C1939 Torrents of Mice
"Are they retreating?"
Qin Yan, clad in a pink dress and wielding a finely-crafted short spear, stood motionless, her expression blank as she watched the horde of mice scatter. The retreat of the rodents, like a receding tide, made them appear to be the vanquished party.
The entire Solar Spirit Body, which seemed to be sculpted from jewels, harbored Qin Yan's resentment towards Yu Yuan, stemming from their past conflict in the Land of Terror.
Her progression in cultivation had hit a standstill, and she was currently in the middle period of the Solar Spirit phase. Her real body was aboard one of the three starships.
The impending disaster in the Everlands had compelled her to leave. Upon learning that their ultimate destination was the legendary and mysterious Ashlands, and that Yu Yuan was its master, Qin Yan felt a sense of gloom.
She struggled to comprehend how Yu Yuan, who had once clashed with Jin Xiaolie and others under her direction in the Land of Terror, had managed to rise so meteorically.
"They've pursued us for so long, only to withdraw so abruptly. It's beyond me."
Qi Lingyu, in the early period of the Unbound Realm, stowed away her trident forged from silver essence. She extracted a shimmering bead from her sleeve and pressed it to her forehead, drawing energy from it.
The Crystal of the Sea replenished the vast Soul Power she had expended in prolonged combat.
It also aided her in detecting sources of water, allowing her to harness the Crystal of the Sea to gather aquatic energies and store them for gradual absorption later. This artifact was a spiritual treasure of the seventh heavenly level.
"To still be alive and conversing is a stroke of fortune in itself."
Yu Ying, exuding a weary yet vigorous aura, stood in the vacuum of space. Having advanced to the late period of the arcane, she was exposed to the cosmos in her corporeal form.
The luminescent Seven Star Aegis, no longer needed after the mice's departure, was temporarily withdrawn.
"This exceptional defensive treasure was nearly at its limit."
After ingesting a Spiritual Yuan Pill, Yu Ying's thoughts turned to Yu Yuan. Without the Seven Star Aegis he had entrusted to her, she would have been defenseless against the relentless onslaught of the mice.
Suddenly, the Crystal of the Sea began to roil, signaling the tumultuous upheaval of the seas.
After Qi Lingyu placed the Crystal of the Sea on her forehead, her spiritual sense and perception were significantly enhanced. She envisioned a vast ocean spontaneously forming in the Aihoyari, the Astral Domain they had just departed from.
"Hold on, there were no lakes in the starry sky before we left."
Grasping the Crystal of the Sea, Qi Lingyu concentrated deeply, murmuring to herself.
"My crystal can't be mistaken. If there truly is a Sea of Anomalies capable of submerging the stars, then..."
Names and faces flickered through Qi Lingyu's mind.
"Abyssal Leviathan!"
She exclaimed in horror.
As Zheng Luanjie, Yu Ying, Tan Yuan, and the others turned to her, puzzled, she inhaled deeply and spoke with composure, "The Abyssal Leviathan has emerged in the Aihoyari. I am absolutely certain of it!"
"In the cosmos, only the cosmic giant beast adept in Water Magic could harness its inherent bloodline talents to draw the power of water from cosmic energy and swiftly create a sea!"
"But shouldn't it be in the Ashlands?" Tan Yuan wondered aloud.
"That's not possible!" Qin Yan echoed, equally baffled.
"Here's what we'll do: you and the three starships return first. Qin Yan and I will double back to investigate."
Despite the group's strong objections, Zheng Luanjie made a decisive call, "It's settled! Yu Ying, Tan Yuan, your Solar Spirit differs from ours. Lingyu, you've reached the Unbound Stage, achieving unity with your real body."
"As for Qin Yan and myself, we are merely Solar Spirits."
He glanced at one of the starships.
"My real body is still aboard, and so is Qin Yan's. Even if our Solar Spirits perish on the return journey, as long as our real bodies remain, the Chamber of Commerce has the means to recreate us. Within a certain distance, our Solar Spirits and real bodies can still communicate. We may face death, but there's also a chance to relay what we discover."
"Something extraordinary must be taking place in the Aihoyari. We have to uncover the truth!"
Zheng Luanjie declared with an air of finality.
Although his current level was below Qi Lingyu's, his former status in the Sundering Isles lent him an inherent authority.
Therefore, due to his persistence, everyone eventually agreed.
Soon after, the three starships took flight once more, their engines roaring as if they were on the verge of breaking apart.
"You won't blame me, will you?"
Once the others had left, only Zheng Luanjie and Qin Yan remained. He suddenly turned to Qin Yan's Solar Spirit and spoke softly, "I insist on taking you with me on this dangerous journey, even though it might kill you."
Qin Yan gently shook her head, her cheeks glowing with a bashful blush. "It's just a Solar Spirit. I would willingly accompany you even if it meant leaving my real body behind."
Zheng Luanjie smiled broadly and nodded emphatically. "Then I shall have no regrets in death!"
...
Stellar Oblivion.
"We've lost contact."
Zhong Chichen stood at the Starway in the Central Continent, his face etched with bitterness as he addressed the anxious crowd, "I've done everything I could."
He shared a subtle connection with the Dragon Slaying Stage, as the Seven-Colored Dragon's body had been buried there for tens of thousands of years.
After Yu Yuan departed, activating the Translocation Circle within the Dragon Slaying Stage would transform it into a Starway, allowing him to sense its presence.
Now, the Dragon Slaying Stage had gained the ability to do just that after undergoing a transformation in Eiwrone.
Zhong Chichen had been closely monitoring for any sign of connection, hoping it might emerge at any moment.
Regrettably...
"There were a few times when I felt a connection, but it was abruptly lost before the Dragon Slaying Stage could fully adjust."
Confronted with glares that could kill, the Seven-Colored Dragon felt a surge of panic.
Those deadly stares came from the likes of Taishi, Kaiya, High Priest Reid, and Cardo of the Dawnbringers.
Even as the Seven-Colored Dragon God, he lacked the confidence to prevail in his prime.
"In the Aihoyari, it seems a mysterious force has been subtly interfering with the Dragon Slaying Stage," Zhong Chichen added. "The Beast God that invaded that domain likely has a mastery of space magic."
"Yu Yuan may have made a miscalculation this time," interjected Reid, the High Priest of the Sky Fiend Clan. The devil soul within his eyes appeared to grow more somber. "The Abyssal Greater Basilisk, the Abyssal Leviathan, and he himself... it's uncertain how many Beast Gods he will encounter."
"Chronowyrm, if he can traverse time, why can't you?" Ballo of the Starborn asked with a hint of impatience.
"My bloodline has degraded."
Zhong Chichen offered a brief explanation.
"Enough! Don't fault him for it."
The little spinosaurus, now in the form of a brash young man clad in violet-gold attire, huffed, "Aihoyari, where exactly is it located in the cosmos? Let me give it a shot!"
"You?"
Kaiya regarded him with a curious look.
"In the Ashlands, I consumed a Voidweaver. The essence of space rules is already within the core of my giant beast's heart; I simply haven't reached full maturity yet."
The little spinosaurus declared with a hint of arrogance.
Without delay, Taixu disclosed the coordinates of Aihoyari and even presented a star chart to the little spinosaurus, saying, "This is etched from the Starpierced Armor's chart."
"That's all I need!"
With a single glance at the chart, the little spinosaurus soared into the sky, transforming into his true giant beast form. His purple-gold scales glittered with an icy sheen.
Wisps of space magic swirled around the sleek scales, causing the void to fracture like shattered glass.
His dragon claws, seemingly imbued with supreme divine power, tore through the void with a dazzling radiance.
With a hiss, a space rift materialized.
For a fleeting moment, a mysterious black tower emerged within the rift, only for the newly formed gap to seal itself as quickly as it had appeared.
The little spinosaurus paused, taken aback.
"That object isn't associated with my father or the two giant beasts. It contains a vital energy that's extraordinarily unique, reminiscent of... the Dark Phoenix!" The little spinosaurus came to a sudden realization after the rift vanished, "It must be a rare treasure from the Beast God of the Wasteland, warping the space rules!"
...
In Aihoyari.
"Just a bunch of rats?"
Yu Yuan, gripping the Dragon Slaying Stage and having already bored seven holes through the wings of Hawk God Soderis, stroked his chin as he observed a swarm of enormous green rats drawing near.
Each green rat stood a hundred feet tall, resembling a range of mountains as they thundered closer.
The gleam in their green eyes was enough to send shivers down one's spine, suggesting they could strip the flesh from bones in an instant.
Along the way, the silver hawks that had perished from his crimson sword light were unceremoniously devoured by the giant rats. These creatures spared no remnants of flesh, indifferent to whether it belonged to friend or foe.
"Soderis, why are the alien beasts of the Wasteland so..." Yu Yuan's voice trailed off as his expression turned icy. He had noticed that among the remains in the giant rats' mouths, there were not only members of the Silverscale Tribe but also individuals from the Everlands. Moreover, they were fragments of Solar Spirit Bodies.
This indicated that some of the cultivators from Forgeroses and the Skyreach Consortium must have perished. He didn't know their identities, but the thought of Yu Ying, who was with Forgeroses, extinguished his inclination to mock Soderis.
"Just stay put; I need to deal with those rats," he said. With a step, he traversed thousands of miles in a blink, appearing amidst the swarm of rats. As he descended, the eighth-level bloodline giant rats were engulfed by a ripple that seemed to crush all in its path. They squealed in agony as their bones shattered and their flesh compressed their organs, quickly dissolving into pools of blood.
The ninth-level giant rats, lagging behind on purpose, scattered in terror. It wasn't long before Yu Yuan spotted the Beast God, smaller than the giant rats, concealed within their ranks.
"Soderis, you truly bring shame upon us. The reputation of the Silver Hawk Clan has been tarnished by your actions!"
