C1972 Great Courage!

Ballo donned a cape shimmering with stars, using his bloodline to conjure a nebula that enveloped Canli's form.

He had come to personally ensure her safe passage, intent on returning the Dawnbringers' esteemed daughter to the Ashlands. In private, Ballo had cautioned Canli against returning to any Astral Domain of the Dawnbringers until she had achieved the tenth level of her bloodline.

He was uncertain of Cardo's current thoughts.

Ballo sensed a shift in Cardo after witnessing Zhong Chichen and Loong Jie attain immortality. Her glances towards Canli were fraught with internal conflict.

Ballo trusted that Yu Yuan's words were not without merit.

Cardo, now hopeful for eternal life, was reassessing her stance on Canli, contemplating their relationship anew.

Having secured the jade box with the Key of Eternity, Cardo had also learned from the black goat that the Light Spirit resided in the Wasteland.

Ballo dared not take risks. He wished for Canli to remain in the Ashlands indefinitely, far from Cardo's purview.

The world was vast, yet for Canli, safety seemed to lie only within the Ashlands and the Everlands.

"Ballo."

Cardo broke the silence.

Canli, Chen Liangquan, Tianqi, and Brie tensed at her voice.

Yu Yuan's demeanor was icy, his gaze sharp as a blade upon Cardo, ready for any confrontation.

The black goat's smirk was barely there as it stretched its soul beast form, seemingly anticipating something.

Ballo, leading Canli to the central continent and standing at the Starway, appeared rigid.

"I hope you... proceed with caution."

Ballo's voice was stern, directed at the crowd behind him.

"I must confront my feelings," Cardo admitted, a wry smile on her lips. "Yu Yuan's words have been echoing in my mind, impossible to dismiss."

"The allure of the Light Spirit is undeniable, as is the Key of Eternity!"

Her eyes fixed on the black goat, she battled internally before exhaling sharply and declaring coldly, "I detest that smug smile of yours!"

The amusement in the black goat's eyes receded.

Sensing trouble, it responded, "Harry!"

"Ugh!"

Harry of the Fire Lizard tribe instinctively responded, and then the warrior, with his tenth-level bloodline, erupted in a blinding light.

It was as though dozens of rules of light magic had solidified into blades capable of slicing through heaven and earth, piercing through his body.

With only a muffled grunt, Harry's flesh, bones, and organs, particularly his heart, shattered into tiny sparkling fragments.

There was no blood, no smoke.

Harry's death was clean and absolute, leaving not a trace behind, as if he had never existed.

"That smug smile of yours is making me quite uncomfortable," Cardo remarked, her eyes narrowing into slits with fine lines of electric rules crisscrossing within them.

Ferris shuddered, the skeletal frame of the Aberrant Soul beginning to quiver. The terror in his eyes was unmistakable and grew increasingly intense.

He sensed the presence of death.

"Why?!"

The phantom of the black goat perched on his chest also began to fade and thin, as if melting away under the bright light like dissolving snow.

It was perplexed.

"I respected you. I believed someone of your stature would surely honor their word."

Its beady black eyes fixed on the jade box in Cardo's hand, it demanded sharply, "You accepted our gift. You were supposed to keep your promise and remain neutral."

"I've had a change of heart. I no longer intend to use the contents of this box to seek my eternal life."

Each word Cardo spoke seemed more difficult than the act of killing Harry or striking at Ferris.

For her, the true challenge was never in the killing, but in the choosing.

"Eternity! Yu Yuan might offer you immortality, but he cannot grant you the Light Spirit! Without access to the Light Spirit, your so-called eternal life will eventually be consumed by darkness! Tan Xiaotian, that man, will certainly find you and end you!"

"This is your destiny, a battle between light and darkness!"

The black goat's cry pierced the air.

"Who can predict the future with certainty? Yet, I find a sudden peace and tranquility in rejecting the eternal blood within this box, in turning away from the seduction of your king."

"You, and your king, have truly earned my newfound respect."

"You are certainly not mere beasts. You possess astonishing intelligence, and you are also incredibly cunning and devious. I hope you will visit our Origin Realm soon, as I would like to meet you in person."

Cardo pointed her Light Scepter at Ferris.

Infinite sacred radiance and divine light engulfed the tenth-level Aberrant Soul, purging his skeletal form and the black goat's soul in the most thorough cleansing.

Ferris and the black goat were reduced to nothing but dust.

The three warriors who had burst in, hoping to cause chaos, believed they could persuade Cardo with the black goat's beast soul on their side.

They were wrong.

Whoosh!

At the barrier between the two realms, a dazzling, mirage-like light flashed momentarily.

The black goat from the Wasteland, unwilling to concede, cast its enormous, resentful shadow onto Cardo across the divide of the two worlds, issuing a piercing screech.

"Why?"

It could not come to terms with its fate.

"Why? I don't know why either."

Cardo hung her head, avoiding eye contact with everyone, and spoke with a hint of melancholy, "Even I was nearly swayed. Eternal life, the Light Spirit—it's incredibly difficult to resist such offerings."

"It takes immense courage for me as well."

"Patriarch..."

Canli stood at the Starway, gazing blankly at her from across several stretches of land.

Ballo turned, his eyes brimming with contentment and delight. "If something hasn't happened, it doesn't exist. It's not unusual for any intelligent being to harbor evil and selfish thoughts. The true measure of strength is the courage to confront and eradicate the evil within."

Ballo inclined his head respectfully and said, "You remain true to yourself, the Cardo I know so well."

"Starting today, I entrust the leadership of the Dawnbringers to Canli. Once Canli's lineage ascends to the tenth level and she can bear the Light Scepter's might, I will bestow it upon her as well!"

With those words, Cardo flung a platinum crown studded with numerous gems from her sleeve, tossing it directly to Canli.

The Dawnbringers watched in awe as the platinum crown soared toward Canli and settled upon her head.

Chen Liangquan's gaze conveyed deep respect.

However, his reverence was not directed at Canli, but at Cardo. With a respectful bow, he stated, "The Dawnbringers owe their current grandeur to your presence."

"In the future, I shall serve as the High Priest of the Dawnbringers, while Canli will assume the role of the chieftain. I trust you will both support her well."

Having spoken these words, Cardo transformed into a dazzling beam of light and swiftly soared into the depths of the Stellar Oblivion, seemingly disinclined to remain at this bastion against the Beast God of the Wasteland.

Yu Yuan paused to reflect, then, gripping the Dragon Slaying Stage, he set off in pursuit.

...

Shortly thereafter, atop a vast slab of dark green stone.

"This is indeed a challenging decision."

Cardo clutched the chilly box in her hands, peering at the enigmatic droplet of blood within, and declared gravely, "I sense that this blood belongs to the Lord of Ruin."

She abruptly lifted her gaze, locking eyes with Yu Yuan, "Can you tell me what connection I'll have with the Lord of Ruin after I assimilate this drop of blood?"

Zhong Chichen, Loong Jie, and the snow bear had been bestowed with immortality by Yu Yuan, their hearts now containing the Life Keychain.

Yu Yuan's bond with these three might closely mirror the Lord of Ruin's bond with those he granted eternal life through his blood.

"In our realm, unless they venture to places like the Wraithlands or other unique regions such as the Everlands, I can perceive their every action."

Yu Yuan, while contemplating and sensing the presence of Zhong Chichen and the others, shared, "I can also convey my will to them, enlisting their help for certain tasks. Once I ascend to the eleventh level, I might even be able to slightly influence their behavior."

"As for other powers, I have yet to discern them."

Yu Yuan was candid.

"It's yours now."

Cardo, with a look of reluctance, passed the jade box to Yu Yuan, "Whatever happens, ensure it's dealt with thoroughly and never let it end up in the wrong hands."

…