C1855 It Saw Its Old Friend Again

At Shadow's Keep, an elderly woman, her body trembling, stood before a gathering of cultivators and evilkind, supported by Xu Zixi.

"Crow Hag!"

The disoriented denizens of Shadow's Keep, upon seeing her emerge from her seclusion, and being escorted by the Python Queen herself, called out with faces full of hope.

The old woman, now in human form, was at the brink of death. Her continued existence was owed to the Supreme of Shadow's Keep, who had repeatedly extended her life using the blood of the Abyssal Leviathan.

She was the progenitor of Dusk Raven, a former ninth-level Monster Lord. However, due to a grave injury and insufficient potential, she had never ascended to the status of Dark Deity.

Naturally, Shadow's Keep had not lavished an abundance of Supreme God seats upon her.

The Dark Phoenix, recognizing her tireless service and unwavering loyalty, had thus prolonged her life on numerous occasions.

Due to her advanced age and critically depleted vital energy, she seldom made appearances within Shadow's Keep.

Often, she would voluntarily rest in the ice coffin crafted by the Dark Phoenix, trusting in her and clinging to a promise once made:

"As long as you live, there may yet come a time when you can break through."

It was this assurance from the Dark Phoenix that had her content to slumber in the ice coffin for centuries, undisturbed unless summoned.

Now, roused by Zixi, she was informed that Shadow's Keep faced a pivotal moment of survival, and her leadership was imperative.

"I am aware of the situation."

Crow Hag, her face etched with deep lines, cast her murky brown eyes over the members of evilkind with insufficient bloodline levels, unable to join the fray in the Dark Star, and then addressed Zhao Yafu, Zhan Tianxiang, and others practicing the dark arts, "Bear in mind one thing: she will never forsake those who remain devoted and acknowledge her as their sovereign."

Crow Hag gazed skyward, her expression somber, and declared, "She has summoned the scattered archdemons and cultivators to Shadow's Keep as a sanctuary to ensure your safety."

"However, with only a fraction of her power descending, the obstacles she faced were too formidable. She had no choice but to hastily depart from the Everlands, leaving us behind."

After laying the groundwork,

Crow Hag's voice grew colder, and her gaze turned sharp: "I'm aware that the heads of various sects have directed their wrath at Shadow's Keep because of her deeds. But I believe as long as she lives, no one will dare to annihilate Shadow's Keep! She adheres to the iron rule of an eye for an eye and shields all who follow her. Hence, no one dares to flout her warnings!"

Among the demons remaining in the Everlands, Crow Hag was held in high esteem. Her words gradually soothed the agitated demons.

Subsequently, evilkinds with lower bloodline levels, along with human cultivators like Zhao Yafu and Zhan Tianxiang, began establishing layers of defenses under Crow Hag's direction.

They declared to the world that Shadow's Keep was closed to visitors, with entry permitted only to its members.

Any transgressors would bear the consequences!

The Dark Phoenix was still among the living, and the valiant Moonfang Tiger had not perished in the Dark Star.

The presence of these two Dark Deities loomed like colossal peaks over the sects, restraining those with designs on Shadow's Keep.

A day later,

A gleaming white stone platform appeared, as if it had teleported from another realm, ignoring the sanctions of Shadow's Keep.

"Dragon Slaying Stage!"

"Yu Yuan!"

Numerous eyes were fixed on the towering figure atop the platform, observing his every move.

"Are you Yu Yuan?"

Crow Hag emerged from the crowd, approaching the Dragon Slaying Stage with Zixi's assistance.

Close behind her, Zhao Yafu, who was practicing the dark arts of the Moonfang Tiger, bit her lip and softly murmured in her heart, "Brother Yu..."

Zhan Tianxiang, bereft of his mentor, stood out among the human cultivators with his robust and imposing stature.

His light golden eyes conveyed a sense of loss as he bowed his head and sighed.

They had been comrades in arms, sharing a profound bond. But now, Yu Yuan was a rising star in Boulderdawn, and they were members of Shadow's Keep.

There seemed to be an insurmountable divide between them, one that made even a simple greeting feel like a luxury.

"It's me."

Having made up his mind, Yu Yuan leaped from the Dragon Slaying Stage and effortlessly stowed the earth-shattering Divine Artifact. He gave a slight bow to Xu Zixi and offered a warm smile, "Ms. Xu."

Xu Zixi was overcome with a bitter feeling. She attempted a smile, but it wouldn't come, and with a sigh, she said, "I never imagined we'd come to this point."

Yu Yuan, still smiling, shook his head. "We haven't changed. It's the high and mighty ones who have forced us into opposition. But that's all in the past now."

Today, he stood as a towering figure within the Everlands, above the petty rules of old.

He was now among those who crafted the rules!

"Tianxiang, Yafu!"

He waved over to the area behind Crow Hag, where the human cultivators were clustered, flashing a radiant smile at them both.

Zhan Tianxiang and Zhao Yafu hesitated, their concerns evident as they feared the wrath of the Monster Lord from Shadow's Keep. But Yu Yuan was free from such constraints.

No God-King from Boulderdawn, nor any so-called Supreme Being of this realm, had the authority to dictate his actions anymore. No one dared to cross him.

"Brother Yu."

"Yu Yuan!"

The two named individuals responded with sheepish grins after a moment's pause.

Yu Yuan's laughter boomed as he then turned to Crow Hag, his smile fading into a serious expression. "You're free to leave the Everlands on your own and search the Star River for her and the Astral Tiger. Those with weaker bloodline levels, unable to break through to the eighth level, may remain here without issue. But limit your movements; staying within Shadow's Keep would be best."

This was the resolution Yu Yuan had reached with Zu Ann, Mo Baichuan, and the others regarding Shadow's Keep.

Xu Zixi, who had been anxious for so long, brightened up suddenly, hardly believing her good fortune despite Dark Phoenix's antics. "Is that true?"

"I would never deceive you," he assured her.

Yu Yuan nodded, a faint red glint flickering in his eyes as he tapped into the Secrets of Life ever so slightly. He observed Xu Zixi, who had successfully forged her Solar Spirit Body, and realized she faced the same predicament as Ann Wen and Ann Ziqing had before her.

Xu Zixi's Solar Spirit, a fusion of crystallized vital energy and heaven soul, was a melding of blood and soul, distinct from the typical crystallization of spiritual energy and soul. Within her Solar Spirit, housed in the Profound Gate acupoint of her middle elixir field, Yu Yuan detected the ancient python's bloodline aura, and he could see the emergence of bloodline chains within it. This implied that Xu Zixi's Solar Spirit Body could wield the ancient python's mystique and even morph into the form of a python.

His attention then shifted to Zhao Yafu and Zhan Tianxiang, who had also cultivated their Solar Spirit Bodies. The pattern was identical. Cultivators from the Shadow's Keep who practiced the dark arts produced Solar Spirits that were markedly different from those of the major sects, all refined from blood and soul.

Zhao Yafu's Solar Spirit seemed to brim with the essence of the Astral Tiger, its bloodline chains even more pristine than those of the Direfang Tiger itself. Yu Yuan was convinced that in the heat of battle, when necessary, Zhao Yafu could transform her Solar Spirit into a formidable Astral Tiger. Zhan Tianxiang was no exception.

A thought suddenly struck Yu Yuan, recalling Han Qi's words about the three souls of heaven, earth, and man within the human race. If any one path were cultivated to its zenith, it could potentially lead to the highest pinnacle of power. Experts like Xu Zixi, Zhao Yafu, and Zhan Tianxiang, who had crafted unique Solar Spirits through the dark arts, needed only to focus on refining their Solar Spirits to potentially ascend to the ranks of the most powerful, much like Ann Ziqing had done.

However, in such a state, they could scarcely be considered human anymore. Yu Yuan had made this journey with the intention of finding a solution to the Dark Phoenix's exploitation of the Everlands' inhabitants. Now, witnessing the Solar Spirits of Xu Zixi and the others, he found himself deep in contemplation. Like Xueyin and Lin Yue, the followers of the Colddeath Cult, they too were an integral part of the Everlands.

They were not under the sway of the Dark Phoenix. The Dark Phoenix was incapable of stripping them of their lifeblood in the blink of an eye to fuel its own power.

The followers of the Colddeath sect previously practiced blood magic derived from the Solar Meridian, but now they place their faith in themselves.

Is there a possibility to approach it from this angle?

"Leaving could be beneficial."

Crow Hag suddenly turned her gaze to Zhao Yafu and Zhan Tianxiang, remarking, "The last time she reached out to me with her demon soul, she mentioned something significant. Historically, human cultivators who engaged in the dark arts never produced any truly powerful individuals, with scarcely anyone even reaching the pinnacle of the Unbound Realm."

"But that era is over."

"She has now discovered a novel method of advancement. All you need to do is continuously temper your Solar Spirit and use it to fortify yourselves. Don't worry about breaking through the Unbound Realm; with the Solar Spirit, you can aim for the highest echelons in the future."

"She has paved the way for an entirely new paradigm for you!"

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