C473 Lighting!
The stars were faint, the night deep and enveloping, creating an atmosphere of suffocation.
In the vast expanse of the Ember Waters, silence reigned supreme, as if the very insects, birds, and fish had vanished without a trace, leaving behind no sign of life.
The Python Queen, Xu Zixi, sought refuge on a solitary island, her eyes often lifting to the heavens, then dropping in contemplation, her days filled with constant unease.
Initially, she would gaze into the distance, keeping a vigilant watch over the skeletal palace that housed the Raven Lord, sensing the relentless assault of the blue crystal upon it.
At times, she could even catch the echoes of the Raven Lord's anguished howls.
But as time passed, the Raven Lord deliberately widened the gap, steering the skeletal palace away in a direction opposite to Xu Zixi's island retreat.
During one of the palace's flights through the void, Xu Zixi's demon blood enabled her to intercept a thread of the Raven Lord's soul, which advised her to bide her time and stay alert for any external shifts.
This thread revealed to her that the Raven Lord was using the palace's might to fend off the blue crystal.
She also learned that this so-called blue crystal was in fact the Aura Altar, a creation of immense power forged by the Outland Devaputra.
The blue crystal formed the upper structure of the Aura Altar, known as the Spirit Altar—a celestial artifact!
The Demon Blood showered upon the Raven within the palace was a ruse to break the sky's seal, compelling the Spirit Altar to pursue relentlessly, lest the Raven gain control and turn its desperate attacks into reality.
The Aura Altar shadowed the skeletal palace, preventing the Raven from concentrating its energies on merging with the palace.
According to the Raven's soulful message, the Blood Sacrificial Altar beneath the sea must have encountered some misfortune.
The Blood Sacrificial Altar had yet to rectify the sea's anomalies, to ascend from the ocean floor and unite with the Aura Altar, unleashing the full might of its power.
It was only because of this failure to merge that the Raven, ensconced within the "turtle shell" of the skeletal palace, had managed to endure.
Staring into the profound darkness, observing the dense clouds that shrouded the dimly lit stars, Xu Zixi pondered: "What are those challengers beneath the sea relying on to thwart the Blood Sacrificial Altar, preventing its ascent and union with the Spirit Altar?"
Even Tang Cann, with his extraordinary abilities, and Lau Ying, with her exceptional talent, had not yet reached the Yin God Stage. Lin Yue, Hou Tianzhao, Chi Nandou, and the rest were merely at the Penetrating Stage. How could they possibly contend with the Blood Sacrificial Altar, which had been unable to ascend from the sea and unite with the Aura Altar?
Mo Yan was the Devil Palace's closely guarded secret, known only to Heixun and Raven. Xu Zixi, of course, was oblivious to his presence beneath the sea.
She yearned for the strength to shatter the "Deep Blue Veil" and plunge into the depths to uncover the truth.
By her reckoning, over a month had elapsed, and the underwater trial was only at its midpoint.
Had the disturbance not occurred, the elders from the various sects practicing on the islands might have just begun their deep meditations.
Who could have imagined that in the blink of an eye, the emergence of the altar from the ocean would transform countless living beings into lifeless skeletons?
If Raven hadn't whisked her away earlier, she, too, might have met a grim fate.
"It's still early. Those who departed could not have foreseen such a drastic upheaval. It will likely be some time before they return to the Ember Waters," Xu Zixi mused despondently. "By then, the Blood Sacrificial Altar may have already risen from the seabed and fused with the Aura Altar."
"At that point, I fear that the Raven Lord and I..."
The Python Queen's sigh trailed off, the prospect of survival growing ever more faint.
Abruptly, the faint stars piercing the deep night began to shine with renewed brilliance.
With a mix of surprise and curiosity, Xu Zixi soared into the sky once more.
In a heartbeat, she was overcome with excitement!
Beyond the Ember Waters, in the shroud of night, a colossal sea dragon churned the black waters, unleashing towering waves.
She peered closer and beheld a silver-white meteorite, radiant with light, bursting forth from the ocean's grasp!
The meteorite wobbled, seemingly depleted of all its stellar energy, and at last, drifted skyward.
One by one, the dim stars blazed to life!
Separated by the vastness of space, starlight, drawn by the meteorite's magnetic pull, cascaded down.
"Fallen Star Eyes!"
The Python Queen couldn't contain the joy in her heart as she gazed upon Lau Ying, Kong Banbi, and Du Huang. Despite the persistent dark blue veil between them, she suddenly let out an exclamation of surprise.
The Fallen Star Eyes were in a state of severe damage, with dust swirling above the meteorite and debris scattered everywhere. Clearly, they were harnessing the power of the stars above to replenish their star energy.
Upon witnessing the Fallen Star Eyes, Xu Zixi felt a resurgence of life force in her nearly desiccated heart.
...
Beneath the sea.
Yu Yuan was deep within the Muddy Devil Embryo, where eight blazing mini-suns ascended from behind his head, casting light upon the murky world.
With a keen gaze, he reached out and beckoned, uttering a single word: "Come!"
At once, Mo Yan, teetering on the brink of death, along with a host of Evil Demon disciples, watched as the Bone Devouring Shuttle broke free from the grip of the toxic green flames and made a beeline for him.
Unexpectedly, the Artifact Soul, previously eroded by the green fire, was now fully restored and heeding his command.
Qi Nandou, barely clinging to life, had his dantian shattered, dealing a devastating blow to his foundational Great Dao.
He had destroyed his own acupoints to prevent the green flames in the glass bottle from traveling through the connection and burning him alive.
With his acupoints obliterated, he severed the link to the glass bottle, ensuring the flames could no longer harm him.
Likewise, his subtle connection with the Bone Devouring Shuttle was now fraught with complications.
Yet, as he watched the Bone Devouring Shuttle hurtle towards Yu Yuan, he felt a surge of unexpected joy. Summoning all his strength, he shouted at the top of his lungs, "Yu Yuan! Help us slaughter those extraterrestrial fiends!"
Be it the Chaos Roc or the Muddy Devil Embryo, the Blood Offering Altar, or the Spiritual Offering Altar, they were all alien artifacts from beyond the heavens.
Raised in this world and nurtured by their sect's teachings, they believed the Boundless Land was the heart of the Central World, and they, the pinnacle of intelligent life.
The indignity of being cornered by these celestial interlopers was a bitter pill to swallow.
Only by exterminating these invaders and cleansing with their blood could they erase their disgrace.
"Kill them!"
Chi Nandou's impassioned cry ignited a fury within the remaining Evil Demon disciples.
The Bone Devouring Shuttle, like a streak of white lightning, responded to Yu Yuan's summon and pierced the blue shadow in an instant!
Above the Muddy Devil Embryo, the sky, muddled with filth, residual blood, and dust, was punctured by the bone-chilling Bone Devouring Shuttle, leaving a gaping hole.
Like a sword forged from white bones, the flying shuttle plummeted straight down from above.
Guided by Yu Yuan's will, the Artifact Soul within the Bone Devouring Shuttle adjusted its trajectory to target the Chaos Roc.
The emaciated Chaos Roc, concealed within the depths of the Muddy Devil Embryo, was now a sight of decay, its flesh putrefying and oozing with foul-smelling blood.
It floated in silence, enduring the relentless assault of the Muddy Devil Embryo, its very blood and soul saturated with a myriad of bizarre energies and impurities.
With each movement, the Chaos Roc expended a great deal of strength, as if struggling through a deep mire, each step laborious and draining.
Looking up at the descending Bone Devouring Shuttle, the Chaos Roc sensed the soul-crushing power within, a power that threatened to suppress it. Its scar-ravaged face grew even more ghastly.
With a hiss, the Bone Devouring Shuttle, under the watchful eyes of all and illuminated by the radiance of Yu Yuan's eight miniature suns, impaled the Chaos Roc's skull, piercing through to its tailbone.
The desiccated old man, reminiscent of the Asura Yu Yuan had encountered in the Dark Domain's Absence Relic, was now skewered from head to waist by the Bone Devouring Shuttle.
The Chaos Roc, previously with eyes wide in shock, slowly let its eyelids fall.
Inside, the mournful cries of the Bone Devouring Shuttle echoed wildly as the blood and Qi it had absorbed surged and detonated within the Chaos Roc.
The body of the Chaos Roc became a chaotic battleground of various energies and malevolent forces, clashing and erupting like a relentless barrage of fireworks.
"Well done!" exclaimed Chi Yin of the Filthy Spirit Sect, witnessing the Chaos Roc's transformation, arms raised in triumph.
"That creature has been eroded by nearly a hundred different kinds of energies, poisons, vile forces, blood, and sinister soul powers. With his immense strength, he was desperately holding back those disparate forces to prevent an internal cataclysm."
Chi Yin, animated with excitement, clarified for the onlookers.
"The flying shuttle, having previously harvested the Qi and malevolent soul power from the likes of Lu Baichan and Luo Yiyi, introduced these elements into his body like a spark to kindling. The true peril lay not in the shuttle's penetration, but in the explosive forces it unleashed within!"
"It was those forces that ignited, the myriad of conflicting powers within him that he had painstakingly sorted through, on the verge of exploding inside his body!"
Chi Yin danced and laughed boisterously in the sea, his joy akin to that of a child who had just been gifted candy.
"Using an opponent's strength against them is indeed a clever tactic!" Lin Yue's eyes, a deep crimson, sparkled with intrigue as he spoke, "The Fiend Sect's Bone Devouring Shuttle isn't enough to kill that extraterrestrial creature. What really threatens its life is the chaotic mix of a hundred different bizarre energies within the blue shadow."
"That entity is known as the Muddy Devil Embryo, the true force capable of restraining the Chaos Roc." Mo Yan, seated atop the Kyara Demon Blade, gasped for air, his strength nearly spent, yet he found a renewed vigor as he clarified for the bewildered onlookers, "Beyond the vast expanse of the Boundless Land, within the endless galaxies, the Muddy Devil Embryo that anchors the Aura Altar is also a formidable weapon against the mighty cultivators of humanity."
"Particularly on the Heavenly Source Continent, where the great cultivators must keep their spiritual energy, vital essence, and souls pure, any contact with the Muddy Devil Embryo could be devastating. Even if it doesn't kill them, they'll be stripped down to their core."
"Yet, the Evil Body Refining Skill of the Evil Sect remains impervious to its influence. And just by chance, he has mastered this very Devil Spell!"
