C949 Like the Divine King Sitting down
"Yu Yuan!"
At the entrance of the forbidden area, the Demonic Giant Owls of the Quietus Continent called out in unison, their voices hushed yet urgent.
The Heaven Sealing Soul Transformation Formation thwarted their efforts to peer inside; their soul senses and gazes were unable to penetrate the dark cyan barrier, leaving the scene within shrouded in mystery.
Inside, however, beings like Canli, Tianzang, and Beru had a clear view of the outsiders.
Ignorant of the happenings behind the barrier, they were left to wonder about the situation within.
Yu Yuan was the sole living creature they had glimpsed before the trial's entrance, a sight that took many by surprise, especially those who knew him well.
Amidst the barrier's surge of demonic energy, Yu Yuan's figure began to sharpen into focus.
The swirling mass of dark cyan demonic energy morphed unpredictably as Yu Yuan emerged, weaving into an intricate array of patterns.
Without the need for soul sensing, a mere glance was enough for the seasoned cultivators to recognize the hundreds of complex and mystical Matrix Diagrams densely arrayed around Yu Yuan, offering him the highest level of protection.
Crackle! Hiss!
Abruptly, dazzling sparks like fireworks burst forth from Yu Yuan's visage, scattering outward in a shower of light.
Those who had covertly employed their soul senses and abilities to shatter the barrier and end Yu Yuan's life now stifled groans, recoiling from the backlash they incurred.
"Don't be the butt of jokes!" bellowed the Golden Elephant Ancient God, his voice thunderous with indignation.
At his roar, no greater demon or Quietus Continent cultivator dared to act in the shadows.
Murmur! Mumble!
Led by Loong Jie, the dragons dipped their heads, emitting cryptic, eerie roars as they swished their massive tails. Following Yu Yuan's unexpected appearance, they began to retreat, their bloodlines quivering with unease.
Loong Jie, absolved by the Sword Sect and bolstered by promises from the three upper sects—the Demon Palace, Devil Palace, and others—had positioned his kin at the vanguard. They had aspired to be the first to storm the forbidden area, to clash with otherworldly powerhouses like Beru. Yet, Yu Yuan's sudden emergence sent them withdrawing in disquiet.
The Nagas' odd behavior instantly sent ripples of alarm through the onlookers, drawing puzzled, suspicious, and disgruntled stares upon the retreating dragons.
Loong Jie, their chieftain, struggled to lift his head, striving to confront the figure within the green and black barrier with unyielding resolve.
Yet, the constraints of his bloodline and the strictures of the rules made even the simple act of raising his head a challenge he couldn't smoothly accomplish.
He continued to bow his head, retreating until he reached a safe distance. Only then could Loong Jie look up, his face etched with humiliation.
Even so, he dared not meet Yu Yuan's gaze directly. Instead, he offered an explanation to the Golden Elephant Ancient God and the direction of the Demon Palace, "This youth carries the scent of the Dragon Slash Platform!"
"Dragon Slash Platform!"
The expressions of the Unrestrained Stage cultivators perched atop the Deep Sea Basilisk's head shifted subtly, betraying a thoughtful demeanor.
The Deep Sea Basilisk, a creature from beyond the stars and a Ninth Level Vicious Beast, was rumored to possess the bloodline of the Starry Behemoth, the Abyss Goanna. In its earlier years, it was slain by the Demon Palace and its body was forged into a peculiar vessel for their use.
The three-hundred-meter-long Deep Sea Basilisk bore a spine studded with rust-streaked iron, forming numerous pavilions.
Its massive wings, broad as a plain, bore the weight of many of the Demon Palace's formidable experts.
The pavilions on its head and along its spine were reserved for the Unrestrained Stage and Yang God Stage practitioners.
Yao Huangqi, in the late Unrestrained Stage, and Liu Yi, the Mighty Spirit King in the early Unrestrained Stage, were the leaders of this expedition from the Demon Palace.
These two Unrestrained Stage cultivators were allies of Zhu Zongchao, renowned figures across the vast Boundless Land and even in the distant Outland Starry Sky.
In this moment, they exchanged a look with the three Ninth Level Great Demons of the Demon Palace, signaling a mutual understanding to hold off on attacking the forbidden area.
"Yu Yuan!"
Upon their reunion, Mo Yan, standing on the Kyara Demon Blade, flashed a radiant smile and beckoned from afar, drawing Yu Yuan's attention to himself. It was as if the near-catastrophe in Horror Land, which had almost shattered his soul and caused him to lose his grip on the Devil Blade, had nothing to do with the Yu Yuan before him.
But those familiar with Mo Yan knew the depth of his enmity towards Yu Yuan, hidden behind that smile.
Otherwise, Mo Yan wouldn't have implored Yao Huangqi, insisting on coming to the forbidden area at any cost.
He was here for one reason: to witness Yu Yuan's downfall!
"Yu Yuan!"
From the Red Devil Sect, Zhou Cangmin, the White-robed Imperial Advisor who had returned from his celestial travels, now in the Middle Period of the Yang God Stage, stood alongside Faang Yao, who had also ascended to the Yang God Stage. They flanked the Red Devil Sect's Great Cultivator, Chung Guanyu, and gazed at the silhouette within the green and black barrier with complex emotions.
Zhou Cangmin was struck by a sense of being worlds apart...
The Yu Yuan before him seemed so alien, it was as if they were meeting for the very first time.
He vividly recalled setting a trap in Chilly Wind Valley, sabotaging a Heaven Palace Seal of the Profound Sky Sect, and the times he had favored and protected Yu Yuan, both overtly and covertly...
Who could have imagined that, in such a short time after their farewell, Yu Yuan would rise as the most striking luminary of this realm?
Yu Yuan's radiance cast a subtle shadow over his own.
With a whoosh, the Soul Transformation Pool drifted over, its dark blue energy swirling, and came to rest behind Yu Yuan.
Within the confines of the barrier, Yu Yuan took his seat at the pool's edge as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
The moment he settled, a profound sense of unity washed over the gathered Unrestrained Stage and Yang God Stage cultivators. It was as if he and the Soul Transformation Pool were intrinsically intertwined, a perfect symbiosis that evoked the image of an ancient Divine King gracing his throne with effortless grace.
"He's ascended to the Soul Wandering Stage," Yao Huangqi observed from the Devil Palace, his gaze as stormy as the deep sea, a flicker of recognition crossing his features. Despite his ability to penetrate divine iron with his soul's eye, the barrier thwarted any direct insight into Yu Yuan's Consciousness Little World.
He relied instead on subtle clues and his intimate knowledge of the Soul Wandering Stage to draw a reasoned conclusion.
"The prowess of the Soul Wandering Stage is immeasurable, and his physical strength is formidable. His true power cannot be gauged by stage alone," declared the Golden Elephant Ancient God, standing in human form atop a golden summit. His words resonated, prompting knowing nods from the Unrestrained Stage cultivators.
There was unanimous agreement: Yu Yuan's actual might vastly surpassed the visible bounds of his stage.
"Devil Palace, Demon Palace, Red Devil Sect, Fiend Sect, Filthy Spirit Sect, Voodoo Cult, Ghoul Glyph Sect..."
As they covertly watched Yu Yuan, his gaze too was sweeping the crowd, alighting on faces both known and unknown, taking measure of each.
In the Quietus Continent, nearly ten Unrestrained Stage cultivators and a host of Yang God Stage practitioners, numbering over thirty, were present. Additionally, close to a hundred Soul Wandering Stage cultivators were in attendance. Among the Nagas, there were three formidable Ninth Level dragons, with more than a dozen at the Eighth Level.
The forces that had emerged were more than capable of overwhelming the foreign cultivators within the Fallen Moon Forbidden Area. Should the forbidden ground be breached, even the mightiest among them—Beru, Canli, and even Tianzang—would have no choice but to flee in disarray, with victory an impossibility.
Moreover, the three great upper sects of the Heavenly Source Continent, along with the seven lower sects and a multitude of other formidable experts, brought a force triple in size and armed with numerous sacred treasures. Yu Yuan was convinced that the outsiders, far from achieving victory, might not even have a chance to escape.
If the Heaven Sealing Soul Transformation Formation were to fall, the combined assault from both sides would leave no room for error; defeat would be certain.
"Yu Yuan, your ties with the Demon Palace run deep, and they have always acknowledged you," said the Golden Elephant Ancient God, his demeanor cool as he methodically made his case. "Regardless of your past actions, if you now willingly open the barrier to the forbidden ground, we can absolve you of all previous transgressions. On behalf of the Demon Palace and the Devil Palace, I can make you this promise."
"We will not hold your past against you. You will be free to choose any sect and pursue the highest teachings of the Great Dao Arts. Should your talent prove sufficient, a future seat among the ranks of the Primordial Spirits awaits you, Yu Yuan!"
