C1566 Blood Spilling into the River

"Do I truly have no hope whatsoever?"

Pleading filled Ann Wen's eyes.

At his core, he was averse to approaching the source of the Yang Meridian because he was from the Vast Expanse, and he saw himself as an integral part of it.

If there was even a glimmer of hope for him to attain a divine seat within the Vast Expanse and ascend to the highest echelons, he would rather not rely on external forces.

Yet, the source of the Yang Meridian that gave rise to the Blood Devil Clan was, in fact, his adversary...

This was why, even after Ann Wen had left the Vast Expanse, his resolve wavered and was not entirely steadfast.

"I regret to inform you that, to my knowledge, even if a divine seat becomes available, you will still..." Yu Yuan shook his head, extinguishing the faint hope in Ann Wen's heart, "Your only option lies in the outside world. The moment you began practicing the Blood God Cult's secret arts and melting down the blood of other races, your fate was sealed."

As he spoke, his gaze turned contemplative.

He pondered the fact that his Yang God possessed a complete life force. According to Taishi, he was forging a new divine path for himself and for the Vast Expanse.

This path, however, was bound to clash with the Demon Phoenix.

The Demon Phoenix of the Vast Expanse could nearly overpower all formidable demons with its blood energy, even formidable humans like Tianqi and Zhongli.

Only the supreme Titan, the descendant of the Spinosaurus, was immune to her demonic blood's sway, while even humans were somewhat influenced by her.

His Yang God Body held the pure truth of life, flawless and beyond comparison to Ann Wen. He simply needed to fully understand the Dao of Life to have a high chance of achieving divinity.

He was not bound by the Demon Phoenix, and the power from his life's origin seemed to pose a direct threat to the Demon Phoenix's standing in the Vast Expanse.

Compelled, he glanced at the floating rebirth nest.

The Empress and the Demon Phoenix shared a hatred as deep as the ocean. The Empress had long been aware of his identity and knew that in this life, he was delving into a mysterious power.

Ann Wen had tirelessly assisted him in refining his Yang God and selflessly bolstered his strength. But to what end?

It seemed that whether he liked it or not, as he delved into the profound truths of life, his path to divinity would inevitably set him against the Demon Phoenix.

Moreover, from his very first life, he harbored a deep-seated enmity towards the Demon Phoenix.

Thus, on the matter of the Demon Phoenix, he and Chen Qinghuang were inherently aligned as allies.

"Forget it, I don't want to think about this anymore."

Ann Wen shook his head in resignation and gazed up at the Qilin, his brow furrowing. "How could he have died? I'm not sure about the other Demon Gods, but it was said that the Demon Phoenix could sense when he faced certain death. Whether in the Boundless Great World or the Outland Star River, the Demon Phoenix would have been aware."

"The Demon Phoenix has its own troubles to deal with," Yu Yuan said with a chuckle.

His Yin God, left behind in the Boundless Great World, was oblivious to the events unfolding in the Outland Star River.

Yet, his Yang God in the Outland Star River was informed by the Divine Soul Sect's Tianqi, Guixu, and the dispatches from the Babel Chamber of Commerce, revealing the magnitude of the upheaval currently rocking the Boundless Great World.

His true form had not come here directly after departing from the Desolate Swamp.

He had first visited the Death Nest in the Dark Wing Starfield.

There, he simply awaited the Queen's summons at the Death Nest, quickly learning that the Demon Phoenix had visited the Primordial Yang Sect and mercilessly slain Yuwen Hao.

When the Queen summoned him from the Death Nest to the Rebirth Nest, he also learned that Demon Lord Tan Xiaotian and Lin Daoke of the Sword Sect had been unable to resist joining the fray.

"She's unable to come? What's transpired within the Vast Expanse?" Ann Wen exclaimed, taken aback.

"Tan Xiaotian and Lin Daoke joined forces against her. She didn't want Qilin to perish, so she set out to eliminate Yuwen Hao," Yu Yuan casually clarified.

The Demon Phoenix was incapable of cloning itself, and the White Tiger had been detained in the Ascension Mountain Range by Han Miaoyuan. There was no one from the Demon Race who could extend a helping hand.

The solitary Qilin, trapped by the cosmic prohibition set by Taishi and himself, faced certain death in this realm.

"She bears a grudge against the Demon Phoenix and seeks to slay the Qilin, thereby clipping one of the Demon Phoenix's wings," Yu Yuan said, looking up as he sensed the overwhelming energy gradually emanating from the Rebirth Nest. "Once the Qilin perishes, she'll aid the Divine Soul Sect and the Demon Palace in their battle against the Demon Phoenix."

Ann Wen's face drained of color in shock.

Whoosh!

A majestic green bird soared out from the Rebirth Nest beneath the golden barrier, its blade-like wings scattering death and destruction.

The Queen materialized in this miniature world in the guise of the Secular Bird, her wings fluttering gently.

The black flames of annihilation, larger than the storms conjured by the Qilin, burst forth like colossal mushroom clouds, exploding upon the Qilin's form.

The ashen blades of death's light, pulsing with the desolate power to snuff out life, descended upon the Qilin.

Its armored scales began to shatter and peel away.

Even before the Queen drew near, the Qilin was already riddled with wounds.

Yu Yuan and Ann Wen gazed at the graceful green bird, a harbinger of death and ruin. They were captivated by its beauty, yet they felt a profound sense of dread.

"The Earthly Dao Law of Taishi greatly limits the Qilin's powers. With the Dragon Slash Platform in my possession, escape is impossible for the Qilin," Yu Yuan remarked with a smile. "She is the driving force behind the Qilin's demise. If she were at her peak strength, she wouldn't even need Taishi's assistance."

To Yu Yuan, the formidable green bird before him was merely Chen Qinghuang's Yang God.

The Yang God, forged from blood and soul, underwent a transformation upon its return to the Outer Star River and the holy lands of the Winged Race and Dark Elfkind.

The latent potential of blood and soul erupted, assuming the form of the Secular Bird and unleashing the might of the Starry Behemoth.

Yet, this incarnation of Chen Qinghuang was not her most potent. There remained boundless potential for growth.

She could further enhance her soul's power. She possessed the Yin God, and her true form remained...

The phoenix before him had merely transformed from the Yang God.

Through it, Yu Yuan glimpsed a path forward, sensing the potential miracles his Yang God might achieve with further evolution.

With a graceful swoop, the Undead Bird, its serrated wings like blades, slashed across the expansive back of the Qilin.

Hundreds of green scales and thick, green demonic blood tumbled from the airborne Qilin.

The Qilin let out a roar of agony.

Stained with blood, he could still sense Taishi lurking underground, using his demonic blood to devise more restraints and seals specifically against him.

His demonic form grew increasingly heavy, yet the Undead Bird, granted exemption by Taishi, remained unaffected by the gravitational field.

The Qilin felt death drawing nearer and, in desperation, employed the Bloodline Secret Technique known only to him and the Demon Phoenix to send out a distress call.

For tens of thousands of years, he had reached out to the Demon Phoenix with this technique in times of near death, always receiving a swift response to wait.

Each time, the Demon Phoenix had come to his aid.

But this time was different.

His call, his bloodline plea, went unanswered.

The Qilin experienced the cold embrace of despair for the first time.

...

In the far reaches of space lay the Meteorite Ore Mining Area.

Secretly acquired by the Babel Chamber of Commerce, the area consisted of five fragmented stars rich with Meteorite Ore, which had been discreetly mined for some time.

Recently, by executive order, all miners had been expelled.

Golden streams glittered across the surfaces and depths of the five fragmented stars, solidified from refined Meteorite Ore, all converging toward a towering Gold Mountain.

This Gold Mountain, once the preeminent mountain of gold metal in the Boundless Great World, had been smelted by President Lyi.

Now, President Lyi, drawing the essence of Meteorite Ore from within the fragmented stars, had a heart that seemed gilded, radiating a resplendent golden glow.

This secret was known only to President Lyi and his closest confidants.

Entry was strictly prohibited.

Yet, out of nowhere, Zhong Chichen, adorned in vibrant, flowing robes, materialized with a skull cupped in his fingers. A smile played on his lips as iridescent ripples danced beneath his feet. "President Lyi, isn't it? Quite astute of you to realize the path was a dead end and pivot your strategy."

With a mere thought, the dazzling golden mountain transformed into a throne. President Lyi seated himself upon it, scrutinizing Zhong Chichen. After a moment's assessment, he was confident that Zhong Chichen posed no threat to him. As the leader of the Babel Chamber of Commerce, he was well aware that the figure before him was none other than the ancient Space-time Dragon.

"What brings you here?" President Lyi's mood was sour, and his patience thin.

"Loong Jie will ascend to godhood shortly," Zhong Chichen said, his voice tinged with mirth as he toyed with the skull in his hand, his gaze fixed on the faint flicker of Xuanying's soul fire. "Surely, you understand the implications of his ascension within the vast expanse of the starry sea?"

The news visibly shook President Lyi, his face contorting with surprise. "That soon?!"

Zhong Chichen simply smiled, offering no reply.

Taking a deep breath, President Lyi continued, "If the rumors hold true, then upon ascending to a Tenth Level Golden Dragon, his first target would be Asura King Sabonis, wouldn't it?"

"You seem to be well-informed," Zhong Chichen said, a look of satisfaction spreading across his face.

"Given that our paths are intertwined, and he represents the apex of this journey, I must be well-acquainted with him," President Lyi responded with a wry smile. "I do hope the Asura King hasn't sustained grave injuries. I truly wish... that Alonso hadn't met his end so swiftly."

"Sabonis dared to defy the will of that one; his survival would be the real surprise," Zhong Chichen remarked, his eyes gleaming with scorn. "Even at the height of our power, we Nagas revered Beilstein. Sabonis has overstepped his bounds."

"If it weren't for the demise of Loong Jie's ancestor at the hands of the Supreme Yin, the Asura Clan's era of prosperity would never have come to pass," he added with a chuckle.

The Asura Clan has truly faced tragedy. Alonso made you who you are, and yet Sabonis is destined to be slain by Loong Jie. Tan Xiaotian has almost completely unraveled the secrets of the Dark Domain, and their stronghold is on the brink of being obliterated."

Zhong Chichen reflected on this with a heavy heart, then abruptly proposed, "Do something for me. I assure you, once Loong Jie ascends to godhood, you'll still be among the living."

After a prolonged silence, President Lyi let out a deep sigh and relented, "Go ahead, tell me."

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