C1613 Poison Origin Realm

"Gui Xu, Taixu, the God-King..."

Yu Yuan stood proudly aloft, gazing in astonishment at the gray phantom before him, a sense of awe stirring within him.

In the art of stealth and assassination, Gui Xu, bereft of his corporeal form, was likely the progenitor, perhaps even the pioneer of the sacred way.

Should he strike from the shadows, aside from a select few like Han Miaoyuan, Lin Daoke, and Tan Xiaotian, none of the preeminent figures from the great powers, those at the pinnacle of the Unbound Stage, nor the promising seeds poised for ascension, would stand a chance.

Yu Yuan even suspected that a sudden assault by him could catch Lin Daoke and Tan Xiaotian off guard.

Since the Origin Deity could not detect his presence, the straightforward Lin Daoke and Tan Xiaotian might fail to anticipate his ambush.

However, given the combat prowess of Lin Daoke and Tan Xiaotian, they could fend off his surprise attack without succumbing.

Should his initial strike fail to kill Lin Daoke and Tan Xiaotian, alerting them instead, Gui Xu would find himself at a disadvantage in any subsequent fair fight.

After all, Gui Xu lacked even a physical body of his own...

Whine! Whine!

The low hum of the sword spirit echoed in Yu Yuan's Heart Lake. He glanced down at the hilt of his sword and chuckled, "It's been too long since you've seen battle, and it seems you're a bit overeager."

The soul of the Divine Sword was impatient for him to carve a path of carnage into the Origin Realm!

But now was not the time.

As Pei Yuling's corporeal body fell, the Voidweaver blood that had suffused him scattered into myriad colorful butterflies, leaving Yu Yuan, sword in hand, feeling somewhat unsatisfied.

He was aware that without Gui Xu's meddling, and without Taishi, Reid, and others looming like specters, Pei Yuling, wielding the Mirror of the Infinite, would have likely dared a full confrontation.

Of course, Yu Yuan was confident in his ability to triumph over Pei Yuling under such circumstances.

Yet, once Pei Yuling realized he couldn't swiftly return through the Origin Gate and was faced with this unexpected development, his will to battle dissipated, and he sought only to escape the Annihilation Nebula.

Pei Yuling's true strength was never fully displayed, resulting in his unfortunate demise.

He was left feeling unfulfilled, and the Divine Sword, having finally emerged from Zekrica, shared this sentiment of dissatisfaction.

"Return to Zekrica first."

In a brief conversation, Yu Yuan learned that the sword needed to spend time in Zekrica. There, submerged in Zekrica, the essence of the sword's will could transform into the cosmic order, ensuring Zekrica's stability.

The sword spirit had thoroughly infused the last wishes of its former master, Nie Qingtian.

Whoosh!

As he cast the Divine Sword away, it flew toward Zekrica with a sense of reluctance.

While most of the vibrant butterflies were annihilated, a few managed to flee through a space rift, finding refuge in a hidden pathway, thus preserving a spark of life.

"Don't concern yourself with minor characters like Pei Yuling. They pose no real threat until they reach the Supreme."

Standing on the deck of the Voidfarer, the Great Shaman Reid gazed upon Gui Xu's phantom with eyes brimming with boundless wisdom. "If I'm not mistaken, Lord Gui Xu... is not merely a successor to Taixu's Way of Heaven. He is, in fact, Taixu himself!"

"Taixu God-King!"

Liu Ying gasped in shock, her voice rising in a sharp cry.

With the resurgence of the Boulderdawn Sect, the ancient history that had been buried came to light, no longer concealed by the combined efforts of the sects. The aged sect master of the Starmoon Sect began to share these stories.

Thus, Liu Ying became acquainted with the tales and exploits of the God-Kings from before the fall of the Boulderdawn.

The Taixu God-King was among the more enigmatic figures.

After his ascension, he spent most of his time drifting in the extraterrestrial, seldom returning to the Everlands.

Similar to Tan Junshan of the Starmoon Sect, he wandered freely, unconcerned with the sect's internal matters.

Liu Ying had once heard a saying...

In the days of old, none in the Everlands could match the personal combat prowess of the Taixu God-King. Those who caught his attention invariably met with mysterious ends.

People who fell victim to his stealthy assassinations died inexplicably, in bizarre and mysterious ways.

With a whoosh, Yu Yuan landed softly on the deck. Narrowing his eyes, he quickly assessed that Liu Ying was unharmed and said, "You're quite unlucky, encountering a rift between the Starmoon Sect and the Moonlit Wanderers during your first extraterrestrial training. Well, as long as you're alright. Just be cautious going forward and try not to get too entangled with the Moonlit Wanderers."

"Brother Yu, to be honest... the Moonlit Wanderers have had their share of suffering," Liu Ying murmured.

"The blame lies with Lee Sha for her ignorance of the world's vastness," Yu Yuan responded, then gestured toward the Ionodios. "You head over there first. Rest assured, the Annihilation Nebula is very secure at the moment; no one will dare to stir up trouble."

"Okay," Liu Ying acknowledged, skillfully guiding the Fallen Star Eyes away.

"What should we do about the Origin Gate?" Reid inquired.

"I'm not sure what to do," Yu Yuan admitted, spreading his hands in a gesture that suggested he was no Chronowyrm. "But I believe that if the souls within the Origin Realm have indeed been afflicted by the Soul-Igniting Mist, then the Origin Deity must have sustained severe damage from the calamity. Those frail followers who secretly worship him will inevitably be revealed."

Reid gave a slight nod of understanding.

Later, Mitts returned from another warship, her expression grave as she reported, "Over seventy of our Sky Fiend clan's devil souls have perished abruptly. Their lingering souls within the demonform perished with the demise of the dominant soul. Their deaths were utterly unforeseen..."

"Among these seventy, there are also the finest warriors from various races, all of whom had the potential to ascend to the status of Demon Gods."

Mitts glared at the open Origin Gate, knowing that the Origin Deity's deception had lured the elite of the extraterrestrial Star-Spawned Terrors to secretly channel their devil souls into the Origin Realm through hidden gates.

They were then exploited as expendable fuel for the Soul-Igniting Mist.

The Shadowkin, Starborn, Dawnbringers, and the territories of the Enchantress also began receiving reports. Many valued members of their communities had perished suddenly within their domains.

Each death was peculiar, none having engaged in battle with their enemies.

Rebecca and the other emissaries were dismayed to learn that their own people harbored fanatical devotees of the Origin Deity. Their faces betrayed their distress.

Brie, however, remained composed, having long known that due to Diggs and the presence of the Blightwood, they were not immune to such influences.

The turmoil persisted for a quarter of an hour. The once vibrant butterflies had perished, yet several glaring space rifts remained.

Some of the butterflies, along with Pei Yuling's Mirror of the Infinite, managed to escape the Annihilation Nebula. Their destinations beyond the rifts were unknown.

With a whoosh, Taishi, previously in the Ionodios, arrived alongside the two-faced stone statue at the still-open Origin Gate. He gazed in astonishment at the gate as it turned a deep shade of purple.

"What's happening on the other side?" he inquired with curiosity.

"First, it was our world's followers. Then..." Gui Xu, in his phantom form, did not merge back with the statue. His indistinct face showed a hint of satisfaction. "In the Origin Realm, other peculiar spirited bodies are becoming tainted with the Soul-Igniting Mist. I suspect that in the Abyss, some souls have been swayed by the Origin Deity to place a portion of their essence in the Origin Realm."

"The ones who perished below are the beings of the Abyss, lives from another world."

His words implied that through the Soul-Igniting Mist, Gui Xu had successfully extended harm to the beings of the Abyss, leading to the demise of those otherworldly beings who revered the Origin Deity.

"This gate will soon close because he knows I am here to guard it, and the dense Soul-Igniting Mist cannot escape. If he wishes to unleash the Soulblight from the Origin Realm, he must first seek my consent. He has attempted many times, but each time I've forced the Soulblight back into the Origin Realm. Left with no other option, he must now assimilate it himself," Gui Xu explained.

"If your corporeal body were to return, and you once again traversed the cosmos as Taixu, would you feel confident exploring the Origin Realm?" Taishi asked, smiling.

"We'll discuss that later," Gui Xu responded nonchalantly.

"I always knew it; Gui Xu is indeed Taixu."

Listening in on the conversation, High Priest Reid was now convinced that the Taixu God-King, once believed to have perished in the Everlands, had been reborn in a remarkable fashion as the Gui Xu God-King, still reigning supreme with a laugh across the Star River.

Yu Yuan, seated beside him, was aware that his own presence and the wonders of his Solar Spirit had bolstered the confidence between Taishi and Gui Xu, prompting them to drop their veils of secrecy.

Before long, Gui Xu would make a triumphant return as Taixu, ready to reclaim his name and honor.

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