C577 Nagas Totempole

On either side, vibrant arc lights streaked by like fleeting rainbows.

Yu Yuan felt as though he was traversing a space tunnel, on the verge of entering another realm entirely.

Tan Yuan was leading the way, her figure flickering uncertainly, now distant, now near.

The space around them seemed alive with infinite variations, disorienting one's sense of direction and creating an eerie, uncanny feeling.

Yu Yuan's senses were dulled, unable to perceive anything in this place.

Yan Qiling walked beside him, a smile playing at the corner of his mouth, as if he found the world around them amusing. "A shattered space tunnel. I wonder where it once led," he mused with a grin.

"A shattered space tunnel!" Yu Yuan exclaimed, startled.

The connections of a space tunnel were enigmatic, potentially linking to a Mysterious Realm or to the Everlands' wondrous places.

It might even lead to the Star River in the extraterrestrial realms!

Take, for instance, the Soulforge Pool in the Moonfall Sanctuary, marked by the ancient words "To Know All is to Suffer All," which anchored a tunnel to the extraterrestrial Star River.

Could there be something similar deep within the Godsblight Marsh? Was it a natural formation or a man-made creation?

As these thoughts dawned on him, Yu Yuan's heart grew heavy with a sense of foreboding.

Zhao Jie and the Nightbane sisters lingered at the rear, their curiosity piqued as they surveyed their surroundings.

"Mr. Yan truly deserves to be the distinguished guest our Master insisted on inviting."

At the forefront, Tan Yuan glanced back with a smile. "In this fractured and fragmented place, we must depend on Mr. Yan's expertise to maintain it. We lack proficiency in space magic, so someone of Mr. Yan's caliber is essential."

"Everything is negotiable, for the right price," Yan Qiling declared confidently.

"Mr. Yan, is your bond with Yu Yuan in the Moonfall Sanctuary really that profound?" Tan Yuan shifted the conversation, candidly unveiling Yu Yuan's true origins before continuing, "To my knowledge, Mr. Yan's presence has been noted in the Serpent Spine Mountains, the Forgotten Ruins, and Asvetaesi. You've shown exceptional care for Yu Yuan, which we find quite puzzling."

Yu Yuan, now in possession of the Crucible of Evil, was held in high esteem by the Grand Sword Immortal Van Heqing. Additionally, Yu Zhu's presence made him a highly sought-after figure.

But why did Yan Qiling go to such lengths to protect the once unremarkable Yu Yuan?

"Have you conducted a thorough investigation?" Yan Qiling huffed. "It appears that your kind has infiltrated the upper echelons of the Skyreach Consortium. Since you're so well-informed, you must also be aware that without Yu Yuan's leniency in the Moonfall Sanctuary, I would never have escaped the Soulforge Matrix's confinement."

Tan Yuan gave a slight nod. "I'm aware."

"Do you understand the concept of gratitude?" Yan Qiling pressed further.

"Gratitude? I see. I had assumed someone of Mr. Yan's stature wouldn't bother with such matters," Tan Yuan remarked, stepping forward and vanishing abruptly.

Yu Yuan, overhearing their exchange, was undaunted yet aware of the grave danger this journey posed.

A single misstep could cost him his life.

Even with Yan Qiling at his side, there was no guarantee of his safety.

The Crucible of Evil and the concealed sword spirit within it offered no assurance of his well-being in the Godsblight Marsh or the uncharted realms ahead.

Since his rebirth, he had never felt so vulnerable in the face of such peril, surrounded by formidable beings capable of snuffing out his life in a heartbeat.

"I'll do everything in my power."

Yan Qiling led him to where Tan Yuan had vanished, and they were greeted by an expanse of impenetrable white fog.

"Follow me."

Yan Qiling, sensing what lay ahead, firmly grasped Yu Yuan's shoulder and leaped with him into the misty depths.

As if reality itself had flipped, they plunged into a bleak landscape—a sky of gray, parched earth, and an eerie silence.

Barren trees towered above, their leafless branches sharp as spears, glinting with a deadly chill, ready to pierce stone and flesh alike.

A towering gray-white pillar, with branches protruding from within, held Loong Tianxiao captive—a figure with a human head and a dragon's body.

The method of his imprisonment was both bloody and bizarre.

Loong Tianxiao's head loomed above the stone pillar, while his massive, serpentine body coiled around the gray pillar like a vine.

Sharp branches, like spears, appeared to grow from within the pillar itself, piercing deeply into the dragon's body.

Loong Tianxiao was as if impaled upon the gray stone pillar by hundreds of thorny spikes.

Yu Yuan had previously encountered the Amethyst Dragon in the dense forest during Lee Yuchan's violent outburst. It had become incredibly elongated and now entwined itself around Loong Tianxiao's dragon form.

At a glance, they resembled two entangled serpents, one robust and the other slender.

The robust one was Loong Tianxiao's dragon body, while the slender one was the grievously wounded and toxin-afflicted Amethyst Dragon.

Oddly enough, beneath the shattered scales of the Amethyst Dragon, which clung to Loong Tianxiao's body as if possessed, wounds oozing blood and venom were quietly healing.

In contrast, Loong Tianxiao's thick and lengthy body was decaying in places.

A faint purple glow emanated from within the slender body of the Amethyst Dragon.

The severe injuries and deep-seated poison of the Amethyst Dragon seemed to have been transferred to Loong Tianxiao through the gray stone pillar by some arcane mystique.

Loong Tianxiao, positioned at the top of the pillar, had his eyes wide open, filled with despair and agony.

Yet, there was no focus or life in his gaze, as if he were blind to the world.

"Huff! Huff!"

Loong Tianxiao's mouth gaped open, his breaths harsh and ragged like wind through a cracked window.

The Amethyst Dragon's head was nestled at his neck, greedily drawing his fresh blood and Dragon Soul.

"This is none of your concern," Yan Qiling said softly, patting Yu Yuan's shoulder to bring him back to reality.

Yu Yuan averted his eyes from Loong Tianxiao's face and inhaled deeply, stating, "He's going to die, and it will be a painful and thorough end."

"That stone pillar is known as the Dragon Mark Pillar, and it is an artifact of the Nagas," Yan Qiling explained quietly. "The Nagas can be considered a part of the ancient evilkind, as dragons are among their number. The Dragon Mark Pillar is the totem-pole of the Nagas, filled with many unfathomable wonders. The Amethyst Dragon has used this pillar to transfer its affliction to Loong Tianxiao, siphoning his blood and Dragon Soul to bolster its own strength. The method is undeniably cruel."

After a brief pause, Yan Qiling spoke again, "You can't change anything, nor can you stop it. Besides, you've already released him once; you owe Loong Tianxiao nothing. It's not your fault he couldn't protect himself and ended up in this state."

With that, he firmly pulled Yu Yuan forward.

Trailing behind them, Zhao Jie of the Nightbane Sect arrived with Zhang Manman and Zhang Miao. Witnessing the scene before them, Zhang Manman and Zhang Miao were deeply shocked and let out a soft gasp.

Zhao Jie, once known as "Whisperling" for her beauty that once disrupted the continent, remained unaffected by the turmoil and advised, "Don't get involved in other people's affairs."

Her warning was clear to Zhang Miao: steer clear of any thoughts regarding the Amethyst Dragon and the flesh-stripped Loong Tianxiao.

"Where is Chen Qingyan?"

Yu Yuan inhaled deeply, his gaze fixed on Tan Yuan, who stood waiting before the desolate landscape.

His bond with Loong Tianxiao wasn't deep, and while it was difficult to witness such a powerful being with mixed human and dragon blood meet such a tragic end, it wasn't enough to make him irrational.

However, Chen Qingyan had assisted him several times in the Serpent Spine Mountains and Gloomhollow. Moreover, Chen Qingyan's mentor was an acquaintance from his past life.

His encounters with Chen Qingyan were limited to the Serpent Spine Mountains, but due to their past life connection, he was particularly concerned about her well-being. Loong Tianxiao's fate might not concern him, but Chen Qingyan's did.

"That headstrong girl, relying on her noble birth and a protective master, has been reckless in the Marsh," Tan Yuan said with a hint of frost in her voice. "If not for her Chen family's status in the Songbird Empire and someone intervening on her behalf, her end would be no better than Loong Tianxiao's."

Tan Yuan's words implied that their leniency wasn't out of respect for the Sword Sect or Chen Qingyan's master—it was because of Chen Liangquan.

In the Godsblight Marsh, the influence of the otherworldly Chen Liangquan seemed to surpass even that of the Sword Sect.

"It's good to see you're okay."

Yu Yuan quietly let out a sigh of relief, turned back to glance at Loong Tianxiao once more, and with a silent sigh, admitted to himself that he was powerless to assist. He then proceeded to follow Tan Yuan forward.

...