C669 Ashen Shadowmist!
Night descended upon the land.
The Scarlet Dunes, which during the day were ablaze with the sun's relentless waves, experienced a sudden drop in temperature as night took hold.
From hundreds of towering sand dunes, plumes of gray smoke burst forth.
This smoke, emanating from deep within the earth, soared skyward, spreading rapidly.
Had the Fallen Star Eyes been present, they would have witnessed the entire expanse of the Scarlet Dunes being rapidly consumed by the encroaching gray smoke.
Within the thickening haze, every disciple from the various sects, along with the supporting elders, found their remnant soul perception utterly diminished.
Those enveloped by the smoke felt their souls adrift, their minds in a haze, struggling to maintain focus.
Many, whether speaking or engaged in combat, found themselves suddenly distracted, unable to concentrate on the task at hand.
Yet, the Sky Fiend, Star River, and Otherkin from extraterrestrial realms remained unaffected.
On the contrary, they seemed to grow more ferocious, as if the gray smoke amplified their strength.
The native archdemons, whose nature did not emphasize the refinement of the soul, were also less influenced by the smoke.
Only human cultivators, who had honed their spiritual sense to the level of Subtlety, immediately recognized the smoke's peril.
The more advanced their realm, the more acute their awareness!
"The Ashen Shadowmist from the depths of the Ashlands, beyond the Heavenly River!"
"My God! How could the Ashen Shadowmist appear in the Everlands?"
"It is the Ashen Shadowmist!"
Those traversing the Scarlet Dunes, whose cultivation was exceptional, recalled the ominous warnings of their sect elders about the mist. The very thought of its mysterious and terrifying nature sent shivers down their spines.
Leaders like Kong Banbi, Qu Jing, Qi Jinghai, and Hou Tianzhao, upon learning of the Ashen Shadowmist's spread across the Scarlet Dunes, abandoned their mission to dispel evil. They immediately gathered their remaining disciples and fled the dunes at breakneck speed.
...
Beyond the desert.
Ann Ziqing, after conveying instructions to Han Ling through the Divine Cult's mystique, sent a thread of her soul to Lin Yue. It was then that she noticed the strange occurrences within the Scarlet Dunes.
"The Ashen Shadowmist!"
She and Han Ling exclaimed almost simultaneously.
Chen Langzhi, unfazed, offered a respectful fist-and-palm salute to Ann Ziqing. "Afnetalos and the Chen family welcome you to our city at any time," he said.
After uttering those words, the member of the Chen family smiled slightly and disappeared into the ground.
A crimson glow burst forth from Ann Ziqing's sleeve, severing the connection between heaven and earth.
"Could there be a connection between the anomaly in the Scarlet Dunes and the Chen family of the Songbird Empire?" Ann Ziqing pondered, unable to suppress a frown of concern.
"Forget the Chen family for now; I need to go back up Lin Yue!" Han Ling said, urgency in his voice.
"Just remember, even you should not venture into the Scarlet Dunes again," Ann Ziqing cautioned.
"I'm well aware," replied Han Ling, the irascible elder of the Colddeath Sect. The emergence of the Ashen Shadowmist in the Scarlet Dunes had thrown him into a state of alarm. "I dread to think how many will perish in the Scarlet Dunes this time. My only hope is that our Divine Cult members make it out unscathed."
"At the very least, Lin Yue must survive!"
Lin Yue was the hand-chosen disciple of Han Ling's senior brother, and he had made a promise to look after him.
...
As the Fallen Star Eyes drew near to Afnetalos, it diminished in size and descended.
The city guards, well aware of the renowned Fallen Star Eyes and its owner, granted entry without hesitation.
Yu Yuan, accompanied by Liu Ying, did not seek seclusion in the Azure Vault upon their return to Afnetalos. Instead, they headed to the Obsidian Thunder Sect to meet Xie Bin, who had refined his heaven soul and resumed his cultivation journey.
Liu Ying was by his side throughout.
On the way, Yu Yuan altered his appearance to that of "Chen Xi."
It wasn't long before the once quiet training hall of the Obsidian Thunder Sect was abuzz with activity. Huang Chuan, the limping old man, stood idly by the entrance, turning away the throngs of cultivators who had come seeking knowledge.
"Brother Chen Xi!"
Huang Chuan's eyes sparkled with recognition when he spotted Yu Yuan and Liu Ying arriving together. He shoved through the crowd and waved them over enthusiastically.
Yu Yuan's stride faltered, and he came to an abrupt halt.
His gaze fixed on a familiar silhouette.
Among the group of young hopefuls who had come seeking the sect's wisdom, a solitary, handsome youth stood apart, his eyes filled with a wistful longing as they occasionally drifted towards the sect's signboard.
It was clear that he was keen to join the Obsidian Thunder Sect and master their arcane spells. Yet, his nature, inherently proud, wouldn't allow him to self-promote as others did. He appeared somewhat out of place, as though he was waiting for someone from the Obsidian Thunder Sect to recognize his exceptional abilities and invite him in. His name was Lee Yu.
"Mr. Xie insisted that no matter when you arrived, he would personally escort you inside immediately!" Huang Chuan approached with a limp, his face flushed with urgency, as if worried Yu Yuan might be unaware. "Mr. Xie has reunited with his heaven soul! He refuses to disclose why, no matter how much I press him!"
Huang Chuan shook with excitement. "Chen Xi, do you realize what Mr. Xie's reconnection with his heaven soul signifies for our Obsidian Thunder Sect?"
Yu Yuan gave a slight nod. "I'm aware."
His attention remained on Lee Yu, his mind swirling with questions. Why was Lee Yu here?
"That Qi Jinghai, he was after our Glacial Storm Seal, wasn't he? He can keep dreaming!" Huang Chuan sneered. "I've learned that Mr. Xie was once the most renowned genius cultivator in Euwrea, and he even earned great merits in the Star River beyond our realm!"
"With his heaven soul restored and having returned to the Spirit Walk state, it will be effortless for him to reforge his Solar Spirit, having once basked in its glory. Perhaps, Mr. Xie might even ascend to the Unfettered Level!"
"If Qi Jinghai dares to come back, we'll show him what we're made of!"
Huang Chuan was brimming with confidence. Yet Yu Yuan continued to observe Lee Yu, lost in thought.
Lee Yu, sensing something from the edge of the crowd, returned Yu Yuan's intense gaze with a puzzled and irritated look, huffing in displeasure.
"What's with the huffing?" Huang Chuan snapped, pointing at Lee Yu and addressing Yu Yuan. "That kid, with his Veil Breaking Realm cultivation and solid foundation, goes by the name Lee Yu from the Shadowlight Empire. I've heard he's related to the Silvermoon Queen. You must be aware that the Silvermoon Queen and her kin are not acknowledged by the sects of today."
Huang Chuan was quite talkative, sharing a lot with Yu Yuan, particularly that Lee Yu was indeed qualified to join the Obsidian Thunder Sect. However, due to his background, Huang Chuan hadn't extended an invitation.
He also mentioned that before Lee Yu approached the Obsidian Thunder Sect, he had tried his luck with other nearby sects. After revealing his identity, each one politely declined.
No sect wanted to take in someone with a tainted past.
"Let him come in with me. I'll take him to meet Mr. Xie," Yu Yuan suggested gently.
"Him?" Huang Chuan responded, taken aback.
"Whether he's accepted or not is up to Mr. Xie. I'll just make the introduction," Yu Yuan offered with a smile.
"Oh, alright. I can't refuse you that," Huang Chuan conceded, then turned to Lee Yu, "Alright, Lee Yu, come with us. Whether Xie Bin will approve of you, I can't say, but I'm giving you a shot."
Lee Yu, who was among the crowd, felt a surge of excitement at Huang Chuan's words.
He had learned that the Obsidian Thunder Sect was once a lesser branch, sharing the same origins in spells and magic arts with the current Thunder Sect. It had fallen from grace due to a devastating interstellar battle.
Not too long ago, he had heard rumors that Xie Bin, the overseer of this place, had once been a formidable Solar Spirit warrior, demoted only after sustaining severe injuries during the Extraterrestrial Battle.
That's when Lee Yu began to entertain some hope.
Time passed, and he heard about Xie Bin's heaven soul being restored, causing an uproar at Winter's Bite's training hall, and even retrieving a young girl from Zhao Jingzhi's custody.
Lee Yu, desperate for a path to follow in his cultivation, had come here on a whim, hoping for the best.
But Huang Chuan seemed aware of his origins and had shown no interest in him from the start, which deeply disheartened Lee Yu.
He had been ready to leave after a short while, never anticipating this unexpected opportunity.
