C445 Call for Help!
At the edge of the Embers Sea, a blue light barrier, once invisible, now manifested tangibly.
The "Azure Veil" materialized, delicate as a cicada's wing, shimmering with an ethereal blue glow that seemed it might be pierced with a mere touch.
"Crack!"
Specks of blue sparks erupted from the "Azure Veil," accompanied by muffled grunts.
These sparks were the spiritual sense of those who had survived the Subtlety, attempting to penetrate the barrier.
Unfortunately, their spiritual sense, upon contact with the gossamer light screen, was repelled as if striking an iron wall, scattering sparks in all directions.
"Clang!"
A trial-taker from the Ruby Hand unleashed a flaming golden hammer, which struck the "Azure Veil" with force.
The diaphanous barrier remained unaltered, while the unquenchable golden flames on the hammer were snuffed out in an instant.
The young man from the Ruby Hand's face paled as he quickly retracted the hammer, lamenting its damage.
Golden dust sprinkled onto the hammer, an attempt to repair the inflicted harm.
Numerous individuals emerged from the Ethereal Vial, employing weapons, spiritual sense, and enigmatic spells in a bid to shatter the azure barrier before them and break free.
If only they could leave this domain, they would soar freely, no longer living in fear.
Yet despite their varied efforts, the "Azure Veil" remained utterly immovable.
Within the crystalline vial, Hou Tianzhao, Qi Nandou, Fei Yi, Lin Yue, and others did not venture out, choosing instead to wait inside.
A Devil Palace youth lounged on the ground, forgoing cultivation to observe the crestfallen faces of those whose weapons and dark arts had failed them.
He smirked, occasionally letting out a hearty laugh, seemingly amused by the spectacle.
Yan Lu and Fei Yi stood shoulder to shoulder, both puzzled by the youth.
So far, Yan Lu had only learned from Fei Yi that the young man's name was Mo Yan, a native to the Devil Palace on the Land of Quiescence.
Yet Mo Yan's origins and the time of his initiation into the Devil Palace's practices remained a mystery.
"It's useless," Shi Si muttered in disappointment, her lips pursed as she watched the group futilely attack the barrier with all their might after leaving the Ethereal Vial. Despite their efforts, the Azure Veil remained unchanged.
Chi Yin of the Taintborn examined the Ethereal Vial intently, as if deep in thought.
Lin Yue and Hou Tianzhao occasionally glanced over at Qi Nandou.
After some time had passed, Qi Nandou's form shivered slightly. He rubbed his hands together awkwardly and cautiously addressed Mo Yan, "Um, Mo Yan..." He looked at the young man from the Devil Palace, pausing as he searched for the right words.
The Devil Palace youth, who had been eagerly observing the scene outside, frowned at the interruption. "If you have something to say, just say it!"
Qi Nandou cleared his throat and ventured, "Do you have any way to break through this Azure Veil so we can leave this cursed place sooner? You're aware the Blood Altar is still out there, and it could pick up our trail at any moment."
"We all want to survive and get out of here, which is why we've heeded your advice and gathered around the Ethereal Vial."
In the presence of the Devil Palace youth, Qi Nandou was visibly careful, seemingly anxious not to provoke any displeasure.
Mo Yan replied with impatience, "I'm not well-versed enough to have a solution!"
"Oh," Qi Nandou responded with a faint smile. "Perhaps I could give it a try. Yu Yuan once mentioned that a full-force strike from a heavenly seventh level item could break through."
"The Ethereal Vial is merely a heavenly second level item," interjected Chi Yin.
At this point, Mo Yan perked up, his attention shifting from the fruitless struggles against the Azure Veil outside to Qi Nandou. "Go on," he prompted.
"The Bone-Devouring Shuttle is also in my possession," Qi Nandou revealed.
"The Bone-Devouring Shuttle!"
"A heavenly third level Bone-Devouring Shuttle! How did the Skyblight Cult entrust you with both the Ethereal Vial and the Bone-Devouring Shuttle? I've heard that when combined, these two heavenly items can unleash the power of the eighth level!" Chi Yin's astonishment was cut short by a sudden gasp as she turned to look behind them. "Someone's coming!"
From a distance, a faint glow shimmered.
"The Bone-Devouring Shuttle and the Ethereal Vial are nearly ready to pierce through the Azure Veil," Qi Nandou informed the group, then added, "That is, if Yu Yuan's estimates are accurate."
"Oh, then go ahead and start," Mo Yan prompted.
"Cough, cough," Qi Nandou chuckled awkwardly, appearing somewhat petulant. "The Bone-Devouring Shuttle needs flesh and a soul to be activated, or else it won't reach its full potential. Have you ever heard of that?"
His words caused a momentary pause among the Ethereal Vial's surrounding dark cultivators.
Many were aware of the Skyblight Cult's Bone-Devouring Shuttle and its synergy with the Ethereal Vial, but few had actually witnessed the two items in action.
Even fewer knew that the Bone-Devouring Shuttle required blood and a soul as offerings to be powered.
"Do you think I've been sitting here idly, waiting for something?" Mo Yan huffed. "Or perhaps you think I'm waiting for the Blood Altar to come and slaughter us all?"
"What exactly are you waiting for?" Qi Nandou was momentarily perplexed.
It was then that Lu Baichan's Nebula Gem began to emerge.
The Nebula Gem, carrying the remnants of the Ebon Star, Sunlit Order, and Cloudwater Sect, was gradually drawing closer to their position.
The Devil Palace's young member finally stood up, gazing at the Nebula Gem, and declared, "We must act quickly. We can't afford to delay. The noise from our battle here is immense, and the Blood Altar could detect the disturbance of our vitality."
Many still didn't grasp his implication, finding his behavior peculiar.
Yet, individuals like Hou Tianzhao, Lin Yue, and Qi Nandou had already surmised his intentions from the moment he rose to his feet.
Lin Yue's pupils turned a deep crimson, with streaks of blood-red light emanating from his sleeves.
Hou Tianzhao's mouth twisted into a sinister grin as his body temperature soared, radiating intense heat like a red-hot iron.
Qi Nandou's eyes sparkled as he said flirtatiously, "Now I understand!"
In his palm, the gleaming Bone-Devouring Shuttle materialized. At first glance, it was as white as jade, but upon closer inspection, it was clear that the artifact had been exquisitely crafted from the bone of an alien beast.
As soon as the Bone-Devouring Shuttle was unleashed, many within the Ethereal Vial were overcome with an unexplainable discomfort, their breathing growing labored.
Yan Lu was taken aback, "Fei Yi?!"
"Show no mercy. Aim to eliminate them all," the youth from the Devil Palace commanded after a dismissive glance, adding with a snort, "After all, we can simply pin it on the Blood Altar later. It won't be our concern."
With those words, he was the first to soar out of the Ethereal Vial, charging towards the Nebula Gem.
...
The Fallen Star Eyes darted about uncontrollably.
Seething with frustration, Liu Ying sat on the stone platform, giving the Abyssal Leviathan an icy stare. "With all your might, once we reach the frontier, you might as well take control of my artifact and shatter the Azure Veil."
The Abyssal Leviathan, having assimilated both the Sun and the Moon Soul, paid her no mind.
Crafted from Lunar Meteorite, the Fallen Star Eyes continued their underwater flight, albeit slightly slower than when directed by Liu Ying's hand.
Since the Fallen Star Eyes weren't truly its own, wresting control from Liu Ying meant its command was naturally less effective.
This realization prompted Liu Ying's biting remark.
She sensed that the leviathan couldn't harness the full potential of the Fallen Star Eyes, certainly not enough to penetrate the Azure Veil, and thus she taunted it.
What difference would it make at the frontier?
It would still need me, require my guidance to wield the Fallen Star Eyes once more and deliver a supreme strike.
That was Liu Ying's line of thought.
"I wonder if Yu Yuan has emerged from the Crucible of Evil," mused Su Yan with a sigh. "Everyone else has departed, and now the Tears of the Azurefiend loom. I fear he'll be greeted by them upon his return."
Liu Ying shot the Abyssal Leviathan a reproachful look, chastising it, "You! Where's your loyalty? I thought after all this time you were devoted to him, but at the first sign of danger, you flee? And it's one thing for you to flee, but why drag me into it?"
The Abyssal Leviathan, long oppressed by the ancient evilkind, was at a loss for tears.
It wasn't Yu Yuan's servant; their relationship was purely cooperative. What it desired was for Yu Yuan to use the sword sheath to shatter the Azure Veil, thus aiding its escape from the seal.
Why, in this woman's eyes, had it been reduced to Yu Yuan's slave or pet?
Suddenly, the Abyssal Leviathan's eyes sparkled with awareness.
When Yu Yuan employed sunfire to detect its presence, the Abyssal Leviathan responded in kind.
It immediately turned its attention to Liu Ying, sending a remnant soul to reassure her, informing her that Yu Yuan had emerged from the Crucible of Evil and was now drawing near.
"Really?" Liu Ying's spirits lifted at once.
...
In the depths of the Embers Sea, Yu Yuan sped along the course he had discerned earlier.
The Crucible of Evil, nestled within the Vitality Profound Gate, would occasionally quiver, releasing a faint stream of vitality.
The tumultuous vitality within his little world appeared to be getting sorted and reshaped, all thanks to the presence of the Crucible of Evil.
Wisps of refined vitality began to seep from his middle elixir field, coursing through the eight extra-channels and into his organs.
After some time, the Crucible of Evil within his elixir field vibrated intensely.
The tremor brought a sudden pang of pain to Yu Yuan's elixir field.
Simultaneously, a frail remnant soul began to emerge, bit by bit, from within the intricate and mystical glyph on the Crucible of Evil's surface.
"I am Hei Xun of the Devil Palace, trapped within. Who are you? Why is the Crucible of Evil inside you?"
