C1572 The Replacement of the Divine Throne
"How did you manage that?"
The Desolate God's eyes widened as he gazed upon Yin God Yu Yuan, who lingered in the Ascension Mountain Range. He was so excited that he scratched at his head, eager to return to the Great Swamp immediately.
Unlike Zu Ann, he couldn't see the fleeting images in Yin God Yu Yuan's mind.
Yet, in the Great Swamp under his control, Yu Yuan's true form had manifested, bearing the Qilin Heart.
He was well aware that the Qilin from the Demon Palace was likely slain by the Divine Soul Sect.
Both Guixu and Tianqi were currently in the Boundless Great World, while another enigmatic Soul Divine King presided over the outer realms.
Taishi alone, he believed, couldn't have slain the Qilin and enabled Yu Yuan to retrieve the Qilin Heart.
"And let's not forget the empress who is versed in destruction, death, and rebirth." Zu Ann inhaled deeply and spoke on behalf of Yu Yuan to the Desolate God, "The Qilin has perished, and the Demon Phoenix must be on the verge of madness."
"Lvliu..."
The Desolate God's eyebrows shot up, and he slapped his thigh in a sudden realization, his face lighting up with amazement.
"Not long ago, Lvliu came to the Great Swamp through the Babel Chamber of Commerce and hasn't left since. I've been here at the council, wary of Elder Han catching on, so I refrained from questioning Lvliu. Heh, hehe!" Old Ape chuckled mischievously, his eyes narrowing as he grew more fond of Yu Yuan, "Are you planning to bestow the divine seat upon Lvliu?"
"That was Taishi's plan," Yu Yuan replied with equanimity.
"Brilliant, Taishi! And the Secular Bird, too! What a splendid move!"
Old Ape was ecstatic, dancing on the spot. He leapt up from the grey rock, only to crouch down again and draw a long drag from his pipe.
Then, with a snarl, his ferocious Demonic Energy nearly tore through the white mist shrouding the Ascension Mountain Range.
"If Lvliu is in my Great Swamp, then no one can thwart his ascension to divinity!"
With a thunderous roar, Old Ape revealed his true form, a colossal grey ape towering tens of thousands of feet high, dwarfing even Ascension Peak. Clouds drifted just below his neck, and his Demonic Eye stared intently at the celestial dome beyond the realm barrier.
Standing at the foot of the Ascension Mountain Range with his head piercing the sky, the Old Ape bared his fangs, which gleamed like rows of sharp white blades.
"Lvliu is about to ascend to godhood on the Ascension Mountain Range and claim the position of the Qilin. Henceforth, the Great Swamp will be sealed off. Neither those at the Unrestrained Stage nor Ninth Level Demons will be permitted to tread within its bounds."
With a thunderous roar, the Desolate God bellowed towards the starry river beyond the vast expanse and instantly returned to the Great Swamp.
The waters connecting the Great Swamp to the outer rivers and lakes quickened, thick with the spiritual essence of water, converging towards the Great Swamp from all directions.
In the territory of the Rainier Empire, Han Miaoyuan had just planted the Profound Dao Flag and was preparing to enter the Scorching Sun Emperor's subterranean retreat when his face abruptly contorted with realization.
With a swift motion, Han Miaoyuan emerged, gripping the Profound Dao Flag tightly. Standing atop a dark red summit, he attuned himself to the surroundings.
Deep underground, he leveraged his divine status and the power of the Profound Dao Flag to faintly detect the essence energy left by Yuwen Hao after his demise. It lingered in a place unreachable to all but the mightiest who had attained a divine position.
Upon discovering that the essence energy he had reserved for Zhong Chichen remained untouched, Han Miaoyuan breathed a sigh of relief.
Then, he began to theorize and reflect deeply.
Who could have slain the Qilin so swiftly?
He was certain it wasn't Lin Daoke.
Lin Daoke wouldn't have located the Qilin that quickly, and even if he had, it would have taken time to slay the creature.
Had the Demon Phoenix intervened, the Qilin's demise would not have been possible.
With Yuwen Hao's recent death followed by the Qilin's under such mysterious circumstances, something was amiss.
As the powers of the Boundless Great World were detained within the Ascension Mountain Range, and Lin Daoke, Tan Xiaotian, and the Demon Phoenix were all preoccupied, the Qilin met its end shortly after Yuwen Hao.
It had to be an external force!
After a moment, Han Miaoyuan gave a light snort, an answer forming in his mind. Standing within the Rainier Empire, he turned towards the Fallen Moon Forbidden Area, instantly sensing the presence of Tianqi and Guixu. "Two Divine Kings are present. Could Taishi alone have slain the Qilin so effortlessly? No, there must be another significant figure involved, one filled with loathing for the Demon Palace and the Demon Phoenix..."
Han Miaoyuan murmured to himself, unseen events unfolding in his thoughts. He pieced together the Divine Soul Sect's schemes, Taishi's strategy, and the involvement of the Secular Bird as if he had witnessed them all firsthand.
...
At the Great Swamp.
Yu Yuan and Lvliu emerged by a pristine lake after leaving the "Destroyed Den," a sacred site where the Desolate God often meditated in solitude. They had been granted access.
Before them lay the Qilin Heart, a deep green organ that, despite being reduced in size countless times, still pulsed with undiminished, potent blood energy, roughly the size of a watermelon.
Lvliu's gaze was intense, his breathing heavy, yet he remained silent.
Yu Yuan called forth the prismatic Dragon Slash Platform from within his body, its sharp edge piercing the Qilin Heart like a blade.
Puff!
As the Dragon Slash Platform penetrated the Qilin Heart, hundreds of delicate Bloodline Crystal Chains instantly burst apart.
The thickest of these chains, carrying the thunderous sound of stormy Taoist Laws, couldn't hold out for long and also exploded.
This prominent and clear Crystal Chain, akin to a divine crystal, spilled forth a mysterious essence as it subtly transitioned from a solid state into a liquid one.
Back in the Iridescent Cloud Miasma Sea, Yu Yuan and Youyu had observed the colorless stream symbolizing a divine seat. Now, witnessing the transformation before him, Yu Yuan instantly recognized it as the primordial essence capable of forging a divine seat and forming Bloodline Crystals within the heart of a formidable demon.
In that instant.
Yu Yuan felt a low growl from the spinosaurus within the Dragon Slash Platform, resonating from within the purple-gold dragon egg.
Amidst the roar, a mix of longing and trepidation could be felt.
The creature seemed to yearn for something desperately, yet it was acutely aware that its current strength was insufficient, that it had not yet matured, and for now, it couldn't withstand the pressure.
Its roar echoed within the Dragon Slash Platform, audible only to Yu Yuan.
Lvliu remained oblivious.
"Thank you."
Lvliu descended into the lake in human form, instantly transforming into a colossal green snake, sending ripples cascading through the depths of the Great Swamp.
His emerald eyes glimmered with an eerie flame within the lake.
He suddenly realized that the lake he was submerged in had already begun drawing the desperately needed spiritual water energy from the vast waters of the Great Swamp.
Simultaneously, he heard the Desolate God's bellow and the proclamation sealing the Great Swamp.
A pure, colorless stream, infused with the essence of the Great Swamp, emerged from the shattered Bloodline Crystal Chain within the Qilin Heart and gracefully soared out.
The Dragon Slash Platform remained embedded in the Qilin Heart, yet the tremendous energy of flesh and blood within the demonic core did not diminish.
However, as the essence-filled stream departed from the Qilin Heart, Yu Yuan sensed the young creature's sense of loss...
This signified that its desire was not for the Qilin Heart or the vast demonic energy within, but for the primal essence of the Boundless Great World.
Despite being unable to absorb it, at least for the moment, it was still brimming with desire and a peculiar... yearning.
Yu Yuan furrowed his brow in deep contemplation.
What was this most precious primal essence capable of forging a Divine Throne within the entire Boundless Great World?
And why did it crave it so intensely?
"Yu Yuan!"
After a thunderous roar, the Old Ape, in the guise of the Desolate God, shrank once more, arriving beside the lake.
He watched the pristine stream, symbolic of a Divine Throne, flow gently from the Qilin Heart into the lake where Lvliu's demonic form was submerged. With a toothy grin, the Old Ape slapped Yu Yuan's shoulder in high spirits.
Yu Yuan, embodying the Yang God, was sent plummeting to the lakebed.
"My apologies, I'm a little overexcited today."
The Old Ape's laughter boomed. He was aware that the Qilin had perished and that Lvliu was poised to claim the Divine Throne. His joy was genuine, and he couldn't contain it.
Yu Yuan, standing firm like a tree rooted in the earth, wore a grave expression.
The Desolate God's casual slap, with power that slightly lost control, unleashed a brute force that seemed wildly exaggerated to Yu Yuan.
Such a slap, if it were to land on the mountains and rivers within the Boundless Great World, would likely cause the mountains to collapse and the earth to crack. And this was merely an inadvertent act by the Desolate God...
"Please enlighten me. If the Qilin Heart is pierced by the Dragon Slash Platform beyond the Outer Star River, what becomes of its essence?" Yu Yuan inquired earnestly.
"It will return to the Boundless Great World," came the reply.
Standing by the lakeside, the Desolate God watched Lvliu drawing in the pure, clear waters of the stream. With a radiant smile, he declared, "Apart from the Great Demon God Beilstein, no one can destroy the essence of the Boundless Great World. Even he can only destroy it, not assimilate it."
"The essence of the Boundless Great World can only be refined by beings from within it, those who have reached the heights necessary to challenge for a divine position."
"So, if the Qilin were to perish outside, its essence would still be drawn back by the Boundless Great World."
"Of course, the process would be exceedingly slow. Should Beilstein intercept it en route, he could indeed destroy it outright."
The Old Ape, clearly versed in the arcane knowledge of divinity and essence, shared the details offhandedly.
"What, then, is the essence of the Boundless Great World, and where exactly is it?" Yu Yuan pressed further.
The Old Ape turned his gaze from Lvliu in the lake to Yu Yuan and explained, "Its location? Those who hold a divine position and carry the essence within them can sense it, albeit vaguely. As for its true nature, we can only speculate, for none of us can reach its original location."
"And where might that be?" Yu Yuan asked, intrigued.
"It lies at the heart of the vast expanse, surrounded by the most terrifying Geocentric Fire. Not a single Demon Phoenix, Naga, or great human cultivator has ever crossed the Geocentric Fire to reach the heart of the vastness. Since no one has managed to reach it, no one has been able to directly witness its formation."
The Desolate God let out a light chuckle. "All anyone can do is speculate about how it came into being, why it has the power to condense a divine seat, and why it's shrouded in so much mystery."
"Oh, wait, that's not quite right," Old Ape said, smacking his forehead as if a new thought had just occurred to him. He fixed his gaze on the Dragon Slash Platform and continued, "Theoretically, only those who were once Dragon Slashers, in the form of their pure souls, could traverse the Geocentric Fire and possibly get an up-close, direct view of the thing that formed the essence of the Boundless Great World."
"But he never acknowledged it."
