C899 Tragedy

Loong Qi stood at the edge of Gloomhollow, having transformed into his human guise. He felt no rush to venture inside.

The valley's sinister reputation preceded it, and Loong Qi was well aware of the dangers that lurked within, such as the Shadowflame Blight Array and the Nightstorm, long before he arrived at the Serpent Spine Mountains.

He had the audacity to act recklessly in the mountains because he was confident that the Order of Healing wouldn't hold him accountable. At most, they might make a show of seeking retribution.

In truth, his actions in the Serpent Spine Mountains were in accordance with the Order of Healing's wishes.

The Sacred Hands were uncooperative, and the Order of Healing couldn't intervene directly. They had Loong Qi carry out their bidding, teaching the Sacred Hands a harsh lesson and driving home a brutal truth—that the Sacred Hands lacked the strength and heritage to protect their herbalists.

Should trouble arise, the Sacred Hands would inevitably turn to the Order of Healing for aid, depending on them to maintain their esteemed status within the Serpent Spine Mountains.

Loong Qi was unclear about the rift between the Order of Healing and the Sacred Hands, but he was certain he wouldn't be slain by the Order of Healing.

"Loong Qi!"

"That's the eighth-level evil dragon!"

Wen Xin and the elder from the Sacred Hands paled upon hearing Loong Qi's draconic cry.

Shi Yuxuan's face was grave. He realized that the Shadowflame Blight Array in Gloomhollow was merely a husk of its former self; the core that formed the rune circle, the myriad streams of poisonous fire, had dwindled significantly.

Yu Zhu had taken the remnants of the poisonous fire and the luminous streams with her when she left Gloomhollow, reestablishing the Shadowflame Blight Array on an island at the heart of a lake within the Forgotten Ruins.

Even the Nightstorm had weakened, incapable of enveloping even a quarter of Gloomhollow's expanse.

Should Loong Qi revert to his draconic form, his massive hundred-meter body would still be susceptible to the valley's venomous flames and the Nightstorm, potentially reopening old wounds.

Despite his ability to take on the form of a dragon, Loong Qi chose to appear as a human!

In his dragon form, he could have swiftly navigated through Gloomhollow, easily avoiding the myriad threats within.

"Chong Xiao and Tianjing are en route as well. Things are looking grim."

Yu Yuan gazed at the arc light above, his eyes resting on the indistinct form of Xinshang. A sense of urgency grew within him.

The peril he faced had been communicated to the Moonfall Sanctuary via the Soulforge Pool and the Evil Statue. Liu Ying must have received the message by now.

But the distance from Moonfall Sanctuary to Gloomhollow was not insignificant.

In the absence of Yan Qiling and without a master of space magic at hand, Yu Yuan found himself trapped, unable to teleport away.

He was no match for the Unbound Level Xinshang or the Frost Queen with his current strength.

"All I can hope for is that Xinshang holds back and that Chong Xiao and Tianjing take their time arriving."

Yu Yuan's gaze darted about as he covertly signaled to the cauldron spirit. Clutching his sword sheath, he readied the Frost Queen and the host of Bane for a potential last stand.

Whoosh!

After a bout of shouting, Loong Qi, still in human form, unleashed a dragon's breath outside the valley.

The breath, carrying the scent of decayed leaves, transformed into a straight plume of gray smoke that surged into Gloomhollow.

As Loong Qi's breath entered the valley, it moved as if alive, deftly avoiding the Shadowflame Blight and skirting the Nightstorm, resembling a gray spirit snake lunging at Wen Lu.

Clearly, Wen Lu remained Loong Qi's primary target.

"I'm struggling a bit because there's no vegetation in the valley."

Wen Lu, who had just leveraged the Shadowkin's bloodline talent to counter Loong Qi's breath in the woods, now seemed panicked in the face of his direct attack.

With scarcely a tree or flower in Gloomhollow, she was devoid of usable power.

Her true bloodline level was merely seventh, and she had already expended much energy.

"Don't worry."

Yu Yuan spoke calmly, offering her reassurance.

Whoosh!

A dark blue pillar of ice burst forth from the Crucible of Evil, plunging the temperature in Gloomhollow into a sudden and steep decline. Everyone in the valley was engulfed by a chill so intense, it felt as though they had been thrust into the depths of a harsh winter.

Within the icy column, clusters of frigid flames danced, seemingly harboring the true essence of ice force.

The dragon's breath unleashed by Loong Qi collided with the ice pillar, emitting a hissing sound as it was intermingled with splinters of ice light and quickly extinguished.

The Frost Queen did not rush to reveal herself; the chilling ice stream she released with a mere flick of her hand was enough to thwart Loong Qi's assault.

Outside the valley, the eighth level green dragon wore a look of surprise and confusion on its somber face. "It's not Wen Lu. That kid from Asvetaesi, he emerged from the cauldron..."

Loong Qi was not familiar with Yu Yuan, having only heard snippets of his tales. He was skeptical.

What he did not realize was that the Frost Queen, now the mightiest within the Crucible of Evil, possessed combat prowess on par with a Solar Spirit Stage warrior, a match for his own eighth level Naga status.

"The essence of the Frozen Hellscape is peculiar, very peculiar indeed!"

Dragon Lake, deep beneath the sea, was all too familiar with the Frozen Hellscape. The breath of extreme cold released by the Frost Queen made Loong Qi pause in uncertainty.

Loong Qi, who had been resolute in his intent to storm Gloomhollow, suddenly found himself contemplating his next move.

After a brief moment of hesitation, Loong Qi looked up to the figure within the arc light that had saved him, seeking guidance from the remnant soul.

"The Sages Chong Xiao and Tianjing from my sect will arrive shortly. You might want to wait a moment," Xinshang responded.

Loong Qi's eyes brightened, and he nodded emphatically, signaling his understanding.

"Yu Yuan, if you have a chance to escape, do it now," Shi Yuxuan urged, seeing the situation had escalated to this point. "Just remember to take revenge for us later! This accursed green dragon!"

"Escape?"

Yu Yuan shook his head and gestured towards Xinshang above, "With him here, escape is impossible for anyone."

"That is indeed the case," Shi Yuxuan fell silent.

Wen Xin, who had previously been insistent on leaving, resigned herself to staying after seeing Xinshang overhead and Loong Qi transformed, guarding the entrance to the valley.

At this moment, Wen Lu and I had managed to elude Yu Yuan, but facing Loong Qi, our situation seemed dire.

"Just wait and see whether the Ethereal Void's Sage arrives first or if the reinforcements from Moonfall Sanctuary are more timely," Yu Yuan remarked with detachment.

Yet, he harbored a sense of perplexity.

With Xinshang's level of mastery and power, he could have forcefully entered Gloomhollow, subdued the Frost Queen, and then obliterated everyone in the valley without hesitation.

There was no need to wait for Sages Chong Xiao and Tianjing.

"Is Xinshang from the Ethereal Void Sect truly indolent, reluctant to exert himself? I've heard he and the current Sect Master Lingxu aren't exactly aligned. Could that be the reason?" Yu Yuan mused, unable to decipher Xinshang's motives.

It appeared Xinshang wasn't a typical sect-raised powerhouse, meticulously groomed by the Ethereal Void Sect.

From what Yu Yuan had gathered, Xinshang likely hailed from a solitary cultivation background, his former identity unknown to all.

Within the depths of Moonfall Sanctuary lay a vast teleportation circle.

Liu Ying, ethereal as a celestial nymph, stood upon the Fallen Star Eyes crafted from extraterrestrial meteorite. Gazing into the distance at the Evil Statue, she was visibly distressed, "Yu Yuan is in peril in the Serpent Spine Mountains!"

The statue's benign aspect faced her, seemingly offering a reassuring smile.

Liu Ying, caught off guard, felt an unexpected tranquility wash over her.

"Serpent Spine Mountains! Did you see Loong Qi and Xinshang of the Ethereal Void Sect?"

Tong Laoqian, standing nearby, blanched, quickly summoning the Jade Tower, "Liu, I understand your reluctance to intervene due to your Starmoon Sect affiliation. My Fallen Star Eyes is swifter than my Jade Tower. Let's do this: join me and lend your strength through the Fallen Star Eyes!"

"Xinshang and the eighth-level Loong Qi... What are you planning?" Liu Ying gave him a skeptical look.

"I..."

Tong Laoqian faltered, at a loss for words.

"Why not use the rune circle to seek assistance from Mr. Yan at the Terror Claws?" Liu Ying offered earnest advice, "But according to its words, we needn't be overly concerned."

She gestured toward the distant Evil Statue.

"Did it, did it speak?"

"It wasn't explicit, but the implication was that we'd be rescued by someone eventually."

"Then I'm relieved!"

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