238 - Elasia Saga

In an instant, the entire spirit ship began to shake violently. Inside her room, Fu Yan suddenly raised her gaze and noticed a shadowy black mass clinging to the bottom of the ship with her mental vision. She paused for a moment in surprise, realizing it was a demon creature. Simultaneously, Yi Tu burst inside in a hurry, calling out urgently to Fu Yan within, "Master, this is bad, a demon creature has suddenly attacked the spirit ship." How had their trail been discovered by a demon creature so abruptly? While suspecting it wasn't mere coincidence, Fu Yan had no time to ponder further, swiftly darting out of the spirit ship. Yi Tu closely followed her. Before long, the large room was empty, leaving only the qiankun bag quietly sitting on the table. Unbeknownst to anyone, the Spirit Gathering Pearl within had turned a murky black. Soon, faint threads of demonic energy slowly flowed toward the pearl. "......" As Fu Yan jumped off the spirit ship, she saw Yuan He wielding his sword against the demon creature gripping the ship's bottom. His sword's light exploded fiercely, and the intense primordial force shot toward the demon creature. However, in the next moment, it was deflected back effortlessly by the creature's swinging tail. Thick demonic energy quickly spread in all directions. Seeing this, Fu Yan slightly furrowed her brows. Though the demon creature's strength was not equal to someone in the Transcendent stage, it was likely comparable to one at the peak of the Transformation stage. Normally, a demon creature of this strength wouldn't appear without assurance of victory. Yet here it was, attacking the ship's bottom—a curiosity indeed. Fu Yan and her companions had been sailing smoothly on the spirit ship, having encountered no dark corners along the way. "Whhh—" The next moment, a burst of demonic energy crashed directly toward the three of them. Fu Yan couldn't waste more time figuring out when or how they'd attracted the demon creature; she could only swiftly reverse her grip and unsheathe her sword. Her primordial energy erupted explosively, and seeing the demon domain threaten the spirit ship's inherent defensive barrier, Fu Yan certainly showed no mercy, launching a powerful sword strike. "Whoosh!" With a piercing sound, the fearsome sword shadow sliced through the demon creature's body, causing it to explode and perish in mere seconds. Currently at her peak in strength, Fu Yan effortlessly wielded her sword, obliterating the demon creature attached to the ship's underside. To prevent the rapid dispersal of demonic energy, which might attract others—creatures or cultivators alike—Fu Yan sheathed her star sword, then swiftly moved to the core of the thick demonic energy. With a focused thought, the surrounding demonic energy surged into Fu Yan's body in an instant. Within moments, all the demonic energy left by the creature had been absorbed by her. Her previous dark qi had transformed into a golden hue, becoming her new qi sea. Regardless of whether it was spiritual energy or demonic energy, she could still absorb and transform it into the primordial energy she needed. This demonic energy conveniently replenished the primordial energy expended by her earlier sword strike. Meanwhile, on the spirit ship, the Spirit Gathering Pearl within the qiankun bag seemed unable to absorb further demonic energy. The thread of energy, seemingly disgruntled, shimmered faintly for a moment. Soon after, the blackened Spirit Gathering Pearl emitted a wave of formless energy. In midair, Yi Tu was utterly astonished to witness Fu Yan absorbing the demonic energy, his eyes wide with disbelief. Even the typically indifferent Yuan He looked slightly surprised. Fu Yan dismissed any notion of concern for what she had done. Having finished, she lightly tapped her foot, stepping back onto the spirit ship. The two men, coming back to their senses, also returned to the spirit ship. The demon creature's appearance hadn't caused much delay, and the spirit ship resumed its journey toward the Southern Domain. "Master, are you... also a demonic cultivator?" Initially thinking Fu Yan was merely acquainted with the demonic cultivator Bai Yue Li, Yi Tu now considered she might also be one. In response, Fu Yan gave him an amused sidelong glance. "Have you ever seen a demonic cultivator wield a sword with primordial energy?" Yi Tu: "......" He'd never seen a cultivator capable of absorbing or utilizing demonic energy—the idea hinted at some unorthodox practice, perhaps? Yi Tu dared not voice this question. Regarding her unique qi sea, Fu Yan had no intention of giving further explanation. She merely glanced at Yi Tu, suddenly inquiring, "Why did a demon creature suddenly attack?" Speaking of which, Yi Tu looked bewildered. "We had just passed through a desert, where there shouldn't have been any demon traces. Yet, it just appeared out of nowhere." Did it emerge by mere chance? Fu Yan's brows furrowed deeply at the thought, her mind seemingly shrouded in contemplation. She had a nagging feeling that matters were not as simple as they appeared. She'd already scanned the area using her mental power but found no anomalies—no traps, no unusual presences. At that moment, Yuan He unexpectedly spoke, "Could it be... something on the ship it desired?" Upon hearing this, both Fu Yan and Yi Tu paused. Fu Yan made no further comment, returning her gaze inward before turning back into the spirit ship. Yuan He, seemingly uninterested, went right back to sitting and cultivating, leaving Yi Tu standing at the bow, dumbfounded. Yi Tu: "......" Back within the spirit ship, Fu Yan pondered recent events. Nothing seemed particularly out of the ordinary. Initially, she'd suspected retaliation from the Corpse Ghost Sect, but it appeared unrelated. Perhaps Yuan He was right; she could indeed possess a treasure that lured demon creatures. After all, she'd lately acquired quite a number of storage rings, making such a notion plausible. She shook her head in resignation at this possibility. Her gaze fell on the qiankun bag on the table, recalling her distraction in chatting with Bai Yue Li through the sound-imaging mirror, forgetting to stow it away. Without further thought, Fu Yan reached out to grab the bag and casually tossed it into her storage ring. In the darkness, the Spirit Gathering Pearl inside was no longer the clear, transparent orb it once was. Perhaps to avoid early discovery, the energy thread within lay silently, making no move for the time being. A month later, a spirit ship once again entered the Southern Domain's territory. In the skies of the Southern Domain, fine snowflakes drifted like feathers, the air suffused with a biting chill. Fu Yan, seemingly accustomed, continued steering the spirit ship toward the snowy peak where the Frost Blossom Palace lay. After nearly ten more days, the spirit ship finally reached the base of the mountain. The ruins of the Frost Blossom Palace had long since become a desolate wasteland, scarcely visited by cultivators. Thus, apart from the whistling wind and snow, there was no other sound to be heard. After stowing the spirit ship away, Fu Yan descended directly into the remains of the Frost Blossom Palace. During her last accidental triggering of the palace master's trial, the grand hall within the ruins had collapsed into a pile of rubble. The Frost Blossom Palace now lay bereft of even a single blade of grass. "What is this place? Why is there not a trace of spiritual energy?" Behind her, Yi Tu curiously surveyed the surroundings, muttering to himself in a mix of wonder and confusion. Ahead of him, Fu Yan finally halted her steps. She gazed at the lifeless site of the Frost Blossom Palace, her brow furrowing unconsciously. As Yi Tu noted, the area's lack of spiritual energy was the core issue. A place devoid of spiritual essence couldn't serve as a sect's location, making the first step in rebuilding the Frost Blossom Palace the restoration of vitality to this land. Typically, even if a celestial sect fell, it wouldn't become barren. There had to be a special reason, perhaps answerable by only one person. —Lu Xiao Wen. From Bai Yue Li, Fu Yan had learned that Lu Xiao Wen was aware of her entrance into the palace master's trial. Now that she had passed it, she assumed he would find out too. Fu Yan concluded that Lu Xiao Wen would likely seek her out and decided to stay nearby for a period, waiting for him to come to her. Moreover, Water Flow Green was expected to search for her in the Southern Domain as well. For these reasons, Fu Yan planned to cultivate for a few months near the ruins of the Frost Blossom Palace, giving people time to look for her. If no one came, she would think of a way to find Chu Lingling's Divine Dawn Palace herself. …… Demon Domain. Shortly after Bai Yue Li issued instructions, Gui Lao brought her a set of teleportation formations connecting to the Southern Domain. However, to prevent other celestial clans from discovering it, the formations were still in the testing phase. Bai Yue Li was not in a rush, knowing she needed time to cultivate quickly. She wouldn't become complacent just because she had acquired half of the original Demon Lord's power. Calculating the time, Fu Yan likely had only just arrived at the Frost Blossom Palace. Just as Bai Yue Li set down her sound-imaging mirror, she received an intriguing message. She slowly lifted her gaze toward the distance, her eyes cold and devoid of readable emotion. Shi Gui Dao Ren had unexpectedly come looking for the Demon Domain. "In regards to my proposal, I wonder if the Demon Lord is willing?" Shi Gui Dao Ren stood unhurriedly within the demon palace's great hall, his gaze leisurely resting on the spectrally shrouded Gui You Huo San Lao. Bai Yue Li did not appear in person but left a trace of her consciousness on the skull chair. Shi Gui Dao Ren wasted no time upon his arrival, quickly stating his purpose: he wished to form an alliance with the Demon Domain to jointly oppose the so-called righteous sects outside. "Ridiculous. Our Demon Domain doesn't fear those celestial beings," one of the leaders on the other side of the hall scoffed as Shi Gui Dao Ren finished speaking. At that, the Ghost Elder emerged from the side, staring at Shi Gui Dao Ren with mocking amusement. "You're nothing more than a corpse-refining ant, reeking of decay, too scared to reveal your true self. Just a puff and you're gone." With those words, the Fire Elder raised a hand, and a wisp of ghostly fire shot from his fingertips. Suddenly, Shi Gui Dao Ren's entire body burst into flames. Yet, he showed no resistance and didn't seem to feel a thing, instead chuckling eerily. "Fire Elder's ghostly fire lives up to its reputation. I've witnessed it firsthand today." The ghostly fire ignited instantly, consuming its target in less than a breath. Before long, the figure—or rather, a puppet—had turned to ash. A gust of wind scattered it. Meanwhile, in a hidden corner of the continent, Shi Gui Dao Ren abruptly opened his eyes, staring ahead with a slight smile. "The rumors were true; the Demon Domain has indeed changed hands."