C969 Break Through the Cocoon!

The Soulforge Matrix had been shattered, and the dark adepts rode in on Abyssal Winged Lizards, breaching the forbidden area. All the Otherkin champions, along with cultivators like Xi Quan and Luo Yue, were struck with terror.

They had never imagined that Cao Yi, the once-prodigy of the Ebon Star, could be so formidable.

Cao Yi, through some enigmatic arcane, had transformed into a massive blood cocoon, enveloping Yu Yuan, the Soulforge Pool, and the Crucible of Evil. The formidable Soul Nexus was effortlessly broken.

"It's over!"

Despair gripped everyone, as they were at a loss for how to respond.

The Devil Palace, Shadow's Keep, Skyblight Cult, Poison Cult, Taintborn, and the giant dragons—any hope for battle had vanished.

Those trapped in the forbidden area stood no chance against the united forces of the Land of Quiescence and Euwrea.

Roars echoed through the sky as Loong Jie led the Five-clawed Golden Dragon, Frost Ice Dragon, Jade Wyrm, and thunder dragon, their colossal forms undulating and trailing ribbons of light across the night sky, like a spectacular meteor shower slicing through the dark canopy.

Tian Zang, the Ghost King who had overpowered Sages Lingxu and Huanmiao, ceased his assault as the matrix crumbled. Seated on the Blood Altar, his sapphire-skinned, razor-toothed demonform retracted the Spawn of Chaos. His deep blue eyes twinkled uncertainly as he covertly sought to connect with the Land of Terror.

He sensed the presence of the River Styx, bestowed upon him by the Root of the Lunar Meridian.

"It hasn't forsaken me!"

A wave of relief washed over Tian Zang, his gaze brightening with joy as he looked towards Luo Yue.

She nodded in acknowledgment.

So long as the River Styx of the Land of Terror remained in harmony with them, the two, recognized by the Root of the Lunar Meridian and transformed into Ghost Kings, could utilize the Veilwalk—a skill unique to Ghost Kings—for an instantaneous return.

With this assurance, the two soul spirits, now Ghost Kings of the Land of Terror, were fearless.

Tian Zang let out a low chuckle as the altar, resembling a mountain of blue crystal, burst forth with astonishing brilliance.

"Find a way to rescue Yu Yuan."

Luo Yue, a fellow Ghost King, transmitted a remnant soul message.

Seated at the Blood Altar, Tian Zang's expression turned sour. He shook his head at Luo Yue and responded with a soul voice, "That man, Cao Yi, is deeply sinister. The Ebon Star encompasses a vast array of magic arts and spells. He has not only mastered various Ebon Star spells but also perfected the arcane techniques of the Colddeath through the true Ann Jieshan."

"He's merged the righteous and the dark arts into one seamless whole. I'm at a loss for how to counter it."

In the shadows, Tian Zang was ready. Seeing no glimmer of hope, he made a swift retreat to the Land of Terror.

Once White Bone ascended to become the God of Ghosts, the unique and supreme entity of this realm, not even the primordial spirit could challenge him within the Land of Terror.

Just as the Untamed would not dare to enter the Marsh, neither would the primordial spirits and Dark Deities of the five greatest powers provoke him.

"Yu Yuan!"

With a slicing sound, Ann Wen, the leader of the Colddeath, entered behind the Abyssal Winged Lizard.

Dressed in a long red robe, Ann Wen's pale skin made his veins starkly visible, giving him an eerily beautiful appearance.

A blood snake earring dangled from his ear, complementing the red robe and jade pendant he wore. The Cosmos Ring on his finger emitted a terrifying blood light.

Ann Wen's phoenix eyes narrowed as he gazed at the blood cocoon with an icy, ominous stare.

Suddenly, the blood light in Ann Wen's eyes burst forth.

The massive blood cocoon enveloping Yu Yuan, the Soulforge Pool, and the Crucible of Evil appeared to be slashed by an unseen blade, tearing open with crimson fissures.

Beneath the red gashes, parts of the Crucible of Evil and the Soulforge Pool were exposed.

"Ebon Star, Cao Yi."

Ann Wen murmured as droplets of lifeblood, resembling red diamonds, were refined from his heart and strung together.

Twelve thumb-sized drops of lifeblood were carefully arranged in Ann Wen's palm.

Suddenly, twelve drops of lifeblood transformed into twelve lively, blood-colored figures that shrieked and leaped toward the blood cocoon enveloping Yu Yuan.

Each of the twelve blood-colored figures bore the handsome visage of Ann Wen, yet their forms varied greatly.

Some figures were clad in gleaming silver scales, others radiated intense light, some sprouted pitch-black wings from their backs, a few had a third eye on their foreheads, and there were even those with lizard-like tails trailing behind them.

All twelve figures had human faces, but their bodies were those of Otherkin and dire beasts.

"Ann Wen, you've achieved it..."

The voice of Cao Yi, filled with shock, fear, and confusion, echoed from within the large blood cocoon.

Before entering the blood cocoon, the twelve figures that seemed to morph from Ann Wen coalesced into hues of scarlet, onyx, deep purple, azure, dark green, bright yellow, and more.

In an instant, the twelve beams of blood-colored light descended into the blood cocoon.

Boom! The reverberations were cataclysmic!

Yu Yuan's body, with its acupoints, Mindscape, vitality, and spiritual energy's little world, trembled as if they were new worlds capable of cataclysmic upheaval.

His Mindscape, enveloped in dark Soul Power, cradled his Lunar Spirit, dominant soul, and heaven soul.

The blood shadow formed by the union of Cao Yi and Ann Wen clashed fiercely within this enigmatic Mindscape.

This same battle raged within Yu Yuan's acupoints, his vitality, and the little world of the Golden Sanctum.

Countless Cao Yis and the twelve diverse forms of Ann Wen waged war using Yu Yuan's body and soul as the battlefield, with his acupoints serving as the world's foundation, exchanging spells and blood magic.

"Cao Yi, the spells and mystique you practice include those from the ancient Ebon Star and the original blood magic of the Colddeath. Surely you don't believe that their understanding of cosmic forces and bloodlines hasn't advanced in thousands of years?"

Ann Wen's thoughts and Soul Voice rose incessantly from within the depths of Yu Yuan's body.

"The arts of the Ebon Star and Colddeath you've mastered hail from an era thousands of years past. You fail to grasp that after millennia of evolution, many spells have undergone transformation. The arcane spells you hold are, in fact, quite outdated by today's standards."

"See that? With my lifeblood, I can create a ninth-level Otherkin warrior, complete with their unique bloodline talents and powers."

Ann Wen's eerie laughter thundered from within Yu Yuan's body.

Yu Yuan seemed to actually witness different forms of Ann Wen, within his body and mindscape, employing the sinister spirit magic of the Shadowkin and the enchantress, and the skills of the Shura and Nightscale Tribe, eradicating the blood shadows split from Cao Yi.

The frozen blood cocoon cracked and began to fall off him.

"Count me in."

A voice unfamiliar to both Ann Wen and Cao Yi echoed from Yu Yuan's mindscape.

A blood moon rose, casting a terrifying glow.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

The essence of Cao Yi's blood, mixed with the refined blood within Yu Yuan's Altar of Rebirth, converged towards the blood moon.

This blood moon crafted a body out of thin air, transforming into a man with a visage marred by violence.

—The Second Bane, Blood Moon!

He was the once-maddened powerhouse from the Colddeath, who had ventured into the extraterrestrial Star River and fallen under the sway of the Blood Fiend.

Imprisoned for years in the Sword Prison, he attempted to corrupt Yu Yuan but failed and became the Second Bane. Now, he suddenly possessed a tangible body!

An ethereal bane with a corporeal form was akin to a Sky Fiend undergoing a metamorphosis, its combat prowess soaring exponentially!

"It's you!"

Ann Wen, within Yu Yuan's little world of the mindscape, was visibly shaken at the sight of Blood Moon, seemingly reborn.

"I am now known as Blood Moon, sworn to the master of the Crucible of Evil," he declared, his expression unchanging as he surveyed the multitude of Cao Yi's blood shadows. "Sect Master, I'll handle things here."

No sooner had he spoken than a barefoot girl in a white dress unexpectedly emerged.

"My name is Yu Yiyi."

She curtsied to Ann Wen with impeccable manners.

Yu Yuan, his aura darkened by Soul Power, flashed a twisted smile and also greeted Ann Wen.

Ann Wen gave a slight nod. "My intent was indeed to awaken you."

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