C979 The Worry of the Hellbreed!
The towering specter of the King of Wraiths loomed in the deep clouds, his profound and shadowy eyes gazing down at the diminutive figure of Yu Yuan on the ground below.
Another King of Wraiths, encircled by several enchantresses, waved his hand with detached indifference. With each gesture, black flames pierced through the "Soul Trap" laid by the enchantresses, rendering their Mind Magic ineffective.
The assailant of Yu Yuan was merely a unique avatar of the King of Wraiths. The Devil Spear, ablaze with black flames, underwent a transformation as the light in his eyes subtly shifted. In an instant, three massive wolves, also engulfed in dark flames, materialized from the Devil Spear, converging on Yu Yuan simultaneously.
Crack!
The space above Yu Yuan's head, as well as in front and behind him, fractured like a shattered mirror. The three demonic wolves emerged, their size, stance, and biting assault uniformly fixated on Yu Yuan's chest, back, and head.
Yu Yuan, clutching the piece of the Dragon Slaying Stage that primarily entombed the Chronowyrm, abruptly opened his eyes. With a serene expression, he lifted the ashen Dragon Slaying Stage.
Creak! Creak! Creak!
Above him, as if three unseen Mystic Gates swung open, an aura of desolation, darkness, and chill permeated the air. Almost immediately, the visages of the three menacing wolves began to vanish, as though being slowly swallowed by the void.
The King of Wraiths in the void uttered a stifled grunt, swiftly forming an ancient demonic seal with his hands. He extracted three drops of lifeblood from the body of another King of Wraiths and infused them into the seal, imbued with the power to navigate past, present, and future, and uttered a low chant: "Return."
Clusters of black flames, akin to innumerable watchful black eyes that had searched for eons, began to appear one by one around Yu Yuan, as if finally finding their way home. The dark flames coalesced, writhing like living tissue, reforming into the Devil Spear, now seemingly fleshed and blooded.
The artifact soul within the Devil Spear conveyed a message to the King of Wraiths, redolent with the essence of a long-awaited reunion.
The two Kings of Wraiths, their expressions slightly stiffened, regarded Yu Yuan from their respective vantages, their gazes laden with a mix of gravity and astonishment.
In just a few seconds, the artifact soul of the Devil Spear conveyed to him that it had been adrift in an unknown, desolate land, untouched by life and devoid of energy, for what could have been a century.
"A moment passes, and a hundred years have gone by."
He took another glance at the Dragon Slaying Stage that Yu Yuan was gripping tightly, raised slightly in his hand. The cultivator from the Devil Palace, at the Unbound Realm, fell into a contemplative silence.
The enigmatic force emanating from the Dragon Slaying Stage had thrown time and space into disarray, casting a shadow over his heart.
He resolved then and there to delegate the task of dealing with Yu Yuan to another.
Piercing screams of impending death suddenly filled the air.
The King of Wraiths glanced over and saw numerous disciples of the Skyblight Cult and the Poison Cult falling in their attempts to slay Shi Yuxuan, Qin Yun, Qi Yunhong, and Wen Lu.
An ancient, unassuming green armor, seemingly adorned with numerous malevolent green eyes and shrouded in dark Soul Power, enveloped a Spirit Walk expert.
As the green armor departed, the life of the Skyblight Cult expert was extinguished.
A yellow lantern, fueled by black Soul Power, burned with a twilight flame atop the head of a Poison Cult follower.
It lingered but for a moment, and as the lantern moved on, the disciple's soul was consumed by the flames.
A crone clad in black, her garments so dark they seemed to swallow the soul at a glance, wept silently, her face unseen.
Three cultivators from the Taintborn clutched their ears, bleeding from every orifice, as they slowly succumbed to death.
Silver chains wove through the disciples of the Binders of Shadows, and as the chains withdrew, the sect's experts suddenly clasped their own throats.
Gradually, they strangled themselves.
The King of Wraiths cast his gaze into the distance once more.
Countless Bane, arranged in a sinister vortex, engulfed a Solar Spirit realm cultivator from the Devil Palace. The Solar Spirit and Lunar Spirit struggled to escape.
Yet, as they were torn from their flesh, they burst apart within the vortex, only to be greedily devoured by the Bane.
In similar fashion, arrays formed by the Bane ruthlessly struck down cultivators from the Sunlit Order, the Ethereal Void, and other members of the Devil Palace.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The giant dragons of the Nagas collided with the nine palaces.
The Starhaven had ceased to operate. Cao Jiaze, who had been seated within one of the palaces, was now standing, his expression laden with gravity as he watched the giant dragons wreak havoc inside.
Cao Jiaze's expression was one of sheer frustration, clearly racking his brain for a solution.
The Ebon Star's formation, once formed by the nine Mark of the Celestials, had been invincible, swiftly claiming the life of Quero, the ninth-level leader of the Otherkin.
But now, not only was the Starhaven powerless, but Cao Jiaze, Cao Yi, Guang Hong, and three other Unbound cultivators, along with many from the Ebon Star, were embroiled in the fray with the giant dragon.
Elsewhere, the arrival of Zhongli Dapan and the clash between the Golden Elephant God and the Demon Gods had allowed the three Demon Gods to break free.
The King of Wraiths turned his attention to another battlefield.
He observed that nearly all the mighty from the five supreme forces, along with their allies, could hardly claim to have the upper hand.
The death toll rose among the Otherkin warriors, with nearly an equal number of humans and evilkinds perishing.
Neither side could claim victory in this conflict. It seemed destined to end with both sides grievously wounded.
"It's all because of Yu Yuan!"
The thought struck him unexpectedly.
Once again, his gaze settled on the figure seated upon the Silvery Land, feeling as though he was seeing Yu Yuan for the first time, a complete stranger.
"I share your sentiment."
A figure in white from the Ruby Hand paused before the specter hovering in the void. Zhou Cangmin, with a wry smile and a shake of his head, said, "I've heard you've met Hong Qi."
The King of Wraiths glanced at the Hellbreed from the Ruby Hand, renowned for their valor in the Star River, and replied, "Years ago, our paths crossed, but I wouldn't say we were acquainted."
"I've never met Hong Qi, but I know Yu Yuan well." Zhou Cangmin stroked his chin, gazing at the twilight sky, and remarked, "Slowly but surely, everyone's on the brink of rage. Those who remain clear-headed are becoming increasingly rare."
"What are you getting at?" The King of Wraiths asked, his brow furrowed.
"Convey to the one in the Devil Palace that if this war drags on, both sides will endure devastating losses." As Zhou Cangmin spoke, he gestured toward the shadowy chasm housing the Domain Channel, "Have you noticed that the once turbulent and unstable Domain Channel, linking us to the extraterrestrial realms, is now swiftly stabilizing?"
The specter of the King of Wraiths trembled slightly and he repeated, "What are you trying to say?"
"Death, an immense amount of death, is needed to mend the Domain Channel leading to the Hellmouth." Zhou Cangmin said gravely. "That's my speculation."
"Do you believe that once the Domain Channel is open, those 'guests' from beyond will be able to depart with ease?" The King of Wraiths exclaimed in astonishment.
"No, that's not it," Zhou Cangmin shook his head. "I'm not concerned about them escaping or seizing the chance to leave."
He paused briefly before continuing, "Many of those who came from beyond have perished here. If our objective is to ensure that no new dealings occur within the Everlands, I believe we've already succeeded."
"Once they retreat to the Hellmouth and venture back into the cosmos, they won't dare to venture here lightly again."
Zhou Cangmin stated with conviction.
"What worries you, then?" the King of Wraiths asked, furrowing his brow.
"My fear is that something new might seize the opportunity to enter," Zhou Cangmin declared emphatically.
Upon hearing this, the King of Wraiths's face turned grave.
With a burst, the Grey Wolf King, who had been furiously assaulting a palace, had its skull shattered, releasing a two-faced Evil Statue.
The ninth level Grey Wolf King collapsed into his own shimmering silver pool of lifeblood, which sparkled with a refined moon-like luster.
The side of the Evil Statue that faced the Grey Wolf King regained its clarity.
It was the kind and amiable side, radiating a light that seemed to soothe the soul.
The giant dragons and the Ebon Star's warriors, who were nearest to the statue, felt an unexpected tranquility. The potency of their lethal spells and magic arts diminished of their own accord.
Bewildered, the giant dragons and members of the Ebon Star gazed at the statue with vacant expressions.
