C837 A Brand New Concept!

Outside the Land of Terror, numerous cultivators from both the Land of Quiescence and Euwrea were intently observing the somber sea of clouds, sensing the abnormal stirrings within.

The latest intelligence indicated that Yu Yuan, White Bone, and Luo Yue had been ensnared by Cao Jiaze with the Spawn of Chaos.

Recently, many had witnessed the divine-lit shell piercing through the crystal wall of the Domain and plummeting into the Land of Terror.

"The die is cast," declared Han Qi of Ebon Star, stroking his beard with a smile as he addressed his companions. "At this juncture, we shouldn't expect any unforeseen events."

Han Qi, Cao Jiaze's mentor, was a man of modest cultivation and talent. His status had soared simply because he had chosen Cao Jiaze as a disciple and introduced him to Ebon Star.

Among those gathered around him were cultivators from the Sunlit Order and various individuals from the lower sects.

Many of them had previously explored the Land of Terror as Lunar Spirits before being cast out by Cao Jiaze.

"The shell?" inquired a member of the Ethereal Void Sect in a hushed tone.

Han Qi nodded affirmatively, "Exactly. The shell contains the extraterrestrial body of Dhoreus. Once this body is reclaimed, the spirited body of Dhoreus will become whole, rendering him unbeatable. Neither White Bone's strength nor Tian Zang's mysteries will avail."

"I knew it," the Ethereal Void Sect member said with a grin, "With the upper sects' planning and Cao Jiaze himself venturing into the Land of Terror, what could possibly go wrong?"

Han Qi boasted, "Jiaze's entry and Dhoreus's ascension to the God of Ghosts was inevitable."

His faith in his disciple was unwavering; from the moment Cao Jiaze joined the sect, he had been a source of immense pride, never once disappointing him.

"How could White Bone hope to contend with Dhoreus, especially with those venerable strategists in play?" mused Dusk Raven from Shadow's Keep, languidly soaking up the sun. "Yu Yuan, the fool, to ally with Zu Ann," he muttered, disparaging Yu Yuan as was his wont.

Where love runs deep, so too does resentment.

Dusk Raven was acutely aware of the profound impact Yu Yuan had on Yu Zhu. To the Shadow's Keep, Yu Zhu was a shoo-in for the title of Dark Deity and wouldn't keep them waiting for long.

For the Shadow's Keep, Yu Zhu was an invaluable gem.

Dusk Raven's concern stemmed from the possibility that Yu Yuan might align himself with forces opposing the Everlands, prompting the Shadow's Keep to intervene and eliminate Yu Yuan, potentially upsetting Yu Zhu.

"Yu Yuan, will you be able to make it out alive?" Yuan Lianyao from the Ruby Hand asked, her face etched with worry.

Faang Yao responded with detachment, "He must face the consequences of the path he's chosen. No one is exempt."

Ann Ziqing of the Colddeath gazed out at the Land of Terror, lost in thought.

Everyone was waiting for fresh news.

...

"Tian Zang and White Bone, whom will you support?" Luo Yue asked, locking eyes with Yu Yuan, awaiting his response.

Yu Yuan remained silent. Shortly after stepping into the Land of Terror, White Bone had become his steadfast ally. Together, they had taken on the Spectres, building up their combat strength, and then he had sought out Luo Yue.

It was thanks to White Bone that he could enter the ground fissure and interact with the Root of the Lunar Meridian in the little world.

White Bone had been of great assistance to him.

He had also vowed to the Root of the Lunar Meridian that he would strike down Dhoreus at a pivotal moment, aiding White Bone's rise to the throne of the God of Ghosts.

But now, White Bone and Dhoreus had joined forces against Tian Zang!

When Tian Zang revealed himself, he extended an olive branch, showing goodwill by aiding Yu Yuan's recovery of vitality and spiritual energy. He had even handed over the radiant shell to Luo Yue on his behalf.

Though Tian Zang was a Star-Spawned Terror, he stood for Boulderdawn. His ties to Boulderdawn were strong.

Caught between a rock and a hard place, Yu Yuan entertained a new idea, attempting to establish a connection with the Moonfall Sanctuary, the Soulforge Pool, and the singular space inscribed with the ancient words, "To Know All is to Suffer All."

"Eh?"

To his astonishment, he realized that Dhoreus had naturally lifted the barrier isolating this realm.

His Lunar Spirit immediately resonated with the Soulforge Pool. The heaven soul stirred, subtly detecting the movements within the mysterious space.

Even more astonishing, he sensed the presence of Yan Qiling within the space inscribed with the ancient words "To Know All is to Suffer All."

Yan Qiling appeared to be preoccupied with something within that peculiar realm.

A message traversed the Endless Space, reaching out to Yan Qiling.

Tian Zang, once a Star-Spawned Terror, had ascended to become a Ghost King. Why had Boulderdawn chosen him? Were they not concerned about provoking the ire of the entire Everlands?

It wasn't long before a complex message arrived from Yan Qiling, infiltrating his Mindscape and integrating with his memories.

He pondered over it, and after a moment, his form trembled slightly as he exclaimed, "Is that even possible?"

"What is it?" Luo Yue whispered.

"In the Songbird Empire, a half-blood of the Otherkin and humans, Chen Liangquan, has ascended to the throne," Yu Yuan mused, his gaze drifting toward the River of Souls. "Tian Zang was originally an extraterrestrial Sky Fiend, but he abided by the rules of the Land of Terror, turning to necromancy and advancing to Ghost King status here."

"If it bestowed upon him a River Styx, does that not affirm his status as Ghost King?"

"The title of Ghost King has been granted. Why not the God of Ghosts?"

Yu Yuan countered.

"Junior brother, have you lost your mind?" Luo Yue said, her expression a mix of amusement and disbelief. "He's an outsider. How can an outsider assume dominion over the Land of Terror?"

The ingrained belief was that all beings from beyond the Everlands were malevolent invaders.

From her birth, Luo Yue, a disciple of the Poison Cult, had been indoctrinated with the notion that Otherkin, cosmic giant beasts, and Star-Spawned Terrors sought to breach the Everlands and lay waste to this world.

The three upper sects, along with Devil Palace and Shadow's Keep, had all endeavored to barricade and repel any external forces from encroaching.

Should any interloper slip through, the sects were duty-bound to exhaust all resources to eliminate or confine them, never permitting outsiders the liberty to roam free.

Many concepts have long been ingrained in people's minds, making them difficult to change. However, the message from Yan Qiling conveyed that the Boulderdawn Sect, after drifting beyond the Star River for countless years, gradually embraced a completely new philosophy.

Not all Sky Fiends and Otherkin are malevolent enemies intent on destroying the Everlands. The reformed Boulderdawn Sect plans to unlock the Everlands, transforming it into the central world of the cosmos. They are prepared to allow Sky Fiends and Otherkin to roam the Everlands, adhering to the rules established by the Boulderdawn Sect, and to seek out magic items and grow stronger in designated areas.

The condition is that they must respect the order of this realm and refrain from slaughtering innocents in the mortal world. The Boulderdawn Sect will designate several locations for them to interact with the internal sects of the Everlands, facilitating the exchange of rare and precious materials such as pills and fine gold.

The reason many Sky Fiends and formidable Otherkin from extraterrestrial realms have heeded the Boulderdawn Sect's directive is due to a mutual understanding between the two parties. The Boulderdawn Sect aims to forge a new, liberated world within the Everlands!

The rise of Chen Liangquan, a hybrid, to the throne of the mightiest empire serves as a potent signal. Tian Zang, once an extraterrestrial Sky Fiend, has now embraced necromancy and ascended to become a Ghost King, with prospects of evolving into an unprecedented God of Ghosts and ruling over the Land of Terror.

This sends another powerful message, signaling to the Sky Fiends and Otherkin beyond our borders that humanity has adopted a new stance. According to the Boulderdawn Sect, opening up the Everlands will lead to an even greater flourishing of the human race.

Humans are poised to become the most influential race across the galaxy, and this will also enable more mortals to spread out and thrive among the stars, using the Voidfarer to explore and settle in diverse celestial realms. This will give rise to a new era, marked by a vibrant and diverse tapestry of life.

In the past, the Divine Soul Sect, along with the current five major forces, shared the belief that outsiders should not set foot in the Everlands. Intruders would face relentless pursuit, leading to either death or imprisonment.

However, the Boulderdawn Sect of the new age, having been exiled to the depths of the Star River and adrift for many years, has developed a fresh set of ideals.

They returned to the Everlands armed with a new ideology, bolstered by the support of certain Sky Fiend clans and Otherkin. Their presence was now more formidable than even the five greatest powers.

This represented an unbridgeable divide and conflict between the two factions.

"The thinking on their side probably goes something like this," Yu Yuan mused as he shared his insights with Luo Yue, spreading his hands. "As to who's right or wrong, I'm not learned enough to say. But judging by the stance of the three upper sects, the Devil Palace, and Shadow's Keep, they seem to reject these ideas."

Luo Yue listened intently, falling into a prolonged silence as she struggled to process the information.

The impact of Yu Yuan's words was overwhelming for her.

After some time, she spoke with a hint of bitterness, "I'm at a loss too. Based on your explanation, opening up the Everlands to allow the Star-Spawned Terror and Otherkin to live by our rules doesn't seem entirely out of the question. If Boulderdawn truly has the power to keep them in check, then a mutually beneficial partnership could be feasible."

Yu Yuan gave a slight nod. His past life experiences as Hong Qi had taught him that the Everlands' supply of magic items and herbs paled in comparison to the vastness of the Star River.

If the Everlands could indeed welcome extraterrestrial races and engage in the exchange of resources and magic items, it could significantly contribute to the flourishing of humanity.

Humans had the strongest reproductive capabilities of all races, yet only those who reached the Solar Spirit Realm could venture beyond the Star River.

This was because humans were seen as a common enemy by all Sky Fiend and Otherkin in the Star River; the weak faced certain death upon leaving.

But if humans could peacefully coexist with those from the extraterrestrial realms, allowing even the weaker mortals to depart aboard the Voidfarer,

wouldn't this enable humans to quickly establish themselves in various domains, giving rise to more and more powerful cultivators?

He had an intuition that Boulderdawn's innovative ideology might propel human development to new heights, far surpassing the current state.

"What the future holds is difficult to predict, but it's not impossible to give it a try," Yu Yuan stated.

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