C351 The Moon Moves
Outside, the Silvermoon Queen, wielding the Soul Sacrifice Diagram, launched her attack on Chi Hongyi with movements that flowed like water, exuding a mesmerizing rhythm and grace. She cast a radiant light from her other hand, which solidified into a series of rings.
These rings, resembling a succession of bright moons with icy edges, emitted a soft moonlight. The dark night sky was suddenly adorned with these new moons encircling Chi Hongyi, trapping her in an otherworldly realm from which she could not break free.
Chi Hongyi, clutching her lute, found her consciousness overwhelmed by a tumult of souls and lingering thoughts. This turmoil threw her mind into disarray, clouding her clarity and preventing her from unleashing her array of extraordinary techniques.
Should an Unrestrained Stage cultivator peer into her sea of consciousness, they would witness numerous bat-like soul shadows flitting about in the recesses of Chi Hongyi's mind. Her soul was in disarray, tugged at by these shadows, which siphoned off her soul power in silence.
Beneath her vibrant red gown, her jade-like skeletal form began to seep a dark red fluid within each bone joint. The lute in her embrace responded to the Silvermoon Queen's assault by emitting a halo of iridescent light. Its strings vibrated with electricity, striking at the "moons" and shattering the rings.
The skeleton and the lute, sensing the peril she faced, acted on their own to break through the encirclement and shield her. Yet, Chi Hongyi's brow remained tightly knitted, her expression etched with pain.
The soul is the cornerstone; when it is in disarray, wisdom is obscured, and coherent thoughts scatter, leading to a loss of self. Without her guidance, the skeleton and the lute, carriers of potent and peculiar spells, were rendered incapable of manifesting their formidable power.
Meanwhile, the Silvermoon Queen appeared at ease, the Soul Sacrifice Diagram in her grasp no longer assaulting Chi Hongyi. She cast her gaze, seemingly casual yet deliberate, towards the pit below.
...
"The Soul Sacrifice Diagram and the soul sacrifice ball are interconnected," Qin Yun of the Seven Divine Sect interjected suddenly. "You may not sense it, but within the Soul Sacrifice Diagram, clusters of tormented souls and vengeful spirits are vanishing quietly. And just moments ago, the soul sacrifice ball infiltrated the Asura's brown eye in the Dark Domain, embedding itself deep within."
"Yes, the Silvermoon Queen seems to be channeling the fragmented souls and malevolent spirits from the Soul Sacrifice Diagram into the soul sacrifice ball," Lau Ying confirmed with a nod. "She used the Diagram during her battle with Chi Hongyi, likely to avoid drawing attention. With Yan Qiling and Old Cash preoccupied by Shen Feiqing's attacks, they had no chance to notice."
"As for Aunt Xu..." Lau Ying sighed softly, "it appears she's lost interest in meddling with the pit's affairs. Her initial purpose in visiting the Fallen Moon Forbidden Area was to assist Shen Feiqing alongside the Imperial Advisor. But with Shen Feiqing's intent on rousing the Dark Domain Asura and the Imperial Advisor's Yin God fleeing from the Silvermoon Queen's assault, she seems to lack any reason to remain."
Below, the Earth Demon, Bai Shang, the white-haired snake demon, and the Tusk Troops' soldiers watched with predatory anticipation.
Xu Zixi was left without any further support.
Under these circumstances, Xu Zixi's insistence on defending Yu Yuan would be a suicidal endeavor.
"After this conflict, what will become of us and the Silvermoon Empire?" Yuan Lianyao mused, a wry smile on her lips as she massaged her smooth temples. "The supposed alliance with the Red Devil Sect was nothing but a facade."
The Silvermoon Queen and Shen Feiqing had long reached an understanding, with Bai Shang and the white-haired snake demon backing them, their scheming against the Absence Relic was no overnight endeavor.
What then, was the significance of the Empire's brief idyllic phase with the Red Devil Sect?
The Imperial Advisor and Lord Faang Yao had assured her that the Silvermoon Queen would look after her interests, given the Empire's need for the Red Devil Sect.
Now, Yuan Lianyao doubted the Queen had any use for them at all.
The White-robed Imperial Advisor, the Red Devil Sect's foremost Demonic Seed, was being hunted by the Queen herself. Wasn't this a clear sign that the Empire and the Red Devil Sect had irreparably severed ties?
Caught in the middle, what was the Yuan family to do?
And what of the Yu family? What of Yu Yuan?
With the Queen's obstinate actions and her secret pact with the Demonic Spirits to awaken the Asura of the Dark Domain, the Silvermoon Empire was bound to become a target for all the major sects and powers.
The potential collapse of such a vast empire loomed, threatening the well-being of the many families rooted within its borders.
As the Blazing Red Lotus contemplated this, a sense of oppression weighed on her heart, casting a shadow over the future of both the empire and herself. It was murky and uncertain.
"Yu Yuan, can you avert this disaster?" she wondered silently, her beautiful eyes frequently glancing downward.
No longer did the mirror on the table reflect Yu Yuan; it now steadfastly captured the image of Xu Zixi.
From her lofty vantage point, she gazed down, but in truth, she saw nothing.
...
"Feiqing, I'm leaving," declared Python Queen Xu Zixi, looking up. With an apologetic glance toward the pit, she addressed Yu Yuan, whose consciousness was submerged in the Dark Asura's eyeball, "You might not hear me, but my concern for Cangmin is what brought me here. The secret realm holds no interest for me."
She sensed that Yu Yuan's three souls were intact.
Yet, Yu Yuan's consciousness had likely already fused with the sword soul and sword intent, drifting into the inner cosmos of the Dark Asura's eyeball.
With the severing of the teleportation array, it appeared that no one could halt the advance of the Silvermoon Queen and Shen Feiqing.
It was conceivable that the Dark Asura would rise with unmatched combat prowess, throwing the Divine Might Empire, Silvermoon Empire, and Rainier Empire into turmoil. The Profound Sky Continent would suffer many casualties.
Even the Ancient Desolate Sect, Hidden Dragon Lake, Thunder Sect, and Cold Yin Sect might not escape the repercussions.
Nevertheless, the grand scheme of the Boundless Land would remain fundamentally unaltered.
A Platinum Rank Dark Domain Asura, despite its pinnacle strength, would still flee to the far reaches of space once the Unrestrained Stage cultivators from the Heavenly Source and Quietus Continents turned their gaze upon it.
Shen Feiqing and the Silvermoon Queen might also retreat into the vastness of the outer realms.
Their departure would not wreak havoc on the Boundless Land, nor would it shift the balance of power across the three continents or affect the dominance of the Human Race.
The Human Race, in its zenith, reigned supreme over the Boundless Land, and its prominence in the Outland Starry Sky, shining bright as the midday sun, would not be reversed by these events.
With these thoughts in mind, Xu Zixi gave the white-haired crone a nod before swiftly taking her leave. She harbored a secret loathing for the old woman from the Demon Palace, vowing to uncover her background upon her return and seek retribution when her own power had grown.
As a cultivator of the Unrestrained Stage with an extensive lifespan, she was not concerned with the fleeting victories or defeats.
The Demon Snake, leaning on its White Bone Crutch, let out a low, mocking chuckle as it watched Xu Zixi's resolute departure. "Girl, don't forget to relay a message to the Demon Palace when you return. Tell them I intend to repay their 'generosity' in due time."
Beneath the thick veil of white hair, the old woman's eyes brimmed with boundless hatred for the Demon Palace, a hatred that seemed to seep into her very marrow. Xu Zixi, however, ignored her completely.
...
In the Asura's Dark Domain, a miniature world existed within the eyeball. The soul sacrifice ball trembled, releasing countless soul shadows for the Asura's fragmented soul to consume and refine. The scattered cold crystals appeared to coalesce in the shadowy depths.
A consciousness, icy and brutal, filled with animosity towards humanity and the vast expanse of the Boundless Land, swelled with incomprehensible rapidity, gaining strength.
Yu Yuan watched as streams of crimson sword light, charged with dreadful sword intent, vanished into the darkness. It was as though a bizarre, devouring void was consuming and refining everything in its path. Sword intent and light might be reassembled, but the loss of the sword soul would deal a devastating blow to Yu Yuan, potentially shattering his very thoughts.
Upon the Asura's awakening, Yu Yuan's true form would be the first to face destruction. A foreboding feeling flooded his consciousness, stirring a sense of unrest within him. Amidst this turmoil, he attempted to connect with the peculiar space at the bottom of the Soul Transformation Pool in the Fallen Moon Forbidden Area using the Soul Forging Technique.
This enigmatic space at the pool's base, crafted by the Divine Soul Sect, was designed to contain the passage to the external realms. Though it appeared to be part of the Soul Transformation Pool, it existed as a separate entity.
When the Moon Demon materialized, its sword sheath was thrust into the platinum skeleton's skull, concealing a sword intent that sealed the Fallen Moon Forbidden Area—the very force that had once cleaved the moon from the heavens.
Yu Yuan recognized the deep connection between the Asura of the Dark Domain, the Moon Demon, and the Fallen Moon Forbidden Area; they were intrinsically linked.
Acknowledging this connection, Yu Yuan pondered whether the vast soul energy concealed within the Soul Transformation Pool's ancient words, floating in that peculiar space, could be harnessed for his own use.
And if direct utilization was impossible, might his transmitted soul thoughts and messages elicit any response?
He had already discerned a pivotal truth: the one who etched the sword marks into the pool's walls was one and the same person.
This individual was most likely a member of the Sword Sect.
Yet, the architect behind the Soul Transformation Pool and the creator of the Heaven Sealing Soul Transformation Formation was undoubtedly a formidable practitioner from the Divine Soul Sect.
The creator of the Soul Forging Technique, represented by the four ancient words adrift in the pool's enigmatic space, was also from the Divine Soul Sect.
As Yan Qiling had indicated, this person, along with the one concealed within the bronze coffin, were both esteemed cultivators of the Divine Soul Sect.
Faced with the obstruction of his sword intent and spell by the Asura of the Dark Domain, could he seek assistance from the Divine Soul Sect's venerable cultivator?
Harboring this notion, he reached out with his mind, calling to the Divine Soul Sect from the recesses of his soul.
His thoughts resonated with the shifting energies within the Asura of the Dark Domain, prompting his true self's Heaven, Earth, and Human souls to instinctively practice the Soul Forging Technique, conveying his intentions.
Then, after what seemed an eternity, he was astounded to discover a newfound, profound connection with the Space Oddity at the base of the Soul Transformation Pool!
...
In the celestial expanse, the Silvermoon Empire's Empress took the lead in sensing the change.
Her indistinct visage, shrouded in moonlight, suddenly brightened.
In that instant, the Empress, as if a magnet for lunar power, drew the arc of the crescent moon across the heavens toward her.
Lau Ying, guardian of the Fallen Star Eyes, shuddered, her expression etched with alarm.
She suddenly sensed that the artifact, bestowed and meticulously crafted by the Silver Moon Sect, was as if bound by massive ropes, threatening to plummet toward the earth.
The Silvermoon Queen was the one grasping these ropes, dragging the Fallen Star Eyes down to the ground!
"Feiqing!"
The empress called out, clutching the Soul Sacrifice Diagram. She turned to the commander who had burst into the Jade Tower, single-handedly battling Old Cash and Yan Qiling, and said gravely, "Yu Yuan, this is more complicated than we anticipated. His conquests extend beyond the Fallen Moon Forbidden Area; he has also acquired the sword spell of the mighty Slash Moon deity!"
The aura emanating from Yu Yuan, as he connected with the Space Oddity at the bottom of the Soul Transformation Pool, stripped her of any semblance of composure!
The mere mention of the Divine Soul Sect was a profound taboo across the Boundless Land!
Because of her early connections with the Moon Demon Clan, she was privy to the knowledge that Yu Yuan was wielding the secret soul techniques unique to the Divine Soul Sect.
Before its downfall, the Divine Soul Sect was the bane of all spiritual beings, a source of dread for the celestial demons and every soul across the realms!
