C366 The Change of Appearance

"Zhou Cangmin has returned!"

Perched above the Fallen Star Eyes, Liu Ying gazed into the distance, her thoughts stirring.

With a soft cry of alarm, her face contorted into an expression of utmost peculiarity as she uttered, "Something's amiss!"

In that instant, Yan Qiling, Tong Laoqian, Qi Hongyi, and Golden Fiend all turned their gazes in unison, their faces registering profound shock.

The High Oracle, clad in white, exuded an extraordinary elegance, with Xu Zixi at his side.

In his hands, he held the Soul Chart.

Resplendent as crystal and radiant with light, the High Oracle bore the air of a refined scholar, akin to a young gentleman journeying to the capital for his exams, his demeanor gentle as jade, modest and courteous.

Yet all who beheld him were utterly astounded.

"Solar Spirit!"

"To grace this place with a Solar Spirit Body!"

"The High Oracle is indeed a prodigy! So young, yet he has already cultivated the Solar Spirit! It's no wonder he fears not the revelation of his identity, nor the pursuit of the Sunlit Order, nor the reprisal of the Crimson Sun Empire!"

A single glance from someone of Qi Hongyi or Tong Laoqian's stature was enough to recognize the High Oracle as a direct descendant of the Solar Spirit.

After a moment of contemplation, Yan Qiling turned his attention to the Soul Chart, previously taken by the Silvermoon Queen, and inquired, "State preceptor, what of the Silvermoon Empire's queen?"

Zhou Cangmin responded with an easy smile, casually waving the Soul Chart, "Along with Bai Shang and the remnants of Shadow's Keep, she's been temporarily confined within this."

The revelation sent another wave of shock through the crowd.

The Silvermoon Queen, Bai Shang, and the white-haired crone, all imprisoned within the Soul Chart, reduced to captives under the High Oracle's power?

"Lee Yupan conspired with the Terra Fiend, seeking to rouse the Shura from beyond our realm. Such deeds render her unfit to govern the Silvermoon Empire," Xu Zixi declared with a frosty sneer. "The imperial jade seal and the throne of the Silvermoon Empire shall be entrusted to the Yan family, who will assume the mantle of leadership. Henceforth, the Silvermoon Empire shall be known as the Shadowlight Empire."

"The Shadowlight Empire?" Zhan Tianxiang stuttered.

The most elated among them was Yuan Lianyao.

She had feared that Lee Yupan's reckless actions would spell the end for the Silvermoon Empire, dooming Asvetaesi and the Yuan family to decline alongside the fallen nation.

Unexpectedly, the Hellbreed of the Ruby Hand had succeeded in cultivating a Solar Spirit and had taken Lee Yupan, Bai Shang, and the demon snake that defected from Shadow's Keep captive. They also carved a new path for the Silvermoon Empire.

"The Yan family has ties to the Devil Palace, though it's a well-kept secret," Qin Yun from the Crimson Sun Empire murmured to Zhan Tianxiang and Yuan Lianyao. He continued in a low murmur, "Shadowlight Empire, Shadowlight. The Yan family is allied with the Devil Palace. The Zhan and Zhao families are closely connected to Shadow's Keep, and Asvetaesi is linked to the Ruby Hand."

Ning Ji's eyes sparkled with realization.

The nascent Shadowlight Empire, under the Yan family's leadership and bolstered by the influence of Shadow's Keep and the Ruby Hand, would transform the Silvermoon Empire of Aetherius almost instantaneously.

It would become the faction aligned with the Devil Palace, Shadow's Keep, and the Ruby Hand on the Land of Quiescence.

Even though the Shadowlight Empire was merely a Human Empire, the children born there with innate talents for cultivation would undoubtedly be numerous.

The Devil Palace, Shadow's Keep, and the Ruby Hand, with their firm grip on the Shadowlight Empire, would have the privilege of first pick.

In the long term, the cultivation sects of the Land of Quiescence would greatly benefit from the Shadowlight Empire.

For Ning Ji, the Shadowlight Empire's alliance with the Land of Quiescence was a boon. With Zhou Cangmin's influence, Yu Yuan and the Yu family were sure to thrive in the new empire.

Conversely, the Su, Van, and Lin families were likely to fade into obscurity.

Su Xiangtian's choice to join the Abyssal Dawn Sect and the Lin family's association with the Winter's Bite Sect—both prominent sects of the Euwrea Continent—meant they were inevitably going to face oppression and targeting.

The Van family, too close to the empress, would likely be implicated because of Van Yan.

The Zhan, Zhao, Yuan, and Yu families, however, were poised to ascend.

Ning Ji felt a quiet sense of satisfaction, grateful for his foresight in steadfastly supporting Yu Yuan from the very beginning.

"After achieving the status of a Solar Spirit, his presence and techniques have become even more remarkable."

Yan Qiling was deeply impressed. Hovering in the sky, he respectfully saluted Zhou Cangmin from a distance. After receiving a smile in return from the High Oracle, he inquired, "Where is the commander of the Blackfang Legion, the one you intended to rescue?"

The only ones capable of awakening the Shura from the Dark Realm were the Silvermoon Queen and Shen Feiqing.

Lee Yupan, Bai Shang, and the demon snake had all been taken captive. But what of Shen Feiqing?

In the Forgotten Ruins, Shen Feiqing had been exceptionally prominent. Following a significant upheaval in the Mysterious Realm, they had become adversaries. Yan Qiling was eager to ascertain Shen Feiqing's movements to strategize for the future.

"Shen Feiqing has gone to the Godsblight Marsh."

The High Oracle's brow creased slightly. "She has a history with the Untamed of the marsh. I, too, have received blessings from the Godsblight Marsh in years past. We've been friends for a long time. Since she's sought refuge there, I'm not inclined to pursue her aggressively. Others will hold her accountable for her actions; I prefer not to intervene directly."

His words made the situation clear to everyone.

Shen Feiqing, he, and Xu Zixi had stood side by side in the Godsblight Marsh in their youth, and they had forged deep bonds through trials in other remarkable realms.

Shen Feiqing had also earned the favor and recognition of the Untamed, securing a formidable ally.

Within the vast Everlands, the Untamed of the marsh was an entity unto itself, one that even the mighty sects of the Land of Quiescence and the Land of Source dared not provoke.

Even Zhou Cangmin, who had successfully cultivated a Solar Spirit, acknowledged that he was no match for the Untamed.

He refrained from pursuing Shen Feiqing, partly out of respect for their past and partly due to his wariness of the Untamed.

Another reason was that when Tong Laoqian, Qi Hongyi, and Golden Fiend were deceived into revealing themselves by the empress, Shen Feiqing had proactively suggested that Xu Zixi leave.

Shen Feiqing had once spared Xu Zixi's life.

"I rushed here thinking I'd need to secure the situation, but it appears that's no longer necessary," Zhou Cangmin said with a carefree smile to Xu Zixi. "Yu Yuan certainly has a knack for handling things."

Xu Zixi exclaimed in astonishment, "Is it secure now?"

The High Oracle gave a slight nod. "The elusive aura emitted by the Shura in the Dark Realm has vanished entirely. Oh, and another thing..."

His eyes narrowed as a bolt of soul energy shot into the Soul Chart.

Within the gloomy, ghost-like confines of the Soul Chart, Lee Yupan, Bai Shang, the Terra Fiend, and the white-haired demon snake all sat with expressions of despair.

"Lee Yupan, surely you don't want me to strip your soul of its memories?" the High Oracle's soul energy, swift as lightning, targeted the empress and inquired, "Is the residual soul and spiritual sense of the Shura Eye truly gone?"

Lee Yupan's real body hung her head and responded, "The consciousness has been wiped clean, and the Soul Power infused into Yu Zhu's mind. After today, the Everlands may well see the rise of a new Dark Deity."

The High Oracle's laughter boomed through the shadowy space. "A new Dark Deity! The combat prowess of the Land of Quiescence has significantly increased! My efforts and long-term planning have not been in vain!"

As a Hellbreed of the Ruby Hand, and soon to be its leader, he reveled in the thought of the Devil Palace and Shadow's Keep flourishing. And Yu Zhu, being referred to as a Dark Deity, was undoubtedly one of the evilkind.

Yu Zhu would remember his kindness after the conflict at the Forgotten Ruins had concluded. Establishing early ties with a Dark Deity could only be advantageous for him and the Ruby Hand.

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