C1985 He Was in a Ghost Town!

"What's wrong with you?"

As Yuan Lianyao swallowed the pellet, she couldn't help but notice Zhou Cangmin's exposed skin, where a dance of multicolored light and purple lightning crackled, sparking her curiosity.

Zhou Cangmin attempted to speak, but no sound emerged. His face betrayed his embarrassment.

"I'm not feeling well," he finally muttered after a moment.

The Imperial Advisor was inwardly cursing his luck.

Within him raged a ball of intense flame energy, brimming with exquisite fire, taking the form of a dancing fire phoenix, locked in battle with a purple devil shadow.

Both forces had chosen him, one after the other, and they instantly became aware of each other's presence.

Ignoring Zhou Cangmin completely, they commenced their battle within his body without so much as a warning.

Devoid of his physical form, and left with only his Yang God, Zhou Cangmin initially believed he was receiving divine favor as the energy, rich with the essence of fire, surged into him.

Before he could revel in his fortune, a second Devil Soul also selected him, and upon entry, it encountered the fiery energy.

Zhou Cangmin's own soul consciousness was cornered and compressed by these foreign energies, losing control over his fire crystal-like Yang God.

"Lord Shehun..."

After a period of covert observation within himself, Zhou Cangmin slowly became certain that the devil shadow was none other than the Soul Divine King from the Divine Soul Sect. He reached out telepathically, "Why have you possessed me?"

Engaged in fierce combat with a blood soul of a fire phoenix from another realm within a Flame Crystal world, Shehun found a moment to reply.

"The girl next to you has reached the Unrestrained Stage; possessing her would be rather difficult."

"Moreover, she has fused with the Yang God and her flesh, which is likely linked to the source of the vast ocean's heart. I fear that possessing her might alert the entity that lies awake beneath us at this sensitive time."

"And by some twist of fate, the fire phoenix from the Desolate Realm shares my sentiment."

"By sheer coincidence, we've encountered each other inside you."

Shehun had no intention of harming Zhou Cangmin. After explaining, she added, "You're just unlucky. I'll do my best to expel her! Damn it, she can manipulate your Yang God body and make full use of your refined Heavenly Flames!"

Gradually, Zhou Cangmin noticed the Devil Soul belonging to Shehun within him growing fainter.

Moments later, the fire phoenix transformed into a stunning figure, enveloping Zhou Cangmin's soul and consciousness in a fiery red glow. "Stay put. It's an honor for you that I'm borrowing your body."

The fiery red aura, marked with countless tiny flames and sparks of lightning, was brimming with infinite secrets. "If you manage to fully understand it, consider it a stroke of good fortune."

With those words, Zhou Cangmin found himself completely isolated from his senses, only able to see the fiery red halo imprisoning him.

"Lord Imperial Advisor?" Yuan Lianyao inquired, looking up.

Zhou Cangmin opened his eyes and offered a light smile. "It's nothing. Just some old memories that disturbed my peace of mind for a moment."

He didn't elaborate further, gazing at the expansive blue sea and murmuring, "Such a beautiful world." With that, he strode towards the ocean.

...

"I've encountered a ghost!"

In the Divine Soul Sect's headquarters, Andrea woke up with a start from her deep slumber.

She spoke to Taixu, "Inform Yu Yuan that the Fire Phoenix from the Desolate Realm, which has allied with the Demon Phoenix, has taken over Zhou Cangmin's body. She and the girl named Yuan Lianyao are headed for the vast ocean."

"That Fire Phoenix is surely aiming to investigate the Geocentric Fire and ascertain the true state of the vast ocean."

Andrea was livid.

"Zhou Cangmin's Yang God body, whether forged from Heavenly Fire or tempered with Flame Crystals, allows the Fire Phoenix to fully display its power!"

As a Soul Divine King, she was outraged to have been ousted by the Fire Phoenix. "I'll select another host immediately!" she declared, refusing to admit defeat.

Xuanli, Taixu, Tianqi, and the others exchanged puzzled looks, surprised by her possession attempt clashing with another external force.

And to top it off, she had been bested.

"I'll make contact right away."

Taixu, momentarily taken aback, quickly relayed the message to Yu Yuan through the Life Altar within his chest, who was just beyond the Abyss Gate.

In the Profound Sky Sect, Cao Jiaze, who had ascended to the highest rank and gained a mystical soul pillar in his mind, was sharing insights on the soul with his master, Han Qi. Suddenly, Cao Jiaze envisioned a scene as if in a dream. A phantom fire phoenix danced gracefully. As Yuan Lianyao and Zhou Cangmin lingered on a meteorite, the fire phoenix stealthily entered Zhou Cangmin's crown chakra.

Unaware of the intrusion, Zhou Cangmin, after making some adjustments, set off with Yuan Lianyao towards the vast expanse. Cao Jiaze felt an urgency to protect Zhou Cangmin. He needed to expel the fire phoenix and also ensure Yuan Lianyao's safety from the phoenix that had taken hold of Zhou Cangmin.

"What are you spacing out for?" Han Qi, noticing Cao Jiaze's distant gaze and prolonged silence, couldn't help but ask.

"It's nothing," Cao Jiaze replied, shaking his head. "Shall we call it a day? I've only recently advanced to the Primordial Spirit Stage and there are many mysteries of the soul pillar I have yet to fully grasp."

"Alright then," Han Qi conceded, understanding the need for patience. "I'll head over to Horror Land. Even though the source of the Yin Vein is gone, the Yin Qi there remains thick."

...

In the Gray Domain, the Verdant Star, home to the Muddy Divine Soil and the Hannya Divine Tree, was enveloped by a barrier as delicate as cicada wings. The celestial powers from the external cosmos were purified by this barrier, transforming into the purest essence of wood energy.

This barrier, crafted by the Ground Beetle and later inscribed with new bloodline laws by the Secular Bird Queen, had taken on its current form. She had christened the star the Undying World.

Members of the Dark Elfkind and Winged Race had begun to settle here, constructing dwellings in this fresh world, intending to establish a stronghold for their kind in the Gray Domain.

"I am healed," declared the empress, donning a regal crown, as she leaned against the Hannya Divine Tree.

As she looked up, she saw the Hannya Divine Tree, its branches piercing through the barrier and stretching into the outer realm, drawing the nutrients it needed from the cosmos.

The Undying World was a great distance from the Tia Main Planet, far from the thirty-six energy vortexes. Thus, the power amassed by the Hannya Divine Tree was within the allowances of the Divine Soul Sect.

"Are you planning to leave?"

The Hannya Divine Tree's voice was crisp with concern. "Isn't it good here? The outside is in turmoil, and the Demon Phoenix wreaks havoc. We've already suffered losses. Perhaps we should first construct our nest here and only venture out once we're certain it's safe?"

The divine tree was genuinely frightened.

"The new era is upon us. If we don't engage and claim our share, we'll be left behind," Chen Qinghuang mused, her eyes squinting as she looked beyond the barrier and the tree's branches, her gaze settling on a pale golden star. "We have no other choice."

"You do have a choice," came a voice.

An unfamiliar Dark Elfkind man approached, his expression serene. To convey respect and sincerity, he refrained from flying or cutting through the waist-high grass, patiently making his way to stand before Chen Qinghuang.

"In the last era, you were the most exceptional being born of the original blood, second only to the Titan spinosaurus."

"In my eyes, though, you surpass all sentient beings in beauty, far more so than the Demon Phoenix could ever hope to be." He spoke of the feared Demon Palace with a disarming ease, showing no hint of apprehension. "I have wandered through countless Starfield worlds, yet none have captivated me as you have."

He bowed deeply with reverence.

Upon looking up, his eyes glowed like twin Divine Stones, and he offered a smile. "I can assist you in slaying the Demon Phoenix and bestow upon you all that it possesses."

"Believe me, I possess the strength to make such bold claims." The stranger before her, in appearance, vitality, and spirit, was unmistakably of Dark Elfkind, without a single flaw to be found.

Yet the poise he exhibited was beyond the capabilities of any member of Dark Elfkind, and even Brie wouldn't dare make such a bold claim.

"Who are you?!"

The Hannya Divine Tree cried out in alarm.

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