C448 Pretending to be Nice

On a desolate island, Xu Zixi found herself amidst a chaotic pile of rocks, directionless and uncertain of her next move. Above the Ember Waters, a blue crystal mercilessly slaughtered the elders of various factions, devouring three souls and sending numerous flesh-and-blood bodies plummeting into the ocean's abyss.

Struggling to control seven massive pythons, she was unable to shatter the sealing barrier and dared not linger in the open sky for fear of becoming the next target. Left with no choice, she sought refuge on a secluded island, silently awaiting an opportunity for change.

Then, one day, her heart trembled.

"Raven Lord!"

Xu Zixi soared into the air and caught sight of a skeletal tower hurtling through the clouds. This was the same tower that had once stood on the demon island, the residence she shared with the Raven Lord.

The sun blazed overhead, casting a radiant light. The skeletal tower, constructed of bones, suddenly burst forth with a magnificent glow akin to fine jade. It pulsed with earth-shattering demonic power, and the thunderous roars of great demons echoed from within. Mysterious demonic scripts emerged, swirling around the tower, swallowing sunlight and growing in strength.

A massive, teardrop-shaped blue crystal pursued the skeletal tower relentlessly, its luminescent blue halo spreading across the sky like an ocean tide, crushing the clusters of white clouds in its path.

From her vantage point on the island, Xu Zixi watched the tower's departure, feeling the heart-stopping surge of energy and witnessing the blue crystal's relentless chase. Her expression shifted to one of desolation as she lamented, "Raven Lord, even with the power of this bone tower, must you still flee and hide?"

She was well aware of the tower's mystical nature. The bones that made up the tower were the remnants of a Demon God, shattered prior to its ultimate transformation. The original owner, having ascended to the Tenth Rank and reborn as a Demon God, left behind his former skeletal remains, which were then fashioned into the tower. These bones, once broken and reformed in the lead-up to the owner's divine ascension, possessed immense divine might, as impregnable as a fortress.

The Demon Palace decreed that the tower should never leave the island. Now, with Raven taking refuge within and soaring through the skies, it was clear he had been driven to desperate measures.

The Raven Lord was compelled to resort to the Skeleton Pavilion. What of the others?

She had an epiphany that the leaders of the major sects who had remained in the region were likely all dead.

With no other choice, the Raven Lord took refuge in the Skeleton Pavilion, dodging and weaving to stall for time.

"I hope those who departed, like Faang Yao, will return soon."

Xu Zixi clung to the hope that a powerful cultivator such as Faang Yao would detect the ominous signs upon his return and alert the Devil Palace and Demon Palace to the disturbances in the Ember Waters.

Once the Unrestrained Stage cultivators from the Devil Palace and Demon Palace arrived, the crisis in the Ember Waters would surely be resolved.

...

Beneath the sea.

Yu Yuan glided through the water with the grace of a fish, marveling at the nuances of the Profound Break Stage. Occasionally, he exchanged thoughts with Heixun of the Demon Palace via the Evil Cauldron's Soul Sound.

He was aware that Heixun was neither in the Evil Cauldron nor beneath the sea. Heixun had once meditated within the Evil Cauldron, deciphering the Demonic Mark and forging a unique connection with it, which allowed them to communicate.

Despite being damaged, the Evil Cauldron remained a potent Artifact, its profound mysteries undimmed by the Dark Blue Curtain.

Heixun revealed only that he was trapped somewhere outside, without disclosing the reasons or his exact location.

He persistently warned Yu Yuan to keep his distance from the Chaos Roc, his tone becoming increasingly exasperated.

Heixun's incessant, bossy instructions grated on Yu Yuan, who grew increasingly irritated.

Eventually, Yu Yuan, unable to extract any clear answers from Heixun and unwilling to be at his beck and call, detached his consciousness from the Evil Cauldron.

Heixun's subsequent Soul Sounds fell on deaf ears.

"Heh!"

After some time, Yu Yuan's lips curled into a silent chuckle. The familiar Fallen Star Eyes had come into view.

He spotted Lau Ying, the Chaos Roc, Su Yan, and Kong Banbi...

Lau Ying's tear-streaked face had been a portrait of despair, but upon seeing him, her spirits lifted, and she waved frantically.

Su Yan and Kong Banbi's faces were alight with surprise and delight.

"Chaos Roc..."

He whispered to himself, subtly picking up the pace as he drew closer to the Fallen Star Eyes.

The Chaos Roc's eyes—one crimson, one pearly white—flared to life.

Before reaching the Fallen Star Eyes, its soul consciousness had already made contact. "Kid, did you fail to bring out the Evil Cauldron?"

Yu Yuan paused, shaking his head underwater as a ripple passed through his heart lake. "I only managed to cultivate there briefly; I lacked the power to pocket such a wondrous artifact."

"The Devil Spell you practice is of the same lineage as that artifact; you were the most likely to succeed," lamented the Chaos Roc. "It's a real shame you couldn't retrieve the Evil Cauldron. I revealed its location to you with great expectations."

"Fearing you'd be waiting too long, and concerned the Blood Sacrificial Altar might come searching, I used the residual energy in the cauldron to advance to a new level and then left," Yu Yuan responded with measured words, "I didn't expect to find none of you upon my return. Wasn't there an agreement to wait for me?"

"We thought you might not make it out," the Chaos Roc admitted.

Its wise little eyes scrutinized Yu Yuan with a penetrating gaze, as though trying to see right through him.

Yu Yuan, who initially harbored doubts and suspected he couldn't conceal the truth, found that no matter how intently the Chaos Roc observed, the Evil Cauldron—now refined and integrated into his Qi and Blood Mystic Technique—betrayed no hint of its presence.

Except for Heixun, who had delved into the Demonic Mark within and left a contingency, no one else could detect any trace of the Evil Cauldron's activity.

A sense of relief washed over him, and a subtle smile graced his lips as he made his way toward the Fallen Star Eyes.

"Whoosh!"

A cascade of starlight burst forth, drawing him in and positioning him between Lau Ying and the Chaos Roc.

As he settled into place, the sword sheath inadvertently pointed towards the Chaos Roc.

Feeling the discomfort of its gaze, the Chaos Roc's stationary form began to twist subtly, as if dodging an invisible assailant.

"Point that sheath elsewhere; it's making me uneasy," the Chaos Roc requested.

"Don't be nervous. It's just a habit of mine, not directed at you," Yu Yuan said, no longer using telepathy but bursting into laughter as if he were sharing a joke with the Chaos Roc. "Huh? Haven't found someone to help you break the seal yet?"

"Yu Yuan! Where on earth did you find this demon lord?" Lau Ying erupted, pointing at the Chaos Roc. "We were outside the cauldron waiting for you. It warned us that the Blood Sacrificial Altar might be on its way and urged us to leave. I wanted to stay, but it seized control of the Fallen Star Eyes and whisked us all away against our will."

"We really did want to wait for you," Du Huang chimed in.

Su Yan gave a slow nod of agreement.

Yu Yuan, with a clear understanding in his heart, nodded slightly and reassured them with a wave of his hand, "It's alright, no worries. Hmm?"

Suddenly, his attention was drawn to a fierce battle unfolding elsewhere. Under Mo Yan's leadership, the forces of the Devil Palace, Red Devil Sect, Fiend Sect, Filthy Spirit Sect, and Blood God Cult were brutally massacring Lu Baichan's group.

He spotted the fallen of the Cloud Water Sect, Cold Yin Sect, and Profound Sky Sect.

"How did it come to this?" he exclaimed in shock.

"The Bone Devouring Shuttle of the Fiend Sect requires the essence of flesh and blood, and the souls of the dead to exert its full power. It's the only way to shatter that deep blue veil you mentioned, in conjunction with the glass bottle," Kong Banbi explained once more. "The Devil Palace's young man orchestrated the killing of Lu Baichan and the others to penetrate the light barrier."

With that explanation, Yu Yuan's realization dawned.

An icy figure shot up from beneath the sea, transforming into a shard of ice.

Opening her mouth, she directed her plea towards the Fallen Star Eyes, "Save us."

"That would be your betrothed," Du Huang remarked with an odd inflection.

​