C468 Muddy Devil Embryo!
Beneath the ocean's surface, the Fallen Star Eyes streaked by like a flash of lightning.
Within the silver-white meteorite, the embedded star stones, now depleted of their stellar energy, burst into dust at the tail of the Fallen Star Eyes.
The supply of these rare star stones was dwindling.
The presence of the "Dark Blue Curtain" prevented the Fallen Star Eyes from absorbing the celestial starlight with the array formation etched within, hindering its ability to gather new power.
Should they continue to aimlessly drift, their star energy would eventually be spent.
When that time came, even a wondrous artifact like the Fallen Star Eyes would be reduced to mere ornamentation—unable to carry life, unable to soar, unable to perceive the world around it.
"Why must we depart?"
Su Yan of the Taiyuan Sect confronted Lau Ying, her beautiful eyes brimming with skepticism. "I'm aware of what Yu Yuan shared with you, but I believe we ought to stick with him regardless."
Survivors from the Ancient Desolate Sect and the likes of Du Huang remained silent, each lost in their own thoughts.
As the Fallen Star Eyes and the glass bottle drifted apart, Lau Ying unveiled a scene through her divine powers before they could get too far.
The Blood Offering Altar, having forsaken the Chaos Roc, burst forth from the blue shadows, hurtling toward the glass bottle—or more precisely, toward Yu Yuan.
This scene was vividly clear to all.
Du Huang and those from the Ancient Desolate Sect and the Sword Sect felt a secret sense of relief.
They were grateful that Yu Yuan had made the pivotal decision to leave the Fallen Star Eyes and seek refuge in the glass bottle, thereby shifting the colossal menace of the Blood Offering Altar onto the glass bottle and the malevolent entities of the Quietus Continent—away from themselves.
At this moment, Su Yan's candid revelation of these events, marking her first display of discontent with Lau Ying, stirred resentment among Du Huang and the others. They saw her interjection as unnecessary.
Regardless of Yu Yuan's reasons, they were the inadvertent beneficiaries of his departure from the Fallen Star Eyes.
At the very least, they were spared the immediate confrontation with the Blood Offering Altar and the Chaos Roc.
The transformation of the Chaos Roc from a bizarre fish to a gaunt, cruel elder had left them shaken to the core. Intimidated by its savage tactics, they were deeply averse to facing such terror again.
The Chaos Roc was already a formidable terror, rampaging across the land. If that was the case, how much more lethal could the Blood Sacrificial Altar, which was devastating the ocean depths, be?
"I certainly have my reasons for leaving," Lau Ying stated, clearly displeased. As Su Yan rose to challenge her, Lau Ying's expression chilled. She gave Su Yan a once-over, her lips pursed in a defiant pout. "If you're dissatisfied, feel free to go down now and seek him out later."
Su Yan, infuriated to the point of being unable to speak, her chest heaving with each breath, was left at a loss for words.
Without the swift guidance of the Fallen Star Eyes, lacking the necessary power and mastery, one could even lose their bearings beneath the waves.
In such a predicament, even with the desire to return, it would be futile.
"Lau Ying, I'm aware of what Yu Yuan shared with you," Kong Banbi interjected earnestly. "I won't pry into the reasons; I just want to know how we can assist him."
"That's better," Lau Ying acknowledged with a slight nod, her esteem for Kong Banbi rising. "True to the leader of the Sword Sect, you know exactly when to speak and what to say," she praised, before adding a pointed barb, "Unlike some."
Su Yan's face darkened further.
Kong Banbi and Du Huang exchanged uneasy glances, neither daring to make a sound.
They hadn't anticipated that the two women, each with their own ties to Yu Yuan, would turn so confrontational upon his departure.
While Yu Yuan was within the Fallen Star Eyes, there had been a semblance of harmony between them.
"For the time being, we don't need your strength," Lau Ying declared, her tone less aggressive. "I'm aware it seems disloyal to act this way when he's in peril, targeted by the Blood Sacrificial Altar. But the departure of the Fallen Star Eyes was at his behest. He gave us a direction, leading us to a point where we could harness the formidable power of the Fallen Star Eyes to breach a vulnerable spot in the deep blue veil."
"Is this... is this a directive for us to flee?" Kong Banbi asked, taken aback.
He had expected Yu Yuan to provide some unique strategy, but according to Lau Ying, were they not simply seeking a way to shatter the barrier with the Fallen Star Eyes and escape the Ember Waters?
"You can interpret it that way if you wish," Lau Ying responded, without going into detail. "He simply stated that the Dark Blue Curtain constantly envelops the sea, preventing him from unleashing the scabbard's full potential. He believes that if we can tear through the Dark Blue Curtain, even just a fissure, he'll be able to tap into an additional source of power for the scabbard."
"It's not because I love you, or that I can't bear to see you die, that I fabricated such an excuse to let you leave with your lives, is it?" Du Huang of the Ancient Desolate Sect first cast a glance at Lau Ying, then with a sly look, he turned his attention to Su Yan.
"Yu Yuan, that guy, is quite the charmer! First, he has a fiancée like Lim Zhuyun, and now he's here, exchanging coy glances with you two."
"Such a flirt!"
With his other hand, he gave a thumbs-up towards the tail of the Fallen Star Eyes, as if to say to Yu Yuan, "To die bravely for the woman he loves, if I were a woman, I'd fall for him too."
He shook his head and chuckled to himself, "How fortunate I am to be here in the Fallen Star Eyes and not in that glass bottle. Just thinking about Mo Yan, Lin Yue, Chi Nandou, and the rest, watching the Blood Sacrificial Altar approaching, fills me with glee!"
"Zip it, will you!" Lau Ying snapped in anger.
"Oh." Du Huang promptly closed his mouth.
His teasing had left everyone casting curious glances at Lau Ying and Su Yan.
Feeling her cheeks warm, Su Yan shot Du Huang a fierce look and retorted, "A dog's mouth can't spit out ivory!"
Du Huang's remarks had painted her and Lau Ying as if they were vying for Yu Yuan's affection, leaving her feeling both embarrassed and suddenly anxious.
She stole a glance at Lau Ying and noticed that the esteemed lady of the Silver Moon Sect was just as unnaturally composed.
"Could it be?"
The thought that unexpectedly sprang to her mind sent a ripple through Su Yan's heart, startling her.
...
Yu Yuan, invoking the Evil Body Refining Skill, soared out of the glass bottle and descended into the blue shadow.
Upon entry, he was engulfed by an overwhelming stench.
Inside, one's senses would be thrown into disarray, the soul's consciousness would grow hazy, and the blood and Qi would churn violently, causing dizziness and weakness. Moreover, countless unidentified energies and remnants of Qi would begin to permeate the body unbidden.
The blue shadow was not an actual play of light but resembled a quagmire.
Falling into it was like being mired in a swamp, with the soul and flesh subjected to erosion by the myriad forces within.
The activation of the Evil Body Refining Skill only intensified this process, nearly causing him to burst from the onslaught of the rampant forces.
Fortunately, Yu Yuan had mastered the Evil Body Refining Skill, a technique ranked among the top three body refining arts across the myriad sects and factions of the Boundless Land!
His harrowing trials in the Fallen Moon Forbidden Area had acquainted him with the unique properties of the Evil Body Refining Skill, emboldening him to venture into danger. He began by unleashing the Evil Cauldron, then bravely followed it into the fray.
He keenly discerned the powerful auras emanating from the murky blue shadows, more potent than anything he had encountered in the Fallen Moon Forbidden Area.
The sensation was far more intense and frenzied than his previous cultivation within the Evil Cauldron, where he had harnessed its inner power to temper his physique.
Previously, within the Evil Cauldron, there were only dozens of different types of exotic energies, remnants within its confines capable of slaying Yin Gods and inducing Soul Wandering.
Now, within the blue shadows, he detected over a hundred varieties of such energies, with a force so overwhelming it seemed capable of annihilating Yang Gods!
Among these energies were the bloodlines of various exotic tribes, the soul threads of human cultivators, the shattered bones of demonkind, pearls imbued with the essence of water, and precious metals from the ocean's depths.
"Hiss!"
Yu Yuan sharply inhaled, the onslaught of energies threatening to rupture his very being.
"Crack! Crack!"
His suspicions were confirmed as several of his fragile bones were indeed shattered by the force.
"Come here, come here..."
With his thoughts, he beckoned the Evil Cauldron, seeking communion with the Artifact Soul.
Having entered before him, the Evil Cauldron was poised to amass even greater power within the blue shadows, now unguarded by the Blood Sacrificial Altar.
Instantly, he felt the presence of the Evil Cauldron and resonated with the cauldron soul.
The cauldron soul swiftly imparted knowledge about the blue shadows, revealing their true nature to him.
His eyes sparkled with understanding as he absorbed the cauldron soul's teachings, gradually clarifying the mystery.
The enigmatic blue shadow could be considered the very foundation of the Aura Altar, or alternatively, a singular layer of the blood sacrifice altar itself!
The Aura Altar consumed only the essence of souls, discarding the dross to extract the quintessence, leaving behind the most refined soul power.
This allowed members of the Blue Devil Clan to integrate with the Devil Soul without further refinement, enabling them to instantly rejuvenate and grow stronger.
The Blood Sacrifice Altar operated in a similar fashion, distilling the energy from flesh and blood and capturing only the most vital essence.
The base of the entire Blood Spirit Altar was this blue shadow, known as the Muddy Devil Embryo.
"Muddy" referred to a place of darkness and filth. "Embryo" described the platform that supported the Blood Spirit Altar.
The purpose of the Muddy Devil Embryo was to collect the refuse of refined soul energy and flesh that the Blood and Soul Altars had either discarded or failed to purify. It was a chaotic mix of various exotic energies, remnants of corpses, and other detritus.
Anything impure, violently toxic, or in conflict with the Devaputra was cast into the Muddy Devil Embryo.
This murky power, under the control of the Blood Spirit Altar, could be unleashed as a devastating attack on enemies.
For instance, the Muddy Devil Embryo, now a blue, swamp-like shadow, had engulfed the Chaos Roc, leaving it unable to escape.
The Blue Devil Clan likely believed that the controllable Muddy Devil Embryo, capable of eroding the flesh and souls of living beings, was a formidable offensive tactic.
Indeed, the Muddy Devil Embryo exerted a significant restraining effect on the beings of the Outland Star River, including humans and demons.
Particularly for cultivators from the Heavenly Source Continent, who required purity in their spiritual power, blood, and soul, falling into the Muddy Devil Embryo and being subjected to its corrupting influence could result in grave injury or even death.
Demonic Cultivators fared slightly better, able to resist for a longer time, but even they would eventually succumb.
Throughout the ancient wars beyond our world, there have been rare beings that rendered the Muddy Platform powerless.
Regrettably, none shone for long in the Outer Star River, vanishing as quickly as they appeared, often falling in internal conflicts.
One such exceptional being was a practitioner from the Evil Sect!
A Demonic Cultivator who practiced the Evil Body Refining Skill!
