C834 The Higher the Game the Better the Result

"You really thought you could use my own weapon against me?" Tian Zang pointed at Cao Jiaze, his laughter unrestrained. "Ever wonder why, since ascending to Ghost King in the Land of Terror, I've never wielded a Horcrux?"

In Dhoreus, there's the River of Souls, in Wintermaw an ice tombstone crafted from Celestial Ice Crystal, and the Black Staff is like a towering stone column. Luo Yue even has her flower basket. Yet, no one has ever witnessed Tian Zang employ any awe-inspiring weapon of doom.

Outside the resplendent Star River, Cao Jiaze, usually the epitome of composure, wore a dark, brooding look.

"Because my Divine Weapon has been lying at the bottom of the Embers Sea all this time, held down by the combined forces of the Devil Palace and Shadow's Keep."

Tian Zang burst into laughter once more. "That's why I can so convincingly transform into the spitting image of a cosmic giant beast—I've seen it with my own eyes, more than just once!"

The Devil Palace and Shadow's Keep had the Blood Altar of the Azurefiend clan imprisoned deep within the Embers Sea.

After his escape from the Moonfall Sanctuary, Tian Zang visited the sea floor of the Embers Sea. He was well aware that getting too close to the Blood Altar would instantly alert the Devil Palace and Shadow's Keep's sentinels.

Back then, the guardians of the Embers Sea weren't Hei Xun and Dusk Raven but a more formidable Unbound dark adept, a ninth-level archdemon.

Even as the formidable Sky Fiend, Youqian, he lacked the confidence to confront the Devil Palace and Shadow's Keep's guardians. He was acutely aware that revealing his location would bring the mightier enforcers of those factions swarming to his position.

In that era, the Everlands' political landscape was solid; the five dominant powers could dispatch their primordial spirit experts at a moment's notice.

He knew to play it smart.

After merely a fleeting glimpse of the Blood Altar, he drifted away, choosing to venture into the Land of Terror. There, he shifted from practicing as a Sky Fiend to mastering necromancy, and thus, Tian Zang became the Ghost King.

As Tian Zang, his Sky Fiend essence masked, he adopted a spectral guise and visited the Embers Sea several more times.

At that moment, there was a significant transformation in his aura. His mastery of hidden mystique had advanced considerably. He managed to infiltrate the seabed of the Embers Sea without alerting the sentinels of the Devil Palace or Shadow's Keep.

He spent a long time wandering around his own Blood Altar and even had a secret meeting with the Abyssal Leviathan, engaging in a profound exchange.

Yet, he was well aware that any rash action on his part would still provoke the Devil Palace and Shadow's Keep.

Being at the level of the Ghost King, it was impossible for him to successfully take the Blood Altar with him, so he patiently refrained.

Until...

The individual trapped in the bronze coffin was freed and convinced the fragmented Boulderdawn Sect in the far reaches of the extraterrestrial Star River to unite. They formed a force to rival the greatest sects, and after much plotting, they saw a significant opportunity to return to the Everlands. They even forged a secret pact with the Sky Fiend and the Otherkin.

At last, their plans could come to fruition!

When Hei Xun ascended to become a Solar Spirit and soared through the Star River, he was seduced by the Boulderdawn's experts and agreed to forsake the Devil Palace, aiding the Blood Altar in its ascent. This also led to the release of the Abyssal Leviathan.

From the moment the Boulderdawn decided to make their return, they knew that the Everlands would be filled with countless lost souls, and the Land of Terror would become fertile ground for the birth of a God of Ghosts.

As a follower of the one in the bronze coffin, he was the obvious first choice. With meticulous planning, he had secured everything before him.

Yu Yuan called out, "Lord Tian Zang..."

"There's no need for formalities. Just call me Tian Zang, or Youqian," responded Tian Zang, who presided over the Blood Altar within the Star River that had become the River of Souls. His face, previously twisted in a manic grin, now took on a much more earnest and sincere expression. "What doubts do you have?"

He was unaware of why the master of the bronze coffin held Yu Yuan in such high regard.

Nevertheless, he held immense respect for him.

Moreover, it was Yu Yuan's venture into the Moonfall Sanctuary that had led to his liberation.

The Blood Altar had returned to the Star River, all thanks to Yu Yuan's inadvertent actions. Subsequently, under the meticulous planning of someone from Boulderdawn, it found its way into the Land of Terror, where he naturally took possession of it. Grateful to Yu Yuan for a multitude of reasons, and heeding the instructions of that individual, he was vigilant and took nothing lightly.

"Let's consider Tian Zang," Yu Yuan said, not sweating the small stuff, and inquired with a hint of curiosity, "This Blood Altar, acquired by the Sect Master of Ebon Star, was it part of a scheme?"

Tian Zang, with his sapphire-skinned, razor-toothed visage, flashed a sinister smile and nodded. "Exactly, it was all within that person's grand design."

With this revelation, Yu Yuan responded, "I see."

He quickly pieced together that the Pale Reaper, believing himself to be clever, had sought the approval of the Ebon Star Sect Master. He became the conduit linking the three great upper sects with Dhoreus, aiding in the return of Dhoreus's body and the discovery of the Blood Altar, which was then processed by Cao Jiaze.

Next, Cao Jiaze was instructed to transport the Blood Altar to the Land of Terror to aid in Dhoreus's ascension to a God of Ghosts.

It all appeared to be a grand stratagem by Boulderdawn. They had anticipated every move, orchestrating events from the shadows, leading to Tian Zang intercepting the long-awaited body of Dhoreus.

The Blood Altar, which Cao Jiaze believed could change the tide, was also part of their plan, ultimately ending up in their hands.

Cao Jiaze thought he was aiding Dhoreus, but to Boulderdawn, he was merely a courier, delivering the Blood Altar to the Land of Terror for Tian Zang to claim. Once the exchange was made, Cao Jiaze had served his purpose.

"Boulderdawn..." Yu Yuan mused over the sect's name, feeling a pull of admiration.

He wasn't sure about other regions, but from the events in the Land of Terror, it was clear that Boulderdawn had outplayed the three great upper sects, as well as the Devil Palace and Shadow's Keep.

In the Songbird Empire, Boulderdawn had also emerged victorious.

The Moonfall Sanctuary remained firmly under the control of the Boulderdawn sect, transforming it into a place that even the five supreme powers dared not tread or explore deeply.

"It's no surprise that it's a behemoth that once left the five supreme forces gasping for air," Luo Yue remarked, clearly impressed. "When they finally do act, they instantly turn the tide and secure victory."

"Yu, may I borrow your sword sheath?" Tian Zang, standing atop the crystalline Blood Altar, reached out to Yu Yuan. "I'll gather the residual sword light and sword's will from the River of Souls into your sheath for you to use later. Now that I'm back, there's no need for you to lift a finger against Dhoreus."

"Alright!" Without hesitation, Yu Yuan tossed his sword sheath over.

No one intervened.

Dhoreus, towering and grim-faced, watched the sheath descend into the dazzling Star River. The sword light and sword's will left by the Moon Slayer had been eroding him for a millennium. He could only fully assimilate it after merging with his spirited body, a feat beyond his current capabilities.

So, if Tian Zang was willing to collect these remnants into the Moon Slayer's sheath, eliminating his concerns, why would he object?

"With the sheath, it'll be easy," Tian Zang, now in the form of a sapphire-skinned, razor-toothed demon, grasped the sheath with his spiny hands. With a soft command, "Collect!" the fine, crimson sword light, like swimming fish, eagerly entered the sheath and vanished from sight.

"Done." In mere seconds, Tian Zang flung the sheath back into the Star River.

"Yu, you can handle Rhutar. I know you're capable," Tian Zang said with a sly grin, turning to Luo Yue. "I don't need your assistance; just look after him."

Still within the River of Souls, Tian Zang clapped his hands behind him, causing countless phantoms within the Star River to burst. With a gentle stomp, a cascade of Soul Power poured into the Blood Altar like a waterfall, sweeping away the lingering soul remnants of Cao Jiaze.

With a grunt, Cao Jiaze spat out a mouthful of fresh blood. Wrapped in the Mark of the Celestials, he appeared to be donning a suit of armor radiating with divine light as he swiftly retreated into the distance.

Without so much as a glance at him, Tian Zang hurled the chest armor, forged from the Spawn of Chaos, at the Pale Reaper.

A blue shadow enveloped the Pale Reaper in an instant. This ghost, once ranked above White Bone among the Spectres, was immediately subjected to a psionic onslaught many times more potent than that faced by Yu Yuan, White Bone, and Luo Yue.

In a mere moment, the Pale Reaper dissolved into the Spawn of Chaos, leaving not even a wisp of consciousness behind.

The Blood Altar, now wielded by Tian Zang, exhibited a power magnitudes greater than when controlled by Cao Jiaze.

This was the weapon of doom in its truest form, the Star-Spawned Terror that struck fear into the hearts of the Star River and the Otherkin. This was the might it was meant to wield!

"Anyone who doesn't wish to die had better clear out," Tian Zang declared with a cold huff.

The blue shadow of the Spawn of Chaos spread rapidly toward the swarm of ghosts. Any ghost caught in its path, regardless of its strength, was obliterated in an instant.

The myriad ghosts shrieked as they began their desperate escape.

​