C925 His Combat Strength Skyrocketed!
At that very moment, in the center of the forbidden area, Qi Yunhong was making a commotion at the teleportation circle. "Something's not right. This teleportation circle that connects to the outside world won't activate again."
Previously, a torrential rain had been falling, but now, not a single drop could penetrate the forbidden area.
"It's the sealing power of the Soulforge Matrix that's locked down the teleportation circle, quelling the abnormal spatial fluctuations," observed Beru of the Starborn, sensing the energy swirling in the heavens. "It looks like a battle might be brewing beyond the Everlands. We're currently safeguarded within the Moonfall Sanctuary."
Canli nodded in agreement, "We should stay put and not attempt to break out."
Lately, several radical Otherkin had been rallying their peers to break through the Everlands' wall and reach the extraterrestrial Star River. Their goal was to locate members of the Boulderdawn or familiar faces, board the Voidfarer warship, and return to their homelands and Domains.
Their confidence stemmed from the presence of Boulderdawn experts and other formidable figures from their race who remained outside.
But now, with the activation of the Soulforge Matrix, it was clear that the external situation was far from promising.
"Regardless of what others do, I've decided to stay put in the forbidden area for now. I'm not going anywhere," Beru resolved, then coughed and pleaded, "Yu Yuan, if you find the time, please help me with the alchemy sooner rather than later."
"I'm sorry, I truly don't have the time right now," Yu Yuan politely refused.
"I understand."
At the edge of the forbidden area, near the Serpent Spine Mountains, Shi Yuxuan from Sacred Hands, Qin Yun, Wen Lu with her Shadowkin lineage, and several Shadowkin clanspeople stood in a daze, gazing at the barrier of green and black magic power.
Just a few miles further and they would step out of the forbidden area into the Serpent Spine Mountains.
Shi Yuxuan had finally convinced Wen Lu and the Shadowkin to visit Sacred Hands, eager to extend a warm welcome to the visitors from the Shadowkin.
The Shadowkin themselves were curious to see the rare and exotic herbs of the Extraterrestrial Star River that Shi Yuxuan had boasted about.
They were swayed and wanted to explore the area themselves, considering whether to forge a long-term and closer partnership with Sacred Hands.
Wen Lu, a half-blood of the Human Race and the Shadowkin, became a bond between the two, earning recognition from both.
"Damn it, the Soulforge Matrix in the forbidden area just activated!" Shi Yuxuan slammed his foot down, his anger rising like flames. "The current matrix is unbreakable by any of us."
Being near the forbidden area, he was privy to many secrets. Watching the Soulforge Matrix take shape, he knew his power was insufficient to break free.
His only option was to return and plead with Yu Yuan for passage.
"I'm starting to think that choosing to venture into the Serpent Spine Mountains at such a perilous time might not have been wise," reflected Wen Lu, the half-blood girl. After enduring a series of drastic changes, including the loss of her family and the infusion of Shadowkin spirit magic, her bloodline had awakened, transforming her entirely.
Her silver leaf necklace, now fully integrated into her being after refinement, had become a part of her.
In just a fortnight, she had progressed from the Veil Breaking to the Subtlety Realm, improving daily at an astonishing rate and nearing the condensation of her Lunar Spirit. Even more remarkable was the rapid growth and transformation of her Shadowkin bloodline.
"Senior Shi, I advise you to refrain from returning to the Serpent Spine Mountains for the time being," Wen Lu said, her eyes reflecting a mix of resolve and composure. "Going back now may not bode well for you or the Sacred Hands."
Shi Yuxuan's face showed a flicker of concern at her words.
"Stay put and observe the changes," Wen Lu added.
"Alright, fine," Shi Yuxuan acquiesced, persuaded by her reasoning.
A sense of foreboding loomed over everyone at the Moonfall Sanctuary, casting a shadow on the hearts of all humans and extraterrestrial visitors alike, leaving them restless with the fear of impending doom.
Yu Yuan had ceased all communication, secluding himself in a stone mansion at the bottom of the pit left by the departed silver meteorite. There, oblivious to the passage of time, he used the Altar of Rebirth to smelt the lifeblood of the Otherkin.
"Puff! Puff! Puff!"
One acupoint after another opened, fortified by the potent lifeblood of the Otherkin. In addition to the Big Dipper acupoints he had broken through in the Land of Terror with the Shadow Moon Essence, dozens more acupoints throughout his body were now open, each brimming with fierce vitality.
Every acupoint within him was akin to a reservoir of vitality, pulsating with remarkable strength. His Lunar Spirit realm had effortlessly reached its zenith, thanks to the sustenance provided by his lifeblood. The threshold to the Spirit Walk realm seemed to be just an epiphany or a fierce battle away.
The comprehensive enhancement of his physique left him both elated and astounded. Although he had not yet entered the Spirit Walk realm, he had a sense that even Shen Feiqing, the army captain from the Forgotten Ruins who had once slaughtered enemies with the "Ancient Echoes of the Void" and her formidable physical prowess, might not have possessed the sheer power that his body now contained.
He might lack Shen Feiqing's nearly divine combat skills, but his physical strength was second to none. "Without resorting to my Lunar Spirit, without the aid of the Crucible of Evil, relying solely on my physique, I could overpower any ordinary cultivator of the Spirit Walk realm with just a few blows."
With this thought in mind, he activated the "Fiendish Might." Boom! Boom! Boom! The vitality within dozens of his activated acupoints erupted like volcanoes. In the stone mansion, his punches and swings unleashed a torrent of brute force, shattering the structure into rubble. The force of his fists spread out like a wave, turning stones as hard as refined iron into dust.
A new crater emerged at the epicenter of his presence, with hundreds of rocks and a cloud of stone debris radiating outward. The astonishing disturbance quickly drew a crowd.
Qin Yun, who had been unable to venture to the Serpent Spine Mountains and had remained by his side due to their bond, was the first to arrive. Boom! The shockwave from the Fiendish Might sent Qin Yun hurtling through the air.
The former sect master of Midnightshields, a cultivator of the Spirit Walk realm, managed to suppress a mouthful of fresh blood before crashing to the ground, his face etched with horror. "Young... Young Master?" Qin Yun stammered.
He was absolutely certain that the force that had wounded him was the violent and mighty surge of vitality, a colossal force amassed from the convergence of vitality. It was as though he had been struck head-on by an eighth-level archdemon, as if a small mountain had collided with him.
"Master, how can the vitality within you be so terrifying?" Qi Yunhong arrived, his eyes wide with astonishment as he gazed at a somewhat bewildered Yu Yuan. "You haven't even entered the Spirit Walk realm, yet why do I feel so uneasy? And you haven't tapped into any other powers!"
Suddenly, a thought involuntarily surfaced in his mind.
Yu Yuan, still in the Lunar Spirit realm, who could match him at this level?
Cao Jiaze, once deemed unbeatable at the same level, had reached the pinnacle of the Lunar Spirit. Could he have possibly defeated the current Yu Yuan?
"No, impossible!" Qi Yunhong shook his head vehemently.
He was convinced that if Yu Yuan, as he was now, encountered Cao Jiaze from years past, still in the Lunar Spirit stage, and they fought a battle to the death...
Yu Yuan would undoubtedly be the one to survive!
"Yu Yuan!"
"Such formidable vitality! Even a seventh-level Heir of Blood from my clan might not be his equal!"
"Is this the frailty of humanity? Or could this individual be an archdemon in human guise?"
"Terrifying! This presence is simply beyond human!"
Otherkin experts, Shi Yuxuan, Tong Laoqian, and creatures from afar exclaimed in shock as they approached.
Yu Yuan, still acquainting himself with his newfound strength, suddenly sensed an odd stir within the Soulforge Pool. He then saw a figure shrouded in sword light and flames, piercing through the Soulforge Matrix and materializing within the forbidden area.
"The Sword Immortal from Gloomhollow!" Wen Lu exclaimed in terror.
Her innate aversion and fear toward the Withered Sword that Xi Quan practiced prompted her to scream immediately.
Thud!
As soon as the sword light and Xi Quan entered the forbidden area, they collapsed from exhaustion.
Yu Yuan's face paled as he rushed to their side.
Those familiar with the Withered Sword also wore grave expressions, converging warily toward the scene.
Xi Quan, a formidable practitioner of the Withered Sword with a fearsome reputation in the extraterrestrial Star River, had been gravely wounded by whom?
