C1681 The Abyss's Suction Force

The Abyssal Greater Basilisk emerged above Eiwrone as a dark-brown shadow, its massive form casting an ominous presence.

Its colossal body, seemingly wrapped in the power of the Abyss, triggered a transformation in Eiwrone, filling the shadowy caverns with its vital energy.

The creature's endless vital energy surged like the tides of the ocean, overwhelming everyone with its force.

Whoosh!

The Abyssal Greater Basilisk opened its maw, exhaling a breath that transformed the darkness above Tan Xiaotian's head into a vast storm, carving wells into the void.

Tan Xiaotian slightly furrowed his brow and remarked, "Impressive strength!"

Meanwhile, in Jessica's mind, the appearance of the Abyssal Greater Basilisk and the pulsing of its bloodline brought the slender silhouette of the Origin Deity within the Maw of Oblivion into sharper focus.

He materialized as a tall, somewhat frail man in a gray robe, his features slightly indistinct.

His stature resembled that of Youyu, suggesting he too was a denizen of the Everlands.

Atop the Dark Court, Youyu, seated in a state of contemplation, was aware that the Origin Deity, like himself, was merely a spirited body.

Yet, since their arrival in Eiwrone and subsequent encounters with the Origin Deity, this enigmatic figure had remained a vague phantom.

Now, his form had crystallized, hinting at a significant augmentation of the Origin Deity's powers.

"The Abyssal Greater Basilisk is the finest ally I could have in this world. After persuading him, I shared the secret to harnessing the power of the Abyss, though he had yet to employ it."

"This is a first."

The Origin Deity, with his indistinct visage, stood at the heart of the Maw of Oblivion, his voice gentle yet commanding, as if sharing a private joke with Youyu.

"Now, I can wield the power of the Abyss!"

With those words, the gravitational pull of the Maw of Oblivion where he stood intensified exponentially.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Deep within the Dark Court, the evil spirits, soul spirits, Terra Fiends, and ghosts that Youyu had refined and detained were involuntarily drawn out, slipping from his grasp and plummeting into the Maw of Oblivion.

Whoosh!

The intertwining rivers, one crystal clear and the other murky, spiraled out of control in a fleeting moment. Youyu abruptly felt his dominion over this world slip away entirely. With a thunderous roar, his God of Ghosts spirited body, along with the Dark Court, was wrenched from Jessica's mind, returning to his own flesh. His already pale complexion turned ghostly, the light in his vacant eyes fading.

As the Soul Battle with the Origin Deity commenced, Taixu, who had been vigilantly guarding him, noticed Youyu's dire state and urgently inquired, "How are you?" Youyu remained silent. "Heh."

A miniature Maw of Oblivion materialized on Jessica's forehead, revealing a hazy silhouette of the Origin Deity. The Maw of Oblivion, drawn from the outside world into Jessica's mind, swiftly descended into the Eiwrone. It instantly forged connections with the numerous cavernous depths within.

The deep caverns began to exert a powerful suction. The myriad cosmic energies of the Ashlands, the drifting dust and toxins, the remnants of lost souls, and the strange powers that eroded the mind—all were drawn into the Eiwrone.

Yu Yuan, Zhong Chichen, Tan Xiaotian, and even the distant Abyssal Leviathan felt their Soul Power, vital energy, and spiritual energy being siphoned by the Eiwrone. In their perception, the Eiwrone had become an immense Maw of Oblivion, consuming every ounce of energy from this realm.

Beside the celestial bodies, a vacuum of nothingness rapidly formed. "This..." Zhong Chichen's face lost its earlier composure. The Eiwrone's voracious pull suggested an intent to deplete all cosmic energy from the enigmatic Ashlands, transforming it into the desolate expanse of Brugeth.

"Ugh!" Zhong Chichen let out another sharp cry. He suddenly realized that the Eiwrone's target was not limited to the Ashlands alone. Worlds connected to the Origin Gate, too, were being drained of their various energies by the Eiwrone's anomaly. "Everlands!" Zhong Chichen's expression grew somber, his gaze intensifying with grave concern.

At Skyreach Peak, Zu Ann was in a state of half-sleep, covertly probing the secrets of the great empires among mortals. His remnant soul meandered through the three continents until, with a jolt, he found himself at the entrance to the Divine Conference's valley.

Deep within the valley, the Origin Gate, entrenched like a malignant growth, began to exert an inexplicable pull. The moment this force manifested, the wall sealing the valley transformed into an array of radiant energies, all drawn into the gate's maw.

As the barrier and seals failed, the Skyreach mountain range trembled, and the sparse divine force surged toward the secluded valley.

With a whoosh, the Banner of Duality materialized, and Han Miaoyuan stepped forth, gazing into the altered valley. "The calamity has started," he declared.

"Is Zhong Chichen still in the Domain Channel beneath the forbidden area? Has he forged his God Throne yet?" Zu Ann asked, weighed down by concern.

The disturbance at the Origin Gate was a source of great consternation for him. His reliance wasn't on Han Miaoyuan, who detected the misdirected flow of divine force, but rather on the Chronowyrm, Zhong Chichen.

"He vanished recently," Han Miaoyuan said, his brow furrowed in frustration as he massaged the creases on his forehead.

"Vanished?" Zu Ann was on the verge of swearing.

They had promised two God Thrones to enlist Zhong Chichen's help in addressing the Everlands' perils. Both Loong Jie and Zhong Chichen were elevated to divinity in accordance with their pact. Zhong Chichen was supposed to tackle the two lurking threats left by the Origin Deity immediately upon ascending, to prevent the Everlands from being at a disadvantage.

Yet, upon achieving godhood, Zhong Chichen had departed the Everlands without first addressing the Origin Gate, much to Zu Ann's dissatisfaction.

"I'm powerless to redirect the flow of divine force, nor can I halt it," Han Miaoyuan admitted, shaking his head as he looked on at the deep valley with a sense of helplessness. "This gate is voraciously seeking to consume all of the Everlands' existing energy. Should all the divine force be drawn into it, I will suffer grievous harm, and my divine status will be jeopardized."

Hearing this, Zu Ann was taken aback, realizing the gravity of the situation before him was far more challenging than he had anticipated.

"I've asked Lin Daoke to return," Han Miaoyuan said, his gaze dropping to the ground beneath his feet where Taishi had emerged, both of them overlooking the deep valley.

"It's not just us in the Everlands; according to what we've learned from Boulderdawn, all stars and secret realms with an Origin Gate are acting like unfinished Maws of Oblivion, desperately seeking power from every corner of the world."

Taishi managed to maintain a semblance of calm, but his eyes betrayed a sudden shift in emotion.

"Ah!"

Startled, he turned to Han Miaoyuan with a grave voice, "Are you certain that Jihui is truly gone?"

"What makes you say that?" Han Miaoyuan responded, taken aback.

"I sensed a trace of his presence fleeting through the Origin Gate in the valley!" exclaimed Taishi.

"That's impossible!" Han Miaoyuan protested, shaking his head in disbelief. "I'm positive his soul was utterly destroyed. After his body was obliterated, the Shadow's Keep reduced him to dust, leaving not a single trace of blood. How could his presence be in the Origin Gate?"

"Jihui? The God-King Jihui?!" Zu Ann exclaimed, visibly shaken.

The ground trembled violently.

Taishi, intent on investigating further, peered intently at the earth beneath him, his gaze piercing through the layers to a hidden corner deep below.

"President Lyi has returned."

After a brief pause and a few more scrutinizing looks, Taishi announced, "He's descended to the depths of the Fireheart Mountains. He's... He's attempting to touch the Earthfire!"

"Is he seeking his own death?" Zu Ann asked, astonished.

Han Miaoyuan was equally baffled. "No one has ever survived contact with the Earthfire in their mortal form. Not the fire dragon of old, nor the golden dragon, and even the Dark Phoenix dared not. President Lyi must know that flesh and blood cannot withstand the Earthfire without turning to ash."

"Yet, it seems he's no longer human but has become a mass of sunsilver," Taishi observed.

At that revelation, Han Miaoyuan's expression turned grave.

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