C614 Evil Divine Power

Whoosh!

The divine statue, as immense as a mountain, sat in the void, bathed in moonlight. It shimmered like crystal, casting a radiant glow upon the earth!

At that moment, all the magnate beasts below the fog, as well as the lower-level fellbeasts hidden deep within the Marsh, and the cultivators who had come for trials, all raised their eyes to the heavens.

Before its resplendent shine, the statue, floating midair, was hardly noticeable.

But now, as it burst forth with blinding brilliance, it was impossible to ignore; it was visible to all!

The mountainous divine statue, having absorbed the moon's light and reappeared in the Everlands, emitted an aura that made every observer's heart quake with fear!

Zhongli Dapan, Loong Jie, Xi Quan, and Green Willow, the four demonic giants who had broken free from the Sword Prison, gazed thoughtfully at the sky.

Even they, as mighty as they were, felt an overwhelming pressure at this moment.

Their Mindscape was as if crushed under the weight of an invisible mountain, bringing discomfort at every turn.

In the misty lands, those with pure hearts saw the front of the divine statue as it transformed.

They perceived the statue as the most benevolent deity, radiating an aura of peace for all beings, soothing the soul and easing the heart's pain and darkness.

Wars, suffering, and the world's evils seemed to dissolve in its light.

Those of gentle and kind nature felt warmth and goodness emanating from the statue.

However, those accustomed to the treachery and battles of the Marsh, shaped by their origins, environments, and experiences, saw a different aspect of the statue from behind.

Those with malice in their hearts perceived the statue overhead as the most fearsome Evil God in existence!

After just a few glances, their inner wickedness was stirred and then amplified without limit.

And then...

Across the vast expanse of the Godsblight Marsh, in many remote corners, fellbeasts roared in frenzy. The cultivators, influenced by the divine statue's Mind Magic, engaged in mindless carnage.

The chilling screams of the dying, mingled with the howls of beasts, echoed without end.

As the god statue drew in the moon's radiance and shone with its unique aura, every intelligent being within the Godsblight Marsh felt its influence.

Conflicts erupted frequently, and the number of casualties mounted.

Puff!

Kong Banbi of the Sword Sect executed a masterful sword spell, and his sword light enveloped his target like a birdcage, slaying a junior brother from his own sect.

Witnessing his junior brother, whom he had watched grow and personally welcomed into the sect, being impaled by the sword light, Kong Banbi's face was a mask of confusion and shock.

He was at a loss. Why would this talented junior brother, who had been fine just moments ago, suddenly turn on him?

"Senior Brother, he blamed you for the punishment you gave him. Three years ago, during the trial, he made a mistake, and perhaps your discipline was too severe. He's harbored resentment ever since," a young woman from the Sword Sect explained timidly, her ponytail swaying.

"I disciplined him because it's the sect's rule, and also because I wanted to prevent him from erring again," Kong Banbi sighed. "I did it for his own good."

Looking up at the statue, Kong Banbi mused, "What on earth is this thing? Just by observing it, malicious thoughts uncontrollably spring to mind, and I have to struggle mightily to suppress them."

"I'm not sure either," the girl replied, shaking her head. "Senior Sister Chen, our orders were just to bring you back after you disappeared in the Godsblight Marsh. We're not to concern ourselves with anything else. This place... it's riddled with oddities."

The Sword Sect disciples had come in search of Chen Qingyan because she had not returned, and the sect feared for her safety.

Kong Banbi had been tasked at the last minute with leading a group of gifted individuals to the Godsblight Marsh to find Chen Qingyan and, upon discovery, to bring her back with them as per the sect's commands.

Everything had been proceeding smoothly until the statue suddenly burst into a dazzling light, and inexplicably, some among them turned on their own.

Unbeknownst to Kong Banbi, similar betrayals were unfolding elsewhere in the Godsblight Marsh, painting a grim tableau of bloodshed.

Trial-takers who had not ascended to the Lunar Spirit realm and who had not broken the sacred laws of the Untamed were dispersed far and wide. Groups formed to hunt lower-tier Fellbeasts, honing their skills and advancing their cultivation, soon turned on one another in a deadly fray.

"Yu Yuan! The way is clear now!" Yan Qiling, suspended midair, stood beside the dazzling ring of light, feeling the unsettling shifts of the statue. She called out urgently, her voice tinged with panic. Her stance betrayed her fear that the Evil Statue might regain its malevolent power under the moon's immersion.

Yan Qiling seemed aware that not even the Godsblight Marsh could shield the world from the Evil Statue's influence, nor could it conceal the statue's Mind Magic. She even sensed a hint of discontent from the Untamed. It was as if the Untamed was pressing her and Yu Yuan to swiftly remove the statue.

The Untamed did not want the statue to remain aloft, nor did he want his domain to be tainted by its presence, sparking a bloody conflict.

"Untamed, you've driven all the high-tier Fellbeasts away for many reasons, but could there be..." Yan Qiling's heart skipped a beat as she suddenly realized that the Untamed must have foreseen this moment, knowing the Evil Statue would levitate and emanate its vile power.

What would happen if those archdemons of the seventh, eighth, and ninth levels had not dispersed across Aetherius and the Forgotten Ruins but had remained in the Marsh? The Evil Statue, floating ominously, would cause the weakest among the archdemons to spiral into uncontrollable and frenzied combat first!

The Fellbeasts, which had grown formidable through brutal battles within the Godsblight Marsh, harbored deep-seated animosities towards one another. Only the presence of the Untamed had kept them in check, preventing a fight to the death.

But if the Evil Statue continued to disperse its corrupting power as it was now, the resulting chaos would be beyond imagination. The Untamed might disregard the fate of the lesser Fellbeasts before him. He might be indifferent to trial-takers like Kong Banbi and Zhongli Dapan slaughtering each other.

What truly concerned him were the archdemons he had expelled from the Marsh, now exiled.

"Alright!"

Atop the Crucible of Evil, Yu Yuan, positioned behind the Evil Statue, let out a shout.

Yu Yuan turned around, his eyes holding a hint of nostalgia as he gazed at the statue, intricately carved from the Sword Prison and bearing two faces.

The statue radiated a blinding light, reminiscent of a carriage hastening towards a space tunnel.

At this moment, countless eyes, both overt and covert, were fixed on the departing statue.

Zhongli Dapan, Loong Jie, and others, including the Abyssal Leviathan that had burrowed underground to evade the sword light, Kong Banbi, and the other trial-takers, all creatures endowed with spiritual wisdom, watched intently.

The Untamed was among them.

Everyone eagerly anticipated the statue's departure.

The colossal statue gradually made its way into the dazzling ring of light.

The master and his fat old man disciple temporarily ceased their assault on Lin Zhuyun, also looking skyward as the statue made its slow progress into the space tunnel.

"Once it returns to the Moonfall Sanctuary, the Everlands will descend into turmoil, and the forbidden area will too..."

President Lyi's voice trailed off, the golden flames in his empty eyes burning intensely. "Ming Kun! I know you're down there. Isn't it time you showed yourself?"

"Lyi, is that really you? You old rascal, you're still alive?"

The one-eyed elder strolled out from the fissure left by the Sword Prison, a grin on his face. Approaching the emerald flames enveloping Lin Zhuyun, he chided, "Lyi, you're playing dirty. You know this young woman is the one I've taken a liking to, yet you persist in meddling?"

While speaking, he cast a glance at the newly emerged crevice.

From within, a charred garment wrapped around a lute slowly rose.

Qi Hongyi, manipulated by the Evil Statue's magic and the Ghoul King, was evidently beyond saving, her life extinguished.

"If you've managed to free yourself, the Upper Sects, Devil Palace, and Shadow's Keep will surely be wracked with headaches," President Lyi said, his gaze fixed on the infamous entity from the annals of the Everlands. "What puzzles me is, you could have fled into the Star River and left the Everlands for good. Why didn't you?"

"The bronze coffin that is intrinsic to the Everlands has been unsealed from the depths of the Moonfall Sanctuary," the one-eyed elder replied, his mouth twisting into a wry smile. "It belongs here, and now it has departed. As for me, I am from the stars beyond, and I fought hard to enter this realm. Having come this far without achieving my goal, naturally, I'm in no rush to leave."

At that point, the Evil Statue vanished entirely from the space tunnel. Yet the Mind Magic it had unleashed continued to influence others.

The enigmatic darkness in Yu Yuan's eyes slowly receded, as though his actual self had been restored.

"..."