C346 An Old Friend

Golden Fiend lamented within the confines of the Shura Eye's little world in the Dark Realm. He had never anticipated such a devastating injury upon entering this alien space. After five successive attempts, his once-massive phantom had diminished to less than a tenth of its original size. He could barely make out a peculiar wisp of thought, not even substantial enough to be called a soul spirit, observing him with what seemed to be an air of utter disdain and mockery.

At last, after another reconstitution, the space-tearing crimson sword light ceased its assault. The sword light, intersecting to form a "well," contained that very thought. To Golden Fiend, the wisp within the "well" was so insubstantial that he found it beneath him to even consider absorbing it. Yet, the presence of the crimson sword light left him trembling with fear, daring not to come any closer, only able to observe from a distance.

The crimson sword light, halted by Yu Yuan's intervention, refrained from striking Golden Fiend again. Instead, it sought to harness the power of the Heaven Soul, using the psionic energy from the space beneath the Soulforge Pool to fortify Yu Yuan's thoughts. In the real world, such a phantom would struggle to exist, but here, within the Shura Eye of the Dark Realm, supported by the sword light and the influence of the Soulforge Pool, it managed to barely manifest.

Suddenly, Golden Fiend recognized that the seemingly negligible phantom was, in fact, the visage of the Golden Sanctum youth he had encountered upon entering the eye. "Have you come here seeking death?" Yu Yuan, now a diminutive figure within the sword light at the center of the "well," projected a faint consciousness. Despite its small size, his presence was commanding.

Golden Fiend, grasping the situation, inquired, "Who are you? And what is this place?"

"I am Yu Yuan, from Asvetaesi in the Silvermoon Empire. This is the Dark Realm's Shura, the little world within that eye. Trapped by my own thoughts, I cannot escape or perceive the outside world. What is happening out there?" Yu Yuan asked, his thoughts emanating outward.

He continued, "Regardless of who you are or the extent of your might in the outside world, within this small realm, should I wish for your soul to be extinguished, your survival is impossible."

As he transmitted his consciousness, several crimson sword lights appeared to respond to him, poised to strike at the Golden Fiend. The Golden Fiend, once a tyrant in the Forgotten Ruins, feared by both Tong Laoqian and Qi Hongyi, was terrified at the sight of the sword lights, nearly causing his soul to scatter once more.

"People call me the Golden Fiend, I..."

Without further thought, the intruding soul began to divulge a great deal to Yu Yuan. He, along with Tong Laoqian and Qi Hongyi, had not initially been in the Forgotten Ruins. They had received a secret message informing them that the Ethereal Void's teleportation circle would soon cease to function. The message hinted at the emergence of a rare treasure within the ruins.

Having left the Forgotten Ruins long ago, they reconvened and stealthily made their way back. Together, they ventured into a cave, and he recounted the scenes they witnessed in detail to Yu Yuan.

Tong Laoqian had his eye on Yu Zhu's floating island, while Qi Hongyi coveted the platinum skull. As a pure soul, he grew covetous upon learning from Tong Laoqian that the skull's owner was not yet dead, believing himself strong enough to investigate.

That decision led to his current predicament.

"Golden Fiend, Tong Laoqian, Qi Hongyi..."

Yu Yuan, within the alien land, had a clear understanding upon hearing the names. Liu Ying was only aware of Tong Laoqian and Qi Hongyi's reputations, oblivious to the Golden Fiend's identity. However, Yu Yuan had secretly visited the area before it was known as the Forgotten Ruins. Moreover, he had extensively studied and covertly interacted with the malevolent beings and alien souls that once swarmed there.

Thus, his knowledge of the Golden Fiend, Tong Laoqian, and Qi Hongyi surpassed even that of Liu Ying's master. These three were renowned figures in this realm, celebrated for their notoriety over three centuries ago!

Observing the Golden Fiend, Yu Yuan was torn between amusement and dismay, careful not to betray his emotions. After all, he had encountered the Golden Fiend in a previous life.

When he encountered the Golden Fiend, he was still the revered Sect Master of the Order of Healing, a distinguished figure held in high esteem by all. His inability to cultivate did not diminish his reputation, for his unparalleled mastery of leechcraft earned the Golden Fiend's respect.

He vividly recalled how the Golden Fiend had materialized before him, pleading earnestly for mercy.

It was beyond his imagination that in this lifetime, he would once again come face to face with the Golden Fiend within the little world inside the eyeball of a Shura from the Dark Realm.

The Golden Fiend's current plight was even more pitiful than before, at risk of being obliterated by streaks of crimson sword light with a mere thought.

Besides the Golden Fiend, Tong Laoqian and Qi Hongyi, who were outside, were also old acquaintances.

Yet, whether it was the Golden Fiend or the two outsiders, none could recognize him now.

...

In the outside world, a plump elder with coins orbiting him blinked as he observed Yu Yuan and the brown Shura Eye he was examining.

Qi Hongyi took note of the expressions on the faces of Shen Feiqing, Bai Shang, and the white-haired crone.

The Golden Fiend's companions sensed trouble; one of them had likely acted rashly and was now in a precarious situation, unlikely to escape unscathed from the peculiar eyeball.

"The little world within the Dark Realm's Shura Eye, along with its residual soul and spiritual wisdom, is no place for your friend to recklessly enter."

Yan Qiling shook his head, his face betraying a hint of schadenfreude. "Do you two even understand what the Dark Realm's Shura is? If not, I could..."

He left his sentence hanging.

Yan Qiling saw Tong Laoqian's face quiver at the mention of the Dark Realm's Shura.

Clearly, the corpulent merchant who had refined a magnificent, albeit ruined, city was well aware of the significance of the Dark Realm's Shura and what it meant to possess one of its eyes.

"What is the Dark Realm's Shura?" inquired Qi Hongyi.

Tong Laoqian offered no explanation. He had intended to descend for a closer look, but instead, he swept his sleeve, gathering the copper coins and returning to the jade palace he had crafted.

Tong Laoqian's gaze settled on the colossal gourd.

The gourd remained, and the flowing robe that housed the Golden Fiend's soul continued to sway in the ethereal breeze.

The aura of the Golden Fiend's soul had completely vanished, beyond the reach of perception.

"Shen Feiqing, what are you planning to do?"

After a moment, Tong Laoqian's brow furrowed as he stowed his bronze flagon, his face etched with gravity. "I can barely detect a pulse of soul within the eyes of the Dark Realm's Shura. He's not fully dead, just lurking within his own eyes. I've heard tales of the Dark Realm's Shura and the strange phenomena that occur when their eyes enter the Everlands."

He paused, then continued, "The sparse spiritual energy in the Forgotten Ruins... it's because of this eye, isn't it?"

"It's quite ironic. I've lived in this little world for hundreds of years, even before it had a name, yet I never imagined that its meager spiritual energy wasn't a natural occurrence, but the result of a Dark Realm Shura's eye!"

"Now I get it. I finally understand why the Ethereal Void Sect constructed that teleportation circle here!"

In a flash of insight, Tong Laoqian grasped the entire truth, enlightened by his knowledge of the peculiarities of the Dark Realm Shura.

With the truth laid bare, Tong Laoqian inhaled deeply, his demeanor chilling as he addressed Shen Feiqing, "We've been labeled as heretics, shunned by the three continents. I once took pride in that, wore it as a badge of honor. But now, I realize we're insignificant, not truly deserving of the title 'evil.'"

"You are the true heretics."

His gaze and voice were icy to the core.

Qi Hongyi, confused, asked, "Tong Laoqian?"

"They're trying to awaken the Dark Realm Shura!" Tong Laoqian's shoulders shook slightly. "One of them is likely a platinum-level Dark Realm Shura! Once his residual soul and spiritual wisdom are restored, he could annihilate both nations in an instant once the teleportation circle ceases to function. He might even grow stronger and easily return to the extraterrestrial realm before the champions from Euwrea and the Land of Quiescence can intervene."

Upon hearing this, Qi Hongyi, cradling her lute, was enveloped in a profound silence.

"By joining forces, we can change the tide of this battle," Yan Qiling seized the moment to interject. "The young man is currently slaying the residual soul of a Shura from the Dark Realm. Our only task is to ensure his safety during this critical phase."

​