C2145 The Domain of Death

In the Sky Fiend Territory of Zagreus, Yu Yuan was no stranger to this Astral Domain. He had waged wars in this realm before.

Together with Chen Qinghuang, he had once sought the body of a tenth-level Lunarphite in Zagreus. It was here that the dragon egg, which birthed the little spinosaurus, was discovered.

The formidable Demon God Grec had established a resurrection site in this very place. Yu Yuan and Qinghuang had even ventured to the Dark Star Astral Domain.

The Frost Queen's Frostfiend race also resided within Zagreus.

The Frostlands, not yet sealed off or transformed into the Starry Sky Forbidden Zone, lay adjacent to Straikepera and were similarly engulfed in bitter cold.

Yu Yuan's memories of Zagreus were numerous and poignant.

He never imagined that upon his return after many years, he would witness the Secular Bird Queen's apocalyptic endeavor.

The ashen Divine Bird, with its massive wings, stirred the air of Zagreus. The death force emanating from its being diffused, transforming all affected living creatures into Ghouls.

As the death force permeated and proliferated, once vibrant stars were rendered silent and lifeless.

Any star caught in the throes of a Dead Storm seemed to face a cataclysm of death, where living creatures, vegetation, and entire landscapes met their demise.

Flesh and blood succumbed in an instant, reborn as Ghouls loyal to the Secular Bird Queen. Flora withered, mountains and rivers desiccated, and waters vanished into thin air.

Verdant peaks were stripped bare, now cloaked in a grim pall of death.

From a distance, the somber Dead Storm either infiltrated the star walls or merged with them.

Alternatively, the Dead Storm itself became the wall that enveloped a star.

Soon after, from these silent and desolate worlds, emerged countless lifeless Ghouls.

The lineage of these Ghouls ranged from the fifth to the sixth level.

They were not meant to tread beyond their extraterrestrial confines. Without the protection of the star walls, they would have been corrupted by the tainted energies of the Star River, mutating into Warpbeasts.

But as Ghouls, they no longer feared the contamination of the Star River's psionic powers.

Ghouls, lacking significant combat strength and comprised of numerous Otherkin, emerged in various locations within the Zagreus region.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

As the Star-Spawned Terrors drew near to Chen Qinghuang, their devil souls detonated, disintegrating before they could even reach her.

A ring of pale death force emanated from the greenish-grey Divine Bird above her, instantly slaying any Sky Fiend that came into contact with it.

None were spared.

The Starway, situated far from Chen Qinghuang in the Zagreus, was in complete disarray.

It turned out that some of the Boulderdawn guardians and several Sky Fiends were using the Starway to evacuate and spread the dire news of Zagreus to the Ashlands' mighty.

Atop the Dragon Slaying Stage, Yu Yuan's divine gaze captured every minute detail of the Astral Domain.

The frenzied Secular Bird Queen, the proliferation of death force, the mass emergence of Ghouls, and the exodus of the Sky Fiends...

He watched with an icy demeanor, his consciousness barely rippling with emotion.

As his memories continued to resurface, the layers of the Soul Altar piled higher, tipping the balance in favor of his rationality over his emotions at critical moments.

Occasionally, the presence of the Soul Altar made him feel as detached from life as the Primal Anima.

"Shouldn't we intervene?" Zhong Chichen inquired softly.

"Rainbow Sage, why intervene? The deceased are all Star-Spawned Terrors, and those who have become Ghouls are of no concern to us," Loong Jie replied with a chill in his voice.

"Wait," Yu Yuan stated calmly.

He was aware that without the intervention of mighty Demon Gods like Saca or High Priest Reid, the Sky Fiends stood no chance against the Secular Bird Queen.

Kaiya was likely to be stirred.

A message from the Wraithlands' entrance, relayed through the Soul Altar, revealed a potential opportunity to him.

——Kaiya's actions could provoke Bertain's departure.

——This presented an excellent chance for him to investigate the Spring of Death using the body of the Undead Sovereign.

"Let's remain concealed for now and avoid detection," he said.

As he spoke, the Dragon Slaying Stage vanished into the void, leaving no trace.

"High Priest!"

A Sky Fiend burst forth from Eiwrone, swooping to Reid's side. Its devil soul housed within a skeleton, it spoke in a frenzy, "The Secular Bird Queen has lost her mind in Zagreus!"

Reid, intently focused on the 'Spring of Death', scolded the creature and instructed it to keep its distance.

Afterward, he inquired, "Lost her mind? It's not the first time she's gone mad. What's different now... Could the Dark Phoenix have intervened?"

The Sky Fiend shook its head, "Just like the legend from a hundred thousand years ago, she's wildly spreading death force. Millions have perished in Zagreus because of her!"

"Even more bizarre, the fallen warriors from various races have risen again!"

Whoosh!

Another wave of distraught human cultivators emerged from Eiwrone, recounting the upheaval in Zagreus.

"Death, death force, Ghouls..."

Reid, still fixated on the "Spring of Death", had an epiphany. He gazed at the motionless spring and muttered, "Could this be connected to the spring permeated with the aura of death?"

Whoosh!

From Tyria, Kaiya emerged, accompanied by Youqian.

Upon receiving the dire news, Kaiya, aware that Zagreus was the domain of the Sky Fiends, with numerous clans dispersed throughout and a Boulderdawn stronghold present, was alarmed.

After Taishi, Tianqi, Taixu, and Xuanli had all pledged allegiance to Yu Yuan and departed for the Frostlands, Kaiya unhesitatingly assumed leadership of the surviving Boulderdawn members. As the sole God-King, she commanded the Boulderdawn cultivators across the extraterrestrial Star River.

Her rule, however, was confined to those with divine lineage or a select few hybrids.

For instance, Wen Lu, of mixed Gods and Shadowkin heritage, was taken under Kaiya's wing after the Sky Fiend and Gods attacked the Shadowkin, becoming part of the Boulderdawn.

Anyone with even a trace of divine blood was granted her mercy and spared from execution.

Previously, those who practiced the Boulderdawn spells with bodies of Otherkin, their minds warped, were purged, nearly wiped from existence.

Youqian, please extend an invitation to Lord Saca. We must make a trip to Zagreus."

"She's recklessly unleashing her death force within our Sky Fiend territory. It's as if she doesn't even consider us a threat!"

Kaiya issued a series of commands and then turned to Reid, "High Priest, I ask that you keep a vigilant eye on this spring. And, be extra watchful of... my father."

Reid nodded in acknowledgment.

...

Yu Yuan, concealed within the void, had yet to see the Sky Fiend reinforcements arrive when he unexpectedly encountered the Dark Deity, Green Willow.

As Green Willow entered Zagreus from another Star River, his overwhelming vital energy immediately alerted Yu Yuan.

Green Willow, capable of a complete transformation, could effortlessly conceal his vitality, allowing him to traverse the Origin Realm in human guise.

Neither the Sky Fiends nor the Evil Gods could detect his true identity as a Dark Deity, thus they paid him no heed.

At that moment, Green Willow, having arrived from a different Star River and witnessing the frenzied Secular Bird Queen, mused to himself, "It's confirmed. The information was accurate. There indeed is an entrance to the Frostlands within Straikepera."

He had traveled from afar with the intention of passing through Zagreus to reach Straikepera, and from there, make his way to the Frostlands.

Not aligning with the Lord of Ruin, Yuan Le, nor siding with the Dark Phoenix, Zhiya, he chose not to venture into the Wasteland but instead drifted among the various realms of the Origin Realm.

During the joint onslaught by the Evil God, Sky Fiend, and the Gods against the Otherkin, he evaded calamity by adopting a human form.

But as his unease grew, he resolved to seek out Yu Yuan in the Frostlands.

"Why have you come?"

Green Willow, oblivious to the gravity of the situation, was admiring the greenish-gray Divine Bird when Yu Yuan's voice caught him off guard.

Startled, Green Willow jerked in surprise. Upon noticing the Dragon Slaying Stage and the presence of Yu Yuan, Zhong Chichen, and Loong Jie, he demanded, "What are you up to, skulking around?"

"The Secular Bird has lost its mind," Zhong Chichen informed him.

"I'm not blind," retorted Green Willow with a frosty tone.

"I'm afraid this is even more insane than it was 100,000 years ago," Zhong Chichen remarked.

Green Willow fell silent for a moment before asking, "Is it truly that grave?"

"If no one stops her, her death force will continue to escalate. It's not just the Zagreus Astral Domain at risk; nearby star realms teeming with life will also be impacted. Moreover, this time she'll create an innumerable army of Ghouls. These Ghouls will act on her behalf, spreading corruption to other worlds," Zhong Chichen said with a heavy sigh.

Green Willow peered intently and indeed spotted numerous Ghouls emerging from several lifeless stars.

Tens of millions of Ghouls, hailing from various stars and species with relatively low bloodline levels, were converging towards the Secular Bird Queen from all directions.

They were like a vast legion of Gloom Raiders under the queen's command.

"How does she know the Ghoul King's unorthodox methods?" Green Willow asked with a puzzled look.

"That power is inherently hers," Yu Yuan explained.

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