C232 Maelstrom of Oblivion!

The three Mei Qiurongs were identical in dress and appearance, yet each bore a distinct expression and demeanor. One Mei Qiurong wielded a sword, which shimmered with a brilliant emerald glow, reminiscent of a crystal-clear spring as she brandished it. Another Mei Qiurong, with her robes billowing, formed a spell with her hands and softly exclaimed, "Phoenix cry!" An elegant golden phoenix, conjured from her spell using vitality and remnant soul, came to life, its golden radiance dazzling to behold. The wings of the golden phoenix spanned nearly ten meters, glinting with a sharp golden light.

The third Mei Qiurong, her expression icy, remained stationary, her gaze fixed as she uttered, "Soul Guise!" Yu Yuan, perched on the edge of the cave, legs swinging, sported a peculiar grin and murmured, "Ebon Star, hehe!" A peculiar noise emanated from the surrounding caves, which were billowing with colorful poisonous smoke like a swarm of hornets' nests. In a flash, the bright yellow shield of the Shadowflame Blight Array seemed to be drawn forth.

Flames materialized from nowhere within the shield and drifted towards him. Among them, a green flame crackled and burned, transforming midway into a ghastly green specter ablaze with fire, lunging at the sword-bearing Mei Qiurong. She made a sizzling sound as both she and her sword were instantly set alight. In mere moments, that Mei Qiurong was completely consumed by the flames.

The second Mei Qiurong, whose golden phoenix had been shaped by her spell, soared high, only to collide with an unseen barrier and emit a frustrated screech. Yu Yuan chuckled at the sight. The invisible barrier suddenly burst into brilliance, with numerous interlacing lines emerging upon it. These lines, like cords, swiftly ensnared the golden phoenix. The once gracefully soaring golden phoenix now appeared trapped within a net, struggling in vain to advance even a single step. Soon after, the golden phoenix burst apart, scattering into a shower of golden light.

The third Mei Qiurong, oblivious to the demise of the others, continued to stare intently at Yu Yuan.

An unusually powerful suction force materialized abruptly, hovering three inches above Yu Yuan's head.

Yu Yuan's face subtly shifted in color as he realized, "The Maelstrom of Oblivion!"

Invisible to the naked eye, a dim light the size of a thumb was positioned in a triangular formation above Yu Yuan, spinning rapidly and generating a formidable suction.

This force targeted Yu Yuan's Mindscape, the three souls of heaven, earth, and man.

The wall that could repel the golden phoenix and prevent Mei Qiurong from passing through was ineffective against Mei Qiurong's third application of the "Maelstrom of Oblivion."

The Ebon Star's renowned Spirit Magic, "Maelstrom of Oblivion," wielded by Mei Qiurong, had an immediate and profound effect.

Yu Yuan steadied his legs, his face quivering, and his jet-black hair appeared to crackle with electric fire.

A dull ache throbbed in his head, and he sensed as if an unseen hand was reaching down from above, intent on clenching his three souls of heaven, earth, and man, and yanking them upwards.

He feared that if his three souls were to be extracted and cast into the Maelstrom of Oblivion, they would be extinguished in the blink of an eye.

In his past life, he had learned of the Ebon Star's Spirit Magic's dread power; even the cultivators from the Devil Palace and Shadow's Keep dreaded the Maelstrom of Oblivion.

Legend had it that the Maelstrom of Oblivion was not originally from the Ebon Star but was the unique creation of another sect. After being refined by successive generations of the Ebon Star's formidable practitioners, it evolved into their supreme Spirit Magic, a fearsome weapon against their foes.

To cast the "Maelstrom of Oblivion," one must at least possess the power of a Lunar Spirit. Successful execution meant the caster could extract the opponent's three souls of heaven, earth, and man.

The first Ebon Star practitioner to master this technique once used the Maelstrom of Oblivion to strip the souls from the archdemons of the Shadow's Keep, extinguishing them in mere moments.

It was rumored that with the Maelstrom of Oblivion fully mastered, a spellcaster who reached the Unbound Realm could even extract and obliterate an opponent's Lunar Spirit and Solar Spirit.

Only when the dominant soul transforms into a primordial spirit, becoming eternal and undying, can it completely disregard the pull of the Maelstrom of Oblivion.

"Huff! Huff! Huff!"

Yu Yuan gasped for air, his eyes wild with ferocity and madness as he locked gazes with the third Mei Qiurong.

"Thud! Thud! Thud!"

One by one, the Mei Qiurongs in Gloomhollow were pursued by the billowing smoke he released, quickly disintegrating into ash.

With each Mei Qiurong that vanished, the aura of the remaining ones grew stronger. This indicated that the dissipating power of the Mei Qiurongs turned to ash was being concentrated once more, this time within other illusions.

"You..."

The third Mei Qiurong's expression shifted subtly as she wielded the Maelstrom of Oblivion. At that moment, Loong Tianxiao arrived swiftly from another direction.

Without a moment's hesitation, he unleashed a mighty dragon's roar at Mei Qiurong. A dragon emerged, bellowing with the sound!

Yet another Mei Qiurong coldly retorted, "Seeking your own demise!"

"Boom!"

A palace nearly a hundred meters tall, glowing with a seven-colored radiance, inexplicably flew out from Mei Qiurong's sleeve. It descended with the weight of a mountain, crashing down with immense force.

The dragon that Loong Tianxiao had summoned was crushed by the palace, plummeting to the ground and shattering into myriad strands of vitality that swiftly vanished.

The palace ascended once more, its precious light extending for thousands of feet, resembling the abode of deities as it hurtled towards Loong Tianxiao again.

Bathed in that radiant light, Loong Tianxiao's human-headed, dragon-bodied form began to dissolve as if it were snow and ice under the fierce blaze of the sun.

Loong Tianxiao let out a pained howl, no longer able to focus on Yu Yuan, and he took flight without a backward glance.

The palace, suspended in the void, shone with a brilliance that commanded respect. Mei Qiurong reached out, and the palace fell into her palm, transforming into a seal.

"The Mark of the Celestials!"

Guan Xianyun of the Binders of Shadows wore a grave expression. The notion he had been entertaining was abruptly dismissed.

"The Mark of the Celestials consists of nine pieces, each corresponding to the floating palaces of the Ebon Star," Zanas inhaled sharply, his face turning pale. "Who exactly is Mei Qiurong? I've never heard of such a person in the Ebon Star before."

"To possess a Mark of the Celestials suggests she comes from no ordinary background," Guan Xianyun observed, gazing skyward. "It's no wonder she's so bold, striding fearlessly through Gloomhollow. She wields a Mark of the Celestials in her grasp."

"Mark of the Celestials!"

"Could she be holding one of the nine legendary Marks of the Celestials from the Ebon Star lore?"

"Could there be any doubt?"

The cultivators from Thunder Temple, as well as those who had previously declared their loyalty to her, were suddenly invigorated. They watched each imprint in her hands with great excitement.

At that moment, only two Mei Qiurong remained in Gloomhollow.

One Mei Qiurong persisted in using the Maelstrom of Oblivion against Yu Yuan, intent on extracting his three souls of heaven, earth, and man to execute him.

The other Mei Qiurong, holding the imprint, stood back-to-back with the one attacking Yu Yuan.

The one with the seal surveyed the valley's inhabitants and the venomous miasma above with little fear.

With the Mark of the Celestials in hand, her confidence was unshakable.

Yu Yuan, at the mouth of the cave, felt a chill run down his spine as he took in the sight of the two Mei Qiurong, finally grasping the situation.

The one casting the Maelstrom of Oblivion was Mei Qiurong's Lunar Spirit, a pure spirited body, with the displayed vitality merely a facade.

The one holding the Mark of the Celestials had her dominant soul and heaven soul in command, wielding the seal to force Loong Tianxiao to flee, wounded.

Unfused, she brandished the Mark of the Celestials, effortlessly scattering the approaching miasma.

The toxic fumes couldn't come near her—a testament to her confidence.

"Mark of the Celestials!"

As Yu Yuan grappled with an excruciating headache, struggling to contain his three souls of heaven, earth, and man, he too inwardly cried out.

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