C518 Extraterrestrial Divine Thunder

The Ethereal Tower where Yu Yuan resided had suddenly become deserted.

The three cultivators from the Sunlit Order, Devil Palace, and Skyreach Consortium were all fixated on Lin Zhuyun, engulfed in green flames, pressing her for details about the events that had transpired beneath the Embers Sea.

With Mo Yan present, Devil Palace should have been fully informed of all events prior to Yu Yuan's departure from the Embers Sea.

What remained unclear to Devil Palace was what exactly had occurred in the Embers Sea following the withdrawal of Dusk Raven from Shadow's Keep.

Was the Abyssal Leviathan still present in this realm?

Had Hei Xun, the Guardian of Devil Palace, along with the Solar Spirit, Lunar Spirit, and his real body, all escaped aboard the Blood Altar?

Furthermore, how were the Pale Reaper, Peach Madam, White Crane, and Crane Rider persuaded by Hei Xun?

Despite extensive secret inquiries by Devil Palace, Shadow's Keep, and Skyreach Consortium, these deeply hidden secrets remained shrouded in mystery.

Lin Zhuyun, the one possessed by the Sky Fiend, was the sole surviving witness.

Their strategy to ensnare Lin Zhuyun was twofold: firstly, Lin Zhuyun's extreme actions on Demon's Scar, Moonshadow Isles, and Icestorm Island had raised concerns that their own territories might also be impacted.

Secondly, they were determined to uncover the truth about the Embers Sea.

"Us?"

Inside the Ethereal Tower, Tong Laoqian, who had finally managed to catch his breath, watched the three dignitaries encircle Lin Zhuyun. He covertly gestured to Yu Yuan, "Shall we make a move?"

His intention was clear: to slip away while the trio's attention was momentarily fixed on Lin Zhuyun.

Yu Yuan, frowning with a look of distress, replied, "It won't be that simple."

The Square Cast-iron Sign, the golden swallow, and the Dark Herald's Silver Rainbow Shuttle could easily shatter the already overwhelmed Jade Tower.

At this moment, before the confrontation with Lin Zhuyun had even commenced, any movement from the Jade Tower would likely draw their attention.

Yu Yuan doubted that after Mo Yan's intervention, the three would simply stand by and watch him and Tong Laoqian leave.

"What are we to do now?" Tong Laoqian lamented, slumping down with a gloomy face, "Yu, I've really taken a hit this time. Staying here means an uncertain future, and yet, there's no escape. I've been foolish. Why did I impulsively agree to escort you to Celestial Isle?"

"Let's wait and see if there's a turnaround," Yu Yuan murmured.

The Dark Herald, who had arrived aboard the Silver Rainbow Shuttle and remained concealed within the cabin, had previously spoken in a chilling female voice. It was a revelation that the enigmatic Dark Herald of the Devil Palace was a woman. And for some reason, Yu Yuan felt an inexplicable familiarity with that voice.

After much contemplation, he realized that since his rebirth, he had only encountered the Dark Herald when he was transported by the Silver Rainbow Shuttle from Aetherius to the Embers Sea. There had been no prior interaction. On the Silver Rainbow Shuttle, the Dark Herald had always communicated through her remnant soul, never actually speaking aloud.

This time, however, the mysterious Dark Herald in the Sundering Isles had finally spoken. If the voice seemed familiar and he hadn't heard it in this life, there was only one other explanation—Yu Yuan had known the Dark Herald in his past life!

"If I knew her in a past life, and it's been over three hundred years, who could she be?" Yu Yuan pondered, signaling to Tong Laoqian and Yuan Lianyao to hold off on any hasty actions.

In the depths of the emerald flames, Lin Zhuyun's figure began to blur. With a whoosh, a cold moon plummeted from above her head. Lin Zhuyun, amidst the emerald flames, reached out and grasped the cold moon, transforming it into a spear of ice, sharp at both ends. She, along with the burning emerald flames, suddenly soared toward the deep sea.

The mocking laughter of the cultivator from the Sunlit Order, emanating from the depths of the cast-iron sign, abruptly filled the air: "Where do you think you're escaping to?"

The deep blue sea was suddenly awash with golden light. The fluttering golden swallows vanished from sight, and the entire expanse of the sea shimmered with a blinding gold under the sunlight, almost painful to the eyes.

The sea's surface transformed into a solid barrier as if forged from gold. Lin Zhuyun, enveloped in emerald flames and wielding the cold moon ice spear, carved a path through it. The golden sea splashed with sparks of gold, silver, and emerald, the light flickering like electricity. The water, as sturdy as Sunsilver, was cleaved by the ice spear, leaving behind deep, glistening furrows.

It couldn't penetrate in a mere instant.

"The Skyreach Consortium has constructed an impenetrable fortress, a domain unto itself," Tong Laoqian exclaimed as he rose and floated within the Ethereal Tower, gazing out at the Embers Sea with a hint of awe. "The spell I practice is also of the Way of Heaven."

"I may have a slight edge in understanding the intricacies of jade, but since my realm is somewhat lower and I haven't condensed a Solar Spirit, I still fall short of him. His grasp of the metal force, however, far surpasses mine. It's no surprise that the Skyreach Consortium is one of the key guardians of the Sundering Isles!"

Tong Laoqian marveled with intense curiosity.

The Golden Jade Spell encompasses more than just gold and jade.

Gold, in fact, includes gold, iron, copper, and silver.

During cultivation, one must delve into the depths of the Everlands' ore veins to discern the patterns of Sunsilver formation, harvest fine gold, copper, and silver, temper the body, and even refine the Solar Spirit with the essence of these metals.

The emissaries from the Skyreach Consortium are clearly masters of their craft, capable of transforming the sea into a bulwark of iron and copper.

"The Skyreach Consortium has three guardians stationed in the Sundering Isles; this individual is just one of them," Yuan Lianyao observed solemnly from above. "The depth of the Skyreach Consortium's resources is indeed formidable."

"The Sundering Isles are the most crucial outpost for the Skyreach Consortium, second only to their headquarters," Tong Laoqian responded. "Hence, the power they've deployed here cannot be overlooked. Rumor has it that all three of the Celestial Isle's guardians are Solar Spirit powerhouses!"

Yu Yuan nodded in agreement.

He was aware of the Skyreach Consortium's exceptional nature and the unique status of the Celestial Isle. Knowing that the Consortium had long stationed three Solar Spirits there, he had marked the Celestial Isle as an objective.

Upon setting foot on the Celestial Isle, the Skyreach Consortium would be bound by millennia-old traditions to ensure his safety.

"You cannot escape."

The four-sided cast-iron sign thundered down, the massive emblem resembling a mountain, while countless tiny beings of flame chanted the ancient arcane incantations of the Fire God with fervent zeal.

Beneath the Sundering Isles, including Demon's Scar and Sunlit Isle, hidden magma veins deep within the earth's core began to resonate in unison.

The depths of the ocean trembled violently!

A massive, red-hot seal descended with the combined might of the heavens and the sea.

Boom!

Like a towering volcano, it erupted, shaking the world and purging it of evil demons and filth as it crashed towards the verdant flames and Lin Zhuyun, who wielded an icicle.

The green flames, which resembled countless birds, were snuffed out by the blow.

Under the impact of the cast-iron sign, Lin Zhuyun, clutching the cold moon spike, appeared to shrink to a third of her size, becoming as short as a young girl.

With the red cast-iron sign pressing down, the earth was as unyielding as sunsilver, leaving Lin Zhuyun with no escape above or below.

"Unless something unexpected happens, your fiancée, possessed by a Sky Fiend, won't get away," Tong Laoqian said with a hint of schadenfreude. "She had it coming! No Sky Fiend should dare to massacre three islands in the Sundering Isles! If the Ruby Hand and the Starmoon Sect had their new overseers in place, her end would be even more tragic."

Yuan Lianyao's expression was frosty. "She's digging her own grave!"

Tong Laoqian still believed that the Lin Zhuyun they saw was merely a puppet, a vessel for the Sky Fiend's mischief.

Sky Fiends typically lurked in the Everlands, acting with caution and stealth, ever fearful of attracting the attention of powerful cultivators who could obliterate them completely.

This one, however, was acting with a madness uncharacteristic of her kind. Few Sky Fiends would dare such recklessness.

Yuan Lianyao had learned from Yu Yuan that the Lin Zhuyun they faced was indeed herself.

After Lin Zhuyun had slain Pei Zhen and laid waste to Demon's Scar, and now pursued her and Yu Yuan, Yuan Lianyao could hardly conceal her disdain. Naturally, she would prefer Lin Zhuyun dead.

"The Dark Herald from the Devil Palace, she hasn't made a move?" Yu Yuan asked, his brow furrowed.

"She has, just beyond your notice," Tong Laoqian clarified. "The Dark Herald is tasked with quelling the Sky Fiend Soul, a pivotal role indeed. You should know, each Star-Spawned Terror from the extraterrestrial realms is adept in soul arcane arts, possessing numerous techniques centered around the soul."

Yuan Lianyao nodded in agreement, "The Dark Herald certainly exerted considerable effort."

Yu Yuan had an epiphany.

Once the three esteemed cultivators made their presence known and received caution from the cauldron spirit, he refrained from employing the Soul Forging through Enlightenment technique again, purposely avoiding the use of refined Spirit Magic for perception.

Given that his realm was merely Veil Breaking, it was ill-suited for the arcane arts of the Boulderdawn, making it highly unlikely for him to sense the Dark Herald's suppression of Lin Zhuyun's soul.

This was why, observing no activity from the Silver Rainbow Shuttle, he had assumed the Dark Herald was merely a spectator.

"Yu Yuan," Mo Yan called out from above the Warp Spindle, his tone light and teasing, "Your betrothed surely won't escape this ordeal. And you, there's no need to rush off to Celestial Isle just yet. The Devil Palace wishes to have a word with you. Moreover, those items in your possession? It's time to hand them over."

Yu Yuan's face remained stoic, ignoring Mo Yan's remarks and keeping his focus on the battle unfolding below.

Shortly after, the eight clusters of sunfire within the confines of his Golden Sanctum's little world began to thrash about with renewed ferocity.

"Abyssal Leviathan!"

As the afternoon progressed, the crimson sun suspended in the clouds seemed to swell under the influence of some mysterious force, growing rapidly in size.

Within moments, the sun expanded to the size of a grinding wheel, its intense red hue striking fear.

The sun, once distant in the starry expanse, appeared to traverse billions of miles in an instant, drawing perilously close to the Everlands and making the inhabitants of the Sundering Isles feel as though the sun had descended upon them.

Suddenly, brilliant shafts of sunfire, like fiery red Divine Thunder, streaked toward the sea's surface.

The golden sea was instantly pierced, a colossal cavity forming within its depths!

Lin Zhuyun, previously ensnared in a dire situation, vanished into the newly formed abyss, plunging into the sea and disappearing without a trace.

The guardian of the Skyreach Consortium, a master of the arcane metal force, was dealt a crippling blow in an instant.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Two additional bolts of fiery red Divine Thunder hurtled toward the Silver Rainbow Shuttle, the massive cast-iron sign, and the Ethereal Tower.

...