C928 Surrounding the Forbidden Area

In the Serpent Spine Mountains, under the cloak of night, the luminous Star River enveloped a giant green serpent, making its way toward the Godsblight Marsh.

Within the radiant Star River, the serpent, its form akin to a sinuous mountain range, bore countless wounds. Drops of dark green blood, once congealed, dangled from its body like green fruits.

A golden giant dragon, its roar seething with anger, led a frost wyrm, black dragon, green dragon, and fire dragon, all slightly smaller in size, in relentless pursuit.

"Green Willow!"

"Green Willow, there's no escape for you now!"

The ground-shaking roar of the dragons tore through the void, petrifying the herbalists and cultivators of the Sacred Hands to the point where they prostrated themselves on the ground, too terrified to even draw breath.

The members of the Sacred Hands dared not lift their heads to witness the scene, for fear of being utterly terror-stricken.

The clash between the archdemon Green Willow and the numerous giant dragons carefully avoided the Sacred Hands' palace, yet still managed to shatter the nearby mountains and flatten vast swathes of forest with the sweep of their tails.

Such a conflict was beyond the scope of the Sacred Hands' cultivators and herbalists; they could not even afford to spectate.

As the dragon's breath created a tempestuous storm that encircled the Star River from all sides, the collision of various Ways of Heaven caused the sky to flicker and the air to crackle with electricity.

The people of the Sacred Hands, within the Serpent Spine Mountains, had no choice but to soothe their spirits and fortify their vitality and spiritual energy.

Only by doing so could they avoid the repercussions of the tumultuous forces at play, preventing the risk of hemorrhaging blood and safeguarding their future cultivation mindset.

"Loong Jie! If you're truly brave, come and find me yourself! Heh, do you despise me for that time I led the Demon Army and laid siege to your Dragon Lake, and now you seek to repay the deed in kind?"

Green Willow, now in his true form, his vertical pupil brimming with venomous and icy light, spared no opportunity to taunt Loong Jie.

In the past, as the grand commander of Shadow's Keep, Green Willow had led a host of archdemons in a brutal hunt of giant dragons within Dragon Lake's domain, driving the Naga to seek refuge deep within their natural fortifications, too fearful to venture back into the open waters.

Every old dragon vividly remembers that incident and harbors resentment because of it.

This time, it was Loong Jie who led the charge, rallying the old dragons under the banner of quelling rebellion, to encircle Green Willow. The situation bore a striking resemblance to that of the past.

"Green Willow, if you're so capable, gather your forces at Shadow's Keep. We're ready for you!" Loong Jie roared with laughter.

Green Willow responded with a cold snort, and the Water Magic shifted.

The entire Everlands, including the well-known rivers, responded in unison.

Whoosh!

The dazzling Star River fragmented into thousands of streams, each harboring a massive green serpent within.

The Star River shimmered, warping the fabric of space.

In distant, extraterrestrial domains, the strange power left by Green Willow seemed to awaken.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

In the blink of an eye, the brilliant Star River, along with Green Willow's integrated clones, vanished from sight.

Green Willow had fragmented into countless forms, seemingly diving into the riverbeds and lakes of the Everlands in a mere moment.

"Split up and strike!" commanded Loong Jie, his golden armor gleaming, as he spoke in the ancient dragon language.

His voice, cast in the dragon language, reached all existing giant dragons of eighth-level bloodline, who could hear him regardless of their location, provided they had undergone the mystical rites of the Nagas at Dragon Lake.

Then, giant dragons emerged one after another from Dragon Lake, from a frigid pond in Aetherius, from a shattered cave in the Land of Quiescence, and from an island in the sea.

In their quest to slay the archdemon Green Willow, the elite forces of Dragon Lake spared no effort.

"Dragon Lake..." Feng Pu whispered to himself atop a towering crimson mountain that had been excavated from the Crimson Sun Empire through his theurgy and temporarily commandeered.

Alongside Feng Pu on the mountain's summit were Mo Baichuan of Mount Solarian and Tang Zheng of Churchsor Hill.

Additionally, a dozen cultivators of varying levels, from Solar Spirit to Spirit Walk, radiated intense heat. Their fiery auras made it clear they were all from the Sunlit Order.

In the Crimson Sun Empire's domain, numerous mountains like this one offered the perfect environment for enhancing their combat prowess.

This was precisely why Feng Pu, Mo Baichuan, and Tang Zheng had chosen this location.

"Loong Jie, you've truly gone above and beyond for that promise," Tang Zheng remarked with a snort.

With his soft silver hair and handsome features, Mo Baichuan sat in silence at the mountain's peak, not joining their conversation. His gaze was fixed intently on the Moonfall Sanctuary.

"How odd..."

His confrontation with Xi Quan had only just come to a definitive end.

The living flames that had flickered on Xi Quan's body, before being snuffed out by her withered sword light, had briefly revealed a trace of a similar essence.

"Could there be a disciple from my Mount Solarian lineage within the forbidden area? It's quite peculiar. There are very few who have the qualifications to successfully cultivate my Nine Glories Wheel. Surely, none could be in the Moonfall Sanctuary, especially not near Xi Quan."

Mo Baichuan was at a loss for an explanation.

Unbeknownst to Yu Yuan, as long as he practiced the Nine Glories Wheel, any essence of spiritual energy refined by the technique within the Golden Sanctum's little world would resonate with the power emanating from Mo Baichuan's body.

This was because Mo Baichuan was the sole creator of the Nine Glories Wheel, and his mastery had reached an exceedingly profound level.

"The Sword Sect, Ebon Star, and our Sect Master have agreed to Loong Jie's terms. As long as Dragon Lake is willing to atone, not only will Loong Jie be absolved of all past actions, but the five great powers will no longer obstruct his attempts to break through to the tenth level of vitality. His success now hinges on his own fortune," Feng Pu explained.

"What about the future of Dragon Lake?" Tang Zheng asked, intrigued.

"It all comes down to their martial accomplishments," Feng Pu replied, his eyes narrowing as he observed the giant dragons diving into the rivers of Aetherius. "If their merits are exceptionally high, Dragon Lake might just have a chance to re-emerge into the public eye. Currently, Dragon Lake and the Nagas find themselves in the awkward position of exile, unable to openly bolster their strength."

"Dragon Lake and the giant dragons seek to reclaim their honor through this battle," Tang Zheng realized.

As they conversed,

Sword Sect's Sky Chariots, shaped like sword blades, flickered in the distant night sky.

Majestic palaces soared overhead, drawing closer.

The convergence of the Sword Sect and Ebon Star at the Moonfall Sanctuary signaled the gathering of Euwrea's most formidable powers.

"The Devil Palace and Shadow's Keep will intercept the other crucial entrance at the juncture of the Silvermoon Empire and the forbidden area," declared Van Heqing, known as Shatterblade, standing atop a sword-shaped vessel, his clothes billowing, his presence radiant.

"Excellent!" Tang Zheng exclaimed.

Feng Pu and Mo Baichuan, upon noticing Ji Ningshuang's presence, nodded their respects.

For Unbound cultivators, merely being in the vicinity of the Moonfall Sanctuary meant they could instantly reach any point, whether the Sky Fiend or Otherkin warriors broke through.

Distances of thousands of miles were traversed in mere moments.

Thus, whether they were at this end or by the Silvermoon Empire's border with the forbidden area, they were effectively together.

Their communication remained unaffected by distance.

...

Deep within the forbidden area, Otherkin experts, informed by Xi Quan of the external situation, wore somber expressions.

"There's no need to worry. We'll be out of here soon."

"Stay calm, everyone. The Withered Sword has merely encountered its nemesis and sought refuge in the forbidden area for now."

"The Domain Channel to the Hellmouth is likely under repair. Yan Qiling of Boulderdawn, President Lyi of the Skyreach Consortium, and others are addressing the issue. Once the channel opens, we can head to the Hellmouth and from there, receive the teachings of our realm."

"Focus on strengthening your bloodline and avoid wild speculation."

Canli, Beru, Mia, and the Demon God of the Sky Fiend used these words to soothe their people.

On the other side,

Yu Yuan sat tranquilly where the meteorite had once been, with only the Ghost King, Luo Yue, for company. He sifted through the Storage Bag given by Ann Ziqing, selecting essences to fortify his soul.

"Does breaking through to the Spirit Walk realm require additional magic items?" Yu Yuan asked as he rummaged through the contents.

"In my view, you don't need them," Luo Yue replied with a smile.

Qin Yun had made significant strides in the Spirit Walk realm, having borrowed numerous magic items from the Skyreach Consortium's Gavanas branch. Others, like Tong Laoqian and Qi Yunhong, had also made extensive preparations when attempting to break through the Spirit Walk and Solar Spirit realms.

Now, as Yu Yuan was on the cusp of advancing further, Luo Yue surprisingly suggested that preparations were unnecessary.

"Preparations serve two purposes: one is to cover any gaps, and the other is to guard against the unforeseen," Luo Yue explained, looking at him. "If your soul has already achieved Great Perfection before your Spirit Walk breakthrough, with no weaknesses, there's no need to prepare. As you mentioned, Qin Yun's preparations were out of concern for insufficient Soul Power during the breakthrough."

"I don't think you need to worry about that."

"Additionally, Qin Yun feared that if the breakthrough failed, his Lunar Spirit might not return to his body, or it could be dispersed by external forces, resulting in severe injury. Hence, he required certain magic items and tools to provide refuge for his Lunar Spirit, should it fail to return immediately after separation."

"With the Crucible of Evil in your possession, you have no need for concern," Luo Yue assured him.

Yu Yuan listened intently and nodded in understanding. "So, you're saying I can break through at any moment."

"Exactly."

​