C1318 One Step!
Ants, insignificant crawlers.
That was Benin's scornful label for the creatures of the current age, as if the so-called strong among the various races, the alien beasts, and archdemons, were nothing but rubbish to be swept away.
Her tone and expression conveyed that it wasn't she and the Ancestral Tree that were tainted, but rather the common folk of the present!
It was as though she and the Ancestral Tree were wielding their sharp blades to purify the Star River and return clarity to the world by cutting down all life.
Chen Qinghuang remained silent.
She offered no reply to Benin's words, suggesting that... deep within the Empress's heart, she too believed the creatures of today deserved death and shared Benin's bizarre ideology.
Ants, the lowliest of beings, should forever serve her in humble submission...
Such was her inherent arrogance.
"Similar species indeed share the same oddities."
From the thunder vortex high above, Wei Zhuo looked on with derision. Casting a sarcastic glance at Yu Yuan, he smirked and said, "The era is progressing. Those better suited to the Star River will inevitably seize the reins of power. The old, outdated generation is destined to fade away."
He spoke of an undeniable reality.
Most of the ancient beings that once ruled the vast Star River had vanished, with the remaining few leaving no trace.
Even the mighty Titan Spinosaurus had fallen silent in the Everlands, its dragon's breath and bloodline mysteries dissipating to give rise to a more splendid civilization.
The secular bird concealed itself, drawing back its power to let Wingkind emerge in the Star River.
The original Uxthar Tree gave birth to the Shadowkin, opting to adapt to the times by embedding its influence and understanding of plant essence into the bloodline of its progeny.
The Voidweaver similarly faded into obscurity, allowing its emissaries to traverse the Star River.
The long-gone Abyssal Greater Basilisk spawned the Silverscale Tribe, leaving a new legacy behind.
The past rulers, as if awakening to a sudden realization, each chose a similar path of seclusion, employing their unique gifts to foster the emergence of new intelligent lifeforms.
Even the Titan Spinosaurus was no exception.
The first to emerge were the Titan Spinosaurus and the vast clans of the Nagas from the Everlands. Those who recklessly indulged in the instincts of a Cosmic Giant Beast within the Star River invariably met with dire consequences. The secular bird, ancient beyond measure, succumbed to its primal urges, unleashing death and destruction in a wild display that ultimately led to its violent demise.
Now, the once-dazzling Star River is home to only a handful of giant beasts, stripped of their former dominion over the cosmos. Benin's current musings and philosophies appear to be driven by a desire to reclaim that lost era, to restore the ancient beings like herself, Chen Qinghuang, and the Ancestral Tree to their past splendor.
At this moment, Yu Yuan, perched atop the broad shoulder of a snow bear in the Frostlands, flashed a sly smile. He crouched down and affectionately patted the snow bear's shoulder, his hand minuscule in comparison to the bear's massive frame, making the gesture seem almost comical. Yet the snow bear's eyes twinkled with delight and fondness, its sturdy neck nudging closer, inviting more pats and a good scratch through its thick fur.
Yu Yuan chuckled at the creature's antics and obliged, stroking its neck. He sent a remnant soul message: "Look after those two in the bell for me, will you?" Remarkably, the snow bear nodded in understanding, fully grasping the message conveyed through the remnant soul, leaving Yu Yuan pleasantly surprised.
But then, in a swift motion that caught everyone off guard, he leaped from the snow bear's shoulder, plummeting down to the Spirit World! He landed squarely beneath the verdant Magic Tree, standing alongside the Shadowkin patriarch whose face was etched with bewilderment.
The black flames that could incinerate soul and flesh seemed to harbor a peculiar kinship with him and Brie, leaving them both unharmed. Brie, whose bloodline had regressed to the ninth level, furrowed his brow in puzzlement at the unexpected arrival beside him. He couldn't fathom why this young human, with a vague connection to the Boulderdawn, would venture into the Spirit World without even a single Solar Spirit to his name, armed with nothing but his Spirit Walk abilities.
Brie had little understanding of Yu Yuan, which led him to underestimate him...
"Yu Yuan!"
"You!"
Beru, Moore, Yan Qiling, and others exclaimed in alarm from above.
Yuan Lianyao opened her mouth to shout, but Faang Yao stopped her. Nonetheless, her eyes, brimming with concern, betrayed her feelings.
Yu Yiyi, wielding the Crucible of Evil and still stripping souls from the withered vines of the altars, was startled by Yu Yuan's rash actions, watching from a distance.
Chu Yao's face was a mix of emotions as he silently wished in his heart, "Master, take care."
Wei Zhuo and Xu Jingyao were visibly shocked.
Chen Qinghuang, who stood atop the verdant Magic Tree like a deity, had previously ignored Brie without so much as a glance. Yet, Yu Yuan's arrival prompted her to look down.
Their eyes met.
The Empress's pupils suddenly deepened, becoming mysterious and enigmatic, as if concealing endless secrets and exuding an aura of extreme danger.
Her lips curved into a heartbreakingly beautiful smile, seemingly pleased.
Yu Yuan's proactive descent had put her in high spirits. The new philosophy she had just articulated, regarding all beings as insignificant ants compared to the ancient ones, had been taking a profound hold. But at the moment of Yu Yuan's landing, it seemed to lose its clarity.
It no longer held any concrete significance, nor did it seem worthy of her deep contemplation.
Yu Yuan offered a slight smile, neither arrogant nor humble, as he looked up from beneath the tree at Benin, who stood by the newborn Evil Ancestral Tree. "How should I address you? Should I call you Benin or Voidweaver?"
Before he revealed himself, Benin's gaze was fixed solely on Chen Qinghuang.
After his descent, Benin's exquisite eyebrows twitched slightly, and her ethereal, dreamy eyes suddenly filled with a myriad of bizarre and beautiful images.
The images were numerous and fleeting, never pausing for a moment.
Yet, from those swiftly passing scenes, Yu Yuan recognized some familiar ones.
His actions in the Nirvana Realm, fusing two Dragon Slaying Stages through numerous intertwined space rifts using space magic, and his departure with Benin aboard a marauder's battleship, drifting through the desolate, icy Star River, encountering Ashen Hollow, and entering Ionodios—all these memories flooded back to him.
The images that flashed before him were shared memories from his time with Benin. As they danced through the depths of the new Benin's gaze, Yu Yuan quickly grasped that the "Benin" before him was summoning every memory related to him from the depths of her soul. A wave of loss surged within Yu Yuan's heart. He came to the stark realization that the true Benin... had long ceased to exist.
If it were still Benin, that serene girl, there would be no need for her to dredge up memories or force recollections. The being that now inhabited Benin's body was none other than the fabled butterfly, lost to the Abyss, never to return. She was the Voidweaver.
With the truth laid bare, Yu Yuan couldn't help but feel a pang of sorrow. He had held onto the hope that the sweet girl might once again bask in the daylight, but those hopes were now dashed. There were no more illusions, no more expectations. He was acutely aware that the soul of the Voidweaver required a body capable of manifesting the wonders of space to fully wield her power.
Her true form was concealed within the holy grounds of her people, a prize the butterfly had failed to reclaim. Thus, she settled for the next best thing, finding Benin, a girl with remarkable gifts. Within Benin's form, she ignited every bloodline chain to harness the strength of her soul.
Perhaps the reason it wasn't Kelly or Noeyr was that Noeyr had perished at the hands of Sabonis. The remnants of Noeyr, slain by the Blood King, had been too thoroughly obliterated to retain any worth. Besides, Noeyr was too aged, devoid of potential.
"How should I address you?" The butterfly inquired with a serene smile, the myriad of images in her eyes swiftly fading. Her presence was otherworldly, her butterfly wings behind her shimmering with brilliance. In a mere moment, she discerned the history of this body's original owner and the events that transpired with Yu Yuan.
Her gaze shifted toward him. Suddenly, the sound of butterfly wings echoed from Yu Yuan's Shenque acupoint. Instantly, Yu Yuan felt a connection. His Lunar Spirit descended from his Mindscape, arriving in a flash at the acupoint housing the Dragon Slaying Stage. There, he beheld a gracefully twirling butterfly, seeking to alight upon the elongated, luminescent stone.
"Do you think you're in a position to address me?"
The vibrant butterfly, speaking with human tongue, chastised Yu Yuan's Lunar Spirit within his acupoint. As Yu Yuan's soul form observed the butterfly's descent, a thought flickered through his mind.
Whoosh!
The elongated, luminescent Dragon Slaying Stage defied spatial boundaries, settling at the feet of his ethereal Lunar Spirit. Standing atop the stage, Yu Yuan's Lunar Spirit smiled warmly at the butterfly fluttering in the void. "This isn't your first attempt at intrusion. Knowing full well it's futile, why exert yourself?"
"What are you, really? Nothing but a fortunate soul who happened to resonate with the remnants of that being, earning the Hex Stone's approval," the butterfly taunted as it beat its wings. "How could a mere ant like you be deemed fit to command this divine artifact that stems from me?"
Yu Yuan couldn't help but laugh. "If we're not on the same page, then kindly... leave!"
The sword light, a crimson creation refined from his personal little world within the acupoints, obliterated the butterfly that had materialized from nowhere.
Considering the Voidweaver's spatial prowess and the link to the Dragon Slaying Stage, how much force could be mustered within his acupoint's little world? He had no desire to witness it, so he extinguished it with ease.
"You're not worth a second glance."
The true butterfly perched upon the Uxthar Tree in the external world remained undisturbed by the demise of its colorful counterpart. That butterfly was merely a tiny fraction of her essence, condensed from her blood and energy. Her incursion was simply to catch a glimpse of the Hex Stone that was rightfully hers...
In her eyes, Yu Yuan was never a figure of consequence from start to finish.
Yu Yuan's Lunar Spirit returned to his Mindscape, casting a glance at his dominant soul. Reflecting on the words she had conveyed through the butterfly, an enigmatic smile spread across his face. Then, he suddenly came to a delightful realization.
