C1323 The Aftershock
The Voidweaver, Blightwood, and Diggs sequentially stepped through the portal conjured by the Mirror of the Infinite.
Pei Yuling, too, vanished within the passage alongside the Mirror of the Infinite.
A rejuvenated Diggs cast a contented smile at both himself and Brie before departing.
The rest of the group remained unremarkable in their actions.
Throughout this event, the empress, perched above the verdant Magic Tree, maintained her silence. She refrained from intervening, seemingly aware that the situation was irreversible and beyond alteration.
The reigning patriarch of the Shadowkin merely let out a soft sigh, resigning himself to the turn of events.
Yu Yuan understood that the Origin Deity's schemes for the fragmented Star River had likely succeeded, even if not entirely victorious, achieving their desired outcome.
A cascade of verdant divine light erupted, transforming the pleasing emerald Magic Tree back into the Shadowkin's Azurewood Sceptre.
Brie offered a wry smile, standing atop the vine-entwined scepter, and shook his head. "Who would have thought," he mused, "that the shattered Star River, after millennia and known as a notorious extraterritorial battlefield, would harbor such copious psionic power? It has indeed come into its own."
Once the Blightwood unleashed its true potential, a surge of formidable psionic powers emerged from the burst meteorites, various altars, and the Dark Nebula.
He came to the realization that the strength of the warriors, alien beasts, and archdemons that had perished in Brugeth lingered.
Much of this residual power never left the extraterritorial battlefield, instead merging with meteorites or dispersing into the Star River, becoming a corrupt psionic force detrimental to living creatures.
This revelation meant that the seemingly shattered Brugeth actually concealed an immense energy reserve, far surpassing common understanding.
Initially, the Blightwood thrived on the nourishment provided by the flesh and blood of living beings, such as Zhu Huan, the Abyssal Winged Lizard, and fallen members of various clans.
In its late period, having regained a portion of its divine essence, the Blightwood drew all concealed forces directly from the cosmos!
Thus, it grew rapidly and irresistibly, flourishing with dense foliage, blossoming, and ultimately bearing fruit.
Whoosh!
Yu Yuan maneuvered the floating stones beneath him, soaring towards Chen Qinghuang and Brie, his mind swirling with questions about what had transpired.
"The divine tree, corrupted and fallen, grew by drawing on the vast psionic power of Brugeth."
"Diggs consumed its fruit, gaining eternal life, and will soon ascend to the tenth level of his bloodline," Brie lamented.
Yu Yuan's rocky platform came to a gentle halt. He gazed at Chen Qinghuang, now levitating with the Azurewood Sceptre, and asked with concern, "Are you alright?"
Somehow, he sensed that the empress's condition was less than ideal.
She seemed on the verge of slipping into slumber once more...
When the will of the Origin Deity had pulled him into that bizarre realm, Chen Qinghuang had been contending with the combined forces of the Voidweaver and the Blightwood, and possibly more.
With his disappearance alongside the Dragon Slaying Stage, its natural counterbalance to the Voidweaver and Blightwood was lost.
The cessation of the Spirit World's collapse followed naturally.
For the secular bird, not yet at full battle strength, resisting two ancient beings in a realm prepared by others was no small feat.
"I've taken some damage, but it's not lethal."
Chen Qinghuang maintained her characteristic aloof demeanor, glancing at the aged Brie, "You're still alive, and the Azurewood Sceptre remains in your possession. At least it's not a total defeat."
She turned to Yu Yuan, "We're alive, and that's an outcome we can live with. What's there to lament?"
Brie, with a pained expression, ceased his sighing.
Falling from the esteemed position of Shadowkin patriarch and a Mighty of the Star River ranked seventh to an eighth-level bloodline, on the brink of losing everything, was a bitter pill to swallow.
The disparity was overwhelming.
Particularly daunting was the thought of Diggs, soon to reemerge in the Star River with a tenth-level bloodline, gathering his former followers...
With the matured Blightwood and the backing of the Origin Realm behind Diggs, who among the Shadowkin could stand against him?
"Is everyone else okay?" Yu Yuan inquired once more.
"They've withdrawn to the outskirts of Brugeth. Most are still alive," Chen Qinghuang reported impassively. "The residual power scattered across this fractured star system for millennia is sufficient for its maturation. It needn't strain to extend its branches to the Astral Domain's boundaries."
Yu Yuan felt a slight sense of relief.
He began to recount his tale, "Out of nowhere, I was yanked into an alien realm, barren and void, much like the present. Diggs stood upon the sea, shimmering with colorful ripples, as if he were the immovable heart of the world. Beneath those ripples, the breath of the endless Abyss loomed, hinting at the presence of massive creatures..."
Yu Yuan spared no detail in his vivid description of his prior experiences.
Chen Qinghuang listened with earnest attention.
Brie, too, fell utterly silent, his expression one of intense focus as he hung on every word of Yu Yuan's extraordinary encounter, not wanting to miss a beat or overlook any nuance.
He recognized that this might be the first instance of the Origin Deity manifesting its will and exercising its powers in this part of the cosmos.
He needed to grasp the full picture, to prepare for future confrontations with the Origin Deity, the Blightwood, and Diggs.
"Do any of these details trigger a memory for you?" Yu Yuan asked, after laying out his story, seeking Chen Qinghuang's insight.
The empress shook her head, "Only once I've reclaimed the full extent of my former power and merged the memories of past and present will I know if there's any recollection or impression related to this."
She paused, then continued with a detached air, "This unknown Origin Deity will soon have the allegiance of three extraordinary beings: the butterfly, the aged Blightwood, and Diggs, who is on the verge of a breakthrough."
"The problems they cause are not ours to solve. Such headaches should be left to Bertain, the Boulderdawn, and the mighty factions of the Everlands."
Chen Qinghuang's words carried a hint of schadenfreude, as though she relished the thought of the world in disarray.
Yu Yuan was taken aback.
"The Brugeth has become a realm of silence, the Blightwood has thrived, and the Origin Deity's influence spreads. What concern is that of mine?"
She scoffed, casting a dismissive glance at Brie, "I was merely in the right place at the right time to lend a hand, to ensure your clan's holy weapon remained intact, and to save your life."
Then, with a trace of regret seeping into her tone, she added, "It's a pity I couldn't snatch that fruit from Diggs... for you."
Her gaze finally settled back on Yu Yuan.
Yu Yuan was taken aback. "The fruit that Diggs consumed is beneficial to me?"
Chen Qinghuang nodded. "The Solar Spirit Body, forged from the Sunsorrow of the Abyssal Leviathan and the blood crystal, harnesses the power of life's origin. That power pertains to living creatures, whereas the fruit from that tree embodies a different, mystical essence of plant life."
"Let's leave it for now. We'll see what fate brings."
Her tone was nonchalant. "After the events in Brugeth, the Blightwood will resurface. It's bound to bear more fruit. Next time, we'll just have to grab the chance."
Yu Yuan was visibly surprised.
Brugeth had become a void of silence. With the growth of the Blightwood and Diggs's ascension to the tenth level, the will of the Origin Deity had clearly intensified, signaling more developments to come.
Yet, Chen Qinghuang's demeanor suggested that all that had transpired was trivial.
She seemed utterly uninterested.
Not a hint of despondency showed on her face due to the setback.
Her detachment and indifference, in fact, comforted Yu Yuan somewhat. He didn't feel that the dramatic transformation in Brugeth could shake his steadfast Sacred Heart.
Suddenly, a distant cry reached them.
Yu Yuan's brow quirked; he recognized the sound of the greylag, which set his mind at ease.
If the greylag was safe, then the snow bear, as well as Yan Qiling and the others, were likely alive.
Before long, the massive greylag emerged into view.
Perched atop its elongated neck were three Wingkind elders, two men and a woman.
The trio, with their distinct Wingkind features, gazed fervently at Chen Qinghuang. Even from a distance, they trembled and knelt on the greylag's neck, their voices a blurred murmur as if speaking in a dream.
Tears streamed down the faces of the Wingkind elders, unable to contain their emotions.
Chen Qinghuang, poised in the void, softened her icy gaze. With a slow nod, the Wingkind elders lifted their heads and rose to their feet.
Brie was shaken; he recognized one of the elders!
That individual, etched in Brie's memory, was even older than Diggs. Rumored to have died long ago, it was astonishing to see him reemerge in the flesh.
"Elder Luzia, is it... you?"
Brie couldn't help but clutch the withered vines on the Azurewood Sceptre, his gaze fixed on the Wingkind elder perched on the greylag's neck, his voice laden with disbelief.
The woman, her messy grey hair blending into the greylag's feathers, chuckled softly and nodded in affirmation.
Then she remarked, "Little Brie, I've heard about your recent disrespect towards our Wingkind guardian."
As she spoke, she affectionately stroked the greylag's neck, leaving no doubt about whom she was referring to.
"It really is you!"
Brie was overjoyed. In his memories, this elder named Luzia was held in high esteem, commanding respect even from the former Shadowkin Patriarch.
According to the former patriarch, Luzia possessed an immortal body, destined never to perish.
Yet, not long after Brie had taken up the Azurewood Sceptre and stepped into the role of the Shadowkin Patriarch, word came from the Wingkind that Luzia had passed away...
He never imagined that Luzia, rumored to have died, would return, accompanied by two equally aged Wingkind elders, riding on the greylag.
Clearly, they had traveled great distances to greet Chen Qinghuang and to celebrate her return.
"No need for further escort; it's time I returned," said Chen Qinghuang, as she gracefully departed. In a moment, she was atop the greylag's head, speaking to Yu Yuan.
The three Wingkind elders stood on the greylag's neck, while she stood proudly on its head, their differing statuses apparent.
"Back to the Wingkind territory?" Yu Yuan asked, his voice tinged with complexity.
"Back to my own territory," Chen Qinghuang corrected. She then turned to Brie with a decisive tone, asserting, "It has fallen. From this day forward, both the Shadowkin and the Wingkind will heed my command."
Brie was visibly bewildered.
"Little Brie, are you still clinging to your delusions?" Luzia chided.
Struck by a sudden realization, the current Shadowkin Patriarch awoke from his stupor. He bowed his head and offered a salute in Chen Qinghuang's direction, saying, "I will heed your guidance."
