C1788 Suspicions

In the Annihilation Nebula, within Ionodios, Lin Daoke sat motionless on the Starway, his eyes closed, never to open again.

Van Heqing, Yue Mu, and other Grand Sword Immortals were scattered around him, occasionally engaging in brief conversations with newcomers teleporting in from the outside world, sharing updates on the situations in the Everlands and beyond.

Lin Daoke alone seemed utterly detached from worldly concerns, as if he were merely waiting for the inevitable Soul-Capturing.

Nothing seemed to draw his interest, not since the battles among the mightiest had ceased. His once dormant heart now stirred with the faintest of ripples.

With a whoosh, two figures who had traveled from the far-off Everlands via Greenshadow materialized at the Starway.

Yue Mu greeted them with a beaming smile, "Hey, isn't that Jun Chen, the chamber of commerce's premier counselor? And Feng Zhong, what brings you here?"

Jun Chen and Feng Zhong had arrived at the Starway, a point of no return.

Jun Chen, casting a cold glance at the Grand Sword Immortals of the Sword Sect seated in silence, flew off without uttering a word.

He headed towards Taixu the God-King and Jiang Miaojie.

His father, Duan Yisheng, had been imprisoned, and these Grand Sword Immortals had played their part. Were it not for Lin Daoke's presence, Jun Chen might have unsheathed his sword on the spot.

"Jun Chen, remember the rules of Ionodios: once you arrive, there's no leaving. I must warn you earnestly, don't cause trouble or violate the rules our Sword Sect has established," Yue Mu called out to his retreating figure.

Jun Chen ignored him completely.

Feng Zhong, sporting a goatee and a sleazy grin, warmly greeted each Grand Sword Immortal, "Hi, Old Van, it's been too long. Didn't I look after you well when you were overseeing the Sundering Isles for the Sword Sect? It's true what they say, the human heart is inscrutable! I even went out of my way to gather numerous rare magic items for you."

"Little Qing Momo, was it through the Chamber of Commerce that you acquired the core material for your Frostflower Blade?"

"And Xue Jiu, why the long face? Do I owe you money? Seven hundred years ago, you suffered a grievous injury beyond our world, and your Solar Spirit was shattered. Wasn't it us who secured the healing pill for you from the Order of Healing?"

"Tsk tsk, you lot are so fixated on Han Miaoyuan's words. You're all so stubborn."

Feng Zhong, once the leader of the Windspeakers, recounted the favors the Grand Sword Immortals had received from the Chamber of Commerce.

The Grand Sword Immortals he called out wore awkward expressions and avoided his gaze.

Van Heqing sighed, resigned, and stood up. He gave a respectful bow to Feng Zhong and said, "Let's agree to disagree. There's no need to dredge up the past. Back in the Sundering Isles, when your Chamber of Commerce faced challenges and someone dared to flout your rules on the Celestial Isle, I didn't hesitate to draw my sword in your defense."

"Let's drop the subject," Feng Zhong said with a dismissive wave of his hand, displaying a generous spirit. "I didn't come to Ionodios with plans to leave; I'm here to deliver some news to you all."

He proceeded to reveal that the Lunar Meridian in the Land of Terror had been subdued and that the soul of the Origin Deity had been consumed by Jihui's Wraithbanner.

He also spoke of the alliance between Tan Xiaotian and Jihui, the surge of the Voodoo Shade, and Ji Ningshuang's decisive action with her sword.

As he shared these updates, Jun Chen had made his way to Taixu, Youqian, Indigo Wraith, and Jiang Miaojie, briefing them on the latest developments in the Everlands.

"Han has vanished, Tan Xiaotian is increasingly aligning with the Abyss, and Jihui now controls the Origin Realm, even forging a new gateway. You all might want to rethink where you stand," Feng Zhong said to Van Heqing and Yue Mu, though his gaze remained fixed on Lin Daoke, aware that the Grand Sword Immortals took their cues from him.

Yet Lin Daoke remained still, eyes closed, signaling that he had not altered his stance.

"Ji Ningshuang has certainly lived up to our expectations!"

"Frankly, she embodies the Sword Sect's exceptional qualities far more than Old Gu ever did. Old Gu was just too afraid to risk his life. The less willing he was to fight, the quicker he met his end!"

"The grace of the Stardust Blade is truly awe-inspiring! I should make a trip back to the Everlands to witness her vanquish the Voodoo Shades!"

The Grand Sword Immortals gathered there shamelessly showered Ji Ningshuang with praise, yet they refrained from mentioning anyone else.

Feng Zhong didn't bother with idle chatter. He understood that Lin Daoke, having listened to the tale, remained unmoved, steadfast in his convictions.

Feng Zhong knew better than to try to sway Lin Daoke's firm stance. Not wanting to expend any more effort, he promptly took his leave from the Starway.

"All is well."

The refined Taixu God-King let out a light chuckle in response to Jun Chen's remarks.

"Yu Yuan truly is full of surprises!" Jiang Miaojie exclaimed with sparkling eyes to Taixu beside her, "How did the venerable Elder Jihui from the older generation come to heed his advice and depart with the Wraithbanner and the newly constructed Origin Gate?"

Taixu reflected for a moment before responding earnestly, "Out of respect."

"Respect?"

Aside from those in the know like Youqian, this revelation left the Boulderdawn's elders and youth, along with the ninth-level warriors of various races, thoroughly bewildered.

In that moment, the Sky Fiend Youqian's form trembled as he gently ascended.

Without departing from the boundary of Ionodios, he gazed towards Zekrica, which shared the same Astral Domain.

Following his lead, those who were either native to Ionodios or had arrived via teleportation began to take notice of Zekrica.

...

In Zekrica, a congregation of formidable individuals stood at the mouth of a cavernous pit leading to an underground stream of the Lunar Meridian. Among them were Beru, Starchild Leo, Gheirat, Brie of the Shadowkin, enchantress Rebecca, and other powerful beings from various Otherkin.

All eyes were fixed on the entrance to the cave.

A brilliant purple beam erupted from within, with countless luminous strands weaving what seemed to be Mind Magic throughout the light. Eerie sounds that resonated with the soul emanated from the beam, casting a solemn air over the assembled experts.

Their souls seemed ensnared by the sound and the pillar of light, yearning to break free from their corporeal forms and submit to the light's dominion.

"Soul-Capturing!"

"It's the esteemed Soul-Capturing!"

"This presence feels like the supreme essence of the Everlands, forging a divine throne!"

"No, it's not just forging; it must have been successful!"

The crowd buzzed with speculation, their eyes fixed on the cave where the anomaly appeared, sensing an external force pouring in from another dimension.

It was channeling into the depths beneath Zekrica!

Beru approached the mouth of the cave, watching intently as he glimpsed a graceful purple phantom slowly solidifying into reality.

As if veins and sinew were being channeled from another pathway into the Lunar Meridian below, culminating in a mysterious ritual of embodiment.

The Starfallen Oracle, Beru, marveled in astonishment. He suddenly grew concerned for Denise, wondering if her essence might be mingled within the flesh and bones below.

"She gambled correctly, reaping immense rewards from the Everlands. Now, Yu Yuan has taken her to the Ashlands. By my calculations, she should have encountered the Starpierced Armor by now, luckier than all of you."

The rich, velvety voice of Soul-Capturing echoed from the depths of the cave, clearly perceiving Beru's thoughts.

"Ah!"

Gheirat exclaimed with joy, promptly kneeling on one knee and placing his hand over his heart, "I am grateful for your benevolence!"

"She has earned it. Her courage to venture with me into the Everlands warrants such a bounty." As the Soul-Capturing Body coalesced, all beings within Zekrica seemed to transform into her eyes, her soul's consciousness extending to encompass this world and the neighboring cosmos.

Thus, she beheld the Grand Sword Immortal, Taixu, and others in Ionodios.

"Sword Sect, Lin Daoke!"

Her distinct soul vibrations radiated from the enigmatic Zekrica, clear to those privileged to probe with their souls.

Anyone within the Annihilation Nebula, capable of sensing Zekrica with their soul, could hear her words at this very moment.

She would immediately know that after her successful Consolidation, she would emerge from the subterranean cavern.

Then, she would make her way to Ionodios to challenge Lin Daoke.

This world-shaking battle, closely monitored by the mightiest from every corner of the Star River, was on the verge of commencing.

...

Whoosh!

The Eiwrone gradually came to a halt.

Not far off, clusters of cosmic energy swirled into vortex storms, pulsing slowly, filled with a terrifying strange power capable of annihilating all life.

The pale-golden Tyria was intermittently visible within these swirling storms.

Thirty-six massive vortex storms were expelling vast psionic power outward, constantly shifting their positions, making the pale-golden Tyria appear almost unanchored.

"It's here!"

In a flash, Yu Yuan's figure appeared, piloting the Dragon Slaying Stage, instantly moving from Tyria to this location.

Standing on the Eiwrone, he gazed upon Tyria, shrouded by thirty-six whirlpools, occasionally bathed in divine light, and felt the seemingly boundless energy erupting forth.

He mused, "I'm truly curious about the source of these thirty-six whirlwinds' energy."

The cosmic energy in the Ashlands was more potent than any Star River he had visited, yet it was also more chaotic and diverse.

This was due to the thirty-six whirlwinds continuously siphoning energy from beyond, funneling it into this realm before dispersing it.

It spread across the entire Ashlands!

Naturally, Tyria was the most cherished, receiving more cosmic energy than any other celestial body in the Ashlands.

The little spinosaurus lay dormant in the deep sea, and this was precisely why Zhong Chichen and Loong Jie had brought over the ninth and eighth level giant dragons.

"The boundary!"

A thought from the little spinosaurus surfaced in Yu Yuan's mind, "A portion of the cosmic energy is being drawn from the fringes of this world into the Ashlands. Some of the energy is so peculiar that despite my efforts, I still haven't deciphered its origin."

The special bond between the little spinosaurus and him would persist unless one of them decisively severed it.

When it plotted against the Secular Bird Queen, it deliberately concealed itself, preventing Yu Yuan from detecting its movements and severing the blood tie that linked them.

At that moment, it seemed to have perceived Yu Yuan's confusion and proactively offered its answer.

Yu Yuan raised an eyebrow, "The border!"

Involuntarily, his thoughts turned to the boundary he had once encountered alongside Taishi and Taixu. That realm was eerily quiet and frigid, with the cosmic energy so sparse that it was inhospitable to advanced intelligent species.

The ruins of stars and palaces within the Domain suggested that a fierce battle had once raged there.

Could it be that, in the beginning, the peripheral areas of this world were uniformly infused with the same dense cosmic energy found elsewhere?

Was it because of the Ashlands, the Old Titan Spinosaurus, and those thirty-six massive vortex storms?

"I told you, only a portion originates from the border!" the little spinosaurus insisted.

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