C834 The Higher the Game the Better

"Using my own weapon against me? You've got some nerve," Tianzang taunted Cao Jiaze, his laughter unrestrained. "Ever wonder why, despite being the Ghost King in Horror Land for years, I've never wielded a Soul Artifact of my own?"

Mingdu boasts the Soul Crossing River, the Ice Stone Tombstone forged from Ice Soul Crystal, the Black Staff hewn from a towering peristele, and Luo Yue has her flower basket. Yet, no one has ever witnessed Tianzang brandishing a weapon capable of shocking the world.

In the vast expanse beyond the glittering starry river, Cao Jiaze, usually the epitome of composure, now wore a look of brooding silence.

"My divine weapon has lain at the bottom of the Ember Waters, suppressed by the combined forces of the Demon Palace and the Devil Palace," Tianzang revealed with a boisterous laugh. "That's why I, a master of metamorphosis, could take on the lifelike form of the Starry Behemoth. I've seen it with my own eyes, not just once, but multiple times!"

The Demon Palace and the Devil Palace had the Aura Altar of the Blue Devil Clan under lock and key at the seabed of the Ember Waters. After his escape from the Fallen Moon Forbidden Area, Tianzang had ventured to the ocean's depths. He was all too aware that any attempt to draw near the Aura Altar would instantly raise the alarm with the vigilant guardians of the two palaces.

Back then, the Ember Waters were not under the watch of Heixun and Raven, but rather a more formidable presence: an Unrestrained Stage Demonic Cultivator, a Ninth Level Great Demon. Even as a Devaputra, Tianzang lacked the confidence to contend with the palace guardians. He was acutely conscious that revealing his location would prompt a swarm of even mightier forces from the Demon Palace and the Devil Palace to converge upon him.

In that era, the balance of power within the Vast Ocean was solid, with the five supreme forces ready to dispatch their Primordial Spirit experts at a moment's notice. Tianzang knew his place.

He merely cast a distant glance at the Aura Altar before drifting away. Choosing to step into Horror Land, he shifted from cultivating the Heavenly Demonic path to the Ghost Dao, and thus, Tianzang became the Ghost King. As the Ghost King, he concealed his Heavenly Demonic Qi beneath a spectral guise and made several more clandestine visits to the Ember Waters.

At that moment, there was a significant shift in his aura. His mastery of covert arcane techniques had advanced considerably. His stealthy descent to the seabed of the Ember Waters went unnoticed by the guardians of the Demon Palace and the Demon Palace.

He spent a long time wandering around his "Aura Altar," even secretly meeting with the Chaos Roc for an in-depth exchange.

Yet, he was well aware that any rash action on his part would still raise the alarm at the Demon Palace and the Demon Palace.

At the Ghost King level, he knew it was impossible to successfully abscond with the "Aura Altar," so he exercised restraint and kept his composure.

Until...

The individual trapped in the bronze coffin was freed and managed to unite the fragmented Divine Soul Sect in the depths of the Outland Star River. They amassed a force rivaling the greatest sects, and after much plotting, they saw a viable opportunity to return to the Boundless Land. They even forged a secret pact with the Heavenly Demon and other races.

At last, their plans could come to fruition!

When Heixun ascended to become a Yang God and roamed the cosmos, he was seduced and convinced by the Divine Soul Sect's sages to forsake the Demon Palace and aid the "Aura Altar" in its celestial ascent, which also led to the Chaos Roc's liberation.

From the moment the Divine Soul Sect resolved to make their return, they knew the Boundless Land would be strewn with countless lost souls, and that the Horror Land would become fertile ground for the birth of specters and deities.

As a devoted follower of the one from the bronze coffin, he was the unequivocal first choice. Through meticulous planning, he had secured everything before him.

Yu Yuan called out gently, "Lord Tianzang..."

"There's no need for titles; just Tianzang, or Yuv Qian will do," responded Tianzang, steward of the Aura Altar, within the resplendent starry expanse that was the Soul Crossing River. His face, previously alight with a manic grin, instantly sobered up, his demeanor turning earnest. "What doubts do you have?"

He was unaware of the reasons behind the bronze coffin master's high regard for Yu Yuan.

Yet, his admiration for Yu Yuan was boundless.

Moreover, it was Yu Yuan's venture into the Fallen Moon Forbidden Area that had freed him from his shackles.

And it was due to Yu Yuan that his Aura Altar had made its return to the stellar river.

After being strategically placed into Horror Land by a mastermind from the Divine Soul Sect, he felt a deep sense of gratitude towards Yu Yuan for a multitude of reasons. He wouldn't dare take Yu Yuan's instructions lightly.

"Tianzang it is," Yu Yuan said, unconcerned with minor details, and curiously inquired, "These Aura Altars were acquired by the Sect Master of the Profound Sky Sect, weren't they?"

Tianzang, with his blue face and fierce fangs, flashed a chilling grin and nodded. "Exactly. All part of that individual's scheme," he confirmed.

"Got it," Yu Yuan acknowledged, the pieces falling into place.

He quickly grasped that the White Coat Mercurial, who fancied himself clever, believed he had won the favor of the Profound Sky Sect's leader. Acting as a conduit, he linked the three upper sects with Mingdu, aiding in the return of Mingdu's corporeal form and the discovery of the Aura Altar, which Cao Jiaze then refined.

Subsequently, Cao Jiaze was instructed to transport the Aura Altar to Horror Land to support Mingdu's transformation into a ghost king.

It seemed likely that all these events were orchestrated by the Divine Soul Sect.

The Divine Soul Sect had meticulously calculated and covertly arranged everything, leading to the interception and theft of Mingdu's long-awaited body by Tianzang.

Cao Jiaze, who believed the Aura Altar could change the tide, was also playing into the hands of the Divine Soul Sect's plan.

He thought he was aiding Mingdu, unaware that in the eyes of the Divine Soul Sect, he was merely a courier.

Delivering the Aura Altar to Horror Land, he was to wait for Tianzang to arrive and take possession of it. After that, Cao Jiaze would have served his purpose.

"Divine Soul Sect..."

Yu Yuan mulled over the name, feeling an unexpected longing.

While he was unsure about other regions, the events in Horror Land clearly demonstrated the Divine Soul Sect's superior strategy, outmaneuvering the three upper sects, the Devil Palace, and the Demon Palace.

The Divine Soul Sect's victory in the Luan Bird Empire was undeniable, with Chen Liangquan's ascension to the throne.

Moreover, the Fallen Moon Forbidden Area remained under the Divine Soul Sect's dominion, a place so daunting that even the five greatest powers dared not tread too deeply.

"As expected of the behemoth that once left the five greatest powers gasping for air."

Luo Yue was deeply moved. "To not act is one thing, but to act is to instantly reverse the tide and secure victory."

"Yu, may I borrow your sword sheath?"

Tianzang, standing atop the shimmering Aura Altar, reached out to Yu Yuan. "I'll collect the residual sword aura and intent from the Soul Crossing River in your sheath for you to use later. Now that I'm back, there's no need for you to lift a finger against Mingdu."

"Alright!"

Without hesitation, Yu Yuan tossed his sword sheath.

No one interfered.

The towering Mingdu, with a somber and brooding visage, watched the sheath descend into the dazzling starry river.

The sword aura and intent, remnants of the Chopping Moon cultivator, had been gnawing at him for a millennium. He could only fully assimilate them after his soul and body became one.

Currently, he lacked the strength.

If Tianzang was willing to collect the sword aura and intent into the Chopping Moon cultivator's sheath, thereby removing the threat, why would he object?

"With the sheath, it'll be a breeze."

Transformed into a blue-faced, fanged demon, Tianzang grasped the sheath with his spiky hands, simply tilting the opening downward and commanded, "Gather!"

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

The crimson sword light, fine as hair, willingly soared into the sheath, vanishing from sight.

"Done."

In mere seconds, Tianzang flung the sheath back into the radiant river of stars.

"Yu, go and slay that Qianqiang Ghost. I know you're capable." Tianzang grinned, then turned to Luo Yue, "I don't need your assistance. Just keep an eye on him."

Still within the "Soul Crossing River," Tianzang slapped his back, and a multitude of soul shadows burst within the galaxy.

With a gentle stomp, a cascade of soul energy poured into the Aura Altar like a waterfall, shattering the lingering soul whispers of Cao Jiaze.

Puff!

Cao Jiaze coughed up fresh blood as his figure, enveloped by a Heaven Palace Seal, appeared to don a divine armor, radiating with a majestic aura as he hastily retreated into the distance.

Without so much as a glance at him, Tianzang tossed the Heart Protection Armor, forged from the Muddy Devil Embryo, at the White Coat Mercurial.

A blue shadow swept over in an instant, engulfing the White Coat Mercurial—a ghost once ranked above the notorious White Bone among the titled specters. It was immediately subjected to an onslaught of alien light energy, dozens of times more potent than that wielded by Yu Yuan and Luo Yue.

In a mere moment, the White Coat Mercurial dissolved into the Muddy Devil Embryo, not even a wisp of consciousness left behind.

The Aura Altar, now wielded by Tianzang, exhibited a might that was exponentially greater than when controlled by Cao Jiaze.

This was the killing artifact in its truest form, the very weapon that allowed the Outland Devaputra to dominate far and wide, striking terror into the hearts of countless beings across the Galaxy Alien Races. It was the manifestation of the power it was destined to wield!

"If you wish to live, I suggest you keep your distance," Tianzang uttered with a cold huff.

The Muddy Devil Embryo's blue shadow spread rapidly toward the swarm of ghosts. Any specter caught within its reach, regardless of its stature, was obliterated in an instant.

Amidst shrill cries, legions of ghosts began their frantic flight for survival.

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