C367 The Third Eye of Yu Zhu!

"Chi! Chi! Chi!"

Strands of sword's will, along with crimson sword light, erupted from the Dark Realm Shura's brown eyeball.

A small portion of the sword's will slipped into the sword sheath, while the majority of the sword's will and sword light vanished silently, leaving no trace.

Beneath the vibrant red hues of the sunset, the High Oracle's Solar Spirit meticulously tracked the sword's will.

Soon after, he gazed toward the Moonfall Sanctuary from high above and spoke to Xu Zixi, "We should head to the Moonfall Sanctuary. The Soulforge Pool there serves as the lynchpin, its walls etched with numerous interwoven sword scars—that's where the sword's will is destined."

The Solar Spirit's perception was acute, discerning the world's intricate patterns clearly, its reach expanded manifold.

Zhou Cangmin understood that Yu Yuan must have engaged some arcane method to link with the Soulforge Pool, thereby replenishing his sword's will and sword radiance, enabling him to vanquish the Dark Realm Shura.

"And Yu Yuan's heaven soul?" inquired Xu Zixi in a hushed tone.

"It should be on the verge of reuniting with his physical form, followed by the awakening of the three souls," the High Oracle replied, his eyes squinting as he attuned to the energies around him. Suddenly, he shuddered.

"Boom!"

Inside the pit, the massive platinum skull first fractured, then abruptly disintegrated into a mound of bone dust!

Only the Dark Realm Shura's brown eyeball and the sword sheath remained, suspended in mid-air.

The pit transformed into a mysterious void, its twisted and chaotic aura engulfing the space around it, exuding an otherworldly eeriness.

"Don't look! Do not let your mind, consciousness, or thoughts linger on the pit where Yu Yuan is situated!"

Zhou Cangmin's urgent shout broke the silence, warning everyone to avert their attention from the pit.

For the time being, at least.

His cautionary words stirred the crowd, prompting a swift realization of the danger. They promptly shut their eyes or diverted their gaze.

In that moment, Yu Yuan, touched by the finger within the Dark Realm Shura's brown eyeball, began to shudder.

A scarlet radiance, like fine lightning, reversed its course from the Dark Realm Shura's eyeball, surging back into his arm.

Yu Yuan's other hand once again secured the scabbard and he settled down to sit.

From the Dark Realm Shura's brown eyeball, a petite figure enveloped in a rainbow-colored aura gracefully emerged.

After her eyes fluttered open, Yu Zhu swiftly grasped the Shura's eyeball with her delicate hand. The Shura, hailing from the Dark Realm, was massive, and its brown eye was naturally as large as a fist. Yet, in Yu Zhu's grasp, the eyeball began to shrink rapidly.

A dazzling radiance burst forth from her palm, emitting a brilliance too intense to gaze upon directly. The cavernous space echoed with bizarre sounds, as if it were on the verge of splitting apart. Within mere seconds, the Shura's fist-sized eye had diminished to the size of a small walnut.

"It's done," announced the High Oracle's voice once more. "All is well now."

Those who had averted their gaze, along with the Observers, upon hearing the news, turned their attention downward once again. They then beheld Yu Yuan, seated on the ground, clutching his sword sheath, his body trembling slightly.

Yu Yuan's brow was furrowed as he appeared to be emerging from a sweet dream, returning to his usual demeanor. The sword's will, which had been swirling around the mouth of the sheath, was now being drawn inward.

The sheath itself resembled a deep well, pulling the sword's will and light down to its depths, concealing its edge. Yu Yuan's arms, once luminous with skin transparent enough to reveal bones like red crystal, had also reverted to their normal state.

On Yu Yuan's side, there was little to stir a sense of wonder. Yu Zhu, however, was a different story.

The slender Yu Zhu, with a calm expression, was in the process of inserting the now-diminutive Shura's eye into her forehead. The skin at her brow parted of its own accord, and as the Dark Realm Shura's eye settled within, the blood vessels and meridians within her skin entwined around the eye like serpents, securing it in place.

Thus, the Shura's eye from the Dark Realm seamlessly became Yu Zhu's own, retreating into the flesh of her forehead. It seemed she could open and close it at will, reveal or conceal it without a trace, leaving no hint of the extraordinary transformation.

All those above watched her in silence, none daring to make a move. Even Zhou Cangmin, who had arrived as the Solar Spirit, refrained from attempting to claim the Shura's eye for himself.

They were aware that within this area lay a Mysterious Realm, home to a unique space. The reason for this became apparent when Yu Zhu emerged from the brown eyeball, causing the entire Forgotten Ruins to seemingly tremble with intensity. As Yu Zhu appeared from the floating island, spiritual energy burst forth inexplicably.

Yu Zhu, standing within the pit, clutched the eyeball and pressed it to her forehead. The aura she radiated left Tong Laoqian, Qi Hongyi, and the Golden Fiend feeling an indescribable discomfort. Yu Zhu's presence permeated the world, her essence inescapable.

Despite her slight and diminutive stature, akin to a young girl not yet fully grown, in the minds of those present, she loomed like a Dark Deity encompassing the heavens and the earth. Her immense presence made the space of the Forgotten Ruins appear insufficient to contain her.

This profound sensation was not unfamiliar to seasoned warriors like Tong Laoqian, who had felt it when confronting the eminent figures of the Devil Palace in the Land of Quiescence and the archdemons of the Shadow's Keep. The presence of such beings dwarfed them, rendering them as insignificant as specks of dust.

This was the unmistakable aura of a true powerhouse, an effortless emanation that could only arise from a stillness that merged with the cosmos and the spiritual energy within it.

Suddenly, Qi Hongyi, cradling her lute, had a glint of dark red light in her eyes. She gazed covetously at the bone powder that had once been a platinum skull. Yet, she remained motionless.

With a slight frown, Yu Zhu glanced at the bone powder and flicked her finger. The powder soared skyward like wisps of smoke, heading straight for Qi Hongyi. Startled, Qi Hongyi braced herself to flee but then heard the whisper of a remnant soul. A smile of delight broke across her face as she bowed deeply to Yu Zhu, expressing her sincere gratitude.

The bone powder swiftly burrowed into her vibrant red dress, merging with her crystalline skeletal form. Having received Yu Zhu's gift, Qi Hongyi turned a cold gaze upon Tong Laoqian and warned, "You'd best behave yourself. Don't even think about meddling with things that are beyond your reach."

Her words served as both a caution and a piece of friendly advice. Tong Laoqian could only offer a wry smile in response, "Sister Hongyi, is there really a need for such a reminder? Even if I were bolder, I wouldn't entertain such notions. Alas."

Yu Zhu was the master of the floating island, and after assimilating the eyes of the Shura from the Dark Realm, the island became shrouded in an aura of mystery.

At this moment, Yu Zhu exuded an eerie and formidable presence that was beyond words.

"Cangmin, her?"

Xu Zixi, known as the Python Queen, had been observing for some time and finally couldn't contain her curiosity. "What's happening? What stage is she at within the evilkind? What rank?"

The evilkind and the Nagas of the Everlands have ten distinct ranks, generally corresponding to the ten realms of human cultivation.

Beings like the Dark Phoenix and the Moonfang Tiger, who are at the tenth level, possess combat power on par with a human's primordial spirit. They are among the most elite entities in this world and even across the extraterrestrial stars.

Given Yu Zhu's affiliation with the evilkind, Xu Zixi was eager to ascertain her exact rank.

When she first encountered Yu Zhu, her rank seemed elusive—sometimes appearing to be at the sixth level, at other times the seventh. It was perplexing.

She was confident that Zhou Cangmin, with his direct divine presence, would have a definitive answer where she could not discern.

"She has ascended a full rank within the little world of the Shura's eyes in the Dark Realm," the High Oracle said with a grave tone. "Before entering that eye, she was at the sixth level of the evilkind, equivalent to a cultivator's Lunar Spirit. In Gloomhollow, with its myriad poisons and the power of the rune circle at her disposal, she could nearly wield the strength of the seventh level. The seventh level of the evilkind is on par with our Spirit Walk state."

"In the Forgotten Ruins, her harmony with the Way of Heaven allowed her to exert seventh-level power while only at the sixth level."

"Now, having advanced an entire rank, she is a true seventh-level. Her attunement with the Way of Heaven in the Forgotten Ruins has improved even further. After acquiring the Shura's eye from the Dark Realm, she..."

Zhou Cangmin paused, mulling over his thoughts.

He took his time to reflect.

Then he continued, "As of now, provided she remains within the Forgotten Ruins, I doubt I would be her match. And by 'I,' I mean my true self, with the Lunar Spirit, the Solar Spirit, and the dominant soul all present—my most powerful form."

The High Oracle wore a solemn expression, each word he uttered having been meticulously weighed, as if he were speaking undeniable truths and facts.

His voice was steady, neither loud nor soft, and he made no effort to conceal his words from eavesdroppers.

Thus, anyone who was intent on listening could hear what he had to say to Xu Zixi.

...