C1001 Worldsundering Stone

Five Otherkin youths, whose bloodline levels were insufficient, lacked the ability to soar through the Star River using only their physical prowess. Moreover, the Nirvana Realm was a long-abandoned world, scarcely visited by starships from intelligent life. Consequently, these five Otherkin found themselves marooned, with no recourse.

Yu Yuan and Yu Yiyi conferred in secret, concluding that their bodily strength could rival that of an eighth-level archdemon, even without being Solar Spirits. The mysterious Altar of Rebirth might even give them an edge over such formidable beings. Yu Yuan yearned to leave the Nirvana Realm without relying on a Voidfarer, confident in his ability to withstand the tumultuous psionic powers deep within the Star River.

Yet, realizing he was in the Nirvana Realm, with Veilfall Canyon and its connection to the Dragon Slaying Stage behind him, he reconsidered his urgency. Opting to remain a bit longer, he decided to observe the realm's unfolding events.

Subsequently, he dismissed the five Otherkin youths, instructing them to steer clear of Veilfall Canyon and survive on their own.

"World-Sundering Stone, Dragon Slaying Stage..." Yu Yuan mused, gazing at the two stones fused together, their seams exuding a radiant, liquid-like glow. The Dragon Slaying Stage, shattered due to Boulderdawn's decline, was now merging back together in Veilfall Canyon.

He had carelessly placed the fragments in the valley, where he could see the dazzling space rifts sporadically shimmer, emitting beams of light infused with space magic. The light, seemingly drawn to the Dragon Slaying Stage, would dart into the stone.

Upon closer examination, he noticed that the two fractured pieces of the Dragon Slaying Stage appeared to be slowly mending, infused with space magic.

"Could the Dragon Slaying Stage be self-repairing here in Veilfall Canyon?" Yu Yiyi wondered, her voice tinged with amazement as she hovered over the cauldron, momentarily entranced. "It must be the Dragon Slaying Stage that's responsible for drawing us into the Nirvana Realm."

After pondering for a moment, her eyes suddenly sparkled with realization.

"Master, if we could reassemble the shattered Dragon Slaying Stages, their power would surely be immense! There's no need to rush off; let's patiently wait for the two pieces to fuse into one!"

She had an epiphany. If feasible, they could retrieve the Dragon Slaying Stage segments from the Moonfall Sanctuary and place all three in Veilfall Canyon.

The Dragon Slaying Stages, once whole again, would unleash the full might of the Divine Artifact!

She found herself reminiscing about the first master of the Dragon Slaying Stage and their storied past.

"Have you noticed that with the emergence of the two Dragon Slaying Stages, the number of space rifts around here is also on the rise?" Yu Yuan inquired.

"Indeed," Yu Yiyi confirmed with a gentle nod.

"I believe that the restoration of the Dragon Slaying Stages is prompting the formation of even more space rifts."

Yu Yuan's face took on a grave expression as he continued, "I'm somewhat concerned."

"Concerned about what?"

"My fear is that the increasing number of space rifts will start to stabilize. This could draw the attention of the Voidweaver, leading to more and stronger Otherkin coming to investigate."

"That's a valid concern."

"For now, let's keep watch. Hopefully, there will be no surprises once the Dragon Slaying Stages are mended in Veilfall Canyon."

Subsequently, Yu Yuan remained in the valley, practicing Evil Body Refining to temper his physique and draw in the vitality and Soul Power that would benefit him.

Having just entered the Spirit Walk realm and survived the bloody conflicts of the forbidden area, he had seen the combat prowess of formidable beings from various realms, which helped him quickly solidify his own cultivation level.

As the Dragon Slaying Stage in the Nirvana Realm began to heal, he seized the opportunity to grow stronger.

Meanwhile, Hart, Benin, and three other Otherkin youths had traversed the entire Nirvana Realm without success.

"Besides mutant flora, there's a lack of valuable magic items and gems," lamented Baruch of the Crypt Clan, emerging from an underground cavern and shaking his head. "We've scoured the depths for hundreds of meters, but with no mine formations, there are no rare minerals to be found."

A member of the Crypt Clan gave a slight nod.

"The barrier has been shattered, and the harmful psionic power from the extraterrestrial realms has polluted this world," Hart of the Silverscale Tribe had long been aware, "I've explored similar realms before. Many are just like this one, utterly worthless. I've come across a few with signs of life..."

At this point, he seemed to recall something horrifying and involuntarily shuddered.

"What happened?" Benin inquired, her curiosity piqued.

"The remaining three, their barriers completely destroyed, lay bare under the starry sky. Life persisted there. But the survivors had endured corruption and chaos. They should have perished in mutual slaughter, yet they lived on." Hart inhaled deeply. "They've turned into mindless beasts, driven only by a lust for killing."

"Many of our kin, some with bloodlines far stronger than mine, were... consumed by them."

Hart's complexion turned grim.

"Consumed?" The young woman from the Moonlit Wanderers exclaimed in horror.

"Yes, I witnessed it myself!" Hart confirmed, then tried to lighten the mood. "We should be thankful that the Nirvana Realm is devoid of life, a true silent wasteland. Otherwise, the five of us would stand no chance; we'd be devoured."

"Why did it happen? The creatures that turned into demons, they once possessed spiritual wisdom, didn't they?" the Moonlit Wanderers girl questioned.

"There's something you should really understand," Hart began, seeing her confusion, and patiently elaborated, "Our bloodline levels, like yours and mine, are decent. But even so, adapting to the Nirvana Realm is challenging. We must constantly purge the filth and impurities from our bodies, along with the malevolent thoughts and psionic power."

"If we were slightly weaker, with bloodline levels at the third level or lower, and suddenly faced with the barrier's rupture and the influx of extraterrestrial psionic power, we would instinctively refine it into our very flesh."

"In such a state, we'd quickly go mad, transforming into mindless monsters. We would turn on each other, killing and consuming our allies or any other living beings."

"Even though we've lost our spiritual wisdom, we can still push the boundaries of our bloodline by engaging in mutual slaughter. Eventually, we become mindless monsters, driven only by instinct to fight and kill without knowing who we are."

Hart explained.

Benin nodded slightly, adding, "Precisely. Those with a high bloodline level aren't susceptible to the corrupting psionic powers from the extraterrestrial. They remain unaffected. However, many of our weaker kin, once the wall collapses, can easily spiral into madness. Naturally, the majority will perish swiftly, eliminated to prevent any future threats."

"Only a few outliers manage to survive, growing stronger and transforming into Blood Fiends."

The group of five Otherkin youths roamed the hills and forests of the Nirvana Realm, finding neither significant magic items nor valuable intelligence.

As time slipped away, these elite warriors from the Star River's Otherkin found their bloodline levels insufficient, and their bodies untainted by their home domain's purity.

Unlike Yu Yuan, they couldn't draw strength from the polluted energies tainted by extraterrestrial psionic powers.

Not only were they unable to harness such methods, but they also needed to periodically purge their bodies of inadvertently absorbed toxins, cosmic dust, and harmful psionic energies.

"This is unsustainable," declared Benin, a member of the Voidweaver Clan, as she rose abruptly one day, dispelling specks of dull light from the corners of her eyes. "Without a Voidfarer passing by, our survival in the Nirvana Realm is limited. Our energy gems are finite, and once depleted, we'll have no means to recharge."

Hart grimaced. "I have the fewest energy stones. It won't be long before I exhaust my supplies."

"The likelihood of a Voidfarer arriving is slim, given that the Nirvana Realm has been forsaken with scarcely any explorers venturing here," Benin said with resolve. "Our sole chance lies with Veilfall Canyon and the space rifts. Despite the inherent dangers and uncertainties, we have no choice but to take the risk."

The rest of the group was also in dire straits. After a brief discussion, they swiftly came to a decision.

Despite being expelled by Yu Yuan and their reluctance to encounter him again, they faced the grim prospect of death and had no choice but to steel themselves for a return to Veilfall Canyon.

Upon their return, they were immediately taken aback.

"..."