C334 The Demon Blood Boiled

Blood beaded on the back of Yu Yuan's hand, resembling crimson dewdrops on leaves at dawn. As he pointed at the Shura Eye within the Dark Realm, his skin first split across the back of his hand. Then, starting from his palm and moving up to his forearm, fine lacerations began to appear. Despite his body being hardened through rigorous training, it couldn't bear the nurturing of the sword's will and the circulation of the psionic power of the sword light.

The agony of his flesh was one thing, but the torment of the three souls—of heaven, earth, and man—was another matter entirely. At some point, an intense and chilling aura of darkness had begun to poison his soul. He was compelled to channel his heaven soul and engage in the Soul Forging through Enlightenment technique, drawing upon the power of the alien soul from the depths of the Soulforge Pool within the Moonfall Sanctuary to preserve the clarity of his spiritual wisdom.

Fragmented thoughts occasionally seeped into his mind from the Shura Eye, testing his resolve. His will was under constant assault, being forged and refined; a moment's lapse could mean the loss of his consciousness and a descent into an abyss from which there was no return. His current predicament was the most perilous and horrifying he had ever faced in his cultivation journey.

Yu Zhu, Yan Qiling, and Xu Zixi watched him closely, ever vigilant. They were all aware that if Yu Yuan's suspicions were accurate, the commander and the Terra Fiend Bai Shang would not rest; further actions were inevitable.

At midday, beneath the blazing sun, a peculiar purple rainbow materialized. Upon closer inspection, it was not a rainbow at all, but a streak of purple silk ribbon streaking across the void. The ribbon was adorned with fine patterns, resembling clusters of auspicious purple clouds. Under the fierce sun, the purple satin erupted in a blinding divine radiance.

"There's a little world concealed within!" Yan Qiling looked up, his face growing somber. "This must be the work of Shen Feiqing and the Terra Fiend Bai Shang, trying to deceive us with their illusions!"

Liu Ying, who had been sitting with her head bowed and eyes shut, using her Fallen Star Eyes to survey the heavens, suddenly rose. She extended a luminous finger towards the sky, and the Fallen Star Eyes, hovering aloft, shone with a brilliant and generous light.

As if a dazzling star had burst forth in the clear daylight sky, it captured the attention of all who saw it.

"Activate the Star Eyes!"

A massive, luminous meteor transformed into a vertical pupil high above, shining brilliantly and sparkling with light.

Liu Ying could feel the purple silk, targeted by the Fallen Star Eyes, being overwhelmed and washed away by a vast tide of psionic power.

The cosmic energy infiltrated the fabric, seeking to grasp the minutest details of the little world within.

Within the satin, a peculiar little world brimmed with purple clouds, eliciting a cold snort from Bai Shang.

The petite figure of the commander sat with poise. Wei Feng, whom she had taken under her wing and brought to the Blackfang Legion as a child, floated five meters above her head.

Drops of purple blood, matching the hue of the satin, seeped from Wei Feng's skin.

This purple blood slowly transformed into radiant beams of light, intricately weaving together to form a majestic purple phoenix, bursting with a mysterious aura.

The purple phoenix, conjured from the blood expelled from Wei Feng's body, was shielded within the little world by the satin, emitting waves of vast demon energy that even the commander found mesmerizing.

The commander sensed that this enormous purple phoenix was akin to a volcano erupting with pure demon energy!

"Starmoon Sect, that young girl is watching us."

After a cold snort, Bai Shang advised Shen Feiqing, "Do your best to minimize the use of her lifeblood and demon energy. The reconstruction of flesh and bones, following the convergence of her residual soul and spiritual wisdom, will heavily rely on the purity of Wei Feng's lifeblood for a complete recovery."

Shen Feiqing's brow furrowed, and with a swift motion, her tiny fist punched towards the heavens.

A fist imprint burst forth from the purple silk.

Liu Ying, mentally linked with the Fallen Star Eyes, suddenly glimpsed a miniature fist emerging from the purple silk, carrying a ferocious, time-warping force that scattered the cosmic energy engulfing the fabric.

Starlight scattered across the sky like a spray of raindrops.

Liu Ying grunted, a trickle of blood escaping the corner of her mouth. Briefly, two small fist imprints manifested in the depths of her eyes before quickly fading.

She slumped down, then abruptly opened her eyes, her expression one of utter dejection as she revealed, "You're right; both the commander and Bai Shang are inside."

"What else did you see?" Yan Qiling asked, his expression somber.

"I saw Wei Feng," Liu Ying said with a soft sigh. "Her blood is purple, and it was being drawn out drop by drop, transforming into a sinister purple light that took the shape of... the original form of the Dark Phoenix. The spellcaster is none other than the commander. I have no idea what her intentions are."

"Wei Feng! She's after Wei Feng's lifeblood!" Xu Zixi exclaimed in alarm.

"That seems to be the case," Liu Ying agreed with a slight nod. "She's not like Zhao Yafu or Zhan Tianxiang, who are both purely human and naturally gifted, able to practice the dark arts due to their talents. She's different; her veins carry the blood of the Dark Phoenix, a lineage that has become incredibly pure over generations."

"Feiqing took Wei Feng in when she was young, wrested her from the Emperor's grasp, and has shielded her at every turn. It wasn't out of a fondness for her talents or love," Xu Zixi said, her voice tinged with melancholy. "She's always known about the Dark Phoenix's blood in Wei Feng. Her entire endeavor has been to awaken the Dark Phoenix blood within Wei Feng, refining it to its purest form."

"She never cared about Wei Feng's wellbeing or whether the Dark Phoenix would take notice of her future."

"Her sole desire was to harness that demonic blood to fulfill her own ambitions, whether to empower herself or to carry out some nefarious deed."

Whoosh!

Zhou Cangmin reappeared from the Nimbuswing, joining them in the pit.

"Crack crack! Crack crack!"

The ruins of the city began to inexplicably split apart, stone by stone.

A low wailing emerged from deep beneath the city. Soon after, a white-haired, decrepit old woman hobbled out of the earth, leaning on a cane.

Her white hair cascaded down, covering her face and concealing all but two shadowy, mournful eyes peeking through.

Upon closer inspection, one would notice that each strand of her white hair was actually a slender little snake.

The cane she wielded was a bone, white and sharp as a sword, shimmering with a ghostly light.

"I recognize her. She's one of the Silvermoon Queen's three shadows," Zhou Cangmin remarked with a glance. "Like Bai Shang, she's an alien soul who escaped from the Moonfall Sanctuary ages ago. No doubt, she's been restored to her full strength with the aid of the Lee family."

The white-haired crone lifted her gaze, her eerie eyes peering through the slender white snakes that hung like hair, as she bowed respectfully. "Lord State Preceptor, this isn't our first encounter. You met me once when you were younger, during your trials at the Moonfall Sanctuary. At that time, you were unaware of my identity, and I certainly didn't foresee you achieving such greatness."

After a brief pause, she continued, "Had I known you'd become this formidable, I would have ended your life back in the forbidden area."

Zhou Cangmin stood in shock, his mind racing until a sudden realization hit him. "It's you! While I was in the Veil Breaking realm, meditating in the forbidden area and striving to reach the Subtlety realm, I was misled by a demonic presence! Was that demon you?"

The crone let out a sinister laugh as she thrust her bone-forged cane towards Yu Yuan's back.

Innumerable fine white snakes transformed into a myriad of lightning bolts, launching themselves at Yu Yuan from the heavens and the earth in the blink of an eye.

At that moment, the purple silk floating in the air expanded a hundredfold before plummeting down.

Bai Shang's spectral figure was the first to dart out from beneath the falling silk.

As he descended, he turned to Yan Qiling and declared, "As fellow prisoners of the forbidden area, you should be joining us, not aiding that swordsman! I am a Terra Fiend—are you not also a creature beyond human?"

He then turned his gaze to Yu Zhu.

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