Shu Yan's eyes lowered, calmly watching the bloody and brutal scene before him. His heart felt no ripple, no particular emotion—only composed execution of the next step.
Under his control, the Yin Nether Descent emitted a crisp crack, and the silver-white shell began to slowly disassemble. Layer upon layer of scales rippling like overlapping waves spun rapidly. In the next instant, an immense suction force burst forth from the base of the Yin Nether Descent. The blood that had seeped into the earth began to reverse flow, forming streams of crimson that rose from the ground and poured directly into the artifact.
Flesh was broken down; and amid the illusion, one could even faintly hear the soul-rending screams of torment. The rotation of the Yin Nether Descent only grew faster, and the echoing wails became increasingly distinct—until even vague, twisted, hate-filled faces seemed to emerge in the air.
Yet in the end, no matter the soul, flesh, or the overwhelming tide of negative emotion and sin-soaked blood, everything was devoured completely by the Yin Nether Descent…
Blood lines bridged heaven and earth as the nearby soil and vegetation began to disintegrate and rise into the air. The pressure in the surrounding space suddenly intensified. Shu Yan's palm closed slowly, and the artifact trembled faintly—unleashing a powerful wave of spiritual force infused with negative energy that surged into the sky.
Earlier, for safety's sake, Shu Yan hadn't personally supplied the spiritual energy needed for the Yin Nether Descent, instead having Ice Emperor do it for him. Why not Snow Emperor? Even Shu Yan couldn't fully explain it himself…
Though Ice Emperor's spiritual power in both strength and quality was inferior to Snow Emperor's, it was still formidable. Creating such a large-scale spiritual disturbance was well within her capabilities.
As Shu Yan pondered this, a dark purple beam of light shot into the sky, dyeing the clouds above with ominous hues. Resentment, corruption, evil, slaughter, and fear—all forms of negative energy—converged into the beam, accompanied by a powerful psychic surge. In mere moments, it had spread across a hundred-mile radius.
Countless soul beasts looked up in horror and scattered in panic. Chaos erupted across the land. Even deeper within the Star Dou Forest, this powerful surge drew the attention of hidden beings. Snow Emperor and Ice Emperor exchanged glances, their eyes filled with shock and unease. Xu Jiujiao, watching Shu Yan's calm expression, gulped involuntarily.
This... was simply too overwhelming.
Amid the devastating aftermath, Shu Yan's gaze stayed fixed upon the sky, as if awaiting something.
A tea's time passed. The energy within the Yin Nether Descent began to wane, and the pillar of light gradually dimmed. Though tension rose in Shu Yan's chest—his hand subconsciously clenching into a fist—his expression remained patient, showing no panic.
No one spoke. The atmosphere was thick with anticipation.
Just as the last of the light faded, Shu Yan suddenly sensed something. He sharply turned his head. In the next moment, a deafening boom resounded through the heavens. All light vanished—consumed in an instant—and the world was plunged into darkness.
Then, a pressure unlike any other descended from the sky.
From afar, a stream of gray mist came hurtling through the air—the source of that terrifying pressure.
A look of relief spread across Shu Yan's face. He swiftly deactivated his mental defenses. A flicker of turquoise light shimmered around him. The gray mist hesitated briefly—then surged toward Shu Yan.
Before either Snow or Ice Emperor could react, the mist passed unimpeded through Shu Yan's forehead and into his spiritual sea. A vague figure slowly formed behind him, ancient and powerful, its voice shaking the void with an unparalleled majesty:
"With sun and moon in hand, I grasp the stars—there is no one in this world like me. Who would've thought... this old man could still leave behind a trace of his soul?"
As his words fell, the darkness retreated like a receding tide. Light returned to the world.
A genuine smile blossomed on Shu Yan's face as he looked up at the sunlight piercing the clouds. He spoke softly:
"Elder Yi… welcome back."
Deep within Shu Yan's spiritual sea, a bean-sized gray bead nestled within the Blade of Sentience—formerly known as the Soul-Eater Engraving Knife—trembled faintly in response, then fell silent once more.
Shu Yan showed no dissatisfaction. He retrieved the Yin Nether Descent, which was still hovering in the air. Sensing the almost-depleted energy within, he sighed helplessly, then turned toward the still-stunned Snow and Ice Emperors, as well as Xu Jiujiao.
With a soft voice, he said:
"It went smoothly. Now… we can go."
Snow Emperor was the first to recover. Her beautiful eyes lowered slightly as she stared fixedly at Shu Yan. After a long pause, she spoke in a low, ambiguous tone:
"You truly never fail to surprise me…"
Ice Emperor came to her senses next. Her expression was complex as she looked at Shu Yan. She opened her mouth—but said nothing in the end.
Xu Jiujiao was the most shaken, and her emotions were the most tangled—an intense mixture of shock, awe, and confusion.
All this time, Shu Yan had done many things she couldn't understand, many of which left her baffled. But now it all became clear: every step he took was paving the way for this moment. None were wasted. Each one served a purpose.
Despite only being two years older than him, she suddenly felt as if the gap in mental maturity had grown vastly.
Mixed with her awe was also a deep joy and fear—joy for Shu Yan's strength and wisdom, fear of how far beyond his peers he already stood.
It was hard to put into words. She couldn't fully express the feeling.
But more than anything, she felt happy for him.
Shu Yan's smile didn't fade. He glanced at the three of them and said gently:
"Things have been chaotic for a while. Once we return, I'll explain everything in detail. But for now… we're heading back to Star Luo City."
Snow Emperor gave him another long look. Emotions swirled in her eyes. Then suddenly, her gaze turned sharply toward the forest behind Shu Yan. Ice Emperor followed suit.
Snow Emperor pulled Shu Yan behind her in a protective motion. Her cool voice rang out once more:
"Ditian. Since you're already here, why not show yourself? Hiding like this—doesn't suit your style."
Ice Emperor stepped forward to shield Shu Yan and Xu Jiujiao as well, eyes trained on the shadows within the forest.
Shu Yan showed no surprise. He gently squeezed Xu Jiujiao's hand to calm her, then narrowed his eyes in the same direction as the two Emperors.
In the serene forest, golden sunlight trickled through the canopy like a dream peaceful, as if nothing had ever happened.
But in the next second without warning a set of heavy, deliberate footsteps echoed in their ears.
Each step struck like thunder in their chests. Though there was no soul power at all, the pressure that came with it was immense—suffocating.
PS: Read Advance Chapters at https://www.patreon.com/c/XenTronix