C843 The Empire's Rebellion

In the Forgotten Ruins, on a mid-lake island, was where Yu Zhu resided.

Shrouded in the morning mist, the island seemed a place of enchantment. Breathing in the spiritual energy there refreshed the soul and opened every pore with a sense of well-being.

The lake's clear waters were rich with spiritual energy. Cultivators and archdemons attuned to the Way of Heaven could advance their practice at an accelerated pace if they were to cultivate within its embrace.

At this moment, a group led by the Python Queen, Xu Zixi, and Zhu Peining had gathered on the island, their faces etched with concern.

They had come specifically to seek an audience with Yu Zhu.

Since returning to the Forgotten Ruins and successfully advancing to an eighth-level archdemon at Shadow's Keep, Yu Zhu had spent most of her time in seclusion, cultivating on the island and seldom venturing out.

Xu Zixi managed many of the day-to-day affairs of the Forgotten Ruins, consulting Yu Zhu only on matters of great importance.

Such as the current situation.

"Ms. Xu, is my Zhao family... safe?"

"And the Zhan family?"

Zhao Yafu and Zhan Tianxiang, both from Shadow's Keep, had hurriedly made their way from Gavanas, gasping for breath.

Upon receiving the news, they had utilized a teleportation circle to return from the Land of Quiescence and had arrived at the island without delay.

Following them, a steady stream of cultivators from the Devil Palace and the seven lower sects also converged upon hearing the news.

"Don't worry. Both the Zhao and Zhan families are unharmed," Xu Zixi reassured them with a composed demeanor. "However, the Gao family from Asvetaesi has been purged, with nearly all its members perishing."

"How could this happen? How did things... come to this?" Yan Lu murmured to himself.

He had been cultivating in the Forgotten Ruins when the alarming news reached him. He immediately sought out Xu Zixi, who received him with a chilly aloofness and ominously advised, "Given the current events involving your Yan family, it would be wise for you to distance yourself and sever ties with your kin."

Yan Gui, the head of the Yan family and the reigning emperor of the Shadowlight Empire, had resorted to a brutal campaign to eliminate numerous families within the empire.

Sects with ties to Shadow's Keep and the Devil Palace, as well as those affiliated with the lower sects, had been nearly eradicated, leaving a trail of devastation and loss.

No one could fathom why Yan Gui was so intensely stirred.

With the backing of the Devil Palace, Yan Gui had ousted the Lee family and the Silvermoon Queen, Lee Yupan, ascending as the new ruler of the empire. At that time, the Dark Herald from the Devil Palace and Zhou Cangmin of the Ruby Hand stood by Yan Gui's side, aiding him in this endeavor.

To all, Yan Gui was a man of the Devil Palace.

Unexpectedly, he resorted to a brutal purge within his own borders, enlisting the help of Otherkin with mixed bloodlines. The act left everyone speechless.

Moreover, Yan Gui declared that the Shadowlight Empire would retain its name as the Silvermoon Empire and had formed an alliance with the Songbird Empire.

"According to information obtained by the Skyreach Consortium, the reason was that Lee Yupan had stealthily emerged from the Moonfall Sanctuary and secretly visited the imperial palace for an in-depth conversation with Yan Gui," Zhu Peining said with a soft sigh. "Yan Gui's admiration for the Silvermoon Queen is well-known. It was for Lee Yupan that he refrained from leading the Yan family in the contest for the imperial throne."

"When Lee Yupan suffered a mishap in the Forgotten Ruins, resulting in the separation of her Lunar Spirit from her body, Yan Gui remained silent."

"Now, it appears that Yan Gui harbored resentment towards the Devil Palace and Shadow's Keep all along. Aware of his inability to oppose them, he bided his time, feigning allegiance to suppress the Lee family."

"I faintly recall that Lee Yuchan's Lunar Spirit was indestructible, and though her body was imprisoned, it was Yan Gui who sought the assistance of the Dark Herald and Zhou Cangmin to ensure her confinement."

The Skyreach Consortium has meticulously recorded these details.

Yan Gui's devotion to Lee Yupan was profound, and he went to great lengths to ensure her survival.

Ultimately, when the Silvermoon Queen broke free and regained her strength in the Moonfall Sanctuary, Yan Gui resolutely severed ties with the Devil Palace and Shadow's Keep.

He also chose to part ways with the current sect powers of the entire Everlands.

Within the empire, the families affiliated with the Devil Palace, Shadow's Keep, and the seven lower sects of Euwrea, who had participated in the massacre against the Lee family, were all eradicated overnight.

Yan Gui boldly proclaimed that he had forged a defensive and offensive alliance with the Songbird Empire, under the rule of Chen Liangquan.

This signified that two empires on the Aetherius continent had shifted their allegiance, now siding with the Boulderdawn sect.

"It's odd that the Zhan and Zhao families weren't purged," Zhu Peining mused with a puzzled look. "They were simply ordered to evacuate immediately. If they're leaving, their only refuge could be the Forgotten Ruins. Where else could they possibly go?"

Whoosh!

A swirling mist enveloped the mid-lake island as a remnant soul from Yu Zhu was conveyed.

Xu Zixi was taken aback, initially thinking Yu Zhu was speaking directly to her, only to realize that Dusk Raven had appeared and was covertly exchanging words with Yu Zhu.

After a moment of contemplation, Dusk Raven remarked, "The survival of the Zhao and Zhan families must be attributed to Yu Yuan."

"Yu Yuan?"

Zhao Yafu and Zhan Tianxiang cried out in astonishment.

Zhu Peining, along with several representatives from the lower sects, appeared completely bewildered.

"In the Land of Terror, a Spectre known as White Bone ascended to the rank of Ghost King with Yu Yuan's assistance. Recently, this White Bone King vanquished the millennium-old Dhoreus, causing Tian Zang to flee," Dusk Raven explained, then began to grumble, "That kid Yu Yuan has chosen White Bone to become the unparalleled God of Ghosts in the Land of Terror!"

"Yan Gui, as well as his backers, hold Yu Yuan in high regard."

"It's thanks to Yu Yuan that the Zhan and Zhao families avoided a bloody purge and managed to escape."

Turning to the visitors from Gavanas, who were eager to discern Yu Zhu's stance, he declared, "The Forgotten Ruins will welcome the Zhan and Zhao families. Other survivors fleeing from the Silvermoon Empire should not squander the spiritual energy resources of the Ruins."

His word was final.

"Yu Yuan!"

"Yu Yuan!"

Many allies of Yu Yuan erupted in exclamations of shock after Dusk Raven's revelation.

Unfamiliar with White Bone but well-acquainted with Yu Yuan, they learned of his fortuitous choice—a Spectre destined to become the God of Ghosts in the Land of Terror—sparking a mix of envy and jealousy.

"Ding-a-ling!"

At the Forgotten Ruins, Zhu Peining, the overseer, was startled by an urgent alert emanating from a bracelet on her wrist.

All eyes turned to Zhu Peining. Those familiar with the Skyreach Consortium understood that a sudden event must have occurred for her bracelet to react so intensely.

Zhu Peining tapped into her remnant soul to gauge the situation. Moments later, her expression turned steely as she announced, "The reigning emperor of the Stormcrown Empire has declared an alliance with the Songbird Empire and the Silvermoon Empire! Within the empire's borders, those of mixed blood can now walk freely, no longer hunted or killed!"

"What?!"

"Chen Liangquan's new policy is being enacted across the Aetherius Continent?"

"This is an outright challenge to the five supreme sects!"

The news left everyone dumbfounded.

They were struck by a realization—the five great supreme powers, led by the upper sects, Devil Palace, and Shadow's Keep, were gradually losing their iron grip on the Everlands.

If even the empires of Aetherius dared to defy the five supreme sects, they must be backed by a formidable force.

That force was undoubtedly the forbidden Boulderdawn.

The Untamed had always stood apart, with the Marsh being a place untouched by the supreme powers. Now, it seemed that the Land of Terror and the Skyreach Peak, under Zu Ann's control, along with the three great empires, might switch allegiances...

The continent was facing a turmoil like never before, a complete upheaval.

A heavy silence fell over the crowd, their faces etched with gravity.

...

In the Land of Terror.

Yu Yuan was blissfully ignorant of the seismic shifts happening beyond his reach. Unaware of the hordes of ghosts and Terra Fiends swarming into the Nether Reaches, he remained single-mindedly devoted to his cultivation.

Within Shadow Mountain, his Lunar Spirit emerged, drawing in power from the void.

Silvery strands of pure Yin energy wove into his Lunar Spirit Body, fortifying each thread of his remnant soul and rendering his Lunar Spirit increasingly vivid to the outside world.

Swoosh!

His Lunar Spirit weaved through the cave, acclimating to the soul spirit's form.

Out of the blue, he perceived a distant call reaching out to him from thousands of miles away.

...