C755 Similar Species

A palace, towering a hundred meters high and radiating divine light, floated into existence.

This palace, akin to a deity's dwelling deep within the starry ocean, would shake the very soul of anyone who gazed upon it.

A mortal of feeble resolve might find themselves kneeling in reverence, overwhelmed by the urge to worship this grand edifice.

The palace, grand and robust, appeared to bathe in an endless cascade of light, with faint phantoms flitting within its walls.

Crack!

The biting winds of the Land of Terror swept by, only to be repelled by the light emanating from the palace, unable to penetrate its brilliance.

Then, amidst the phantoms, a towering and distinguished figure emerged, standing out like a crane among chickens.

This figure stood atop the palace, on an outward-facing stone platform.

Streams of light danced before him, obscuring his true appearance from immediate view.

Lee Yuchan, having departed from the Crucible of Evil, caught but a glimpse of the palace and was instantly filled with dread. She quickly withdrew back into the crucible, her soul trembling as she exclaimed, "Ebon Star!"

"A Mark of the Celestials!"

Yu Yuan's face subtly shifted. He recognized the levitating palace in an instant.

Years ago, in the Serpent Spine Mountains' Gloomhollow, Mei Qiurong of the Ebon Star wielded a Mark of the Celestials, causing widespread havoc and proving to be a formidable adversary.

The Mark of the Celestials, carried by Mei Qiurong, was cunningly seized from Gloomhollow by Zhou Cangmin and Ann Jieshan, orchestrated by the Ruby Hand's state preceptor.

Legend has it that the nine Marks of the Celestials correspond to the Ebon Star's nine grand palaces suspended in the void, serving as the keystones of their grand formation.

The loss of any Mark would diminish the grand formation's might, making the disappearance of Mei Qiurong's Mark a significant coup for the sects of the Land of Quiescence and a crowning achievement for Zhou Cangmin.

Now, another Mark of the Celestials had abruptly surfaced in the Land of Terror, leaving Yu Yuan equally astonished.

But what truly astounded him was the presence of someone within the majestic palace conjured by the Mark of the Celestials, who, like Yu Yuan, had entered in their real body form!

The individual in question must be the rightful owner of the Mark of the Celestials. With the power of the Mark, he managed to ward off the biting cold winds of the Land of Terror.

Within the palace, the remaining phantoms likely belonged to the Lunar Spirits of various sects from Euwrea, here to undergo trials and cultivate.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Suddenly, a multitude of phantoms burst forth from the palace, all resembling human cultivators. They appeared to be of advanced age, with nearly all of them at the Lunar Spirit and Spirit Walk stages.

"I am Di Xiao of the Ethereal Void Sect."

"I hail from the Thunder Sect, Huang Ji Hai."

"I am..."

The Lunar Spirit that emerged from the palace called out towards the Crucible of Evil from a hundred meters away.

Yu Yuan furrowed his brow, paying no mind to the Lunar Spirits that had eagerly come forth. He didn't even spare them a glance, his focus and attention remained steadfast on the palace.

The phantoms that had not left the palace, along with the individual who had arrived in the flesh, were the truly formidable ones.

The ones who had come forward first were, as expected, from various sects and lower sects of Euwrea.

Regardless of their status or level of cultivation, they were significantly less powerful.

"It's Cao Jiaze from the Ebon Star!"

Lee Yuchan's spirited body quivered slightly as she uttered the name "Cao Jiaze." "You've heard of him, haven't you?"

"Ebon Star! Cao Jiaze!"

Yu Yuan inhaled deeply, steadying his emotions before nodding slightly, "The name is indeed familiar."

Since departing from the Shadowlight Empire and venturing into the Embers Sea for his trials, and after arriving at the Sundering Isles and engaging with the Skyreach Consortium, he had been acquainting himself with the influential figures of the Everlands.

Cao Jiaze was a rising star within the Ebon Star!

He was not a disciple of the current sect master but merely an inconspicuous elder who had been recruited from the Empire of Dawn.

Cao Jiaze hadn't started with much. Among the many young talents of the Ebon Star, he was considered rather unremarkable.

Yet, through relentless trials and conflicts with the sects of the Land of Quiescence, through overt and covert struggles, he had quietly ascended, steadily climbing the ranks.

He had ascended to heights unreachable even for those deemed geniuses!

This man was the antithesis of Chen Qingyan from the Sword Sect. Through relentless growth and with his unremarkable talent for cultivation, he defied all expectations and climbed the ranks one step at a time.

Now, it appeared he had reached the late stages of the Spirit Walk realm and was preparing to condense his Solar Spirit.

He was significantly older than Zhou Cangmin, who had already garnered worldwide attention for forming his Solar Spirit.

In terms of the pace of his breakthroughs, he lagged behind Zhou Cangmin, Chen Qingyan, Tang Cen, Qu Jing, Liu Ying, and Qi Jinghai, those prodigies of nature.

Yet, he had gained the recognition of the Ebon Star's sect master and was considered the prime candidate to succeed as the next sect master!

Barring any unforeseen events, he was set to become the new sect master of the Ebon Star!

Cao Jiaze, now in the late stages of the Spirit Walk, wielding the Mark of the Celestials, appeared in the Land of Terror in his real body.

"An ill omen!"

The thought flashed through Yu Yuan's mind, casting a shadow over his expression.

"Where are you?"

He reached out with his thoughts to call upon the cauldron spirit, ensuring it was ready for an imminent battle.

"Hehe, right here."

The cauldron spirit of the Crucible of Evil responded almost instantly.

At that moment, a grey silhouette flickered through Yu Yuan's mind, startling him. "You?"

After such a long association with the cauldron spirit, he had only been able to sense its range of emotions faintly. He had never heard it laugh with a "hehe" before.

And was that laughter coming from a girl?

To his senses, the cauldron spirit seemed to be brimming with a myriad of complex emotions, becoming more human-like and astute.

"The minions of Wangchuan have bolstered my power during their convergence of evil," the cauldron spirit said, its voice light with mirth. "Master, don't fret over me. Soon, I'll be able to meet you in a completely new form."

"Soon? We need to get through the current challenge first," Yu Yuan replied with a wry smile.

"Ah, that's true," agreed the cauldron spirit.

"He intends to condense his Solar Spirit here, in the Land of Terror?" Lee Yuchan's thoughts led to a sudden shift in her expression as she exclaimed, "Impossible! Surely no one would dare to undertake the refinement of the Solar Spirit in the Land of Terror!"

Yu Yuan was taken aback. "Impossible!"

In his past life, he had come across some confidential insights, aware that the Land of Terror, with its dense Yin Qi, was entirely unsuitable for the condensation of the Solar Spirit.

Moreover, those who had attained the Solar Spirit rarely ventured here.

The Solar Spirit Body, an entity of pure energy formed from the fusion of heaven soul and pure spiritual energy, was said to deteriorate rapidly in the Land of Terror, leading to its disintegration.

Even the Lunar Spirit of a powerful Solar Spirit practitioner would be suppressed by the Root of the Lunar Meridian in this place.

The Land of Terror remained beyond the influence of the five great forces due to its uniquely inhospitable environment.

Simply put, this environment was decidedly hostile to cultivators beyond the Spirit Walk realm.

"You're Yu Yuan from the Shadowlight Empire's Asvetaesi, aren't you?"

Despite their calls, Yu Yuan didn't respond, instead whispering to Lee Yuchan's Lunar Spirit. The Lunar Spirits emerging from the Mark of the Celestials grew increasingly irritated.

Yu Yuan continued to disregard them, his gaze fixed on the imposing figure within the floating palace. He demanded, "What do you want?"

"Do you recognize me as well?"

Cao Jiaze extended his hand, and the dazzling light before him seemed to solidify instantly into a transparent light shield. He examined Yu Yuan with curiosity from a distance. "Could you explain why you disclosed the matter of the Soul-Igniting Mist in Afnetalos to the others, prompting them to be on guard?"

Yu Yuan's brow furrowed. "What purpose does it serve to discuss this now?"

"And why did you suddenly decide to leave the city?" Cao Jiaze pressed on.

Yu Yuan remained silent.

"I've also been deeply misunderstood by others," Cao Jiaze said earnestly. "Yu Yuan, if you truly haven't conspired with the Star-Spawned Terror and aren't aligned with Zu Ann, I can actually help you. Should you wish it, I could even request that the Sect Master recommend you for cultivation at the Ebon Star."

At these words, a wave of astonishment swept through the crowd.

Lee Yuchan was equally taken aback.

"Recommend me to the Ebon Star?" Yu Yuan's expression was a mix of incredulity and amusement.

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