C616 Temporarily Keeping It

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The earth trembled as a thick fog seeped mysteriously into the soil.

With the departure of the Evil Statue, the myriad arcane circles and prohibitions hidden within the meteorite, dragged from the extraterrestrial Star River, seemed to deactivate one by one.

The ground beneath everyone's feet acted like a sponge, soaking up the dense mist.

The hole created by the Evil Statue appeared to be torn wider by unseen monstrous hands.

The obscured, somber sky gradually cleared, revealing itself once more.

The moon and stars above began to shine down with renewed brilliance.

Soon enough, individuals like Zhongli Dapan, Loong Jie, and Xi Quan, along with demonic titans such as Green Willow, sensed the waning magic of the meteorite, a relic from the extraterrestrial Star River.

The arcane circles secretly arranged by the upper sects lost their enigmatic power.

As the fog lifted, the River and Rock Ward deep within the Marsh vanished.

A crimson beam of light pierced the sky with a hissing sound, exuding a ferocious and merciless aura that unsettled all who witnessed it.

"The cosmic giant beast from the Embers Sea!"

"The Abyssal Leviathan!"

"He was actually hiding in the Godsblight Marsh!"

In an instant, survivors scattered in the far reaches of the Marsh gazed up at the colossal fish silhouette within the red beam and identified the cosmic giant beast.

Zhongli Dapan of the Forgeroses, accompanied by Shen Feiqing, Tan Yuan, and Du Huang, had reached the entrance just as the white fog cleared. Zhongli Dapan halted, gazing at the crimson pillar, inhaled deeply, and said, "Is that the cosmic giant beast?"

With eyes full of awe, Tan Yuan watched the red pillar ascend towards the heavens, heading straight for Yu Yuan, and remarked, "Over the past six months, the three upper sects, along with the Devil Palace, Shadow's Keep, Ruby Hand, Starmoon Sect, and Winter's Bite, have been scouring the lands for traces of this being."

Pausing briefly, Tan Yuan continued, "This being's movements are erratic, his power beyond comprehension, and he's regaining his strength at an inconceivable pace. According to President Lyi's information, nearly all who have encountered him in their search have perished."

Shen Feiqing interjected, "Master, is the cosmic giant beast truly that frightening?"

"Frightening? That term doesn't quite do justice to the cosmic giant beast," Zhongli Dapan replied, his expression unusually grave. "Once you venture into the extraterrestrial Star River and encounter the Sky Fiends and other races, you'll understand that 'frightening' is an understatement for the cosmic giant beast."

"But just how terrifying is it?" Du Huang inquired, perhaps too boldly.

"The cosmic giant beast is an aberration capable of annihilating heavens and earth, a nightmare far more dreadful than any Sky Fiend or Otherkin of the Star River. These primordial behemoths are like vast worlds unto themselves, the most horrifying nightmares imaginable," Zhongli Dapan explained, taking a deep breath. "While the Otherkin might ravage the life within a Domain, the cosmic giant beast gives no quarter. In its hunger, it will simply engulf an entire realm, and any life within that Domain will be extinguished in an instant."

"This Abyssal Leviathan has set its sights on the Everlands since time immemorial."

"Had it not been for the combined efforts of the ancient evilkind's strongest, who managed to subdue and contain the Abyssal Leviathan, the Everlands might have been lost forever."

"Without that, our human race would never have flourished and embarked on conquering the extraterrestrial Star River from the Everlands as our foundation."

With that, Zhongli Dapan added gravely, "This Abyssal Leviathan, though greatly weakened from its prime, remains beyond our capacity to provoke."

He had only just emerged from the Sword Prison and needed more time to return to his peak strength.

Regrettably, at this moment in the Godsblight Marsh, not a single seventh or eighth level archdemon was present to help him quickly amass the necessary vitality.

At his peak, he might have stood a chance against the now feeble Abyssal Leviathan.

But at present, he stood no chance at all.

Thus, Zhongli Dapan resolved to withdraw from the marsh without delay.

Loong Jie, Xi Quan, and Green Willow, having witnessed the emergence of the cosmic giant beast and fully aware of its terror, made the same decision as Zhongli Dapan—to depart immediately.

Originally, they had intended to seize Yu Yuan, who had become instantly weakened due to the departure of the Evil Statue's soul. However, upon realizing that the Abyssal Leviathan had already taken action, they all ceased their efforts.

The four archdemons, having escaped from Sword Prison, each employed their unique methods to flee. Some transformed into streaks of light, others rode clouds through the sky, some shrank the earth beneath them by hundreds of meters, and some used artifacts to scatter in different directions.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

The air trembled, sending waves rippling through it, sometimes folding like fabric, sometimes smoothing out again.

Within these strange folds of space, the Crucible of Evil seemed to draw ever closer, its presence and trail elusive and nearly impossible to pinpoint. This was the work of Yan Qiling's space-folding thaumaturgy, which allowed him and Yu Yuan within the Crucible of Evil to continually elude the Abyssal Leviathan.

A scarlet beam of light shot into the sky, transforming into a bolt of scarlet lightning that pursued the Crucible of Evil. Each time the lightning reappeared, it seemed to Yu Yuan that it was a bit farther away from them. He could even see the Abyssal Leviathan, shaped like a giant fish within the scarlet lightning, roaring fiercely as if cursing something.

Every backward glance filled Yu Yuan with dread. Even at such a distance, the scarlet lightning, a manifestation of the Abyssal Leviathan, bore down on him with a suffocating force. The power and ferocity of the cosmic giant beast deepened his understanding with each encounter.

"It's the Untamed," Yan Qiling observed, looking around with a mix of shock and delight. "The Untamed has been aiding us from the shadows. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to execute the space-folding arcane so smoothly, nor would we have been able to distance ourselves from the Abyssal Leviathan!"

"The Untamed? Again, the Untamed!" Yu Yuan murmured from within the Crucible of Evil, a suspicion forming in his mind. The soul spirit of the statue had entered his heaven soul and informed Yan Qiling that he could act freely, seemingly aware that the Untamed would surely assist. And indeed, that turned out to be true.

With the aid of Untamed, the space tunnel was successfully and smoothly constructed, enabling the departure of the Evil Statue.

It was clear that Untamed and President Lyi shared an unspoken understanding, and there was even a connection between Untamed and the Evil Statue.

"You're thinking along the right lines. Untamed once had dealings with us..." Yan Qiling paused, casting a glance towards the Moonfall Sanctuary, "and our relationship was quite amicable."

Yu Yuan understood the implication of his words, realizing that Untamed had longstanding ties with the Boulderdawn.

Whoosh!

In the moment before the Crucible of Evil could escape the marsh, a force from the world itself descended upon Yu Yuan. This ancient and pure power, embodying the world's laws, stripped the sword spirit from his body in an irresistible manner.

The deeply hidden sword spirit was extracted from his arm bone and slipped into the base of the sword sheath he was holding.

Then, with a thunderous crash, the Crucible of Evil, having absorbed the Frost Queen, was forcibly retained within the Godsblight Marsh.

Yu Yuan was livid. As he was about to unleash a tirade, a crisp Soul Voice reached his Mindscape, "I'll keep it safe for now. Come back for it next time."

With a swift whoosh, a disoriented Yu Yuan was ejected from the Godsblight Marsh by an unseen force!

"Yu Yuan!"

The Python Queen Xu Zixi, along with other towering divine bodies, each hundreds of feet tall and resembling ancient deities, hovered just outside the Godsblight Marsh.

These majestic beings inspired awe and a shiver in the soul at a mere glance, compelling one to kneel in reverence.

The three great upper sects, the Devil Palace, Shadow's Keep, and a host of Unbound cultivators, ninth-level beings, and archdemons, all converged together!

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