C961 Detoxification
The Dark Herald exuded immense confidence.
As she declared her vision, Tian Zang, Luo Yue, Xi Quan, and the others who had withdrawn could almost visualize the eradication of life in the forbidden area. The Blighttoxin permeated the air as she rose like a nascent deity from the depths of the forbidden area.
In the Forgotten Ruins, Yu Zhu emerged, a being with the potential to ascend to the status of a Dark Deity in the future.
Should she successfully merge with the Moonfall Sanctuary and become an Unbound cultivator, she might follow in Yu Zhu's footsteps, becoming the first in history to rise to the rank of a Primordial Spirit cultivator from the humble origins of a Terra Fiend.
With the expansion of the Everlands, the number of Supreme Seats has grown accordingly.
A century ago, there were only twelve Supreme Seats. The Devil Palace and the upper sects held eight of these positions.
Shadow's Keep and the Untamed, representing evilkind, collectively held four seats.
Rumors circulated that the sect master of the Ruby Hand had ascended to become a new Primordial Spirit, pushing the Supreme Seats of the Everlands beyond their previous limit, adding one more to their number.
Thirteen Supreme Seats signified an unparalleled consolidation of power within the Everlands!
With the resurgence of Boulderdawn, the heads of the Otherkin and the five greatest forces were poised for confrontation. The demise of a Primordial Spirit cultivator or a Dark Deity seemed inevitable, likely leading to the emergence of a vacant seat.
As a Terra Fiend, if she could master the dark arts, merge, and ascend as a Primordial Spirit cultivator within the Devil Palace, she would accomplish a feat without historical precedent.
"Hong Qi!" Xi Quan called out abruptly.
At the mention of this name, both familiar and strange, the two Yu Yuans, stationed at different vantage points, turned their gaze toward him.
Yu Yuan, gazing towards the Crimson Sun Empire, furrowed his brow slightly and said, "I have grown accustomed to the name Yu Yuan. From now on, I will no longer be known as Hong Qi, nor will I dedicate myself solely to the art of alchemy."
"The name is trivial," Xi Quan dismissed the concern, swiftly adapting, "Yu Yuan it is then! Ji, you're aware of your identity too, aren't you?"
Retreating from the Dark Herald's vicinity, she made her way to the region where Yu Yuan's Lunar Spirit resided. Unable to see Ji Ningshuang through the wall, she recalled Yu Yuan's earlier shouts and formed a hypothesis.
Yu Yuan nodded in confirmation. "Both sides are aware now."
"Don't let her do anything foolish!" Xi Quan urged, her voice tinged with worry.
She was deeply concerned because she knew Ji Ningshuang harbored profound feelings for Yu Yuan. She feared her junior sister might act impulsively and defy the Sword Sect's decree by refusing to draw her sword in the forbidden area.
Should that occur, Ji Ningshuang would be defying the will of Nie Qingtian and the five supreme experts.
"Crack! Crack!" The dark blue glow of ice illuminated the surface of the Crucible of Evil, forming chunks of rock-hard ice.
Within the ice, bursts of seven-colored light twinkled, reminiscent of the rainbow clouds deep within the Dark Herald's eyes.
The Frost Queen, akin to an Ice Goddess, silently emerged from the Crucible of Evil.
Crack! The sound of freezing resonated, and it seemed as though even the space surrounding the dark cauldron was being encased in ice.
More minuscule sparks of light materialized in the air near the cauldron.
"Soul Plague toxin!" Zhou You paused, then with a dawning realization and a hint of excitement, he said, "The ice power, frost, and freezing can reveal the Blighttoxin and even isolate it?"
"In the universe, no poison is indestructible. The depths of the Rainbow Ocean are potent enough to drive cultivators of the Unbound realm and ninth-level archdemons into madness. Yet, the ice power from the depths of the Frozen Hellscape can neutralize the Soul Plague," Yu Yuan stated gravely. "The plague you've unleashed fears neither fire, spiritual energy, vitality, nor Divine Weapons. But it is the solidifying freeze of the ice power that can contain you."
The Frost Queen, with her corporeal form, gracefully emerged.
She was the epitome of a frigid and aloof woman, her lower half resembling a scorpion, exuding an intensely cold aura.
Puff! Puff! Puff! The delicate seven-colored lights could not endure the ravages of the ultimate ice energy and burst one after another, disintegrating into even finer particles of ice, like dust.
Thus, the Soul Plague that the Dark Herald had spread, a fearsome poison capable of infiltrating the soul, was shattered effortlessly.
"The ice power of the Frozen Hellscape is actually..."
The Dark Herald's peculiar eyes, swirling with a maelstrom of rainbow clouds, suddenly erupted into chaos, as if two brilliant firework displays had burst forth within her gaze.
She, known as the Plague Demon, seemed unaware that her Soul Plague, which had been unbeatable in the Rainbow Ocean, could be suppressed by the ice power of the Frozen Hellscape. Once frozen, the toxins were shattered.
"I am a herbalist. After delving into countless herbs and studying numerous poisons, I've reached a conclusion: there is nothing in this world that cannot be countered! There is no poison without a cure! From the moment of their creation, all things have their counterbalances. No matter how peculiar, there is always a way to neutralize them."
Yu Yuan spoke with a steady calm.
"You are invincible in the Rainbow Ocean because no creature can survive your Soul Plague there. This is because the Rainbow Ocean and the Frozen Hellscape are separate realms. Also, none of the extreme cold beings from the Frozen Hellscape have ever ventured into your domain."
"I dared to craft a poison pill and grant you a body, attempting to extract you from the Rainbow Ocean because I had another source of confidence. I had hypothesized what could restrain you."
"Do you know why I didn't take you with me when we first met?"
"I didn't bring you out then because, although I suspected that the ice power of the Frozen Hellscape could limit you, I lacked the power from that realm."
"After leaving the Rainbow Ocean, I went to great lengths to slay the frost wyrm in the Frozen Hellscape. My intention in forging a sword from that beast was to eventually gain control over you."
"Unfortunately..."
He left the rest unsaid.
"Withered Sword!" Xi Quan exclaimed in sudden realization. "No wonder you convinced Ji to accompany you to the Frozen Hellscape to slay the wyrm! Ji trusted you so deeply, believing you sought to slay the frost wyrm to forge a sword for her benefit! She thought it was to provide her with another Spirit Sword that would resonate with her swordsmanship, in addition to her Stardust Blade!"
Xi Quan and Luo Yue were both aware of this past event.
Yet, it wasn't until the Frost Queen emerged, wielding the power of the Frozen Hellscape to dismantle the Dark Herald's Soul Plague, that they truly understood Yu Yuan's original intent in slaying the frost wyrm and his subsequent swordcrafting.
It was all for her own sake...
She sought a method to control the Plague Demon, to extract it from the depths of the Rainbow Ocean and harness its power.
"You truly are as the Demon Lord described. You've intended to enslave me from the very beginning!"
The once Plague Demon, now known as the Dark Herald, retained her peculiar gaze and even-tempered voice, yet everyone could suddenly sense her growing anger.
"A demon born in the strangest depths of the Rainbow Ocean, without a means to keep it in check, is not something I would dare to bind within a poison pill as a body. Your horrifying traits, if left unchecked, could detonate on any continent within the Everlands and lead to unspeakable calamity."
Yu Yuan, alone within the frigid confines of the Crucible of Evil, issued a command to the Frost Queen with a mere thought.
Whoosh!
The Frost Queen, akin to an Ice Goddess, plummeted from the void and landed amidst the Shadowkin and enchantresses.
She then summoned the chilling force from the Frozen Hellscape within her, conjuring a series of ice tempests.
Crack! Crack!
The frail members of the Shadowkin and enchantress tribes were enveloped by the ice power, their bodies encased in frost, revealing the tiny Blighttoxin, which was then shattered by the relentless cold.
The minds of these clansmen were also infiltrated by the icy chill, purging the toxins within.
With the Frost Queen's assistance, Sansom and Mia, both ninth-level leaders, were the first to expel the toxins that had infiltrated their souls, swiftly regaining their spiritual wisdom and clarity of mind.
Following suit, their tribespeople, as well as Beru of the Starborn and the other Starborn warriors, gradually came to their senses.
