199: Sun-swallowing

Because this secret realm is not a sphere like Blue Star, but exists in the form of a floating continent, the two planets representing the concepts and functions of the sun and moon rotate alternately above and below the floating continent in a special trajectory.

Although the seasons, temperatures, and other aspects vary throughout the secret realm due to the different trajectories and angles of illumination of the sun and moon, the day and night cycles of the entire secret realm are relatively uniform.

When Xu Yan arrived, the planet representing the concept of “Sun” was directly above the floating continent, and the entire secret realm was experiencing daytime.

As Xu Yan's words fell, a shadow stretched out from his own shadow, then detached from it and landed directly on the “Sun”.

Originally, even after Zhu Yan's full liberation, her size was still too tiny compared to an entire “Sun” and would not have been enough to attract attention.

However, the innate malice of the secret realm towards Blue Star humans and related spirit beasts immediately captured Zhu Yan's aura and amplified it tens of thousands of times.

Afterward, almost all living beings in the secret realm, whether actively or passively, looked up at the “Sun” in the sky at the same time.

The Sun, which originally emitted dazzling light and was too far away to be observed by ordinary beings, could now be clearly seen by all the secret realm beings who looked up. A giant spider with a black body and golden markings was inserting its many spider legs into the “Sun”.

Beneath the giant spider, a profoundly deep shadow was rapidly spreading in all directions. In the short time they “saw” it, the shadow beneath its body had already expanded several times.

Although they didn't know what exactly was happening, a message suddenly appeared in the minds of all beings who witnessed this scene: an enemy from beyond the domain was stealing the power of the “Sun”, and the world was facing a crisis of destruction.

Eliminating the enemy from beyond the domain would earn the world's favor and rewards. If they failed to eliminate the enemy, all living beings would be destroyed along with the world, their souls and bodies perishing and falling into an endless abyss.

Along with this message came a special emotion, as if forcibly injected. Driven by this emotion, all previous grievances and animosities seemed insignificant, leaving only hatred and malice towards the spider on the “Sun”.

It must be said that as Xu Yan's first special training secret realm, Kong Ji and the Coaching Team still gave Xu Yan some newcomer preferential treatment, just like now.

Even if the beings in the secret realm harbored hatred and anger, due to the vast distance between them and the restrictions placed by Huaguo outside this secret realm,

the secret realm beings simply couldn't leave it. The maximum distance they could fly was only ten thousand li, and even with the help of the secret realm, they couldn't reach the sun and moon in the sky.

Moreover, the secret realm was primarily inhabited by weaker beings, with only a small fraction truly powerful enough to reach the realm's maximum height.

And all these beings could do was reach the secret realm's maximum height and then continuously launch long-range attacks from afar towards Zhu Yan's location, attempting to kill her from a distance.

However, these attacks, already partially depleted by the distance, were directly incinerated by the flames contained within the “Sun” just as they were about to make contact.

They couldn't even cause harm to Zhu Yan, let alone touch her. They could only watch, filled with anger, hatred, and malice, yet powerless, as Zhu Yan did as she pleased with their “Sun”.

As time passed, the shadow on the “Sun” grew larger and larger, and the light it emitted became increasingly dim.

First, some areas with low illumination angles, which should have still been in daylight according to the secret realm's time concept, prematurely plunged into night. There was no moonlight, only darkness and a few dimly lit areas illuminated by flames and various light-emitting elements.

Later, as the “Sun” was completely obscured and devoured by the shadow, the entire world fell into endless darkness and cold.

This change first affected the various plants in the secret realm. Without light, photosynthesis almost completely ceased. Some powerful plant life could maintain their strength for a short time by relying on stored energy, while weaker and ordinary plants suffered fatal blows directly.

This blow came not only from darkness but also from other secret realm beings.

When darkness arrived, plants that could be ignited to provide light and heat immediately became targets for various beings in the secret realm. Weaker plants with no self-preservation abilities were extensively harvested.

Initially, under the leadership and call of some relatively “intelligent” secret realm beings, there was some restraint, and these plants were not subjected to extermination-level harvesting.

However, as time passed, the value of all things related to fire and light skyrocketed, becoming increasingly rare and priceless. Greed and self-preservation devoured the last vestiges of reason.

Plants were dug up along with their root systems, mines that could glow were destructively exploited regardless of whether they were harmful, and beings fought and plundered each other, eventually escalating from small-scale skirmishes to full-blown wars.

In this situation, Zhu Yan's existence and the secret realm beings' inherent malice, instead became the fuse for chaos.

Due to distance and secret realm restrictions, aside from curses and insults that the other party couldn't hear, the secret realm beings couldn't do anything to Zhu Yan. Their hearts full of hatred and malice, unable to be vented on Zhu Yan, accumulated over time and were then transferred to their “fellow beings”.

They indeed hated Zhu Yan, and when Zhu Yan was in front of them, they would indeed abandon all grievances and animosities to collectively target and kill her. However, the current situation was: they could not touch Zhu Yan except with their gaze, but their enemies were nearby, and acting against them did not affect their hatred for Zhu Yan.

As a result, the secret realm's so-called hatred priority became a joke. Xu Yan hadn't even truly entered the secret realm yet, and the beings within it had already begun to slaughter each other.

After the “Sun” was completely devoured, the sole remaining “Moon” became the last hope for those beings ravaged by chaos and war. Countless beings prayed for the “Moon” to arrive.

Although it couldn't bring them warmth and vitality like the “Sun”, the moonlight it cast could briefly calm the chaos and war, granting them a moment of respite.

However, when the fallen “Sun” set and the “Moon” rose again, it did not bring them the hope they desired, but a more suffocating despair.

Simply because, on the “Moon”, there was still a giant spider.