C606 The Possession of the Fiend

Outside the mist, Qiao Xu abruptly awoke from his meditative state and instantly stood up from his seated position. The Qiao family members and the Dragon Attendants from Dragon Lake looked toward the depths of the dense fog with slight changes in their expressions, betraying their unease.

Obscured by the River and Rock Ward, the true nature of the fog remained hidden. Suddenly, clusters of white, pale green, and dark purple mist billowed out like tumultuous waves in a sea of clouds, emitting pulsations that set one's heart racing.

At this juncture, with Tan Yuan, the Guide, absent and Lee Yuchan having entered the fog, only three women in vibrant attire and enigmatic demeanors remained outside.

A sense of foreboding washed over Qiao Xu.

With a whoosh, the thick fog began to spread outward, carrying with it a bewitching force that could ensnare the spirit. The eyes of the three women standing guard outside shone with a light that sent shivers down Qiao Xu's spine.

After a moment's hesitation, Qiao Xu decisively called out, "We're leaving!" No sooner had the words left his lips than his grey vestment radiated an astonishing spiritual energy, bolstering his presence immensely. In a swift motion, he soared away.

The three graceful women, who had accompanied Tan Yuan as receivers, moved swiftly, their figures gliding like tendrils of smoke toward the remaining Qiao family members and Dragon Attendants.

As Qiao Xu made his escape, harrowing screams echoed from behind him.

The fog continued its rampant spread, filling Qiao Xu with dread. He knew that something horrific must be unfolding within its depths, for the repercussions were reaching those waiting outside.

...

Following the departure of the Amethyst Dragon, the Dragon Mark Pillar stood stained with blood. Loong Tianxiao's once robust dragon form wound down the pillar, impaled by sharp branches that leaked a putrid, foul-smelling blood.

His dragon body had diminished to a mere quarter of its original girth, the result of the Amethyst Dragon having extracted the essence of his dragon blood, the core of his bones, and his dragon's breath.

Upon closer inspection of the reduced dragon form, one would see every segment of bone and sinew tainted with a virulent, multicolored poison. These horrific toxins, like countless voracious insects, gnawed and nibbled at his dragon bones and veins, finding macabre delight in his agonizing demise.

The figure with a human head and dragon body had deeply sunken cheekbones. The aura emanating from his once firm and resilient face was now one of despair and pain.

After leaving the Serpent Spine Mountains, he chose to align himself with Chen Qingyan and was brought into the Sword Sect under her guidance. Eventually, he succeeded in forging a new body.

As a human-dragon hybrid, he had forsaken the bloodline advantages of the Nagas, delving into the human path of cultivation. With the assistance of his master, Chen Qingyan, he used an ancient arcane technique for body refinement to reconstruct his corporeal form.

Ultimately, the dragon blood within him naturally awakened, shaping his new body into a draconic form.

This newly formed corporeal body was superior to his previous one, and his unique Dragon Soul was refined to an extraordinary degree. It held a potential that seemed to surpass the inherent weaknesses of the Nagas, hinting at the limitless growth of his spirit.

Loong Tianxiao, full of vigor, had independently devised a cultivation method that catered to his mixed heritage, balancing the practices of both humans and dragons.

Regrettably, he had not had the chance to test its effectiveness before he and Chen Qingyan were captured alive in the Godsblight Marsh.

Now, he had become the fall guy for the Amethyst Dragon, watching helplessly as poison gradually claimed his life.

"Chi! Chi! Chi!"

From within the Dragon Mark Pillar, a peculiar sound emerged.

Loong Tianxiao, resigned to his fate, felt the excruciating poison being incrementally absorbed by the Dragon Mark Pillar that bound and pierced his dragon form.

Countless intelligent-seeming insects, laden with venom, were consumed by the pillar.

Black and green toxic blood, along with foul-smelling clumps of poison that resembled rotten flesh, formed a viscous paste that seemed to coat the Dragon Mark Pillar, slowly permeating its surface.

Even the pain in Loong Tianxiao's soul was diminishing.

In his haze, Loong Tianxiao sensed the presence of Yu Yuan, as if hearing his voice echo in his mind: "Survive this, and live well!"

...

At the rear of the statue that had become the Sword Prison, Yu Yuan grasped the sword sheath. His upright silhouette was now entrapped within the Crucible of Evil.

He stood within the Crucible of Evil, his eyes dark and enigmatic, mirroring the vessel's hue with uncanny similarity.

The patterns on the dark cauldron writhed to life, emitting a demonic glow that seemed to harbor a malevolent force capable of obliterating the heavens and exterminating all life.

Whoosh!

The Crucible of Evil, suspended in the air, began to drift forward from behind the statue.

Qi Hongyi and the Ghoul King, as if by unspoken agreement, positioned themselves on either side of Yu Yuan, just behind him in midair, resembling guardian deities.

Yu Yuan's eyes were deep pools of shadow, his handsome face devoid of emotion.

Zhang Miao had perished, and through the wondrous workings of the soul connect, Zhang Miao had experienced a backlash, compelling her to retrieve the treasured "Silver Lightning Sky Thunder" and unexpectedly inflict severe damage upon Zhao Jie.

Zhao Jie, mangled by the thunder, seemed to lose her spirit and turned on Zhan Yun, her mentor in the arts of enchantment.

Zhan Yun, in a panic, brandished her sleeves, drawing forth strands of spiritual energy like wisps of cloud, and hastily moved the bleeding Zhao Jie to one side.

"How could this be? Why has this happened?"

The sect master of the Nightbane Sect, previously composed, was now deeply shaken, his mind in disarray, occasionally whispering to himself in bewilderment.

He struggled to come to terms with the reality before him.

Zhao Jie, whom he had personally taken as a disciple and taught the fine points of enchantment, was considered a pillar of talent within the sect.

Zhang Miao was the promising newcomer of the sect's younger generation.

In an instant, the two individuals he had seen as the future pillars of the sect had been reduced to this state.

Zhan Yun's gaze abruptly shifted to the Crucible of Evil, then to Yu Yuan, who stood upon it, his eyes a profound black, exuding an air of mystery.

At that moment, Yu Yuan had transcended the statue formed by the Sword Prison and was now hovering before the benevolent and harmonious visage of the God of Mercy.

The Ghoul King and Qi Hongyi, flanking the Crucible of Evil from the left and right, aligned themselves with the front of the God of Mercy's statue, standing shoulder to shoulder with its serene face.

"Sect Master, your desire to borrow Yu Yuan to question the Divine Statue about the Dao, seeking a breakthrough opportunity, is something I greatly admire," Yan Qiling began. "However, you're assuming too much. The minor sorceries of your Nightbane Sect are no match for the Divine Statue, a creation of the Boulderdawn Sect's tireless efforts."

With a sudden burst, Zhao Jie, known as "Whisperling" and a figure of renown in Aetherius a century ago, was grievously wounded by Zhang Miao using the corpse of her sister.

Zhang Manman's body burst open like a ripe watermelon hitting the ground, splattering Zhao Jie with blood.

A barrage of silver lightning seized the chance to infiltrate Zhao Jie's Mindscape, the power of the lightning ravaging her soul. Before Zhao Jie could disentangle her consciousness from her Lunar Spirit, the lightning had already wreaked havoc on her mind.

Zhang Miao reached for the jade pendant at Zhao Jie's waist and drew out a slender sword.

With a casual flick, she sliced through Zhao Jie's body as if it were tofu.

Sword in hand, Zhang Miao then turned her attention to Zhan Yun.

Zhan Yun's face contorted with distress.

"Don't you see? Your self-righteous quest for answers has failed, and it has failed utterly," Yan Qiling observed, no longer in a hurry to depart. She looked up once more at the floating snow-white robe. "Tell me, what do you really know about the Boulderdawn? Do you honestly believe you can control the statue?"

"President Lyi, is it really you?"

The fat old man, clad in the worn garments of the Skyreach Consortium, gestured with his whisk and bowed deeply to the figure in the white robe.

As he looked up again, his face was a mix of wanting to laugh and wanting to cry. "President Lyi, I joined the Consortium because of you. Shortly after my arrival, I heard you had met with misfortune. What exactly happened back then?"

"President Lyi, my defection from the Consortium was because you were no longer there!"

The fat old man fervently pledged his loyalty to the figure in the white robe.

"President Lyi?" Yan Qiling paused, then quickly put the pieces together. "The former leader of the Skyreach Consortium!"

After the initial shock subsided, Yan Qiling considered the formidable nature of this individual. He inhaled softly and mused, "If it's him, and he's still alive and at the height of his power, then perhaps..."

His gaze lingered on the statue that had once been the Sword Prison, and on Yu Yuan, who had descended into the Crucible of Evil. Yan Qiling couldn't shake off a sense of unease.

He believed that if it were him, there might be a real chance of mastering the statue.

Through the statue, he could subjugate a host of Evil Devils and magnates, then leverage the statue to alter the dynamics of the Aetherius Continent, ultimately triggering a massive shift in the entire Everlands.

"Give her to me."

At that moment, Yu Yuan, standing within the Crucible of Evil, gestured with his free hand towards Lin Zhuyun, who was ensconced in emerald flames, addressing the figure in white robes.

"Your wish is my command," came the deferential reply.

The master spoke once more, "In truth, I had her brought here for you. I tempted her with the Sword Prison. She might fool others, but how could she ever fool me?"

"Lin Zhuyun, your dealings with the Abyssal Leviathan are of no concern to me. However, the Sky Fiend you've captured and I have a history."

With these words, it was clear that the master had long been aware that Lin Zhuyun inside the green flames was not overtaken by the Sky Fiend.

It was indeed Lin Zhuyun herself!

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