C1547 Including You!
At the edge of the training field, Yu Yuan, in his Shadowkin form, was still engaging in light-hearted conversation with Jiang Miaojie and Yu Ying. Yet, the connection between his soul and the real body within the hall remained unbroken. This was true for all the iterations of Yu Yuan present in the training field; regardless of their activities, they maintained unhindered communication with the real body.
"You..." Jiang Miaojie began, her teeth gleaming as she spoke, but she found herself at a loss for words. With a gaze filled with complexity, she observed Yu Yuan, who continued to chat and laugh with ease. She pondered over his origins in the Everlands and his seemingly delicate constitution. Despite his mastery of the Terror Claws' arcane body refining techniques and the Forgeroses' spells, how had he overcome his inherent weaknesses? How could he split into so many distinct forms that felt so tangibly real, not like mere illusions?
The existence of a flesh-and-blood Yu Yuan, if not an illusion, was something Jiang Miaojie couldn't fathom. The spectacle before her surpassed all she knew or had ever heard of within the human race. In the vast expanse of the cosmos, it seemed only the Demon God of the Blood Fiend possessed such wondrous abilities. Yet even Grec, the Great Demon God, couldn't split into multiple forms, each with its own independent consciousness, capable of individual thought and judgment.
"Yu Yuan, how is your Solar Spirit so extraordinary?" Yu Ying, after a moment of stunned silence, asked directly, unable to unravel the mystery herself.
"I once used the Sunsorrow amber from the Abyssal Leviathan to forge an Altar of Rebirth within myself," Yu Yuan explained. "This Altar is akin to the innate one within the Great Demon God Grec. Though mine was crafted later in life, the marvels it holds are quite similar to Grec's." This revelation was no longer a secret; extraterrestrial powerhouses like Beru and Mia were well aware. However, within the Everlands, only a select few were privy to this knowledge, with just a handful of close associates in Boulderdawn being fully informed.
At that moment, there was no longer any reason to conceal the truth, so he candidly revealed it.
"Originally, due to reasons well-known to everyone, I was compelled to leave the Moonfall Sanctuary. But before my departure, the Altar of Rebirth within me absorbed the lifeblood of various tribes, triggering a metamorphosis."
"The Colddeath sect provided considerable assistance as well. After I broke free into the extraterrestrial, I continued to infuse more lifeblood from different tribes into my Altar of Rebirth. I even managed to secure a blood crystal during the resurrection ceremony that the Demon God Grec had prepared for himself."
"And then..."
Yu Yuan flashed a sly smile. "My Solar Spirit was crafted from that very Altar of Rebirth. Each drop of lifeblood from the tribes that I had assimilated, with its intrinsic vital energy, allowed me to understand and merge with it, transforming my Solar Spirit into a member of those tribes."
"As you've all witnessed."
The Yu Yuan in the form of a Sky-Shaking Ape, the Yu Yuan as a Shura, the Yu Yuan resembling a Silverscale Tribe warrior, and the Yu Yuan with a human form yet wielding the 'Taming the Wild' spell, were all conversing with the Yu Yuan of the Shadowkin.
In the training field, there were no fewer than nine iterations of Yu Yuan, each belonging to a different tribe and coursing with distinct types of vitality.
"The part of you that split off must have experienced a reduction in strength, right?" Tan Yuan, after a prolonged silence, finally spoke up, "But how is it that even a separated fragment of you managed to outperform Hua Xin?"
Yu Yuan cleared his throat and explained, "The vital energy within my Solar Spirit is several dozen times that of Hua Xin's. Hence, even a separated portion of me is enough to overwhelm Hua Xin."
"Several dozen times?" Tan Yuan was taken aback.
"Mhm."
Yu Yuan nodded affirmatively. "In truth, the power of my Solar Spirit has long eclipsed that of my real body. Without any artifacts, my real body would stand no chance against my Solar Spirit. To give you an idea, Sir Zhongli from your sect is the individual with the most abundant vitality among the people of the Everlands."
Upon his mention of Zhongli Dapan, both Tan Yuan and Yu Ying looked visibly uneasy.
The order for Tan Yuan to deliver the "Ancient Echoes of the Void" to Hua Xin came directly from the new sect master of the Forgeroses.
"Yet, Sir Zhongli's vital energy is somewhat inferior to that of the Monster Lords from Shadow's Keep. His true prowess lies not only in his robust vital energy but also in his accessible spiritual energy, and his soul is fairly strong as well."
"The Forgeroses emphasize the physical form and vital energy, without neglecting the cultivation of spiritual energy and the soul."
"The essence of the 'Ancient Echoes of the Void' is the fusion of the soul with vitality, unlocking boundless power."
"As a result, Forgeroses cultivators possess exceptionally dense vitality, providing them with a power that surpasses both spiritual energy and Soul Power."
"But..."
He hesitated briefly, unconcerned about possibly discouraging Tan Yuan or Jiang Miaojie.
"When it comes to the overwhelming force of vital energy, no one in the Everlands stands on par with me. I don't mean to boast, but even if Sir Zhongli himself were to employ the 'Ancient Echoes of the Void,' he would not match up to my Solar Spirit."
His words left Tan Yuan and Yu Ying beside him at a loss for words.
The Boulderdawn cultivators and the local spectators from the Everlands also fell silent.
The multiple incarnations of Yu Yuan that had emerged from him were a testament to the truth of his claim.
On the training field, the battle continued as Yu Yuan, in his Silverscale Tribe form, was still engaged in combat with Hua Xin.
Clearly outmatched, Hua Xin was forced into a defensive stance.
Yu Yuan, representing the Silverscale Tribe, easily shattered Hua Xin's "Ancient Echoes of the Void" and its feeble Chronospatial Lock, closing the distance swiftly. He leveraged the natural scale armor of the Silverscale Tribe to endure the close-quarters combat with Hua Xin on that tiny patch of ground.
As Hua Xin's strikes met his opponent, blood spattered, leaving him in a state of disarray.
It was at this moment that Yu Yuan, who had been conversing with Tan Yuan, suddenly appeared somewhat embarrassed.
Because...
In the distant hall, the formidable God-King from the extraterrestrial realm finally spoke for the first time since his real body had arrived.
"What about me?"
God-King Tianqi's thick eyebrows knotted as he set down his knife and fork, pressing his palms firmly against the table and slowly rising to his full height.
In the hall, God-King Gui Xu, High Priest Reid, and Ghost King Tian Zang all remained silent.
It seemed they too were eager to hear the answer.
"In terms of sensing and judging vital energy, there are few in the world who can match me," Yu Yuan stated calmly, a faint smile on his face as he regarded the clearly dissatisfied Tianqi. "As for the sheer magnitude of vital energy, no human I've encountered thus far has surpassed mine."
"That includes you, Lord Tianqi."
His tone was neither overbearing nor servile, as if he were merely stating a simple, understandable fact, without any hint of boasting.
Tianqi let out a cold huff, looking as though he was about to rise.
"Given that your Solar Spirit Body harbors the essence of life, I'm not surprised by the immensity of your vital energy," High Priest Reid of the Sky Fiend tribe interjected at that moment. "Indeed, the force of life is remarkable, a crucial energy for the creation of new beings."
"Well, it's time for me to depart."
Having witnessed what he came for, the High Priest of the Sky Fiend showed no interest in the minor clash between Tianqi and Yu Yuan. "Youqian, please escort me out."
"Of course."
Ghost King Tian Zang, understanding the cue, stepped aside. After receiving a nod from Gui Xu, he slowly opened the great doors of the hall.
High Priest Reid, cloaked in black, made his way toward the exit, the twin orbs of purple dark fire within his cloak gradually extinguishing.
As he reached Tian Zang's side, the Ghost King, also of the Star-Spawned Terror, enshrouded himself in the same black cloak.
It was as though Reid had merged into Tian Zang's very form.
Tian Zang, now embodying Reid, offered a respectful bow to Yu Yuan, Gui Xu, and Tianqi before exiting the hall.
Upon his departure, Yan Qiling, who had been waiting just outside, promptly approached and took the lead.
He guided Reid through the Domain Channel, tasked with escorting him to the Hellmouth.
"I was thinking..."
The voice of High Priest Reid echoed in the depths of Tian Zang's soul, "I was pondering the possibility that one day, when the old patriarch grows bored, he might secretly descend upon a realm teeming with a multitude of races."
"In this realm, there are humans, Shura, Shadowkin, and mighty archdemons..."
"When the old patriarch's devil soul attaches itself to the minds of the beings in this realm, influencing their every move, he might unexpectedly realize that despite their different races and bloodlines, their varied thoughts and consciousness, the essence of their souls ultimately converges on the same individual."
"Hehe!" Reid suddenly let out a strange chuckle deep within Tian Zang's soul, clearly entertained by his own imaginative scenario. "I bet that would be quite the spectacle!"
"It's important to remember that tens of thousands of years ago, his real body was far less formidable than those of the current God-Kings. At that time, the cultivators from the three upper sects didn't differ much in their practices, and they all underestimated the importance of forging their physical forms."
"He was aware of this from the start, which is why the philosophy he left behind ensured that the new generation of Boulderdawn, even those from beyond our world, would possess sufficiently powerful bodies to compensate for this sole deficiency."
"And now, he's gone so far as to infuse the essence of his life force into the Solar Spirit."
"He's become flawless."
Reid let out a soft sigh.
"You... you're aware of all this?" Tian Zang asked, astounded.
"What else could it be? How do you think Taishi managed to persuade the old patriarch?" Reid's soft laughter filled the air as he spoke leisurely, "His radical hypotheses, those inconceivable notions he put forth, they all required his presence."
"If he wasn't aware that he was still among us, why would the old patriarch bother to engage in the project to forge the New Everlands?"
"Do you really believe that the likes of Gui Xu and Tianqi could sway the old patriarch, with or without Taishi's influence?"