C1654 The Young Man Taixu

Deep within the swirling mists of yellow sand, President Lyi sat atop a boulder, his back flayed open to reveal bones as sturdy as fine gold and divine iron. Yin Tiehua, bent over with a curved back, wielded an embroidery needle, meticulously etching an arcane circle onto the exposed joints.

With a furrowed brow, he cautioned, "When I direct my divine needle, you must disperse all your fine gold power. You need to cooperate fully with me, and... the arcane circle I'm inscribing will at most enhance your strength by twenty percent."

They were in a decrepit building, its corners cluttered with scrap metal and rusted iron, while a few gems were set into the roof.

"Twenty percent, ten percent, any increase is worth the risk," President Lyi declared, sparks crackling at the edges of his mouth. His metallic eyes glinted with a ghostly light as he continued, "My remnant soul has returned from the Origin Realm. It's an odd sensation—I believe I've detected the scent of the Root of the Lunar Meridian and the essence of the God of Ghosts, Youyu."

"The Origin Realm is like an unseen vast sea, teeming with souls and consciousnesses that have been abruptly pulled in. I even glimpsed a multicolored phantom encased within a large shell."

President Lyi had ventured to the Ashlands specifically to seek out Yin Tiehua, marking his first foray into this region. His remnant soul, having been lured into the Mindscape, managed to return amidst the chaos of the battle between Youyu and the Mirage of the Mind, thanks to his formidable strength. Upon his return, he recalled his experiences within the Mindscape and shared them with Yin Tiehua.

"That wasn't the Origin Realm," Yin Tiehua, with years of Ashlands life etched into his face, expressed his astonishment. "That realm was forged by a cosmic giant beast known as the Mirage of the Mind, which is more accurately the Mindscape. Many years ago, curiosity led me there, but it wasn't as powerful then, and I managed to break free."

"I later did some research and consulted with some formidable entities. That's when I learned it was a second brain he had crafted for himself using Sunsorrow."

"He referred to this brain as the soul stone, a vast ocean for consciousness and souls."

He could use the soul stone to influence nearby beings to scout when he activated his innate abilities. The souls would be ensnared, and if they were remnant souls or consciousnesses, they would become trapped and unable to escape."

After the explanation, Yin Tiehua was astonished. "The fact that you managed to escape is remarkable. In recent years, I'm not aware of anyone who has escaped the Sea of Anomalies."

"It's because he was in battle with Youyu," President Lyi said.

"Youyu?"

"The newly risen God of Ghosts in the Everlands, Youyu was once the leader of the Bloodbrawlers in ancient times, and a dear friend of the God-King Taiyin. He has been reborn, drawing power from the Root of the Lunar Meridian to ascend once again," President Lyi revealed Youyu's history.

"It's been ages since I've been back to the Everlands, and I've been out of touch with the power players there. It seems the Everlands has seen many unbelievable changes in recent years," Yin Tiehua said with a wry smile.

"For some reason, I feel uneasy," President Lyi said, his gaze hollow as he watched the yellow sand swirling in the extraterrestrial sky, sensing that someone might have taken notice of him.

...

"Stay put, everyone; there shouldn't be any hiccups from here on out."

Yu Yuan, standing on the Dragon Slaying Stage, reassured the Stormwraith with a smile and a shake of his head, "No need to worry. The Mirage of the Mind below stands no chance of victory." His Lunar Spirit within the Mindscape had noticed that Youyu had sealed off the Sea of Anomalies.

In the midst of the sea, it seemed that President Lyi and the peak powerhouse, the Great Demon God Greco, had taken the opportunity to make their escape amidst the chaos.

Yet, as they departed, Yu Yuan distinctly sensed the presence of gray-white soul threads within their consciousness and souls.

These soul threads, embedded in the consciousness of those whom Youyu deemed worthy of his attention, allowed him to track their locations once they merged with their souls.

He could even stealthily observe their thoughts, gaining insight into their intentions and strategies.

Youyu's ability to "close the door" indicated that he had gained the upper hand in his confrontation with the Mirage of the Mind. Those he had deliberately allowed to leave before sealing the Sea of Anomalies had unwittingly become his spies.

When he needed to, he could identify them one by one and launch his attacks accordingly.

An undetected soul thread would serve as his ace in the hole, capable of ambushing President Lyi and Grec's souls unexpectedly.

With a bit of luck, a single strike could severely damage their souls, significantly reducing their fighting capabilities.

"You wish to temper your body with Earthfire and covet the Primal Soul..." Yu Yuan's expression grew increasingly grim. Initially feeling somewhat remorseful towards President Lyi, he had overheard the conversation between President Lyi and Yin Tiehua through Youyu, which led him to a firm decision.

Once Youyu's physical form arrived with Xuanli and they had dealt with the Mirage of the Mind, he would eliminate President Lyi in the Ashlands.

It was a necessary step to eradicate any future threats.

"My lord."

Suddenly, the voice of God-King Taixu emanated from the Dragon Slaying Stage beneath him.

Taixu, who had been dormant for an extended period, slowly rose to a seated position on the stage. With his awakening, Andre's features and physique subtly shifted and transformed.

In a short while, Andre, of the Blood Fiend lineage, had masterfully altered his appearance, taking on the form of another person.

He was now a tall, slender human youth with a refined and somewhat shy demeanor.

Whoosh!

The human youth soared from the Dragon Slaying Stage and landed before Yu Yuan, his slender hands poised over his chest as he bowed deeply.

His eyes, brimming with gratitude, met Yu Yuan's, as if he had a torrent of words and emotions to release.

"Taixu."

Yu Yuan's heart skipped a beat. This youthful visage of Taixu was profoundly etched in his memory.

He was instantly flooded with a series of hazy images.

In those memories, this shy youth had always stood behind him, unwavering in his support, whether Yu Yuan was right or wrong.

A wave of emotion surged through Yu Yuan's soul, realizing that his comrade from tens of thousands of years ago had indeed returned.

"I aged a bit over time, certainly not as young as I am now."

Taixu appeared somewhat sheepish. "But now that I can freely reconstruct my body and choose any age to present myself, I've opted for a younger appearance. Back when I first joined Boulderdawn and laid eyes on the Dragon Slaying Stage, I looked just as I do now."

The Dragon Slaying Stage he mentioned was, of course, the same one from his first life.

Awooo!

The Duskjaw, Stormwraith, and Three-legged Golden Crow suddenly encircled him, howling with excitement as they beat their chests and stamped their feet.

The three alien beasts recognized him, remembering that when he first arrived in the Ashlands in his soul form, he appeared as the young man before them now.

The difference was that the youth they now faced possessed a corporeal body, alive just like them.

"Ah, to be young! You look good no matter how I see you!" Yu Yuan exclaimed, instinctively reaching out to pat his shoulder as if it were a gesture he had made countless times before.

However, as he extended his hand, he hesitated, feeling it might be inappropriate.

Officially, he was Yu Yuan, a junior member of Boulderdawn, while Taixu... Taixu was a God-King, one of the towering figures of Boulderdawn. Their statuses were unequal.

Thus, his hand hung awkwardly in the air. He attempted to retract it with an embarrassed smile.

Pow!

Taixu, grinning, took the initiative, squatting down to meet his hand and nudging Yu Yuan's palm with his shoulder, completing the pat in a fluid motion.

It felt like a mysterious ritual...

"You've given me a brand-new body, one even more wondrous than my previous one," Taixu said, his face and eyes radiating contentment and excitement. He pointed to his head, adding, "My fusion encountered no obstacles."

Yu Yuan narrowed his eyes and tuned into the Dragon Slaying Stage for a closer look.

Inside Taixu's mind, there was only a single orb of primordial spirit, devoid of both Lunar Spirit and Solar Spirit.

The exalted primordial spirit of humanity was essentially identical to the formidable Demon God of the extraterrestrial Sky Fiends.

In this moment, Taixu was akin to a Great Demon God, endowed with a miraculous demonform.

This demonform had been crafted from the body of a great Demon God of the Blood Fiend clan. Taixu, with the soul of a great Demon God, had refined the body of a Blood Fiend's great Demon God, resulting in an extraordinary fit.

Yet, within Taixu's mind, there was no trace of the Everlands' original essence.

There was no divine seat forged either.

"You haven't condensed a divine seat," Yu Yuan stated softly.

"I don't need one. While it's true that having a divine seat and merging with the original source can significantly enhance the combat power of a primordial spirit, I'm feeling quite good as it is. Even without the boost from a divine seat, this body you've crafted for me brings a tremendous amount of combat strength and potential!"

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