1443 Yu Ning
The moment Ji Ran entered the Starry Abyss, Yuan received a notification.
Yuan suddenly felt the urge to retaliate and terminate Ji Ran's soul, but he quickly resisted such an urge and allowed Ji Ran to occupy the Starry Abyss.
Once Ji Ran had successfully occupied the Starry Abyss, Yuan felt a chunk of his soul strength being consumed—absorbed by the Starry Abyss, but it wasn't enough to worry him.
'That took about 15 percent of my soul strength, huh? I anticipated worse.' Yuan thought to himself. Copyright Nôv/el/Dra/ma.Org.
"How do you feel?" Ji Ran's voice resounded a moment later.
"I am fine. What about you?"
"I haven't felt this good since I lost my physical body. It's also much more spacious in here than I'd anticipated, almost like I have my own little world." Ji Ran responded enthusiastically, clearly pleased with his new temporary home.
When Yu Ning heard how content Ji Ran sounded, she immediately became fidgety, almost as though she couldn't wait to relocate.
"Sorry, but I probably won't be able to help with the formation at my current cultivation… However, I can still try. I can also do other things. Anything at all!" Yu Ning said, sounding a little worried and desperate.
Yuan looked at her and smiled, "Don't worry, I promised to get the both of you out of here, and I will fulfill my promise even if neither of you can help me."
Of course, he would've had to delay their plans until he found someone who could save his world.
"T-thank you! I will definitely repay this debt once I reconstruct my physical body!" Yu Ning exclaimed.
If she had a physical body, there would've been tears flowing down her face right now.
Yuan retrieved his Empyrean Overlord a moment later and extended it toward Yu Ning.
Seeing this, Yu Ning immediately began flying toward the sword.
However, right before she reached it, an unfathomable presence appeared, followed by a strong pressure that restricted both Yu Ning and Yuan's movements.
"W-what the hell is this…?!" Yu Ning had to use all of her strength just to utter these few words.
Yuan gritted his teeth and shifted his gaze to look at the shadowy figure approaching them from a distance.
This shadowy figure arrived before them in less than a second, hovering between Yuan and Yu Ning.
"Who are you?" Yuan asked this newcomer who had the figure of an adult human but without any facial features or distinct parts that would identify their identity.
"Oh? You can still speak while under my pressure? I knew you were no ordinary Spirit King, but to think you were this exceptional." The shadowy figure spoke in a voice that resembled an old man.
"Y-you… You're the Holy Sword Saint, Jin Geming! What do you want from us?!" Yu Ning recognized the shadowy figure's identity from his voice alone.
"I don't need anything from you since I am here for this young man." Jin Geming responded.
He continued while staring at Yuan, "I sensed your powerful soul strength and was intrigued, so I came here and observed you guys a little."
"So you were eavesdropping on us? How distasteful for someone of your stature, Holy Sword Saint." Ji Ran sneered from within the Starry Abyss.
"I stopped being the Holy Sword Saint when I was tossed into this place countless years ago." Jin Geming retorted coldly.
He then stared into Yuan's eyes and continued, "You're looking for people to save your world, correct? Take me instead of this useless woman. I was at the 5th level God Ascension during my peak, and I'm still at the 3rd level God Ascension right now. If that's not enough, I will give you all of the Holy Sword Academy's sword techniques. I will be much more useful to you in every way."
"Y-you bastard!" Yu Ning shouted in anger, yet she couldn't refute Jin Geming's words.
As the Sect Leader of the Holy Sword Academy, an esteemed sect that once rivaled the Immortal Monastery in their primes during the Primordial Era, he held authority and resources far surpassing Yu Ning's.
However, Yuan spoke with a cold grin on his face, "Do you normally restrict the movements of the person you're asking for help?"
Hearing such words, Jin Geming released his pressure on Yuan but kept it on Yu Ning, as he didn't want to give her the chance to run into the Soul Weapon.
"My apologies, it wasn't my intention. I don't usually panic, but even a god would lose some senses after spending so much time in this gloomy place."
Yuan didn't immediately respond and pondered his next step.
While he had no intention of helping Jin Geming, he couldn't simply refuse to help him, as Jin Geming would definitely attack him, and he wasn't close to being strong enough to oppose someone at God Ascension even with Evil God's memories.
In fact, even if he worked together with Yu Ning and Ji Ran, they wouldn't be able to defeat Jin Geming.
"Yuan…" Yu Ning looked at him with a look of acceptance, almost as if she'd given up on leaving with him.
"You should take him. I'll stay here for now. If one of them leaves their Soul Weapon in the future and you don't mind returning for me, I will be eternally grateful."
Yu Ning recognized the gravity of their circumstances. Jin Geming wielded enough power to effortlessly annihilate them all, so she decided to stay behind. In doing so, she would, at the very least, still have a chance to leave the Shadow Realm in the future.
"Looks like I will owe you a favor now, Fairy Yu." Jin Geming smiled.
In response, Yu Ning merely snorted coldly.
However, a moment later, to their surprise, Yuan shook his head and said, "No, I won't let you stay behind. I said I'd take you out of this place, so I will."
"W-what? But…"
Before Yu Ning could finish her sentence, Yuan continued, "I didn't mention this before because it wasn't necessary, but I actually have three Soul Weapons in my possession."
"You what?!"
The three immortals exclaimed in a shocked voice after learning of this information.