C1612 The Rat
The Origin Realm Gate, once shimmering with a spectrum of colors, gradually settled into a single hue—a faint purple, the distinct color of the Soul Igniting Nether Fog.
Sizzle, sizzle!
Within the enigmatic Origin Realm Gate, purple lightning seemed to race wildly in a place unseen and unfelt by all. It was as if a siege was underway, poisoning the souls of every living being.
The Ruins Divine King, a figure of gray, stood silently before the Origin Realm Gate, his presence a pure soul form. The means by which he had escaped the evil statue were unknown, as was the method he used to sever the connection between Pei Yuling and the Origin Realm Gate.
All anyone saw was his sudden appearance before the gate, swiftly bringing the situation under control. They also witnessed him dispatch a gray soul shadow into the Origin Realm, apparently using some arcane technique to initiate an invasion.
"Taishi!"
Rebecca from the Banshee Clan, seated on her hair cushion, abruptly shifted forward. A look of terror shone from the depths of her emerald green eyes. "I saw a purple mist, its form unforgettable. If I'm not mistaken, that mist..."
Taishi remained unflappable, his voice as serene as a still well. "Correct, it is the Soul Igniting Nether Fog!"
"Soul Igniting Nether Fog!"
"It's actually the Soul Igniting Nether Fog!"
Eyes from beyond the Plover Realm's boundary and atop the Devaputra Race's warships were fixed on the now-open Origin Realm Gate and upon Yu Yuan.
Some extraterrestrial beings only knew of the Soul Igniting Nether Fog's eerie and fearsome nature from past encounters. Yet, they were unaware that the creator of this malevolent mist was none other than Yu Yuan, now brandishing the Optimus Sword and unleashing a flurry of crimson sword beams, slaying butterflies across the realm.
Yu Yuan's past as Hong Qi had never been marked by an appearance in the vast ocean, and his life had been brief. Consequently, the notoriety of the Soul Igniting Nether Fog had eclipsed that of Hong Qi himself.
Some warriors from other realms only recognized the Soul Igniting Nether Fog as a creation of the Medicine God Sect, the product of a sinister alchemist's painstaking efforts.
The Soul Igniting Nether Fog was taken beyond the skies by extremists and placed within various Realms. This act set the stage for a horrific tragedy.
Those who wielded the Soul Igniting Nether Fog were marked for death by other races. The five supreme powers of the vast expanse, along with the seven righteous lower sects, scorned the use of the Soul Igniting Nether Fog for slaughter.
The poison of the fog, which grew in potency from the weakest to the strongest of souls, had once unleashed a terrible disaster upon the vast expanse...
However, if the Soul Igniting Nether Fog were to be released in the Origin Realm, targeting its malevolent beings, the situation would be entirely different.
"Yu Yuan, do your utmost to eliminate every butterfly."
Guixu stood watch at the Origin Realm Gate. Whenever he spotted a thick purple mist emerging from the gate, he would effortlessly send the purple haze back into the Origin Realm.
The dreadful toxicity of the Soul Igniting Nether Fog would start with the weaker spirits and rapidly intensify, spreading to the mightier souls above.
The ultimate reach of this soul poison remains a mystery, but should it fully erupt...
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
A series of resplendent Space Edges transformed into dazzling, slender blades, cutting through the air towards Guixu from all directions.
Guixu let out a dismissive chuckle as the Space Edges, conjured by Pei Yuling with the Void Mirror, shattered a hundred meters from him.
In his pure soul form, he reached out and effortlessly pinched a spatial rift.
With a mere flick, a multitude of silver-white lightning burst forth from the luminous crack.
This silver-white lightning then fell back into the Origin Realm Gate, which he used to decimate the life forms within.
"Young man, in the annals of the Divine Soul Sect, there was a Wisdom Divine King whose brilliance far exceeded yours. I see no issue with your faith in the Origin Realm God. Your earlier words were quite intriguing, and I personally find them compelling..."
Guixu nonchalantly slapped the dense purple Soul Igniting Nether Fog back into the Origin Realm.
He continued, "Yet, the Origin Realm God you revere seems rather insignificant to me. Why, during the reign of the Wisdom Divine King, was there no Origin Realm Gate in the Boundless Great World? If the Origin Realm God is truly formidable, would he dare to step out of the Origin Realm and make a real appearance in the Oblivion Starfield?"
"Do you dare?"
He taunted with a smirk at the Origin Realm Gate.
Puff! Puff! Puff!
From within the gate, the sound of tumultuous explosions emerged, as if hordes of souls were being blasted into madness.
"Just as I thought, a mere coward."
Guixu's voice grew icy, dismissing Pei Yuling and instead gazed through the void towards Taishi in the Plover Realm.
"I can only faintly perceive the state of the Origin Realm. Many souls, from various races, have been manipulated by him to fend off the Soul Igniting Nether Fog. You must spread the word: the recent spate of sudden deaths are all followers of the Origin Realm God, their souls now subject to the infusion of some malevolent will within the Origin Realm."
Taishi nodded, calling out, "Did everyone catch that?"
Brie, Rebecca, and the envoys from the Star Race and Bright Clan quickly grasped the gravity of the situation and nodded in agreement.
Reid spoke with gravity, "Mitts, inform all the major groups within the Devaputra Race. And the Blood Devil Clan needs to hear this too. Anyone whose soul has been grievously wounded or has perished suddenly without battling an enemy, including their kin, must be thoroughly investigated!"
"I'm on it!" exclaimed Mitts.
"A great many will die. I actually hope... the disturbance will be substantial. After all, the brewing of the Soul Igniting Nether Fog also requires the flames of lost souls for fuel. I long to see a deep purple blaze wreaking havoc across the entire Origin Realm. Should I glimpse a spreading hue of purple from the Abyss Gate, my satisfaction will be complete."
The Ruins Divine King, now a pure soul entity, expressed his dark anticipation with a voice that was eerily melodious.
The beings outside the Plover Realm, led by Reid, watched the murky soul shadow with a mix of curiosity and unease.
Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!
Yu Yuan, multitasking with ease, brandished the Optimus Sword, casting forth swathes of sword light.
Countless crimson beams pursued the escaping butterflies.
Pei Yuling, wielding the spatial powers of the Void Mirror, had created a web of spatial fissures around him, opening up a myriad of hidden pathways. In doing so, he had effectively forsaken his physical form.
Yu Yuan keenly detected that Pei Yuling's soul and consciousness had long since vacated his corporeal shell.
His soul now clung to the butterflies, fluttering towards the myriad fissures and secret channels.
As Pei Yuling had mentioned, he was no longer purely human. His current actions closely resembled those of the Void Spirit Succubus, which had separated its soul from its body to escape when it sensed danger.
However, unlike the inexperienced Succubus, the seasoned Void Spirit Succubus had imparted new secret arts to Pei Yuling.
These arts enabled Pei Yuling to divide himself into millions of colorful butterflies, each carrying a fragment of his soul. As long as even one or two butterflies managed to escape, his life force wouldn't be entirely extinguished.
With the aid of the Void Spirit Succubus, the Fallen Divine Tree, and the Origin Realm God, he could be resurrected before long.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
The mighty ones from the Plover Realm, along with several Demon Gods under Reid's command, sprang into action. They had discerned Pei Yuling's strategy and were now relentlessly hunting down the colorful butterflies.
"Spirit Destruction Slash!"
Three dazzling beams of sword light penetrated Pei Yuling's forehead, chest, and the Yellow Court below his abdomen.
With the sudden appearance of three glaring holes, Pei Yuling's vitality was abruptly severed.
More blood, untouched by the sword's intent, seeped from his pores, transforming into a multitude of colorful butterflies that scattered in every direction.
Yu Yuan kept swinging his sword, his blade's light pursuing the butterflies with just a flicker of his intent.
In a flash, hundreds more butterflies were reduced to ash and dust under the sweep of his sword.
A bolt of snow-white lightning streaked across the void and vanished without a trace.
The Void Mirror had disappeared.
As Yu Yuan observed other formidable figures joining the chase for the butterflies, he sheathed the Optimus Sword, halting his relentless assault.
The sword soul within the blade clamored, seemingly urging him to keep striking without end.
"Enough," Yu Yuan murmured, his gaze shifting curiously to Guixu and then to the now entirely purple Origin Realm Gate.
The Soul Igniting Nether Fog, initially a pale purple, darkened with the number of souls it afflicted. The transformation of the vibrant Origin Realm Gate to purple indicated that a significant number of Soul Spirits had perished within the Origin Realm.
The blow delivered by Guixu could very well be the most grievous wound the Origin Realm God has endured since the encounter with Beilstein.
Taoist Yeyin, a master from the Spirit Void Sect, excels in stealth and assassination. Yet, when measured against Guixu from the Divine Soul Sect, it's possible that Taoist Yeyin wouldn't even qualify to carry his shoes.
