C986 Hand It Over!

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Xi Quan and Van Heqing returned to Ji Ningshuang's side, their faces etched with somber expressions. This time, as Ningshuang drew her sword again, her two skeletal arm bones, devoid of flesh, clutched the Stardust Blade with blood-veined fingers. The vitality of her little world and the acupoints of the Golden Sanctum erupted with sounds as if the heavens and the earth were splitting apart.

Her Divine Visage was in ruins.

The resplendent Star River, formed from her Divine Visage and the Stardust Blade, had been dismantled by the Demon God Grec. The archdemons, now merely his puppets of flesh and blood, had lost their spiritual wisdom, their demonic blood corrupted by his influence.

Thus, it was Grec's horrifying vital energy that had dealt Ji Ningshuang a severe blow.

"I dared to venture into the forbidden area because I had reliable intelligence that the primordial spirit powerhouses of the Everlands, those three Dark Deities, were preoccupied and couldn't concern themselves with me."

Grec's smile shone brilliantly as he came to an abrupt halt just seven steps from Yu Yuan. Temporal ripples undulated between them.

The time magic emanating from the Dragon Slaying Stage in Yu Yuan's grasp continued to exert force, preventing Grec from easily bridging the gap that seemed so near.

The frigid ice light released from the Dragon Slaying Stage beneath him coursed through his flesh and bones, allowing him to maintain a clear mind, free from Grec's dominion over the spirit.

As Yu Yuan listened to Zhou You's inner voice and Grec's words, he turned to glance at Ji Ningshuang, who was clearly gravely wounded. A powerful urge to protect her welled up within him.

Yet...

The connection between him and the Soulforge Pool, which he had always felt was attuned to him, now flickered erratically.

Confronted by the formidable Demon God Grec, Yu Yuan was struck by a harsh reality for the first time: the Soulforge Pool and the Soulforge Matrix were not in perfect harmony with his soul.

He had previously been able to wield the Soulforge Matrix because the sword scars on the Soulforge Pool and the sword spirit within his arm bone were unified. It was through the extraordinary nature of his internal sword spirit that he had been able to manipulate the matrix.

When the sword scars vanished and the Soulforge Pool regained its original state, he was still able to harness the power of the Soulforge Pool and elicit a response from the souls within. Yet, the manner in which Yu Yiyi, the cauldron spirit, and the sword spirit interacted with him was distinct. The souls of the Soulforge Pool were bound to another master, one who was still very much alive and owed their true allegiance.

The souls and the Soulforge Matrix were merely cooperating with him at the behest of their true master, not fully integrating with him to become a part of him. This realization dawned on him as Yu Yiyi's remnant soul conveyed, "That pool and the grand formation are under the control of the one within the bronze coffin."

With this insight, Yu Yuan's understanding became clear. "Jihui, the God-King, you oversee the Domain Channel leading to the Hellmouth. My master has charged me with the guardianship of the dragon corpses at the Dragon Slaying Stage, safeguarding the mightiest dragon vein. Each God-King has their own role and specific duties..."

In an instant, the Ghost King Luo Yue's spirited body crystallized into fragments of ice. The frost wyrm, its head and tail subtly linked, formed an immense silver ring with a frigid soul storm at its core, swirling with a blend of vitality and psionic power. Even in her soul form, Luo Yue found her spirit sullied and frozen by the icy currents.

Startled, Yu Yuan narrowed his eyes and observed the ice crystals, each one encasing a different aspect of Luo Yue's spirit, as if she had been torn asunder.

In that moment, Beru, Mia, Sansom, and Sidla, the three formidable Demon Gods, stood utterly still. No one dared to incur the wrath of Grec at such a time. Even the Golden Elephant God, Peacock Queen, Yao Huangqi, and King of Wraiths, who had sought vengeance for Dusk Raven, found themselves subdued upon hearing Grec's words.

As the pinnacle of combat power in the extraterrestrial Star River, Grec was unrivaled, with no Dark Deity or primordial spirit of equal stature to challenge him. Only if all the Unbound ninth-level archdemons united could they potentially halt Grec's actions, and even then, only at a grievous cost.

Grec's incursion into the Everlands, specifically to the Moonfall Sanctuary, seemed to be driven by his desire for something in Yu Yuan's possession.

But was the heavy toll of death and injury worth that one item?

"Hong Qi! How many more lives will you sacrifice?" Suddenly, Yun Hao of the Skyblight Cult bellowed in outrage, "Just give him what he wants and this can all be over, can't it?"

Realizing that Shi Yuxuan before them was the patriarch of the Blood Fiend and the fifth Demon God of the Star River, the ongoing carnage left many feeling unsettled.

Yun Hao of the Skyblight Cult was among the perturbed.

Zhongli Dapan, Ann Wen, the Golden Elephant God, the Peacock Queen, and others were overwhelmed by Grec's fearsome power, which seemed to penetrate the essence of all beings and manipulate their vitality. The leaders of the Otherkin and the Sky Fiend dared not move, while Tian Zang had already strategically withdrawn.

Who could possibly counter Grec?

How many more would perish if Grec were allowed to wreak havoc unchecked in the forbidden area?

At this moment, the eighth-level archdemons and Otherkin warriors, corrupted by Grec's influence, were still clashing with our forces, with lives being lost every moment.

Wasn't all this chaos simply because Yu Yuan refused to surrender the item Grec coveted?

The one who had always resented Yu Yuan, wishing for the Yu family's extinction, was the first to publicly denounce him.

"Skyblight Cult!"

Zhou You, Ann Wen, and others, including the Golden Elephant God and Cao Jiaze, who had just dealt with the Four Directions Platform, cast icy glares at Yun Hao from a distance.

Beru, Mia, Quero, and other extraterrestrial visitors had arrived with intentions of friendly trade.

But the Great Demon God Grec...

All the mighty of the Everlands were aware of his resolve to annihilate their realm and its inhabitants!

Grec, the Blood King, and certain radical Otherkin chieftains had been relentless in their pursuit to slay those they could and invade the Everlands.

Such beings, even if temporarily beyond our reach and despite our desire to see Yu Yuan humbled, should not be met with the likes of Yun Hao, who suggested that Yu Yuan should meekly capitulate.

Boom!

The icy prison encasing Luo Yue shattered, and the Ghost King from the Land of Terror suffered grievous harm to her soul. Phantom after phantom, feeble and flickering, cast a glance at Yu Yuan with eyes filled with helplessness and sorrow, murmured an apology, and then, like Tian Zang before them, mustered the strength to employ the Ghost King's exclusive Veilwalk, retreating to the Root of the Lunar Meridian to which she was bound. For the foreseeable future, she would be confined to the Land of Terror to heal, unable to leave even if she wished.

"Hand it over," Grec demanded once more, extending his hand with a detached air. "Give me the item, and I'll be on my way. No further lives will be lost here."

"I couldn't care less if everyone here perished."

Clutching the Dragon Slaying Stage, Yu Yuan's smile was bitter, as if he had reverted to the God of Medicine, Hong Qi, in his final days three centuries ago. "Not just them, but even if the Everlands were to crumble and all creatures perished, it would be of no consequence to me."

"You want me to willingly surrender the Altar of Rebirth because my death would affect it, right?"

"Otherwise, you wouldn't be so hesitant, so insistent on me surrendering it voluntarily!"

Grec had the power to kill him and seize the Altar of Rebirth because the altar had already fused with his soul and flesh.

If he died, the Altar of Rebirth would surely be impacted, its mystical properties greatly diminished.

Yu Yuan had a moment of clarity.

"Do not disturb the Dragon Slaying Stage that suppresses the dragon vein. Take the two pieces in your hands and beneath you to the Domain Channel."

Suddenly, the voice of Skyreach Consortium's former President Lyi wafted down.

As President Lyi's silhouette materialized, orbs of golden light descended upon the Blood Moon hovering behind Yu Yuan's head.

Boom!

The Blood Moon was blasted away from Yu Yuan by the golden orbs.

Startled, Yu Yuan whipped around to confront President Lyi, who had just touched down. "You!"

Before he could voice his question, President Lyi, who had at last made it, caused Yu Yuan to wince as a sharp pain pierced his soul, the result of confronting the Second Bane refined from the Crucible of Evil.

The soul thread connecting him to Blood Moon had been casually severed by someone.

"Master."

Blood Moon steadied himself and knelt on one knee.

But the one offering his obeisance was not him.

It was the mighty Demon God, Grec!

...