C671 The Goddess' Wings Broken

Ann Ziqing lay collapsed in a pool of blood.

The current goddess of the Colddeath, a member of her family, barely managed to cry out, "Young Master, save me!" before losing consciousness.

From her shattered purple divine armor oozed dark red blood, thick and oddly fragrant.

As she lay there, the viscous blood seemed to come alive, enveloping her seemingly fragile body.

A dim, bloody glow emanated from the fragrant blood, shrouding her and protecting her from petty intruders while she was unconscious.

The divine armor, crafted from an unknown material, had broken into purple crystal shards the size of fingertips.

Upon close inspection, each crystal shard contained a tiny droplet of deep purple blood.

It appeared as though the entire set of purple divine armor had been crafted from these glistening droplets of purple blood, mixed with fine gold and painstakingly refined by a master forger.

Ann Ziqing's wrists and slender neck were laced with exceedingly fine bloodstains.

Yet, as she lay there, enveloped in the faint, bloody light, Yu Yuan was astonished to discover that the delicate wounds on her body were quietly healing.

The physical injuries were rapidly mending, thanks to the thick blood, the Colddeath mystique, and the divine armor.

However, her true predicament was a severe blow to her soul!

At her brow's mud pellet acupoint, a thumb-sized drop of blood concealed the opening.

This drop was not purple but a vivid scarlet, radiating an overwhelmingly potent aura. Within the large droplet, a phantom flickered.

This phantom was Ann Ziqing's Lunar Spirit!

After sustaining heavy damage, it was temporarily encased in a drop of scarlet blood, not yet retreating into the mud pellet acupoint, nor had it reached her Mindscape to unite with her heaven soul and dominant soul.

The Lunar Spirit, nestled within the scarlet droplet, quivered faintly, appearing incredibly fragile.

It seemed that if the Lunar Spirit were to leave the protection of the blood, it would face dire consequences and potentially disintegrate.

Ann Ziqing, newly initiated into the Spirit Walk realm, had not yet solidified her mastery when she hurriedly set out for the Scarlet Dunes.

It was unknown what adversary she encountered on her journey. Despite the protection of her purple divine armor and having Han Ling at her side, she had suffered grievous injuries.

Despite being on the brink of disaster, this girl managed to find the Obsidian Thunder Sect and, ultimately, herself through sheer tenacity.

How did she manage that?

As Yu Yuan gazed at Ann Ziqing, who was prostrate on the ground, a series of questions began to emerge in his mind.

"Liu Ying!"

Eventually, Yu Yuan realized his mistake. Although he had altered his appearance and assumed the name "Chen Xi," Liu Ying's presence had been a constant. If Ann Ziqing, who had parted ways with him outside the city, had tapped into the power of the Colddeath, the Chen family's resources could have tracked his movements through Liu Ying's activities in Afnetalos.

But why, despite her grave injuries, was Ann Ziqing so determined to find him?

Yu Yuan stroked his chin, feeling a touch of melancholy. Back on Acora Island, the girl had clearly intended to use the Blood Pool and Blood Well to bewitch him and lure him in.

Ann Ziqing's intentions at that time were unquestionably malicious.

His lingering fondness for the Colddeath stemmed from discovering the spiritual sense left by Yu Ying beneath the Yu family's estate, revealing that the Yu family descended from the Evil King, Yu Xi.

The Evil King Yu Xi had been a close friend of the Colddeath's sect master.

The Colddeath's sect master had even assisted with the Yu family's subterranean arrangements, indicating that he was well aware that the Yu family in Asvetaesi were the progeny of his dear friend, hence the protection offered.

Ann Ziqing had been placed in the Yu family's service, likely on Ann Wen's directive.

It's possible that Ann Ziqing herself was unaware of the clandestine ties between the Ann and Yu families, which is why she had still been scheming against him on Acora Island.

"Chen Xi..."

Outside the courtyard, Xie Bin's faint voice unexpectedly called out.

Ann Ziqing, concealing her presence, had slipped into his room unnoticed by others. However, Xie Bin, whose heaven soul had recently reformed, quickly sensed something was amiss. Concerned for his well-being, he had come to check.

"Mr. Xie, there's no need for concern. A friend has made an unexpected visit," Yu Yuan responded in a hushed tone.

"As long as you're alright," Xie Bin replied in a subdued voice, using telepathy, "I'm in my room meditating. If you need anything, just give me a soft call. I'll hear you."

"Yes, I understand," Yu Yuan responded.

Xie Bin fell silent and vanished into the night, as if he had become one with the shadows, leaving no trace behind.

Yu Yuan, however, was aware that this once prominent member of the Obsidian Thunder Sect was lurking in the darkness, ready to respond to his summons and provide support at a moment's notice. With the Glacial Storm Seal in his grasp, Xie Bin, now back in the Spirit Walk realm, was a force to be reckoned with—far beyond the capabilities of the average person.

His understanding of the Solar Spirit Realm, coupled with his experience battling cultivators from that realm and even more formidable opponents from extraterrestrial domains, meant that Xie Bin's true strength, amplified by the Glacial Storm Seal, far exceeded his current level. This confidence was precisely why Xie Bin was in no rush to return to the Obsidian Thunder Sect in Euwrea and was content to wait for Qi Jinghai to seek him out.

"Hmm?"

Yu Yuan focused his attention on the large drop of scarlet blood on Ann Ziqing's forehead. Upon closer inspection, he noticed faint traces of scarlet lightning within the blood. The lightning was so minute and matched the color of the blood so closely that it could easily be mistaken as part of it.

Yu Yuan realized something was amiss because the minuscule scarlet lightning was subtly advancing within the blood, inching closer to the center of the drop. And at the very center resided Ann Ziqing's Lunar Spirit!

After observing for a while longer, Yu Yuan was certain that the scarlet lightning carried an aura capable of annihilating a soul. It was likely left by the assailant who had inflicted such severe injuries on Ann Ziqing, nearly resulting in her death.

From this, he surmised that Ann Ziqing's Lunar Spirit, once released, must have detected imminent danger and attempted to retreat back into the safety of the mud pellet acupoint. Midway, she likely realized that the pursuing scarlet lightning was too swift and feared that it might follow her Lunar Spirit into her Mindscape, potentially leading to the demise of both her heaven soul and dominant soul. In a desperate move, she extracted a drop of peculiar scarlet blood to provide a temporary refuge for her Lunar Spirit.

The scarlet lightning, doggedly trailing her Lunar Spirit, had managed to infiltrate this droplet of scarlet blood. Within the blood, the lightning continued its relentless advance, steadfastly closing in on her Lunar Spirit. If the scarlet lightning were to reach the heart of the blood droplet and strike her Lunar Spirit, the consequences could be dire.

Her Lunar Spirit was on the verge of obliteration.

Once the scarlet lightning finished off her Lunar Spirit, it might escape the blood droplet and invade her Mindscape, threatening to extinguish her Heaven Soul and dominant soul as well.

"She's seeking my help?"

Yu Yuan's brow furrowed as he involuntarily rubbed his hands together, his gaze fixed on the drop of scarlet blood on Ann Ziqing's forehead, which gave him a sense of foreboding.

To save or not to save her was the question. Figuring out the method of rescue was yet another dilemma.

He sighed inwardly and reached out to the Artifact Soul of the Crucible of Evil, seeking its guidance.

After hearing his account and grasping the situation, the Artifact Soul offered what appeared to be a viable solution.

He was to summon the Altar of Rebirth from his vitality-rich little world and use its mysterious powers to melt the scarlet blood on Ann Ziqing's brow.

As the blood was refined, the Crucible of Evil would envelop it, exposing the infiltrating scarlet lightning.

Within the Crucible of Evil, the cauldron's might or the piercing sword light could eradicate the scarlet lightning.

This was the only way to ensure Ann Ziqing's Lunar Spirit could be freed from the blood.

Yet, such a procedure couldn't be performed in the Obsidian Thunder Sect's training hall. The array of flags there could only block souls and sound.

Unleashing the Crucible of Evil and the Altar of Rebirth would cause an uproar.

The training hall couldn't conceal everything, and many would take notice.

Those pursuing Ann Ziqing might trace the disturbance back to her. Not only would Ann Ziqing be in danger, but so would Yu Yuan and Xie Bin.

Anyone capable of driving Ann Ziqing to this point and bold enough to target the current Goddess of the Colddeath must be extraordinarily powerful.

Xie Bin might not even be a match for them now, and who knows how many there could be.

"I've got it. To save Ann Ziqing, I need to discreetly transfer her to the Azure Vault. In this city, it's the only place that's secure enough for me to act freely," Yu Yuan quickly decided. He was also aware that the Azure Vault, along with the entirety of Afnetalos and its subterranean inner city, were all interconnected by rune circles.

As long as he found a training room within the Azure Vault, he could work undisturbed to his heart's content.

"I'll have Xie Bin take care of it."

Having made up his mind, Yu Yuan no longer hesitated. From within his own quarters, he softly called out, "Mr. Xie?"

"I'm here," Xie Bin responded promptly.

"Could you come here for a moment? I need your assistance with something," Yu Yuan requested.

Upon his request, Xie Bin appeared in the room as if by magic, standing among the flags. He glanced at Ann Ziqing and murmured, "Someone from Colddeath?"

"The current Divine Maiden, Ann Ziqing," Yu Yuan clarified.

Xie Bin's face took on a hint of surprise, and his eyes sparked with lightning as he focused on the drop of crimson blood on Ann Ziqing's forehead. After a closer look, he could see the faint red lightning hidden within.

Recognizing the lightning, Xie Bin's frame shook slightly, and he exclaimed in astonishment.

​