C616 Temporarily Safekeeping

Boom! Boom! The earth trembled as a thick fog seeped into the soil in an eerie fashion. With the departure of the evil statue, the numerous mystical Spiritual Arrays and prohibitions hidden within the meteorite—yanked from the Outland Star River—seemed to deactivate one by one. The ground beneath everyone's feet acted like a sponge, soaking up the dense mist.

The gaping hole left by the evil statue appeared to be torn wider by an unseen monstrous force, growing larger with each passing moment. The once obscured, somber sky began to clear, gradually unveiling itself. The moon and stars twinkled brilliantly overhead once more.

Soon after, figures like Zhongli, Loong Jie, and Xi Quan, along with other formidable Evil Demon leaders such as Shen Feiqing, sensed the otherworldly meteorite beneath them losing its arcane energy. The secret and wondrous Spiritual Arrays laid by the three upper sects in hidden places had lost their enigma.

As the fog cleared, the vast Spiritual Array deep within the Great Swamp vanished. A crimson beam of light pierced the sky, its fierce and ruthless essence causing a profound unease in all who witnessed it. "The Starry Behemoth concealed in the Ember Waters!" "The Chaos Roc!" "He was actually lurking in the Desolate Swamp!"

In that instant, survivors scattered in the far-flung reaches of the Great Swamp gazed up at the colossal fish silhouette within the red beam, recognizing the identity of the Starry Behemoth. Zhongli of the Ancient Desolate Sect, accompanied by Shen Feiqing, Tan Yuan, and Du Huang, had reached the entrance just as the white mist dissipated. Zhongli halted, his gaze fixed on the scarlet column. Drawing a deep breath, he asked, "Is that the Starry Behemoth?"

With eyes full of awe, Tan Yuan watched the red pillar ascend towards the heavens before streaking towards Yu Yuan. "In the recent six months," Tan Yuan remarked, "the three upper sects, along with the Demon Palace, Silver Moon Sect, Cold Yin Sect, and Red Devil Sect, have been scouring the lands for traces of this entity."

After a brief pause, Tan Yuan added, "This being is unfathomably powerful and is regaining strength at an inconceivable pace. According to the intelligence President Lyi has gathered, nearly all who were fortunate enough to encounter him have perished."

Shen Feiqing interjected, "Master, is the Starry Behemoth truly that frightening?"

"Frightening? That term doesn't quite capture the essence of the Starry Behemoth," Zhongli said, his expression unusually grave. "Once you venture into the Outer Star River and encounter the Devaputras and other Galaxy Alien Races, you'll understand that 'frightening' is an understatement for the Starry Behemoth."

"How horrific is it, Old Ancestor?" Du Huang inquired, oblivious to the gravity of the situation.

"The Starry Behemoth is an aberration capable of annihilating the heavens and the earth. In comparison to the so-called Devaputras and Galaxy Alien Races, this primordial colossus is akin to the Boundless Land itself, the most nightmarish terror imaginable!" Zhongli inhaled deeply. "The Outland Devaputras and Galaxy Alien Races might obliterate the life races within the Domain Boundary."

"But the Starry Behemoth gives no quarter to the fragile Realm Boundary. In its hunger, it will consume entire worlds! And if there are life races within that Realm Boundary, they will be exterminated in the blink of an eye, without understanding what has befallen them."

"This Chaos Roc once set its sights on the Boundless Land in the ancient eras."

"Had it not been for the combined strength of the ancient Demon Race's powerhouses restraining the Chaos Roc, the Boundless Land might have ceased to exist."

"Without that, our human race would never have flourished, nor would we have embarked on conquering the Outland Star River, starting from the Boundless Land."

With those words, Zhongli spoke solemnly, "This Chaos Roc, though far weaker than in its heyday, remains a force we dare not provoke."

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

Regrettably, at this moment, there were no Seventh or Eighth Level Great Demons in the Desolate Swamp to aid him in rapidly amassing his vital energy.

At his peak, he might have stood a chance against the now weakened Chaos Roc.

But now, victory was out of the question!

Thus, Zhongli resolved to make a swift exit from the Desolate Swamp.

Loong Jie, Xi Quan, and Lvliu, having confirmed their identities in the wake of the Chaos Roc's emergence, understood the terror of the Starry Behemoth. Like Zhongli, these three formidable devils opted to depart without delay.

Initially, they had intended to seize Yu Yuan, who had suddenly become vulnerable due to the departure of the evil statue's soul spirit. But once they realized that the Chaos Roc had already taken action, they collectively ceased their efforts.

The four Evil Devils, having broken free from the Sword Prison, each employed their unique methods to make their escape—transforming into beams of light, soaring through the clouds, shrinking the earth beneath their feet, or using artifacts to scatter in all directions.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! The air pulsed with waves of ripples, sometimes creasing like fabric, other times smoothing out seamlessly.

Within these enigmatic folds of space, the Evil Cauldron seemed to magically shorten the vast distances, its trail and essence elusive, defying any attempts at precise location.

This was the work of Yan Qiling's extraordinary spatial folding technique, which allowed him and Yu Yuan within the Evil Cauldron to continually evade the Chaos Roc.

As the crimson column of light ascended into the sky, it morphed into a bolt of crimson lightning, relentlessly pursuing the Evil Cauldron.

With each reappearance of the crimson lightning, it seemed to Yu Yuan that it was incrementally further away. He could even make out the massive, fish-like form of the Chaos Roc within the lightning, roaring menacingly as if cursing at something.

Every backward glance, every subtle detection with his Penetrating Spiritual Sense, sent shivers down Yu Yuan's spine. Despite the distance, the oppressive force of the crimson lightning, a manifestation of the Chaos Roc, was suffocating.

The formidable might and savagery of the Starry Behemoth deepened Yu Yuan's understanding with each encounter.

"It's the Desolate God," Yan Qiling announced with a mix of shock and elation. "The Desolate God is aiding us from the shadows. Without this assistance, I could never have executed the space folding secret arts so smoothly, nor could we have gained such distance from the Chaos Roc!"

"The Desolate God? Again, the Desolate God!" Yu Yuan murmured from within the Evil Cauldron, a hunch forming in his mind.

The spirit of the statue had informed Yan Qiling when it inhabited his Heavenly Soul, instructing him to act freely, as if it was aware of the Desolate God's inevitable intervention.

And indeed, that was the case.

With the Desolate God's assistance, the spatial corridor was successfully and smoothly constructed, facilitating the departure of the evil statue.

There must be an unspoken accord between the Desolate God and President Lyi, perhaps even a connection to the evil statue itself.

"You're not mistaken, the Desolate God did indeed have..." Yan Qiling paused, casting a glance towards the Fallen Moon Forbidden Area, "He had dealings with us in the past, and the relationship was quite amicable."

With that revelation, Yu Yuan came to understand the early ties between the Desolate God and the Divine Soul Sect.

Whoosh!

In the moment before the Evil Cauldron could escape the Great Swamp, a force inherent to this realm suddenly enveloped Yu Yuan. An ancient and pure power, emblematic of the world's rules, stripped the sword soul from his body in an irresistible manner.

The deeply concealed sword soul was extracted from his arm bone and slipped into the base of his sword's sheath.

Then, with a resounding boom, the Evil Cauldron, having absorbed the Ice Concubine, was forcibly retained within the Desolate Swamp.

Enraged, Yu Yuan was on the verge of unleashing a tirade when a distinct Soul Sound pierced his Consciousness Little World, "I'll keep it safe for now. Return for it next time."

With a swift whoosh, a disoriented Yu Yuan was flung from the Desolate Swamp by an unseen force!

"Yu Yuan!"

The Python Queen, Xu Zixi, along with other towering figures hundreds of feet tall, materialized. They hung in the air outside the Desolate Swamp like deities from a bygone era.

The mere sight of these majestic beings was enough to make one's soul shudder, compelling the urge to kneel in reverence.

Representatives from the three great upper sects, the Demon Palace, and a host of Unrestrained Stage cultivators and Ninth Level Great Demons had all converged!

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