C1863 There Are Guests Coming from Afar
The Dragon Slaying Stage hovered in midair, shining like a radiant sun, casting a shadow over Norant's spirit.
The sequence of events, from Norant charging at Yu Yuan to being catapulted away by the Dragon Slaying Stage, unfolded in the blink of an eye.
Now, the Paladin of Radiance's silver armor, which once seemed divinely blessed, lost its enigmatic allure under the Dragon Slaying Stage's glow. The intricate patterns and the complex light magic inscribed on the armor's surface were completely obscured.
Whoosh!
The Eiwrone beneath everyone's feet burst into light in tandem with the Dragon Slaying Stage. The honeycomb-like caves scattered across the silvery terrain opened like the eyes of deities, all fixated on Norant as he plummeted.
Originally a single entity, the Dragon Slaying Stage and the Eiwrone had been refined and merged by Yu Yuan. Now complementary and interconnected, they served as a formidable weapon in his grasp.
"This is the Ashlands, a region once refined by the supreme Titan Spinosaurus," Yu Yuan declared, gazing down at Norant, who was ensnared by the dense cosmic order of the Ashlands. The Paladin's crystalline heart was overwhelmed, his Dawnbringer lineage suppressed, leaving him utterly immobilized.
"You chose to battle me here; I'm curious who instilled such bravery in you."
Yu Yuan couldn't help but feel a twinge of sympathy for the Paladin of Radiance.
Even without his real body present, he could confront Lin Daoke directly with only the Dragon Slaying Stage at his disposal, effortlessly wielding the vital energy of the Solar Spirit in combat.
How could the Annihilation Nebula ever measure up to the Ashlands?
Whether it was the Solar Spirit or his real body, Yu Yuan's strength would surge to new heights within the Ashlands.
Both entities could harness the foundational rules of the Ashlands as if they had merged with the very essence of the realm.
The intricate rules bestowed by the Old Titan Spinosaurus and the Dragon Slaying Stage under his command were in perfect harmony, making him akin to a deity of this domain.
In such a place, even the so-called strongest from the extraterrestrial realms paled in comparison, making the challenge all too effortless for him.
"Norant is just too weak, isn't he?"
"He's supposed to be one of the Dawnbringers' finest warriors. How could he get knocked back just by brushing against the Dragon Slaying Stage?"
"Yu Yuan, after your battles with the Dark Phoenix in the Dark Star Region and making Lin Daoke step back in the Annihilation Nebula, you've become the strongest of the new generation within the Boulderdawn. Norant must have been out of his mind to challenge you."
"He got what he deserved!"
Members of the evilkind and the Starborn peered over the edge of Eiwrone, watching as Norant's Avatar of Light flickered out like a dying flame.
In the Ashlands, a sinister rule seemed to form a chain of cosmic order, shackling the bloodline of the Dawnbringers.
It left him unable to draw in even a sliver of light, and even the Holy Armor, renowned among the Dawnbringers, was suppressed, unable to manifest its wonders.
"You don't actually want him dead, do you?"
Yu Yuan drifted away from Eiwrone, suspended in the dark expanse of space, observing Norant who was on the verge of vanishing from sight, then cast a glance at Cardo.
"Banish."
At his command, the Dragon Slaying Stage vanished without a trace.
Whoosh!
A silver lightning bolt, sharp as the Way of Heaven's blade, cut through the gloom, brightening the eyes of all who watched. The Dragon Slaying Stage, with the power to cleave worlds, struck Norant.
Norant, previously faded from view, was illuminated once more by the silver lightning.
His face showed no fear, only bewilderment and astonishment, as if he still couldn't comprehend his own vulnerability.
He even began to doubt his tenth-level bloodline—how could it be that upon contact with the Dragon Slaying Stage, the bloodline chains in his heart seemed to freeze, unable to summon any strength?
As the silver lightning descended, a vague dragon shadow, as if the sovereign of the Ashlands, materialized.
Dense, dark bolts of cosmic order sparked from the crevices of the dragon's scales. This shadowy dragon, a manifestation of the Ashlands' cosmic order, left all the mighty of Eiwrone breathless.
Just the sight of that indistinct dragon shadow made their bloodline-filled hearts feel as though they were being clenched in a vice grip.
"Ah!"
Norant let out a cry of alarm.
The Holy Armor, which had adorned his body for ten millennia, had its connection to his bloodline severed without mercy.
He could no longer feel the security the armor provided, and he watched as the Holy Armor shrank, becoming like a backpack, severing its bond with him.
Cardo, with the innocence of a sweet little girl, smiled and spoke, "Norant can no longer wield the power of the Holy Armor. It's time it found its true master."
The Holy Armor, now resembling a backpack, soared up from the shadowy depths below.
Cardo called forth her wand, her delicate, luminous hand pointing lightly at the Holy Armor. The armor, emanating a divine aura, soared to her chest and vanished.
"Don't let him die."
Cardo maintained her smile as she gave a slight bow to Yu Yuan, her demeanor turning more solemn. "He has been too arrogant for too long. With the deaths of Rovi and Sabonis, his arrogance and disdain for others only grew. A profound lesson will be good for him; otherwise, the supreme beings of the Everlands will claim his life."
At this, the eternally youthful leader of the Dawnbringers fixed her gaze on Norant and whispered, "Let the sacred light shine."
With a tap of the Light Scepter, the rule binding Norant's bloodline was shattered by the dazzling radiance, thawing his heart as if it were ice melting away.
Norant's descent halted.
He looked up from the darkness into the light, seeing the graceful Cardo and once again feeling the presence of his bloodline and the beat of his heart.
"We are not born of the Everlands; we can ascend without the origin. In the Dawnbringers, we can have many peak tenth-level warriors. I do not need your death to clear the path for Canli," Cardo said with a frown and a huff. "Stop with your wild suspicions, always wary of me and plotting against Canli."
Norant slowly bowed his head.
"Enough," Cardo said as she stowed her scepter, turning her attention away from him to smile at Elena. "I will ensure that no one from my people encroaches upon the Shura's Dark Realm."
Elena, bearing her pain, gave a respectful nod to Cardo, who floated above. "I am grateful for your magnanimity."
"Don't mention it. I did it for Yu Yuan," Cardo said with a smile.
The armored warriors who had pledged allegiance to Norant and had accompanied the Paladin of Radiance to the Ashlands all stood behind her.
Yet, not one was truly loyal to Norant.
Cardo's authority as a leader of the Dawnbringers was unmistakable.
Yu Yuan frowned slightly and expressed his displeasure, "Next time, I'd appreciate it if you could handle the Dawnbringers' internal matters on your own."
Meanwhile, at the entrance to the Ashlands, the enormous greylag and the Songbird that had previously transported the Rebirth Nest from the Everlands appeared.
The Ashlands, vast and expansive, dwarfed the Abyssal Winged Lizard, and atop its neck perched a nest.
The branches of the nest were vibrant and teeming with the essence of flora, unmistakably the Rebirth Nest.
The greylag and the Songbird, in their demon soul forms, had brought the Rebirth Nest all the way from the sacred lands of the Shadowkin.
"The Tyria Main Planet will open later. For now, feel free to explore the Ashlands and find a Domain that suits you," Yu Yuan instructed, pointing to Zhou Cangmin and Yuan Lianyao. He then addressed Taixu, "Please look after them."
He also telepathically informed Taixu that Shi Jing'er, Zhou Cangmin, Yuan Lianyao, and the others were to be taken to the Tyria Main Planet.
The journey for the Otherkin was to be postponed.
Taixu acknowledged the message with understanding.
"A new guest has arrived; I'll go welcome them."
The Dragon Slaying Stage emitted a cascade of rainbow light, creating ripples in space, and enveloped his real body. In a moment, he was at the Ashlands' exit.
"Yu Yuan!"
The Songbird, in its demon soul form, spoke clearly and joyfully, "By the empress's command, we have relocated this nest to the Ashlands. Her Majesty has requested... if possible, for this nest to be placed on the Tyria Main Planet."
The greylag's chirps conveyed the same request.
"The Rebirth Nest is to be placed? Wasn't it said that there would be no issues following her battle with the Dark Phoenix?"
The arrival of the Greylag and the Songbird, along with the Rebirth Nest, sparked new concerns for Yu Yuan.
During his time in the Marsh, beside the Nest of Perdition, he had received a reassuring message from the Secular Bird Queen herself, telling him not to worry, assuring him that he would not die.
If everything was indeed fine, why then was the Rebirth Nest relocated from the sacred grounds of the Shadowkin to the Ashlands under his jurisdiction?
Before departing the Ashlands, the Secular Bird Queen had acknowledged his capabilities within this realm, suggesting that she trusted the Rebirth Nest would be safest there.
Even if the Dark Phoenix sensed the Rebirth Nest's presence and ventured into the Ashlands, it was unlikely to gain any advantage.
"We're just tasked with implementation; we're not privy to the details," the Songbird murmured.
"Can you, through the Rebirth Nest, establish a bloodline and soul connection with her?" Yu Yuan pondered another possibility. "Does she consider the Ashlands safer than the Everlands? Did she mention anything about the Nest of Perdition?"
Soul-Capturing cautioned him against returning to the Everlands as the Solar Spirit and to avoid contact with the Primal Soul.
He also mentioned that the Primal Soul might have been corrupted by an entity from the Abyss, leading to its transformation.
The Secular Bird Queen, having never truly perished and being one of the most ancient cosmic giant beasts, might even outlive the Demon God Bertain.
Now fully awakened, the Queen had retrieved all her memories. Had she also remembered something significant?
The Dark Phoenix had indicated that in her first life, she had shared an intimate connection with the Secular Bird Queen.
Her decision to forge the New Everlands was spurred by a monumental discovery!
"She stated that the Nest of Perdition is beyond her control now. She intends to abandon it and will no longer visit the Everlands at will."
