C951 I Look up to You a Bit More

Yu Yuan swiftly retreated into the depths of the forbidden area.

Enshrouded by the green-black wall, Yu Yuan's presence completely vanished.

Cao Jiaze and Van Heqing, who had been infused with two drops of the Golden Elephant God's lifeblood and a wisp of soul, also faded away within the suspended golden mountainscape.

Zhou Cangmin, clad in white, watched his smile fade as quickly as it had appeared.

He shook his head gently, his Heart Lake brimming with confusion. He couldn't fathom why Yu Yuan would turn down such a lucrative offer from the five supreme beings.

"Heh, hehehe!"

Mo Yan, having absorbed the Devil Blade into his body, began with a soft chuckle that soon erupted into uncontrollable laughter.

His laughter was twofold: relief that Yu Yuan had not acquiesced, and mockery of the Golden Elephant God, Cao Jiaze, Van Heqing, and Mo Baichuan for their misguided affections.

With such terms presented, and yet Yu Yuan remained defiant, not yielding to open the formation—wasn't the Golden Elephant God's attempt at persuasion laughably futile?

At that moment, the gazes of the many fiends and archdemons were laced with curiosity and deep contemplation.

Dusk Raven, having encountered Yu Yuan on several occasions, grumbled about Yu Yuan's ingratitude and recklessness.

Despite his complaints, there was a hint of respect in the human guise of Dusk Raven.

"Enough."

The Golden Elephant God sighed deeply, as a solemn aura swiftly enveloped Gold Mountain.

Within, golden rivers surged, pulling at the veins of ore for miles around, initiating subtle transformations.

This unparalleled archdemon was now harnessing the artifacts at his disposal, leveraging the geographical advantage to exert his full power.

"He truly doesn't know when he's well off!"

Elsewhere, Tang Zheng of the Sunlit Order huffed in disdain atop the Mountain of Flames.

On the Stardust Blade, Ji Ningshuang's nape suddenly glowed with a dazzling star river. The constellations, like frosty crystals, held the profound truths of the laws from the extraterrestrial Star River.

"I can't fathom what the higher-ups were thinking, offering him such terms," she mused with her characteristic haughtiness. If not for her deep respect for Van Heqing, she might have already taken action.

Her dissatisfaction with Yu Yuan began when Chen Qingyan mentioned him. It wasn't until she discovered that Yu Yuan was the hand-chosen disciple of a revered figure that she considered reassessing her opinion. However, her shock was palpable upon learning that Yu Yuan had been seduced by the Boulderdawn Sect, had joined forces with extraterrestrial fiends, and had become a traitor, opposing the vast expanse of the Everlands.

She felt that Yu Yuan had thoroughly disgraced their mentor, and she was itching to purge the shame he brought upon Hong Qi.

As a result, her disdain for Yu Yuan only intensified.

Within the Forbidden Area, the sight of Yu Yuan emerging from the Soulforge Pool brought a collective sigh of relief from the Otherkin elites who sensed their end was near.

"I'm quite curious," declared Beru, the Starfallen Oracle of the Starborn, as he approached with eyes twinkling like stars. "With such favorable terms laid out before you, why did you refuse them?"

"Because I've already chosen my side," Yu Yuan replied with a smile. "It wouldn't be right to go back on my word now."

With those words, any lingering doubts among the Otherkin were dispelled. They no longer questioned Yu Yuan's loyalty, nor did they doubt the integrity of Boulderdawn or President Lyi.

Yu Yuan's actions and stance had inadvertently vindicated President Lyi and cleared Boulderdawn of any suspicion.

With a whoosh, Xi Quan, standing on the Withered Sword, transformed into a sharp sword light before Yu Yuan. Looking at him with newfound admiration, she said, "The five paramount forces always thought you simply stumbled upon the legacy of the Moon Slayer's sword will in the Forbidden Area and accidentally gained the formation's recognition, fortuitously aligning with Boulderdawn."

"They proposed such lavish conditions because they believed you had no real ties to Boulderdawn and sought to control the formation through you, rather than painstakingly attempting to breach it themselves!"

After a brief pause, Xi Quan added, "Your refusal has certainly raised my esteem for you."

Yu Yuan offered a smile, "Thank you."

He had seen through the intentions of the sects led by the five supreme forces. They sought to use him to gain control over the Soulforge Matrix, aiming to use it as leverage or a means of containment against Boulderdawn.

It wasn't Yu Yuan himself they valued so much as the power of the rune circle, which they regarded with significant interest.

In particular, after the first onslaught, the Golden Elephant God's Gold Mountain had roughly gauged the might of the Soulforge Matrix, further convincing the five great sects of the formation's formidable power.

"The next wave of attacks will be even more intense. I'll stand guard over the matrix!"

Yu Yuan inhaled deeply, his demeanor grave. "I'll do everything in my power to ensure the matrix holds! Should it break, I'm confident that the assembled might of the various experts here will have been greatly diminished!"

He cast another glance at the azure-black firmament, his gaze piercing through the Infinite Galaxy, clearly discerning the standoff in the extraterrestrial void.

"I believe we won't be kept waiting much longer. The outcome of the battle beyond will soon be decided! I also trust in the strength of Boulderdawn—it's certainly no trifling matter!"

With a whoosh, Yu Yuan, seated above the Soulforge Pool with the Crucible of Evil hovering overhead, swiftly departed from the Dragon Slaying Stage and darted toward the shadowy chasm housing the Domain Channel.

The onlookers' gazes instinctively trailed after him, and even the Demon Gods in the heavens seemed to converge in his direction.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

At the juncture between the Forbidden Area and the Crimson Sun Empire, a succession of majestic palaces and the Mountain of Flames, ablaze with raging fire, suddenly erupted with blinding radiance and torrents of energy, violently striking the wall.

The dazzling Star River, with its innumerable tiny, cold stars, shimmered as sword lights darted like myriad fish, enhancing the exquisite sword's will of the Stardust Blade.

Crack! Crack!

Yet another sword light lanced through, rending the void asunder. Then, the essence of the Shatterblade, capable of obliterating all, swiftly permeated the expanse.

"Van Heqing, with the Shatterblade!"

"They're going all out to breach the matrix on the Euwrea Continent!"

"Everyone, brace yourselves!"

"Stay alert!"

At the site of the teleportation circle, Luo Yue, Qi Yunhong, Shi Yuxuan, and the others' faces went pale as they leapt to their feet, staring ahead as if a formidable enemy loomed before them.

In that instant, they all came to a stark realization. From the moment they set foot in the Moonfall Sanctuary, from when they joined the trade fair with the Terror Claws, from when they chose to stand with Yu Yuan, they had been pitted against the five supreme powers, aligning themselves with President Lyi and Boulderdawn.

They had, therefore, become the adversaries of these dominant forces.

Should the Soulforge Matrix shatter, allowing the powerful archdemons outside to flood in, they would have to mount a fierce resistance or be slain as a brutal example to others.

Only such a display could deter other sects and individuals.

"Don't worry. With me here, this matrix won't break so easily."

Yu Yuan's resonant voice echoed from the expanse above the Domain Channel. Everyone looked up, astonished to discover a myriad of bizarre and turbulent psionic powers emerging from the dark abyss below, silently shimmering throughout the forbidden area.

For some reason, they all felt an inexplicable sense that the entire forbidden area was being reinforced.

"It's not an illusion. These are psionic powers spilling out from the Domain Channel!"

With a burst of light, the Starfallen Oracle, Beru, appeared at the edge of the pit. Narrowing his eyes, he observed the vibrant streams of light, the wisps of dark aura, and the remnants of star essence, along with the dust of alien beast bones, all escaping from the unstable Domain Channel.

"A Domain Channel that transmits such forces is far from normal!" Tian Zang remarked, arriving shortly after and sensing the anomaly with a sense of wonder.

One by one, figures drifted closer, their curiosity piqued by the Domain Channel.

Those with some understanding of the Domain Channel began to speculate about the cause of the unusual disturbances within.

​