C473 Ignite!
The stars were dim, and the night enveloped everything in darkness, creating an oppressive atmosphere. The vast Embers Sea lay in utter silence, as if all life, from the smallest insect to the birds and fish, had vanished without a trace.
The Python Queen, Xu Zixi, sought refuge on a solitary island. She would occasionally gaze skyward, then bow her head in deep contemplation, consumed by a persistent unease. Initially, she kept a vigilant eye on the distant Palace of Bones, the stronghold of the Dusk Raven, sensing the relentless assault from the blue crystal upon it.
At times, she could even hear the pained howls of the Dusk Raven. But as time passed, the Dusk Raven intentionally increased the distance, steering the Palace of Bones in the opposite direction of her island refuge to escape.
During one of the Palace's fleeting journeys, Xu Zixi, harnessing her Demon Blood, detected a wisp of Dusk Raven's remnant soul. It urged her to bide her time and stay alert to any external shifts. This remnant soul revealed that the Dusk Raven was leveraging the might of the Palace of Bones to contain the blue crystal's advance.
Xu Zixi also learned that this so-called blue crystal was none other than the Blood Altar, a formidable creation of the Star-Spawned Terror. The blue crystal, forming the upper section of the Blood Altar, was known as the Soul Altar—a relic from beyond the stars.
The Dusk Raven, fueled by Demon Blood within the Palace of Bones, feigned attempts to break through the celestial barrier, compelling the Soul Altar to give chase relentlessly, lest the Palace fall under the Dusk Raven's control and his desperate attacks succeed.
The Soul Altar, flanking the Palace of Bones, ensured that the Dusk Raven could not concentrate on merging his essence with the palace. According to the Dusk Raven's remnant soul, the persistence of the Soul Altar suggested that some unforeseen event had befallen the Blood Altar beneath the sea.
The Blood Altar had yet to resolve the anomaly beneath the waves, remaining submerged and separate from the Soul Altar, unable to unleash its full, formidable power. It was this division that allowed the Dusk Raven, ensconced within his "turtle shell" of the Palace, to endure.
As Xu Zixi stared into the profound darkness of the night, her gaze piercing through the dense clouds that obscured the starlight, she pondered: What could the trial-takers beneath the sea be relying on to thwart the Blood Altar's ascent, preventing it from uniting with the Soul Altar?
Even someone as formidable as Tang Cen, with talents matching those of Liu Ying, had not yet reached the Lunar Spirit realm. Lin Yue, Hou Tianzhao, Qi Nandou, and their peers were merely at the Subtlety level. How could they possibly contend with the Blood Altar, which had yet to ascend from the ocean and unite with the Soul Altar?
Mo Yan was the Devil Palace's closely guarded secret, known only to Hei Xun and Dusk Raven. Naturally, Xu Zixi was unaware of his presence at the ocean's depths. She longed for the strength to shatter the Azure Veil and plunge beneath the waves to uncover the truth.
Time had ticked by, and over a month had elapsed. This underwater trial was only at its midpoint by usual standards. Had the disturbance not occurred, the sect elders practicing on various islands might have just begun their meditative trance.
Who could have predicted that in what seemed like a mere flicker to the cultivators, the emergence of the Soul Altar from the sea would transform countless living beings into lifeless skeletons? If not for Dusk Raven's timely intervention, Xu Zixi might have shared their grim fate.
"It's still early. Those who departed are likely unaware of the cataclysm that unfolded. It will probably be some time before they return to the Embers Sea," Xu Zixi mused despondently. "By then, the Blood Altar may have already risen from the seabed and fused with the Soul Altar."
"At that time, Lord Dusk Raven and I might..." The Python Queen's voice trailed off into a somber sigh, her hopes for survival dwindling.
Suddenly, the dim stars scattered across the night sky began to shine with renewed brilliance. Xu Zixi, her curiosity piqued, soared into the sky once more. Moments later, she was overcome with excitement.
Beyond the Embers Sea, in the shadowy night, a colossal flood dragon seemed to churn the dark waters, stirring up formidable waves. Focusing her gaze, Xu Zixi spotted a silver meteorite bursting forth from the ocean, its radiant light piercing the darkness. The meteorite wobbled as if it had depleted all its cosmic energy before finally ascending into the heavens. One by one, the once-faint stars now gleamed with a dazzling light.
Starlight, drawn by the magnetic field of a meteorite, cascaded down through the vast expanse of space.
"Fallen Star Eyes!"
The Python Queen couldn't contain her elation as she gazed upon Liu Ying, Kong Banbi, and Du Huang. Despite the presence of the Azure Veil, she exclaimed in astonishment.
The Fallen Star Eyes were in a state of severe disrepair, with dust and rubble swirling around them, clearly drawing upon the celestial bodies to replenish their cosmic energy.
Upon witnessing the Fallen Star Eyes, Xu Zixi felt a resurgence in her heart that had nearly withered away.
Life was returning!
...
Beneath the sea.
Yu Yuan was deep within the Spawn of Chaos, where eight blazing orbs ascended from behind his head, illuminating the murky world!
As his Third Eye opened, he reached out and beckoned, simply saying, "Come!"
At once, Mo Yan, who was on the brink of extinction, along with a host of demonic disciples, saw the Bone-Devouring Shuttle break free from the torment of the green flames and head straight for him.
Unexpectedly, the artifact soul, previously eroded by the green fire, was instantly healed and now heeded his command.
Qi Nandou, barely clinging to life, suffered a catastrophic collapse of his middle elixir field's Profound Gate acupoint, dealing a severe blow to his Way of Heaven.
He shattered his acupoints to prevent the green flames within the Ethereal Vial from spreading through the connection and burning him alive.
By destroying his acupoints, he severed his link with the Ethereal Vial, ensuring he would no longer suffer from the flames.
Likewise, his subtle connection with the Bone-Devouring Shuttle was now fraught with issues.
Yet, as he watched the Bone-Devouring Shuttle, a creation of the Skyblight Cult, soar towards Yu Yuan, he felt unexpected joy instead of alarm. Summoning all his remaining strength, he shouted at the top of his lungs, "Yu Yuan! Help us slay those extraterrestrial invaders!"
Whether it was the Abyssal Leviathan or the Spawn of Chaos, the Soul Altar or the Blood Altar, all were artifacts from beyond this world.
Raised in this realm under the guidance of their elders, they believed the Everlands to be the heart of the Central World, and they proudly considered themselves the pinnacle of intelligent life.
Forced into such a wretched state by otherworldly entities, they felt an overwhelming sense of humiliation.
Only through the death of these extraterrestrial beings and the cleansing of their blood could they hope to erase such disgrace.
"Kill them!"
The cry from Qi Nandou ignited a fury within the remaining disciples of the Skyblight Cult.
The Bone-Devouring Shuttle, like a bolt of cold white lightning summoned by Yu Yuan, arrived in an instant, piercing the azure shadow!
Above the Spawn of Chaos, the sky, tainted with impurities and the remnants of blood and dust, was breached by the skeletal Bone-Devouring Shuttle, creating a gaping hole.
Like a sword forged from white bone, the Flying Shuttle descended from above, plunging straight downward.
Inside the Spawn of Chaos, guided by Yu Yuan's will, the artifact soul adjusted its trajectory, aiming for the Abyssal Leviathan!
The Abyssal Leviathan, now resembling a gaunt old man, was concealed within the depths of the Spawn of Chaos, his flesh putrid and his body oozing foul blood.
He floated in silence, enduring the Spawn of Chaos's corrosion, his flesh and soul saturated with a myriad of tainted essences.
Each movement he made drained a significant amount of strength, as if he were trapped deep within a mire, struggling to take each step.
The Abyssal Leviathan looked up at the descending Bone-Devouring Shuttle, sensing the psionic power within that was his bane. His scar-riddled visage grew even more ghastly.
With a hiss, the Bone-Devouring Shuttle, watched by all, pierced the skull of the Abyssal Leviathan under the glow of eight miniature suns.
It penetrated from the head straight down to the base of the spine.
The emaciated figure, reminiscent of the Shura Yu Yuan had encountered in the Dark Realm's Forgotten Ruins, was impaled by the Bone-Devouring Shuttle from head to waist.
The Abyssal Leviathan, previously with eyes wide open, gradually closed them.
The wails of the remnant souls within the Bone-Devouring Shuttle shrieked wildly inside him, and as the vitality absorbed by the Flying Shuttle mixed with the various chaotic forces within him, it detonated instantly.
The body of the Abyssal Leviathan, rife with conflicting energies and strange powers, erupted in a cacophony akin to a relentless barrage of firecrackers.
"Well done!"
Chi Yin of the Taintborn Sect watched the Abyssal Leviathan's odd condition and raised her arms in cheer.
"That fellow is being eroded by a mix of nearly a hundred types of psionic power, venom, tainted essence, vitality, and bizarre Soul Power, all attacking his corporeal body and soul. With his immense strength, he's forcibly keeping those varied forces in check to prevent them from detonating within him."
Chi Yin grew excited, clarifying for the curious crowd.
"The Bone-Devouring Shuttle, previously hunted by Lu Baichan, Luo Yiyi, and others, had collected vitality and the malevolent power of remnant souls, which entered his body like a spark falling into a pile of kindling. The real danger wasn't the Shuttle's disintegration, but rather the powers it contained!"
"It was those forces that triggered the explosion, setting off the conflict among the hundred types of strange powers he was desperately trying to sort out within his body!"
Chi Yin danced with joy, laughing heartily at sea, resembling a child who had just been given a sweet treat.
"Using force against force is indeed a clever tactic," Lin Yue remarked, his crimson eyes gleaming with intrigue. "The Bone-Devouring Shuttle of the Skyblight Cult isn't enough to kill that extraterrestrial being. What's really threatening its life are the chaotic and violent mix of a hundred different bizarre powers within the Azure Veil."
"That entity, known as the 'Spawn of Chaos', is the true force capable of restraining the Abyssal Leviathan." Mo Yan, seated atop the Shadowblade and gasping for breath, appeared on the verge of collapse but suddenly found a burst of energy to enlighten those around him who were unaware. "Beyond the Everlands, within the Infinite Galaxy, the 'Spawn of Chaos' that upholds the Blood Altar is also a formidable weapon against the cultivators of the human race."
"Particularly for those cultivators on the Euwrea Continent who must constantly maintain the purity of their spiritual energy, vitality, and soul. Once contaminated by the 'Spawn of Chaos', they would be lucky to escape with only their skin peeled off."
"Yet, it's the Evil Body Refining technique of the Terror Claws Sect that allows one to remain unaffected amidst such chaos, and coincidentally, he is adept at practicing these dark arts!"
