C480 Leaving the Place

Deep within the Embers Sea, thirty-six totem poles stood like towering mountains, growing taller by the moment.

The ocean floor gave rise to high peaks!

"Crack! Crack! Crack!"

Summoned by Hei Xun's breakthrough, the magic power stored for years was drawn from the island's rocks by the totem poles, causing them to whistle through the air.

Countless massive rocks took flight, creating a breathtaking spectacle above the sea's surface.

The island's rocks clung to the totem poles, transforming into new mountains!

Aoao! Roar! Roar!

The furious roars of ancient evilkind echoed from the "new mountains," as if archdemons perched on the peaks were conversing through their howls.

Demon energy billowed between the thirty-six mountains, striving to quell the peculiar transformations occurring on the island.

Lin Yue, Hou Tianzhao, Qi Nandou, Chi Yin, and the other survivors, leveraging the power of their artifacts, floated helplessly in the air, witnessing the dramatic changes in both the heavens and the deep sea.

"Starborne Ritual of Primeval Demons!"

After a long pause, Chi Yin was the first to regain her composure, exclaiming in astonishment.

"It's the stone pillars on the back of the Abyssal Leviathan!" Lin Yue clarified for the group, "Once the Abyssal Leviathan assimilated the Bone-Devouring Shuttle, it completed the thirty-sixth totem pole, allowing the Starborne Ritual of Primeval Demons to manifest once more! But now, the Infernal Trap is no longer a means to restrain the Abyssal Leviathan; it serves him instead!"

From a distance, Hou Tianzhao called out, "We'll have to play it by ear!"

"Fallen Star Eyes!"

Hundreds of miles away, a giant silver-white meteor gleamed in the night sky, capturing their attention.

Without hesitation, all eyes turned toward the Fallen Star Eyes.

"Where's Mo Yan? Has anyone seen Mo Yan?"

Fei Yi of the Devil Palace, responding to Hou Tianzhao's call, joined Yan Lu, Wu Pei, and the others on the Phoenix Feather Fan. Standing as if on solid ground, they felt the fan's warmth and reveled in its swift flight.

The newly advanced Phoenix Feather Fan streaked through the air like arc light, drawing Qi Nandou, Chi Yin, and the rest of the survivors along with it.

Before the Phoenix Feather Fan was enhanced, such a heavenly artifact from the Ruby Hand lacked the power to carry so many people, nor could it travel at such high speeds. Once Lin Yue was the last one connected, Hou Tianzhao asked, "Where's Mo Yan?"

"Forget about him."

Lin Yue was panting, not from exertion but from sheer astonishment. "The Guardian of the Devil Palace has betrayed the Everlands and formed a secret pact with the Blood Altar. The Pale Reaper, Peach Madam, and the Crane Rider, each coming from different directions, are protecting him and aiding his quest for ultimate freedom in the Embers Sea!"

"To merge with the Embers Sea? To attain ultimate freedom?"

"Hei Xun, the Guardian, has turned traitor?"

"Were those people summoned to the Embers Sea by Hei Xun?"

The group was visibly shaken by Lin Yue's revelation, and Mo Yan was quickly forgotten.

At the sea's bottom, they had depended on Mo Yan and his Shadowblade to contain the Blood Altar. Now that the Azure Veil was shredded, all the enchantments binding this region of the sea were rendered useless.

Those who no longer required Mo Yan's assistance were eager to distance themselves from this place of trouble, indifferent to his fate.

"Hou Tianzhao, Lin Yue, Qi Nandou..."

As the light from the stars sprinkled down upon the Fallen Star Eyes, Liu Ying felt the energy and the artifact soul rejuvenate. She gazed into the distance, spotting familiar figures on the Phoenix Feather Fan.

"Where's Yu Yuan? Where is he?"

Liu Ying felt a sudden surge of inexplicable sorrow, her clear eyes clouded as if shrouded in mist.

Her voice grew louder, more urgent, "Show me what's happening beneath the sea!"

She commanded the artifact soul to reveal the events unfolding in the depths below.

"It's still not possible. Besides, the sea below... it's too terrifying."

Like a child chastised by a parent, the artifact soul of the Fallen Star Eyes sent back a feeble message.

"Liu Ying, once Hou Tianzhao and the others arrive, we must leave the Embers Sea," Python Queen Xu Zixi declared, surveying the tumultuous changes in the sea from atop the Fallen Star Eyes. She had a foreboding sense that the upheaval here was beyond their scope. "Even if Faang Yao and his group return, I fear they'll be powerless to intervene."

Faang Yao of the Ruby Hand was merely at the Spirit Walk stage, not yet having ascended to the Solar Spirit level. The Pale Reaper from the Land of Terror, Peach Madam of the Rainbow Ocean, and the white crane were all beings far stronger and more ancient than the current Faang Yao. Moreover, there was the enigmatic Crane Rider whose origins were unknown. With such formidable forces, even the Dusk Raven, who had been skulking in the Palace of Bones, was now desperately fleeing. What chance did the others stand?

"I will wait for Yu Yuan to show himself!" Liu Ying declared, standing resolutely at the forefront of the Fallen Star Eyes. She turned a deaf ear to Xu Zixi's remarks. "Even if he's dead, I need to see it for myself!" Her journey from the Forgotten Ruins to the Embers Sea had solidified her trust in Yu Yuan. She had faith in his capabilities, his intellect, and his latent potential. But now, doubt crept into her heart...

Pale Reaper, Peach Madam, White Crane, Cosmic Giant Beast, Blood Altar... So many fiendish magnates and cosmic giant beasts, each capable of shattering realms with a mere stomp, had converged in the Embers Sea, triggering a chain of violent upheavals. Even with her unwavering belief in Yu Yuan, Liu Ying's confidence began to falter.

"He must be alive, he just must!" Liu Ying's inner voice screamed, calling out for the first time in her life with such concern for someone's well-being. A wave of inexplicable emotions surged through her, like inner demons invading her mind and Heart Lake, rendering her unable to stay composed.

Xu Zixi, standing nearby, watched Liu Ying's gaze wander, tirelessly searching, waiting for that someone to appear. She sighed softly to herself, "This girl probably doesn't even realize her own feelings." With that thought, a flicker of surprise crossed her face.

Wasn't there another striking young woman in a green dress, her skirt fluttering in the wind at the tail end of the Fallen Star Eyes, also searching intently for someone?

"Yu Yuan, that rascal, is just like that scoundrel from his youth! It's no wonder he's so fond of Yu Yuan, always shielding him," Xu Zixi mused, a sudden wave of irritation rising within her.

Boom! Tens of miles away, beyond the Embers Sea, a massive black cauldron, like a dark sun suspended in the sky, burst forth from the depths of the sea.

"Yu Yuan!"

Su Yan, scanning the horizon from the rear of the Fallen Star Eyes, was the first to spot him and cried out with tears of joy.

Whoosh!

The Fallen Star Eyes, stationary for so long, finally unleashed the cosmic energy it had amassed, emitting a dazzling burst of starlight as it shot towards the cauldron that had emerged from the ocean.

"Yu Yuan! Yu Yuan has already escaped the Embers Sea!"

Hou Tianzhao, aboard the Phoenix Feather Fan, grinned broadly and immediately changed course.

The fan's base ignited with flames, transforming the Phoenix Feather Fan into a floating inferno in the sky, carrying the survivors and the Fallen Star Eyes towards the Crucible of Evil.

For some reason, upon seeing the Crucible of Evil, the disoriented crowd felt an urgent need to regroup.

Fei Yi yelled out, urging everyone to search for Mo Yan, but it was as if no one could hear him.

Yu Yuan, standing within the cauldron and breaking free from the sea's surface, was still reeling from the tumultuous events.

When he saw the Fallen Star Eyes hurtling towards him after he had settled, his heart warmed, and a smile touched his lips.

The disaster might not have passed.

Yet, he was grateful to see that those connected to him had not perished but were alive and well.

"Remember, conceal yourself well and don't expose too many secrets. The Nine Glories Wheel's spell won't bring you immediate harm, but be extremely cautious with anything related to Boulderdawn."

"Otherwise, you may one day be forced to flee the Everlands, just like Hei Xun."

"In this realm, Boulderdawn was once the unrivaled sovereign, leading humanity and commanding the evilkind. But now, the Everlands are dominated by the three great upper sects of Euwrea, the Devil Palace, and Shadow's Keep of the Land of Quiescence."

"All knowledge of Boulderdawn is shrouded in secrecy, unknown to the world. Their legacy has been wiped clean, forbidden from existence. Here, if anyone discovers the intricacies of your Spirit Magic, you could be silently eradicated."

"Only by breaking free from the confines of the Everlands and soaring through the boundless Star River like Hei Xun, can one truly find liberation."

"Hei Xun might be the future you."

"..."

The thoughts of the cauldron spirit lingered in Yu Yuan's mind, deeply imprinted and constantly reminding him.

The pressure felt like a hundred thousand mountains crashing down upon him, so immense that even within the Crucible of Evil, his spirit felt burdened.

He even harbored some regret for cultivating the Soul Forging through Enlightenment technique within the White Paper Fan. He regretted getting entangled with the Boulderdawn Sect in the Moonfall Sanctuary.

The Boulderdawn Sect, whose traces had been wiped out by the three great upper sects, the Devil Palace, and Shadow's Keep, gradually faded from existence.

Yet outside the Everlands, the Boulderdawn Sect was on the brink of resurgence, slowly amassing power. Rumors abounded that they were preparing to settle old scores with the three upper sects, including the Devil Palace and Shadow's Keep.

However, within the Everlands, the Boulderdawn Sect still had no foothold.

"Why did it have to come to this?" Yu Yuan mused silently. Looking down at the chunks of solid "giant beast Sunsorrow," his spirits lifted slightly. "Perhaps, like the master of the bronze coffin, like Hei Xun, I too can break through the shackles of heaven and earth without fear!"

With that, the cauldron abruptly departed from the Embers Sea.

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