C1889 He Was Familiar with It
The Devil Domain, a mysterious and elusive region within the Starry Forbidden Ground, remained perpetually sealed, unlike its counterparts, the Gray Domain and Dark Domain. Few were even aware of its existence, let alone had the chance to explore it. This enigmatic realm was a sacred place yearned for by all beings.
Yu Yuan, with the Dragon Slash Platform in his grasp and following the guidance of the ground beetle, set foot in the Devil Domain. As he did so, he felt as though he was ensnared by an immense net. Both his corporeal form and the Dragon Slash Platform seemed to endure the harsh scrutiny and punishment of the Devil Domain's laws.
The colossal net appeared to be assessing Yu Yuan, determining whether he was worthy of entry. Fortunately, the impediment was short-lived. As a wave of relief washed over him, he crossed the threshold of the net, entering the Devil Domain as if granted clemency from the cosmos beyond.
Without diverting his gaze, Yu Yuan turned back to inspect the region he had just traversed. A vast, gray net, woven from countless strands of refined Yin energy, stretched across the void behind him. Its magnitude was such that it could ensnare diminutive stars and capture the Starry Behemoths that dared to intrude. Even the mightiest of otherworldly beings, like Brie and Rebecca, could find themselves trapped within its expansive weave.
Upon closer examination, the gray Yin energy resembled the tributaries of the Styx, akin to the ones flowing beneath Horror Land, resonating with the Ghost King and enabling his passage.
Narrowing his eyes, Yu Yuan noticed the faint glimmer of Yin Sunflower Essence, twinkling like stars within the grand lattice of the net. Upon entering the Devil Domain, his connection to the Yang God was severed, leaving him unable to sense its presence any longer.
Suddenly, the wailing souls of the deceased from foreign lands penetrated the Devil Domain through the vast net. Many of these souls were fragmented, their essence saturated with the despair and terror of their final moments, or brimming with animosity toward the living. Fleeting memories flickered within them.
Most of the souls had long since lost their sentience, existing merely as scattered pieces. Aimlessly drifting past the net, they seemed lost, devoid of purpose or direction.
The wandering spirits and lost souls lacked intelligence and a place to call home, their existence mired in a multitude of negative emotions and chaotic thoughts.
To Yu Yuan, these aimless spirits held no value. The energy required to cleanse and refine them far exceeded the soul power they possessed.
Yet, Yu Yuan soon noticed that the souls ensnared by the vast net seemed drawn by a mysterious force, converging toward a singular entity—a river of blood.
The Grim River!
As the fragmented souls plunged into the sanguine currents of the Grim River, they appeared to undergo an immediate purification. The soul power within them rapidly assimilated into the river.
Their insignificant lingering memories and assorted emotions seemed to dissolve into the Grim River.
The Grim River, one after another, extended parallel to each other, seemingly flowing toward their source.
Even among these souls, some powerful ones retained a murky and chaotic consciousness within the Grim River. They emitted low, mournful wails, as if lamenting the injustice of their fate and presenting themselves to some unseen entity.
They harbored a hope to be noticed and rescued by a powerful being, to be plucked from the Grim River and spared the endless cycle of rebirth.
The Demon Area was devoid of land, stars, and celestial bodies like the sun and moon. The Grim River meandered through the void.
Surrounding these ochre rivers were Dark Mountains of varying sizes, undulating across the landscape.
Similar to Horror Land, these peculiar Dark Mountains were saturated with dense Yin energy, seemingly capable of actively accumulating Yin energy within their mass.
The Dark Mountains of the Demon Area floated in space, unsupported by any land, much like the Grim River itself.
Some were colossal, perhaps rivaling the stars of the outer realms, and more expansive than lands such as the Epitaxial Realm or the Plover Realm.
Moreover, unlike the barren Dark Mountains of Horror Land, the vast Dark Mountains of the Demon Area were home to a variety of twisted and terrifying flora.
The majority of these plants and flowers gave Yu Yuan an eerie sensation, as if they were imbued with a life force and souls of their own.
Upon closer inspection, he observed that some souls that had not yet reached the Grim River, when venturing too close to certain Dark Mountains, would be consumed by the malevolent and grotesque vegetation.
The sustenance turned out to be the spiritual force and stray thoughts within the discarnate souls.
"It appears there are multiple entrances to the Demon Area. The ground beetle must be aware of the ones accessible to corporeal beings," Yu Yuan mused, gazing at the immense net behind him that seemed capable of ensnaring stars, as well as the discarnate souls that intermittently emerged. He surmised there must be alternative routes for the influx of souls.
Despite the possibility of numerous entrances, it's likely they're all sifted through that peculiar, vast net.
Regardless of the entrance used to access the Demon Area, whether by an aberration like himself or the souls of extraterrestrial beings, all would emerge from that same colossal net.
The mysterious net wouldn't bother with the conventional souls that passed through the Demon Area.
But for those like him, who ventured into the Demon Area in the flesh, the net would scrutinize them more closely and provide focused care.
He inhaled deeply.
The air, or rather the chilly essence within, clearly had the potential to nourish his soul.
Whether it was the main soul, the Yin God, or a Devil Soul like the Devaputra, any soul form seemed to be able to draw sustenance from the Yin energy within the Demon Area.
Yet, there was an absence of any other starry powers, no spiritual force, nor any vitality from flesh and blood.
This meant that as long as he roamed the Demon Area in his true form, the innate power he possessed could only dwindle, with no chance of replenishment from the Demon Area—except for the soul.
Gradually, his body began to feel an oppressive heaviness, sinking ever downward.
He had an epiphany that if his soul could detach from its shell and traverse the Demon Area as a spirit, he would instantly feel lighter and more agile, capable of soaring freely.
In essence, the Demon Area was designed to cater to soul spirits and ghosts, imposing numerous constraints on those of flesh and blood.
This principle was in complete alignment with Horror Land.
After some experimentation, Yu Yuan, in an effort to conserve energy, set down the Dragon Slash Platform he had been holding.
He positioned his increasingly burdensome body atop the Dragon Slash Platform, using it as a support while he continued to survey the landscape before him.
The closest Dark Mountains had clearly seen brutal conflict, with sections torn asunder.
The Dark Mountains were actively drawing Yin energy to the fissures, channeling it to mend the ruptures.
This indicated that a fierce battle had recently taken place in this region of the Demon Realm.
Could it have involved Han Qi and Andrea, or perhaps Han Miaoyuan and Youyu?
Yu Yuan pondered this and quickly realized that formidable beings like Han Qi, Andrea, and Youyu would thrive in the Demon Realm.
Youyu and Han Qi were akin to ghosts, while Andrea was of the Primordial Spirit, highly skilled in the many secret arts of the Yin energy source.
Whoosh!
A formidable figure emerged atop a distant Dark Mountain peak, his presence commanding.
Yin energy swirled around him like gathering clouds, obediently clustering beside his towering form. This mighty being, gazing at Yu Yuan from across the Dark Mountains and the Grim River below, remarked with curiosity, "Here's another one who's dared to enter the Demon Realm in their flesh and blood."
"Ah, these are indeed troublesome times."
He was a once-powerful Silver Scale Clan warrior, now a ghost in the Demon Realm, and he spoke in the Silver Scale Clan's tongue.
Yu Yuan understood him perfectly.
Before his Yang God had undergone its transformation, Yu Yuan had mastered the languages of various foreign races naturally while using the Life Altar to refine their blood.
This included the Silver Scale Clan.
Having not encountered any sentient beings since entering the Demon Realm, Yu Yuan's spirits lifted at the sight and words of this ghost.
Beneath him, the Dragon Slash Platform immediately set course toward the ghost who had ascended from the Silver Scale Clan's deceased warriors.
The area was peculiar; the Dragon Slash Platform couldn't teleport but had to draw upon its inherent power to draw closer to the Dark Mountain.
Moreover, the platform's movement consumed far more energy than it would in the outside world.
"An Artifact!"
The Silver Scale Clan ghost's expression shifted subtly. With a swift pull toward the mountain below, he donned a battered armor, his entire demeanor becoming intensely vigilant.
As a ghost in the Demon Realm, especially in this unique region, he was well aware that any creature of flesh and blood who could locate the Demon Realm's portals and had the courage to enter was no ordinary individual.
Moreover, he was already aware of the recent tumultuous events.
The incursion of outsiders had thrown the Demon Realm into disarray, igniting conflicts among the ghosts and gods and disrupting the realm's order, leaving everyone on edge.
Another one has arrived unexpectedly!
What on earth has happened in the expanse of the starry sky?
How has the secluded realm, long sealed and neglected, suddenly drawn the interest of the formidable powers from beyond?
…
