A blood moon hangs in the sky as various tribes gather for an alliance.
The further west one travels, the more bizarre the scenery of the Xuanmo Desert becomes. The dark red sand is gradually replaced by a pale, bone-white sand that makes a teeth-grinding "rustling" sound when stepped on, as if walking on the skeleton of a giant beast. The sky is gloomy all day long, and even the wind carries a lingering smell of decay.
According to a more detailed ancient map that Su Xiaolou obtained from an unknown source, the Yellow Springs Ancient Road is located in the center of a desolate place known as the "Burial Bone Sand Sea," a place that is universally recognized as a taboo by all the tribes of Xuanmo, and ordinary demons dare not approach it at all.
However, just as they were about to step onto the edge of the Burial Sands, they unexpectedly encountered a sizable demon race. The demons were dressed in the attire of different tribes, most with solemn expressions, carrying a sense of pilgrimage-like reverence, and their direction was clearly westward.
"Huh? The 'Blood Moon Alliance' is about to begin?" Su Xiaolou squinted, sizing up the group. "No wonder this godforsaken place has suddenly become lively."
"The Blood Moon Alliance?" Yun Zhiyu frowned; he had never heard the Ze tribe mention it before.
"It's a grand event that takes place once every hundred years for the various tribes of Xuanmo," Su Xiaolou explained, taking a swig of wine. "It's said to be a tradition passed down from ancient times. Whenever the 'Burial Blood Moon' rises, the strongest warriors from each tribe gather at the 'Valley of Oaths' beyond the Burial Sands to determine their dominance for the next hundred years through a competition. Also... it's said to be to suppress some unclean things deep within the sands. I didn't expect you to be here."
He paused, then gave Yun Zhiyu a meaningful look: "The Valley of Oaths is one of the necessary routes to the Ancient Road to the Underworld. Moreover, in this situation, if we can demonstrate sufficient strength, we might be able to save a lot of trouble, or even... gain some unexpected assistance."
Yun Zhiyu instantly understood Su Xiaolou's meaning. Currently, they were outnumbered and outmatched, facing perilous obstacles ahead and pursued by the Silent Shadow Sect. If they could use this opportunity to intimidate or even unite with some of the Xuanmo tribes, it would undoubtedly be of great benefit in their search for the Key to Rebirth. Moreover, he also needed a relatively safe environment to further familiarize himself with the newly awakened portion of Xie Yunzhi's power within him and attempt to control the restless power of annihilation.
"Let's go take a look," he decided.
The Valley of Oaths was not naturally formed, but rather a vast, circular area constructed from countless pale boulders, exuding a rugged and ancient aura. When Yun Zhiyu and Su Xiaolou arrived, the valley was already bustling with activity. Demon races from all over the Xuanmo Desert had gathered here, each with a different form and a fierce presence. There were rhinoceros demons clad in bone armor and wielding giant axes, night owl demons with bat wings on their backs and cold eyes, and sand giants with skin as hard as rock… In total, there were more than a dozen tribes.
The appearance of Yun Zhiyu and his group (mainly him and Su Xiaolou) did not attract much attention; they were simply regarded as representatives of a small tribe. They found a secluded corner to sit down and silently observed the situation.
The alliance meeting has not yet officially begun, but tensions are already high between the tribes. Small-scale conflicts and provocations have already started between some tribes with long-standing grudges.
Soon, trouble came knocking.
Several burly "Sand Scorpion" warriors, covered in dark yellow, hard armor and exuding a strong earthy smell, swaggered over. The leader glanced provocatively at Yun Zhiyu and his bandaged left arm, and sneered, "Where did this sickly wretch come from? Daring to participate in the alliance meeting? When did Alliance Valley become a haven for trash?"
The Sand Scorpion Clan and the Ze Tribe have a long history of conflict. They clearly recognized the Ze Tribe aura remaining on Yun Zhiyu and came here specifically to make things difficult for her.
Yun Zhiyu didn't even lift her eyelids, but quietly wiped the ice crystal longsword in her hand.
Su Xiaolou chuckled and shook his wine gourd: "Where did these bugs come from? Their buzzing is so annoying."
"You're courting death!" The Sand Scorpion Clan leader roared in fury, swinging his massive pincers at Su Xiaolou! The aura of a demon general erupted, drawing the attention of many around.
Su Xiaolou moved with ghostly speed, seemingly in a dangerous move, but perfectly avoiding the attack. At the same time, she subtly hooked her foot. The sand scorpion chieftain felt his foot slip, and his massive body lost its balance, crashing to the ground with a loud "thud," kicking up a cloud of dust.
A suppressed burst of laughter immediately erupted from the surrounding area.
Enraged, the leader of the Sand Scorpion Clan got up and, together with several of his companions, unleashed his full demonic power, ready to fight for real.
That's enough.
A calm voice rang out. Yun Zhiyu finally stood up, his gaze indifferent as he looked at the Sand Scorpion Clan warriors: "The Alliance Grounds are not a place for you to run wild. If you want to fight, let's meet on the arena."
His voice wasn't loud, but it carried an invisible pressure. Especially when his icy blue eyes swept over them, the Sand Scorpion warriors felt a sudden chill, as if they were being watched by some extremely dangerous being.
"You...you just wait!" After uttering these harsh words, the Sand Scorpion warriors retreated in a huff, but their eyes were filled with resentment as they looked at Yun Zhiyu.
This minor incident did not cause a great stir, but it did draw the attention of some observant people to this wounded yet extraordinary young man from the Snow Owl demon clan.
Soon after, accompanied by a mournful horn call, the alliance meeting officially began.
The alliance meeting was presided over by an elder from the neutral major clan, the "Rock Clan." After a brief opening, they went straight into the core event—the arena battle.
The rules are simple and straightforward: defend your position, and the person who wins three consecutive matches can rest. The person who stands on the stage at the end is the winner of this alliance, and their tribe will gain dominance for the next hundred years.
At first, most of the participants were young warriors from various races. The battles were fierce, filled with dazzling displays of magical arts, drawing cheers from the crowd. However, as the competition progressed, the strength of those who took to the stage increased, and the battles became increasingly brutal, with serious injuries and even deaths beginning to occur.
Yun Zhiyu remained still, silently adjusting his breathing, feeling the gradual coordination between the two consciousnesses within his body (himself and Xie Yunzhi), as well as the restless power of annihilation in his left arm.
Finally, after three powerful demon warriors were defeated by a cold and ruthless expert from the Night Owl Clan, the scene became somewhat quiet. That Night Owl expert had reached the mid-stage of the Demon Commander realm; his movements were unpredictable, his attacks vicious, and his momentum was high after defeating three opponents.
"Who else dares to come up?" Night Owl, a powerful figure, surveyed the entire scene with a shrill voice.
Yun Zhiyu took a deep breath and, under Su Xiaolou's watchful gaze, slowly walked onto the arena.
His appearance caused a stir among the whispers. After all, he looked quite badly injured, and his aura wasn't particularly strong.
"Is the Ze tribe out of people? Sending a wounded soldier to die?" Night Owl, a powerful warrior, mocked.
Yun Zhiyu ignored her and simply bowed calmly, saying, "Please."
The battle erupted instantly!
The Night Owl expert's figure transformed into a wisp of black smoke, moving at a speed too fast for the naked eye to follow. Its sharp claws carried a soul-tearing chilling wind as it attacked Yun Zhiyu from all directions!
Yun Zhiyu remained calm. He controlled his body, but his battle consciousness was perfectly synchronized with Xie Yunzhi's in his sea of consciousness. He wielded his ice crystal longsword, its light not dazzling, but it precisely blocked every attack. The faint starlight flowing across the sword effectively resisted the yin wind that eroded the soul.
He did not launch an attack, but instead adapted to the changes in his body while defending, trying to mobilize the purifying power belonging to the "Enlightenment" Star Key.
After dozens of moves, the Night Owl, unable to gain the upper hand, grew increasingly agitated. With a sharp cry, it spread its wings, unleashing countless shadow feathers that shot out like arrows! At the same time, its main body merged into the shadows, launching a deadly attack!
At this critical moment, the power of annihilation in Yun Zhiyu's left arm seemed to be stirred by the dense shadow energy, and suddenly became restless! A cold and deathly aura uncontrollably dissipated!
Yun Zhiyu's expression changed. He had tried to control it, but the power was too domineering! It was about to spiral out of control and affect the surrounding area—
"Condense!"
Within his sea of consciousness, Xie Yunzhi's will, like ice, instantly took over part of the control! The dissipating power of annihilation was forcibly restrained, condensing at the tip of the ice crystal longsword, transforming into a point of extreme darkness!
At the same time, Yun Zhiyu also poured all her demonic power and star power into it!
A sword thrust out! It wasn't aimed at the hidden Night Owl powerhouse's true form, but rather at the core of his attack—the shadowy area!
There was no sound.
The moment the tip of the sword touched the dense shadow, a small patch of that shadow, along with the Night Owl expert hidden within it, vanished silently, as if erased by an eraser!
"ah--!"
A piercing scream rang out as the Night Owl warrior tumbled out of the shadows, one of his wings and half his body vanishing into thin air! The severed section was smooth, devoid of blood, leaving only emptiness!
He fell onto the ring, staring at Yun Zhiyu in horror as if he were looking at a monster, before fainting.
The entire room fell silent!
Everyone was stunned by this bizarre and terrifying scene! What kind of power was that?! It could actually make things "disappear"?
Yun Zhiyu sheathed his sword and stood there, his face even paler, the ashen color on his left arm seemingly spreading further. He suppressed his surging blood and uncontrollable fear, and looked at the referee.
The elder of the Rock Clan gave him a deep look and announced, "The Ze Tribe wins!"
In the next two matches, Yun Zhiyu encountered even stronger opponents. He dared not easily invoke the power of annihilation again, but relied on his increasingly refined skills, which combined Xie Yunzhi's sword intent and the power of the stars, to win with difficulty and successfully defend his title for three matches.
As he dragged his weary and injured body off the arena, the demons respectfully parted to make way for him. Strength is always the best passport, no matter where you are.
However, the intense battle aggravated his injuries, and the power of annihilation in his left arm became more active.
That night, in the makeshift tent, Su Xiaolou set up an isolation array, his face grave: "Kid, that thing on your left arm is too dangerous! If it weren't for... (he glanced at the jade pendant on Yun Zhiyu's chest), you would have almost wiped out the entire arena!"
Yun Zhiyu (who was in control at this moment) nodded wearily: "I know. But I need power... I need to find the Rebirth Star Key as soon as possible."
Su Xiaolou pondered for a moment, then suddenly took out a "Nightmare Beast" crystal core that emitted a mesmerizing glow: "Suppressing it with brute force is not the solution. Perhaps... you can try 'Controlling Silence with Thought'."
"Using thought to control silence?"
“Yes! The power of annihilation is essentially a rule, it is ‘nothingness.’ Forcibly resisting it will only result in being devoured. But if you can use a powerful will to guide its ‘nothingness’ characteristics, you might be able to use it in return, neutralize its attacks, or even… devour the enemy’s power!” Su Xiaolou’s eyes flashed with a crazy yet wise light. “I’ve deduced this many times in my dreams, and it’s theoretically feasible! But it’s extremely dangerous. If you’re not careful, your consciousness will be assimilated by annihilation, and you’ll become a walking corpse!”
Yun Zhiyu looked at the Nightmare Beast Crystal Core, then felt the cold presence in her left arm, and finally nodded firmly: "I'm willing to give it a try."
For power, for protection, he had no other choice.
Su Xiaolou said no more and activated the Dream Weaving Technique. The Nightmare Beast Crystal Core emitted a hazy light, enveloping Yun Zhiyu.
A perilous spiritual journey, involving dancing with "silence" in a dream, begins.
The night in Oath Valley is still long. The real challenge may have only just begun.
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