C1854 He Could Not Turn Back

The long spear cleaved through the heavens, and the Demon Phoenix's chilling shriek lingered like a persistent shadow over everyone's hearts.

A sense of heaviness and oppression weighed on them as they gazed at the spot where the Demon Phoenix had vanished, finding themselves at a loss for words.

The Unrestrained Stage and Yang cultivators from various sects, who had fled to the luminous moon, did not let their guard down with the spear's disappearance. Instead, their expressions grew even more grim.

Who, other than Lin Daoke, would dare to underestimate the Supreme Demon Phoenix's menace?

"What in the world happened? The Demon Phoenix from the Dim Starfield... why does it seem like it's had a change of heart? It used to care so much about all living creatures."

"I'm not sure. It appears she truly no longer cares about the fate of all living creatures."

"She's definitely turned against all living creatures!"

It was only after the spear-induced rift had mended that people dared to voice their concerns under the moon's glow.

The one abstaining from the discussion was, of course, Lin Daoke, the bold Sword Sect Lord who had confronted the Demon Phoenix, his face a mask of stoicism.

"She belongs to the celestial ranks of alien beasts."

Having stored the Divine Sword within his consciousness, Lin Daoke, who had witnessed the vast blood-red river in the Oblivion Starfield during his battle with Yu Yuan, had come to his own conclusion.

"An alien beast from beyond? Is the Great Demon of all living creatures also part of these alien beasts?" someone cried out in shock.

Lin Daoke gave a slight nod, too weary to engage further with the crowd, and abruptly soared into the expanse of all living creatures.

His vigil outside the realm's barrier was a strategic move to challenge the Demon Phoenix with his sword, attempting to thwart its departure.

Though he hadn't succeeded in detaining the Demon Phoenix, he felt no discouragement. As he transformed into a beam of sword light descending upon the Heavenly Source Continent, he was already absorbing the spiritual essence of Heaven and Earth.

Deprived of Han Miaoyuan's Profound Dao Flag and after intense battles with Loong Jie, Shehun, and Yu Yuan in the Oblivion Starfield, he was in dire need of replenishing his spiritual power.

"Sect Master Lin!"

"Sect Master Lin has returned!"

Within the inner realms of the vast expanse, the sight of a sword light piercing through the barrier and plummeting toward the Sword Sect brought a surge of relief and exhilaration. It was as if they had regained their pillar of strength.

Lin Daoke was renowned as the most formidable human warrior. Together with the Demon Lord Tan Xiaotian, they consistently held the Demon Phoenix at bay to preserve equilibrium.

Upon his return from the Outer Star River, the terrified cultivators from various factions, who had been petrified by the Demon Phoenix, rushed to the Sword Sect like parched earth welcoming rain. They sought an audience with Lin Daoke to inform him about the deranged Supreme Being from the Demon Palace who nearly brought about the annihilation of all living creatures.

...

Deep within the Great Swamp.

"Are we just going to let her leave like that?"

Loong Jie, now a miniature Golden Dragon, shimmered as he swayed his gleaming body. His dragon scales were shattered in several places, and his dragon claws, sharp as golden hooks, bore deep wounds.

"She's even more powerful than the legends suggested."

Panting heavily, Loong Jie slowly shifted back into his human form. Having recently ascended to Dragon God status, he was filled with doubts after the battle, despite Zhong Chichen's constant morale-boosting tales of the formidable Golden Body. He began to question whether his Colorful Patriarch had deceived him.

Zhong Chichen, perceiving his turmoil, gently descended and stood beside him in mid-air, also reverting to his human shape.

Addressing Loong Jie's uncertainty, Zhong Chichen sighed, "She has indeed grown much stronger than when I first knew her. In ancient times, your ancestor's dragon form was unbreakable."

He paused briefly before adding, "The passage of time has altered much. Since the Nagas' golden age has passed, it seems that humans and the Demon Phoenix have gradually outstripped us."

With a complex gaze, he looked towards Mo Baichuan and Yu Yuan, who stood amidst the Geocentric Fire. The Nagas, in their prime, never managed to earn the Dragon God's blessing to infuse the power of the Geocentric Fire into the Bloodline Crystal Chain and etch it into their hearts.

Nor was there anyone like Yu Yuan, who had accessed a complete life sequence through source blood. Being chosen by the source blood was a privilege reserved for the exalted Titan Spinosaurus!

"Don't lose heart," Zhong Chichen encouraged. "As long as we live, we can keep growing stronger. If the Human and Demon Races could surpass the ancient Dragon Race, then we too hold the hope of reversing our fortunes."

Whoosh!

The Dragon Slash Platform, previously sealed by a blood-red canopy, suddenly began to retract, transforming back into a gleaming white inkstone.

"The sky has opened!"

Cultivators gathered around the Great Swamp and the nobility from the three empires cried out in alarm.

They were uncertain whether the Demon Phoenix would continue its assault now that the seal on the Great Swamp had been lifted. With its dominion over the blood of all living creatures, it could extinguish life as we know it in an instant.

Those who had hurried to the scene couldn't witness the battle within, nor did they possess the insight to deduce that the Demon Phoenix had departed via a spear.

They assumed the Demon Phoenix was still present, believing that the vanishing blood-red sky signaled the creature's renewed dominance.

"Quiet down!"

Zhong Chichen, in a foul mood, barked sharply.

An immediate hush fell over the crowd.

The Dragon Slash Platform descended into Yu Yuan's grasp. He stood at the site of the "Destruction Den," attempting to establish a connection with the Secular Bird Queen.

"Don't come any closer."

From afar in the Dark Wing Starfield, the Secular Bird Queen transmitted her thoughts through the nest, halting Yu Yuan's advance.

A fraction of the destructive essence within the "Destruction Den," along with some of the powers of death and rebirth, had been siphoned by the Queen, rendering the once-magical nest mundane.

Consequently, the space transfer capability had vanished.

The Secular Bird Queen did not share Yu Yuan's anticipation for his involvement in the conflict within the Dark Wing Starfield.

She harbored no trust for Zhong Chichen or Loong Jie, suspecting that the two Dragon Gods were plotting to profit from the spinosaurus and to scavenge for easy pickings in the Dark Wing Starfield.

"Rest assured, this time... I will be safe."

The final thread of consciousness from the Queen faded, and the branches that formed the "Destruction Den" lost their ethereal glow.

Yu Yuan paused, taken aback.

The Yang God, presiding over the "Abyss Gate," fixated on the vibrant sea, failed to observe the formation of the Origin Realm Gate. This suggested that the battle in the Dark Wing Starfield might not unfold as he had envisioned.

The Secular Bird Queen, along with Yu Yuan and Tan Xiaotian, had fiercely contested the Supreme Demon Phoenix. Even with an alien Beast God intervening, the Demon Phoenix would struggle to effortlessly command the field.

"Yu Yuan!" Zu Ann's sudden exclamation snapped Yu Yuan out of his reverie.

Yu Yuan immediately turned his attention and asked, "What's the matter?"

"The Demon Phoenix's spell, which ensnares the flesh and blood of all living creatures, you must find a way to counter it. Otherwise, when she returns to the Vast Expanse, she'll continue to wield it as a threat. And another thing..."

Zu Ann inhaled deeply, his eyes flashing with intensity. "She may have departed, but what about the Demon Kings and the human cultivators who practice the Demon Spell within the Demon Palace? How shall we handle them?"

"She's lost her mind, willing to forsake everything she's built in the Vast Expanse! She doesn't even care about her own kind anymore. What else can we expect from her?"

The absurd behavior of the Demon Phoenix ignited a fury in Zu Ann that he could barely contain.

"The Demon Palace must be expunged from the Vast Expanse."

Mo Baichuan, the keeper of the Earth Flame Furnace, had already smelted the blood talisman connected to the blood of all living creatures. He said, "I've refined a blood talisman, but she can easily recreate it if she returns to the Vast Expanse. She's not the same as Han Miaoyuan; she's changed, becoming utterly irrational."

"The Demon Palace, along with the loyal great demons and human cultivators, should no longer receive any leniency."

As Mo Baichuan ascended with the Earth Flame Furnace, he could see the skeletal remains of the Demon Clan below. The great demons, who had revered the Desolate God as their chief, had met with a pitiful end, utterly devoid of any chance to fight back.

Numerous human cultivators had also perished at the hands of the Demon Phoenix, their bodies drained of every last drop of blood.

"Indeed, this matter requires prompt attention."

Qin Luo of the Red Devil Sect, feeling the immediate threat to the Vast Expanse had been averted with the departure of the Demon Phoenix, finally felt emboldened to state his position.

With a look of resignation, Qin Luo explained, "I apologize, but from a factional standpoint, the Red Devil Sect aligns with Han Miaoyuan and the Demon Palace. Our sect's ancient texts do recount similar incidents from the past. Historically, she would eventually regain her composure."

Qin Luo clung to the hope that the Demon Phoenix would regain consciousness and, as the secret tomes described, continue to nurture the vast expanse.

She viewed the Demon Phoenix's madness as a temporary loss of control, a deviation into obsession following a surge of power, and believed that there was still a chance for redemption, for a renewed alliance with the leader of the Boundless Human Race.

Yu Yuan's voice was grave as he spoke, "She's past the point of return. This situation is unlike any before."

"Is she really going to abandon the Boundless Human Race and stand in opposition to us?" Qin Luo gasped in shock.

"It's not just us; it's against all intelligent races in this corner of the cosmos. She aspires to be the Beast God, to elevate the alien beasts and the great demons above all other species." Yu Yuan had long recognized the Demon Phoenix's grandiose schemes and declared, "Just watch. It won't be long before she becomes the shared adversary of every race."

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