taruer. Puzzled, he remarked, "The Wraithlands appear to be the actual source of the Root of the Lunar Meridian. Han Miaoyuan seems eager for the Boulderdawn sect to address the Lunar Meridian issue, hoping to eradicate this hidden danger once and for all."

"Wraithlands!" The three Ghost Kings shuddered at the mention of the term, which seemed to exert a mysterious pull on them. It also appeared to bind them in some way, stirring both excitement and fear in their ghostly spirits.

They were clueless about the reason, yet it felt as though they had always known these words. "It looks like the Root of the Lunar Meridian has imprinted something about this term deep within your souls," Zu Ann deduced after observing the Ghost Kings. He then asked Yu Yuan, "After her battle with the Lunar Meridian, who will hold the reins of power over the reincarnation of souls in the Everlands?"

"Youyu," Yu Yuan responded.

Zu Ann sighed in relief and nodded emphatically, "It should be Youyu! Even though she's part of your Boulderdawn, I'm not entirely comfortable with her overseeing the grand authority of soul reincarnation."

"She won't often be in the Everlands," Yu Yuan assured him.

"That's a relief!" Zu Ann felt increasingly at ease, seemingly worried that Soul-Capturing, if victorious, would lurk in the depths below, meddling with the souls' Path of Reincarnation in the Everlands.

"Demon Lord!" Zu Ann's face turned pale as he looked towards the Devil Palace in astonishment. A thick darkness, impenetrable and vast, seemed to engulf the northern expanse of the Land of Quiescence.

Tan Xiaotian had returned!

Before Han Miaoyuan departed the Everlands for an extraterrestrial battle with Yu Yuan, he had left Zu Ann with a foreboding message: Should Lin Daoke or Tan Xiaotian return, Zu Ann's divine status would be shattered.

"It's happening faster than I anticipated."

Yu Yuan turned his head toward the north, a slight frown creasing his brow as he murmured, "Space magic is surging in the darkness. Tan Xiaotian shouldn't have any dealings with space magic, so where is this growing force coming from?"

With this thought, he glimpsed an eye taking shape within the shadows through the Dragon Slaying Stage.

"..."