C649 Out of Control! Children's Christmas

Moonfall Sanctuary.

Figures glided through the skies on various Sky Chariots, encircling the perimeter of the forbidden area. The Sunlit Order's "Fireheart Fan," the Thunder Sect's "Cold Lightning Boat," and the Abyssal Dawn's "Wind Cloud Chariot" patrolled around the Moonfall Sanctuary, vigilant against any anomalies that might emerge should the Soulforge Matrix fail.

A colossal shield hovered in the sky just outside the sanctuary, resembling a floating landmass.

Dozens of cultivators from the Sunlit Order, hailing from Mensend Hill, unleashed their "flame cauldrons" and "flame swords," launching orbs filled with sunfire in a strategic formation toward the sanctuary.

Feng Pu, the Lord of Mensend Hill, stood with his hands clasped behind him, his gaze upon the sanctuary stern and unwavering.

Elsewhere, the Sword Sect's elite, led by Ji Ningshuang, were engaged in discussions with the Untamed at the edge of the Godsblight Marsh, ensuring that no malevolent magnates slipped through their grasp.

They were also on guard against the sudden emergence of the Abyssal Leviathan, Lin Zhuyun, who could wreak havoc and slaughter at will.

The formidable practitioners of the Ebon Star, along with those from the Ethereal Void Sect, Cloudwater Sect, and Winter's Bite, journeyed to the Scarlet Dunes to quell the Terra Fiend and remnants of the Otherkin.

He stood as the Sunlit Order's sentinel over the Moonfall Sanctuary.

His advanced cultivation level had long ago alerted him to the disturbances in the Everlands, the Frozen Hellscape, and the Land of Terror—places beyond the control of the upper sects, the Devil Palace, and the Shadow's Keep.

Feng Pu was aware that these omens pointed to an impending upheaval.

A single misstep could shatter the balance of power held by the five paramount forces.

"Lord, that young man named Yu Yuan was escorted by a member of the Chen family to Afnetalos and then mysteriously vanished," reported a cultivator from Mensend Hill, bowing his head to Feng Pu. "Afnetalos is unlike any other city on the Aetherius Continent. Even we cannot recklessly search for him within its walls."

"His appearance, or lack thereof, is no longer of great consequence," Feng Pu remarked calmly.

"Why is that?" the cultivator asked, puzzled.

"I have a rough idea of what's transpired within the Moonfall Sanctuary," Feng Pu sighed. "The passage connecting to the extraterrestrial space must have been reopened following the return of the Divine Statue. Undoubtedly, the sanctuary is now teeming with Sky Fiends, and the goast that have been suppressed for countless years are likely breaking free."

"Ah! Then, what should we do?"

"The only option for those who dare to leave the Moonfall Sanctuary is death."

A torrent of flames erupted from the colossal shield beneath Feng Pu's feet, a streak filled with countless sparkling embers. These were the refined essence of the "Fire of Heaven," which Feng Pu had harvested from the Star River in the extraterrestrial realms, imbued with the ultimate truth of flame energy.

The sound of the rule thundered from within the fiery streak, causing the three souls of every disciple from the Sunlit Order to shudder.

"Roar!"

A massive entity, born from the endless darkness of resentment, was the first to emerge through the Soulforge Matrix.

"A junior from the Sunlit Order!"

This Terra Fiend, sealed for eons, was nourished by pure resentment. The Sky Fiend within it surged like billowing clouds, amplifying its malevolence.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

The vast body of dark resentment suddenly transformed into a towering figure, a hundred-zhang tall, resembling an ancient Evil God. It stepped onto the flame rainbow and advanced toward Feng Pu.

"Devil!"

A cultivator from the Thunder Sect, hundreds of miles away, cried out in alarm.

Crack!

Three thousand strands of Divine Thunder, like gleaming silver lashes, burst forth from the Thunder Sect's fleet of Ice Lightning Boats.

The colossal form of the creature known as "Devil" was perforated in an instant, with three thousand holes from which intense thunderous light exploded within the "Devil's" body.

"The rune circle of the forbidden area has naturally unlocked!"

"An alien soul Sky Fiend is about to break free!"

People yelled, forming formations, releasing their life-saving artifacts, and clutching pills in their hands.

Sky Fiends, like a vast army, poured out of the forbidden area in an imposing procession.

"Those who leave the forbidden area shall be executed on the spot!"

...

In the Azure Vault of the Songbird Empire, Yu Yuan worked tirelessly with the Crucible of Evil and the pill in his hand, ceaselessly refining his spiritual sense. He used the Glacial Storm Seal to peel away the fragments of Xie Bin's Solar Spirit, crushing them and then extracting the shattered heaven soul to coalesce it.

This was a mentally taxing technique, yet it was also a cultivation practice that greatly benefited his advancement in Subtlety.

In the rented training room, he lost all sense of the passage of day and night.

Another fragment of the Solar Spirit shattered at the mouth of the Crucible of Evil. Tiny specks of gray remnant soul melded into Xie Bin's heaven soul.

A wisp of gray phantom, no larger than a toddler's fist, had become visible to the naked eye.

In a mere fortnight, Xie Bin had undergone a transformation. His eyes sparkled with a renewed vigor, reminiscent of an ancient tree sprouting new leaves, signaling a resurgence of life.

His spirit had improved exponentially. Gazing at his own heaven soul, he knew that once it was fully restored with all its remnant soul and settled into his mud pellet acupoint, merging with his dominant soul, he would ascend from the Lunar Spirit Realm to the Spirit Walk Realm in the blink of an eye.

Having witnessed the vistas of the Solar Spirit Realm, he required no further spiritual odysseys, no barriers of realm to constrain him.

With dedicated cultivation and keeping pace with his spiritual energy, vitality, and Soul Power, he could progress unceasingly, swiftly returning to the Solar Spirit Realm.

A century of torment, a past too painful to revisit, might just be the crucible for his ascension, the key to unlocking the path to the Unbound Realm.

Should Xie Bin achieve the status of an Unbound Realm cultivator, the Obsidian Thunder Sect would undoubtedly overturn its current disadvantages!

"I need to take a short break."

Yu Yuan exhaled a heavy breath and retrieved a Soul Essence Pill from his Bracelet of Holding, swallowing it without hesitation, allowing the pill's potency to be fully unleashed.

The Soul Essence Pill was designed to rapidly replenish the Soul Power of a Lunar Spirit cultivator and expedite the healing of an injured Lunar Spirit.

For Yu Yuan, at the level of Subtlety, using the Soul Essence Pill to restore his spiritual sense might seem like an overindulgence.

"Mr. Xie, during your travels to the extraterrestrial Star River, have you ever encountered the Otherkin with something known as the 'Altar of Rebirth'?" As the effects of the pill gradually took hold, Yu Yuan maintained a split focus on his spiritual sense while engaging in light conversation with Xie Bin.

"The Altar of Rebirth!" Xie Bin was visibly startled, his curiosity piqued. "Yu Yuan, how do you come to know of such esoteric matters?"

"You've inquired about me before, and you're aware that I've had contact with the Abyssal Leviathan at the bottom of the Embers Sea," Yu Yuan shared openly, without any pretense. "Within the Blood Altar, using the Crucible of Evil, I managed to extract the Sunsorrow from the giant beast that was part of the Abyssal Leviathan."

"Then, with the Sunsorrow, I refined an Altar of Rebirth within my own body."

He spoke frankly, "I had no idea what an Altar of Rebirth was. I only stumbled upon its existence by accident."

Xie Bin was left speechless for quite some time after hearing this.

Eventually, he spoke with effort, "From my perspective, the so-called Sunsorrow of the giant beast shouldn't have been separated by you. It must have been the Abyssal Leviathan's doing, deliberately so. That's the only way you could have used the Sunsorrow to forge an Altar of Rebirth inside yourself."

"What are you getting at?" Yu Yuan was taken aback.

"The cosmic giant beast must have chosen you, intentionally allowing you to obtain the Sunsorrow to form an Altar of Rebirth within you. Only then could the Abyssal Leviathan transform into you seamlessly," Xie Bin said gravely. "To my knowledge, the surviving cosmic giant beasts are all seeking a new form of rebirth, as their traditional method of absorbing stars to grow stronger is increasingly being rejected by the Way of Heaven."

"Take the Sky Fiend, the Shura, the evilkind, and the human race, for instance. They've become favored intelligent lifeforms."

"The human race, in particular, has shown remarkable potential, becoming the dominant force in the cosmos, which nobody expected, especially given their frail beginnings in the Everlands and their discovery of cultivating through spiritual energy."

"The Abyssal Leviathan must have had this foresight long ago, seeking a human vessel with potential to cultivate in human form."

"You're the one it selected!"

"Have you felt it? Since you left the Embers Sea, it's been keeping an eye on you, observing your every move," Xie Bin exclaimed.

Yu Yuan was astonished. "Are you suggesting that it wants to take over my body for its cultivation?"

"The Altar of Rebirth is a privilege of those favored by the heavens, something that only cosmic giant beasts like the Abyssal Leviathan could naturally possess!" Xie Bin inhaled deeply before continuing, "Without its consent, without the Abyssal Leviathan tampering with the Sunsorrow, your refinement would never result in an Altar of Rebirth!"

…