C1295 Void Seal
Deep within the Lissom Realm, Pei Yuling of the Human Race gazed at Diggs with reverence. The Origin Realm Gate, resembling butterfly wings, shifted above Diggs's head, tilting slightly to the rear. One of the gate's luminescent wings appeared to touch the massive tree's roots.
The gate seemed to siphon mystical energies and various hues of lifeblood from the tree, usurping something indefinable. In return, a bizarre and indistinct force emanated from the other wing, gradually infusing Diggs with its mysterious power. It was as though it was a boon from the Origin Realm God.
Diggs's presence surged in a formidable and awe-inspiring manner. The gaunt elder of the Dark Elfkind coursed with a tumultuous vitality through every vein and artery, yet this vigor was tinged with malevolence.
"Yu Yuan..." he murmured in a deep voice.
Snap! His strands of hair abruptly severed, disconnecting from the ancient tree's roots.
"How is it?" Pei Yuling stepped closer, his voice laced with deference.
"He is extraordinary," Diggs replied, his tone grave. Seated beneath the tree, his eyes shimmered with an enigmatic glow. "No matter, my path to advancement is relentless. The one who promised to restore what I lost will fulfill that vow!"
Pei Yuling's excitement was palpable. Previously, Diggs possessed a bloodline at the Peak of Ninth Level, just shy of ascending to the Tenth Level. The current chieftain of the Dark Elfkind, his descendant, now held the position that should have been his. Diggs's defeat in the struggle for the chieftain's seat had cost him the support of his kin and his chance to advance. He was so close!
"Allow me to offer my congratulations, Elder," Pei Yuling bowed deeply, his respect genuine, his anticipation evident for the day when, with the Origin Realm God's aid, he too might transcend the boundaries of the Starfield.
Should Diggs ascend to the Tenth Level and become a Peak expert among the extraterrestrial races, then Pei Yuling too might harbor hope. The entity within the Origin Realm Gate that empowered Diggs's transformation surely possessed the strength to assist him in attaining the Primordial Spirit Stage and achieving divinity.
If Pei Yuling were to ascend to godhood, becoming a Primordial Spirit woven from the mysteries of space, who in the vast universe could constrain him?
Regardless of the formidable forces, the Divine Soul Sect, or the numerous Primordial Spirits and Demon Gods, none could challenge him—a master of spatial laws at the Primordial Spirit Stage.
Moreover, by that time, the power of the Origin Realm would likely have permeated the infinite cosmos!
With this in mind, Pei Yuling's confidence swelled, and his resolve to follow the "Origin Realm God" and achieve the ultimate level of cultivation solidified.
...
Elsewhere.
At the Galaxy Crossing, Lin Yan, tasked with its oversight, was surrounded by a crowd brimming with anxiety.
"Lin Yan! What's going on? We came here freely, but now we can't return?"
An irate cultivator from the Fiend Sect bellowed, his face flushed with anger, "Do you realize how perilous the Outer Battlefield is at this moment? If we remain, we're facing certain death!"
Lin Yan, visibly stressed, replied, "Enough! I don't want this any more than you do."
"Where's Pei Yuling? Where is he?" demanded a Yang cultivator from the Thunder Sect.
Cultivators from the Cold Yin Sect and Spirit Void Sect, having fled to this point from the Illusion Starfield, joined in the clamor.
With a furrowed brow, Lin Yan said, "I've heard there's been an issue with Pei Yuling."
This revelation left many stunned.
"Just wait!" Lin Yan's demeanor brightened with anticipation.
A realization dawned upon the crowd.
They turned their gaze to a miniature divine palace, bearing Cao Jiaze, as it swiftly approached.
"Cao Jiaze!"
"It's Cao Jiaze!"
Cultivators from both the Heavenly Source Continent and the Quietus Continent were electrified.
In their eyes, Cao Jiaze was a divine figure—exceptionally wise, with formidable combat prowess, and the bearer of the Profound Sky Sect's treasured artifact.
With Cao Jiaze's arrival, it was as though they had all found their pillar of strength.
Yet, upon his approach, they noticed his sorrowful expression and somewhat vacant gaze.
"Jiaze?"
Lin Yan stepped forward to meet him, making room for the palace to descend. "I've never seen you look so troubled. What's happened? Where is Master Fu?"
"He and the Profound Plamer were destroyed by Barol of the Star Race," Cao Jiaze said mournfully.
"Ah!"
A wave of commotion ensued.
"Activate the Galaxy Crossing. I must report back to the sect immediately," Cao Jiaze commanded.
"There seems to be a problem with the Galaxy Crossing. We can arrive here, but we can't leave," Lin Yan explained through sobs to Cao Jiaze, his body shaking uncontrollably. "The Star Race, Barol! Our Profound Sky Sect will make them pay dearly!"
Fu Xuanwen had apparently treated him well, and his death had left him emotionally distraught.
Cao Jiaze, who had been eager to use the Galaxy Crossing to escape the Deep Starfield and return to the Boundless Great World, was equally stunned by the news.
The issue with the Galaxy Crossing implied more to him than it did to Lin Yan or anyone else present.
Cao Jiaze's heartstrings tightened abruptly.
Time passed.
Chu Yao, along with the Yang cultivators from the Voodoo Cult and the Filthy Spirit Sect who had survived the Totem Pillar's onslaught, finally arrived.
"Chu Yao!"
Upon seeing him, Cao Jiaze's brow furrowed, and he immediately inquired, "You left with Pei Yuling. Where is he now? And what has happened to you both?"
"Jin Lih is dead. Mr. Pei has pledged allegiance to the Origin Realm God and has defected from Hao Yun."
Seeing Cao Jiaze and the Galaxy Crossing, Chu Yao felt a flicker of hope and rapidly spilled everything he knew.
The cultivators present were left utterly astonished.
"Origin Realm God!"
Cao Jiaze took several deep breaths to steady his emotions, then glanced at the Lissom Realm and the Galaxy Crossing, a sense of foreboding washing over him.
He realized that a master of spatial abilities must have sealed the Galaxy Crossing.
If Pei Yuling, who knew the exact coordinates and was the creator, had turned traitor, could they still count on the Galaxy Crossing?
"They can still enter? What does the adversary intend to do? Hunt down every living being that steps onto the Outer Battlefield?"
The more Cao Jiaze pondered, the more his unease grew.
...
Whoosh! Whoosh!
The lunar meteorite, under Yan Qiling's control, finally converged with the Evil Cauldron after a considerable time had passed. Both the meteorite and the cauldron came to a halt simultaneously.
"Master, are you alright?" Yu Yiyi, the cauldron soul, was visibly distressed. She swiftly approached and entered the Evil Cauldron with a quick flash.
The moment she stepped into the cauldron, the profound link between the Ice Concubine and the cauldron was severed without mercy. Yu Yiyi naturally assumed the Ice Concubine's role, taking over the reins of the Evil Cauldron. The Ice Concubine complied without resistance.
"That Chen woman, her powers went haywire not too long ago, nearly giving us all a heart attack," Yu Yiyi remarked coolly, showing no fear of Chen Qinghuang as she recounted the incident with detachment.
She explained that shortly after Chen Qinghuang had awakened, a terrifying force of death and destruction had surged toward the far reaches of the void, like a rampaging flood, mingling with an infinite spectrum of spatial rings. Yu Yiyi kept the details sparse, providing only an overview.
Yet, Yu Yuan was aware that this chaos had been caused by the unexpected emergence of "Benin," who had attempted to draw him and the Evil Cauldron into the Lissom Realm. The empress had detected the intrusion in time and had intervened from a distance.
Because of him, the Secular Bird and the Void Spirit Succubus had clashed once more, shattering a vast expanse of the outer heavenly domain.
"Is she alright?" Yu Yuan asked with a look of deep concern for the Empress, who lay with her eyes closed, her breathing steady.
A sense of warmth began to fill his heart. Regardless of her past, she had never caused him harm or shown malice toward him since their paths had crossed. She had first discovered three solar nuclei and presented them to Yuan Lianyao, granting her an extraordinary opportunity. Later, when he faced peril, she had intervened without a moment's hesitation, willing to enter slumber once again to contend with the Void Spirit Succubus.
In that moment, Yu Yuan felt that his impromptu rescue of the young empress during his second life as Hong Qi might have been the most fortuitous act of his entire existence. The Empress, or the Secular Bird, seemed unconcerned with the heinous acts he might have committed at the end of his second life.
Regardless of his past misdeeds or his infamous reputation, he was only remembered for his good actions.
"She's alright. She's just sleeping in her own unique way, and everything appears normal."
Yan Qiling responded, his expression growing serious as he pondered, "Yu Yuan, are you truly set on going to the Lissom Realm? I can't shake the feeling that it's a mistake. Just approaching it makes me sense impending doom. I believe there's a power beneath the Lissom Realm that is beyond our comprehension."
"I'm aware, and I've seen it," Yu Yuan confirmed with a nod.
"You saw it?" Yan Qiling asked, astonished.
"Yes, before we regrouped, I nearly made it into the Lissom Realm. Through the Dragon Slash Platform, I glimpsed a vivid image of what lies within." Yu Yuan recounted his experience, detailing the Alien Realm he observed through the Dragon Slash Platform's vertical eye-like function, without omitting a single detail.
The tale sent shivers down the spines of everyone listening.
A venerable Freezing Devaputra gazed at the Ice Concubine, wanting to speak but holding back.
He was eager to flee with the Ice Concubine, yet he knew that the current Adel was a demon within the Evil Cauldron and could not break free from its dark grasp.
Yan Ziyang's expression soured as he hesitantly suggested, "Perhaps we should leave?"
As he spoke, he kept a wary eye on the empress, fearing she might awaken at any moment.
"Is there a way to reach out to the Divine Soul Sect?" Yu Yuan considered the situation internally before inquiring of Yan Qiling, "The disturbances in the Lissom Realm should be made known to more clans and powers. The Void Spirit Succubus, the enigmatic Origin Realm, along with Diggs and Pei Yuling, are enemies to us all."
"I've tried, but it seems as though the Deep Starfield has been sealed," Yan Qiling said with a wry smile.
He paused before adding, "It's not just us; others who have come from the Boundless Great World and the demons from the Demon Palace are also unable to depart via the Galaxy Crossing."
"All spatial anomalies have been constrained."
