C1300 The Saying of the End of Life

"Extracting something?"

Yu Yuan was taken aback, wondering what kind of extraordinary item in the Spirit World could possibly aid in the awakening and strengthening of his Solar Spirit.

Near the Origin Gate, there were only Diggs of the Shadowkin and Pei Yuling, the defector from the Everlands.

Above ground, menacing flora was consuming any creatures that had fallen.

He doubted there was any rare treasure in the Spirit World capable of causing a fundamental transformation within him.

"The Uxthar Tree's seed has sprouted, bringing forth new life. Though the vitality feels off to me, tainted with an excess of psionic power," Chen Qinghuang's eyes were deep and mysterious. She paused, then continued, "Nonetheless, it carries the essence of the Uxthar Tree."

"The Uxthar Tree?"

Yu Yuan was completely bewildered.

He glanced at Yu Yiyi, Yan Qiling, Moore, and the Frost Queen, realizing they were just as perplexed.

Clearly, none of them had ever heard of the Uxthar Tree, nor did they have any recollection of it.

"The Starborn have returned," Chen Qinghuang announced abruptly. "The Starfallen Oracle, who has lived for ages and is close to Diggs, might have some insights. Once he arrives, he can clear up your confusion and reveal the wonders of the Uxthar Tree."

"Beru!"

Yu Yuan's expression brightened as he began to scan the surroundings.

Sure enough, after a lengthy wait, Beru, along with Leo and Denise, returned, steering their meteorite that shimmered with starlight back to them.

The trio appeared disheartened.

Leo, the Starchild, was particularly crestfallen. Despite his mystical connection with the cosmos, he had led Beru and Denise astray in the Brugeth!

They had erred five times under his direction on the return path to Kuvrepros!

Beru sensed trouble and advised Leo to delay their departure and seek out Yu Yuan and the others before making their way back.

Then, out of the blue, he caught the gaze of the newly awakened Queen, who looked at him with a sardonic expression.

Beru's body instantly tensed, and the flow of blood within him came to a sudden halt. Aware that Chen Qinghuang before him was the Death Bird of a hundred thousand years past, Beru was filled with trepidation. The meteorite he commanded hovered in the void, and he seemed reluctant to draw it any closer.

Yu Yuan gestured and called out, "Great Sage, I seek your counsel!"

After a moment's hesitation, Beru steeled himself and moved closer, yet their meteorite remained at a cautious distance from Yan Qiling's.

"We're lost," Leo admitted with an embarrassed smile.

Denise added, "The Brugeth Starfield has become strange, filled with endless illusions."

Yu Yuan, who had been informed by the Queen of the butterfly's expertise in void techniques and deep knowledge of illusions, showed no surprise. He nodded and suggested, "Let's step aside for a word."

The meteorite edged nearer once more.

"You have lived far too long. At most, you have three hundred years left. No matter how you resist, you cannot outrun the unchanging destiny. Even breaking through to the tenth level of your bloodline is futile; you're still bound to live only about three hundred more years," Chen Qinghuang stated to Beru in a serene voice, delivering the harsh truth.

Her words sent a shockwave through the group, leaving them incredulous.

Yet, considering what Chen Qinghuang stood for and seeing the bitterness etched on Beru's face, they couldn't question the truth in her statement.

Yu Yuan expressed his astonishment, "Great Sage, there seems to be a change in your breath of life."

"No, it's of no use," Beru replied with a wry smile, shaking his head. "Yu Yuan, I'm grateful for your aid in concocting medicine and for extending my life. Your pill healed my chronic ailment, granting me a few more years. But I am indeed too old, and as she said, I cannot escape my fate."

He sighed deeply, "It's not just me... The lifespan of the mighty from other extraterrestrial races has its limits. Even those at the pinnacle of the tenth level will eventually succumb to age and cannot contend with the cosmic order."

"Therefore, whether it be the Starborn, the Dawnbringers, or the Shadowkin, each must select a successor to prepare for what lies ahead."

Ballo is my protégé, whom I personally mentored and elevated to the position of Patriarch. It's worth noting that I had the potential to become the Patriarch of the Starborn and ascend to a tenth level bloodline myself.

I chose to relinquish that opportunity! Do you understand why? Because I was acutely aware of my advanced age. Even if I had achieved a tenth level bloodline and taken on the role of Patriarch, my age would have been a limiting factor, and I would have succumbed to old age at any moment.

That is the fundamental difference between Diggs and me.

As a Starfallen Oracle of the Starborn, Beru disclosed this secret in response to the Queen's remarks.

He forsook the allure of the ultimate tenth level bloodline and passed it all to Ballo, knowing full well that his age was a barrier. Even as the Starborn Patriarch with a tenth level bloodline, he couldn't escape the fate of dying from old age.

Rather than cling to power, he chose to act generously, securing the maximum benefit for his entire race and their future.

Diggs, his contemporary, and Brie, the current Shadowkin Patriarch, faced a similar dilemma.

However, Diggs refused to step down or back away!

Despite his advanced years, he was determined to make another attempt, leading to an irreconcilable conflict with Brie that escalated into a major dispute.

"Intelligent life from the first level of the extraterrestrial realm, at the pinnacle of their bloodline, still lacks eternal life?" Yu Yuan exclaimed in astonishment.

"In the vast expanse of the Star River, only three known races can exist eternally," Beru said, glancing at Chen Qinghuang. "Like her, the Cosmic Giant Beasts that emerged from chaos. And humans, like you, who can achieve immortality upon reaching the Primordial Spirit Realm."

He then turned to Moore and the Frost Queen, "Aside from the Blood Fiend, the Star-Spawned Terrors that naturally exist as souls can also live forever once they ascend to become Demon Gods."

"Beyond these exceptions, no matter if it's the evilkind of the Everlands, the ancient Nagas, or the extraterrestrial alien beasts, intelligent beings like us have a finite lifespan. Even a tenth level Heir of Blood, with strength comparable to a human's primordial spirit, will eventually succumb to old age."

Beru let out a deep sigh.

"Cosmic giant beasts, human primordial spirits, the Demon God among the Sky Fiends!"

Yan Ziyang of the Wraithcult was astounded, seemingly hearing such terrifying secrets for the first time.

He hadn't imagined that the once inconspicuous humans, upon reaching the level of the primordial spirit, could stand shoulder to shoulder with cosmic giant beasts and the great Demon Gods of the Sky Fiends!

To achieve what is truly eternal and undying!

Yu Yuan glanced subconsciously at Chen Qinghuang, and then he saw her give a nearly imperceptible nod.

He immediately understood that Beru's words were true!

He felt a surge of excitement and marveled at the miraculous nature of the Everlands' humans, feeling a hint of pride as well.

"Can even the tenth level Dragon Gods of the Everlands not break this limit?" Yan Qiling hesitated, his curiosity piqued, and he sought confirmation once more.

Beru shook his head, "All beings, whether the ancient evilkinds or the current ones, are still bound by this limitation. The dragons, too, are an ancient evilkind of the Everlands. What makes them exempt? In fact..."

"Except for the cosmic giant beasts, all other powerful races that depend on vital energy cannot escape this destiny! The Star-Spawned Terrors, born with flesh and blood, are a unique Blood Fiend race. The dragons of the Everlands, the numerous archdemons, the alien beasts from beyond, and all of us intelligent lifeforms with various bloodline gifts and divine abilities are in the same predicament."

"It's the same for all!" Beru declared definitively.

Yu Yuan pondered in silence. He set aside the Nagas, as his knowledge of them was limited and their era of splendor was far too distant.

He considered that the Dark Deities of the Everlands indeed seemed to undergo generational changes.

The Untamed, the Kylin, the Moonfang Tiger, and the Sky-Shaking Ape had all been succeeded by new generations over time.

The sole exception was the purple phoenix!

Then, he recalled the young Titan Spinosaurus that, not long ago, within the rare stone refined by the Abyssal Leviathan, could connect with and resonate with most of the totem poles, yet showed no response to the one representing the Dark Phoenix.

Combining Beru's and Chen Qinghuang's remarks, Yu Yuan ventured a bold hypothesis. He turned his gaze back to Chen Qinghuang.

Seemingly in tune with his thoughts, Chen Qinghuang gave a slight nod. A tumultuous wave of shock surged within Yu Yuan!

Indeed!

The purple phoenix within Shadow's Keep was not an indigenous being of the Everlands, nor was it some alien beast from afar.

Apart from the human primordial spirit and the Demon God among the Sky Fiends, only the primordial Cosmic Giant Beast could achieve eternal existence!

The answer was clear as day!

After taking several deep breaths, Yu Yuan steadied his emotions and forced himself to remain composed. He then inquired, "Great Sage, have you ever heard of the Uxthar Tree?"

"The Uxthar Tree?!"

Beru's excitement was palpable. His eyes widened as he looked at Yu Yuan and exclaimed, "How did you come to know of the Uxthar Tree?"

Leo and Denise, like Yan Qiling and Yu Yiyi before them, were equally bewildered.

Yu Yuan gestured towards Chen Qinghuang.

Doused with a metaphorical bucket of cold water, the Great Sage of the Starborn ceased his outburst and explained, "In ancient tales, the Uxthar Tree and the first Cosmic Giant Beast came into existence together. When the Star River was still a realm of chaos, the Uxthar Tree could reach into the heavens and delve into the Abyss."

"The Shadowkin firmly believe that the Uxthar Tree is the origin of their bloodline and their creator."

"Yet, as with all legends, no Shadowkin has ever truly witnessed the Uxthar Tree."

"Everything I know about the Uxthar Tree comes from... Diggs. Without him, I wouldn't even be aware of such a divine tree's existence since the dawn of time."

Beru's frame shook slightly as he continued.

"Diggs confided in me that he was searching for the Uxthar Tree, convinced it could shatter the boundaries of his lifespan and grant him immortality. He had no doubt about its power."

"Nonetheless, Brie and the rest of the Shadowkin deemed him mad."

"They dismissed his claims as delusional, convinced he had been ensnared by malevolent beings, his spiritual wisdom extinguished, leading him to perform numerous heinous sacrifices in Brugeth."

Beru sighed, filled with emotion.

After a long silence, the queen spoke calmly, "He has found it."

...