C356 Loveland!
"So be it," the Silvermoon Queen sighed once more. Her grip on the soul sacrifice ball tightened, and suddenly, a cascade of purple light poured forth like a waterfall.
Countless vengeful spirits and remnant souls began to disperse rapidly from her hand.
She cast a deep gaze into the shadowy realm. A Soul Sound emanated from the Yin God, so faint that even Yu Yuan strained to discern it, yet it unmistakably existed.
It seemed to be in communion with the Asura of the Dark Domain.
In a flash, the crimson sword light transformed into a radiant river, illuminating the once darkened land.
It was as though an unseen celestial veil, a mist that shrouded the depths of space, had been violently torn asunder.
Yu Yuan suddenly realized that this so-called dark place was merely an illusion, not reality.
Or perhaps, it was the Asura of the Dark Domain that had deceived him.
Now, with fresh eyes, he was astonished to discover a utopia bursting with blooms, mountains wreathed in spiritual energy, and meandering rivers.
Even from a great distance, he could see the spiritual energy condensing into thick mists, drifting like gossamer veils in the sky.
The mountains stood majestic and tall, and upon closer inspection, one could see they were aglow, clearly crystallized from Spirit Stones.
The rivers that snaked around the mountains were equally brimming with abundant spiritual energy.
Exotic flowers and herbs exuded invigorating scents, vibrant and thriving in their hues.
Yu Yuan recognized some as rarities, seldom seen on both the Heavenly Source Continent and the Quietus Continent.
Others were species he had never encountered in his lifetime, with large buds and intoxicating aromas, bearing fruits that seemed to possess a life force of their own.
As the former sect master of the Medicine God Sect, he knew the flora of the Boundless Land like the back of his hand.
The fact that he could not identify these plants pointed to one startling possibility—they did not belong to the Boundless Land at all!
Gazing upon this world from afar, even Yu Yuan, in his ethereal soul form, felt his spirit swell with emotion. This was indeed a coveted sanctuary.
A land of purity, a sacred site for cultivation.
Should one have the chance to cultivate here, even a mortal of modest talent would surely make rapid strides, breaking through boundaries in remarkably short order.
For someone at his level, in the Yellow Court Stage and in dire need of the vast Spiritual Qi of Heaven and Earth, this place was an even more fitting location for cultivation.
"No, it can't be, it just can't be!"
Yellow Old Devil, also caught up in the fray, was stunned by the sight of a cultivation paradise bursting with hundreds of flowers and Spiritual Qi so tangible it seemed almost solid.
"Even that eyeball, lying dormant in the Absence Relic for millennia, absorbing the rich Spiritual Qi of Heaven and Earth, couldn't achieve this level of concentration! Such dense Spiritual Qi is only found in select regions of the Heavenly Source Continent and the Quietus Continent! If the Asura from the Dark Domain were interred here, not even ten thousand years would suffice to create such splendor!"
Yellow Old Devil shook his head in disbelief.
The extraordinary display before him was unsettling, to say the least.
Yu Yuan, who had traversed the Boundless Land, visiting renowned mountains and rivers across three continents, was taken aback by the sight before him.
Yellow Old Devil was correct; the Absence Relic alone, even with thousands or tens of thousands of years of Spiritual Qi, could not produce such a marvel.
The "secret realm" discovered by Shen Feiqing's master, hidden within the Absence Relic, was truly astonishing.
Not even the Spirit Void Sect, Thunder Sect, or Cold Yin Sect, with their spiritual energy arrays, could compare to what was before them.
The Absence Relic, a land on the Profound Sky Continent untouched by powerful sects for eons, was clearly not always the treasure trove it seemed now.
The Asura's eyeball from the Dark Domain, having absorbed the Spiritual Qi of the Absence Relic for ages, could not have enriched it to its former glory.
Especially not to the point of such intense Spiritual Qi as seen here.
This wondrous land may be small in size, but the richness of its Spiritual Qi rivals that of the three great upper sects of the Heavenly Source Continent.
Such rarity is almost unbelievable, and would surely be met with skepticism if spoken of.
Should this secret realm be revealed, it would not only cause a stir among the seven lower sects but would undoubtedly send shockwaves through the three great upper sects, the Demon Palace, and the Devil Palace.
Every sect across the Boundless Land would scheme and strategize to claim this secret realm and the Asura's eyeball as their own.
In this realm, the rich spiritual essence of Heaven and Earth could be harnessed for cultivating spiritual herbs, establishing secluded chambers for training, and for the condensation of unique Spirit Stones and Spirit Crystals.
"Many have misunderstood one crucial detail," the Silvermoon Queen clarified. "They believe that the world within this eyeball was formed by the gradual accumulation of Spiritual Qi from the Absence Relic. However, when the Chopping Moon cultivator shattered his body and extinguished his soul, the vision within his eyes had already taken shape."
"His long life after stepping out of the Dark Domain, wandering through various worlds, led to the creation of such a mystical secret realm, which caught the Chopping Moon cultivator's attention. His body perished, his path ended, but his stubborn remnant soul persisted, merging with his own eyeball. After many tribulations, it ended up here, suppressed by a sword sheath."
"Do you understand why he didn't perish entirely?"
The empress uttered a soft snort, her face etched with scorn.
"His remnant soul became one with this Heaven and Earth. To destroy his soul would be to destroy this entire world. The one who sought to suppress him with the sword sheath could not bear to obliterate it all."
"Could the master of the sword spell truly be unaware that the Asura's eyeball in the Dark Domain naturally devours Spiritual Qi?"
"That individual desired for him to endure within the Absence Relic, for this world to persist, for his existence to remain unextinguished."
"What that individual sought—his ambitions—were no different from ours. He coveted this secret realm! He aimed to carve out a sanctuary for the Sword Sect, a place of fortune where disciples could practice, and a source of spiritual herbs and Spirit Stones."
The Silvermoon Queen's laughter was light and knowing.
"Those with the aptitude for cultivation and loyalty to me will be brought here. I will take this eyeball beyond the skies. In decades, perhaps centuries, the cultivators here will see their realms surge to astonishing heights. By then, the Boundless Land may have transformed, and my Lee family, along with those loyal to me, will wield control over all empires on the Profound Sky Continent."
Lee Yupan spoke with the authority of a sovereign.
Suddenly, within the depths of that strange land, the spiritual energy, thick as liquid, began to swirl mysteriously within her soul sacrifice ball.
The Silvermoon Queen's presence soared, and the majestic mountains and rivers emblazoned on her silver garments glowed with an otherworldly light.
The fiery crimson sword light manipulated by Yu Yuan was effortlessly shattered by the overwhelming spiritual radiance emanating from the soul sacrifice ball before it could even draw near.
For reasons unknown, the Silvermoon Queen exuded an aura of dominion over all, as if she were the sovereign of the cosmos itself.
Here, she was in her element, much like Yu Yuan in the Fallen Moon Forbidden Area and Yu Zhu in the Absence Relic, naturally resonating with the spiritual energy and the Great Dao's laws of this realm.
If she were a dragon lying in wait, this place would be the very depths where she concealed herself.
Within the miniature universe inside the Dark Domain Asura's eyeball, she commanded all the rich spiritual energy, which morphed at the whim of her consciousness.
Conversely, Yu Yuan felt an immediate sense of being overwhelmed and out of place when the peculiar vision emerged from the depths. It was as if this world rejected him, brimming with animosity and ill will towards his presence.
He was unable to harness the spiritual Qi of this land. Lacking both Qi of Blood and Qi of Qi, his only recourse was the strength of his Heavenly Soul.
Yet, the Heavenly Soul maintained a connection with the Soul Transformation Pool, granting him access to the hidden soul energy within, as well as the strands of sword intent that lay at the pool's bottom.
"You should never have allowed my Yin God to step foot here," the Empress said with a smile, her hand gesturing towards the heavens. The thick spiritual energy of the world began to morph in response.
In a curious display, it coalesced into a mass and transformed into a grand, luminous crescent moon.
From the mountains and rivers constructed of Spirit Stones, streaks of brilliant light surged forth, infusing the crescent moon suspended in the sky.
The radiant crescent moon, as if by Lee Yupan's invisible hand, seemed to have been conjured into existence in the blink of an eye.
She reached out towards Yu Yuan, her jade hand making a pulling motion.
And with that, the celestial moon plummeted from the void!
