C330 Not the Same Person

His fingers brushed against another world.

It was a realm of darkness, ice-cold, deathly silence, and desolation.

It seemed to be the birthplace of the Shura, the so-called Dark Realm.

Contrary to what Shen Feiqing had described, it was not a place brimming with spiritual energy, dotted with exotic flora and rich in spiritual mines.

His arm bone was searing hot as the refined spiritual energy, previously concentrated in his lower elixir field, was rapidly drained.

The spiritual energy coursed through his arm bone, intertwining with the sword light, making it shimmer even more brilliantly.

His veins glowed like red crystal, with streaks of crimson lightning darting through them.

"Chi!"

A hair-thin, dazzling space rift suddenly cascaded down towards his arm.

Yu Yuan's face blanched in shock.

Before he could react, the space rift contracted again, penetrated his skin, and infused into his arm bone as a strand of strange power within the sword light.

Zhou Cangmin, Xu Zixi, Yan Qiling, and the others looked on, their eyes reflecting their astonishment.

Was Yu Yuan's arm actually absorbing space magic? The space rift, triggered by Shen Feiqing's backlash, was being integrated into his own body?

This unexpected transformation left them bewildered.

"Is everything okay?"

Yu Yuan himself was startled. He quickly attuned his consciousness to his arm and discovered there was no anomaly. The space rift, having contracted once more, seemed to solidify into an even sharper sword's will, blending with the sword light in his arm bone to enhance the might of his next strike.

After the first came the second, then the third!

"Chi! Chi!"

The terrifying space rifts, spawned by Shen Feiqing and wielded by her to slay Bai Shuang and obliterate Jiang Moyan, shrank into brilliant white lightning, striking Yu Yuan's arm one after another.

With each additional space rift that merged, Yu Yuan's arm swelled with an even more formidable sword's will.

Shen Feiqing, deliberately keeping her distance, had an unreadable expression beneath her mask, but her exposed eyes swirled with a chill.

The space rifts, now part of Yu Yuan's arm bone, had once been hers...

While in the Moonfall Sanctuary, Yu Yuan's connection to the Soulforge Matrix was palpable. Each swing of his sword carried the formidable power of the formation," Yan Qiling stated, hovering mid-air with a grave look. "However, I sense that the sword spells he cast within the Soulforge Pool and through the great formation pale in comparison to the might of his subsequent strike."

Zhou Cangmin concurred, "Indeed, the next sword strike was breathtaking."

To warriors of their caliber, it was evident. They could see and feel the sword's will emanating from Yu Yuan's hand as it pointed towards the Shura Eye in the Dark Realm. The sword's will radiating from his arm bone was so intense that merely witnessing it caused a discomfort that penetrated their eyes and souls.

What realm of power did they possess?

If merely observing it caused their eyes and souls to feel dry and stung, how immense was the power of that sword?

"Yu Yuan was merely a conduit for that strike," Xu Zixi interjected. "The real force came from those space rifts, the scabbard, and the psionic power infused into his arm bone. At that moment, Yu Yuan became the embodiment of a sword, channeling the ancient sword's will to vanquish his foe."

Liu Ying from the Starmoon Sect stumbled, nearly losing consciousness.

Her garments, dazzling with starlight, seemed to intoxicate those who gazed upon them.

The sun blazed overhead.

A majestic stream of cosmic energy cascaded from the vast Fallen Star Eyes, enveloping her and alleviating her discomfort.

Yan Qiling shot her a glance and huffed, "Young lady, mind your gaze. With your level of skill, you shouldn't fixate on the sword's will with your own eyes and soul."

Both he and Zhou Cangmin had felt the strain; how much more so for Liu Ying?

Liu Ying's near fainting was due to her prolonged focus on Yu Yuan's hand, employing a mystique to peer through her eyes and perceive with her spirit.

"A wise suggestion. You'd do well to close your eyes and observe through the Fallen Star Eyes," Zhou Cangmin advised.

Under the cascade of cosmic energy, Liu Ying swiftly regained her vitality and spiritual energy. Within moments, she felt as good as new.

Her rapid recovery was a testament to her lesser cultivation and strength, which, with the aid of the Fallen Star Eyes, allowed her to heal in such a short span of time.

If she were in the Spirit Walk or Solar Spirit Realm, it would be impossible for her to recover so quickly, even with the aid of the Fallen Star Eyes.

"Thank you for the warning, Mr. Xie."

Liu Ying was quick to understand. Her long eyelashes flickered, and she obediently closed her eyes.

She stepped back, maintaining a distance from both Yu Yuan and the pit, her consciousness fully immersed in the Fallen Star Eyes.

The Fallen Star Eyes, now significantly descended, became her third eye, replacing her actual vision. From high above, she surveyed the area, keenly observing Yu Yuan's every move.

"The Nimbuswing is closing in fast. Yu Yuan might not even get to swing his sword before they arrive."

With her eyes closed, Liu Ying softly alerted them to the unfolding situation.

"Feiqing, if the Nimbuswing shows up, you intercept it," Zhou Cangmin instructed, turning to address the female commander. "The space rift that was meant to permeate your flesh and blood has been absorbed by Yu Yuan's arm, fueling the power behind that sword. You won't suffer backlash anymore. With your strength, keeping the Nimbuswing at bay should be a breeze, right?"

Yan Qiling, Yu Zhu, Python Queen Xu Zixi, and Shen Feiqing all turned their attention to her.

After a brief moment of contemplation, Shen Feiqing responded, "Understood."

Boom!

With a forceful stomp, her petite frame shot up into the sky.

Like a bolt of arc light, she vanished into the heavens in the blink of an eye.

The tremors of the earth had yet to subside.

"Hu!"

Yan Qiling clasped his hands together, and the space around the pit began to ripple with subtle waves, invisible to the naked eye but detectable by the soul.

"She can't hear us now."

With a grave expression, Yan Qiling turned to the High Oracle and said, "Your Highness, you also find it unwise to have sent the commander away, don't you?"

Yu Zhu, Xu Zixi, and Zhou Cangmin all awaited Zhou Cangmin's response.

"I'm not very familiar with the Shura of the Dark Realm, but I do know a bit more about Feiqing," the High Oracle admitted with a slight nod. "She tends to take things to the extreme. You mentioned she might be aware that the Shura's residual soul and spiritual wisdom haven't been completely extinguished. Given her temperament, it's entirely possible she could have some sort of understanding with the Shura."

"Cangmin, do you... also believe there's something off with Feiqing?" Xu Zixi urgently inquired.

"Feiqing's actions are certainly not meant to harm us," the High Oracle clarified. "She must have her reasons. Perhaps she aims to assassinate the emperor of the Sunblessed Empire or make the current leader of the Forgeroses pay for her vengeance. There could also be reasons unknown to us."

"But if she truly went through with it, the Shura from the Dark Realm, having absorbed the divine force of the Forgotten Ruins for millennia, would possess platinum-level strength."

"Then what..."

The state preceptor, revered and feared across the Silvermoon Empire, Crimson Sun Empire, and Sunblessed Empire, let out a deep sigh.

"The commander didn't intervene with Nimbuswing."

Liu Ying, with her eyes previously closed, suddenly looked alarmed. "She's vanished! Despite my constant vigilance with the Fallen Star Eyes, she slipped away in an instant!"

"I knew it!" Yan Qiling declared, his face stern. "Your friend has been toying with us all along, playing games with both you and everyone else!"

Zhou Cangmin shook his head with a wry smile. "The very scenario I dreaded has unfolded."

"Cangmin, after all the care and concern we've shown her, she's still kept us in the dark about everything!" Xu Zixi expressed her frustration. "If she could neutralize the backlash with Phaseblossom and even planned to retaliate against Bai Shuang, Zou Jin, and Jiang Moyan, why all the secrecy? After Yu Yuan uncovered her plan, she still struck a deal with us to scheme over the Mysterious Realm."

"But how did she accomplish this?"

"To this day, we're clueless about her intentions. We can't discern whether the secrets she divulged about the Mysterious Realm are fact or fiction."

"We're completely in the dark about her true purpose in the Forgotten Ruins!"

Xu Zixi, harboring a host of complaints, had already come to a decision.

"Mr. Yan is correct. The commander's real intention might very well be to awaken the Shura of the Dark Realm." Yu Yuan, still inside the pit, his finger hovering above the brown eyeball, exuded an aura of sword's will so intense it seemed capable of slicing through the fabric of time and space. "She and Bai Shang are likely allies in this endeavor."

"Additionally, I can sense that the Shura from the Dark Realm is indeed still alive. His lingering will is concealed within his eyeball!"

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