C612 Create a Road in the Void!
Sword light streaked across the sky like a rainbow of arc light, shooting from its cloud-top sheath with a whoosh.
The sword's will, capable of cleaving heaven and earth, sent shivers down the spines of the hundred clans and plunged demons into despair with its unparalleled sharpness—a feeling all too familiar to them.
As the sword light fell, it transformed into numerous arcane mantras, creating a dazzling river of light.
The full moon and the stars above suddenly seemed dim and lackluster.
To Zhongli Dapan, the old dragon, Xi Quan, and the others, the gaping hole revealed only a flowing river of sword light, its aura piercing their very souls.
Zhongli Dapan, having invoked the Ancient Echoes of the Void, shattered the secluded little world like glass.
Boom!
Zhongli Dapan's formidable frame suddenly erupted in a spray of blood, as if riddled with dense beehive holes.
With a grunt and a shrug of his shoulders, he swiftly reverted to his original state and descended with poise.
Before even touching the ground, Zhongli Dapan's wounds had miraculously healed.
His robust physique allowed him to instantly recover from the sword light's injuries upon returning to this realm.
This was the definitive edge of those who mastered the art of body forging over those who focused solely on soul cultivation at the expense of physical endurance.
Loong Jie's dragon roar took on a new, more plaintive tone.
The Five-clawed Golden Dragon, a thousand feet in length, battered the sword light with its formidable claws, which shed a blinding golden radiance like molten gold.
Suddenly, Loong Jie's golden claws contorted unnaturally, resembling the bent claws of a chicken.
His newly regrown dragon scales, large as palm-leaf fans, were riddled with cracks, resembling poorly mended porcelain.
The old dragon let out a sigh, flicked his tail, and dove down as if plunging into the ocean's depths.
Having taken a heavy toll, the old dragon caught sight of the aloof Lee Yuchan wandering alone in a foggy area.
A mischievous thought crossed the old dragon's mind; he plucked a whisker and flung it at Yuchan.
In the blink of an eye, the whisker transformed into a golden whip, ensnaring Yuchan's waist without a chance for resistance and drawing her close.
Loong Jie soared through the sky, the imperial female general bound by dragon whiskers tied to his tail.
Xi Quan, known as the "Withered Sword," and Green Willow, the formidable leader of the evilkind, surged skyward following Zhongli Dapan and Loong Jie. When Zhongli Dapan and Loong Jie were struck by the sword light, the two acted decisively, turning back to seek refuge in the world below, their retreat swifter than any specter.
Green Willow transformed into a slender and elegant young man amidst the foggy expanse below. Zhan Tianxiang and Zhao Yafu landed gracefully as he took on his new form.
"Lord Green Willow!" Zhao Yafu and Zhan Tianxiang greeted him with the customary reverence of Shadow's Keep.
In human form, Green Willow's distinctive triangular eyes gleamed an oily green, betraying his true nature as an archdemon. He could have chosen to appear more conventionally handsome, concealing any trace of his demonic heritage, but he deliberately chose not to, as if to declare his identity as the esteemed commander of Shadow's Keep.
"That young man, Yu Yuan, whom you're acquainted with, has had his soul tainted by the nefarious magic of the Evil Statue," Green Willow stated, speaking in the ancient tongue of the evilkind, seemingly unwilling to converse in the human language with his juniors from Shadow's Keep. He was aware that both Zhan Tianxiang and Zhao Yafu, having trained at Shadow's Keep, were versed in the old language and would understand him.
"You, and you, I will ensure your survival," Green Willow declared sternly. "My confinement in Sword Prison was due to the Dark Phoenix! Astral Tiger and Golden Elephant are old acquaintances of mine. Out of respect for them, I will escort you on your journey."
At the mention of the Dark Phoenix, a sound like rushing water emanated from within Green Willow, indicating his barely contained rage.
"One day, I will return to Shadow's Keep and demand answers from the Dark Phoenix face to face! I intend to clarify, before all the Dark Deities, whether I have been wronged, with every archdemon present to bear witness."
With those final words, Green Willow gestured grandly, enveloping Zhao Yafu and Zhan Tianxiang in his power, and they drifted away.
Whoosh!
Xi Quan pierced the earth, creating a deep cavern, and then burst forth from it with force.
"That Yu Yuan is no longer himself." After emerging, Xi Quan released Chen Qingyan from the sword box, remarking, "It's quite peculiar. Despite being under the control of the Evil Statue's Mind Magic, he, who has been acknowledged by the sword's will, can somehow harness the sword light within the box."
This was indeed curious.
Xi Quan, Zhongli Dapan, Loong Jie, and Green Willow had boldly taken to the skies, attempting to flee through the opening, believing that Yu Yuan, whose soul had been saturated by the Evil Statue's sorcery, would be incapable of wielding his sword to stop them.
What they truly feared was the sword light that had confined them within the Sword Prison for centuries.
Given that the Evil Statue had been detained in the Sword Prison for many years, it should have been stripped of much of its power, making it improbable that it could halt their collective escape.
They had assumed that Yu Yuan, having lost his self-awareness and with his realm being so low, would be unable to control the power within the sword sheath, prompting their joint action.
Yet, Yu Yuan, manipulated by the Evil Statue's dark arts, unexpectedly unleashed the sword lights concealed within the sheath.
This defied all logic!
The proud cultivator, Moon Slayer, even if it were just his residual sword light and will, should not be susceptible to manipulation by a puppet under the sway of Mind Magic.
Only the true Yu Yuan, with his sword spirit intact and a sufficient level of cultivation, could possibly do this.
The force left by the cultivator Moon Slayer should be in conflict with the Evil Statue, should it not? Shouldn't it recoil against the statue?
After all, the Evil Statue was confined in the Sword Prison by him!
Xi Quan was baffled, as were Zhongli Dapan, Loong Jie, and Green Willow.
Watching Yu Yuan, now a puppet of the Evil Statue, wielding the sword sheath and obstructing the cavern's entrance like a sentinel, the four were at a loss and had to consider alternative strategies.
They each sprang into action once more.
Under the starlit sky, Yan Qiling followed in the Frost Queen's footsteps, becoming the next to burst through the opening and free himself from below.
From a distance, he observed Yu Yuan with a complex mix of emotions.
"Open a space tunnel and let it return to its rightful place."
Yu Yuan, standing over the gaping hole, turned, his eyes still a deep black, his demeanor detached. He issued a command to Yan Qiling with an authoritative tone.
Yan Qiling grimaced, "But this is the Godsblight Marsh!"
"It's passable," Yu Yuan stated.
Yan Qiling's eyes sparkled with excitement. "The Untamed?"
Yu Yuan gave a confirming nod.
"Very well!"
In the night, amidst the clouds, a brilliant light burst forth.
On the chessboard traced by spatial veins, the interwoven space nodes ignited with blinding brilliance!
Like stars, they shone one after another, casting a mesmerizing glow that dazzled onlookers.
Yan Qiling, secretly employing space magic, was thrilled. He sensed that as he conjured the space magic to forge a tunnel through the void, the vanished spiritual energy of the Godsblight Marsh was flooding into him.
Creating a temporary tunnel within the vast Everlands, a short distance away, was somewhat strenuous for him, presenting numerous challenges.
Yet now, as he attempted the task, he discovered the entire universe was responding and cooperating with him.
When he wished to alter the spatial ripples, his mere intention brought his thoughts into reality.
The creation of a space node, the convergence of spiritual energy and intention, all came to fruition effortlessly.
He needed to use his soul to perceive the Moonfall Sanctuary through the Godsblight Marsh. As soon as he entertained the thought, he felt the distance between him and the forbidden area shrink in an instant.
His eyes and soul seemed to pierce directly into the Moonfall Sanctuary.
His desires were perceived instantly; the whole world around him was in harmony with his will, allowing him to mold reality with his thoughts. This...
Yan Qiling suddenly realized that within this marsh, the only entity capable of aiding him in such a way, transforming the land, pulling at space, and bending the rules, was the Untamed!
Only with the Untamed's clandestine support could he open a space tunnel as Yu Yuan had commanded.
And so, the Evil Statue was transported in a flash from the Godsblight Marsh into the Moonfall Sanctuary!
"The Soulforge Matrix of the Moonfall Sanctuary has been reactivated in its complete form! The Godsblight Marsh, too, has been sealed, forbidding any outsiders from prying."
Upon sensing the forbidden area, Yan Qiling's heart trembled, and he surmised something that filled him with dread.
He was acutely aware that if the Evil Statue were to leave the Godsblight Marsh and emerge uncovered into the world, it would instantly provoke an uproar.
The idea of the Evil Statue entering the forbidden area through conventional means was out of the question.
This was because the moment it left the Godsblight Marsh, the three upper sects, the Devil Palace, and Shadow's Keep would converge on this location to either destroy the statue or imprison it once again in the extraterrestrial realm.
The only viable option was to create a temporary space tunnel between the Godsblight Marsh and the Moonfall Sanctuary, utilizing space magic to allow the Evil Statue passage.
