C565 The Chaos of the Demons!

With a whoosh, Yu Yuan guided the Crucible of Evil out from the seven-colored cloud, descending gracefully toward the lake. Lu Qingyu, Huoluo, and Lei Jiao couldn't hide their excitement upon seeing him emerge.

"Yu Yuan!"

The Python Queen, Xu Zixi, greeted him with a warm smile.

"Ms. Xu!"

Yu Yuan, who had emerged from the island shrouded in miasma due to her arrival, returned the smile and approached her. "What brings you here?"

The three seventh-level archdemons regarded the Python Queen with cool detachment. She was a human who had mastered the mystique of Shadow's Keep, and they were not impressed. Xu Zixi reciprocated their indifference.

"I need a favor," Xu Zixi said, her brow furrowing with impatience. "I've come from Shadow's Keep to tell you that the ruler of the Lost Lands isn't on the island. She's currently at Shadow's Keep and won't be returning to the Lost Lands anytime soon. Waiting here is pointless."

She paused before turning to Yu Yuan. "Once she returns, she'll be able to ascend to the eighth level through the Forgotten Ruins!"

A gleam of joy appeared on Yu Yuan's face. "Is Yu Zhu on the verge of breaking through to the eighth level?"

Reaching the eighth level for evilkind was akin to attaining the Solar Spirit realm for humans! If Yu Zhu broke through to the eighth level, she would gain an immense boost in strength within the Lost Lands, which resonated with her. Her power would soar, rivaling that of a ninth-level being!

A ninth-level archdemon was on par with a practitioner of the Unbound Realm! What did that signify? The masters of the seven great lower sects, the leaders of the Colddeath Sect, the Taintborn Sect, and the Skyblight Cult were all of this caliber!

Once Yu Zhu achieved the eighth level, only the primordial spirits of humans and the tenth-level Dark Deities of evilkind could pose a threat to her within the Everlands.

Lu Qingyu, Huoluo, and Lei Jiao, who had come from other mysterious realms, all began to breathe more heavily, sharing a look of astonishment.

"The Shadow's Keep has spared no effort for her," Xu Zixi said, taking a deep breath and looking on with admiration. "Upon her return, she will leverage the Forgotten Ruins, which are in harmony with her Way of Heaven, to elevate herself to the eighth level. Then, Shadow's Keep will remove the restrictions on the Forgotten Ruins, allowing both Solar Spirits and eighth-level archdemons to enter."

Upon reaching the eighth level, Yu Zhu would have the power to hold sway over all Solar Spirits and archdemons of equal stature within the Forgotten Ruins!

Her alignment with the laws of the Lost Lands naturally elevated her, granting her the strength to subdue both the Solar Spirits and eighth-level archdemons.

"That..."

Approaching Yu Yuan once more, Lu Qingyu, who had arrived from Dedsend Lake, was noticeably more cautious. She hesitated, speaking in a low voice, "A horde of archdemons has flooded into the Godsblight Marsh, gradually encroaching upon the territories of the Lost Lands. They've even taken over a deep pool I had my eye on."

Both Huoluo and Lei Jiao wore expressions of dismay.

"We're facing a total of nine archdemons, each at the seventh level, leading their forces boldly into our lands. We're powerless to stop them." Huoluo, clad in fiery red garments, let out a sigh, "These nine have always been loyal to the Untamed God. United by a common cause, they've formed a formidable force—one we simply cannot match."

He looked to Yu Yuan and the Python Queen as he spoke.

With Untamed's minions running rampant in the Forgotten Ruins, what were Yu Yuan's thoughts on the matter?

And Python Queen, as a representative of Shadow's Keep, with Yu Zhu also being part of the same faction, what was your perspective?

Huoluo was eager to gauge their stance.

"Nine archdemons!"

Yu Yuan's face took on a grave expression, his eyes narrowing as he spoke with a furrowed brow, "This is highly unusual! Surely, there can't be that many seventh-level archdemons in the Godsblight Marsh? For nine of them to surge into the Forgotten Ruins simultaneously, could this be a challenge to the Shadow's Keep?"

Huoluo, Lu Qingyu, and Lei Jiao all turned their gaze to Xu Zixi.

After a moment of silence, Xu Zixi addressed Yu Yuan, "This very issue is what brings me here."

"I'd like to know more," Yu Yuan requested earnestly.

"This isn't the place for such discussions." Xu Zixi cast a glance at Huoluo and the others. "Yu Yuan, take me with you on the Crucible of Evil. We can discuss this as we travel."

"To where?" Yu Yuan asked, nodding in agreement.

"Toward Godsblight Marsh," Xu Zixi replied.

Yu Yuan paused briefly before responding, "Alright."

He summoned the Crucible of Evil and, after a brief exchange with the cauldron spirit, granted the Python Queen permission to enter.

The cauldron swiftly ascended into the sky.

Down by the lake, Lu Qingyu, Huoluo, and Lei Jiao could only gaze longingly as the Crucible of Evil took flight. They were well aware that Xu Zixi had deliberately excluded them, yet they were powerless to intervene.

"Each of them was once sought after by Shadow's Keep, but they all declined the offer," Xu Zixi remarked with a hint of disdain from within the cauldron. "Joining Shadow's Keep means submitting to authority and possibly being assigned tasks on their behalf. Upon reaching the eighth level, they would be expected to accompany the evilkind's forces on their march to the extraterrestrial realms."

At this point, the Python Queen's lips twisted into a sardonic grin. "Without loyalty to Shadow's Keep, one isn't entitled to know too much."

Yu Yuan listened in silence, steering the Crucible of Evil directly towards Godsblight Marsh, as Xu Zixi had indicated.

Shortly thereafter, in a forest, he spotted an enormous scarlet toad, its size comparable to a mountain, inflating its cheeks as it absorbed the sunlight.

Scarlet flames cascaded down the toad's back like flowing rivers.

In the same forest, dozens of smaller scarlet toads mimicked the larger Blazing Sun Toad, earnestly swallowing the sunlight.

"Blazing Sun Toad!" Yu Yuan murmured in awe from above.

"Indeed, it's a Blazing Sun Toad from Godsblight Marsh, a seventh-level archdemon," Xu Zixi confirmed, her attention momentarily captured by the mesmerizing glyphs within the cauldron. "This seventh-level Blazing Sun Toad and its offspring are just a fraction of their kind."

The Python Queen's gaze shifted from the cauldron's glyphs to Yu Yuan, her expression growing solemn. "There were things left unsaid earlier, due to Lu Qingyu and the others' presence."

"Please, continue," Yu Yuan invited, all ears.

"According to Shadow's Keep, there are eighteen archdemons at the seventh level in Godsblight Marsh," Xu Zixi said, her eyes shining. "There are also three at the eighth level and one archdemon with the power of the ninth level, all loyal to the Untamed."

Yu Yuan was taken aback. "I never imagined the Untamed would command such formidable forces!"

Eighteen seventh level archdemons are equivalent to eighteen Spirit Walk cultivators, three eighth level archdemons to three Solar Spirits, and one ninth level archdemon to a cultivator of the Unbound realm! This was significantly more potent than the forces Yu Yuan knew in his past life.

Three hundred years later, Godsblight Marsh had grown far stronger than the so-called seven lower sects, including the Skyblight Cult and Taintborn.

"The evilkind of the Everlands naturally rally around Shadow's Keep, holding it in the highest regard. The majority of the most powerful devils, around sixty to seventy percent, are within Shadow's Keep, yet a few remain scattered abroad," the Python Queen observed, gazing into the distance at Godsblight Marsh. "Outside of Shadow's Keep, the place with the most archdemons is undoubtedly Godsblight Marsh."

"But now, those eighteen seventh level archdemons, three eighth level archdemons, and the one ninth level archdemon have all departed from Godsblight Marsh. Only nine seventh level archdemons have made their way into the Forgotten Ruins, with the others dispersed across the various empires of the Aetherius Continent."

"The three eighth level archdemons have either submerged themselves in the deep sea or taken refuge in places like the Land of Terror, beyond the reach of Shadow's Keep. The sole ninth level archdemon has even left the Everlands, vanishing into the unknown reaches of the extraterrestrial," declared the Python Queen.

Yu Yuan felt a jolt of concern. "Has something gone awry within Godsblight Marsh?"

If it were only a matter of archdemons wandering outside and entering the Forgotten Ruins, he might suspect the Untamed of targeting Yu Zhu, a younger member of the evilkind, seizing the chance to capture the spiritual energy of the ruins. However, the mass exodus of high-level archdemons from the Lost Lands was disconcerting.

"According to intelligence from Shadow's Keep, all the departing archdemons were commanded to leave by the Untamed," Xu Zixi said gravely. "The reason remains unknown. A seventh level envoy sent by Shadow's Keep was instantly reduced to a blood mist upon entering the marsh, meeting a grisly end."

"Moreover, all cultivators who had previously ventured into the Godsblight Marsh, if their cultivation exceeded the sixth level or the Lunar Spirit, were expelled."

"Archdemons of the seventh level and cultivators in the Spirit Walk state are no longer permitted to roam the Godsblight Marsh."

"Those who dare to enter rashly meet the same fate as our envoy; they are instantly slain by the Untamed in a fit of rage."

Having said all this, Xu Zixi paused to allow Yu Yuan to process the information.

After a considerable pause, Yu Yuan spoke up, "Does the Shadow's Keep want to know what's transpired within the Godsblight Marsh?"

"Yes," Xu Zixi replied, somewhat sheepishly. "The Untamed is fiercely opposed to the Shadow's Keep and forbids the entry of the overly powerful. The Shadow's Keep would like to request that you venture into the Godsblight Marsh to investigate the situation firsthand. We need to understand the true cause of the Untamed's volatility and abnormal behavior."

"Me?" Yu Yuan was at a loss for words.

Xu Zixi nodded emphatically.

"..."