C905 Dragon Devour
"Lord Green Willow!"
Yu Yuan, upon witnessing his arrival within the Crucible of Evil, let out a soft, whistling sound filled with joy and relief.
Green Willow, the archdemon of the ninth level, had refined rivers in the Star River of the extraterrestrial realms and escaped the Sword Prison. Now restored to his peak combat strength, he was nearly invincible in the absence of a primordial spirit.
"Green Willow!"
"Leader of Shadow's Keep, commander of the evilkind armies from the extraterrestrial realms!"
Both Tianjing and Chong Xiao were deeply shaken by his appearance.
The battle between Tianjing and the Frost Queen came to an abrupt halt. Tianjing, notorious for his vicious nature, shuddered and scattered ice crystals that rolled about like glass marbles.
"Return."
Yu Yuan flashed a grin, beckoning the Frost Queen and the other five subordinate Bane leaders, along with the numerous Banes forming the circle, to retreat back into the cauldron.
The meticulously arranged evil circles vanished in an instant.
The eighth-level green dragon, previously muddled by the rune circle and the toxic winds, regained its spiritual wisdom. It was about to unleash a tirade when it caught sight of Green Willow in the fountain.
Loong Qi, the green dragon, trembled at the sight of Green Willow. Unaware of Green Willow's origins or status, the aura emanating from him felt like facing a natural predator, draining him of any will to fight.
"Blood, the natural check within our bloodlines!" Fear was evident in Loong Qi's eyes.
Just the sight of Green Willow, who remained still, was more frightening than the evil circles released by Yu Yuan.
His blood slowed, and the innate talents of his bloodline, awakened at birth, seemed to suddenly fail him.
"Green Willow, the green dragon, and the necklace in Wen Lu's hands, all converging with the plant essence, have turned the valley a vibrant green," Yu Yuan mused, stroking his chin with a curious expression.
"Dragon Lake, huh."
Green Willow, with his vertical pupil, let out a low chuckle. In an instant, fountains transformed into verdant streams rushing toward Loong Qi.
Within these emerald waters, starlight twinkled, revealing a variety of water beasts from the extraterrestrial realms, along with numerous mystic runes infused with the essence of Water Magic.
Loong Qi tapped into his soul for a brief moment, and the sensation nearly caused his blood to freeze in terror. "M-my lord, you?"
"I'm going to devour you."
In an instant, the formidable commander of Shadow's Keep unveiled his true form.
A colossal green serpent spanned the sky, resembling an unending mountain range, too vast for Gloomhollow to contain. Thus, it hovered midair within the valley.
The true form of Green Willow dwarfed the dragon's body in the valley by an immeasurable scale.
Overwhelming demon energy emanated from his form, sending shivers through the souls of those from Sacred Hands hidden deep underground.
Green Willow's vertical pupils shone like twin green suns, fixating on Loong Qi.
Under that gaze, Loong Qi was as if turned to stone, his body rigid, his dragon blood congealed, his mind unable to function.
Then, jade-green rivulets, like chains of lightning, wrapped around Loong Qi, yanking the eighth-level green dragon out of Gloomhollow as if he were nothing.
He was pulled skyward, and then towards the gaping maw of Green Willow...
As Loong Qi, a hundred meters in length, was drawn into Green Willow's mouth, he seemed no more significant than a worm burrowing into the earth.
As Loong Qi's form vanished incrementally, there were no cries or screams.
Chong Xiao, who had departed from Loong Qi's brow long before, watched the immense green serpent in the sky, his face dark as still waters.
Drip, drip, drip.
Viscous droplets fell from Green Willow's razor-sharp teeth, splattering on the valley floor and carving out deep, bucket-sized pits.
"Could it really be this effortless?"
Watching Loong Qi being consumed by Green Willow without the slightest resistance, Yu Yuan was incredulous.
Loong Qi's lineage was of the eighth level, while Green Willow was of the ninth level, merely one tier above.
Yet, in the face of Green Willow, Loong Qi acted as though he was senseless, utterly motionless, and was thus ingested without a struggle.
"This archdemon is the sworn adversary of the Green Dragon Clan. The Water Serpent Clan, from which Green Willow descends, appears to have triumphed in a cosmic contest of the Way of Heaven, inherently overpowering the bloodline of the Green Dragon Clan to which Loong Qi belongs," explained the cauldron spirit Yu Yiyi, though her clarification was somewhat ambiguous. "Only the emergence of a tenth-level green dragon within Loong Qi's clan could potentially nullify the bloodline suppression resulting from their defeat in the Way of Heaven's conflict."
Yu Yuan's face registered shock upon hearing the news.
Following the Nagas' defeat, various giant dragons who once mastered the secrets of the Way of Heaven in the Everlands were supplanted by evilkind, leading to the Nagas' inability to recover.
The Nagas had thus forfeited their exalted status.
It had become all too easy for Green Willow, the leader of the Water Snake Clan, to assert dominance after consuming a green dragon through bloodline suppression.
It was no surprise that the giant dragons of Dragon Lake now only dared to lurk in the deep sea, seldom venturing into other regions of the Everlands.
The green dragon was overpowered by the Water Snake Clan's bloodline, and it was likely that the frost wyrms and golden dragons were similarly constrained at their core by the archdemons of Shadow's Keep.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
In that instant, Chong Xiao and Tianjing transformed into two beams of light, both seeking escape from the valley.
With the appearance of the archdemon Green Willow and a warning from Xinshang, the two Sages from the Ethereal Void Sect realized they had no further prospects of success and promptly decided to make their exit.
This was during the moment Green Willow was preoccupied with consuming Loong Qi.
Suddenly, a dense network of sword's will permeated Gloomhollow, omnipresent.
Chong Xiao and Tianjing, now streaks of light, sped through the grid of sword's will, battered and bleeding. Their attempts to flee were thwarted, and their lights extinguished.
They reappeared, drenched in blood.
As the sword's will descended over the valley, a knowing smile crept onto Yu Yuan's lips.
He recognized the master of the sword's will.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
The sound of water echoed from above as the archdemon Green Willow shifted back into a human form with green robes and a vertical pupil.
Narrowing his eyes, he gazed at Xinshang, who was within the arc light, wearing an expression of utmost displeasure. "I told you, you're free to leave whenever you wish. But if you intervene, even just once, forget about leaving."
"Withered Sword!"
Xinshang, head bowed, surveyed Gloomhollow and observed the gray sword's will that enveloped and sealed the entire valley.
Gloomhollow was swiftly suffused with the stench of death, as living creatures, flowers, and trees alike seemed to succumb to a withering demise.
This sword's will was singular in the world, easily recognizable.
"It's so hard. It's really hard," Xinshang lamented inwardly.
Without his help, Chong Xiao and Tianjing, with their current levels and techniques, stood no chance of escaping the valley.
Yet, even if he intervened, the Grand Sword Immortal, concealed in an unknown location, could still prevent their escape with another sweep of sword light.
Moreover, the archdemon Green Willow was ominously looming overhead, issuing a grave warning.
To help or not to help?
Xinshang was torn.
"Greetings, Elder Xi."
Yu Yuan, supporting Wen Lu, emerged from the Crucible of Evil and offered a respectful fist-and-palm salute to the sky.
A cold huff echoed from beneath the ground. "I never imagined you'd be the direct successor of that faithless man! If I hadn't been asked to look after you, I wouldn't care whether you lived or died!"
"Faithless man?" Yu Yuan was taken aback.
Then it dawned on him that in his past life, he had indeed failed Ji Ningshuang.
Xi Quan had been close to the Stardust Blade, and because of that incident, she had always held a grudge against him.
"I'm here out of respect for President Lyi and the Skyreach Consortium."
Xi Quan materialized, standing at the mouth of a cavern within the valley, and gave Xinshang a chilling stare, tinged with ill intent. "You wish to save them? Xinshang, feel free to give it a try."
With a splash, a pristine green lake formed silently beneath the arc light.
Gazing upon the lake and sensing the intricate essence of the Way of Heaven within, Xinshang's face was etched with sorrow.
