C1852 Good Senior Brother Happy Year
Xueyin's statement sent shockwaves through the assembly of experts from beyond the heavens. They were all aware of the close relationship between Ann Wen, Ann Ziqing, and the Blood God Cult, fostered through their alliance with Yu Yuan. But with Ann Wen having fallen to the Demon Phoenix and Ann Ziqing defecting to the Blood Devil Clan, the Blood God Cult found itself rapidly sidelined. Without the support of Yu Yuan and the Divine Soul Sect, the cult would likely have been eradicated by the Demon Palace and various other powers by now.
The once-mighty Blood God Cult's sudden veneration of Yu Yuan as their deity was met with incredulity. Debates erupted among the crowd, with some suggesting that the Blood God Cult was desperately latching onto Yu Yuan as a lifeline, seeking his protection to ensure their survival in the vast expanse.
Accusations of shamelessness were hurled at Xueyin, who remained stoic in the face of such censure and scorn, responding only with reverence to Lin Daoke.
"Oh," was Lin Daoke's nonchalant reply.
He was privy to certain confidential details, having learned from the confrontation in the Oblivion Starfield that Yu Yuan had absorbed and assimilated the Yang Meridian, even revealing the expansive blood-red river. Given that the Blood God Cult's secret arts, much like those of the Blood Devil Clan, originated from the Yang Meridian now under Yu Yuan's control, their allegiance to him seemed justified.
"My lord has instructed that Sect Master Lin need only ensure that the Vast Expanse's boundary remains free from the Demon Phoenix's blood energy. Moreover, should a Sky Tiger Demon God or... a Beast God from beyond make an attempt to enter, we ask that Sect Master Lin intervene to prevent their passage," Xueyin stated, bowing his head.
"The Sky Tiger is one thing, but what of these Beast Gods from outside? Alien beasts peak at the Ninth Level Beast King; none could be deemed a Beast God," Lin Yu of the Profound Sky Sect remarked, puzzled.
"A Tenth Level alien beast is unprecedented. Surely, Yu Yuan is being overly cautious," added a member of the Primordial Yang Sect.
Xueyin offered no further explanation, while Lin Daoke gave a subtle nod of acknowledgment.
"Thank you for your efforts, Sect Master Lin."
With a respectful bow, Xueyin concluded his message and withdrew from the gathering.
He did not return to the Vast Expanse, nor did he wander through other starfields. Instead, from a secluded vantage point, he silently observed the Vast Expanse and Lin Daoke, who was deep in thought with furrowed brows.
He was aware that as long as he remained beyond the boundary of the Vast Expanse, Yu Yuan would be informed of everything that transpired.
He served as Yu Yuan's Eye of the Universe.
He even had a vague sense that Yu Yuan, situated in a distant and enigmatic forbidden zone, was currently watching Lin Daoke and the Vast Expanse through him.
...
Within the Vast Expanse.
Flying artifacts, bearing the realm's mightiest and most distinguished, arrived at the outskirts of the Great Swamp, casting anxious glances at the region sealed in crimson.
Yan Gui, the reigning emperor of the Silvermoon Empire, along with Yan Yu from the Yan family, and the patriarchs of the empire's major families, made their entrance aboard a gilded treasure ship.
They dared not venture further, but thanks to the Wind Chanter's message, they were privy to a disturbing development.
The deranged Demon Palace Sovereign sought to slay dragons in the Great Swamp, aiming to extract the vital blood energy from the bodies of mortals.
Insects within the Silvermoon Empire's domain, which had defied the Great Demons and Demonic Beasts of the Demon Palace, were inexplicably perishing, revealing to them the fearsome might of the Demon Phoenix.
Their fear was palpable.
Representatives from the Divine Might Empire and the Rainier Empire arrived on their massive sailing ships, trailing behind the Silvermoon Empire due to a delay in receiving the news.
"The Demon Palace Sovereign, two Dragon Gods, Zu Ann, Qin Luo, Mo Baichuan."
"And Yu Yuan!"
"Alas, they are all titans of the Vast Expanse. Why can't they show restraint? Even if they must engage in battle, they should abide by the rules and take it beyond the heavens!"
"Rules? What rules remain? Youyu's assault on Zhu Zhen, Yu Yuan's onslaught against Wai Zhuo, and the Demon Phoenix's strike on Master Yuwen—all occurred within the Vast Expanse!"
"Han Miaoyuan, having lost his grip on the Vast Expanse, is to blame for the current chaos."
"Let us hope this catastrophe can be quelled."
The powerhouses from the three empires were the first on the scene, soon joined by the anxious and hurried sect cultivators, all converging near the Great Swamp, each more tense than the last.
They feared that the Demon Phoenix, in its madness, would make good on its threats and obliterate all life in the Vast Expanse in an instant.
"The Demon Phoenix must be banished from the Vast Expanse!"
"The Demon Phoenix is the greatest abomination in the Vast Expanse!"
At some point, those nearly driven to madness by the Demon Phoenix's oppressive power directed their anger toward the creature, glaring furiously in the direction of the Demon Palace.
"The Hall Master truly has remarkable foresight."
At the Demon Palace, human experts like Xu Zixi, along with the demons who had taken human form and returned from various continents of the Vast Expanse, suddenly felt a wave of relief wash over them.
They had arrived not long before the space teleportation array in the Great Swamp malfunctioned, rendering them unable to teleport.
...
Deep within the Great Swamp.
Loong Jie condensed his massive form into a miniature Golden Dragon, launching an assault on the Demon Phoenix beneath the crimson sky.
Standing atop the Earth Flame Furnace, Mo Baichuan saw intense flames ignite wherever his gaze landed.
Wherever he looked, a fire capable of annihilating the heavens and the earth would blaze into existence and never extinguish.
Wielding a purple-golden spear and flapping his enormous wings, he faced off against the Demon Phoenix in midair with an air of grace.
Even the scales of the legendary Golden Dragon, said to be unbreakable, shattered under the thrusts of that spear.
However, Mo Baichuan's ultimate Earth Flame, which the Demon Phoenix's wings could not snuff out, greatly vexed her.
This was merely a fraction of the Demon Phoenix's strength, not the presence of her true form.
In the Great Swamp, sealed by the Dragon Slash Platform, Loong Jie and Mo Baichuan, fighting together, only managed to gain a slight advantage.
Zu Ann, wielding the Skywatch Mirror, refrained from engaging the Demon Phoenix directly, instead busily employing the mirror to restore the scattered might of three supreme beings.
Golden lightning, the blood-like luminescence from the Demon Phoenix's spear, and Mo Baichuan's flames—all that fell toward the earth was caught by Zu Ann with the mirror.
He tirelessly used the mirror to neutralize forces that could devastate the surface of the Great Swamp and seep into its depths.
Zu Ann utilized the Skywatch Mirror to shield the land from the cataclysmic effects of the Dragon Slash Platform, safeguarding the Great Swamp from irreversible damage that would compromise the future prospects of a supreme being.
Qin Luo of the Red Devil Sect, also a contender for supremacy, opted to remain a spectator. Whether his reluctance stemmed from Mo Baichuan's involvement in the conflict, an unwillingness to collaborate with the Primordial Yang Sect, or perhaps a fear of the Demon Phoenix's formidable presence, he simply stood by and observed.
Zhou Cangmin, reduced to mere skin and bones and manifesting as a Yang God, was forced to contain his animosity. At his current Unrestrained Stage, he was utterly powerless against the Demon Phoenix.
"In the Dark Wing Starfield, the battle rages on..."
The branches embedded in Zhong Chichen's prismatic dragon form contained segments that gleamed with a crimson hue akin to divine crystals. Filled with Yu Yuan's blood essence and consciousness, they allowed him glimpses of the fragmented scenes of combat.
The Demon Phoenix and the Secular Bird Queen continued their fierce skirmish within the Dark Wing Starfield. Contrary to expectations, the Secular Bird Queen had not perished. Each encounter between these two majestic Divine Birds unleashed cataclysmic forces, their clashes sending the Starfield into a state of violent turmoil.
With each contact, their bloodlines intermingled, wreaking havoc on the Starfield's energies. The Demon Phoenix, through her bloodline's clash with the Secular Bird Queen during their intimate combat, sensed the "Nest of Destruction" within Hao Xing and seized the opportunity to infiltrate it with her demonic powers.
The Demon Phoenix was well-acquainted with this realm, making it effortless for her to corrupt the "Nest of Destruction." However, her true objective was to locate the "Nest of Rebirth," secretly placed by the Secular Bird Queen in an enigmatic location. Her intent was to obliterate the "Nest of Rebirth," extinguishing any chance of the Secular Bird Queen's resurgence. But the nest remained elusive, well-concealed by the Queen and outside the Demon Phoenix's familiar territories.
"I can break free now."
Zhong Chichen's voice erupted in a resonant dragon's cry. Enduring agony, his desiccated, multicolored dragon form contorted, dislodging the intrusive branches. The Time Book within his maw unleashed its divine might, halting the flow of time within its immediate vicinity.
All the branches that formed the "Nest of Destruction," along with the powers of the Secular Bird Queen, the Demon Phoenix, and Yu Yuan, came to a sudden halt.
Zhong Chichen, who was in the midst of casting a spell, remained unaffected.
Crack!
Zhong Chichen, drenched in blood, pushed through his injuries and the branches tearing at his flesh, and finally escaped the deadly nest.
He instantly reverted to his human form, revealing a body riddled with dozens of bloody wounds.
While coughing up clots of blood, he shakily retrieved a bottle of pills and swallowed the pellets he had crafted during his time as the Sect Master of the Medicine God Sect.
With eyes threaded with blood, he gazed at Yu Yuan amidst the branches and whispered, "I'm taken aback. I never expected you would risk so much to save me."
"I saved you, my dear senior brother Zhong Chichen. If you had always been Zhong Chichen and not the Space-time Dragon, then I could always remain Hong Qi."
