C1652 The Transformation of the Gods and Demons
In the true world, the Abyssal Leviathan, appearing as a gaunt old man, hastened from an island in the distant deep sea to the Dragon Slaying Stage. He positioned himself next to Yu Yuan, observing with a pair of eyes—one crimson, one pearly white—as Yu Yuan stood with his eyes closed upon the stage.
En route, the Abyssal Leviathan had witnessed the Mirage of the Mind, no longer concealing its intentions, ready to strike at Yu Yuan. He had let out a cry of alarm. At that moment, he harbored concerns for Yu Yuan's safety, fearing that the Mirage of the Mind might catch him off guard and cause harm.
His cry was followed by the sight of the Mirage of the Mind, in its phantom form, transforming into a burst of multicolored light that vanished into the depths of Yu Yuan's brow. In that instant, the Abyssal Leviathan, who had just been shouting, found himself at ease.
He approached leisurely. Upon seeing Yu Yuan close his eyes, he understood that a confrontation had ensued within Yu Yuan's Mindscape between him and the intrusive Mirage of the Mind.
"Yu Yuan's Mindscape isn't a place you can just waltz in and out of at will, not even for a Mirage of the Mind skilled in the mystical arts of the soul and spirit," the Abyssal Leviathan mused internally, his face betraying a hint of schadenfreude.
He was well aware that the soul mark deep within Yu Yuan's dominant soul had never been extinguished; he had once had the privilege of glimpsing that innermost scene.
He vividly recalled his own shock and fear, the intensity of his reaction. He was curious to discover what the Mirage of the Mind would unearth as it delved layer by layer into Yu Yuan's Mindscape.
Anticipating the unfolding drama, the Abyssal Leviathan's mouth twisted into a grin, and he let out a mischievous, eerie laugh.
It was like Zhang Jinbo excavating the core of a volcano to find blood, or like Leo, Beru, and others refining a star only to uncover a Mirage of the Mind lurking within.
The Mirage of the Mind, burrowing deep into Yu Yuan's Mindscape, would excavate traces of Taiyin and the Primal Soul from Yu Yuan's dominant soul.
"Haha!" The Abyssal Leviathan slapped his thigh in wild laughter.
Not far off, the Duskjaw, Stormwraith, and Three-legged Golden Crow were ensnared by towering waves, pinned down in the depths of the sea, struggling in vain to break free.
They watched intently as the Abyssal Leviathan erupted in wild laughter.
"Relax, you are no longer my prey."
The Abyssal Leviathan huffed, clearly taken aback that these three pinnacle alien beasts hadn't been whisked away into the Sea of Anomalies by the Mirage of the Mind. "The beast souls you've lost can still be recovered."
With a splash, it plunged into the murky depths, leaving only its head above water, gazing up at the Dragon Slaying Stage. Beneath the surface, it stealthily directed numerous silvery fish to delve deeper into the abyss.
More fish burst forth from its watery form, scattering in all directions.
Youyu, in the meantime, was within the Mindscape, transforming billions of grey-white rays into a murky stream that voraciously consumed the Sea of Anomalies.
The Abyssal Leviathan, in its own way, was permeating the true ink-black deep, intent on shrouding the entire region.
It would wait for Yu Yuan to pinpoint the exact pebble among the sea's countless stones that was the soul stone. With that knowledge, the Abyssal Leviathan could effortlessly locate the Mirage of the Mind.
"I seek the adult Mirage of the Mind to restore my power and fortify my soul."
The Abyssal Leviathan grumbled, as if addressing both the top-tier ninth-level alien beasts and Yu Yuan, "As for the soul stone it created, I'm willing to cede it to you for handling."
"Good."
Yu Yuan's voice emanated from the little world within his chest.
His Solar Spirit was the one to respond to the Abyssal Leviathan.
With the Lunar Spirit beside Youyu in the Mindscape and the dominant soul in his own Mindscape, mocking the Mirage of the Mind, only the Solar Spirit was unoccupied.
Thus, it was the Solar Spirit that replied.
"Follow this trail of vitality. Where it leads is the location of the soul stone. The giant beast form of the Mirage of the Mind is likely concealed next to the soul stone, having shrunk in size. Of course, wherever it hides, the moment you disturb the soul stone, it will surely reveal itself!"
A streak of crimson lightning burst forth from Yu Yuan's chest, streaking directly towards the ink-black seabed.
"Ha ha! I've been eagerly anticipating this!" The Abyssal Leviathan joyfully accepted.
In the depths of the ink-black ocean, schools of fish that were once scattered abruptly converged towards a streak of scarlet lightning.
Fueled by his blood, the silver fish, transformed from his scales, coalesced into numerous Abyssal Leviathans.
It seemed as though hundreds of Abyssal Leviathans, formed from the fish, were pursuing the scarlet lightning from every direction.
"Where do you find the audacity to take on three by yourself?"
Within his Mindscape, Yu Yuan's dominant soul soared forward, the void thundering in its wake.
One by one, enigmatic deities appeared—some wielding thunder magic, others ancient Demon Gods, some with the heavens resting upon their heads and feet planted firmly on the earth, and still others, peak warriors vibrating the Star River...
These gods, lost to the annals of history and slain by the God-King Taiyin, seemed to be resurrected within Yu Yuan's mind.
Yu Yuan's dominant soul, standing before these supreme beings—Demon Gods and giant beasts—appeared minuscule, yet it instilled profound terror in the Mirage of the Mind.
"Manifest as all the gods and demons!"
The Mirage of the Mind shrieked in terror.
In that moment, its spirited body that had infiltrated Yu Yuan's Mindscape, along with its giant beast form in the real world and its beast soul in the Mindscape, all lost their connection.
It too was divided into three.
Believing Yu Yuan to be the weakest and most easily vanquished, the spirited body that had invaded Yu Yuan's Mindscape was merely a small fragment of the beast soul.
Yet this fragment had never been concealed from its giant beast form or the beast soul within the Mindscape.
Now, in Yu Yuan's Mindscape, the Mirage of the Mind had been deceived in the same manner it had attempted to deceive Yu Yuan.
Its giant beast form and beast soul were left oblivious to the plight of the spirited body.
"I, I... I understand now!"
The Mirage of the Mind, upon witnessing the gods and demons surpass Yu Yuan's dominant soul and surge towards it, emitted a cry of despair.
This fragment of its soul fell to its knees in a futile attempt to plead for mercy, to seek understanding.
Alas, in the blink of an eye, it was obliterated by the multitude of gods and demons.
With a whoosh, after the destruction of its soul fragment, a vague phantom materialized behind Yu Yuan's dominant soul.
Enshrouded in two shells radiating with brilliant starlight, the phantom exuded a mysterious presence, utterly still and silent.
Yu Yuan turned his head for a brief moment, and with just that glance, the hazy phantom vanished.
Deep within Yu Yuan's dominant soul, an array of Mind Magic techniques, previously contemplated by the Mirage of the Mind, emerged along with a small soul mark.
It seemed as though the spirited body of the Mirage of the Mind, once devoured by those celestial demons and gods, had been completely assimilated by him.
Whoosh!
A colossal beast, resembling a clam with a shell shimmering with starlight, materialized from thin air.
It appeared within his Mindscape.
A Spirit Magic tome, both familiar and foreign to him, seemed to have been unsealed after many years. Flipping through a few pages, a multitude of revelations suddenly came to light.
"Divine and Demonic Creation!"
Standing atop the Dragon Slaying Stage, Yu Yuan opened his eyes, which had been tightly shut, and whispered the words to himself.
Behind him, the phantoms of ancient gods, demons, and peak warriors materialized in succession, each exuding a majestic and solemn aura.
The Dragon Slaying Stage subtly transformed into a Divine Throne, upon which he was seated.
Arrayed behind him were the celestial gods and demons, dark deities of immense stature, tenth level peak warriors, and the forming phantom of the Mirage of the Mind, all appearing as loyal servants who had attended him for countless eons.
He was the God-King, with a legion of followers at his back.
