C1531 Not Walking the Old Path

When Jiang Miaojie spoke of him, her face lit up with a mysterious glow, reflecting her deep admiration and reverence.

Like her, countless members of the Boulderdawn from the extraterrestrial realm held this new generation in high esteem.

Gui Xu, Tianqi, and Soul-Capturing, the three God-Kings, also held him in the highest regard, seeing him as both a guiding light and a mentor.

For years, they steadfastly advanced the various concepts he had introduced.

At the time, many of his ideas were considered unconventional and even heretical.

Yet, for those of the Boulderdawn who had ventured beyond the Everlands into the extraterrestrial, after millennia of exploring the fringes of the Star River, they found his insights to be profoundly true.

The three God-Kings embraced his ideas as gospel.

The Ghost King, Tian Zang, watched the spark in Jiang Miaojie's eyes and cast a curious glance at the contemplative Yu Yuan, seemingly amused by the situation.

His perspective differed from Yan Qiling's, who harbored only a few speculations and doubts.

But Tian Zang had long known Yu Yuan's true identity...

In that moment, Tian Zang pondered the enchanting power of the Project New Everlands, proposed tens of thousands of years ago.

Even their deity, the Great Demon God Bertain, had been drawn to the Project New Everlands and had joined the cause...

Then, Tian Zang reflected on the decisions made by Youyu and Yu Yuan, feeling a growing reverence within.

Youyu had expressly instructed Yuan Qingxi not to use the Chronicle of the Shadows to awaken him until he had reached his zenith, fearing that other supreme beings of the Everlands might detect and extinguish him prematurely.

Moreover, Youyu was confident that upon his rebirth, he could carve out a new sacred way!

Yu Xi and White Bone, who had ascended to godhood seven hundred years prior, had not followed his previous path, yet they too had reached the pinnacle of combat prowess in the Everlands.

By doing so, the greatest advantage was the ability to merge with his former self, creating a new, integrated identity.

Yu Xi, alongside White Bone, embarked on the journey to forge a new sacred way and delve into entirely new profound meanings. By integrating the powers once wielded by Youyu, they significantly bolstered their strength.

This is what rendered them unstoppable.

However, had Yuan Qingxi roused Yu Xi before he could reach the pinnacle of the Primordial Spirit Stage...

Then the former Youyu would have reawakened, his overwhelming might eclipsing the nascent Yu Xi!

Consequently, Yu Xi's understanding of arcane spells would have had no opportunity for further evolution or growth.

The prematurely awakened Youyu would remain unchanged, identical to his form from tens of thousands of years prior.

Youyu's current fearlessness in the face of the frost wyrm stems from his past experiences: Yu Xi's ascension to divinity and White Bone's transformation into a God of Ghosts.

He has grown exponentially stronger than the Youyu of ancient times.

Tian Zang perceives that Yu Yuan has also chosen this path.

He is acutely aware of his identity, the formidable traces within his dominant soul, and his ability to summon that self in dire straits. Yet, he refrains from doing so.

He is likely aware that if the dragon slayer were to awaken prematurely, he would remain merely the God-King of Taiyin, not Yu Yuan.

The zenith reached by the dragon slayer in the past may represent the ultimate achievement of this lifetime, making it incredibly challenging to transcend or break new ground.

Thus, he too opts to confront the myriad challenges as the reborn Yu Yuan, aiming to achieve godhood in this life while embracing his original self.

Only through this path can he grow stronger.

After all, the essence of Taiyin, the insights into the soul, and the mastery over the Way of Heaven are indelibly etched into the depths of his dominant soul—they are inextricably his.

In contrast to Youyu and Yu Yuan, Xuanli, another leader of the Bloodbrawlers, can only ever be Xuanli.

Without blazing a new sacred way or achieving godhood through it, Xuanli, even if he ascends to godhood later, remains fundamentally unchanged.

This precludes the possibility of a new being surpassing the original.

Huangyin and Xuanying find themselves in the same predicament as Xuanli.

Awakening too early and reclaiming their original self, they overwhelmed the newcomer, depriving them of the chance for further metamorphosis and growth.

"I've got it figured out now."

Yu Yuan smiled and nodded in understanding. He no longer required Yan Qiling and the others to explain Project New Everlands to him.

With the burst of memory sparkle, he had a rough idea of what was happening.

The young Titan Spinosaurus, having just completed its bloodline with the golden dragon on the Dragon Slaying Stage, demonstrated such formidable power that it deeply moved him.

The Dragon Slaying Stage seemed to become another nascent Everlands, voraciously consuming all the psionic power within the Star River.

This was the Titan Spinosaurus's enigmatic gift.

This talent would expand boundlessly as the creature matured, its craving for external energy growing insatiable.

He could scarcely imagine the scene if a mature Titan Spinosaurus were at its zenith.

"Taishi, Han Miaoyuan, and the Dark Phoenix were all afraid. In fact, after the concept of the New Everlands was proposed, everyone was terrified," Yan Qiling said, taking a deep breath, his voice tinged with apprehension. "We all have some idea of its might before it was gravely wounded and fell into the Everlands, right?"

"The most formidable being we know of," Tian Zang said with a wry smile.

Without waiting for Yu Yuan, Yan Qiling, or Jiang Miaojie to respond, he added, "As you know, I was once a Sky Fiend. Our understanding of it is profound. To put it bluntly, the cost of inflicting such grave wounds on it was beyond your wildest dreams, according to our race's records."

"Its ancestor's death established the Everlands' era of strength, giving rise to the Nagas, who dominated the Everlands for eons and tormented the extraterrestrial Star River for years!"

"Who could ensure control over the offspring of such a creature, once grown and reborn?"

"In the eyes of Han Miaoyuan, the Dark Phoenix, and all the highest echelons of the Everlands, the emergence of a new one would signal the inevitable resurgence of the Dragon Clan! With the Dragon Clan revived and led by such a creature, the Boulderdawn, all sects, and the evilkind combined would be nothing but sheep to the slaughter."

"The New Everlands Project necessitates a newborn reaching maturity," Tian Zang remarked, a shiver running down his spine.

Despite the project being well underway, with the Demon God Bertain's involvement, and the collaboration of the Shadowkin, Dawnbringers, and Starborn, he still harbored doubts about its security.

"We've spent tens of thousands of years seeking a method to control and domesticate it," Jiang Miaojie explained, taking a deep breath. "According to the three sages, they are seventy percent confident in their success."

"A seventy percent chance?" Yan Qiling exclaimed in astonishment.

"Who else would dare to implement such a plan?" Jiang Miaojie said with a smile. "Actually, the strategy for control and domestication was initially put forth by him. After returning to the Everlands from the extraterrestrial Star River, and just before his demise, he was investigating the fringes of the Star River, in search of... the birthplace of that entity."

"Birthplace?" Yan Qiling's face went blank, clearly unaware of these details.

Tian Zang inhaled deeply, his gaze heavy with meaning as he looked at Yu Yuan, as if anticipating Yu Yuan's awakening to reveal the long-buried secret.

Tian Zang understood why both the current Gui Xu and the former Taixu were unwavering in their allegiance to the individual before them. Legend had it that Taixu was a perennial wanderer along the edges of the cosmos, as if he were covertly on the hunt for something, eager to unearth a particular treasure.

Indeed, it seemed he had unearthed many treasures; otherwise, how could the Boulderdawn sect have forged a new God-King? He even resolved the issue of high-ranking human cultivators' inability to reproduce.

"The many starry forbidden zones we're now exploring had already been breached by him. He believed he had found the solution but needed more time to confirm it," Jiang Miaojie said with a wistful sigh, her eyes blazing with intensity. "Regrettably, the mediocrities of the Everlands didn't afford him that time."

Upon hearing this, the group fell into a contemplative silence.

Yu Yuan's expression was somber as he tried to recall more details about the plans for the New Everlands, as well as the mysterious forbidden areas Jiang Miaojie had mentioned. Could it be that the exalted Titan Spinosaurus was truly born in such a place? And had he, tens of thousands of years ago, already ventured far enough to encounter such enigmatic realms?

The sound of waves rippled through the cool barrier above their heads. Yan Qiling's brow furrowed as he announced, "We have company!" The conversation abruptly ceased.

Yan Qiling soared into the air, hovering as he peered into the distance. He spotted a tall figure, surrounded by a multitude of icy stars. The intense sword's will emanating from her caused all the demons within the Rainbow Ocean to hastily conceal their presence.

Even Hu Caiyun, who had been sitting under the peach tree in a state of melancholy, was jolted by the fearsome sword's will, looking over in bewilderment.

Yan Qiling let out a low chuckle, realizing it was the person who had entered the Rainbow Ocean and sent her remnant soul, imbued with sword's will, into the Shadowflame Blight Array, stirring the statue. She had helped construct their initial formation, so her precision in locating them was no surprise.

Relieved to see her, Yan Qiling swiftly descended in front of the cottage. He wielded space magic to create a rift, then addressed the others, "Tian Zang, Jiang Miaojie, let's head back to the Moonfall Sanctuary."

Tian Zang, recognizing the visitor, rose to his feet and agreed, "Okay."

"Who is it?" Jiang Miaojie, whose cultivation level didn't allow her to sense across the entire Rainbow Ocean instantly, was curious about the newcomer.

"She's here for Yu Yuan," Yan Qiling said, offering no further explanation. He grabbed Jiang Miaojie's arm and hurled her toward the space rift, then turned to Yu Yuan with a smile. "Lord Taishi, I trust you'll be able to win her over, just as you once did with Nie Qingtian."

As his words faded, Yan Qiling, along with the Ghost King and Tian Zang, vanished.

Yu Yuan was momentarily taken aback, then broke into a delighted laugh.

"..."