C1922 Stellar Oblivion
At the entrance of the Wraithlands, a cloud as dark as ink burst forth from the Dragon Slaying Stage in Yu Yuan's grasp, drifting swiftly into the distance. The cloud, endowed with spiritual wisdom, sped away, covering thousands of miles in a mere moment. It devoured all light in its path, and only long after it had departed did light from other sources begin to illuminate the area once more. The Star River, left in the wake of the cloud, turned into a world shrouded in darkness.
"It's Tan Xiaotian," Kaiya remarked, her eyebrows arching as a frosty smile played upon her lips. She spoke with biting sarcasm, "This Demon Lord from the Everlands has stealthily placed an eye here. What could he possibly be up to?" As the Soul-Capturing God-King of Boulderdawn and daughter of Bertain, she regarded the Demon Lord, a figure others revered, with utter indifference.
Yu Yuan's eyes narrowed, a kaleidoscope of light converging within them as his gaze pierced the dark magic encircling the cloud. There, he spotted the Wraithbanner. It was the very banner Jihui had entrusted to Tan Xiaotian before venturing through the Abyssal Gate, now concealed within the shroud of darkness.
The entrance to the Wraithlands was a secret known to few. Tan Xiaotian's presence here, Wraithbanner in tow, suggested he was privy to Jihui's scheme. He must have known about Jihui's intention to traverse from the Origin Realm to the Wraithlands via the connection with the Mindscape.
The true Wraithbanner was meant to be delivered to the Wraithlands, into Jihui's possession. Yet, in the face of Yu Yuan and Kaiya's emergence, the ominous sphere of darkness conjured by the Demon Lord chose to retreat immediately. What could this imply?
"If it had been Han Qi emerging instead of us," Yu Yuan mused, stroking his chin thoughtfully, "then Tan Xiaotian and the Wraithbanner would likely have proceeded into the Wraithlands. With the Wraithbanner at his disposal, should Han Qi manage to conquer the Wraithlands—and with my assistance—the realm would be transformed."
Such a Wraithlands would inevitably fall under the dominion of Jihui, Tan Xiaotian, and Han Qi.
"I saw it," Kaiya interjected, her gaze turning icy as a mischievous grin curled her lips.
...
Tens of thousands of miles away, an ordinary meteorite was violently cleaved by sharp tendrils of dark will, cracking open with a cacophony of snaps.
The dark will, akin to a Divine Weapon, made the space of the Star River hiss and pop, forcing a Dark Deity hidden within the meteorite to snarl and screech.
Roar!
A colossal giant ape, towering ten thousand feet high, burst forth from the shattered meteorite. Its fierce demon energy unfurled, grinding the meteorite fragments into dust.
Across the vast distance, the blood-red Demonic Eyes of the brutal giant ape revealed twin abyssal wells.
As the wells materialized, the ape's violent and bloodthirsty demon energy devoured Kaiya's dark will as effortlessly as a giant beast gulping down its prey.
"Don't waste your energy. It's neither Han Qi nor Jihui who has emerged," Tan Xiaotian remarked, his long black hair cascading naturally as he sat on the Ebon Meditation Mat, his handsome face etched with resignation.
He settled quietly onto the giant ape's shoulder, offering a reassuring pat. "Let's go," he coaxed softly.
The giant ape, whose demon soul had been restless and prone to fits of madness, found tranquility in his words and silently followed.
It looked back repeatedly, grumbling discontentedly, as if its thirst for destruction had not yet been quenched.
Moments later, the man and the ape vanished from the Astral Domain.
...
"Jihui, Han Miaoyuan, it's time for those born of the Everlands and unable to escape its grasp to join forces," Yu Yuan mused, unfazed by the sight of the giant ape. The revelations he had witnessed in the Abyss assured him that this day was inevitable.
He had even contemplated scenarios far grimmer.
Whoosh!
Ji Ningshuang, who had remained absent from the Wraithlands, preferring the solitude of the Dragon Slaying Stage, sensed the natural essence of the outer starry sky and ventured forth.
Clad in an ice-blue robe devoid of any embellishment, she embodied elegance and simplicity. Her skin shone like a polished gem.
Her exposed forearm, as enigmatic as the coldest jade set against the night sky, radiated a chill that scattered glimmers of starlight through her veins.
Having lost her original essence, she plummeted from the heights of the Supreme God to the realm of Spirit Walk and has now reclaimed her Unbound level of cultivation.
Within her new form, her middle elixir field, visible only to Yu Yuan, harbored a unique Solar Spirit.
Crafted from the same icy pillars as her former divine throne, the intricate and enigmatic glyphs traced across her crystalline form, each a testament to her mastery of ice magic.
Her attire was simple, her demeanor as chilling as rock ice, her gaze piercingly clear.
"In the Wraithlands, my presence seems less than welcome. The ice force I've harnessed is..." She cast a sidelong glance at Kaiya, leaving her sentence unfinished.
"Indeed, the ice force from the Primal Blood Continent is even unsettling to me," Kaiya remarked, her expression grave.
She had never taken her clashes with Untamed so seriously.
She was aware that no matter Untamed's might, even at his zenith, the bloodline mysteries he wielded could never truly touch her.
Ji Ningshuang was a different story.
The ice force, aligned with the Primal Blood, had even Bertain, her father, wary. After Ji Ningshuang's severance from the Everlands, she had curried favor with the ice force.
Should Ji Ningshuang continue to grow in power, the ice force she refined would undoubtedly become a threat to her.
"You've longed to visit the Boulderdawn headquarters beyond our world, burdened with many questions. I believe the time has come to address them."
After a moment of contemplation, Kaiya spoke with a note of satisfaction, "Your choices in the Origin Realm, your steadfastness even after tumbling into the Abyss, have earned my trust."
"I'll provide you with the coordinates. Use the Dragon Slaying Stage to locate us, then lead the way."
The mightiest Soul-Capturing God-King of the Boulderdawn had, it seemed, finally recognized Yu Yuan.
Despite being cast into the Abyss and dispatched to the Wraithlands by Jihui, Yu Yuan chose to return to the Origin Realm to guide them back, rather than ally with Jihui against her.
"I, too, have eagerly anticipated this day."
His essence resided in the Star River, and he was able to communicate soul-to-soul with both the Demonic Vessel in the Wraithlands and the Solar Spirit guarding the Abyssal Gate, ensuring he was constantly updated with the latest intelligence.
With this capability, he was well-informed about significant events in the vast expanses of the starry sky and the Everlands, which bolstered his confidence.
Kaiya suddenly exclaimed, "Stellar Oblivion, Thule."
"Stellar Oblivion?" Ji Ningshuang was taken aback.
In her recollection, the Stellar Oblivion was devoid of all things; no creatures stirred, and the psionic power that once suffused the stars had nearly vanished. It appeared to be a domain that had withered away due to an internal conflict among the Otherkin.
"Yes, the Stellar Oblivion," Kaiya affirmed.
"Oblivion implies something vast and limitless. This Astral Domain... it does ring a bell," Yu Yuan murmured thoughtfully.
Kaiya, with her statuesque and curvaceous figure, draped in a vibrant red cloak, had eyes that shone with an enigmatic brilliance. "You should indeed remember it. Isn't the Stellar Oblivion the sanctuary you selected for the Boulderdawn Sect from beyond our world?"
Yu Yuan paused, momentarily taken aback.
The very next instant, his Demonic Vessel within the Wraithlands stirred with the resurgence of memories associated with the Stellar Oblivion.
This forgotten stretch of the Stellar Oblivion, unknown and uncared for in this era, surprisingly harbored a Path of Undead!
That Path of Undead, long neglected and no longer guiding extraterrestrial souls, was disregarded by the denizens of the Wraithlands.
Yet, its very existence meant it could resonate with Yu Yuan's Demonic Vessel!
"I might have found a method to return to the past."
Yu Yuan gestured for Kaiya and Ji Ningshuang, who had just stepped away, to join him at the Dragon Slaying Stage.
Kaiya expressed her astonishment, "How can you be so quick?"
"Let's give it a try."
With a smile, Yu Yuan nodded. Once the two had settled on the Dragon Slaying Stage, he connected the Demonic Vessel in the Wraithlands with the Path of Undead in the Stellar Oblivion.
"Let's go!"
The light and shadows twisted, and a burst of rainbow brilliance erupted. The Dragon Slaying Stage vanished in an instant.
...
Once the Dragon Slaying Stage was no longer in existence, and some time had passed, Zhong Chichen arrived quietly. Holding the Book of Time, he whispered, "Time Recall."
Yu Yuan, Kaiya, and Ji Ningshuang reappeared in the area where the Dragon Slaying Stage had been.
Their conversation began to echo faintly as Zhong Chichen used the Book of Time to tune in.
"The main base of Boulderdawn is actually in the Stellar Oblivion."
Zhong Chichen murmured to himself.
